Hey there, readers! It's been like AGES since I last updated, awfully sorry about that…just doesn't seem to have the inspiration to write…so you all know wat to do rite? Hehe… (for those blur ones, I want reviews! reviews!) anyways, this is finally the last chapter…hope u'all find it interesting… XD

Chapter 7

"But we have to do something! We can't just sit around doing nothing!" Kaoru wrung her hands as she paced the dojo floor restlessly. Aoshi had retired for the night and Saito had returned to the station, muttering something that sounded like 'a waste of a good night's sleep', leaving only Sano, Yahiko and Misao to accompany Kaoru. "I know!" Kaoru suddenly brightened. "Let's go search for him!"

Sano got a good grip on her kimono and yanked her backwards. 'Now don't be silly, Jo-chan. Searching would be impossible and you know it. It's well past midnight and there isn't even a moon!" He sighed despondently. "We're all as worried about Kenshin as you are but our hands are tied at the moment. Let's just turn in now and try to get some shut-eye okay?" Kaoru nodded miserably.

She was up and about at the crack of dawn. Tossing and turning the whole night, she had been unable to sleep a wink. Spirits were low that morning. Over the dojo hung an atmosphere of gloom and dread. Sano leaned against the doorway, hands folded as he watched the sun rise and pondered their next move. It wasn't long before he became aware of someone approaching from a distance.

The figure hobbled along slowly and painfully, with the aid of some kind of walking stick, making frequent stops to catch his of her breath. An old man out on a morning stroll, I don't wonder. Sano dismissed the matter from his thoughts. But the figure drew nearer and nearer and there was no mistaking it. It was heading straight for the dojo. "What the….." Sano suddenly caught a glimpse of red. He made a move just as the mysterious person collapsed a few feet from the dojo gate. And there, lying motionless in a state of unconsciousness, lay KENSHIN HIMURA!

Sano glued an ear to the wall, straining to obtain information of any kind. There was the usual splash of water, the snip of scissors, the ripping sound of bandages, as well as the muttered instructions and the occasional annoyed exclamations. Sano gave up. "What's taking them so long?" He grumbled. "They've been in there for ages!" The 'they' he mentioned referred to Megumi, who had been summoned immediately to patch Kenshin up, and her assistants which consisted of Kaoru, Misao and Yahiko.

Sano turned and eyed Aoshi, who was sitting cross-legged a little way off, deep in contemplation. "Well, say something, will you?" Aoshi merely raised an eyebrow. The simple action seemed to infuriate Sano even more. "Don't just sit there, you dumb ass! Do something!" Aoshi raised both eyebrows in answer.

Before Sano could pummel him into pulp, the door silently slid open and a grave looking Megumi and company appeared. "Well?" demanded Sano. "Well, how is he, vixen?" For once, the remark provoked no reaction from the 'vixen'. She seemed near exhaustion, drained completely after her task which lasted her 3 whole hours.

"Not too good," she replied truthfully. "He's lost a lot of blood and the wound show signs of infection. I've done all I can for him. The rest is entirely in his own hands."

"But….but he'll be alright, won't he?"

"We'll just have to pray and hope for the best."

Days crawled by slowly. Kaoru remained faithfully by his side while Megumi kept a watchful eye on him but Kenshin showed few signs of improvement. Infection had set in and his pallor was still that of a whitish hue.

Exactly a week after Kenshin returned, the miracle they had been hoping for happened. Kenshin groaned softly as he regained consciousness. His hand instantly went to his wound which was hurting very badly and he flinched with pain. Trying to push himself up with an elbow, he collapsed back against his pillows as a spasm of pain racked his body just as Kaoru entered the room. She dropped the basin of water in her hands and her jaw fell wide open.

"KENSHIN! YOU'RE AWAKE! MY HERO! WE'VE BEEN SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" Her voice could be heard several houses away. Kenshin winced involuntarily. She flung herself onto him in a great hug just as running footsteps were heard and Sano's unruly head poked in. "Jin-eh! What did you do to Jin-eh? Tell me! Did you teach him a good lesson?" Sano shook a spiral-eyed Kenshin wildly. "I'm dying to know!"

"Kenshin obviously beat him up real good! Now let go of him, you idiot!"

"Well, I wanna know what move Kenshin used on him. YOU let go!"

SMACK!SMACK! Stinging hands were withdrawn at once amidst howls of pain. Megumi gazed down at them sternly. "You numbskulls, don't you realize that you're hurting him?"

"Alright….alright, vixen….OUCH!" Sano rubbed his head ruefully. "I won't lay a finger on him, I just wanna ask him a question. Kenshin, what have you done with Jin-eh?" Misao and Yahiko squeezed into the crowd. "Yeah! Tell us how your Hiten Mitsurugi sent him flying through the air!"

"Jin-eh?" Having no recollection of what happened, Kenshin grouped in his mind for the past happenings. "Jin-eh…..oh, right!" He brightened. "He fell off a cliff."

"WOW…..you mean you actually drove him until the edge of a cliff?"

"Eh? Me? Oh no…it appears that Jin-eh had a phobia of wild boars and it so happened that while crossing the forest, one huge boar suddenly took a liking to him and gave chase. And he tripped and plundered down the cliff." Kenshin beamed round. "Lucky for me!"

"EH!"

"You….you mean, you….you didn't….thrash him up? He just….just FELL?"

"Yup." Kenshin grinned even wider. "Hey, where are you all going?"

"And to think that we wasted so much time on him," Sano grumbled as they all stalked out the door. "He didn't even touch Jin-eh! What a useless bum!" Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. "And after all those sleepless nights too! A hero? HAH!"

"You can very well look after your own wounds," Megumi cast the bandages down haughtily and slammed the door shut.

"ORO? ORO? ORO? What have I done?"

THE END