Woah. It's been a while. Thanks for all the great reviews! I was so happy to see that you enjoyed it! It made me all happy inside! Just a warning for those of you who are kinda squeemish, this chapter is a leeeetle icky with the y'know, wounded Mugen and everything. But I hope you'll like it anyway! Well, I think you've waited long enough: here we go!

Disclaimer: Okay, okay. I'll say it. I do not own Samurai Champloo or any of the characters OR the song I used to make this fic.

Chapter 4- Recuperation

Somehow, my ears were deaf to the thunder booming overhead. Somehow my legs carried my numbed body to the body of my captor. Somehow I didn't go insane at the sight of his torn body, blood spilling out from the gashes littering his tan skin and his chest heaving up and down with strained breaths.

I fell to my knees, cold mud splashing up on my kimono. His eyes were shut, but they peeled open at my presense. He suddenly tried to get up, growling and cursing as his body shuddered and fell what little inches he had managed to lift. Blood suddenly dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Mugen, stop it! You can't move or you'll die!" I heard myself shriek, though it sounded slurred. I reached out to take hold of him, but a noise from below stopped me. Voices from below the cliff! I crawled to the edge, my hair slipping over my shoulders as my head peeked over. Sure enough, lanterns danced below like ghosts, their owners dangerously close to the temple. A thought screamed in my head, making me kick myself to suppress such a thing: 'Yell for help, stupid! They'll take you home and kill that bastard that brought you here in the first place!'

I couldn't. It wasn't right. Even if he had brought me here, he did nothing to me and gave me food. He was also a human being.

I reluctantly turned back to face the obstacle before me. He was still, the water red around him. I noticed that both his sword and the dagger concealed at the bottom of the sheath were drawn, one in each hand. Once again I fell to my knees, taking his limp arms and throwing them over my shoulder. He grunted and I felt hot liquid ooze through with the rain to my skin. The grip on his sword tightened, and I realized I wouldn't be able to get him inside if he had ahold of them. I let go with one hand, feeling his weight push me down, and pulled off the sheath hanging from his shoulders. I gasped when I saw a bullet wound underneath. It seemed however, that this was the back end of the wound.

My small hand curled around the large calloused one with the sword, finding him grip tighter. I grit my teeth and cursed, causing him to look up with a drowsy,"Watch it...girly..."

"Leggo! I need this."

"Why?"

"Just trust me, okay? It won't..." I trailed off, realizing two things: one, I was being too harsh on him, and the sentence I was going to finish was 'It won't kill you to let go off your sword for a few seconds- the irony was too overwhelming. "I won't do anything to it. I'll keep it for safekeeping. Promise."

He looked up at me, his eyes making contact. For a split second I saw something come into his eyes, then gradually he let go and the sword slipped into my hand. I almost dropped it as I didn't expect it to be so heavy. I sheathed the sword slowly and hung it as best I could from the crook of my arm. He slouched even more and I slipped down into the mud to where it splashed onto my face. I was becoming as filthy as he was!

I used all the strength I had in my entire body to keep him from falling flat on his face. I groaned, feeling my heartbeat in my ears. Blood dripped like a faucet behind me, but I tried to ignore it as we gradually moved towards the temple. Just a few more steps to go...

There was a groan from him in my ear and the load on my back drastically increased. I cried out in pain as I fell over; my tears mixed with the rain as I forced myself up again and pulled him up and over. My body shook from the cold and the strain. Then suddenly, when I looked up, there was the wood of the door. I pushed it open with my foot, looking back only once. If I really wanted, I could still give it up and call for help. Did I really want to go through with this?

...Yes.

I swallowed, dragging him with me through the doorway. The door closed behind us and I walked to his room. Thankfully, the door wasn't as heavy. I plopped him down as gently as I could, but I couldn't help but grimace when I pulled my hands back to see them covered with blood. A gag threatened to attack my throat and I took twice as much energy to push it back. I looked at the rogue before me, my mind going over the wounds with frustrastion and distress. His breathing was ragged, and already I could see blood seeping into the material of the futon.

I had to see what exactly was causing him to bleed like that, so gently I took off the ruined ghee on his shoulders. Underneath that was the stained white shirt, and there I could see a bullethole. It lay just above his abdomen; I wasn't sure if it was vital but I knew for sure I wouldn't take a chance. I would have to take out the bullet if I wanted to help him survive.

I folded his ghee several times and placed it over his abdomen, standing up and running out in a blur. I can't remember the trip around the temple, only that as I returned and passed the Buddha shrine I prayed for forgiveness since I was sure what I was doing was some kind of sin. My arms were full and I had to wadle back, overwhelmed by the intense smell of blood and Death nearby. Mugen seemed to be the same as before, unaware of anything. I crouched down to his side, resting everything in my arms on the wooden floor all except a pail of water, which I dipped a towel inside, stirring it around until I was sure it was soaked in what I had put in to help. Herbs, any kind, and salt from the kitchen. It would be painful.

The water dripped on the floor, leaving a trail to the bed. I let some of it drip on the wound before applying it and Mugen cursed loudly and began to fight. I knew it wouldn't last long and placed the towel completely over the wound. There was more of a struggle. I finally had to let go before I would get punched, since now he was blindly fighting the air. I sighed, taking a pair of tweesers in hand and a bowl. Now for the tough part.

When he tired out from swinging around, I removed the now red towel to see a slightly cleared hole about the size of a coin. I breathed in deeply, exhaled, and looked to the closed eyes of my captor.

"Forgive me..."

The tweesers plunged into the flesh of his abdomen, recieving a loud shout. He fought with surprising strength, almost knocking me over several times. "Ugh! Be... still!!!" I told him, climbing up to pin his arms under each leg. Finally I found myself over his waist and bent over as I sought the bullet. He twitched and jerked the whole time. Then without warning, the tweesers brushed up against something. I gasped, following until succesfully finding the round lead pellet. It took several times before I could pull it out, and I threw it in the bowl distaistfully. I placed the towel on once again after swirling it around in the pail to soak in the water. Mugen stilled for the first time since he returned to the temple, only to stir as I began to stitch the hole shut with a needle and the finest string I could find. I was almost done; now I just needed bandages.

Oh no! The bandages! In my rush I had forgotten them, and if I left now...I released his arms and frantically looked for something soft I could use to make them. Soft, flowing material... My kimono. I sighed when I realized this, knowing that it was only temporary. I searched my drity kimono for a space clean enough, finding my sleeves to be the best things. I ripped them in long peices, wrapping his newly stitched wound until there was no more.

I was done. Now all we had to do was wait. I stood, taking the bowl and bullet with me out the door. The air was fresh and untainted from the metallic stench of blood. I allowed myself one of the many gags that I had previously held, walking afterwords towards the doors. When I opened them, I noticed that the rain had temporarily stopped. My knuckles were white from my tight grip on the bowl and I felt tears well in my eyes.

Without thinking, without even knowing why, I threw the small the thing that had cost me a chance to my freedom. Hot tears cascaded from my eyes and my body shook involuntarily. I don't know why I didn't leave him, give him what I thought he deserved. It wasn't fair.

For the next few days, I had to nurse him back to health, or to the best of my ability. I soon found cooking was not one of my talents. I wasted more food than I could produce, and what I did make wasn't very good. The first few days he was silent since he kept slipping in and out of a deep sleep. However as he began to heal, he complained about the quality of my food. I found that if I ignored him, he'd shut up.

Then one day, I found him falling unconsious. I almost dropped the tray of soup and tea when I saw him rolled over to the edge. Half of him hung off the sides and the bandages were stained with thin, light blood. I screamed, setting everything down to roll him over and look into his face. There was something wrong, though I didn't know what; sores covered his mouth. I looked to the soup, something he had been eating for a few days. Since I had used up all the meat there was in storage, I gave him vegetables and fruit for the vitamins, but I guess I had forgotten the protein and iron needed.

After pulling him back on the bed, I covered him with his blanket and ran to the kitchen. I needed something, anything! Frantically I searched, grabbing anything I thought may have what he needed. As I turned to leave, I bumped into a box and it toppled over to reveal a small bag. I could smell something salty and when I opened it, I found jeky of some sort. What timing! Completely forgetting everything else, I took the jerky right back and kneeled beside his futon. He looked weak, and I felt afraid that somehow I might lose him.

The texture was tough and I had to bite it off to offer him a piece. I gently poked the jerky to his lips, but he made no attempt to take it. I felt tears sting my eyes, my voice soft as I tried to get him to take it. His eyes didn't even open, but he groaned instead.

"Mugen, c'mon, eat it!" I pleaded, some of my tears spilling over. I knew something had to be done. Taking the peice back into my mouth, I started to chew. I stuffed more and chewed, my whole mouth dry from the amount of salt. As it softened near to my liking, I stooped over him to pry open his jaw. I grimmaced before dipping down and clamping my mouth over his. I transfereed the mouthful of jerky into his, pulling away to make him swallow. Finally, he stirred and his face seemed to wrinkle in disgust. I didn't need to help him since his eyes opened and he looked over to me.

"The hell are you doing?" he rasped.

"You need to eat this or you could die," I stated, stuffing more in my mouth," Trush meh, Iduwannah do ish ei'er."

I clamped my mouth over his again, gthis time his eyes peircing into mine. He swallowed greedily and was impatient for more. During the last bit, I was just about to pull back when quick as a flash, his hand cupped the back of my head and kept me there. My cheeks grew red, but I couldn't pull away. His eyes, faded in his state, locked into mine with unusual strength and dominance as if challenging me.

Then, almost as quickly as he had done so, he let go and I stood quickly. He continued to watch me, though not with the same look as before. "I'm goin to sleep."

"Uh, right," I turned and left, closing the door quickly behind me. Once free of that gaze, I sighed and slid down to the floor, my mind going over what had just happened. What was his reason for doing that? Was it a fever? Or maybe...appreciation for what I had done?

I wasn't even close to the truth.

A/N: Oooooookay! I'm done! Wow, I just noticed this is the first update for this year! Anyway, I think there's just one more actual chapter and an epilogue left after this. Well, at least now people won't have to hurt me for not updating! LOL! Sayonara!