****Kaoru's pov****
-The next morning—
Light spilled in through the hospital room window and its brightness roused Kaoru.
Kaoru awoke and acknowledged the familiar beeping sound of her heart monitor. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Last night she had slept a lot more peacefully. She'd been calm, comfortable. Even a hospital bed was luxurious compared to how she had slept while in Shishio's castle.
She looked around the room to see Kenshin sleeping in his chair against the wall by the door. Arms crossed. Kaoru stared at him, drinking in the fact that he was here, watching over her.
He sleeps like a samurai. Wait, is he wearing scrubs?
Kaoru bit her lip to suppress a giggle. She hadn't noticed his outfit at all yesterday. She'd have to ask him about that later. She observed him for another minute and heard a light snore. He must have been tired.
Kaoru noticed a familiar sensation in her abdomen and squirmed. She fidgeted around with the wires on her bed trying to rearrange them. She had to get up to go to the bathroom.
Nurse Joy picked that moment to pop in with a tray of breakfast.
"Good morning, Kaoru, oh who's this?"
Nurse Joy studied the unfamiliar red-haired individual with an apprehensive gaze. As far as she knew, Kaoru wasn't to have any visitors outside of her listed contact. This gentleman was wearing their hospital scrubs. However, she couldn't remember any medical assistants or nurses with brilliant red hair. There was a police investigation going on, and her safety was the number one priority. Nurse Joy made a mental note to talk to the staff about him later.
Kenshin, awake by now, stood up to greet the nurse. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and let out a large yawn as he spoke. He managed to offer a small bow at the end of his yawn.
"I'm Kenshin Himura, I'm here for Kaoru."
"I can see that. Miss Kaoru, are you ready for your breakfast?"
Nurse Joy turned back to Kaoru and set the tray down on her bedside table. She had decided that for the moment this man was not a threat.
"Yes!" Kaoru spoke behind her mask.
Kaoru fidgeted with her mask, she was ready to be done with the stupid thing. It was becoming itchy and uncomfortable. It pressed against her face in an obnoxious way, leaving a red impression across her cheek. How much longer was this necessary?
Nurse Joy noticed her restlessness and looked at the pulse oximeter to read Kaoru's numbers.
"Let me take a look at your oxygen levels, and we will see if you can get out of that today."
One of the hardest parts of regaining consciousness for Kaoru was realizing how many machines dictated her bodily functions. Kaoru had her urinary catheter, ventilator taken out days ago. Her throat ached from having a tube stuffed in it. Now she was connected to an oxygen tank for breathing.
When Kaoru was found she had essentially been in a drug induced coma. She had been on the verge of death. The opioids that she smoked had created respiratory distress. Kaoru had to be treated with a strong dose of naloxone to prevent an opioid induced overdose. The side effects of that had made her nauseous and given her stomach aches.
Nurse Joy reviewed a few settings on the machine and then readied her stethoscope.
Kaoru, your oxygen levels look fine call ahead and take off your mask and take a few deep breaths for me."
Kaoru followed her instructions as Kenshin watched apprehensively. His ability to hide his emotions behind a mask had slipped. Kaoru felt nervous with him. More so that she didn't want to pass out and wet herself in front of him.
"Alright, everything sounds good to me. How do you feel?" Nurse Joy smiled calmly at her.
"I feel..better. It doesn't feel like there is a weight on my chest anymore."
"Ok great. Let me know if anything changes by pressing the red button next to your bed. You can always put the mask back on if you feel dizzy. Let's try this for an hour or so and then I'll come back and check on you."
"Okay. Um..Also, I have to use the bathroom." Kaoru's squirming had become visible to everyone in the room.
"Alright then we will untangle you and get you to the bathroom!"
Kaoru smiled. She really appreciated all that Nurse Joy had done for her. She felt as if she had a nurse mother to take care of her. The hospital staff had all been so kind to her. They were all watching out for her.
Kaoru shifted her legs and moved them to the edge of the bed. The nurse held her hand and used the other hand to untangle the mess of wires. Trying to do this one-handedly was proving to be futile. Kaoru was fighting hard not to pee herself, she didn't know how much longer her muscles could hold on.
"Let's ask your friend for help. Mr. Himura, can you come hold Kaoru's hand? "
"Yes. "
Kenshin had been patiently waiting to be asked for help. He was by Kaoru's side in an instant, happy to be of service. Watching them struggle from across the room had been difficult. He knew the hospital staff was wary of him, being pushy wouldn't make a great first impression.
He stood by Kaoru and held her hand and arm to steady here while the nurse removed her heart monitor, mask, panic switch, and untangled those cords from her IV's cords. It was quite a hassle.
"We will keep your IV in for now to make sure you are getting enough fluids.
"Okay."
Kaoru held her IV stand with her other hand and let Kenshin wheel her to the bathroom.
He smiled encouragingly at her as they walked. Kaoru was beginning to feel more confident until the moment she saw Kenshin's smile falter when he looked down at her followed his stare and saw it was focused on her burns.
-Shit shit shit.
Kaoru gasped and tried to wheel herself faster to the bathroom. She felt embarrassed and humiliated at that moment. She had been so happy to see him again that she'd forgotten what happened to her.
As soon as she got through the doorway of the bathroom, she closed the door on Kenshin.
Kaoru wanted to look in the mirror, but she couldn't hold it any longer.
She pulled up her hospital gown and went to the bathroom. Kaoru tried to will herself not to look at her legs. That lasted for about a minute. As the liquid drained from her bladder, she let her eyes drop down.
The moment Kaoru looked down at her thighs she couldn't look away. They were repulsive, covered in angry irritated red scabs. Yumi had sealed the wounds, but they looked like they had been cauterized hastily. While they appeared to be in the healing phase, giant angry patches of red, enflamed skin surrounded the scabs. White liquid oozed from some of the looser scabs. To her further dismay, Kaoru had disturbed some of them when she sat down.
"No.. not this." She whispered to herself.
Kaoru placed her hands over her mouth in shock. She couldn't move from her place on the toilet. This was the first time she had seen the extent of the damage since leaving Shishio's castle. She had been too drugged up or heavily bandaged to observe her wounds.
She was ruined.
Kaoru tried to smother her sobs behind her hands. She mourned the loss of her even porcelain skin.
She shook with the intensity of emotion that rocked her small body. She felt like her life was over. Would she ever be looked at the same way again? Society would treat her as a leper. She would have to remain covered for the rest of her life. Thought after catastrophizing thought raced in her mind.
A loud knock on the bathroom door distracted her from her downward spiral.
"Kaoru? Are you stuck?" Nurse Joy's voice called out in worry.
Kaoru wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
"N-no! I'm fine, coming right out."
She tried to control the waver in her voice.
Kaoru washed her hands and face in the sink in a final attempt to cover her despair.
She opened the door and refused to make eye contact with Kenshin as she let the nurse lead her back to the bed. Her bangs covered her eyes as she walked.
Kenshin stared at her with sadness. He'd heard the whole thing. His heart ached for her.
He could only imagine the horrors of her experience and the painful reminders she had all over her body. His scars reminded him of his past battles. Even as a demon, fights with other demons had left scars. Shishio had wanted to maim and humiliate her to get to him, and it had worked.
Kaoru got back into bed and tried to follow the coaching of the nurse to eat her breakfast. Her mind was in a daze. She followed Nurse Joy's directions like a robot. Her stomach clenched at the thought of her burns. The memory of their discovery replayed on repeat in her head.
She got halfway through a cup of jello, half a banana and some milk.
"I'm full." She stated dully pushing the tray away.
"Good job! The doctor is scheduled to see you today. He should be here shortly to talk about the next steps for your treatment."
"Okay, thank you."
Nurse Joy collected her food tray and carried it out of the room. As soon as she left, Kenshin sat down in the chair next to Kaoru. He reached for one of her hands. He had changed out of the scrubs and was wearing his regular clothes again.
"You're doing great Kaoru. I hope we can get you out of here soon."
Kaoru forced a laugh and looked down at her lap. He sounded so optimistic. She didn't want to have hope for the future now. Things would never be the same for her. She just wanted to be alone.
"Yeah. Me too."
"Kaoru, look at me." Kenshin said sternly.
Kaoru shook her head. She didn't want to look at him, and she pulled her hand back from his. To face him was to accept the truth. There is no way he would stick around once he had seen the extent of her burns. She envisioned Kenshin running away screaming at the ghastly sight of her naked body.
"I'm ruined."
"You're ruined?"
"You don't know it all Kenshin. You haven't seen it all." Her tone was frustrated.
"I read your chart-"
"Then you know what happened to me." She interrupted him angrily.
"Kaoru, to me, you are not ruined." Kenshin replied calmly.
"YES I AM! Do you have any idea how my life will change from here on out? I can't go back to the shrine like this. Horribly disfigured with burns? I can't even walk to the bathroom without feeling the hospital gown pulling against the scabs, it hurts, it itches, I want to fucking rip my skin off!"
As she spoke, she pulled down the bed sheets to reveal her bandaged thighs to Kenshin. Her activities had loosened the bandages, and her wounds were now clearly visible. Kaoru was testing him and would gauge his level of disgust or rejection of her based on his reaction. Kenshin knew that she had every right to feel insecure. He gazed down at her thighs and concentrated on her skin. He willed himself not to react to her wounds, though inside he was seething.
The doctor chose that moment to enter the room. He was a short older man with white hair and an unusual goatee. He wore all white scrubs and a white lab coat. Behind him, Nurse Joy followed with a clipboard. The doctor approached Kaoru's bed and bowed to introduce himself.
"Hello Kaoru, I am Dr. Oguni Gensai, I've come to talk to you about your treatment plan. Are you feeling up to talking right now?"
The doctor looked over at Kenshin as he spoke, studying his body language. They didn't seem to be fighting, but he had entered the room and sensed a tension between them. The girl had immediately pulled the blankets back up over her legs.
"Nice to meet you Dr. Gensai, yes, please. I'm anxious to hear what you have to say."
Kaoru sat up straighter on the bed and gripped the bedsheets with her fists. She didn't have high hopes for this conversation. The doctor seemed nice enough, so she would hear him out.
"Kaoru, it would appear that you have suffered a great deal receiving these injuries, following our time together today we will have you interviewed by the police. Are you willing to make a statement today?"
"Yes. I expected as much."
"Very well. Please know that you are in safe hands while you are here." Dr. Gensai paused again and looked at Kenshin in warning. Kenshin nodded and gestured for him to continue. Kaoru missed this moment and had gone back to staring at her hands.
"Now then, based off of your wound assessment, our nurses have treated your burns with medications, wound dressings, and tried to keep the burns clean. From there, the goals of treatment are to control pain, remove dead tissue, prevent infection, reduce scarring risk, and regain function of the skin."
Dr. Gensai paused, to give Kaoru a chance to ask questions. She nodded in understanding, and he continued again.
"Right now, everything appears to be progressing well, after you leave the hospital there are long term treatment options for you to consider."
"I see. What options are there?" Kaoru's voice trembled.
"While they do seem to be healing, your burns will eventually require surgery and a skin graft over the larger areas. We can't perform the surgery or skin grafting her, but I can send you to specialist for future treatment."
"If I get surgery or a graft what will the result be?"
"Unfortunately, your skin will never heal to return to the way it was before. We could potentially restore parts of it, using a skin graft. That would involve talking to a dermatologic surgeon about which part of your body they can take tissue from."
"Oh."
It was just as she thought. She would never look the same. His words solidified her fears. Kaoru felt herself shutting down as he spoke. Her shoulders slumped and she hunched over. This wasn't fair, why her?
Kenshin noticed Kaoru's shift in mood. He watched her face as the Doctor delivered the news. She was going to break down. He wanted to help her save face.
"Can we have a moment please Doctor? To talk things over?" Kenshin asked politely.
"Sure. Take your time. May I ask, what is your relation to Kaoru? Are you, her spouse?"
"Yes, I am, Himura Kenshin. Nice to meet you." He offered his hand, and the Doctor shook it firmly.
"Alright Mr. Himura, I will see the two of you soon."
Kaoru's head snapped up at Kenshin in confusion. He had called himself her spouse. He still wanted to be with her? She didn't believe that he would want to be with someone who was charred to a crisp. She started crying again as the Doctor and Nurse made their way out of the room.
As soon as the door closed, a loud cry of anguish escaped Kaoru. She covered her face with her hands and pitched forward on the bed. She sat crossed legged and rested her elbows on her knees as she cried loudly. Kenshin stood up and moved to sit next to her on the bed. He rested an arm around her shoulder.
"Ah, I'm ruined. I'm ugly." She wept bitterly.
"No, you're still my beautiful Kaoru."
"Don't lie to me to make me feel better."
"Kaoru, you've seen my scars. I am covered, head to toe."
"Thats not the same. You're a demon. I can't just heal from serious wounds in a few days and be back to normal!"
"Do you think that I would judge you for that?"
"Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you want this?"
Kaoru pulled down her hospital gown and exposed her marred flesh. She had the urge to challenge him and prove that she wasn't worthy. Kenshin saw a red ring of scabs around the top of Kaoru's breast. He growled, and his eyes flashed gold. Kaoru stilled, she hadn't expected that response. His hand on her shoulder gently pulled her shirt back up. Then lifted her chin to look at him.
"I know someone who can help you Kaoru."
"Who?"
"She's demoness who specializes in healing."
"Another Demon?"
Keshin saw her body stiffen. He saw her subjective plight with demons. Kaoru's experience with demons so far hadn't been the greatest. They'd been the worst experiences of her short life. He could sympathize with her, in that her fear was rational. One demon causes her pain, and another one heals her? He knew though that there was no medical treatment that could restore what she had lost, including her confidence.
"I know you are feeling afraid. I could tell that you were overwhelmed with the Doctor's suggested treatment plan." Kenshin said delicately.
"I don't want to go through extensive surgeries and treatment. I can't handle that right now. These procedures sound like a nightmare to me." Kaoru shook her head as she spoke.
"I can understand why you wouldn't want to go through that process, given what you've been through."
"When Yumi sealed my wounds, it was so painful. I don't know what methods these demoness uses, but if it's anything like Yumi.." Kaoru trailed off.
"Kaoru, I know this demoness, she is renowned, she is a master of her craft, and has helped heal hundreds of people. Humans and Demons alike."
"A Demon who helps humans? I need some sort of evidence that her methods wouldn't be like Yumi." Kaoru was skeptical.
"Healing spells don't typically hurt the person. Whatever spell Yumi used on you, it must have been something else."
Kaoru sighed in defeat. She wasn't sure about this. I don't want to sign up for another crazy demon adventure.
"Why don't you meet her before you decide to do anything?" Kenshin offered.
"I think I would be more comfortable with that."
Kenshin placed his hand on her back and patted her gently. He was careful not to touch the burns on her back.
"I'm here to support you in whatever you decide to do Kaoru. I am not going anywhere."
"So, what should I tell the Doctor when he comes back?"
Kaoru ignored his reassuring statements. She didn't really want to believe him. It hurts too much to think about the future right now. I just got him back and this happened.
"What if you took his referral for the dermatologic surgeon for an initial assessment? If the other treatment option works out better, you can just decline his services."
"Okay. I'll try that approach. I won't commit to anything just yet."
Kaoru pressed the red button on her bed remote to page Nurse Joy and waited patiently for her to reappear. She sat in a contemplative silence. Kenshin let her, he didn't want her to feel pressured by him.
A few minutes later, Nurse Joy's head popped into the room. She was half in the doorway, half out in the hall.
"Hey Kaoru, I got your page?"
"Yes, I am ready to talk about my treatment plan."
"Great, let me get my clipboard and I'll take some notes."
Nurse Joy entered the room and approached Kaoru's bedside. She motioned for Kenshin to move so that she could sit down next to her. Kenshin politely stood up and excused himself from the room. He wanted to give Kaoru some privacy.
He walked out of the room and leaned against a hallway wall that wouldn't impede the hospital traffic. Staff were constantly coming and going down the hallway and he didn't want to get in their way.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his notifications. He saw a new text message from Hiko.
'Come to the roof.' It read.
Kenshin tensed, his master had tracked him down. He had been so distracted by Kaoru's condition that he didn't check in with Hiko. Of course, his activities would be monitored. His lack of engagement in the past thirty-six hours had raised suspicion.
Keshin sighed and looked back over his shoulder into Kaoru's room. Kaoru and Nurse Joy were deep in discussion. He was sure that it would take a while for them to finish talking.
Keshin turned to walk down the hall and opened the door that led to the nearest flight of stairs. He would need to be stealthy to get onto the roof. Taking the elevator would be too obvious.
*Author's Note*
Guys! I have been watching season one of the new series!
GOD DAMN ITS SO GOOD. (_)
I am manic already waiting for season 2 to come out.
Anyways, things will get better for Kaoru in the next few chapters. I need to introduce some key characters and their roles before the big showdown with Shishio.