Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Another Morning ❯ Chapter 3

ChapterIII

Yahiko couldn't keep his eyes away from Sae; she was identical to Tea. Sae smiled noticing two pair of eyes on her, her sister's friends were nice people but since they saw her for the first time they just couldn't stop staring. She knew she was identical to her sister, but that was the first time that someone, besides her family and friends, knew them both.

"Are you sure you are not Tae trying to trick us?" Sano asked while scratching his head. "Is this a complicated trap to make me pay my tab?"

Sae smiled. She didn't say a thing and continued working, waiting for the two young men to stop staring, when she was interrupted again.

"What exactly are you two doing here?" Asked a very angry Misao. "Don't you two know that there is a lot to be done? Even though Sae, very generously, is letting us stay at the Shirobeko while the Aoya is rebuilt, it doesn't mean we are not going to help around!"

"Come on Weasel, its been only four days since the battle with Shishio, I think I deserve some rest, besides you heard what the doctor said, my hand is a complete mess, I can't be of much use."

"You are just a lazy rooster head that would rather be invalid than do some actual work," said an confident and slightly angry voice that came from the door. Every one in the room turned their eyes toward the door. Over there was standing a very beautiful woman with long black hair, dark eyes and red lips.

Sano's hart began racing faster since the moment he heard her voice. It had been quite some time since he last saw her, but now she was there, in Kyoto, Why? "Hey there Fox lady, what are you doing here?"

"I am glad to see that you are just as bright as ever rooster head. What do you think I'm doing here? You foolish boys got so injured that Kaoru-chan had to send me a letter requesting me to come and help you get better."

"Who exactly is she?" Misao asked out loud before she could correct her manners.

"Her name is Megumi. She is a friend of us from Tokyo," said Yahiko. "She is also a very good doctor and I'm sure she can help Kenshin get well very soon."

"This is wonderful!" screamed Misao. "If she is as good as you say, Himura would be up in no time and she can also take a look at all of us! Shiro, Omasu, Kuro and Okon are not that bad and Okina is very well, but Kaoru-san has some injures she could see, and also Yahiko is injured but he is so much better now, and maybe there still hope for Sano's hand and she could even help Aoshi-sama, I know he is hurt even if he refuses to admit it."

"Aoshi Shinomori?" Megumi said in a whisper. Aoshi is here.

When Misao heard Megumi and the tone of voice she used when she asked about Aoshi, she remembered the story Kaoru told her about him. "He was different then, he wasn't the Aoshi-sama I remember. He hurt many people but then Himura and his friends confronted him trying to save someone...a doctor...this woman is that person! She knew Aoshi-sama in the past and he hurt her. I didn't realize it before. She most be afraid and confused but Aoshi-sama has changed, Himura kept his promise and brought him back as the Aoshi-sama I remember and I know he would never hurt her again, not my Aoshi-sama."

Megumi stood frozen at the door and everyone was silent, no one knew what to say.

"I am sorry; I didn't realize that you knew Aoshi-sama before. I know that when you met him he was..." Misao's voice broke and she took a deep breath, "He is not like that any more, he has changed."

"Aoshi...sama?" Megumi asked wanting to satisfy her curiosity.

"He raised me when I was younger, I respect him a lot, and I could never call him anything else."

Megumi cleared her thoughts, this was no time to think about the past, she could forget Aoshi for a while, her friends were injured and she needed to help them. "Where is Ken-san?"

Yahiko took Megumi to Kenshin's room. Kenshin was lying on a futon and Kaoru was kneeling next to him. She heard the footsteps approaching and raised her eyes. "Megumi-san, you are here!"

It took Megumi a moment to get a hold of herself. She was a doctor and was trained to deal with people very sick or severely injured, but she was not prepared to see Kenshin in the state he was. Nobody noticed her momentary hesitation, she gave Kaoru a smile and walked towards Kenshin. She examined him for a few moments; the bandages had been changed by Kaoru in the morning so she didn't need to do it.

"I agree with what the other doctor said," she finally stated after a while. "Kenshin isn't unconscious. He is just in a great deal of pain and his body is exhausted for what he put it through. Because of the severe injuries on his body and the heavy blood loss, he is having a very high fever. It would be like this for some time, his body is fighting to stay alive so it is normal for him to be like that. He will need to be accompanied at all times. It may be some more days before he can move a little again, and he will need time to be back on his feet, but in the mean time, he can listen to us."

Kaoru was very quiet, she listened to every word Megumi said and the doctor gave her a few pointers on how to take care of Kenshin when she wasn't around. Megumi wanted to nurse Kenshin back to heath and stay with him all the time but she knew she couldn't; she had to take care of everyone there, she would be busy and Kenshin needed someone at his side permanently. She knew the instant she came into the Shirobeko that Kaoru was with him. Megumi knew she hadn't left his side since he came back...and she knew Kaoru would stay by his side.

It was a long list of patients but most of them were already recovering and didn't need much attention. Yahiko's wound was healing nicely and she was happy about it. That new girl she had met, Misao, she had three broken ribs so she was having trouble breathing and any force movement would cause her a great deal of pain but she didn't seem to care. The 'tanuki' girl said that she wasn't hurt at all and didn't need medical treatment. She insisted that Megumi should see everyone else and stop bothering her. Megumi knew she was lying but decided to leave her alone as she requested, she had a lot to do without taking care of a stubborn little girl.

There were only two more people left to see: Sanosuke and Aoshi. She decided to see Sano first; she was in no rush to meet Aoshi Shinomori again.

Sano came in the room walking slowly and with his hands tucked in his pockets. "Well fox, I hope this doesn't take very long. I was sleeping but Misao came screaming at my room saying that you requested to see me."

"I am just trying to help you get better chicken head, but if you want to leave the door is open."

Sano walked towards Megumi and seated in front of her. She examined all of his body with the exception of his right hand. When she finished she took the bandage of his hand and examined it briefly.

"The doctor said my hand is done. What do you think, fox?"

Megumi looked at Sano in the eyes whit a tender smile. "What is she doing?" he thought confused. She placed his injured hand on top of hers, and then...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, CHIKUSO! AHHHHHHHHHH! What did you just do, you evil fox?"

"Ohohoho, I just needed to put your bones back in place so your hand may heal."

"Then why didn't you just tell me!"

"You wouldn't have let me do it...and besides I would have miss that funny look on your face."

Sano was still recovering from the pain in his hand, the hit at his ego and the happy feeling he got from being around Megumi again, when he realized something. "So there's still hope for my hand?"

"Yes rooster head, there is, but you have to be very careful and don't use that hand at all. I mean it."

"Relax kitsune, I'll take care of my hand," Sano said as he left the room. He was very thankful to her but he would never say it. "Thank you Megumi."

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