Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner of War ❯ The Cold ( Chapter 7 )

Oh my goodness! You all probably thought I was dead. Sorry about the long wait I put everyone through. I know you were all desperately checking your e-mails every fifteen minutes to see if I updated. Or not. Whatever. Anyway, I must explain myself. I just moved from my home sweet home of Sanford, FL to Gainesville. This is the first time I have been out on my own and I have to work more to pay my bills. Well, now everything has settled down and I've gotten into the swing of things, so I can get back to writing again. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: One day I will create a character better than Kenshin and their will be fanfics based on him and everyone will have to say that they don't own my character. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Oh, and I don't own Kenshin.

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Kenshin sighed and his body shivered unconsciously. As time in the hospital wore on, the nights had been getting colder. The other people in the small room didn't seem to notice. They wore heavy robes and were covered by quilts and blankets, but Kenshin was clothed only in a loincloth and bandages. The cold pushed through his skin all the way to his bones. He struggled to keep the heavy metal irons, which held the frigid temperature, off of his legs. But their weight was too much for his injured arms, and every few moments, they dropped onto the bare skin of his thighs. He could not help but utter a small cry of surprise each time. The man in the bed next to him was smiling evilly at his efforts. He was thoroughly amused watching the greatest soldier of Kyoto whimper and struggle. He pulled his blankets tighter over him and taunted the helpless man.

"What's the matter, Battousai? You cold?" At times, he even laughed. None of the nurses paid any attention to Kenshin. They were either angry with his almost constant caretaker or they were truly frightened of him. Either way, they didn't believe he deserved good treatment. He had taken the lives of many that were close to them. They suffered through the deaths of their fathers and brothers at the hands of the man Edo had dubbed the red headed devil. They spent countless nights holding their fatherless children, promising them that the frightening Battousai the manslayer would not come and strike them down too. So his suffering meant nothing to them. It brought only joy to the widows busily checking up on other more worthy patients. Kenshin stared at the ceiling and tried to forget. Forget about the nurses, his past, about the cold that was shaking his small frame. He focused on the singular thought that brought him happiness. Kaoru. He imagined her there with him, stroking his hair, warming his hands, covering him with the blanket that lay only a few feet away taunting him with its warmth. Yet for Kenshin, it could have been miles away. He could not get out of bed to get it. All he could do was close his eyes and think of her. Think of her and hold up the irons with trembling hands. The man in the next bed sneered at him.

"Talking to yourself, Battousai?" Kenshin ignored him and continued his silent prayer for morning when both Kaoru and the sun would return to warm his world.

"We've given you everything we have."

"And it wasn't enough." The dagger sunk into his cheek, and the blood ran down his face. Everything was so cold. The guard's hands, the ground, his clothes, even his blood felt icy. Frozen tears stuck to his face. He stared at the laughing guard. It was a twisted evil laugh that contorted his face and made him look horrifying. The dagger plunged into his face again. Kenshin closed his eyes and waited far the pain caused by the dragging of the blade. But it never came. He opened eyes to see that everything was gone. The guards, his mother, the street, even his younger self's body. It was only him in a sea of nothingness. A void that forced the cold and pain away. He was wrapped in the warmth he had been praying for. Then cherry blossoms danced around him. They were innumerable and steady. They fell over him and kissed his senses. He inhaled deeply to capture their scent, her scent. Then he closed his eyes again and smiled.

Kaoru tucked the blanket tighter around Kenshin. She couldn't believe the other nurses had let him go the first cold night of the year without even a blanket. When she had entered after a long conversation with her husband that morning and seen him shivering in his sleep, she had been infuriated. She had laid the blanket on top of him and was about to yell at the inconsiderate women she worked with when she saw him smile. Her angry words had died on her lips. He looked so peaceful in the bed. It was as if nothing in the world was bothering him. Kaoru sat in the chair next to him with the pink material in her lap. She desperately wanted to rouse him to share her wonderful news, but she had never seen him sleep so deeply and could not bear to end it.

"Please wake up soon, Kenshin." He didn't even stir at her soft voice. She sat back and clutched a small piece of metal. Soon she could share her joy with him. At that moment though, she had to be content with watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

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A/N: If you are wondering why I decided to use cold here, it's because it is freaking 45 degrees here. I'm used to like 80 so this is a big change. I will write more as soon as I can. Please review!