Rurouni Kenshin: Unleash the Battousai

[13] Notes of Fear

"If they kill me while I sleep? He said that?" Sano asked in disbelief.

"It may be the loss of blood that's making him say these things, but I don't want to risk anyone getting hurt. Will you and Kaoru take shifts, and make sure no one is coming?" Megumi asked, fear accenting her words.

"All night?!"

Megumi looked at him with a face of sternness and uncertainty, letting him know that he didn't have a choice. As he sighed and left the room, she turned back to Kenshin, where he lay peacefully on the small mat. His eyebrows twitched, but an overall calm expression was set on his face.

  Content, she began to return her medical supplies to her bag, when shrieking gasps filled the room. She whisked around to see the red-haired man heaving and struggling to bring air to his lungs. "Kaoru!" she yelled, dropping to her knees and lifting his head off the pillow.

  As footsteps grew nearer, his breathing slowed once more, this time, his eyes opening as well as his throat. "What is it?" Kaoru replied, slightly out of breath. "Is Kenshin alright?"
"He stopped breathing... I don't know what happened!"
  "Kenshin! Can you speak? Are you alright?!"

  Kenshin inhaled deeply, and replied, "Something is in my throat. I can feel it itching... It blocked my airway."
  "Hold on, let me retrieve it." Megumi added, and reached down towards her bag of medical tools. From it, she pulled a long pair of wooden tweezers. She skillfully poked them into his mouth. Kenshin was obviously uncomfortable, but he knew that whatever was blocking his breathing would be removed, so he cooperated.
  Not very deep down, Megumi poked something. Clasping it within the tool, she slowly pulled it out. It was paper.
  Kaoru searched Kenshin's face for a trace of surprise, but found realization instead. "A woman came to visit me." He said. "She pushed this into my mouth, and then left. What does it say?"

"The Battousai will meet us in Gifu. He has three days from today to make the journey. If he is not alone, all will be killed. Jeriko is waiting."

  Kenshin's hand rose to his face. "It says that, it does. I should've expected this to happen sooner or later. I should've known that he would threaten all of your safety."

  "Who is Jeriko?" Kaoru asked, trying to keep Kenshin calm.

  "A man stronger than I have ever seen. A man who I have never successfully defended myself against. He is the man I worked for during the war."

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A/N - Hey, I'm sorry for not updating. I've been traveling, and internet is something that I can't get very often (I'm literally writing this chapter in the bathroom of a restraunt that has wifi). Shout out to Wickedracerfrog for snapping me out of the non-Wattpad trance and reminding me to update (thanks man).
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