Title: Your Right Was Wrong
Author: SakuraRyuu
Rating: T
Genre: Canon, Angst, Comfort, Drama, Friendship, Family, Tragedy
Characters: Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Miroku/Sango children
Author's Note: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.
"You want to go in there?" Kagome looked at the entrance of the cave, unsure if Inuyasha was serious.
"No, I don't want to, but that's where we gotta go." Inuyasha stood with has sword swung over his shoulder, staring at Kagome.
"Do you even know what's in there?" Her companion didn't miss the look of disgust on her face, but there was no way around this.
"Of course I do. Look, out of the two of us I'm the least excited about having to do this. You know how I feel about him, but it would be wrong to leave him like that."
"Wow, Inuyasha, I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
"Don't get carried away! And he definitely brought this on himself, the fool, but if we don't go in there, who else will? Do you want to have to explain to everyone we knew where he was, we knew how he was, and we just left him?"
"No! No, of course not! I'm not saying we leave him, I'm just trying to think there must be a better way. He's been in there a long time. The smell is already finding it's way out of the cave. How are you going to manage?"
Giving a shrug Inuyasha replied, "Well, if I throw up it can't make his condition or the smell any worse…"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kagome sat her backpack on the ground. Kneeling, she opened the flap and started to dig around. "Here, I brought this from home." Handing Inuyasha a disposable facemask she showed him how to put it on. "It won't keep out all of the smell but I hope it'll make it easier to breath. We can burn them, along with his clothes, when we get out."
Nodding Inuyasha sheathed his sword. Kagome grabbed a flashlight, shouldered her backpack, and they headed in. About halfway back their light fell on the feet of the man they had come for. Walking past him they made their way to the back of the cave, panning the light for anything he might have dropped on his way in. Seeing nothing but empty sake bottles and a spent pipe, Inuyasha picked the man up and flung him over his shoulder. Kagome grabbed the trash and they headed out.
It was still high afternoon when they left the cave. The first rays of actual sunlight in days hit their newfound traveling companion square in the face, making him groan and attempt to cover his eyes. Inuyasha jostled him for good measure, daring him to throw up down the hanyou's back. Instead there was silence.
A short walk toward the sun found them at a spring. Once there Kagome busied herself with making camp and starting a fire while Inuyasha dumped the man unceremoniously into the water, clothes and all. For a moment they waited. Then waited some more. Kagome was afraid he was going to drown, but just before she stepped in to save him the man came sputtering up to the surface. Kagome could not overlook how he had looked better in the dark of the cave than in the afternoon light, and he had looked really bad then. Grabbing the soap, a washcloth, and shampoo from her bag she handed them to Inuyasha to wash the man. Taking his top two layers of clothes off he walked into the spring in his hakama, bare-chested, armed with cleaning supplies.
The monk eyed the hanyou but didn't put up a fight. He stood to unfasten his robes when Inuyasha reached out and cut through the ties with his claws. He cut through every piece of clothing the man had on until he was naked, and tossed the fabric up on the shore. Kagome retrieved it and hung it to dry so it could be put to the fire like his sake bottles and pipe. Pulling out a fresh towel and robes from her bag she set them aside for when the bath was over. First Inuyasha was going to scrub the stink off him from head to toe then dry him off. While he sat in his towels Kagome would shave him, and pull a brush through his hair, fastening it in the small ponytail at the nape of his neck. Then he would dress and they would stay at this camp until Miroku was well. He needed good food, clean water, and several good nights rest. He also needed time to train in the sun to get his color back. He needed time to meditate over his loss.
They had told Sango a day after Miroku had wandered to help a neighboring village they would go after him. It had been too soon for him to try to work. They would help him, then see him home, where he was needed most. Instead he just wasn't there. He had taken his reward money, spent it on sake and smoke, and left. It had been a good day's travel from the village to the cave he was found in. Kagome guessed from the bottles he had drank about 2 gallons of sake, and no one could be sure how much he had smoked, but it was enough to make him sick. His sweat reeked of alcohol; his breath smelled like something had shit in his mouth, his robes were filthy, torn, muddy, and covered in vomit. Miroku was completely disheveled in his grief, had found a hole to crawl into, and had stayed there.
"Miroku," Kagome began. "I can't imagine your loss. A parent should never have to bury a child. Even one that hasn't been born yet. But your loss has affected us all. We are family, and we grieve for the loss of family. Please don't feel like you have to do this alone. Our family will help your family get through and support you like family does."
Looking at Kagome as she shaved his face he teared up, feeling his throat restrict. Inuyasha settled down next to him and said, "Don't worry about Sango. She wanted us to find you and bring you home, which we are doing. What you tell her about this is up to you; just remember it's best not to lie. These women talk and eventually it will get out."
"I have failed her. I don't know what to say for going on a two day bender then crawling into a cave to die with our child." Putting his face in his hands he finally let go, sobbing and letting out all the things he'd been holding in to be strong for Sango. Kagome put her arm around his back and whispered words of encouragement. Once he got past it, he felt he was ready to face his wife.
"Miroku, it didn't matter how strong you were for Sango. What mattered was you were there. Then you could have grieved and cried together, supported each other, and drawn from the strength of your marriage. Only by being together to support each other can you get through times like this. Leaving is never a good thing when you're needed." Kagome gave Miroku a good once over. Satisfied at her shaving capabilities she let him loose to right himself and get some water. After Kagome made lunch they would settle in for the evening and let Miroku get some rest. Kagome hoped some good food and rest would be enough to make him presentable. Once he woke in the morning they would be headed back to their village where Miroku was in need of being needed the most.