Chapter 1

Everyone knew it; Inuyasha was a 15-year-old, wild, cocky, rule-breaking boy, who just couldn't take care of himself. He was a familiar sight at the hospital's ER, usually because of bone fractures, but the boy never learned anything from them, got better in a few weeks because of his hanyou powers, and in a month or two, the same happened again. Inuyasha fell off a roof, crashed a tree with his bike, got in fights and so on. This was starting to get on his father's, Inutaisho's, nerves. He was a doctor, working in Tokyo's central hospital, and found it embarrassing to push his youngest son around in a wheelchair. He had expected Inuyasha to grow up and become as intelligent, calm and wise as he himself, and his oldest son, Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was, as said, very calm, wise and patient. He was studying philosophy, but had just started his studies. Now he was 25 years old, and lived home with his father and little brother. Sesshoumaru's feelings towards his little brother were very cold, and Inuyasha liked to pick on and annoy him. They didn't fight seriously, no, but there was no warmth between them two in this apartment they lived in.

Winter came. Christmas was getting closer day by day, and there was snow everywhere. Inuyasha had again, "as a cool guy", gone out with his friends every day - with no good winter clothes like a coat. Today was no exception.

Inuyasha was standing in the hallway, putting his shoes on. He wasn't THAT stupid to go outside barefoot in winter, like he did always in all other seasons.

"I'm goin' now, dad!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Wait, Inuyasha!" Inutaisho shouted from the kitchen. He was cooking noodles for dinner. But Inuyasha didn't listen, and the only answer Inutaisho got was the door being slammed shut. Inutaisho cursed in his head, but didn't go after his son.
Sesshoumaru arrived in the kitchen.
"Do I really have to bare that brat for that whole week when you're gone in your conference?" Sesshoumaru asked with a sigh.
"Yes. But I understand you wouldn't want to", Inutaisho said. "He is still so young, and you know how he just can't take care of himself. You must make sure he brushes his teeth, eats real food, not just candy and soda. And don't let him mess up the kitchen."
"Father, he is not a toddler."
"You know what I mean. You will be the king of the house."
"Sometimes I wish that something really serious would happen to him, so he'd learn to take care of himself", Sesshoumaru said and turned towards the kitchen door.
"Sesshoumaru!" Inutaisho shouted out. "He is your little brother! You can't wish anything like that!"
"Oh yes, yes I can."

After a few hours Inuyasha returned home. His hair was frozen from here and there, his cheeks were red and his nose was runny, making him sniffle all the time. Inutaisho, who was working on his computer, heard his son arrive and hurried out from his to the hallway. He saw his son, taking off his red, half-frozen hoodie.
"What am I to do with you?" Inutaisho sighed, disappointed. "If you do this just one more time, you're grounded!"
"And if ya' complain about how I spend my spare time, fuck you", Inuyasha said with a low voice. "And... HACHOO!" he sneezed.
"You've caught yourself a nasty cold. Now get into a warm shower", Inutaisho sighed, and returned to his doctor's work.

Unlike usually, now Inuyasha obeyed his father and went into the bathroom. He took off his clothes, threw them on the floor and stepped in the shower. The boy set the shower as hot as possible and turned it on. Hot water soaked him. Oh man it felt good, he thought. His frozen hair started to melt back to normal.
"Ah... ACHOO!" he sneezed so loud he was sure everyone in this apartment could hear it, even though he had covered his nose and mouth with his hand. Shit... he cursed in his head, letting the water wash away the snot on his hand.

Inuyasha sure didn't hurry in his shower. Because there was no clock in the bathroom, he had no idea how long he had been in there. Not that he cared or anything.
Suddenly he heard the door being knocked thrice. Inuyasha's dog ears turned towards the door, but otherwise he didn't react.
"Get out of there", said an angry, low, man's voice. But Inuyasha just stood in the shower, not saying a word.
"Inuyasha, Get Out Of There!" the same voice shouted.
"Yea, yea, just a minute", Inuyasha said while showing his middle finger to the door. It was his own luck, that the man behind the door couldn't see it.
"No. You are coming out right now", the voice said. "This is our apartment's only bathroom. You can't be there as long as you want to!"
"Ya' know, I... HACHOO!" the hanyoo sneezed again, but after washing his hand again he actually turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He grabbed his frozen clothes and finally opened the door. His eyes met his taller big brothers' eyes.
"What are ya' waitin' for? Get in", Inuyasha said a bit grumpy, pointing towards the bathroom.
"Fool", Sesshoumaru grumbled, stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at him, but sneezed again. Then suddenly his father stepped in the hallway. The father and son stared at each other for a while. Inutaisho took a few steps closed to his younger son, who was confused. The man touched the boy's forehead.
"You don't have a fever, maybe some temperature..." he said as Inuyasha sniffled.
"That's cuz I just took a burnin' hot shower, maybe?" the boy suggested. His father just smiled a little and said:
"All right, now listen; you put on some warm and comfortable clothes, and go to the living room and turn on the TV. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay...?" Inuyasha nodded and went into his room. Was it really true that his father wasn't angry anymore even when just about an hour ago Inuyasha was being... Well... An asshole? Well, Inuyasha did know his father; he was very forgiving.

So, Inuyasha opened his closet doors and took out his grey college pants, and another red hoodie, and put them on. Inuyasha had many red shirts. Actually, almost all his shirts were red. He loved red.
Next he stepped inside the living room and put on the TV. He sat on the couch and grabbed the remote control, shifting the channels, bored.
Soon Inutaisho came to him, with a bucket of hot water. He put it down to his son's feet and said:
"Put your feet here. It will warm you up."
"Um... Thanks", Inuyasha said with a congested voice.
Inutaisho nodded, smiling. Inuyasha put his feet into the water bucket and relaxed. For a while his father just stood still, looking at the TV for a few seconds. When Inuyasha sneezed again, Inutaisho sat on the couch next to him and laid his muscular arm on his son's still a bit slim shoulders. That made even Inuyasha smile. He closed his eyes and leaned towards his father.
"Sorry", the boy apologized.
"Don't worry, it's okay", Inutaisho said, massaging the boys shoulder. Even though they shouted at each other almost every day, their father-son relationship was very warm and strong.

Inuyasha spent the whole Saturday inside. He had started coughing, but he had no actual fever, and he wasn't feeling unwell. He was the same, energetic own self, which calmed his father's mind.

Then became the day when Inutaisho left Japan, to a conference in America.
"All right, boys", Inutaisho said as he put his bags into the taxi. "Just try not to fight, okay? Sesshoumaru, you take care of driving the car and cooking. Inuyasha, you must rest, but you could do some smaller house chores, like washing dishes and laundry. And take that cough medicine from the medicine shelf, if you need some."
"Yeah yeah yeah. Bye, dad!" Inuyasha shouted back, waving. Sesshoumaru didn't say a word.

In Monday Inuyasha went to school normally. It clearly wasn't good for him, since he had started coughing harder than last weekend. Even Sesshoumaru noticed it, but he didn't really mind.

It was a bit over 3 PM, so Inuyasha had just got home from school. The boy was taking off his coat (which he finally had put on) in the hallway and sneezed thrice. Hard. He threw his backpack to his room and stepped in the kitchen, where Sesshoumaru was cooking some omelette.
"Hi", Inuyasha greeted with a sniffle as he sat down at the table. Sesshoumaru looked at him with a cold expression. "Can I have some too or what?"
Sesshoumaru stayed quiet and poured the omelette on two plates. He gave his brother one plate, and the other for himself. Sesshoumaru had expected his litle broher to eat with a massive appetite. But no. The boy just nibbled his food slowly. Suddenly he had a harsh coughing fit. Sesshoumaru stopped eating and stared at his brother quietly. When the boy had stopped coughing, Sesshoumaru asked:
"Shall I give you some of the cough medicine that father left you?"
"I dont need any..." Inuyasha mumbled, got up from the table and poured the omelette to the trash bin. Then he left the kitchen, leaving a grieving silence after him as Sesshoumaru stared behind him. He sighed and carried on eating.

Tuesday came, and Inuyasha's coughing and sneezing took almost half of his time. Still he went to school, Sesshoumaru still not caring to stop him.

"ACHOO!" Inuyasha sneezed loud during his biology class. All heads in the class turned to him, and his best friend Koga, who sat behind him, poked him with his pencil and whispered:
"Inu hey, are ya' sure you're alright?"
"Yea, yea, I..." Inuyasha hissed back, but started coughing like no tomorrow.
The teacher got up from her desk and started walking towards Inuyasha. The hanyoo covered his mouth with his hand, coughing hard. The teacher said nothing, but touched the boys burning forehead. Inuyasha's ears were drooping.
"We're going to see the school nurse. Students, you read the chapter. I will be back soon", the teacher said. She walked to the classroom's door and waved Inuyasha to follow her. The school was very big, and it took a while to get to the nurse's room.
"You've been coughing and sneezing all day. Why didn't you stay home and rest?" the teacher asked.
"I can be at school normally..." Inuyasha mumbled, and sneezed.
"No you can't. Inuyasha, you're 15 years old. You should start to take care of yourself."

Finally they got to the school nurse's door. The teacher knocked thrice and pushed Inuyasha in.
"Well, Inuyasha, we meet again!" the nurse, an old woman, said. Inuyasha sat down to the chair opposite the nurse. The nurse pet his head between his burning hot ears. "How are you feeling? I can see and feel you have a fever."
"I dunno..." Inuyasha mumbled and coughed hard a few times. "Well, okay... I don't feel very well... My head's aching, my throat is killing me and I can't stop coughing and I'm so goddamn tired..."
"That's one big list you've got there. Put this thermometer in your mouth and let's see, how your fever is."
A moment went by, and the meter beeped. The nurse took a look at the meter's screen.
"And you, young man, are going home."

The nurse called Inuyasha's family's phone. Sesshoumaru's cold voice answered;
"Sesshoumaru Taisho."
"Good day from Shirokage's school. You're Inuyasha's older brother, I assume?"
"Yes. And You are the schools' nurse?"
"That's right. I am calling you, because your little brother Inuyasha is not well. He's got a really high fever, and he should be taken home as soon as possible."
Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment. Shit. He had just got into work on his computer, and now what? Should he take his coughing little brother home and listen to that noise? But finally he answered with a sigh:
"I'll be there within half an hour."

Inuyasha sat in the nurses bedroom, sniffling non-stop. His head was killing him and he felt a bit light-headed.
The nurse came in with a white pill and a glass of water.
"Here you go", she smiled and gave the boy the medicine. "This is a medicine for pain and fever. I hope it will make you feel better."
"Yeah, thanks..." Inuyasha mumbled and took the medicine.

Sesshoumaru arrived to the school and parked his car as near to the door as possible. Then he walked in and started looking for the nurse's room. It didn't take long for him to find it, and he knocked the door.
"Come in."
Sesshoumaru opened the door and walked in. The nurse turned away from her computer and said with a bit angry voice:
"Your little brother is really unwell. How on earth did your father let him here in his condition?"
"Our father is not here", Sesshoumaru said. "It's just Me and Inuyasha for now. Father will be back in a week."
"Take Inuyasha home and make sure he stays in bed. His fever is high, and coughing and sneezing is pretty hard to listen."
"I see." Sesshoumaru turned towards the bedrooms door, opened it and saw his brother, laying in the bed. Inuyasha opened his eyes a little, lift his head and sneezed.
"Come", Sesshoumaru said and pointed at the door. "I'll take you home."
"Okay..." Inuyasha nodded, got up from the bed and followed his brother towards the door.
"Get well soon, Inuyasha!" the nurse shouted after them.

Sesshoumaru walked on the school's corridor, Inuyasha right behind him. Then suddenly Inuyasha grabbed his big brothers' arm and squeezed it a little. Sesshoumaru gave him a cruel gaze, but the boy didn't let go, just coughed. First Sesshoumaru was about to shake him off his hand, but finally just sighed and said:
"Come. Let's go home."

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha got into their car. Sessoumaru started the car and grabbed the driving wheel. Inuyasha coughed in the backseat and laid down. The journey towards home began.
"HA-CHOO!" Inuyasha sneezed and coughed afterwards.
"Do you have any idea, you little fool, how you yourself caused this?" Sesshoumaru asked with a cruel voice. "It's December, and what do you do? You go out with your friends with just jeans and a hoodie on!"
"Well I... I'm sorry..." Inuyasha whimpered.
Sesshoumaru sighed. He was really ashamed of his brother often. Youkais don't sit in wheelchairs with fractured bones, or lay in bed with the flu!
But there's the difference; Inuyasha was just a hanyou. Just half of what Sesshoumaru and their father was. And Sesshoumaru knew it.

"We're home", Sesshoumaru said after stopping his car in front of their apartment house. Inuyasha shivered as he stepped out of the car and into the elevator, next to his brother. Soon they arrived onto the fifth floor, to their apartment's door. Sesshoumaru took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door, let his little brother in and followed him, closing the door.
"Now change those clothes to something more comfortable and get into bed", Sesshoumaru ordered. Inuyasha didn't even answer, just coughed and walked slowly into his dark room. He took off his shirt and pants and put on gray college pants that laid on the floor. Then he just crashed into the bed and curled under the blanket.

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was in their fathers' room. Because Inutaisho was a doctor, they had a big medicine shelf in their apartment. Sesshoumaru grabbed the thermometer and sighed; what the hell should He now stand? Care for his little brother and leave his own studies?
Damn that Inuyasha... Sesshoumaru hissed in his head and went into his brothers' room. There Inuyasha was, lying in his bed curled up, looking just awful; face red as fire and soaked in sweat. That sight somehow calmed his anger a bit.
"I shall check your fever", Sesshoumaru said, but with a bit strangely normal voice; not really cold or cruel. He kneeled down next to his brothers' bed and put the thermometer into the boy's mouth.
"I feel really sick..." Inuyasha whimpered quietly.
"Yes, I can see it by Myself. Now be quiet for a minute", Sesshoumaru said and looked at his brother for a long time. The thermometer beeped, and Sesshoumaru looked at it. "Why on earth didn't you tell Me in the morning, that you didn't feel good? You have a really high fever."
"But you always said, that true youkais don't get sick..." Inuyasha whispered shivering, starting to cough from the bottom of his lungs.
Sesshoumaru went quiet. Yes. It was true. That's what Sesshoumaru always told Inuyasha long ago, when he was sick sometimes. But that was when Inuyasha was just about 5, and Sesshoumaru 15. That was ten years ago. Sesshoumaru wouldn't say anything that stupid anymore. And he didn't know that those words would get stuck in his brothers' head like this.
"Forget about the past", Sesshoumaru said, got up and did something Inuyasha wouldn't have expected...
Sesshoumaru covered him up with the blanket. In that silence Sesshoumaru put his hand on his brothers' shoulder for a couple seconds and said;
"Rest. Now don't do anything but rest."
Inuyasha closed his eyes and went limp. What had just happened was something he had never, ever experienced before.

Inuyasha laid in bed, shivering from cold, even though he was burning up. He coughed non-stop, and had just horrible pains in his chest, ears and head.
Then his room's door opened slowly. Sesshoumaru walked in with a little jar of medicine. Without a word he stepped towards Inuyasha's bed, put the jar on his night stand and left the room. Inuyasha looked at that his eyes barely open.
In a few minutes Sesshoumaru returned, with a glass of juice and a drinking straw.
"Here. Pain medicine", Sesshoumaru said, opened the jar and took one pill from it. "Get up", he said. Slowly Inuyasha sat up. Sesshoumaru gave his brother the medicine. Inuyasha's dog ears were drooping while he put the pill in his mouth, and started drinking from the straw.
"You have always liked pear juice. You're at least a bit your own self", Sesshoumaru said. Inuyasha coughed hard, but when he stopped, laid down and whispered;
"You're not."

For the rest of the evening Sesshoumaru tried his best to concentrate on his studies on his computer, but no. All he could hear was his little brother's horrible coughing. Sesshoumaru looked in Inuyasha's room every now and then, and sometimes he could hear him sobbing quietly. Now it was almost 11 PM, and Sesshoumaru stepped inside Inuyasha's room, watching him for a moment. Inuyasha was panting and opened his eyes, staring deep into his brother's calm eyes, saying nothing. Sesshoumaru grabbed the thermometer and put it in his brother's mouth. They stared at each other. The thermometer beeped.
"I... I'm gonna die..." Inuyasha whimpered.
"You are not going to die", Sesshoumaru said. "You just have such a high fever."
With no more to say Sesshoumaru walked out of the room. Inuyasha closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. But soon Sesshoumaru returned, with a bucket of cool water and a few little towels. He put it next to Inuyasha's bed.
"Big bro...?" Inuyasha mumbled quietly.
"Hopefully this will help", Sesshoumaru said with a calm voice, soaking one towel in water. He put it on his little brother's forehead.
"Why... why are ya' doing this to me...?" Inuyasha asked, starting to cough harsher than ever.
"Quiet", Sesshoumaru hushed and put his hand on Inuyasha's head, between his dog ears. He held it there, and neither of them said a word.
"Quiet."

It didn't take long until Inuyasha fell asleep. All that time Sesshoumaru had sat on his knees next to Inuyasha's and held his hand on the hanyoo's head. For a little while he even stroke his hair gently. Now Sesshoumaru got up, changed the damp towel on his brother's forehead, and left the room. He left the door a little bit open. For a while stood in the doorway, staring at Inuyasha.
What on earth has got into Me...? Sesshoumaru asked himself in his mind. He sighed, left the room and walked the corridor into his own room, to continue his studies.