Ch. 3- Miroku's Return

Disclamer- We don't own Inuyasha

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While Kagome and Inuyasha were having their own little makeout session, Shippo was back at the camp, sulking about being slapped and yelled at. "How dare he call me those names!" he grumbled. "And Kagome...why did she slap me? It was just a kiss! She kisses Inuyasha all the time! I couldn't help it though. She's just so pretty, and sweet, and wonderful!" He was so busy thinking about the kiss, that he didn't notice Miroku walking into the camp, clutching his stomach, his hands covered in blood. Miroku stumbled over, and collapsed a few feet away from Shippo.

"Miroku!" Shippo yelped. "Miroku! Please wake up! Are you OK? Please! Answer me!" he screamed.

"Shippo...get...Inuyasha...and...Kagome...hurry..." Miroku groaned.

"Yes...of course! I'll be right back!" Shippo said, and ran off, screaming for his friends. He followed Inuyasha's scent, and headed west.

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Shippo ran into the valley about 10 minutes later.

"Inuyasha! Shippo frantically yelled. "Help!"

Inuyasha angrily pulled away from Kagome "SHIPPO!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! CAN'T IT WAIT?! WE'RE KINDA BUSY HERE!!"

Tears streamed from Shippo's eyes. "Kagome! Please help! Miroku's injured- badly!"

"What?" Kagome asked.

"Please! Get back to the camp! HURRY!" Shippo cried.

"C'mon Kagome. Let's go!" Inuyasha said. He scooped her up into his arms and started running.

"Wait for me! I ran all the way here! I'M TIRED!!" Shippo shouted, then sighed and ran after them.

While they were running, Kagome said "Inuyasha, I'm scared. What if...What if we're too late?" she asked, tears welling up in her pretty brown eyes. "What if we can't help him?"

"Don't worry, Kagome, he'll be fine. Miroku's tough. He can hold on until we get there. Is your first-aid kit at the camp?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes... I always keep it in my backpack." she responded.

"Good" He said, jumping over a rotten old tree stump. They arrived at the camp about two minutes later, to find Miroku still lying on the ground beside the tent in a puddle of blood.

"Miroku!!" Kagome screamed. "Inuyasha! Get my first-aid kit! Hurry!"

"Already got it." he said, standing beside her.

"Is he still breathing?" Kagome asked.

"Very faintly." Inuyasha answered.

'Okay, here goes nothing." she said, slowly pulling his hand away from his stomach. "Oh!" she gasped. There was a big gaping hole right between two of his ribs. It just barely missed his heart.

"He's lucky he survived this long." Inuyasha said quietly, carefully pulling Miroku's shirt off so that Kagome could clean the cut.

"Okay, I'll need some Morphine for the pain, and some of the cayenne powder from my bag." Kagome said.

"Ummmm, Kagome?" Inuyasha said. "I can't read."

"Damn!" Kagome said under her breath. "Stay right beside him." She quickly ran over to her bag and got out the cayenne and grabbed the Morphine on her way back.

"Here, move." Kagome said. She slippes the painkiller between his lips. "Inuyasha, get me the water."

"Here." he said, holding it out to her. She poured some in his mouth, and carefully poured the rest on his wound. She gently rubbed it with a rag that she tore off of her nightgown that was lying on the ground beside.

"This looks really bad." she said to Inuyasha.

"He'll be okay." Inuyasha reassured her.

"I hope so." Kagome responded, shaking cayenne powder on the wound.

Miroku suddenly shot up. "Shit, shit, shit!!" he said weakly. "That stuff burns!"

"Lay your ass back down!" said Inuyasha forcefully.

Kagome wrapped his cut with more strips from her nightgown.

"There. That should do it for now." Kagome said. "Remind me later to teach you how to read."

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha said.

"How do you feel, Miroku?" Kagome nervously asked.

"Horrible." he groaned.

"The painkiller should kick in in a few minutes." Kagome said.

Shippo came bursting into the camp. "How's Miroku? Is he okay?" he asked.

"Relax, jerk. He's fine," Inuyasha said.

"Here, Inuyaha, help me move him into the tent." Kagome said.

"I appreciate your concern, but I can walk." Miroku said.

"Okaaay." Kagome said.

Inuyasha was leaning back against a tree watching all this, while Shippo was frantically running around, trying to find out what happened.

Miroku slowly stood up and managed to take about three steps before he collapsed again.

"Miroku?" Inuyasha asked.

"What?" Miroku slowly answered.

"Let me carry your stubborn ass into the tent!"

"Fine." Miroku groaned.

Inuyasha picked him up and walked toward the tent. Shippo ran and held open the tent flap so Inuyasha could walk in. He almost got in when he changed his mind and kicked Shippo, then got the door with his foot.

Shippo ran up to Kagome. "What happened? Please tell me!" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet. he hasn't told us, but it looks like a sword wound between his ribs."

"Who did it?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know." Kagome said, and then burst into tears. Shippo put his arm around her, and wiped away her tears with what was left of the nightgown. "Thanks, Shippo. I'm sorry that I slapped you." Kagome said. "Hey, its okay. I deserved it. I shouldn't have kissed you anyway." He pulled his arm away when the tent flaps rustled.

"Well, I put him in my bed, and covered him up. He went to sleep almost immediatly" Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"What?" Inuyasha said coldly.

"I'm sorry that I kissed Kagome. Will you please forgive me?"

"No, but I will call a truce." Inuyasha said.

"Truce." said Shippo.