4 – We Are Family
Two days went by. Inuyasha was conscious, but laid in bed like a dead fish, not moving, just shivering and coughing. And he hadn't eaten for days. He had clearly started losing weight.
Everyone had decided to take turns looking after him. This meant changing the cold towels on his forehead and chest, and just make sure everthing was okay. Now it was Miroku sitting beside Inuyasha on his knees. Next to him was a wooden bucket of cold water. Miroku soaked a towel in it, twisted some water off and placed it on Inuyasha's forehead and sighed. He just stared at the boy. He couldn't believe his friend was this sick.
These people were like a family. They always stood out and cared for each other. Everyone was beloved like brothers and sisters, and Inuyasha's situation was absolutely crushing other's hearts.
Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly and looked at Miroku wearily. Miroku noticed this and turned his eyes at the boy.
"Hey, buddy..." the monk tried to smile and pet Inuyasha's chest. "How are you feeling?"
Inuyasha didn't answer, but started getting up slowly. Miroku stopped him.
"No no no, Inuyasha", he said calmly, grabbing the boy's shoulders and pressing him back down. "You can't be up now. You are really sick."
"I think I'm... gonna die.." Inuyasha whimpered. Miroku saw a tear falling down the boy's cheek. Miroku placed his hand on his shoulder and sighed again.
Next it was Sango's turn. She was now standing behind Miroku.
"Houshi-sama..." the woman said quietly, almost whispered. "How is he?"
Miroku didn't say anything, just shook his head with a hopeless face. Sango kneeled down right next to Inuyasha and started stroking his side slowly. After a while Kirara appeared to them. She came at Inuyasha's side and lied down, purring.
"See, Inuyasha?" Sango said with a fake smile. "Kirara cares about you. And we all do."
"Exactly", Kaede nodded. She was sitting by the fire, cooking. "And now, son, we're gonna make ye eat."
Inuyasha turned his burning red face stared at the old lady, blinked a few times, and took a deep breath.
"Here", said Kaede, who had just kneeled down next to Inuyasha with the cup of soup in her hand. "Miroku, gimme a hand."
And so the monk nodded, sat down behind Inuyasha and lift him up, helping him sit. But Inuyasha laid in his arms all slack, looking like he wouldn't eat.
"Eat up, son", Kaede urged. Inuyasha looked at the steaming cup in the old lady's hands, and closed his eyes.
"What's the... big deal?" Inuyasha mumbled. "I'll just barf at all up... like always."
"Inuyasha, please eat", Miroku said. "You are getting so thin I can feel your bones."
"It's delicious, believe me", Kagome praised.
Inuyasha didn't react for a while, when suddenly he opened his mouth, and Kaede started feeding him. The boy sipped the soup very slowly.
"Good... That's it, that's it..." the old lady mumbled. It took a while until the cup was empty, but finally Miroku put Inuyasha back down and covered him with a sigh.
"Great, Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted out with a huge smile. She ran to the boy, kneeled down and hugged him gently. "You could eat! You're getting better!"
A few hours had went by. Miroku and Sango had gone to spend some quality time by the river near the village. They sat side by side, with heads leaning against each other. They had been silent for a long time, only hearing the river flow and birds sing. But finally Sango broke the silence and said:
"I really wonder why Inuyasha has got this sick because of a small wound. Small for him at least."
Miroku sighed.
"Maybe the demon's claws were poisonous..." he pondered.
"But he'll be fine", Sango nodded.
"I really hope so."
The atmosphere in Kaede's hut was quite calm. Kaede had just returned from the forest, where she and Shippo had been picking berries and herbs as medicine. Now the old lady was powdering them in a cup, while Shippo was following Kagome and Inuyasha from afar.
Kagome stroke the boy's ear. But she was actually quite happy. Now she knew Inuyasha would be fine. Any day. Then everything would be fine, just like always. Except...
She couldn't go back in her time. She couldn't see her mom, brother or grandpa. What if never? All she could do was to wait and check the well every now and then. And she did, every day, but nothing helped. Now it was just a one, useless, dried up well.
Inuyasha had been lying still on Kagome's lap for a long time, but suddenly he convulsed, sat up like a lightning and gagged. Luckily he could turn away from Kagome, but not to the bucket next to him... And, sadly, threw up. All the soup was now scattered on the floor, and there was blood mixed in it.
Everyone remained silent for a while, and soon tears came to Kagome's eyes. It was no use, he was not getting better.
Kagome grabbed the wet cloth again and started cleaning the mess. She rubbed the wooden floor on her knees, sobbing a little.
"Don't worry, Inuyasha... We're not angry... Not at all, I..." and she broke to tears.
"Here, gimme", said Kaede, who was standing behind her. She laid her hand on the girl's shoulder, and Kagome gave the cloth to her.
"Maybe ye should do something ye enjoy. How about the hot spring beyond the forest? Perhaps just a walk? Or..."
"I just need to be alone for a while", Kagome said quietly. She walked out of the hut. Kaede and Shippo stared at the door for a while, and both sighed.
"...Sorry... 'bout this..." Inuyasha mumbled and started coughing.
"Don't ye dare apologize, son", Kaede said, starting to clean the vomit on the floor, without even looking at the boy. "We understand."
"All you need to worry about is that you get well", Shippo said, holding his tiny hand against Inuyasha's forehead. The hanyou blinked a few times and took a deep breath.
Sometimes it felt like time had stopped. A few days had passed. Inuyasha hadn't really got better. He threw up almost all the food he ate, but not everything, and that was maybe one thing that had got better. He laid in bed, lethargic and groggy.
Everyone was getting bored. They had never spent this long time at Kaede's village. They were always on the go, gathering Shikon shards. Kagome visited the well every day, but no good – nothing happened when she reached the bottom. She spent most of her time beside Inuyasha, but sometimes felt it was useless. Inuyasha didn't react to almost anything. His dog ears were drooping against his head, and Kagome kept massaging them. She knew Inuyasha enjoyed it, even if he didn't admit it, or, in this case, react to it.
But Shippo, also, wanted to make Inuyasha feel better. He grabbed the herbs he had picked up with Kaede earlier this day. He jumped at his side and gnetly shook the boy's shoulder. Kirara was also sitting on him.
"Hi, Inuyasha!" Shippo smiled and waved the herbs in his hand. "Quess who's going to get some herbal tea?"
Inuyasha gave a feeble grin.
"...No idea..." he faked.
"You of course!" Shippo laughed. "And it will make you better!"
Inuyasha still smiled for a while, but closed his eyes and went limp. Shippo was actually the only one who could make him smile. But Inuyasha had his limits. He just didn't have the energy to even keep his eyes open for long.
And after Shippo had left Inuyasha rest, Kagome took his place.
"Thank you, Shippo", the girl smiled. "You have no idea how important your entertainment is to him now."
Shippo grinned and nodded.
And so, Kagome sat by the dog boy. He opened his eyes and looked deep into the girl's eyes. He slowly lift his head and landed it on Kagome's lap. She seemed a bit surprised, but smiled and stroke his dog ear. And then...
"I... love... you", Inuyasha whispered. Kagome flinched.
"What? What did you say?" she asked.
"I... love you."
Kagome didn't know what to say. Okay, she had felt that way for a long time by now. But Inuyasha too? But could it be because of the fever? Well, anyway...
"I love you too", she smiled a little and gave the boy a little kiss on his forehead.
Shippo was still maybe the one most eager to make Inuyasha amused. But he was running out of ideas, when he suddenly knew it were those crayons and paper in Kaede's closet, which Kagome had given him. Now Shippo was drawing all of them – Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Kirara, Kaede, and, of course, Inuyasha.
"Ye are artistic", Kaede praised him with a smile. "Are ye drawing this to someone?"
"Yeah, this is a get-well-soon card for Inuyasha", Shippo nodded, so concentrated in drawing he didn't even look at the old lady. "This pic will remind him we are a family, and we like him very much."
It took a while until Shippo finished his drawing. And when he did, he was eager to show it to everyone.
Inuyasha was sleeping, and Kagome was sitting beside him, stroking his shoulder. Shippo poked her back and showed the drawing.
"Look, Kagome! This is for Inuyasha! I made it!"
"That's very sweet, Shippo", Kagome chuckled. "When are you going to give it to him?"
"When we are all here."
Sun was starting to set, when Miroku and Sango finally returned to Kaede's hut. Shippo ran to them instantly and showed off his drawing.
"I made this for Inuyasha!" he bragged. "And now that we are all here, we will give this to him!"
And so Shippo jumped by the hanyou's side and started shaking his shoulder as hard as he could. Slowly Inuyasha opened his eyes. All his friends were sitting around him.
"Hi, Inuyasha..." Sango said quietly. Inuyasha nodded once.
"We have something for you", Kagome winked. Shippo held the drawing behind his back.
"Quess which hand!" he smiled. But the answer they got was Inuyasha starting to cough harshly. That made everyone's faces turn sad, but after Inuyasha stopped, he gathered all his strength, sat up shaking, gave a weak smile and moaned;
"Right..."
Everyone saw Shippo was actually holding the drawing in his left hand, but he swapped it to his right hand and gave it to Inuyasha.
"You're right!" Shippo grinned. "I made it all by myself! And this is to remind you how much we like you!"
Inuyasha still smiled wearily, but started coughing again and slowly collapsed down on his back, panting.
"Thanks..." Inuyasha whispered, slowly closing his eyes again. Shippo started to look confused.
"D-don't you like it?" he asked.
"No, Shippo, it's not that", Miroku sighed. "I am sure this really made him feel better."
"Are we a family?" the little one asked. Everyone looked at each other, and nodded.
"Of course we are", Sango smiled with a wink. "Now and always."
After closing his eyes after that Inuyasha didn't open them for a long time. He slept sound, Kirara by him. Kagome sat next to them, stroking Inuyasha's hair. The boy seemed to go just worse. He looked so grossly emaciated it broke her heart. And she could tell his fever had gone just worse, even without the thermometer.
"Now we must feed him", Kaede announced while stirring porridge in the pot.
"But why? He can't eat", Kagome said with a sad voice.
"We have to try. And I have this idea", Kaede said while pouring the porridge in cups, one for everyone. "If he can keep the food down, we'll just carry on taking care of him here. And if not, we'll take him to the hospital of Haruko."
"Hospital of Haruko?" Sango wondered. "Never heard of that."
"I have", Miroku nodded. "But it's even further away from where the doctor came."
"Yes. By walk, it will take about two days to get there", Kaede sighed.
"But what if me and Kirara take Inuyasha there", Sango suggested. "Houshi-sama can run pretty fast, and Kagome has that pink... thing she rides."
"It's called bike", Kagome corrected, but nodded. "I guess it sounds like a good plan."
"But first ye, son, have to eat", Kaede urged and kneeled by the boy. And like always in these feeding situations, Miroku held him up from behind his back. But this time things went even worse than usually...
Because just after two first sips, Inuyasha threw up. Inuyasha hacked while Miroku pat his back. The monk gave a bit disgusted face.
"So I quess...?" he sighed.
"That's it. We're leaving towards Haruko right now."