Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 4: Brotherly Conversation

Sesshoumaru sighed and look at Inuyasha's face. It has been three days since the incident with Tsubaki. Inuyasha still did not show any sign to wake up. However, he started to regain his usual youkai form slowly. It started with his hair on the first day. It turned colour slowly from black to grey and then, into silver. His claws and fangs also started to grow slowly. At first, nobody noticed it but it soon became apparent. The only thing that did not change was his human ears. They still did not turn back into the usual triangular puppy ears. However, it did not last long. On the third day, the human ears disappeared and were replaced by the triangular puppy ears. His wounds too seemed to heal.

At first, Izayoi and Sesshoumaru were panicked with those changes. They did not sure whether it was a good sign or bad sign. However, the doctor assured them that there was nothing to worry about. The fact that Inuyasha slowly started to transform from human to youkai indicated that he was recovering. His youkai power was starting to return back. He probably will regain his consciousness at any time soon. This gave them a bit of relief.

Sesshoumaru's wounds were almost healed in the past three days. It was all thanked to the treatment gave by the doctor and probably his youkai's ability to heal fast. Usually, if it was some normal humans, they will need at least a month to recover from such serious injury. However, it was different for youkai. They can recover from wound that required one month to heal in three days. The doctor told him that he can leave the hospital at any time soon. However, he did not want to leave the hospital alone. He wanted to leave together with Inuyasha.

He sighed again and this time, he turned his attention to his stepmother, Izayoi. Izayoi was peeling an apple for Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru knew she was very tired because of them. She has been traveling back and forward between their home and hospital to look after both of them. She did not differentiate them. Every time she came to hospital, she will bring something like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's favourite food and some fresh new clothes for them. She even bring some magazines so Sesshoumaru won't be too bored in the hospital. However, he did not have any mood to read the magazines.

What he wanted the most was to see Inuyasha to open his eyes again. In the past three days, he kept having a nightmare when ever he fall asleep. In his nightmare, he saw Inuyasha was shot by the arrow. Inuyasha bled so badly that it seemed there was no end to the bleeding. And every time, the nightmare will always end with Inuyasha died in his arm. It gave him cold sweats every time he woke up from the nightmare.

However, Sesshoumaru did not have the heart to tell it to Izayoi. She knew Izayoi too was worried about Inuyasha. Probably more than himself. After all, Inuyasha was his son. Sesshoumaru's mind drifted to his father. What should he tell to his father? His father's anger will definitely explode if he knew this. Nobody can save him from his wrath. Even his own stepmother.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Kikyou. Kikyou has been visiting them in the past three days. She usually brought fruits and flowers as a gift. It was a good thing that Kikyou was there. She helped Izayoi a lot in looking after the two brothers. In this way, Izayoi can rest a bit and go home. Izayoi was very grateful with Kikyou. Without her help, who knew how Izayoi can cope with the stress.

Kikyou smiled warmly at Izayoi and handed her over a basket of fruits. Inside the basket, there were bananas, apples and oranges.

"You know you don't have to visit us everyday," Izayoi said.

"No, I insist. I want to help you out," Kikyou answered partly truthful.

It was not a lie. Kikyou really wanted to help them. But, there was another reason why she wanted to get close with them. She kept having a feeling. A feeling as if something was watching and spying them. Several times she sensed a dangerous evil aura. It appeared and disappeared immediately before she can track down the source. It happened whenever she was near with Izayoi's children. She knew the aura cannot be from Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. The aura was too strong to be their aura.

Kikyou did not know how to describe the aura properly. There was something more sinister and darker in the aura. Her instinct as a miko told her that this was a bad thing and a miko's instinct should not be taken lightly. It has helped Kikyou in her battle with evil youkai and fallen human. Fallen human was human who dwelt in forbidden arts such as curse. They chose to follow the path of darkness and abandoned their humanity. Tsubaki was one of them.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru, Izayoi and Kikyou heard a moan coming from Inuyasha's bed. For a moment, they only stared at Inuyasha. They were not quiet sure whether they were imaging thing or not. Then, they saw Inuyasha's hand moved slightly. At this sight, they quickly rushed to Inuyasha's bed. Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha's hand. It moved again and this time, it was followed by another moan. Slowly, Inuyasha's eyes opened.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Sesshoumaru asked gently. He did not want his brother to get startled.

Inuyasha looked around himself and found that he was in unfamiliar room. He was sure that this room was not his room. He found his mother, Sesshoumaru and an unknown lady were looking at him with worry eyes. He did not know what has happened to him. He wanted to move and ask them questions. But, his body ached badly. He tried to remember as hard as he can to remember what has happened but he can't.

"Mom…. Sesshy….. What has happened? Where am I?" Inuyasha asked in a weak voice.

"It's okay. You are fine. You're in hospital right now. Someone shot an arrow to you. This young lady save both of you," Izayoi explained gently.

Suddenly, a flash of memory entered into Inuyasha's mind. He remembered it now. A woman attacked them and tried to kill Sesshoumaru. Everything happened so fast.

"Sesshy…. Where is Sesshy?" Inuyasha asked again in a concerned tone.

"I 'm here," Sesshoumaru slightly pressed Inuyasha's hand to indicate that he was there.

It was obvious that Sesshoumaru has something to say and were reluctant to do it in front of people. So, Izayoi gave a meaningful look to Kikyou. Kikyou understood it immediately.

"I'm going to fetch the doctor with Kikyou. We need someone to examine Inuyasha's condition. Will it be okay to leave both of you alone?" Izayoi asked.

"Yeah. It's okay," Sesshoumaru said.

After Izayoi and Kikyou leave the room, there was intense silence in the room. Sesshoumaru did not know what to say to Inuyasha. Sure, he has a lot of things to say to Inuyasha. But, he did not know where to start.

"Sesshy…." Inuyasha finally broke the silence in the room.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"That's good to hear…." Inuyasha's voice trailed off.

For a moment, the room became silent again. Sesshoumaru gathered all his courage to ask a question that kept bothering him. He wanted to hear the answer directly from Inuyasha.

"Why did you take the hit for me, Inuyasha?"

"I don't want you to die…."

"Why?" Sesshoumaru asked in monotonous tone.

"Because you are my brother…"

"Even though I often bully you?"

"Yeah.."

This was not something that Sesshoumaru expected from Inuyasha. He was very surprised. He thought Inuyasha would be mad at him considering the fact that he was the one who caused Inuyasha to get injured in the first place. Not to mention all the bullying that he has done to him.

"Inuyasha…."

"Yeah…"

"I'm….. I'm….. I'm sorry…." It took all Sesshoumaru's strength and courage to say it.

This time, it was Inuyasha turned to be surprised. This was the first time that his brother actually said something nice to him. Could it be the pain he felt on his body has caused him to have hallucination? He pinched his cheek to make sure he was not dreaming. It was hurt which mean he was not dreaming.

"For what?" Inuyasha asked. He wanted to know why his brother apologized to him when there was nothing to apologize.

"For getting you hurt…. And bullying you…. And calling you by nasty thing….. And more….." Sesshoumaru's voice trailed off. He could not continue it.

Inuyasha blinked and said, "It's okay. I forgive you. It's not your fault. I'm the one who choose to jump out there recklessly."

Sesshoumaru frowned. He did not so sure about it. Inuyasha noticed it and suggested, "Look, don't feel guilty about it. Mom surely would tell you the same thing. But, if you still feel guilty about it, why don't you do something to make up for what you have done to me?"

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Play with me after we get out from the hospital," Inuyasha answered eagerly.

Sesshoumar blinked and said, "Can't you thing of anything other than playing. Your brain will freeze and shut down if all you do is playing."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Both of them stared intensely at each other. None of them wanted to give up. Then, after a while, they both chuckled. It started with a small one and then turned into a merry laugh.

The two brothers did not aware that they were watched by two people outside the room. They were Izayoi and Kikyou. The two women just smiled at each other. Probably, there was a good thing for this terrible accident to happen. It bring Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru closer together. Izayoi never saw them like this. Usually, there was tension between them. Sesshoumaru would try as best as he can to avoid and ignore Inuyasha.

"I think it's okay for us to enter the room," Izayoi said to Kikyou.

"I agree," said Kikyou.

Izayoi knocked the door first to alert the two brothers. She smiled at them and said, "I ask the doctor when you guys can go home. They say they're going to keep you here for one more night to see if you guys are okay. If everything is okay, you can go home tomorrow."

"Yeeeeaaaah," Inuyasha screamed delightful.

Sesshoumaru just nodded. In his heart, he too felt the same as Inuyasha. he has had enough with the hospital. He wanted to go home especially after all these things. For some reasons, it felt as if it has been years since he went home. Kikyou just smiled at the sight of the family.

Suddenly, she felt it again. That evil aura again. She instantly grabbed her bow and shot an arrow to the direction where the aura came. It hit a target. An insect. A bee with spider mark to be precise. Kikyou stared in shock. "That was Naraku's insect. The leader of Soul Stealer. Why it is here?"

"Is everything okay?" Izayoi asked. She did not like the serious look of Kikyou. It was as if Kikyou just sensed something terrible. She could tell because she used to be a miko too.

"Eerrr…..Nothing. There is nothing actually," Kikyou answered. However, it was clear that she was bothered with what has happened. "So, the aura that I kept sensed in the last few days was Naraku. Naraku must be up to something. Why he sends his insect to watch and spy the family? I better watch over them just in case."

Deep in the forest, there was a large castle. Inside it, there was a man. It was Naraku. He clearly pissed off with what Kikyou has done. "Damn, that miko. Destroying my insect," he cursed. He later regained his composure. "It's okay. My plan can still be carried out. It will be too late for her to stop me when she realizes it." He smiled evilly.

p.s. Thank you for your review and comment. Please tell me what you think about the chapter. I appreciate and welcome any constructive review and comment.