Misconceptions And Misunderstandings
Chapter 07
Kagome shook her head trying to clear it. She didn't know what hurt worse, her head or her back. She put a hand to her head. Suddenly it all came back. He had pushed her. Hard. She looked up. There was a gaping hole in the roof and a tree laid across most of it. She supposed the good thing was that the tree had managed to collapse the roof in such a way that it formed a wall still protecting a small part of the room from the wind and rain.
She tried sitting up. It hurt, but she managed. When she got her hands on him, she was going to kill him. Where the hell was he anyway? She looked around. It was dark. She felt for the flashlight. She hoped it was close. Lightning flashed and she used it to search. Another flash. A third. There it was. She thumbed the switch. Nothing. Shaking it, she slapped it against her palm. Once again. Once more. Thankfully it came on.
She shone it around what was left of the room. "Sesshoumaru?" He had been at the window. The window was gone. "Sesshoumaru?" There was an edge of desperation in her voice now. Where the hell was he?" He had left the window when he yelled something. Then he had pushed her. Her mind was slowly clearing. The thought struck like the lightning that still flashed. Her hand covered her mouth. "Oh gods no…" Her voice barely above a whisper.
She aimed the flashlight down. Toward the floor. Under the remains of the roof. The tree had apparently managed to hit something a little sturdier than the roof, as it was not laying completely on the floor. There was a space between it and the floor. She scanned the area and gasped as she saw his hand. It was all she could see and it was very still.
She hit her knees and felt for the pulse. She'd never really taken the time to find out if demons even had a pulse. She gave up on that and concentrated on getting him out from under the tree. The gap was barely big enough for her to feel around in. If all of this was laying on him, how would she ever get him out? She found his other arm and grabbed on, pulling with all her might. She only managed to move him a few inches. But there was no resistance. That was good.
"Sesshoumaru? Can you hear me?" If she could get him to help at least a little, she stood a much better chance of freeing him. There were no sounds. Not even moans. He must be out cold. She got a grip further up his arms and pulled again. Damn he was heavy. She sat back panting. At this rate she'd be old and gray before she got him out. She looked around at the materials she had available to her. She smirked as an idea came to her.
One of the tree branches was broken. She was able to break it the rest of the way off. She took the sheet off the bed and twisted it around his upper body. She then used the branch as a lever to pry his body out. She remembered that old tv show from America her mother used to watch. MacGyver would be proud.
Once she got him out, she learned two things she didn't like. One, he was wet and shivering. Two, there was a great deal of blood on the back of his head. She was now able to grab onto the sheet she'd wrapped around him and drag him over to the dry side of the room. He never made a sound, but his even breathing at least told her he was alive. She didn't even stop to think before she stripped him of his wet clothes. She would need to keep him dry, especially if his head injury sent him into shock.
Did demons go into shock? Damn it. Her knowledge of demon first aid was nonexistent. Her experiences in the past with Inuyasha consisted of her bandaging his wounds and waiting for his own healing powers to do the rest. She was out of her league here. It appeared that he had pushed her out of the way only to be struck himself. She smoothed over the silver hair stained with blood so she could get a better look. The gash didn't appear to be too deep, but there was swelling around it.
She remembered he had told her there was a container of water in the corner. She took the sheet that she had used to move him and tore it into strips. Wetting one of them, she carefully cleansed the wound. It was still oozing blood, but not enough to worry her overly much. She used several of the strips to bind the wound. Tight enough to control the bleeding, but not tight enough to cause more pain. And she was sure he was going to be in pain when he woke up. She refused to even consider that he wouldn't wake up.
The rest of the strips she put away for later use. Once she had him dry, she managed to get him onto the blankets and covered him. He was still shivering. She slid under the blanket and wrapped her arms around him. The storm was still raging outside. While they were relatively dry, there was nothing to keep out the howling wind. It would get much colder before morning. She thumbed off the flashlight and set it aside. She would need to conserve the batteries. She knew there were extras in the drawer but not how many. She settled down and cradled his head on her shoulder. He was getting warmer now. His shivering had ceased. She doubted she would be able to sleep. So she just held him close and prayed. That the storm would end soon and that he would wake up from his trauma induced sleep.
She continued to watch him as the temperature dropped. She was glad that he had thought to bring out all of the blankets and the quilt off the bed. She had stripped off her own wet clothes before getting under the blanket with him. Body heat was the only source of warmth they had available. She tried once again to bring him to consciousness, but her effort was futile. As all the previous attempts had been. She would have to wait for him to wake on his own timetable. That left her with nothing to do but think.
She had been scared when she found him. Afraid he would die without knowing how she felt. How she still felt. Faced with losing him, she realized that her grudge was foolish. Yes he had made a mistake. A mistake that she had contributed to by not being fully open and honest with him. He had apologized and let her know he wanted to start over. She had been petty and childish. Her body however, it knew what, or rather who it wanted.
She tenderly traced the stripes on his cheek before pushing the hair out of his face. He looked quite innocent in sleep. She smiled in silent laughter. Sessoumaru and innocence. That was an oxymoron of the highest order. She wondered how many others had ever gazed upon his relaxed unguarded face. Very few she was sure. He was a man who let his guard down rarely and in front of only a select few who had gained his trust and respect. For the rest his mask remained firmly in place and she had never seen it crack.
She pulled the blankets closer and wrapped her arms more firmly around him when she felt him shiver. She pulled his arm over her so she could press her body closer to him. Her fingers brushed his and she felt his ring. Her eyes widened. She had been so intent on ignoring him she had not noticed he still wore his. After all these months apart, he still wore the symbol of their marriage. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had worn hers. Silent tears coursed down her face. She had left hers in a drawer in her old room. She had told the maid she was welcome to what was left when she moved to her new room. How would Sesshoumaru feel when she told him her ring was gone? That she had just left it. As if it meant less than nothing to her.
She remembered when he had taken her shopping for their rings. He had wanted to spend a lot of money on a diamond band to go with her engagement ring. She had wanted something simpler. A plain gold band. He had given in and bought what she wanted. But when he had put it on her finger during the ceremony he had whispered that he'd had it engraved. She couldn't wait to read the inscription. Once the reception was over and they were alone, she had pulled off the ring to read it. Once she had seen it, the tears of happiness came readily and flowed freely. The inscription read: For my miko I submit willingly to the power of love. A gesture so grand. So sappy. And so definitely un-Sesshoumaru like. There could never be any doubt how he felt about her.
At least that is what she had thought. Before he had turned cold and thrown her out of his room and out of his life. What had come after had been caused by secrets and silence. Her secrets, his silence. If only she'd told him. If only he'd asked, or made an accusation she could answer. So much time wasted. She looked at his still unconscious form. Time was a fleeting thing. You always thought there was more time. Until there was no more time. And when it was too late, you wished you had more time.
This storm, this accident, this night had opened her eyes. Time was too precious to hold grudges. Too quickly gone to punish someone for past mistakes. No one was perfect or all knowing. Not even the great Lord Sesshoumaru. She had spent all this time thinking about what she really wanted when the answer was right in front of her. She wanted him. She wanted their life together. The one that they had before the mistake and resulting misunderstanding. Tomorrow she would tell him that. And ask his forgiveness for her stubbornness.
Tonight she would watch over him and protect him. Then tomorrow after a long talk they would find a way to get off the island and back home. Once they were back home they would start over. She would never again take her happiness for granted. She knew now how easily it could be destroyed. But she also knew that she would no longer allow it to be taken without a fight.
She tried once more to wake him without success. She checked his wound and was satisfied that it was no longer bleeding. His skin felt cool to the touch so no fever. That was a good sign. His breathing was even as if he only slept a natural sleep. She pressed a soft kiss to his unresponsive lips and returned to her place curled into his side. She remembered thinking the wind was not as strong and the rain had let up a little before she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Kagome awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. She didn't know what time it was. The clock had been on the other side of the room. Even if it still worked she wasn't about to go digging around for it. She sat up. Sesshoumaru was still unconscious. He hadn't moved all through the night. His wound was healing nicely. His demon power was doing its job. He still had no fever. But he wasn't waking. She thought he should have regained consciousness by now. She was a little worried.
If he didn't wake up soon he would need medical attention. She had no idea how to contact the pilot to come for them. She had not brought her cell phone because it got no signal here. She knew Sesshoumaru's phone was a satellite phone since he used it all over the world. It would surely get reception here, but she didn't know where it was. There had been nothing in his pants pockets when she stripped him last night. She ran a hand through her hair. Think Kagome. What to do. She couldn't even get out of the bedroom without moving the tree and the debris from the roof. She got up and got dressed as a start. Then she searched the drawers and areas she had access to. No luck.
She went to the water container in the corner for a drink. She moved to sit by Sesshoumaru. If only he would wake up they could work together to get home. He would be strong enough to move the tree. He would also know where he left his phone so they could call their pilot. Well that wasn't happening obviously. She was on her own here. She wasn't helpless. If she had to do it all by herself, she'd find a way. She went to the tree and tried to find a way over it or under it. Under it seemed too unstable. That's all she needed was to get stuck and no one to pull her out.
She tested the tree and remains of the collapsed roof to see if it would hold her weight. It barely moved. Was the tree really wedged in that tight or had she really lost that much weight. She sighed. Either way it worked in her favor. She carefully climbed over the tree and reached the other side of the room. The doorway to the rest of the cottage was clear, but there wasn't a great deal of it left undamaged. She managed to find the table beside the bed. She opened the drawer and felt for anything useful. Nothing.
She had hoped his phone was in there. The tree had made short work of the clock on the top of the table. It was in pieces. She picked up a few of those pieces. There seemed to be too many to be the small clock they had brought. When she found a small square piece with a number on it she was ready to scream her frustration. She had found his phone after all. It must have been on top of the table. They wouldn't be making any calls using it.
Now what? They were supposed to be here for a month long vacation. Had Sesshoumaru told the pilot when to come back? Would the pilot be waiting for a call that would never come? How long would it take for someone to come looking for them? What if Sesshoumaru didn't wake up? She sat down on the floor in despair. She tried to think what to do. If this were a shipwreck situation she would build a big fire on the beach to attract the spotter planes.
She laughed at her foolishness. They weren't shipwrecked. They were supposed to be here. So there wouldn't be any spotter planes to see the fire. Even if there were, everything was wet from the storm. There was nothing dry enough to start a fire and probably wouldn't be for days. Her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten anything last night. She made her way to the kitchen to see if anything was salvageable. She couldn't even see the kitchen for the tree branches. So much for that idea. She headed back to the bedroom. She knew that Sesshoumaru had taken some food as well as the water to his little makeshift shelter from the storm.
She climbed back over the tree. Sesshoumaru was laying exactly where she had left him. He hadn't even turned over. She found the sack with the food. There wasn't a great deal. He evidently had planned on there being little damage to the cottage. She would have to eat sparingly if the food was to last until they could dig out the kitchen. She sat down next to him with her meager breakfast. Once she had finished she checked his wound again. It would be completely healed within a day or so. But he still wouldn't wake up.
There was little to do. Boredom set in quickly. She thought about going to the pond, but she didn't want to leave him alone in his condition. It would also remind her of the kiss they shared. As if she could forget it. Her first taste of sex had been nothing spectacular. Nothing to justify the dreamy expressions of her friends as they talked about it. She now suspected that her first experience was far less than it should have been. What would it be like now? Would she enjoy it now? Would it be everything she'd always fantasized it would be? If that kiss was any indication, her next experience would be as different from her first as night is to day.
She was pulled from her musings by a sound. Her head shot up. She could barely make it out at first. But then it grew louder. A helicopter. Yes! And it was coming this way. She scrambled over the tree and out the door of the cottage. She leaped over downed branches and made her way to the beach. She didn't know how she would gain attention, but she knew she had to try. She fell once before reaching the beach and rolled to her feet. She cried tears of true joy when she realized the helicopter was the same one that had brought them here. It landed on the beach and the pilot jumped out along with another person.
To be continued….
