A/N: APB is an all-point bulletin. Very Slow Chapter but keep in mind...plot...

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Unfortunate Life Decisions

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It had been three months since Kagome had opened her eyes to the strange sight of fluorescent bulbs above her and the horrible bleach smell that permeated every hospital known to mankind. What was stranger still was that while Inuyasha's suikan was folded neatly on a chair nearby – the owner and the remainder of the robe was nowhere to be found. The hospital was at a complete loss as to how Kagome had arrived in their emergency room. In a flash of red and silver, she appeared almost out of thin air. Review of the video tapes in slow motion revealed a young silver haired boy with dog ears rushing into the ER, placing a kiss atop her head before rushing out the door. However, while an APB for avid cosplayers meeting his description had gone out, the girl and her family was refusing to press any charges or even file a police report, so all too soon the APB was called off and the hospital was left with more questions than answers. Somehow the girl had been poisoned by some venomous, gigantean animal not known to mankind. After being injured by some mythical beast, someone or something had thoroughly drained her abscess, and then that same unknown being had treated her wounds using outdated methodology. It was a miracle she survived at all and it infuriated the hospital staff to no end that she insisted she had no memory of any of it.

The latter was mostly true. The last thing Kagome remembered was fighting with Inuyasha in the village. As Inuyasha was not venomous, all the poor girl could figure was that they were attacked, she was poisoned by that something and then Kaede patched her up best she could before forcing Inuyasha to bring her to this era. It was depressing but the truth of the matter was it didn't surprise her in the least that he hadn't visited her. It wasn't like he actually cared about her. He'd made that much perfectly clear. What was surprising – however – was that when she had finally recovered enough to return to the feudal era to retrieve Shippo and carry on with her life, she found her backpack and bow neatly laid out inside the well house. More surprising still was that the well no longer worked. The only regret she had from the whole encounter was that she hadn't grabbed Shippo when she had the chance but there wasn't really anything she could do about it at this point. Despite the grief that would forever remain on her chest, the fact was that chapter of her life was closed and all that was left was to pick up the remnants of her life in the modern era and carry on.

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Even if Kagome, Kaede or Shippo were to pass by the man they once knew, they wouldn't recognize the almost skeletal creature with no padding to his bones. At first, he hadn't eaten because he never had an appetite. He'd nibble a bit on things he found but he'd subsisted on less before in his life and hunger was no stranger. Eventually though, he had managed to get to a point where the thought of food revolted him entirely. He knew he had to eat…sometimes and he did but…but…what was the point? He was weak. So very weak and not just physically anymore. If he ever thought – even for a moment – that he could go back to being a pariah of society again, he was so wrong the word itself could not even cover his oversight. The cold sting of loneliness and depression chilled him straight through to his soul. All because he couldn't keep his god damn mouth shut.

Was the subjugation spell that terrible? Annoying and humiliating, sure, but…but he'd gladly take another pair of beads that sent him plummeting to the ground with ten times the force if he could go back in time and change his totally unacceptable reaction to a simple laugh and sending Kagome on her way with a cheery goodbye. If he'd done that she wouldn't have come so close to death. There had never been a moment he was more terrified in his entire life and to know that she might die hating him? That was the cruelest twist of all.

In his place in the shallow cave that had become his home, Inuyasha stared blankly ahead and sighed slightly. He didn't even have the energy to leave anymore. Everything felt like too much effort. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd bathed, probably a month ago if not longer. His hair was a matted mess of tangles and his face gaunt and drawn tight. Anyone that would've cared about what he'd been reduced to, he'd managed to drive away in less than a day and for what? His pride? No, that wasn't quite true. He'd done it because he could…because he wanted revenge for a perceived wrong….like a fucking idiot .

Chuckling darkly at nothing in particular, Inuyasha leaned heavily against the stone face and sighed. If Kikyo wanted him to do something, she better come by sooner rather than later. Given the rate he was withering away, she might not get anything from him.

A sudden sound outside had him lolling his head lazily towards the entrance, an apathetic look gracing his visage as none other than Sesshomaru entered the cave.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha sighed as he closed his eyes and sagged, "If you've come to kill me, go ahead and get it over with."

"How dare you," the daiyoukai hissed angrily as he remained where his stood, "How…how dare you!"

"Listen, either kill me or don't," Inuyasha answered emotionlessly, "I don't care what…"

"You arrogant fool! How dare you throw father's sacrifice away like some pathetic mortal," Sesshomaru snapped angrily – his usually stoic face showing more horror and disgust than Inuyasha had ever seen before, "Just…just look at you!"

"Careful Sesshomaru," Inuyasha chuckled darkly as sent a very blasé look at his half-brother, "It almost sounds like you care about me."

"Your pathetic existence does not bother me," Sesshomaru began slowly in an low tone, "What angers me now is your seeming willingness to allow yourself to wither away into nothing. At least when you were at your peak, you brought some semblance of honor to his name but this….this? This is low even for you."

"Oh I get it," Inuyasha sighed heavily as he lolled his head lazily towards the seething daiyoukai, "You seem to be under the impression that people might care that some half-breed died. Well I've got news for you. No one is gunna give a shit."

"You do realize that the villagers have been on a manhunt for you," Sesshomaru began in a low tone, "There have been parties scowering the countryside."

"Goodie, more people who want to kill me. Hooray," Inuyasha snorted sarcastically as he closed his eyes and moved to rest his head before he found himself being held up by his undershirt and face to face with a seriously pissed off daiyoukai.

"They are looking for the protector of their village out of concern," Sesshomaru hissed angrily, "They are looking for the half-demon they say would put their safety about his own. For the man who they proclaim to be their savior."

"I think you're confusing me with whomever they are looking for," Inuyasha snapped angrily – causing the daiyoukai to smirk slightly at the sudden influx of passion the half-breed was known for.

"Alas I am not," Sesshomaru crooned cruelly, "For you see it is not just the village you called home that is searching for you. Apparently, you and your whore saved many villages who are just as concerned that you both are missing as the ones from your former home."

"Kagome is not a whore," Inuyasha snapped angrily before adding in a defeated tone, "And…and she isn't mine. She's somewhere safe, away from me."

"Interesting response," Sesshomaru huffed as he dropped the boy who was essentially a bag of bones onto the stone ground, "In any case, it will not be I that kills you this day. When the time comes to take your life, you will need to be at full strength. Otherwise you're not worth my time and effort."

"Well you won't have to wait long," Inuyasha sneered as he struggled to push himself off the ground, "What're you gunna do? Bring me back when I die?"

"Precisely," Sesshomaru crooned before adding in a cruel tone, "And I will keep you prisoner until you've come to your senses and are worthy of doing battle with This Sesshomaru."

"Probably more than I deserve," Inuyasha chuckled darkly as he gave up and took to staring idly at the ceiling, "Well go ahead, make yourself comfortable. I'm not going anywhere."

"What happened that you are so defeated?" Sesshomaru asked coldly – an unusual and unexpected note of pity in his tone. Inuyasha merely shook his head miserably as he shrugged, "I fucked up. That's all there is to it."

Sesshomaru could take no more of this pathetic display and was not going to give the half-breed any more attention. Anger coursed through his veins and a strange twinge of fear and concern that he'd much rather ignore. That spark of anger was genuine. It outraged the daiyoukai that Inuyasha would just give up on life over some common whore. Taking a long calming breath, Sesshomaru set his jaw and his stoic facade fell over his face once more. If it had been up to him, he would not have bothered - he could've breathed easier if he'd merely heard of that scum's death instead of seeing the cause - but he'd found that disgrace and delivered the message that miko had asked of him. His debt to her was repaid.

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"Okay, so take three of these each day with food," Kikyo ordered kindly as she held up the small basket of potions, "And make sure to eat all that fruit I gave you."

Rin let out a very wet sounding cough in reply and nodded as she took the basket before whispering hoarsely, "Rin must get better for her Lord. She has been so weak and has been a very bad follower since she fell ill. Rin is afraid her Lord will leave her behind."

Looking at the girl with a knowing yet pity-filled look, Kikyo smiled kindly as she whispered for her ears alone, "I think you'd be very surprised how much you mean to him. He would never leave you and would do just about anything to see you well again."