Disclaimer: I have no urge to write one of these, but seeing as how I have no choice in the matter, fill in the blanks with the other 10 that I've written.
"KAGOME!!"
Kagome shrieked as the monstrous hand closed around her frail, human body and pulled her from the solid earth.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled at her, then turning his anger towards the demon. "Bastard! Put her down! She doesn't have the shards! I've got them!"
"I . . . smell . . . them. You." It raised Kagome eye level with itself and stared at her. "Give . . . me . . . shards."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as she fought against the giant hand. The demon squeezed her and she gave out a pained yelp and slumped down against the hand.
A growl came from deep within Inuyasha's throat. His eyes flittered between the demon and Kagome's body.
"How dare you hurt Kagome." He stated calmly, his voice resonating his anger.
In a flash of movement, Kagome plunged a purity arrow into the demon's fist. It howled out in pain and dropped Kagome, shaking its hand to relieve the pain. The arrow buried itself into the flesh, making it impossible to be removed by its clumsy fingers.
Inuyasha almost laughed at the demon's low tolerance for pain.
"YOU." The demon bellowed. From his position in the demon's grasp, Inuyasha saw Kagome starting to arise from the ground. Inuyasha tried to turn the Tetsusaiga around to where it would cut into the flesh of the demon's palm. But the grip was so tight . . .
The demon lunged itself at Kagome. Its fist heading straight towards her.
She won't survive.
"Don't you touch her!" Inuyasha yelled, bringing Tetsusaiga straight up against the demons palm. The demon screamed in agony and the grip loosened just enough for Inuyasha to wriggle out. It started to lean forward, and Inuyasha nimbly leapt onto its back.
Kagome screamed, but was abruptly cut short.
Wait, why would Kagome . . . no. No, not Kagome.
The demon brought itself up from the ground, but Inuyasha didn't give it time. All of the pent up anger about Kagome's conditions, her lack of trust, her odd behaviors, her mood swings, everything that had built up over the past week was unleashed.
Inuyasha was angry. He was pissed. No matter how you say it, there's a reason you don't want to be around him when he's like that.
"DIE BASTARD!" Inuyasha screamed, bringing the Tetsusaiga in a downward motion, but not using the wind scar.
That was his mistake.
The hand reached for him again, but instead of holding him it brought him to its chest as it fell back to the ground, crushing Inuyasha underneath its massive weight.
Blackness invaded his vision.
* * * * * * * * * *
Sango and Miroku were flung to the side of the world before Kagome even saw it happen.
Then she saw the demon. It was huge, and it moved so quickly.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he leapt at the demon, taking out the Tetsusaiga.
The demon slapped Inuyasha into the ground before Tetsusaiga could be used. He hit the ground hard.
Inuyasha slid to a stop. He paused for a moment and then started to rise again. He didn't seem to even see the hand until it held him above the ground. He was pinned down.
Inuyasha was trapped.
The giant brought Inuyasha to its face.
"You . . . have . . . shards." The words were long and slow.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, turning towards her, still in the creature's grasp. "Kagome run! RUN KAGOME!"
Inuyasha fought against the hand, and she couldn't make her legs move to save herself. Her body was frozen in place, paralyzed.
"Let go of me! Damn it all to hell! Kagome! I told you to run! Run dammit!" Inuyasha shouted at her.
Inuyasha grimaced as the hand visibly tightened itself around him. He stopped fighting the creature's hold and remained still.
"Inuyasha." Kagome whispered, not even realizing that it had left her mouth.
Kagome's feet took steps backwards for her. She spun on her heels and then started to run away from the monster.
"GO KAGOME! RUN!!!" Inuyasha shouted. She felt the monster jogging after her. Tears leaked from her eyes in fear. Inuyasha couldn't save her and she was too weak to do anything. The ground shook under its steps. She could not escape him. She would not escape him.
"KAGOME!!"
Kagome shrieked as she felt the hand close around her and pull her up away from the ground.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "Bastard! Put her down! She doesn't have the shards! I've got them!"
"I . . . smell . . . them. You." It raised her eye level with itself and stared at her. "Give . . . me . . . shards."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as she fought against the monster's grip. The demon tightened the fist around her and she cried out from the intense pain that burned in her chest and fell against the monster's fist.
Kagome reached underneath her arm and painfully slid an arrow from her quiver. She clenched it in her own fist. She rose up, powering the arrow with her own power, and forced it into the demon's hard flesh. It howled and let go of her. She faintly reached out for something to grab onto, but there was nothing. The sudden stab of the ground in her back made her woozy for a moment.
"YOU." The demon roared. Kagome tried to push herself up from the ground. Her head spun as she stumbled to her feet. She brought a hand to her face to steady her vision in one place.
"Don't you touch her!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's voice and saw the hand coming straight for her. There was a flash of light and the demon screamed in torment. Inuyasha leapt out of the hand that was nearly severed in half. The black eyes shifted towards her and she screamed as the open palm slammed her into the ground. The darkness took over, blotting out the sunlit sky, silencing her.
* * * * * * * * * *
Inuyasha cracked an eye open, painfully. The night sky stared back at him.
Damn.
His whole body ached.
What the hell happened?
Inuyasha pushed himself up on his elbow, rubbing his head with the other hand. Tetsusaiga was held in his other fist.
The demon. Where's the demon?!
Inuyasha sat up and looked around. There was no trace of the demon any where in sight. Inuyasha almost would have agreed that there hadn't been a demon, except for the blood and pieces of random flesh that littered the ground. He scanned the area, sheathing Tetsusaiga, and not seeing anything that caught his eyes. His ears flicked back and forth, trying to locate any of his companions.
"Kagome." Inuyasha whispered. "Kagome!" Inuyasha leapt to his feet, searching for her.
She had screamed right before he had attacked the demon.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried out, leaping in the direction that he had last remembered seeing Kagome.
"Kago—" His voice died in his throat as Kagome came into his line of sight. His knees grew weak and his limbs suddenly went limp at his side.
Her shirt faintly fluttered against her still form, moved by the wind.
In a sudden burst of energy, fueled by fear and panic, Inuyasha was suddenly knelt down by her side. The grasses framed her gentle features, casually, brushing against her as the wind beckoned them.
He tentatively brushed a hand against her cheek. Much like she had done in his dream. She was still warm.
Inuyasha reached for her hand with his other, and interlaced his fingers with hers.
Still warm.
He moved his ear over her chest and heard the heartbeat and her breaths, coming in slow and shallow.
She was alive.
Thank God.
But it was all his fault.
She shouldn't even be in this condition.
But she was alive.
He needed to find Sango and Miroku. They were out from the very beginning of the fight. Besides the fact that Inuyasha knew very little of how to treat wounds properly. Sango knew how to though.
I don't want to pick her up.
God, I can't even touch her.
There's no telling how badly she's been injured.
How did I let this happen?
"I swear Kagome, I'll kill that demon if it's the last thing I do. What he did was . . . " Inuyasha stared at the serene face of the fallen girl. "What he did was my fault. I should have been watching you. I didn't protect you like I should have. I put the shards before you, Kagome." He gently squeezed the fingers he held captive in his own. "I can't ever let that happen again."
Well, I've just managed to pour my heart out to an unconscious mortal girl. Way to go Mr. Sensitive.
At least she's only unconscious.
I won't move her until she's awake. I don't want to hurt her anymore.
Unconsciously, Inuyasha brushed a few strands of rebellious hairs away from her face and behind her ear. He jerked his hand away like it had been burned.
What was he doing?
It not like I care for her or anything. She's just hurt, that's all.
He looked down at his hand that held hers. Her hand was so much smaller, so delicate, where his were calloused and harsh, hers were smooth and fragile.
A hard burst of wind whipped around, creating miniature whirlwinds that ruffled their clothing. A dark stain on her flesh caught Inuyasha's eye. He placed her hand by her side and reached over to the hem of her shirt. He pulled it up just enough to see the dark bruises that covered her abdomen. He pulled it up to the middle of her chest. The bruises went all the way past where he had lifted the shirt.
They're so . . . dark.
Inuyasha ran his fingers lightly over her ribs and tried to feel if anything was broken.
She shivered and whimpered when he pressed his palm against her the side of her ribcage. Tears leaked from the corners of her closed eyes.
Inuyasha pulled away and smoothed her shirt back over her. He shrugged off his outer jacket and rested it over her.
He would watch over her, but they shouldn't stay out here. Many of the trees had fallen with the demon, and now the wind tore mercilessly around them. He needed to find the others.
He glanced over at Kagome, who appeared to be only sleeping.
There wasn't much of a choice left for him then.
I'll just have to be careful with her.
With that thought Inuyasha gingerly lifted her back up to a semi-sitting position. Her head rolled against his bicep, one arm lying over her waist, the other dangling over his hand. He slid his other arm underneath her knees and carefully lifted her off the ground.
The demon had taken down quite a few trees with him. The once-forest was a meadow of tree trunks. The wind blew around them, but Inuyasha only cradled Kagome closer to him. He walked carefully over the fallen trees being mindful of Kagome's current condition.
Once he entered the cover of the forest, the wind died down and it didn't seem as cold. But Kagome wasn't close to awakening.
He headed the way where he had last seen Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.
That demon was so strong. I've never encountered anything like it.
Could it have been one of Naraku's pets? No, it was too stupid. Naraku has better sense than to send out an idiot to do his filthy work.
So that means it was just a random demon. Which is almost worse, since we don't know anything about him.
Lucky us.
Inuyasha's ears swiveled around for any sound of danger or his companions. He sniffed the air and barely caught a trace of a kitsune's scent.
"Shippo." He whispered. "Good thing the runt stinks as much as he does or else I would have never found them."
He turned to his right and followed the scent.
It took longer than expected but when he entered the clearing the sight could be considered almost humorous.
Miroku lay on his back, unconscious, his staff gripped firmly in his hand. Sango lay on top of the monk's chest, her legs curled beneath her, next to his side. Her hands lay on his chest, his free hand wrapped around her waist, appearing to hold her to him. Shippo lay a few feet in front of them, on his side. He looked fine.
"At least they're okay." Inuyasha muttered, laying Kagome down in the grass. He made sure that she was covered and then sat down sideways to her, ready to guard all of them.
Nothing else was going to attack them without his knowledge.
Hours passed and Miroku was the first to awaken. He groaned and Inuyasha turned to regard him. He dropped his staff and rubbed his head, not appearing to notice Sango lying on top of him. He blinked his eyes open and then looked down at the top of Sango's head. His brow furrowed in confusion and he propped himself up looking around, his eyes focusing on Inuyasha, who merely shrugged his shoulders.
Being careful, Miroku slid out from under Sango and then lowered her back down to the ground. She stirred but didn't awaken. He then wandered over to where Inuyasha sat.
"What do you want, Monk?" Inuyasha grumbled.
"You're in an even worse mood than usual." Miroku stated ignoring the harsh voice of Inuyasha.
"What do you care?" Inuyasha asked quickly.
"Never mind. I don't know how the Lady Kagome puts up with you." Miroku said rolling his eyes at the statement.
Sango moaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her head with her hand.
"What happened?" She mumbled.
"Don't you remember?" Inuyasha asked sounding irritated with them. Both of them shook their heads. Sango pushed herself to her feet and wandered over to the small group that seemed to be slowly regaining consciousness.
"The last thing I remember is a wall hitting us." Miroku said, trying to think back.
"That was the demon's hand." Inuyasha explained. "It was fast."
"Did you destroy it Inuyasha?" Sango asked, curious.
"No, it . . . got away." He admitted quietly.
"Got away?! But how?" Miroku asked.
"What's wrong with Kagome? She looks pale." Sango asked, moving over to look at the unconscious girl.
"The demon attacked her and then knocked me out. When I woke up, it was gone. Damn him to hell, when I find him I'll kill him for what he's done." Inuyasha vowed.
Inuyasha watched as Sango pressed her hand to Kagome's forehead.
"She doesn't have a fever and her breathing is shallow." Sango stated, frowning a bit in the process.
"And that means what exactly?" Inuyasha asked.
"I won't know until she wakes up. What did the demon do to her exactly?" Sango asked, breaking her eyes away from the girl.
"I don't know. She screamed and then I attacked it. When I—" Inuyasha was cut off by a sudden scream as Kagome bolted upright, breathing heavily, and coated with sweat. Sango moved to comfort her, but Kagome crawled back away from Sango.
"Kagome?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha was one step ahead of them all. He had been at his feet the moment she screamed. He was kneeling down in front of her, gripping her shoulders to keep her still. Her heart pounded in his ears; fear rolled off of her in waves.
"Kagome, snap out of it!" Inuyasha commanded. She screamed again and tried to squirm away, but Inuyasha held her firmly. "Kagome!" She brought a shaking hand to her face and ran her fingers along her cheekbone. Inuyasha saw it now, the mark from before. She had covered it up somehow and now it was almost visible again.
She grunted and wrapped her arms around her torso. Inuyasha caught her as she fell to the side. He gently pulled the shivering girl towards him as he tried to comfort her without being obvious about it.
She fisted her hands up in his sleeves and pulled him to her.
She was crying, whether from pain or something else, he didn't know and personally, didn't care.
"I wanna go home, Inuyasha." She sobbed against his chest.
"Kagome, I don't think that's a good idea." He said carefully.
There is no way in hell that I'm taking her back there in her condition! I will not let her go back there with that . . . that bastard!
"Please, Inuyasha, take me home." She sobbed, begging to him with her eyes. Her glassy, faded eyes. His heart caved along with everything else.
"Sango, Miroku, meet me back at Kaede's. I'm taking Kagome home." He said as he moved to pick up the crying girl. He grabbed his outer jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders and then scooped her up into his arms and started walking off.
After a while, the crying died down and she resolved to lie in his arms without saying much. She had buried her head into his shoulder, sniffling and groaning as she shifted every once in a while.
"I'm sorry, Kagome." He whispered quietly. She pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked up at him confused.
"But it was my fault." She whispered back.
"Your fault?"
"I didn't listen when you told me to run. This wouldn't have happened if I had listened to you."
She thinks it's her fault?! Why would she think that?
"Kagome, this wasn't your fault. I don't think it was really anybody's fault."
"No. All of this, everything has been my fault since the beginning. The jewel, the shards, Kikyo, everything has been my fault."
She thinks that everything is her fault. Doesn't she realize that these things were beyond her control most of the time? How could Kikyo be her fault?
"What do you mean it was all your fault?" Inuyasha asked, giving her a glance. She buried her head back into his shoulder and tightened her arms around her torso.
"I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled. Inuyasha waited for a moment before saying anything else.
"Are you hurting? Do you want me to stop?" He asked, slowing his pace a little.
"No. I just want to go home."
"Sure Kagome." Inuyasha answered as he continued on his path through the wood.
He reached the clearing of the well and took in a deep breath before continuing towards it.
"We're here Kagome." He stated less than enthusiastically. She peered up from his shoulder and looked around. He watched as her eyes landed on the well as he started to step up onto it. In a frenzy, she pulled herself up away from the well and lifted herself almost out of his arms.
What the hell?
"I want to go home, Inuyasha!" She yelled, sobbing again.
"That is your home. What the hell are you talking about?! You're not making any sense."
"Not anymore. I want to go to Kaede's! I want to go home!" She whispered near tears again.
She's afraid to go down the well. I've never seen her afraid to return home before. Usually she'd leap at the chance to go home and now she doesn't want to go at all. And what's this about her home being at Kaede's?
Could it mean that she thinks that this time is her home now?
Is she giving up her family there to stay here?
Why would she do that?
"Yeah, I'll take you home Kagome." He headed back to Kaede's with more concern for the injured girl he held in his arms.
Once he had reached the cabin, he found it to be empty of its resident. Taking it upon himself to care for Kagome, he pulled out a mat from the wall and then carried her over to it.
She laid down in pain and he wanted to hunt down the demon even more than before.
"Do you need anything Kagome?" He asked and she shook her head.
"Inuyasha?" She asked. He lifted his head to meet her gaze.
"What is it?"
"Will you stay by me?" She asked timidly. He relaxed his muscles and seated himself right next to her.
"Sure." She smiled at him and closed her eyes. She fell asleep shortly afterwards.
Kagome, I'll stay with you as long as you let me.
* * * * * * * * * *
The sun was shining and Kagome opened her eyes only to be fully awakened by the spasming pain in her chest. She groaned and rolled over onto her side in a futile attempt to make it stop.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Make it stop, Inuyasha! Make it stop!" She whined, curling her body into itself as she tried to ease the pain. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to suffocate the pain out of her body. She whimpered as Inuyasha gently rolled her onto her back and forced her to straighten out. Every breath burned through her lungs.
"Look at me Kagome." He commanded, but she couldn't find the strength to fight against the pain to look at him. "Kagome, look at me." Breaths heaved in and out of her body and she sounded like she had just run a mile. "Look. At. Me." He gripped her arms and she cried out in pain. He let go and she tried to fight off the pain enough to look at him. "Kagome, please." He whispered.
Now that got her attention. Inuyasha had just said please and he sounded like he was pleading with her to look at him. She cracked her eyes open and could barely make out his shape against the sunlight.
"Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, who else would it be, Wench?" He grumbled.
"Where are we?" She asked, deciding against looking around at their surroundings. They appeared to be in a hut, but the last place she remembered being was in that field with that monster and . . . her memory appropriately became fuzzy at that point.
"Kaede's hut."
"But why?" She asked, her eyes focusing back on him.
"Don't you remember?" His golden eyes narrowed at her, studying her response.
"A little but it's kinda fuzzy. I remember the demon, and you were shouting, and then I was running, and a giant hand . . . hit . . . me . . . and you . . . weren't there . . ." That giant, suffocating hand was reaching for her; she could almost touch it. And it could almost touch her.
"Kagome?"
"You weren't there." She whispered to herself. "I screamed for you, but you didn't come."
Silence pervaded the room and Kagome rolled her head to the side to look at him. Emotion raged in his eyes as he stared to the side.
Biting back pain she pushed herself up enough to wrap her arms around his waist and lay her head on his leg. He stiffened in her embrace and she tightened her grip.
"Just promise me you'll be there next time." She asked.
"I promise." He answered as she nestled her head into his lap and let her eyes fall closed. Everything had been so hectic and unnecessarily painful in the last hour and she just wanted to sleep it off.
Oddly enough, the pain was slowly filtered out as someone gently stroked her hair with their hand.
"Thank you." She sighed as sleep overcame her and she willingly, gave in to it.
* * * * * * * * * *
Inuyasha stayed up the rest of the night and watched over Kagome. Sango and Miroku had arrived earlier in the morning and left after a short rest. He was still sitting where he had been since they had gotten here. Surprisingly enough, he had more questions for her now than he had answers. He was startled out of his thoughts when Kagome moaned and rolled over onto her side.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, resting a hand on her shoulder to pull her back onto her back.
"Make it stop, Inuyasha! Make it stop!" She whined as she curled into a ball and wrapped her arms around herself. She whimpered and Inuyasha felt as though someone was cutting through his heart with a knife. He rolled her onto her back and forced her to straighten out. She was breathing raggedly.
"Look at me Kagome." He commanded, but her eyes remained closed. "Kagome, look at me." Breaths hauled in and out of her body and her chest rose up and down as though she had just outrun a demon. "Look. At. Me." He firmly gripped her arms, being careful of her wounds. She cried out in pain and he let go almost immediately. "Kagome, please." He whispered to her. She needed to look at him; he needed to see her eyes with his own.
Her eyes edged open and she squinted to look at him.
"Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, who else would it be, Wench?" He grumbled in a futile attempt to mask his concern.
"Where are we?" She asked glancing around at the hut. She didn't turn her head or make much motion with her body and Inuyasha could only wonder why.
"Kaede's hut."
"But why?" She asked, her eyes returning to him.
"Don't you remember?" He studied her face with his eyes trying to see what was going on in her head.
"A little but it's kinda fuzzy. I remember the demon, and you were shouting, and then I was running, and a giant hand . . . hit . . . me . . . and you . . . weren't there . . ." Her eyes widened as her voiced faded away and she looked . . . scared.
"Kagome?" He asked, not bothering to mask his concern.
"You weren't there." She whispered almost silently. "I screamed for you, but you didn't come."
Silence ricocheted off the walls and Kagome rolled her head to the side to stare at him. He avoided her look and looked at the floorboard.
Dammit! She's right! I wasn't there when she needed me the most. I couldn't protect her like I had promised her I would always do.
Why can't I protect the ones that I love?!
He didn't have time to ponder the last thought as Kagome suddenly was laying halfway in his lap, her arms wrapped around his waist. Her head rested on his leg.
"Just promise me you'll be there next time." She whispered.
Does she forgive me?
"I promise." He answered as she nestled her head into his lap and closed her eyes. She needed to rest and heal and now was as good a time as ever.
Feeling somewhat unable to move the girl for the time being Inuyasha rested his hand on the top of her head and unconsciously began to run his fingers through it.
"Thank you." She sighed as she fell asleep in his lap.
Anytime Kagome, as far as I'm concerned, I owe you one for this time.
How is it you can forgive me so readily and just expect me to protect you from anything?
But I gave you my word this time, I will uphold my promise and I will not let anything hurt you again.
But why are you afraid to go home? Right now, that should be the place where you feel the safest. Why would you be afraid to go home to your own time? Of course with that father of yours, I wouldn't feel safe at home either.
I'd go over there and teach him a lesson, but you'd sit me a thousand times before I even reached the well.
Besides, right now, you need your rest and if that means I have to wait for my chance then I will.
Inuyasha continued running his fingers through Kagome's long hair; Kaede entered and Inuyasha stopped his actions and turned around to face her.
"Ah, Inuyasha why have ye returned so early?" She asked, looking them over with her one good eye.
"A demon attack." He answered shortly, breaking his gaze and staring at the wall in front of him.
"But ye are not injured."
"I know, Kagome is."
"Kagome?" A look of shock passed over Kaede's face as she glanced the girl over. "What is the matter with the lass?" Inuyasha pulled her arms away from his waist and she groaned in the process. He rolled her over onto her back, but to where her head still remained in his lap.
"She was hit in her chest. It's all bruised." Inuyasha stated plainly. Kaede pulled her shirt up and stared at the black bruises that covered Kagome's stomach. Inuyasha stared at them as well, but a look of anguish crossed his face instead of worry.
"Hmm, I will find some herbal medicine to help her with the pain. But I would advise ye, Inuyasha, to not force her onto any trips for a while. At least until she has had time to heal."
"I know that old hag."
"I am aware of that, but I felt it was wise to inform you anyway." Inuyasha growled and Kaede turned and started rummaging through her herbs and potions. "What kind of a demon was it?" Kaede asked after a moments pause. Inuyasha looked up at her and cocked his head to the side.
"I don't know. But it was big and way too fast for it's size."
"It was one of Naraku's sentries?"
"No, this one hunted on it's own. It said it could smell the shards on Kagome. That's why it went after her."
Kaede picked up a few bottles and poured some of their contents in the bowl.
"I've yet to hear of a demon hunting the shards by smell." Kaede pondered. She continued mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl, stirring them occasionally. Inuyasha watched her half-heartedly and then returned his gaze to the broken girl still lying in his lap. He rested his hand over her bangs on top of her forehead. The bruise on her face showed through the cover up quite plainly. She had hidden it, but her cover was coming undone.
Everything seemed to be coming undone around Kagome.
I wonder why she's so timid one moment and angry the next. It's like she's going through that 'time of the month' times ten. She's not acting like she normally does.
That's it, I'm going to ask her when she wakes up.
"Inuyasha?" Kaede asked standing in front of him.
"What is it, old hag?" He growled.
"The lass needs to be moved to a quieter spot. She will need her rest to recover."
"And?"
"Ye need to move her. I am not able to do so by myself."
"Weak hag. Fine. I'll move her. Where do you want her?" Inuyasha asked showing frustration at her request, when in reality he would have proffered to move Kagome even if Kaede had said she would do so.
"Into the next room. Be careful with her Inuyasha."
"I know. I'm not an idiot. I brought her here didn't I?" Inuyasha lifted Kagome's head out of his lap and slowly let it fall to the floor. He slipped his arm underneath her knees and his other underneath her neck. He carefully lifted her into the air and carried her into the next room where Kaede was holding the curtain open for him.
"Lay her down there." Kaede ordered, pointing an aged hand at the mass of blankets spread out on the floor. Inuyasha did as he was told. He carefully laid her out on the blankets and then Kaede covered her up with them so she would not catch a chill. As weak as she was right now, the last thing they all needed was for her to sicken even more. Kaede set the bowl in front of him and started to walk off.
"Hey! Hag, what I am supposed to do with this?!" He demanded shouting at her.
"Give it to Kagome when she awakens. It will help with the pain. Be sure that she drinks it all Inuyasha." She said the last part as she was exiting the room.
"What makes her think that I'm you're caretaker? I swear that old hag takes me for granted far too much. What makes her believe that I'll actually give you this . . . stuff? I mean, for all she knows, I could pour it out the window and make you suffer." Inuyasha argued with the unconscious girl, knowing full well that he was not capable of such an action.
I could never do that.
To Miroku, maybe. But never to you Kagome, I could never allow you to suffer while there was a cure within my grasp.
That would make me too much like Sesshomaru and I'll be damned before I ever act like him!
Inuyasha settled back against the wall and waited beside Kagome. The day passed uneventful, Sango and Miroku stepped in intermittenly to see how she was doing as well as Kaede did. However, through all of this, Kagome didn't awaken. Inuyasha had started to become concerned, but he couldn't smell Death on her at all.
Which, of course, was a definite good sign.
Inuyasha gazed at the sleeping girl and tried to figure out why he was so bothered with her injuries.
Any time Sango and Miroku, or even myself, are injured I don't feel this anxious at all.
But whenever she is hurt I feel this way. Like someone's run me through with a tree trunk or something.
Maybe when she wakes up it will all just go away. It will, won't it?
Inuyasha watched her face as she slept.
She looks so peaceful.
Her face was marred by the black mark that covered her cheekbone.
It's looks so . . . so wrong on Kagome. I should have been there. Whatever it was, I should have protected her from it. It should be me with that mark on my face, not her.
I'll have to ask her about it when she wakes up.
"Wake up soon, Kagome."
Elkonigin here. Yeah, sorry it took me so long, but this chapter was extremely hard to write. I must have trashed it at least eighteen different times. But I finished it. Whoo. Now I need a nap. For those of you who care, I still haven't finished my novel. It's at 19460 words or thereabouts. God, I just want it to end. I mean really, 19460 words, that's like almost 40 pages. But when its finished I'm going to publish it, even though it's not required. After the prompt I got, I deserve to have it published. It's not an honor, it's a right! But enough of my ramblings, relax, read, and review.