Kurama pulled Kyra into the waiting room, which also doubled as a medical room. He instructed her to sit on the table while he retrieved the first-aid kit from one of the lockers. The others followed in close behind, confused as to what exactly was going on between the two.
"Take your shirt off," Kurama ordered as he set the supplies down onto the table.
The sound of fabric ripping echoed through the eerily quiet room.
"You didn't have to do that," Kurama stated.
Kyra pulled the last of the material off her arm. "It was ruined anyways. Besides, I don't think I can lift my arm above my head right now." When she turned back around after discarding the shirt behind her, she found Kurama staring at her waist.
She looked down as well and saw all the bandages that covered her left side drenched in blood.
"Kuwabara," Kurama spoke softly, "will you please go get Yukina and tell her to come down here right away."
Kuwaba looked over his shoulder at the two, him and Yusuke having turned around to give Kyra her privacy once she took her shirt off. Seeing the damage, he wasted no time in running off, Yusuke running after him as well.
Hiei stood at the other end of the table accessing his own damage, when he looked up to see all the blood. Kurama was already unwinding the ruined cloth.
"Hiei," the red-head called softly, "could you please get me a wet washcloth. The fire demon nodded and went into the bathroom to obtain the requested item.
When he came out Kurama had almost all the bandages off and he could see a large gash along her back. It was just a few inches from her spine running horizontally across her left side to her abdomen. He continued to stare as another similar gash was revealed. Blood was smeared all over her body by the bandages.
The shorter demon was snapped out of his thoughts when Kurama asked for the washcloth, the last of the bindings having been removed. He handed it over and watched as his friend held it against the wound trying to soak up the blood.
"Hold this," he commanded Kyra. She did as told, her face a scowl, eyes half closed. Her tan skin was already beginning to pale slightly from the blood loss.
Kurama held a cotton ball in a long pair a tweezers trying to gently clean off the excess blood.
"How did you get that?" Hiei questioned after a few moments had passed. She chose to ignore him and look towards the door.
Kurama answered anyways, "She got it a couple weeks ago by the same man who talked to us in the woods today."
"If you are who you say you are then why hasn't that healed yet? Even a half demon would have been healed by now."
She only shrugged off his question.
"There's probably some other force affecting her healing process. The only reason her skin held together was because the dried blood acted as a sort of adhesive," Kurama replied. "She has a lot of bruising all along her ribs and hip."
"Why didn't she have someone look—". The sound of footsteps hurrying towards them abruptly stopped their conversation.
Yukina appeared in the doorway, with everyone else rushing in behind her. The ice apparition walked over to Kurama, who was still trying to clean off some of the blood.
"What's wrong Kurama-san?" she asked.
"Yukina," he addressed, "Kyra is bleeding very heavily. Is there anyway you can stop the blood flow?"
"Hai, I can. But...I haven't done it a lot so it could be painful."
"That's ok Yukina. I'll be fine."
Kuwabara helped lift Yukina onto the table so she could kneel down and position herself next to the injured fighter.
Summer came to stand next to her friend. She gave a small smile, Kyra smiling back, some silent conversation passing between the two.
Kurama was about to remove the washcloth when Kyra stopped him. "Could you guys leave please?" The others who had been just standing there nodded and ushered themselves out of the room. Summer looked at her questionably, wondering if maybe she should leave. Her friend whispered in her ear before the girl left the room as well.
She turned to Hiei who was on the other side of the room. "You too."
The demon "hn'd" but left anyways.
Now that the room was empty of any curious eyes, Kyra allowed Kurama to remove the washcloth. Yukina gasped at the gory sight.
"Don't stop if I start to scream," Kyra informed the other girl. She nodded and prepared herself.
Kurama hadn't said a word as a transparent orb of light emitted from the apparition's hands. He found himself holding her hand trying to brace both of them for what was to come. The other end touched the bruised, purple and red skin as the first wave was sent into the body.
Kyra visibly tensed, her left hand gripping the edge of the table, but she didn't make a sound. After a couple seconds Yukina emitted another surge of her energy, this one more powerful than the last. Again Kyra tensed, her eyes wide with pain and her knuckles turning white from grasping the table and Kurama's hand so hard.
"It's alright Yukina. Just give me all of it now so we can get this over with."
The small female nodded as she closed her eyes and prepared to release a large amount of genki into the girl. As it pulsed through her, Kyra couldn't hold back her screams. Kurama covered her mouth to muffle the noise, cradling her head between his elbow and hand to keep her from thrashing about. It felt like every nerve by that part of her body was on fire and someone was sticking needles into her flesh so it would stay together.
It lasted only about 10 seconds, but if felt much longer to all three of them. Yukina finally dropped her hands to the table, her energy spent.
"Are you alright, Yukina?" Kurama asked, thinking she had used too much of her healing powers.
"I'll be fine. Though Kazuma might be disappointed that I can't heal his injuries."
Kurama smiled and thanked the young woman for help. He looked down to Kyra who was leaning her head on his shoulder trying to catch her breath. His hand was still covering her mouth before she pulled it away to draw in long gasps of air. Her body felt like it had a high fever and she was lightly sweating.
The two hurried to clean her wound, which had stopped bleeding, and rebandaged her waist before allowing the others to come in so they could take care of their own injuries. Summer gave Kyra her sweater jacket to cover up the wound.
Once everyone had been taken care of they headed back to the hotel room for some rest.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was about 7:00 pm when Yusuke and co. went down to the dining area for dinner. Kurama, Kyra and Summer chose to stay behind and eat in the room.
Kyra and Kurama sat on the floor, eating at the coffee table. Summer was eating in their bedroom so she could talk on Kyra's cell phone in privacy.
"How are you feeling?" Kurama asked. She hadn't really eaten much and he wondered if she really was sick.
"Fine," she answered unconvincingly.
"You don't look fine."
"Looks can be deceiving."
"Maybe you should rest some more."
"Kurama...I just had a four hour nap. If I sleep anymore I'll be up all night."
They ate in silence for a moment.
"You think they suspect me?" she asked.
"They suspect something." After they got back to the hotel and Kyra was securely in her room sleeping, he'd received a few questioning and inferring looks.
Flashback"Gee, you were sure quick to get her shirt off," Yusuke teased.
"You didn't seem too afraid to look either," Summer chimed in.
"And I thought you were a gentleman," Kuwabara said arrogantly.
Kurama could feel his cheeks heat up. "I assure you my intentions had nothing to do with what you're suggesting."
They backed off, but were still skeptical.
EndKyra raised a curious eyebrow at the answer but made no attempt to remark on it.
"Do you still have a fever?"
"I think so. My senses feel like there shot though so I really can't tell."
Kurma motioned for her to lean forward and she did. Placing a hand on her forehead he instantly felt the heat threatening to burn his hand. He pulled away and they both leaned back against opposite couches.
"Your injury must be pretty bad. How much has healed?"
"Don't you think Hiei took the news that I'm a Portal Keeper pretty easily?"
"Don't change the subject."
She took another bite of food, seemingly forcing it down. "Has he said anything to you?"
"No, but I'm sure he will. Now answer my first question," he demanded.
"Why is my health always a concern to you. My half demon side helps take care of that."
"Your health is always something to be concerned about. And it's your demon side that is part of the problem."
Kyra scowled, upset that he had pointed out the fact that her necklace reminded her of everyday. As if by reflect, her hand went up to touch the priceless object that hung around her neck.
It had been hand crafted out of crystal diamond by a smith in the city her biological father ruled over. The angel had two wings outstretched horizontally with a vine wrapping over each to twist once over each arm and around the legs. The ruby was held in the middle with palms on each side. Its detail was incredible, showing each finger and toe, the outline of a face, chest and bellybutton. The project had taken over six months and when she had been give it from her now deceased mother she'd refused to take it saying it was to valuable and pretty and that she'd end up losing it. Her mother only laughed and said that that would never happen because she was to never take it off. Still doubtful, her mother slipped it over her head and pulled her hair through the chain. True to her mother's word, she never took it off afraid of what might happen. She slept, exercised, ate and bathed with it, even when she shouldn't or couldn't, like in sports.
Kurama saw the saddened look that appeared on his friends face and instantly felt regret for saying what he had, even if she did provoke him. He stood up and went to sit next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders as she leaned her head against his. He could feel the heat vibrating off her through her clothes, warming himself up. It was times like these that made him happy but pained at the same time; offering comfort but not. She enjoyed the contact—she'd always been touchy with her close friends, him included. But the moments were always short lived, either broken up by some outside force or them for fear of being seen. After years of denying that they weren't together to parents, friends and classmates, it would seem pretty hypocritical to get caught this way.
This time it was Kyra to break the moment, pulling out from under his arm and taking a deep breath.
"It's not healing very well," she said at last. "I don't know if I'll be able to fight in two days."
"We'll talk to Yukina after she's rested a bit."
She nodded and they sat in silence once again, both contemplating whatever it was that was on their mind before the others returned.
A/N: Well, that's all I have for right now. I need to decide what happens next. I hope this fills you in on a little more about what's going on because I keep forgetting what you I have and haven't written. Ttyl.