Kagome kissed the heads of her sons before she raised a barrier around the cradle they shared.
The Six guards inside the room flinched, but didn't show any other signs of discomfort as waves of pure priestess energy pulsed around the room.
"I'm sorry if it hurts you, but I will not take any chances with my children's' lives." She apologized to the men.
"We would not want you to My Lady." The head guard answered.
Closing the door softly, Kagome crossed the floor of the room she shared with Sesshomaru to peer down at Kai's sleeping form. Kagome had sat and rocked the boy for hours as he cried for his mother, until finally he fell into an exhausted sleep.
She ran a shaky hand over the single curl that lay against his forehead, before grazing his cheek with a kiss.
"We will stay with him Kagome." Miroku said as he and Sango joined her at the edge of the bed.
"I have placed sutras at every window and door that leads to this room. I have also placed them long the palace grounds. No one who seeks entrance to the palace with the intent to harm will be able to pass. And no one will get in here without me being aware of it." Miroku added, as if it would ease Kagome's worries.
"Thank you, you guys. I'll have someone bring more blankets" Kagome left the suite and walked down the corridors that she had been avoiding since her return to the keep.
The four armed men bowed as she reached the doors that separated the healers' wing from the rest of the palace.
Pushing them open Kagome's heart clinched as she barely stopped herself from gagging at the overwhelming smell of blood.
Sesshomaru crossed to her side, taking her hand in his. Kagome couldn't voice her question, but Sesshomaru answered anyway.
"She has suffered an extensive beating, which has caused her to go into labor prematurely. The healers do not know if either Sam or the pup will make it." Sesshomaru informed her solemnly. "Her labor started hours ago, but there has been very little progress."
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut while she tried to process his words.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" She questioned looking up into her mates eyes, Sesshomaru did not answer.
Forcing herself to calm down, Kagome moved towards the bed when one of the healers moved to make room for her.
Looking up from where he knelt by the side of the bed, Rhys briefly met her gaze, the broken look in his eyes taking Kagome's breath away. Recognizing Kagome's presence Sam gave her a little smile and reach weakly for her hand.
"We are going to be fine. Do not look so sad Kagome." Sam insisted.
Kagome's mind raced as she gazed down at Samara pale sweaty face. She didn't understand how this could have happened. Holding back her sobs Kagome reached out and gently laid her hand over the mound of Samara's belly.
The baby kicked in response to the touch.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry." Over and over again Kagome apologized hating how weak and helpless she felt. Suddenly she gasped, a memory clicked in her mind.
Wiping a hand across her face Kagome stood in a rush and looked around for Sesshomaru.
"If Sam is able to deliver the baby, how long do you think she'll live?" Kagome demand of him, one of the healers answered when his response wasn't immediate.
"If she does not bleed out, Lady Samara should be able to heal herself, but it will take many weeks and there is very little chance that the pup will make it through the night even if it were born alive." The woman answered candidly.
"There is no chance here, in this time." Kagome corrected. "We have to get them to the well Sesshomaru! There are doctors in my time who deliver premature babies every day. There are machine and medicines that they could give Sam and the baby!" Kagome didn't give Sesshomaru a chance to respond, but turned to face Rhys.
"I don't know how much Sesshomaru has told you about me, but I wasn't born in this era. I was born in a city called Tokyo, 500 years in the future." Rhys frowned in confusion.
"Rhys you have to believe me, if we can get them to the well that leads to my time the chances of both Sam and the baby living are one hundred times higher. Please!" Sesshomaru placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder.
"There is no guarantee that they would be able to travel through the well Kagome." He told her gently.
"But you did! It's true that before the jewel was completed only Inuyasha could travel back and forth between our times, but the jewel is gone now and the well let you through. We have to try Sesshomaru, I won't sit here and watch them die when there's a chance that they can both be saved." She was looking pleadingly between the two men, when Samara spoke up.
"We will go." She informed the room.
"Inuyasha's forest is a days' travel from here Samara. " Sesshomaru began, but Sam cut him off.
"You could travel the distance in less than an hour Sesshomaru. I will use my remaining youkai to insure the pup lives through the trip and then you will take him to Kagome's doctors." Rhys roared in outrage at the suggestion.
"You will die!" He thundered.
Sam sighed sadly and laid a loving hand against his cheek.
'I will not bury another child, my love." She whispered.
"And I will not bury you!" He replied angrily.
"Nobody's burying anybody! Rhys can share his youkai with the baby just as easily as you, and you can save your energy and start healing. All we have to do is get the baby to come and make it to the well." Mind made up, Kagome ignored Rhys and Sesshomaru and turned back to the healers who had been watching the exchange silently.
"We have to speed up her labor" Kagome ordered.