KAGOME'S BAD BREAK

CHAPTER FOUR

"So, Kagome... I heard that you were being carried home by that cute Canadian guy last night after school!" Kaoru said as she blabbed on the phone to her friend.

"He is NOT cute!!" Kagome replied.

"Ami told me that he gave you his jacket and everything. That's so SWEET!" Her friend squealed, "And how can you say he's not cute?? Even AMI thinks he is!"

"Ami thinks sumo wrestlers are cute!!" Kagome replied.

Kaoru laughed, "Ami's taste isn't THAT bad, Kagome! Besides, Bob has that long, white hair... the brooding look... that hair...."

"You mentioned his hair twice, Kaoru..." Kagome muttered.

Kaoru wasn't listening, "And he must be really strong to carry you around with such ease! I wonder if he works out..."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Give me a BREAK, Kaoru!!"

"So.. when are you moving to Canada??" Kaoru teased.

Kagome smiled, "Never! It's too cold there this time of year...." She replied. Kaoru laughed. After a few more minutes of chatting, the two hung up. Kagome looked at the phone, "Why does every girl think InuYasha is CUTE??" she asked herself. She remembered hearing a few other female classmates mutter to each other about the cute guy from Canada yesterday. Kaoru also said InuYasha was SWEET!! Well.. obviously Kaoru didn't know InuYasha like Kagome did!! He was anything BUT sweet!!

But then, Kagome thought back to yesterday. Well...he DID act kind've nice when she fell on the ice. He even carried her home. Maybe her friend's observations WEREN'T that off the mark. "No no no!! This is InuYasha! The fuzzy-eared, bad tempered, dog-demon!! Don't even START going down that path!!" she said to herself. But it was too late.. her imagination had already begun to roam.

* * *

Kagome sat in front of the TV, sipping at her green tea. InuYasha sat beside her, having fun with the remote control. It had been over a week since she had hurt her ankle. She was feeling a lot better. She even had an appointment with the doctor to see if she could take the bandage off.

Kagome looked at InuYasha, who was busy pressing buttons on the remote and watching the picture change right before his eyes, "This is interesting!" he said, truly amazed at the strange things Kagome's world had to offer, "But aren't those people cramped in that little box?!" he asked.

Kagome burst out laughing. InuYasha looked at her, wondering what she was finding so funny. "It's a TV, InuYasha!! There's no one in it! It's just... signals... coming from that big tower downtown..."

InuYasha furrowed his brow, "Downtown?? Tower?? Signals??"

Kagome shook her head, "It's too difficult to explain. But.. trust me.. there are NO little people in that box!"

"Feh... and how do you know that for sure??!" he snapped.

"We learned about it in school," she said. InuYasha couldn't argue with that, never really having been to school himself (save for his recent experience with Kagome).

InuYasha shrugged, and went back to his channel changing. Kagome watched him out of the corner of her eye. He had been so nice to her since he had found out about her injury ... though a tad overbearing. And even if he denied it afterwards, she knew he meant well. Now if only he could be that nice ALL the time... then maybe the two of them...

"Kagome, honey..." Mrs. Higurashi called into the TV room, "It's time to see Dr. Asako,"

"OH!" Kagome said, snapping out of her thoughts. She reached for her crutches again, not wanting to put any pressure on her ankle yet. "I'm coming..." she called to her mother, and hobbled out of the room.. followed closely by InuYasha - who was carrying his new toy. Kagome stopped and turned to him, "Put it back.." she said.

"But... I want to find out more about it!!" he insisted.

"Well, you won't find out about it at the doctor's office!! It doesn't work that way!" she explained. "Besides, Sota might want to watch TV too you know..."

"Feh...!" InuYasha scowled, and put the converter back beside the TV. "Let's go!" He grabbed a nearby hat (something which Kagome called a 'toque' and claimed would suit 'Bob Mackenzie' better then Sota's baseball hat), and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Well, Kagome... it looks like you don't need this anymore.." Dr. Asako said as he handed Kagome the tensor bandage, "The swelling seems to have gone away, but your ankle will still be a little tender for a few days. That's just because you haven't used it in a week or so. You should be able to walk without the crutches now though..."

"Thank you, Doctor!!" Kagome replied.

InuYasha spoke up, "Good!! That means she won't fall on her-"

"BOB!" Kagome said, interrupting whatever InuYasha was about to say.

"WHAT?!" InuYasha snapped.

"You don't have to be so impolite, you know...!" she muttered.

Dr. Asako looked at the two of them, and smiled, "They fight just like a married couple..." he whispered to Mrs. Higurashi. The doctor couldn't understand why Mrs. Higurashi shook her head vehemently and looked at him with wide, fear-filled eyes. Dr. Asako shrugged, then turned back to Kagome, "Well... you can go now.." he said, "But I want to see you again in a week... just as a follow-up to see that the swelling hasn't returned. If you have any pain at all before that, don't hesitate to call me!"

* * *

Kagome fixed the pack on her back, and waved to her family. "I'll be back in a week!" She called back to them. "I have another test coming up soon, and that appointment with Dr. Asako..."

InuYasha sighed. Great. Now he'd have to follow her back again. Oh well. At least she was coming with him NOW!

"Do you have everything you need, honey?!" Mrs. Higurashi called.

"Yup.. and if I'm missing anything, I can always come back and get it, right?"

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, "Be careful!!" she said, then turned to InuYasha, "I know you need her help... but I'm trusting you to make sure NOTHING happens to my daughter!".

InuYasha nodded, and her mother headed back inside with Grandpa and Sota. Kagome and InuYasha headed to the Bone-Eaters Well - Kagome limping slightly.

"I thought it was supposed to be healed!" InuYasha said.

"Well... yeah... but it's still tender! I'm not like you, InuYasha. It actually takes me TIME to completely heal ..."

"Feh..." he muttered, "Figures!"

Kagome simply smiled, "Thank you for taking such good care of me..." she replied.

"Well, I needed you to-"

"..To find the shikon jewel shards... right. Got it!" Kagome said, still smiling. "Thanks anyway..." and before InuYasha could pull away, Kagome kissed him on the cheek.

He looked at her, and put a hand up to his cheek - surprise clear on his face. He blinked a few times, then quickly collected himself and jumped into the Well, "Anytime you're ready!" he called back.

Kagome smiled, and climbed in after him... except her landing wasn't quite as graceful as InuYasha's. She slipped, and fell, "GAAAAH!!", She shouted in surprise. Then realized that her landing was rather soft.

"Get OFF!" InuYasha shouted.

Kagome slowly lifted her head, and noticed she was back near InuYasha's tree. Then she realized she had landed on InuYasha! Kagome's chin began to quiver, and she let out a scream, "MY ANKLE!!!" she cried, "IT HURTS!!"

InuYasha's eyes went wide, "NO!! NOT AGAIN!!!" he shouted, but he could see the look in her eyes. Yes... again. "Dammit... if you weren't ready to come back then why didn't you tell me?!"

"I've kept you waiting long enough... it wasn't fair to you..." Kagome replied quietly.

So she was willing to risk re-injuring herself for him?? That had to be the stupidest... yet nicest... thing anyone had ever done for him.

InuYasha quickly sat up, and swooped Kagome off the ground once more... muttering something about the stupidity and frailty of humans.

Kagome closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain in her ankle. InuYasha looked down at the girl. Oh well. Perhaps playing nursemaid to Kagome again wouldn't be so bad after all - besides, where ELSE could he eat Mrs. Higurashi's great chocolate chip pancakes?

T H E E N D