Chapter Nine
Kagome wiped her brow and sat back. On the other side of Hojo, Kaede began gathering rags and bandages from the floor. It had taken the two almost a full hour to clean and stitch-up Hojo's arm. It had been recommended that Kagome return to her time with the injured man, by he'd protested, pointing out that there'd be no way to explain sure an injury to the doctor and would probably lead to a police investigation. There were too many rumors flying around about Kagome and her extended time in the well shrine to take the risk. He'd sworn up and down that he would be okay with ancient medical procedures. Hojo'd fainted the moment the needle had pierced his skin.
Kagome sighed as she brushed her fingers through is hair. Kaede finished what she was doing and went to open a window. Neither moonlight nor the smell of a storm came through the opening.
"Tis the new moon," the old woman stated, her voice implying Kagome should finally go talk with InuYasha.
She looked up in time to see Kaede's hunched form exit the room behind a curtain. With a final swipe through the blond silk, Kagome stood and left. She spotted Miroku and Sango talking softly just outside the front door, Shippou was still sleeping in the corner.
"Will you let him know I'll be back if he wakes?"
Sango let her gaze follow Kagome as the girl made her way towards the forest. She was walking as though to her own funeral, one arm rubbing the back of her neck and the other fiddling at her neck where the Shikon shards were. The demon huntress watched until Kagome's figure was only a shadow in the distance before turning to Miroku.
The monk did nothing more than nod acknowledgement to Kagome's request. He had been weaving some strands of grass while listening to what Sango had heard as far as rumors, before Kagome came out. She had really wanted to talk about other things, specifically the man from Kagome's time that was now sleeping off his injuries in the back room of Kaede's hut, but had though it wise to wait for the area to be a little more abandoned.
She drew a breath to speak but was cut off when Miroku said, "I don't' know any more than you do." He looked at her then and shrugged. "InuYasha said he is the one Kagome was with and then they got into a fight when he came through the well." The priest paused, looking back at the fragile green blades he held in his hand. "Kagome favors him greatly, more so than she hinted at, and, I don't think InuYasha is going to apologize easily, especially now that we need her again."
He threw the grass to the side as he rose, dusted his hands together, and held a hand out for her. "Coming?"
Sango looked at the innocent offering then took it. She did not expect him to pull her up with such force, and so overbalanced and fell into him. He didn't exactly catch her in the most coincidental of ways.