Chapter Three
Inu-Yasha sat anxiously beside the bed while the doctor worked. Sesshomaru was unconscious, thus unaware that a human was now trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
"And you say he was bitten by something?" the doctor asked, calmly.
"Yes. Something big and poisonous." Kagome said, as she showed the doctor where the wound had been.
"I see. It must be an allergic reaction to whatever it was that had bitten him. All I can do is write out a prescription for some pain medication and some antibiotics. I can't be certain how his body will react to the drugs, though, since he is what he is. If he starts to get worse, call me, okay?" the doctor asked.
"Okay." Kagome said, as she watched the doctor check Sesshomaru's vital signs one last time before leaving the room.
"Heh, if Sesshomaru had been his usual self, he probably would have taken that old guy's head off." Inu-Yasha muttered, as he listened to Kagome's mother and the doctor talk quietly about Sesshomaru's condition.
"Probably so, but he's in no condition to do so now." Kagome said, looking away when Sesshomaru murmured something in his sleep.
"Yeah. Kagome, what do we do now?" Inu-Yasha asked, sounding strangely subdued.
"I don't know. I wish I knew." Kagome said, as she looked down at the peacefully sleeping youkai.
"Houshi-sama! Wait for me! Would you mind waiting?! HEY!" Sango shouted, as the young priest walked ahead of her. She watched as Miroku's shoulders slumped slightly, then he stopped and looked at her.
"Sango-san, I am not an impatient man, but time is of the essence. A child's life is hanging in the balance and there just isn't any time to spare." Miroku said, urgently. Sango could only stare in wonder as the priest looked away at the land in front of him, eyes anxious. She'd never seen him like this and wondered if it was because of the tip they had received about a child and youkai being seen together that caused this change in her friend. Then the apparent peace of the area was shattered when a roar split the air.
"It came from this way! Come on!" Miroku shouted, as he led the charge, ready for a fight. With a nod, Sango followed his lead, prepared for the worst. They arrived in time to see two small figures dodge the razor sharp talons of an avian youkai.
"Sango-san, try and get to Rin! I'll distract it!" Miroku shouted, as he ran into the fray.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango yelped, but could do nothing as the huge youkai focused its attention on the robed figure dashing away from the human child and toad youkai.
"Mew?" Kirara asked, giving her human companion a questioning look.
"Kirara, I'm going to need speed in order to get over there quickly." Sango explained.
"Mew!" Kirara replied, leaping from Sango's shoulder, transforming in midair, and allowing her companion to climb onto her back.
"Go!" Sango whispered, as the fire-cat charged forward towards the two small figures. Miroku grunted as he sent a powerful blast of energy hurtling at the youkai, but hit the snow when it didn't even scratch it.
"Damn…………….it would take the Tetsusaiga's full power to take this thing out!" Miroku muttered, as he loosed his kazaana in an attempt to suck the creature in. It was not even ten yards from him when some hellwasps suddenly appeared.
"Damn!" Miroku cursed, as he struggled to get his ward back on, but not before some of the wasps had gone into the kazaana. Before the effects of the venom could even strike, the bird youkai did, slashing his side open before he could even blink. As the world faded into the oblivion of unconsciousness, Miroku could faintly hear Sango scream his name, then the familiar whirring of the giant boomerang she carried dispatching the avian youkai.
"Sorry Father,………………….looks like I won't be able to carry on the family name………………Please forgive me…………………" Miroku thought, before consciousness left him completely.
Sango stared in shock as the priest collapsed into the snow, his blood staining the pristine white, crimson.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango again shouted, as Kirara landed near the wounded priest and she dismounted, kneeling near him to see if he was still alive.
"Is Houshi-sama going to be all right, Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, her voice shaky and tearful, after what she'd just seen.
"Hmph, why should I care? He's just a worthless human." Jaken grumbled.
"A worthless human that just risked his life to save yours, toad." Sango growled, as she pressed some cloth to the wound in an effort to stanch the bleeding. She was surprised when Rin joined her in her efforts to stop the bleeding.
"Rin-chan?" Sango asked, confused.
"Rin just wanted to help." Rin said, with a small smile. Sango gave her a weak smile in response.
"Arigato, Rin-chan. Now, to get back to the village." Sango murmured, as she tied off the wound and hoisted Miroku onto her shoulders.
"Girl, do you know where Sesshomaru-sama is?" Jaken asked, after a long moment of silence.
"Yes. In fact, he's part of the reason why we came out here to find Rin." Sango replied, as she hauled Miroku onto Kirara's back. Jaken gave her an anxious look.
"Is Sesshomaru-sama all right? Is he hurt? Rin doesn't want Sesshomaru-sama to be hurt!" Rin exclaimed, voicing her concern for the youkai lord.
"I think he'll be all right, as soon as he sees that you are all right." Sango replied, not wanting to answer Rin's questions just then. But, then again, she was likely to find out anyway, especially since Miroku's wound was so severe. Without even being told, Kirara took to the air, crossing the distance easily to where the Bone Eater's Well stood.
"I hope this works." Sango thought, as she and the others dismounted and she lowered Miroku into the well, then Rin, then herself.
"What the…………..What do you think you're doing?! You crazy human!" Jaken griped, as he stared after them.
"Sesshomaru is in Kagome-chan's time. It might be the only chance Miroku has to survive!" Sango shouted, before she, Rin, and Miroku vanished from view. Then Kirara followed her companions, also vanishing from view before hitting the bottom.
"Well……………I never!" Jaken muttered, at a loss for what else to say.
Kagome looked up when she sensed some familiar presences cross her senses, and watched as her suspicions were confirmed when Shippou dashed up the stairs, his expression frantic.
"Kagome! Inu-Yasha! Sango, Miroku, Rin and Kirara are here! Miroku's been hurt!" Shippou shouted, not caring that he was waking Sesshomaru up. Kagome's face paled; Miroku had been hurt?!
"Shippou, where is Miroku-sama?" Kagome asked, anxiously.
"Downstairs! Your mom is trying to get that doctor to come back and take care of him now!" Shippou replied, as both Kagome and Inu-Yasha dashed out of the room, leaving a slightly bewildered Sesshomaru to wonder what was going on. Inu-Yasha was stunned by what he saw when they got down there, the entire family was down in the living room, trying to stop Miroku's profuse bleeding and also trying to comfort a thoroughly shaken Sango at the same time.
"Inu-nii-chan!" Rin shouted, over the din, her voice a welcome sound to Inu-Yasha's weary ears.
"Hey there, Rin." Inu-Yasha said, suddenly feeling tired, relieved that Rin was safe and unharmed.
"Inu-nii-chan, may Rin see Sesshomaru-sama now?" Rin asked, brown eyes pleading silently with him.
"Yeah, I guess so. But don't be too loud, okay?" Inu-Yasha said, as he took Rin by the hand and led her back up the stairs to where Sesshomaru lay. Sesshomaru was sitting up when they arrived, and Inu-Yasha could see that his brother's eyes were still glazed with fever, but he seemed alert enough to give him a questioning look.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin shouted, as she bounded over and gave the youkai a hug. Thoroughly startled, Sesshomaru gently held the sobbing child close to him. Inu-Yasha could tell that several emotions were flitting across his brother's face at the same time; confusion being the most prominent. In the back of Sesshomaru's mind, the image of the little girl again came across his mind's eye, but this time it was clearer and stayed longer.
"So this was who that little girl was. I wonder how she knew who I was? Why is she so special to me? Does she have a connection to who I was?" Sesshomaru wondered, wincing slightly when the girl accidentally kicked him in his sore side. He was surprised when Rin looked at him, her eyes filled with a love he could not comprehend. But he smiled back at her, gently, getting a delighted laugh from the child for a response.
"I could get used to her smile and laughter." Sesshomaru thought, looking reluctant to let go of Rin when Inu-Yasha gently ushered her away from him and out of the room, obviously heading for another part of the house.
"Yes, I could get used to that child. But I wonder what the future holds in store for her? For me? I somehow get the feeling that something is going to happen. Something that could change all of us forever…………….but what? What?" Sesshomaru wondered, as he turned his gaze to the window and watched the snowfall, his thoughts plagued by an uncertain future.