~Chapter Four~ ~My delicate Kagome~

A snowflake fell down from the sky and hit Inu-Yasha's cold face gently. He looked up and his expression turned to worry as he saw many other flakes falling down upon him.

"Damn!!! Come on, you guys!! We gotta hurry if we want to get Kagome to Kaede's village before another storm rolls in!!!" He called to the others behind him.

Sango and Shippo looked up at him and nodded. "Sango? How much farther is it, anyway?" Shippo questioned in fret.

Sango put on a fake smile for the little fox demon. "Don't worry about it so much, Shippo. We'll be there as soon as we can! I bet we're almost there by now anyway!" She assured.

Miroku heard Sango's comment. *I hope she's right. It's too cloudy to see how far we've gone, but I just pray that the village isn't far. Inu-Yasha would die himself if something were to happen to Kagome.* He thought.

As the snow thickened, Inu-Yasha looked down at Kagome's tremendously pale face. He reached down and pushed some hair away from her eyes.

"Don't you worry, Kagome. You'll be fine, I promise this to you. I swear it. I will protect you from death. You'll be better in the morning after you've seen Kaede. I won't let anything stop me until I reach that village!" He whispered to her in a tender voice, so that only he and her could hear his words of kindness and pledge.

Sango looked up at the clouds, and suddenly began to see some light reflecting off of them!!

"OH MY GOD!!!! I CAN SEE THE VILLAGE FIRES REFLECTING OFF THE CLOUDS!!! WE'RE ONLY A FEW YARDS AWAY!!!!" She exclaimed in joy.

Miroku was more then pleased to hear about this, but Inu-Yasha was ecstatic!!

*FINALLY!!! KAGOME….WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!* He stated in mind.

Kaede sat in her hut brewing a soup for her to eat as her dinner. The evening was darker then usual, and colder, but it didn't bother her much. The warm fire that she sat by kept her toasty, and she had many blankets and quilts stored away for an emergency.

Suddenly, just as she was about to take a sample taste of her soup, Inu-Yasha barged through the door with Kagome in his arms, looking frantic.

The old priestess stood up and stared in shock. "W…WHAT HAPPENED INU-YASHA???" She questioned in horror.

Inu-Yasha fell to his knees and breathed deeply. He had ran ahead of the others, leaving them still out of boundaries with the village, and had leaped through the trees, and pounded over the snowing, icy ground to get to Kaede's hut as fast as he could go!

He looked up to the old woman then, his expression unexplainable.

"PLEASE!!! KAGOME IS SICK!! REALLY SICK!! SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP!! GOD DAMN IT!!! YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE WALKED THROUGH THIS SNOW TO GET HERE!!!?? YOU GOTTA HELP HER!!! YOU HAVE TO!!! I BEG OF YOU!!!!" He pleaded.

Kaede was more then stunned to hear Inu-Yasha speak to her in such a anxious, and polite way before! Not once had he called her something like, "Old hag", or "Freakin old woman"!!

She singled for Inu-Yasha to place Kagome down onto the floor by the fire pit.

He nodded and laid Kagome's freezing body down, keeping his top kimono around her just in case.

Kagome stirred, but didn't wake.

Kaede stared at Kagome for a moment, then placed her hand over her forehead, then her cheeks, and then her neck, and wrists.

"What has happened, Inu-Yasha?" She questioned in a serious voice.

Inu-Yasha breathed in a little before speaking. "Kagome was taken from the group last night by a demon and Miroku and I went out searching for her! We found her out in the snow and brought her back to the camp we had been sleeping at last night, and thought that Kagome would be better by the next morning, and she seemed to be this morning, but she collapsed suddenly and Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and myself have been walking all day just to get her here to you!!"

Kaede nodded, and lifted Kagome's wrist again into her hands, feeling her pulse in silence. "Inu-Yasha….I don't know what's wrong with Kagome. Her heart beats aren't normal though, and instead of being cold on the skin as you are, she is hotter then a workman out in the crops of summer time!! She'll need real medical treatment. I am no doctor, sorry to say." She explained.

Inu-Yasha lowered his head.

Suddenly, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo came through the door looking rather chilled, but okay.

"Inu-Yasha? Will Kagome be okay? What did Kaede say??" Shippo questioned in an innocent way as he tugged on Inu-Yasha's pant leg.

Kaede looked up to the little fox demon and smiled, knowing that Inu-Yasha wouldn't answer his question. "Kagome…..is very sick. So sick that I'm afraid I can do nothing for her. She needs a real doctor, and real medicine! I recall the local nurse being only a few miles away in another village, but it's so violent outside that she isn't going to be back here until tomorrow." The priestess explained.

Miroku and Sango looked at each other in fear.

All of a sudden, Inu-Yasha stood up in front of them all.

"I'll go and bring the nurse here. There's no other way." He explained.

The group all stared.

"No way, Inu-Yasha!!! You'll be getting sick too for sure if you go out in this weather!!" Shippo shouted.

Inu-Yasha glared at the small demon. "You forget, I'm not as weak as humans. Or little children demons! I'll be back faster then anyone of you can go, and WITH the nurse!! I'll force that nurse to go if I have to!!" He exclaimed, and then ran out the hut door and into the blizzard taking over the night.

Miroku and Sango stared after him.

"Are you sure we can trust him to come back in a healthy condition? We don't want both of our most valued team members getting sick!!" Sango stated.

Miroku placed his hand onto her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Sango. I have my complete faith in Inu-Yasha. He'd never let Kagome down, no matter how hard the obstacle may be!"

Sango nodded.

Kagome laid in Kaede's futon now, four blankets covering her, and one quilt, strong and thick to block out the cold. Miroku sat by the hut door, waiting for Inu-Yasha arrival back with the local nurse. Sango sat with Shippo and Kirara in her lap, sleeping a still slumber. Kaede looked down at Kagome with worry. She could not sleep when Kagome was in such a state.

"So, Kaede-sama, what will become of Kagome? How sick do you think she is?" Miroku questioned softly, so as to not disturb Sango and Shippo's dreams, if they were having any.

Kaede looked up to the monk and sighed. "I really don't know, Miroku. Kagome has always been a strong girl, and has never really gotten this ill before while in this time! I've never seen one more sick then she is right now. I didn't want to tell Inu-Yasha why, but I didn't trust myself with her, because she's in such a fragile status! I wanted someone more skilled then me. Kagome may be in a more horrible state then we all know! She may even be able to die from this illness. I want her to have the best of care, and that is the way Inu-Yasha thinks as well. He cares for Kagome more then he has for anyone in a long time. Many years to be precise, but not even Kikyo would have been so tenderly thought of as Kagome is to him. I could hear it in his voice. The way he spoke to me when he first arrived here, pleading for my help. I pray that Kagome will live through this, because is she doesn't, Inu-Yasha's soul will be lost."

Miroku didn't know how to reply. "Such a strong bond. How do you know that Inu-Yasha cares for Kagome more then he did for Kikyo?" He questioned.

Kaede smiled a bit. "Unlike Kagome, Kikyo was unable to love and care for everything around her. She was never worried to take an innocent soul or a greedy soul, as long as it was her target, she lived to shoot it with her arrow if it were after the sacred jewel. Same with Inu-Yasha too in her eye. She would have shot him down if she had the chance, and if he was after the jewel, she would kill him. I know she would. Inu-Yasha was different though. He was lost. He had been alone for so long, without an actual home to run to if he were hurt or afraid. When Kikyo and he had fallen in love, Kikyo snubbed him at times, even after the most romantic things had just happened between one another. Kikyo would never care for Inu-Yasha if he were sickly, and he knew he couldn't either, for their love was not that strong. That is why they were torn apart so easily by Naraku's spell. Their bond was not deep enough and brilliant enough. Kagome would always be there for Inu-Yasha if he were hurt or ill, and he tries his best to return that deed. They care deeply for one another, and that is something that Kikyo and Inu-Yasha will never have towards each other. It is a rare thing, and Kagome has it within Inu-Yasha, and Inu-Yasha within Kagome."

The old priestess spoke with a wise tone. Miroku knew that she was correct on her theory.

In a soft way, Kagome began to moan under her stressful condition.

Miroku looked to her in a saddened way. "Kaede-sama? Is she in pain?" He wondered.

Kaede shook her head. "No, Miroku. She is simply missing Inu-Yasha, or at the sound of it, she's all alone, wherever her mind has brought her."

~In Kagome's dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome's body lay on the ground of a cold, dark place. She lifted her head and looked about her, but found it impossible, for she was so dizzy!

"W…Where am I? What is this place?" She wondered aloud.

She tried to stand, but her body was so weak she could barely even get her arms to move!!

She stared off into the shadows, and something was there! It was the shape of Inu-Yasha!!!

She reached out her hand towards him and tried to call to him, but her voice wouldn't work!!

"Inu…..Inu……." She couldn't speak after a while!!!

The world was spinning!! It was so hard to see!!!! She just wanted to be picked up and told where she was and why! She wanted Inu-Yasha to be with her.

She was afraid, but couldn't run. She was tired, but couldn't sleep. She wanted to cry, but couldn't shed tears.

She suddenly saw two figures up ahead of her. Her eyes widened and she tried to call to them for help.

"Please………he…..he….help……me…….." She stuttered before her voice was completely gone again!!

It was no use!! No one could hear her, but just as the two figures were walking away, one noticed her, and began to walk up to her.

She smiled with joy. *Thank god!!! They saw me!!!* She thought happily, but the face that looked down at her was not what she had expected…….

~Out of Kagome's dream~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hut door opened quickly, revealing Inu-Yasha and soon after, the local nurse!!

Miroku and Kaede stood immediately with two bright smiles, relieved that Inu-Yasha had made it back safely with the nurse, as promised.

When the nurse saw Kagome's sweaty body, her own face went pale.

"MY GOD!!!!!!" She exclaimed as she fell to her knees beside Kagome and the futon she was in.

She placed her hand over Kagome's forehead and her breath caught in her throat.

She looked up to Kaede. "Lady Priestess? What has happened to this girl?"

Kaede, along with Miroku and Inu-Yasha, explained what had happened to Kagome and how she had gotten sick.

The nurse was still pale, but recovered as she looked at Kagome's still suffering body. She knew she needed to help, badly.

"Right then. Allow me to look over her body and make medicines here. I really don't think it would be wise to take her out into this weather and take care of her back at my hut. There is only one request I ask of you, lady Kaede." She stated.

Kaede nodded.

"I can't have any one of you being in here with this girl for long. I'm afraid that this illness may be infectious, and so I wish for you all to be in this room only for a short amount of time each. Lady Kaede, what I mean is, I need you to move out for a little, just until this girl recovers." The nurse explained

Kaede agreed, with a smile. "I'm glad to let you use my hut until Kagome's better. I need to get out a bit more anyway." She explained.

The priestess turned to the group and nodded to them. "You understand, do you not? Only one visitor at one time, and non of you can stay for more then 10 minutes, then you must leave. It sounds like this could get bad, so please, just do as the nurse says, and keep a good distance, okay?"

Miroku nodded, and Sango and Shippo, who had woken up a few moments before, and listened in on everything that was happened, nodded too, but Inu-Yasha refused to promise this. He simply stood there with a stiff look, not replying to anyone or anything.

*How can they keep me from Kagome for long? I…..I don't know what to do really……….* He thought to himself.

~Okay!! Go on and read the rest now! It'll get even better soon!! I promise!!~

~chibikagome1@yahoo.com~