Time Enough (Chapter 3)
by Iron Raven

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama.

Rush hour takes on a new meaning when you have to make it to a well before you turn into a human, and are carrying a rather solid old lady, and a teenager.

---

Inuyasha's lungs emptied explosively as he landed on his back, Keade's weight landing atop him. Feeling new and interesting pains in his now human body, the black haired youth sucked air back in. From under his weight, and the old bag's, Inuyasha felt a squirming mass.

"Gef omff!"

Rolling Keade's body gently off of his chest, Inuyasha scrambled off of Kagome. She'd been on the bottom of the crash landing at the bottom of Bone Eater's well. The dark haired young man had to fight the urge to smirk at the Kagome-sized hole that had been pressed into the dirt, and that urge died on it's own when he saw a tear of pain in the corner of her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I think so. My ribs hurt..." Rubbing her side, tracing where the Tessaiga had been driven into her rib cage, she cringed. Maybe not broken, but defiantly cracked. Kagome had taped the others often enough, but this gave her new respect for Sango and Miroku's abilities to handle pain.

"Can you move? I know I can't carry both you and Kaede as a human; I'm not even sure if I can carry her." Gently pulling Kagome to her feet, they both looked down at their friend. She had made it with them, and the burning feeling in Inuyasha's throat told him when they were. I shouldn't have stopped to give Shippou grief. If I had been a minute earlier, I could have gotten all three of us out of here with a single jump.

I shouldn't have wasted time with my coat. I would have been warm enough with Inuyasha for the time it took to get to the well, then we could have been out of here by now. Kagome tugged at the ladder hanging down inside the well, a squeak of pain slipping out of mouth to match the one in her ribs. "I can make it, I'm just sore."

A dubious look on his face, Inuyasha made a choice that made his mouth taste like ashes. He hated his human form. Not only could he not look after himself, but because of it, Kagome was hurt and could get hurt worse, and Kaede could be trapped down here. But he had to try. "You go first, Kagome. If you fall, I can catch you, and if we fall, we won't squash you."

At his prodding, Kagome started up the chain ladder, thankful that she didn't also have her backpack. Every rung bathed her side in fire. By the time she reached the top, she was coated in sweat. She lay in the dirt at the top of the well for several minutes, panting, her eye closed. It's broken.

"Oyi, Kagome?"

"I'm ok, just need to catch my breath."

"Hmph." Lifting Kaede over his shoulder, Inuyasha slowly started working his way up the ladder, grunting and sweating. This would have been so easy if he was not a hanyou- youkai never have to spend time as humans. "Damn, old woman, you are loosing weight when we get back."

The clink of the ladder opened Kagome's eyes. As she lay there, breathing, she blinked. Then blinked again. The anchors are coming loose! trying to ignore the pain, she grabbed a rung of the ladder, clinging to it with all her strength. "Inuyasha! Hurry up!"

Wheezing softly, Inuyasha called back. "Feh! Want me to back down and see if I can do it faster, wench? The old woman is heavier than she looks!"

When he reached the top, he rolled Kaede as gently as he could over the edge, and clung to the metal rungs, breathing hard, before pulling his body up and over. When he was safely on solid ground, Kagome released the ladder, it's weight pulling it over the edge and into the well with a series of metallic clicks and clangs. Her face was pale and covered in sweat, while her fingers were bleeding from the rough spots on the ladder, and her fight to keep it from collapsing. Her arms felt longer than they should be, even if they looked the right length, and her side had gone numb.

Brushing the hair from her face, he could feel that her skin was starting to get cold, clammy. He shook her shoulder. "Can you walk? I need you to get the doors. We need to get Kaede inside as soon as we can. She's burning up."

"Hai. Help me up." Inuyasha pulled her up, holding her gently as she wobbled dizzily for a moment. As Kagome walked, she seemed to gain confidence in her stride.

Good, she isn't injured too badly. As they crossed the frozen courtyard, with it's stone slabs set into the earth, Inuyasha found himself wishing for something on his feet for the first time in his life. The frigid field stone sucked the warmth from his feet, the memory of his recent frostbite bringing the pain to his mind. As they made their way to warmth and light of the house, the door opened, sillouetting Souta and his grandfather.

"See, Jii-chan, I told you I thought I heard something out here." Souta ran out to the fragment of the party was approaching his home. "Kagome, are you ok? Who's that?"

"Jii-chan, is the heat turned up in my room? Kaede needs someplace warm, and my room is the warmest." The old man stepped back, his surprise plain on his face. This was Kagome's home, but the old lady in the dark haired young man's arms was a stranger to him, as was the youth, even through his clothes were those of the demon boy. Souta pulled the door closed behind them, remembering to kick of the dampened house slippers to protect the tatami, while the other's quickly moved upstairs.

Kagome's mother came out of the kitchen, slightly surprised by the noise and commotion. He curiosity was replaced by concern when she saw Kagome's face, drawn, pale, and bathed in sweat despite the cold. "Kagome?"

"I took the flu back with me, Mama; Kaede is really sick, she hasn't woken up all day. She..."

"Jii-chan, call Hoono-san, tell him we need him here."

"But-"

"But he was your son's friend, he is our doctor. He will come, tell him it is urgent."

"I tell you he is a demon..."

"He hasn't poisoned you yet, Jii-chan. Call him, now."

Watching the drama for a moment, Inuyasha moved to the stairs, painful aware of how heavy Kaede was becoming. Kagome had said to take the old woman to her room. That made sense. It was warm, and the windows showed the familiar shrine and the eternally vigilant grandfather tree, but it had few of the modern gadgets of Kagome's time. It would not be as frightening to Kaede when she woke up. Not if, Inuyasha? Scowling at the voice in his head, Inuyasha snarled within his mind. No, baka, not 'if', when.

Downstairs, Kagome was being questioned by her mother when the old man hung up the phone. "He'll be here as soon as he can. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be preparing fresh ofuda."

The two women ignored the semi-senile part of the information, and breathed a sigh of relief at the important part. "Kagome, start at the beginning. You think the old lady has the flu?"

"Hai. And that's Kaede."

"And the boy is Inuyasha?" At the nod, the elder Higashuri shook her head. "Do I want to know what happened with his hair and ears?"

"Nothing, just that time of the month." Mother and daughter looked at each other, Kagome starting to blush at her mother's giggle. An infectious giggle at that, but the mirth became pain. Kagome's yelp of pain brought Inuyasha downstairs almost as fast as if he'd been his normal self.

"Kagome, are you all right?"

"Only when I laugh."

Can't be that bad if she's joking about it. But this is her first busted rib. "I put Kaede in your room."

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Can you help me up the stairs? I want to check on her."

"Hai" Gently, he put an arm around her, careful not to touch the ribs that must be broken, while also not grabbing something that would get him sat. "I want to bind those ribs. Bandages?"

"I'll get them."

"Thank you, Mama. Come on, Inuyasha." Is what it feels like when I sit him? Gomen. As they worked their way up the stairs, they had to pause on the landing to let Kagome breath.

When she reached her room, Kagome insisted on checking on her mentor. Alive, breathing, hot, but no change. Inuyasha kicked the barrel chair from under her makeup table to the bedside. "Sit."

As she sat down, she had to fight the urge to chuckle. He probably wishes it worked on me. Then I'd never get home.

"Kagome, lift up your shirt."

"What? Hentai!"

"Not like that, I'm not the bouzu." Blushing faintly, he knelt behind her, taking the box of wrap from Mrs. Higashuri, clumsily tearing it open. "You'll be more comfortable if I tape these without your shirt in the way."

"Oh, sorry." Silently, she pulled up her shirt, shivering as she thought she felt Inuyasha's human eyes roaming her lower back. With practiced hands, he wrapped her lower ribs, binding them tight.

"They'll still be sore, but at least you can breath easier." Ignoring the little metal clips that were with the bandage, he tied it off at her side. That done, he started to dress her hands. As he did so, she stiffened.

"What's the matter?"

"Youkai, inside the gate, moving towards the house."

"You're sure?" Stepping back, he unsheathed the Tessaiga, scowling at it. Damnit sword, I'm human to, you know. Can't you protect her when I'm like this? He passed the scabbard to her as he started for the stairs. "If they make it through me, I know you know how to use this. Just wack them in the head."

She nodded as she accepted the instrument of blunt trauma, as the door bell rang.

"I got it!" Souta's voice echoed through the house, as did the scrape of the front door.

"Souta, NO!" Inuyasha winced as he leapt down the stairs, his human body not designed for this kind of abuse, or for the speed he needed.

---

Author's notes:
Hmmm.... Is it just me, or should people not be allowed to open the front door until they are 14?

And for those trying to keep track of time, that was about an hour, maybe a little more, after sunset.