Chapter Two

            Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha. Unfortunately, I do not own Ms. Takahashi or Inuyasha, so I'm praying they won't read this and sue me…::glances around::. So far, so good!

            "Sango-chan! Miroku-sama!" Kagome gasped as she dropped to her knees next to Sango. Inuyasha stared disdainfully at them and snorted at Kagome's blatant display of emotion; he did his best to appear disinterested and annoyed, because hey: he didn't care what happened to Miroku and Sango, even if they were so sick they might die at any moment, right?

            Too bad for Head-Inuyasha these were his friends, and as much as he'd like to deny it, he liked and cared for them and felt obliged to help them (even though the odds of him telling anybody else this were about as good as Jaken telling Sesshoumaru to go screw himself).

            "Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly as he kneeled down next to Miroku's unconscious form and looked into Kagome's eyes. "What's wrong with them? They were fine last night, and now…this?"

            "I don't know: obviously it's some kind of illness; it could be a type of venom, but I doubt it…"

            "Well, where's your medical book?"

            Kagome gave Inuyasha a sidelong glance and said in a casual, almost bored, tone, "I'd still have it if SOMEONE didn't slash it to bits trying to kill Shippou."

            Inuyasha uttered a soft, "Keh", at Kagome's remark, turned his head, and reflexively lapsed into his trademark pouting/sulking mode, closing his eyes and turning away from Kagome.

            Kagome ignored the immature hanyou as she began surveying Miroku and Sango's current conditions, both being worse than she had initially expected. She had read in her history class that an epidemic of a virulent strain of the flu had erupted in several places around Japan sometime around this period, and although she hoped fervently that this was not the case (they don't have vaccinations, remember?), with each second she became more and more sure that this is what she and Inuyasha were dealing with.

            With one last check of their foreheads, Kagome sighed and slumped back as she realized the full extent of their plight. She had some cold medicine in her gigantic yellow bag (that was now just barely able to squeeze through the well), but there was nothing she had or knew how to do that could alleviate her friend's illnesses. Which left one option: Kaede-baasan. And that meant asking Inuyasha to carry Miroku and Sango all the way back to Kaede's village, which, although he had the strength of a hanyou, Inuyasha was sure to complain about.

            Said hanyou decided that he'd been ignored long enough and spat, "Well? What the hell's the matter with them?"

            For once, Kagome ignored the scathing tone in his voice and replied placidly, "They're sick; sick as in they can't walk, they can barely move, and they'll be out of action for at least a month and a half if it's the illness I'm thinking of."

            "WHAT!?" Inuyasha roared, bolting upright. "At LEAST!? We can't stay away from shard-hunting that long: Naraku's almost got the whole damn thing already, if we wait that long we practically GIVE him the rest of the jewel!"

            "So you're proposing we leave them by themselves?" Kagome asked calmly, although there was a dangerous flash of light in her eyes.

            Inuyasha's angry countenance suddenly took on a confused one as he realized what Kagome said was right. Miroku and Sango can't defend themselves if they're so sick they can't stand, right?

            "We need to get them to Kaede-baasan's village; if we get them back there, Kaede can take care of them and help them recuperate."

            "You mean I've gotta carry the bouzo and the taijiya all the way back to the village?" Inuyasha grumbled.

            Kagome just laughed and said, "What, is the mighty Inuyasha too weak to carry two pitiful humans back?"

            Inuyasha growled as Kagome burst into laughter, then, "Keh'd" and picked up the unconscious forms of Miroku and Sango and slung them over his shoulder.

            He smirked as he said, "Get on your bike; the mighty Inuyasha doesn't want to be slowed down by a pitiful human."

            Kagome smiled, and merely replied, "Arigatou, Inuyasha."

            He turned his head, closed his eyes, and said, "Just get the runt, we can't leave without him.

            Well, after several grudge matches with writer's block, I've finally managed to get the second part of my story done. Yay for me! Please R this is the first fanfiction I've ever written, and I'd really like a review ^_^. PS: If you feel like it, offer suggestions: they are invaluable in times of mental constipation.