When Inu next awoke he heard the pitter-patter of the rain falling against the roof. The room was dimly lit by the fire and it seemed that Inu had been asleep for hours, though he did not know the actual time.
Seth was sitting in front of the fire, his hair drying from a recent venture outside. There were a pile of fresh herbs beside him and the scent wafted to Inu. Inu recognized them, but couldn't seem to remember what they were for. To get a better look at them, Inu tried to sit up by ignoring the pain in his chest and pushing himself up with his good arm. However, the movement attracted Seth's attention and Seth spun around and stood up in one swift motion. Within seconds he was towering over the pup.
"Don't move. Your ribs haven not mended yet and your arm is not set. Too much movement and you will die," Seth stated, glaring down at Inu. Inu shrank back, realizing how vulnerable he really was. Inu swallowed and glared back at Seth, then out of pure spite, he began to sit up again.
Seth's expression darkened and he placed one hand on Inu's collar bone, pinning him ot the bed. Inu struggled against the hand on his chest even though it caused his chest to hurt and his vision to blur. Still, he struggled futilely against the other man. Inu felt his strength slip away and finally, he gave up.
Seth felt the small body beneith him go lax without warning. He looked down into Inu's half closed eyes, bead's of sweat were slipping down the pup's face. Seth pulled back his hand, wondering how the pup had managed to struggle so much when obviously in os much pain. Suddenly, Inu stomach growled loudly.
"I'm hungry," Inu whimpered before he could stop himself. Seth nodded.
"Go back to sleep. I'll bring you something to eat a little later," Seth said, surprising Inu. He hadn't really expected to be fed, being a prisoner and all. Too tired to care, Inu let sleep claim him and his broken body.
Inu slipped in and out of sleep for the next few hours, but was too weary to notice anything happening around him. Not that anything did happen, just Seth grinding up the herbs and bringing in some fish to put in a soup.
Seth gently prodded Inu awake when he finished his herbs. Inu moaned and tried to raise his arms, yelping as he moved his broken one. Seth waited until the pain in Inu's expression faded before getting his attention.
"Open your mouth," Seth instructed. Emotions of surprise and wariness played across Inu's face as his jaws tightened reflexively. Seth remained emotionless and put said nothing.
Inu didn't trust Seth, but he realized that he was at the man's mercy.
What is he planning? Inu wondered. Drugs? Poison? What's this guy after?
Forcing his jaws to relax, Inu slowly opened his mouth. Seth picked up a small bowl of ground herb paste and knelt by Inu, who's body was rigid with fear, putting his finger into the paste.
"Don't move and don't swallow," Seth instructed. Inu's eyes narrowed in anger.
He's playing a game with me! Inu thought with rage, but remained motionless. Seth took his finger, covered in the green paste, and slipped it into Inu's mouth. He smeared it over Inu's tongue and gums, all the places where the blood had burned. Inu grasped the bedframe as he struggled to keep from moving through the pain in his mouth. Suddenly, not thinking straight through all the pain, Inu thought of a way to get Seth back for all the pain he was causing.
A strange emotion flashed through Inu's eyes and Seth was barely able to recognize it. He reacted before he could think, grabbing the pups chin and pressing down on the pressure points in his jaw, just as Inu was about to snap his mouth shut, bitting of Seth's fingers. While Seth's attention was on keeping Inu from bitting off his finger, the finger he had in Inu's mouth slipped and pressed down on Inu's tongue. Pain surged through Inu's mouth, he yipped and grabbed Seth's arm, but was unable to do anything more. The two locked eyes and stood there, neither willing to give an inch. Slowly, a battle for dominence raged between the two without any movement. Slowly, what little strength Inu still had failed and he let his hand slip from Seth's arm. Seth had won.
Inu lie on the bed unmoving, certain that he would be killed now. However, Seth simply continued to treat Inu's mouth as if nothing had happened. Without the strength to move, Inu simply lay there and allowed Seth to do whatever he wanted. Again, Inu realized that he was at the other's mercy, and it scared him. After what seemed to be hours of silence, Seth finished and rose to his feet.
"Lie still and don't swallow that paste," he instructed, then left Inu's side. Too tired to even turn his head, Inu lay there trying hard not to swallow. Which wasn't easy, since his mouth was beginning to tingle and he couldn't tell if the paste was running down his throat or not. The paste was bitter, but not horrible in taste. It was strange, Inu knew he tasted it before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember where. Inu began to nod of again, but Seth gently shook him awake. If the boy nodded off he would reflexively swallow the paste in his mouth and die.
After about half an hour, Seth went to Inu's bed and gently turned Inu on his side. Though it caused him considerable pain, Inu didn't make a sound. Seth held the bowl next to Inu's face, but Inu wasn't sure of what to do.
"Spit it out," was all Seth said. Inu looked up at Seth, who was gently holding him so that he didn't fall off the bed, then spit the green paste into he bowl and washed his mouth out with the water Seth gave him. Seth then leaned the boy against the wall so that he was sitting and walked over to the fire. Inu cleared his throat and found that his mouth no longer hurt nearly as much as it had.
"What was that?" Inu asked, unable to keep the question from bursting out.
"Aloe, mainly," Seth answered. Inu instantly recognized the plant as a powerful burn healer, his mother had used it on her skin when he was younger to keep her fair complection from burning.
Deep in thought, Inu didn't notice Seth's movement's until he was hovering beside Inu. Inu opened his mouth to ask another question, only to have the edge of a bowl put in it. In surprise, Inu raised his good arm and grasped the edge of the bowl, as Seth slowly poured the warm broth into Inu's mouth. Inu swallowed quickly and finished the bowl, with Seth's help. Once finished, Seth pushed Inu back to a lying position. Drained yet sated, Inu instantly fell asleep.
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Seth was sitting in front of the fire, his hair drying from a recent venture outside. There were a pile of fresh herbs beside him and the scent wafted to Inu. Inu recognized them, but couldn't seem to remember what they were for. To get a better look at them, Inu tried to sit up by ignoring the pain in his chest and pushing himself up with his good arm. However, the movement attracted Seth's attention and Seth spun around and stood up in one swift motion. Within seconds he was towering over the pup.
"Don't move. Your ribs haven not mended yet and your arm is not set. Too much movement and you will die," Seth stated, glaring down at Inu. Inu shrank back, realizing how vulnerable he really was. Inu swallowed and glared back at Seth, then out of pure spite, he began to sit up again.
Seth's expression darkened and he placed one hand on Inu's collar bone, pinning him ot the bed. Inu struggled against the hand on his chest even though it caused his chest to hurt and his vision to blur. Still, he struggled futilely against the other man. Inu felt his strength slip away and finally, he gave up.
Seth felt the small body beneith him go lax without warning. He looked down into Inu's half closed eyes, bead's of sweat were slipping down the pup's face. Seth pulled back his hand, wondering how the pup had managed to struggle so much when obviously in os much pain. Suddenly, Inu stomach growled loudly.
"I'm hungry," Inu whimpered before he could stop himself. Seth nodded.
"Go back to sleep. I'll bring you something to eat a little later," Seth said, surprising Inu. He hadn't really expected to be fed, being a prisoner and all. Too tired to care, Inu let sleep claim him and his broken body.
Inu slipped in and out of sleep for the next few hours, but was too weary to notice anything happening around him. Not that anything did happen, just Seth grinding up the herbs and bringing in some fish to put in a soup.
Seth gently prodded Inu awake when he finished his herbs. Inu moaned and tried to raise his arms, yelping as he moved his broken one. Seth waited until the pain in Inu's expression faded before getting his attention.
"Open your mouth," Seth instructed. Emotions of surprise and wariness played across Inu's face as his jaws tightened reflexively. Seth remained emotionless and put said nothing.
Inu didn't trust Seth, but he realized that he was at the man's mercy.
What is he planning? Inu wondered. Drugs? Poison? What's this guy after?
Forcing his jaws to relax, Inu slowly opened his mouth. Seth picked up a small bowl of ground herb paste and knelt by Inu, who's body was rigid with fear, putting his finger into the paste.
"Don't move and don't swallow," Seth instructed. Inu's eyes narrowed in anger.
He's playing a game with me! Inu thought with rage, but remained motionless. Seth took his finger, covered in the green paste, and slipped it into Inu's mouth. He smeared it over Inu's tongue and gums, all the places where the blood had burned. Inu grasped the bedframe as he struggled to keep from moving through the pain in his mouth. Suddenly, not thinking straight through all the pain, Inu thought of a way to get Seth back for all the pain he was causing.
A strange emotion flashed through Inu's eyes and Seth was barely able to recognize it. He reacted before he could think, grabbing the pups chin and pressing down on the pressure points in his jaw, just as Inu was about to snap his mouth shut, bitting of Seth's fingers. While Seth's attention was on keeping Inu from bitting off his finger, the finger he had in Inu's mouth slipped and pressed down on Inu's tongue. Pain surged through Inu's mouth, he yipped and grabbed Seth's arm, but was unable to do anything more. The two locked eyes and stood there, neither willing to give an inch. Slowly, a battle for dominence raged between the two without any movement. Slowly, what little strength Inu still had failed and he let his hand slip from Seth's arm. Seth had won.
Inu lie on the bed unmoving, certain that he would be killed now. However, Seth simply continued to treat Inu's mouth as if nothing had happened. Without the strength to move, Inu simply lay there and allowed Seth to do whatever he wanted. Again, Inu realized that he was at the other's mercy, and it scared him. After what seemed to be hours of silence, Seth finished and rose to his feet.
"Lie still and don't swallow that paste," he instructed, then left Inu's side. Too tired to even turn his head, Inu lay there trying hard not to swallow. Which wasn't easy, since his mouth was beginning to tingle and he couldn't tell if the paste was running down his throat or not. The paste was bitter, but not horrible in taste. It was strange, Inu knew he tasted it before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember where. Inu began to nod of again, but Seth gently shook him awake. If the boy nodded off he would reflexively swallow the paste in his mouth and die.
After about half an hour, Seth went to Inu's bed and gently turned Inu on his side. Though it caused him considerable pain, Inu didn't make a sound. Seth held the bowl next to Inu's face, but Inu wasn't sure of what to do.
"Spit it out," was all Seth said. Inu looked up at Seth, who was gently holding him so that he didn't fall off the bed, then spit the green paste into he bowl and washed his mouth out with the water Seth gave him. Seth then leaned the boy against the wall so that he was sitting and walked over to the fire. Inu cleared his throat and found that his mouth no longer hurt nearly as much as it had.
"What was that?" Inu asked, unable to keep the question from bursting out.
"Aloe, mainly," Seth answered. Inu instantly recognized the plant as a powerful burn healer, his mother had used it on her skin when he was younger to keep her fair complection from burning.
Deep in thought, Inu didn't notice Seth's movement's until he was hovering beside Inu. Inu opened his mouth to ask another question, only to have the edge of a bowl put in it. In surprise, Inu raised his good arm and grasped the edge of the bowl, as Seth slowly poured the warm broth into Inu's mouth. Inu swallowed quickly and finished the bowl, with Seth's help. Once finished, Seth pushed Inu back to a lying position. Drained yet sated, Inu instantly fell asleep.
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