CHAPTER SIX
*
"I'm cold," Inuyasha mumbled.
"With the fever ye have, it's not a surprise," Kaede said grimly, feeling his flushed face. "Why did ye not mention it before now? This is not the time for ye to be putting on a show of strength."
To her surprise, Inuyasha didn't reply at all. He kept his face in his folded arms, shivering slightly. Normally, he would have said something disparaging to the old woman.
Miroku came inside with his robe pulled over his head. Under one arm was a bundle of blankets. "I got these from the villagers," he said, shaking one out.
"I thank ye, Miroku," Kaede said, drawing it over Inuyasha's shoulders. "This fever is a dire sign indeed. Where is Kagome?"
"She's bringing the herbs you asked for," Miroku said. "And some water."
"Ah, good," Kaede said, murmuring to herself. She pulled a rather ragged cloak around herself and slowly made her way out into the night.
Miroku folded his arms, watching Inuyasha. The young half-demon was lying on his side, shivering slightly. The sight of him like this made Miroku feel even more unhappy; Inuyasha might be a rude, often abrasive sort, but he was a good fellow underneath it.
Kagome came in suddenly with a large water jar. "Inuyasha, how are you feeling?" she said, kneeling beside him.
The young demon opened one golden eye.
"Okay, that was a stupid question," Kagome said, wringing out a rag and dabbing at Inuyasha's reddened face. He closed his eyes again. "Feel any better?"
"A little bit," Inuyasha murmured. He shuddered again, almost knocking the rag from Kagome's fingers.
Kagome smiled a little. "Kaede's going to try some herbal recipes she knows. Maybe they'll help."
"I doubt it. The last brew she made me drink came right back." Inuyasha's face was dripping now, but he didn't seem to mind. Kagome touched the back of her hand to his skin. He didn't seem quite so hot now.
"Kagome," Miroku said suddenly from the shadows. Both of them had somehow forgotten he was there. "Rest for a little while. I'll watch over Inuyasha until Kaede returns."
"I don't feel like sleeping," Kagome said.
"Stuff it, monk," Inuyasha mumbled.
Miroku smiled a little. "Well, I'll be meditating in the next room if you need me. Just call."
"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha mumbled as Miroku pulled the screen shut after himself.
"He's trying to help," Kagome said, running the rag over Inuyasha's chest. He was sweating now, even with the cold water on his skin.
A strange, haunted look came over Inuyasha's face, but he wouldn't tell Kagome why. He lay on his side, breathing hard as if he'd been running. His clawed hands were balled into fists.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, touching his arm.
Inuyasha mumbled something incoherent and rubbed his face against the pillow. Kagome quickly pulled the blankets over him, and watched his face in the smoldering embers' light. She had never seen him look... fragile? No, not exactly fragile. But he normally gave off such arrogant I-can-do-it attitude that it was hard to see him so sick.
Inuyasha slept fitfully through the night, with Kagome sitting by his side. Kaede dozed in the corner, waking every now and then to grind herbs for her medicines. Finally she said, "Child, ye must sleep as well. Ye will do no good if ye become ill from lack of rest. I know tis hard to leave one that ye care for in such peril, but he would wish it thus."
"I guess you're right," Kagome said."It's just..."
"Are ye crying?"
"I'm not!" Kagome insisted, rubbing her eyes. "I just... I'm worried about him, that's all."
"Aye, as am I, child," Kaede said soberly. She recognized the worry in Kagome's eyes; she had seen it before, in the eyes of many young women. "I will bring ye blankets as well, and ye may sleep here at his side, to stay close as he rests. I shall wake ye when the morning comes."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"I'm cold," Inuyasha mumbled.
"With the fever ye have, it's not a surprise," Kaede said grimly, feeling his flushed face. "Why did ye not mention it before now? This is not the time for ye to be putting on a show of strength."
To her surprise, Inuyasha didn't reply at all. He kept his face in his folded arms, shivering slightly. Normally, he would have said something disparaging to the old woman.
Miroku came inside with his robe pulled over his head. Under one arm was a bundle of blankets. "I got these from the villagers," he said, shaking one out.
"I thank ye, Miroku," Kaede said, drawing it over Inuyasha's shoulders. "This fever is a dire sign indeed. Where is Kagome?"
"She's bringing the herbs you asked for," Miroku said. "And some water."
"Ah, good," Kaede said, murmuring to herself. She pulled a rather ragged cloak around herself and slowly made her way out into the night.
Miroku folded his arms, watching Inuyasha. The young half-demon was lying on his side, shivering slightly. The sight of him like this made Miroku feel even more unhappy; Inuyasha might be a rude, often abrasive sort, but he was a good fellow underneath it.
Kagome came in suddenly with a large water jar. "Inuyasha, how are you feeling?" she said, kneeling beside him.
The young demon opened one golden eye.
"Okay, that was a stupid question," Kagome said, wringing out a rag and dabbing at Inuyasha's reddened face. He closed his eyes again. "Feel any better?"
"A little bit," Inuyasha murmured. He shuddered again, almost knocking the rag from Kagome's fingers.
Kagome smiled a little. "Kaede's going to try some herbal recipes she knows. Maybe they'll help."
"I doubt it. The last brew she made me drink came right back." Inuyasha's face was dripping now, but he didn't seem to mind. Kagome touched the back of her hand to his skin. He didn't seem quite so hot now.
"Kagome," Miroku said suddenly from the shadows. Both of them had somehow forgotten he was there. "Rest for a little while. I'll watch over Inuyasha until Kaede returns."
"I don't feel like sleeping," Kagome said.
"Stuff it, monk," Inuyasha mumbled.
Miroku smiled a little. "Well, I'll be meditating in the next room if you need me. Just call."
"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha mumbled as Miroku pulled the screen shut after himself.
"He's trying to help," Kagome said, running the rag over Inuyasha's chest. He was sweating now, even with the cold water on his skin.
A strange, haunted look came over Inuyasha's face, but he wouldn't tell Kagome why. He lay on his side, breathing hard as if he'd been running. His clawed hands were balled into fists.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, touching his arm.
Inuyasha mumbled something incoherent and rubbed his face against the pillow. Kagome quickly pulled the blankets over him, and watched his face in the smoldering embers' light. She had never seen him look... fragile? No, not exactly fragile. But he normally gave off such arrogant I-can-do-it attitude that it was hard to see him so sick.
Inuyasha slept fitfully through the night, with Kagome sitting by his side. Kaede dozed in the corner, waking every now and then to grind herbs for her medicines. Finally she said, "Child, ye must sleep as well. Ye will do no good if ye become ill from lack of rest. I know tis hard to leave one that ye care for in such peril, but he would wish it thus."
"I guess you're right," Kagome said."It's just..."
"Are ye crying?"
"I'm not!" Kagome insisted, rubbing her eyes. "I just... I'm worried about him, that's all."
"Aye, as am I, child," Kaede said soberly. She recognized the worry in Kagome's eyes; she had seen it before, in the eyes of many young women. "I will bring ye blankets as well, and ye may sleep here at his side, to stay close as he rests. I shall wake ye when the morning comes."
TO BE CONTINUED