CHAPTER SEVEN
*
The first thing Inuyasha saw when he woke was Kagome's face. She was sleeping beside him on a folded blanket. It took the half-demon nearly a full minute to dredge up memories of where he was, and why she was sleeping next to him. Kaede's hut... the Bloodfang... she had been sitting next to him the night before...
As he tried to sit up, his eyes blurred and darkened for a moment. His arms and legs felt heavy, like they were weighted down. It took nearly all of his strength to force himself upright, and even then, he was teetering as if he were drunk. And he was still shivering.
"You should probably lie back down," Miroku's smooth voice said. "Your fever has gone down a little, but not enough."
"Shut up." Inuyasha tried to stand up, but his legs started shaking uncontrollably, buckled at the knees.
"And you're not strong enough to rise either," Miroku said firmly. "Lie back and try to save your strength. I understand how frustrated you must feel-"
"No you don't," Inuyasha rasped, digging his fingers into the pallet.
Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha, I think it's my duty to speak with you on a certain topic, considering your present condition."
Inuyasha dropped back down in a tangle of blankets, breathing hard. "What's that?"
"Your spiritual well-being."
The half-demon frowned. "My what?"
"Inuyasha, in this case, as you face possible death with time enough to reflect, I think it would be wise to consider carefully your past transgressions and -"
For a moment, Inuyasha stared wordlessly at the monk. Then his eyes flared and he lurched halfway out of bed. "YOU -- are lecturing -- ME -- on MY sins?" he bellowed.
Kagome sat up suddenly, rubbing her eyes. Miroku quickly stood up and backed away, as Inuyasha lurched halfway off the pallet on his knees. "Just WHO do you think you are, saying that to me? You can't keep your fingers off a woman-"
"Inuyasha, please calm down-" Miroku said, alarmed.
"GET OUT! GET OUT-" Inuyasha's shouts were broken off by a fit of coughing, and Kagome trying to push him back down.
Miroku left the hut as quickly as he could, hoping that nothing bad came of Inuyasha's outburst. He paused for a moment, calming himself and trying to ignore the thumps and faint crashes from inside the house. He could hear Inuyasha's strained breaths, and Kagome urging him to calm down or else.
He seated himself on a bench under the willow tree, where Kaede was sitting. The old woman was mending a torn kimono. "Mind not Inuyasha's outbursts, young monk," Kaede said. "Once he was far worse."
"I know," Miroku said. "I hadn't known him for a day when he threatened to tear off my cursed hand and stuff it down my throat." A cloud of smoke was rising in the distance, staining the sky near the mountains. He pursed his lips. Sango had said she was going to burn the bear carcass, and apparently she had done so already.
"And what were ye doing when he threatened that?" Kaede asked pointedly.
"I think he's frightened," Miroku said, not answering. "He's fought his way through all his life, and now he has something he can't fight, that will more likely kill him than not."
*
Kagome smoothed a strand of Inuyasha's hair away from his face. He'd finally fallen asleep, although he still twitched and shivered as if something were crawling over his skin. He had calmed down, after Miroku left, but he had started coughing. Coughing up blood.
Kagome swallowed hard as she looked at her handkerchief. She'd wiped away the blood from his lips and fingers with it. There hadn't been much, but the sight of it made things even worse. I thought he was improving, she thought.
Kaede had been grim when Kagome showed her the handkerchief. "It means that his battle is far from over. I fear he may be growing worse."
She had smiled suddenly. "Forgive me, Kagome. I was thinking of the irony. Ye know that for many years, Inuyasha was despised and feared by those in this village. I believed him the one who had slain my sister Kikyo. Now I work through the nights to save his life."
Still asleep, Inuyasha groaned and slashed at the air. Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled it back down. Kaede watched as the young half-demon's chest and shoulders strained, then suddenly relaxed. Kagome was stroking his face, and this seemed to soothe him even while he was sleeping.
Miroku slipped in, looking haggard. "How is he?" he asked quietly.
"Sleeping, but not peacefully," Kaede said. She showed him the handkerchief. "Ye have the herbs I asked for?"
"Yes." Miroku took a bag out of his sleeve.
"What are those?" Kagome asked.
Kaede inspected one of the thin leaves. "Tis a potion to bring down his fever, and to speed his healing."
"It can't cure him, can it?"
"I fear not." Kaede began boiling water, and dropped the leaves into it. "But mayhap, it will give him a better chance."
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at Kagome's elbow.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The first thing Inuyasha saw when he woke was Kagome's face. She was sleeping beside him on a folded blanket. It took the half-demon nearly a full minute to dredge up memories of where he was, and why she was sleeping next to him. Kaede's hut... the Bloodfang... she had been sitting next to him the night before...
As he tried to sit up, his eyes blurred and darkened for a moment. His arms and legs felt heavy, like they were weighted down. It took nearly all of his strength to force himself upright, and even then, he was teetering as if he were drunk. And he was still shivering.
"You should probably lie back down," Miroku's smooth voice said. "Your fever has gone down a little, but not enough."
"Shut up." Inuyasha tried to stand up, but his legs started shaking uncontrollably, buckled at the knees.
"And you're not strong enough to rise either," Miroku said firmly. "Lie back and try to save your strength. I understand how frustrated you must feel-"
"No you don't," Inuyasha rasped, digging his fingers into the pallet.
Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha, I think it's my duty to speak with you on a certain topic, considering your present condition."
Inuyasha dropped back down in a tangle of blankets, breathing hard. "What's that?"
"Your spiritual well-being."
The half-demon frowned. "My what?"
"Inuyasha, in this case, as you face possible death with time enough to reflect, I think it would be wise to consider carefully your past transgressions and -"
For a moment, Inuyasha stared wordlessly at the monk. Then his eyes flared and he lurched halfway out of bed. "YOU -- are lecturing -- ME -- on MY sins?" he bellowed.
Kagome sat up suddenly, rubbing her eyes. Miroku quickly stood up and backed away, as Inuyasha lurched halfway off the pallet on his knees. "Just WHO do you think you are, saying that to me? You can't keep your fingers off a woman-"
"Inuyasha, please calm down-" Miroku said, alarmed.
"GET OUT! GET OUT-" Inuyasha's shouts were broken off by a fit of coughing, and Kagome trying to push him back down.
Miroku left the hut as quickly as he could, hoping that nothing bad came of Inuyasha's outburst. He paused for a moment, calming himself and trying to ignore the thumps and faint crashes from inside the house. He could hear Inuyasha's strained breaths, and Kagome urging him to calm down or else.
He seated himself on a bench under the willow tree, where Kaede was sitting. The old woman was mending a torn kimono. "Mind not Inuyasha's outbursts, young monk," Kaede said. "Once he was far worse."
"I know," Miroku said. "I hadn't known him for a day when he threatened to tear off my cursed hand and stuff it down my throat." A cloud of smoke was rising in the distance, staining the sky near the mountains. He pursed his lips. Sango had said she was going to burn the bear carcass, and apparently she had done so already.
"And what were ye doing when he threatened that?" Kaede asked pointedly.
"I think he's frightened," Miroku said, not answering. "He's fought his way through all his life, and now he has something he can't fight, that will more likely kill him than not."
*
Kagome smoothed a strand of Inuyasha's hair away from his face. He'd finally fallen asleep, although he still twitched and shivered as if something were crawling over his skin. He had calmed down, after Miroku left, but he had started coughing. Coughing up blood.
Kagome swallowed hard as she looked at her handkerchief. She'd wiped away the blood from his lips and fingers with it. There hadn't been much, but the sight of it made things even worse. I thought he was improving, she thought.
Kaede had been grim when Kagome showed her the handkerchief. "It means that his battle is far from over. I fear he may be growing worse."
She had smiled suddenly. "Forgive me, Kagome. I was thinking of the irony. Ye know that for many years, Inuyasha was despised and feared by those in this village. I believed him the one who had slain my sister Kikyo. Now I work through the nights to save his life."
Still asleep, Inuyasha groaned and slashed at the air. Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled it back down. Kaede watched as the young half-demon's chest and shoulders strained, then suddenly relaxed. Kagome was stroking his face, and this seemed to soothe him even while he was sleeping.
Miroku slipped in, looking haggard. "How is he?" he asked quietly.
"Sleeping, but not peacefully," Kaede said. She showed him the handkerchief. "Ye have the herbs I asked for?"
"Yes." Miroku took a bag out of his sleeve.
"What are those?" Kagome asked.
Kaede inspected one of the thin leaves. "Tis a potion to bring down his fever, and to speed his healing."
"It can't cure him, can it?"
"I fear not." Kaede began boiling water, and dropped the leaves into it. "But mayhap, it will give him a better chance."
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at Kagome's elbow.
TO BE CONTINUED