CHAPTER EIGHT
*
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha?"
He heard her voice as if he were underwater, rippling and distorted. His skin was on fire, but fingers like whispers of cool wind were brushing over him, touching his face and throat. Blindly he clutched at Kagome's hand, trying to keep her fingers close to his. In a smoky haze, he saw her face over his...
"Inuyasha, wake up. Kaede has something that might help you. Inuyasha, wake up!"
The half-demon's eyes fluttered, but didn't open. "Kagome?" he murmured.
Kagome looked up at Kaede. "He isn't waking up," she said fearfully. "What are we gonna do?"
Kaede's lined face looked eerie in the firelight, as she ladled a bowlful of what Inuyasha had once called "herbal slop." She knelt beside him, and beckoned Miroku over. "He is growing worse. We can wait no longer. Miroku, ye lift him from the floor and support his head. Kagome, ye must hold his hands so that I might give him this."
Miroku awkwardly lifted Inuyasha's head and shoulders, while Kagome clutched at his hands. Kaede touched the bowl to the half-demon's lips and began pouring it into his mouth. He instinctively flinched and tried to turn his head away, twisting against Miroku.
"I have him," Miroku said tensely. "He's not as strong as usual."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said desperately. "Inuyasha, you have to drink this. It might help you..."
Inuyasha choked and coughed as Kaede quickly tipped the last of the potion into his mouth. But he'd swallowed all of it.
Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," he mumbled, sliding Inuyasha back down onto the bed.
Kaede rose and walked slowly into the next room. "I'll check on ye in a few hours. Try to sleep until then, Kagome."
Miroku settled on a cushion with a groan. He considered himself quite able physically, but the stress of the past week was wearing on him. He spent a few minutes idly watching the flames dancing, then started as he heard Kagome make an odd choked sound. He sat up. "Kagome? Are you all right?"
"No," Kagome said, wiping her eyes. "I'm such an idiot."
"What do you mean?" Miroku handed her one of the damp rags she had been using on Inuyasha.
Kagome glance down at Inuyasha's stll form. With his fair skin and white hair, he looked like a marble statue at rest on a tomb. "It's my fault. If I hadn't gotten cornered by that bear, Inuyasha wouldn't be like this." She touched the bandage on his shoulder, and was rewarded by a faint twitch of his hand.
"Do you actually believe that?" Miroku said softly. "I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't."
"I didn't say it made sense," Kagome said, her voice wobbling dangerously.
Miroku tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand. "Perhaps Kaede's potion will have some effect. Get some sleep, Kagome." He patted her shoulder gently and tried to smile. Her face, even with reddened eyes, was pretty enough in the dim light that he had to remind himself of Inuyasha's all-too-obvious feelings toward her. He wondered, at times, if Inuyasha had even the slightest idea how transparent he was.
When he fell asleep, Kagome was still kneeling by Inuyasha's side. She touched one of his clawed hands.
*
Kagome yawned and stretched. Her back was starting to cramp from sleeping on the wooden floor of Kaede's house. Miroku was stretched out in the corner, with his staff and Tetsusaiga beside him. Inuyasha was sleeping quietly, except for the faint strain in his breathing. He coughed a little as she slipped out the door.
I wonder if he's doing better, Kagome thought as her bike sped down the rocky dirt path. It was hard enough getting that herbal stuff down his throat. Maybe it did him some good.
The bundle of food and supplies banged against her back as the bike hit a rock. Kagome only hoped that Shippo handled this as well as he had last time Inuyasha was seriously hurt. But then, he had been crying when he left...
"Kagome!"
Kagome skidded on the brakes. Kaede's voice floated down the hill to her. "Kaede?" she called, turning the bike and struggling uphill.
The elderly priestess was puffing down the hill, clutching her bow. "Kagome, ye must go back to Inuyasha this instant. If ye do not, I fear that he may-"
"What's happened?" Kagome cried.
As if in answer, a familiar groaning scream rang out from Kaede's house, behind the trees. Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha..."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha?"
He heard her voice as if he were underwater, rippling and distorted. His skin was on fire, but fingers like whispers of cool wind were brushing over him, touching his face and throat. Blindly he clutched at Kagome's hand, trying to keep her fingers close to his. In a smoky haze, he saw her face over his...
"Inuyasha, wake up. Kaede has something that might help you. Inuyasha, wake up!"
The half-demon's eyes fluttered, but didn't open. "Kagome?" he murmured.
Kagome looked up at Kaede. "He isn't waking up," she said fearfully. "What are we gonna do?"
Kaede's lined face looked eerie in the firelight, as she ladled a bowlful of what Inuyasha had once called "herbal slop." She knelt beside him, and beckoned Miroku over. "He is growing worse. We can wait no longer. Miroku, ye lift him from the floor and support his head. Kagome, ye must hold his hands so that I might give him this."
Miroku awkwardly lifted Inuyasha's head and shoulders, while Kagome clutched at his hands. Kaede touched the bowl to the half-demon's lips and began pouring it into his mouth. He instinctively flinched and tried to turn his head away, twisting against Miroku.
"I have him," Miroku said tensely. "He's not as strong as usual."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said desperately. "Inuyasha, you have to drink this. It might help you..."
Inuyasha choked and coughed as Kaede quickly tipped the last of the potion into his mouth. But he'd swallowed all of it.
Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," he mumbled, sliding Inuyasha back down onto the bed.
Kaede rose and walked slowly into the next room. "I'll check on ye in a few hours. Try to sleep until then, Kagome."
Miroku settled on a cushion with a groan. He considered himself quite able physically, but the stress of the past week was wearing on him. He spent a few minutes idly watching the flames dancing, then started as he heard Kagome make an odd choked sound. He sat up. "Kagome? Are you all right?"
"No," Kagome said, wiping her eyes. "I'm such an idiot."
"What do you mean?" Miroku handed her one of the damp rags she had been using on Inuyasha.
Kagome glance down at Inuyasha's stll form. With his fair skin and white hair, he looked like a marble statue at rest on a tomb. "It's my fault. If I hadn't gotten cornered by that bear, Inuyasha wouldn't be like this." She touched the bandage on his shoulder, and was rewarded by a faint twitch of his hand.
"Do you actually believe that?" Miroku said softly. "I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't."
"I didn't say it made sense," Kagome said, her voice wobbling dangerously.
Miroku tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand. "Perhaps Kaede's potion will have some effect. Get some sleep, Kagome." He patted her shoulder gently and tried to smile. Her face, even with reddened eyes, was pretty enough in the dim light that he had to remind himself of Inuyasha's all-too-obvious feelings toward her. He wondered, at times, if Inuyasha had even the slightest idea how transparent he was.
When he fell asleep, Kagome was still kneeling by Inuyasha's side. She touched one of his clawed hands.
*
Kagome yawned and stretched. Her back was starting to cramp from sleeping on the wooden floor of Kaede's house. Miroku was stretched out in the corner, with his staff and Tetsusaiga beside him. Inuyasha was sleeping quietly, except for the faint strain in his breathing. He coughed a little as she slipped out the door.
I wonder if he's doing better, Kagome thought as her bike sped down the rocky dirt path. It was hard enough getting that herbal stuff down his throat. Maybe it did him some good.
The bundle of food and supplies banged against her back as the bike hit a rock. Kagome only hoped that Shippo handled this as well as he had last time Inuyasha was seriously hurt. But then, he had been crying when he left...
"Kagome!"
Kagome skidded on the brakes. Kaede's voice floated down the hill to her. "Kaede?" she called, turning the bike and struggling uphill.
The elderly priestess was puffing down the hill, clutching her bow. "Kagome, ye must go back to Inuyasha this instant. If ye do not, I fear that he may-"
"What's happened?" Kagome cried.
As if in answer, a familiar groaning scream rang out from Kaede's house, behind the trees. Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha..."
TO BE CONTINUED