CHAPTER NINE
*
He saw her through a haze, a hundred different visions that melted and swirled into one another. Crumpled at his feet, with blood on her uniform and claw marks in her back, like Kikyo. Pierced by an arrow. Blasted by Hiten's lightning attack, with Shippo lying dead beside her. Vanished into a dark void of smoke and shadow, calling his name until silence stole her voice.
And worst of all, he saw her face contorted in disgust, felt her hands pushing against his chest. As he tried to run after her, she vanished into the mist.
A shriek rose out of him like a dragon uncoiling. "Kagome! KAGOME!"
Hands grasped him, and he felt Miroku's hand cover scrape against his skin. "Inuyasha, calm down! Kagome just-"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted again, struggling against the monk. Rage filled him; Miroku had always wanted Kagome, like he wanted every other woman. Snarling, Inuyasha tried to push Miroku off of him.
*
Kagome heard the strangled screams continue as she pedalled faster. The bike wasn't meant for off-road travel, but Kagome didn't care if she shredded the tires. It bounced and skidded down the path, almost going into a ditch.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she whispered.
Another cry rose from Kaede's hut. It was Inuyasha, screaming her name. "Kagome!" She'd only heard him call like that a few times. Once had been when he had thought she was dead, after the battle with the Thunder Brothers, and had been pleading with her not to leave him.
Kagome didn't slow down as she approached the hut. As the bike hurtled toward the door, she swerved to the side and jumped off. The bike crashed into the wall as she rushed inside.
Inuyasha was awake, but wild-eyed, snarling and thrashing around on the floor. Miroku was sprawled on top of him, holding his fists against the floor. He dodged a wild swipe by Inuyasha, shouting, "Dammit, Inuyasha, she's fine -- she's --"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome appeared in the doorway, and almost threw herself at Inuyasha.
Miroku quickly released Inuyasha's hands and backed away.
Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's arms and shoulders as he started to rise. "Inuyasha, stay down, stay down," she whispered. "It's okay, I'm okay. Just calm down..."
Inuyasha stared at her with wide, half-seeing eyes. His clawed hand slowly rose and touched her face, as if to reassure himself that she was real. "Kagome... I thought... you were gone..."
Kagome tried to smile. "No way. I've still got too many jewel shards to collect."
Inuyasha didn't seem to hear her. He just watched her face with that strange look in his eyes. Suddenly his arms were hugging her close to his chest. Kagome tried to pat his shoulder despite the awkwardness of the position. "Inuyasha..." she said into his ear. "Inuyasha, let me go. That hurts... Inuyasha, you're crushing me..."
"I'll get him off," Miroku said grimly.
"No, don't touch him," Kagome said, trying not to wheeze. She worked her fingers under Inuyasha's, mumbling, "Inuyasha, gently... just let me go... I won't leave, I promise..."
Inuyasha suddenly began coughing again. He curled up on the bed, pressing his hand against his mouth. When the fit stopped, Kagome saw blood smeared on his fingers. He had drifted out of consciousness again.
"He's getting worse," Miroku said, flexing his cursed hand. "Damn, I think he strained my wrist... he didn't seem to recognize Kaede or myself. Or else he didn't care." He stared intently at Kagome. "He only recognized you."
"What was wrong with him?"
"I think he was delirious -- still IS delirious. He had some kind of dream about you -- losing you, I think -- and woke up screaming your name. But he didn't seem able to tell that it had been only a dream. He thought it was all real." He sighed. "Kaede's potion isn't helping him. He's getting worse, much faster."
Kagome looked at the perspiring half-demon, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I have to stay here," she said softly. "Otherwise he might wake up and freak out again. Miroku, will you do me a favor?"
"So long as it doesn't require me to use both hands..."
"I was taking a bundle of food and supplies to Sango and Shippo. They're tied to my bike outside. Will you take them out for me?"
Miroku nodded. "I'll go with Kaede."
"And Miroku?"
"Yes?"
"Will you pray?"
Miroku smiled slightly. "I will. You should too."He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before leaving.
Inuyasha groaned again, twisting as if he were trying to fight himself. "You can beat this," Kagome whispered. "Fight it, Inuyasha..."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
He saw her through a haze, a hundred different visions that melted and swirled into one another. Crumpled at his feet, with blood on her uniform and claw marks in her back, like Kikyo. Pierced by an arrow. Blasted by Hiten's lightning attack, with Shippo lying dead beside her. Vanished into a dark void of smoke and shadow, calling his name until silence stole her voice.
And worst of all, he saw her face contorted in disgust, felt her hands pushing against his chest. As he tried to run after her, she vanished into the mist.
A shriek rose out of him like a dragon uncoiling. "Kagome! KAGOME!"
Hands grasped him, and he felt Miroku's hand cover scrape against his skin. "Inuyasha, calm down! Kagome just-"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted again, struggling against the monk. Rage filled him; Miroku had always wanted Kagome, like he wanted every other woman. Snarling, Inuyasha tried to push Miroku off of him.
*
Kagome heard the strangled screams continue as she pedalled faster. The bike wasn't meant for off-road travel, but Kagome didn't care if she shredded the tires. It bounced and skidded down the path, almost going into a ditch.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she whispered.
Another cry rose from Kaede's hut. It was Inuyasha, screaming her name. "Kagome!" She'd only heard him call like that a few times. Once had been when he had thought she was dead, after the battle with the Thunder Brothers, and had been pleading with her not to leave him.
Kagome didn't slow down as she approached the hut. As the bike hurtled toward the door, she swerved to the side and jumped off. The bike crashed into the wall as she rushed inside.
Inuyasha was awake, but wild-eyed, snarling and thrashing around on the floor. Miroku was sprawled on top of him, holding his fists against the floor. He dodged a wild swipe by Inuyasha, shouting, "Dammit, Inuyasha, she's fine -- she's --"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome appeared in the doorway, and almost threw herself at Inuyasha.
Miroku quickly released Inuyasha's hands and backed away.
Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's arms and shoulders as he started to rise. "Inuyasha, stay down, stay down," she whispered. "It's okay, I'm okay. Just calm down..."
Inuyasha stared at her with wide, half-seeing eyes. His clawed hand slowly rose and touched her face, as if to reassure himself that she was real. "Kagome... I thought... you were gone..."
Kagome tried to smile. "No way. I've still got too many jewel shards to collect."
Inuyasha didn't seem to hear her. He just watched her face with that strange look in his eyes. Suddenly his arms were hugging her close to his chest. Kagome tried to pat his shoulder despite the awkwardness of the position. "Inuyasha..." she said into his ear. "Inuyasha, let me go. That hurts... Inuyasha, you're crushing me..."
"I'll get him off," Miroku said grimly.
"No, don't touch him," Kagome said, trying not to wheeze. She worked her fingers under Inuyasha's, mumbling, "Inuyasha, gently... just let me go... I won't leave, I promise..."
Inuyasha suddenly began coughing again. He curled up on the bed, pressing his hand against his mouth. When the fit stopped, Kagome saw blood smeared on his fingers. He had drifted out of consciousness again.
"He's getting worse," Miroku said, flexing his cursed hand. "Damn, I think he strained my wrist... he didn't seem to recognize Kaede or myself. Or else he didn't care." He stared intently at Kagome. "He only recognized you."
"What was wrong with him?"
"I think he was delirious -- still IS delirious. He had some kind of dream about you -- losing you, I think -- and woke up screaming your name. But he didn't seem able to tell that it had been only a dream. He thought it was all real." He sighed. "Kaede's potion isn't helping him. He's getting worse, much faster."
Kagome looked at the perspiring half-demon, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I have to stay here," she said softly. "Otherwise he might wake up and freak out again. Miroku, will you do me a favor?"
"So long as it doesn't require me to use both hands..."
"I was taking a bundle of food and supplies to Sango and Shippo. They're tied to my bike outside. Will you take them out for me?"
Miroku nodded. "I'll go with Kaede."
"And Miroku?"
"Yes?"
"Will you pray?"
Miroku smiled slightly. "I will. You should too."He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before leaving.
Inuyasha groaned again, twisting as if he were trying to fight himself. "You can beat this," Kagome whispered. "Fight it, Inuyasha..."
TO BE CONTINUED