CHAPTER TWELVE
*
The hut was lit only by a small, rather smelly lamp, and the fire in the hearth. Kagome stoked the embers with a stick, feeling more confused than she had in days. Fear and fatigue were warring with hope, and all it was giving her was a severely upset stomach.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was barely more than a whisper. She turned, saw him looking directly at her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I wanna talk to you."
Kagome walked on her knees to his side. He looked even more feverish than before, and there were livid scratches on his chest. "Where did those come from?" she asked, touching one scratch.
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Don't know. I did it... when I was asleep... don't remember exactly what I did."
"Does your chest still hurt?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha's only response was to turn his flushed face away from her. "Inuyasha, if you want to talk to me, do it while I'm changing your bandage." She worked her fingers under the linen strips and pulled them loose. Inuyasha stiffened as she touched the wound. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But Kaede isn't back, and this is my first time."
"It's no... big deal," Inuyasha grunted. "Just keep going."
Kagome winced as she peeled off the bandage. Blood was still seeping from Inuyasha's shoulder, and the skin around the claw marks was swollen. "Oh boy... that isn't good," she said.
"So, tomorrow's the new moon," Inuyasha mumbled.
Kagome froze. "What... how did you know?"
"I was listening."
"Listening?"
Inuyasha half-smiled and pointed at his dog ears, which had almost drooped out of sight. "Nothing wrong with these... even if nothing else works..."
Kagome scooped Kaede's ointment onto her fingers, and began gingerly rubbing it into the infected claw marks. She could feel sweat breaking out on his skin, even though he wasn't so much as wincing. "Inuyasha... you just have to hold on for one more day. If you can make it to tomorrow night, you'll become a full human and the Bloodfang will vanish."
"Maybe."
"Well... yeah, maybe. But some chance is better than none, and the only thing we can think of that might cure you is the Tenseiga," Kagome said hesitantly, wrapping the bandage around his shoulder. This time he didn't stiffen, as if he couldn't feel the pain any longer. "Inuyasha, just hang on and fight. Hang on for a little longer. One more day."
Inuyasha began coughing again. More blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and a red stain began to spread under the bandages.
*
The next day was the longest of Kagome's life.
The night was bad enough, lying beside Inuyasha's and listening to his harsh gasps and groans. Every now and then she reached up to him, to reassure herself. His skin was burning hot, and his chest was dripping sweat. She barely got any sleep -- unlike Miroku, who was mumbling sleepily the whole time. From what she overheard, he was dreaming about asking somebody to bear his child.
Kagome glanced at the alarm clock she'd put near Inuyasha's pallet. A few more hours to go. Every minute seemed to drag out longer than it should have. He was lying half in her lap, with her arms tightly wrapped around him, and his silver head resting on her shoulder. Kagome could feel him twisting and clawing at his chest. The worst thing was, this was the calmest he'd been all day -- and Kagome suspected that it was because he was starting to weaken.
"Kagome," Kaede said, kneeling beside them. "Be he any better?"
Kagome shook her head. "I think -- I think he's getting worse."
"The sun will be setting soon, child. If ye can keep him alive but a little longer, this curse may yet be lifted."
Inuyasha grimaced and jerked his head from side to side. His eyes were still tightly shut.
"He's been dreaming all day," Kagome said. "He won't hold still."
Kaede patted Kagome's shoulder. "I must leave to tell Sango and Shippo of this. Will ye be all right with only Miroku here?"
"I'm fine," Kagome said.
After Kaede had been gone awhile, Miroku stood up. "I'm going to check on the sun," he said.
Kagome watched him go, then looked at Inuyasha. "You can do it," she said to the groaning half-demon. "Just hang on... hang on a little longer... it'll be okay... just stay with me a little longer..."
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at her hand. "Kagome..."
"Yes?"
Miroku shouted something from outside. As Kagome looked up, she felt Inuyasha go limp in her arms.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The hut was lit only by a small, rather smelly lamp, and the fire in the hearth. Kagome stoked the embers with a stick, feeling more confused than she had in days. Fear and fatigue were warring with hope, and all it was giving her was a severely upset stomach.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was barely more than a whisper. She turned, saw him looking directly at her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I wanna talk to you."
Kagome walked on her knees to his side. He looked even more feverish than before, and there were livid scratches on his chest. "Where did those come from?" she asked, touching one scratch.
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Don't know. I did it... when I was asleep... don't remember exactly what I did."
"Does your chest still hurt?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha's only response was to turn his flushed face away from her. "Inuyasha, if you want to talk to me, do it while I'm changing your bandage." She worked her fingers under the linen strips and pulled them loose. Inuyasha stiffened as she touched the wound. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But Kaede isn't back, and this is my first time."
"It's no... big deal," Inuyasha grunted. "Just keep going."
Kagome winced as she peeled off the bandage. Blood was still seeping from Inuyasha's shoulder, and the skin around the claw marks was swollen. "Oh boy... that isn't good," she said.
"So, tomorrow's the new moon," Inuyasha mumbled.
Kagome froze. "What... how did you know?"
"I was listening."
"Listening?"
Inuyasha half-smiled and pointed at his dog ears, which had almost drooped out of sight. "Nothing wrong with these... even if nothing else works..."
Kagome scooped Kaede's ointment onto her fingers, and began gingerly rubbing it into the infected claw marks. She could feel sweat breaking out on his skin, even though he wasn't so much as wincing. "Inuyasha... you just have to hold on for one more day. If you can make it to tomorrow night, you'll become a full human and the Bloodfang will vanish."
"Maybe."
"Well... yeah, maybe. But some chance is better than none, and the only thing we can think of that might cure you is the Tenseiga," Kagome said hesitantly, wrapping the bandage around his shoulder. This time he didn't stiffen, as if he couldn't feel the pain any longer. "Inuyasha, just hang on and fight. Hang on for a little longer. One more day."
Inuyasha began coughing again. More blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and a red stain began to spread under the bandages.
*
The next day was the longest of Kagome's life.
The night was bad enough, lying beside Inuyasha's and listening to his harsh gasps and groans. Every now and then she reached up to him, to reassure herself. His skin was burning hot, and his chest was dripping sweat. She barely got any sleep -- unlike Miroku, who was mumbling sleepily the whole time. From what she overheard, he was dreaming about asking somebody to bear his child.
Kagome glanced at the alarm clock she'd put near Inuyasha's pallet. A few more hours to go. Every minute seemed to drag out longer than it should have. He was lying half in her lap, with her arms tightly wrapped around him, and his silver head resting on her shoulder. Kagome could feel him twisting and clawing at his chest. The worst thing was, this was the calmest he'd been all day -- and Kagome suspected that it was because he was starting to weaken.
"Kagome," Kaede said, kneeling beside them. "Be he any better?"
Kagome shook her head. "I think -- I think he's getting worse."
"The sun will be setting soon, child. If ye can keep him alive but a little longer, this curse may yet be lifted."
Inuyasha grimaced and jerked his head from side to side. His eyes were still tightly shut.
"He's been dreaming all day," Kagome said. "He won't hold still."
Kaede patted Kagome's shoulder. "I must leave to tell Sango and Shippo of this. Will ye be all right with only Miroku here?"
"I'm fine," Kagome said.
After Kaede had been gone awhile, Miroku stood up. "I'm going to check on the sun," he said.
Kagome watched him go, then looked at Inuyasha. "You can do it," she said to the groaning half-demon. "Just hang on... hang on a little longer... it'll be okay... just stay with me a little longer..."
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at her hand. "Kagome..."
"Yes?"
Miroku shouted something from outside. As Kagome looked up, she felt Inuyasha go limp in her arms.
TO BE CONTINUED