CHAPTER FIFTEEN
*
Kagome peeled off the bandage for what seemed like the hundredth time. This time, she wasn't wincing. The raw claw marks had started closing the day the Bloodfang had been purged, and now, a few days later, they were just thin red lines on Inuyasha's shoulder.
The half-demon sat up and flexed his arm. "Not bad. A little stiff, though."
The past few days had been hard on him. And on Kagome. She knew Inuyasha hated any weakness in himself,and so being bedridden and unable to stand without help was a horrible strain. When she brought up the idea of a bath in the river, he stared at her as if she had just sprouted antennae.
"I don't see why I need one," Inuyasha said stubbornly.
"First of all, you were all sweaty when you were sick. Second, we can't take any risks about you possibly passing the Bloodfang on to Shippo, Kirara or Myoga," Kagome had said, kneeling down beside him. "There probably isn't any risk, but we should stay safe anyway. Look, I'll come with you to help, if you want."
Inuyasha had turned bright red. "No."
"You don't want me around when you're bathing, do you?"
"Right."
"All right, then." Kagome stood up and dusted herself off. "Miroku!"
Miroku didn't seem thrilled about this idea, but he helped Inuyasha walk unsteadily to the riverbank anyway. They came back half an hour later, with Inuyasha dripping and sulky, and Miroku saying, "Stop sulking, Inuyasha. I don't think those village girls saw much of us."
"I don't mind them seeing YOU," Inuyasha had snapped, leaning heavily on the monk. "I know you crave the attention. It's them watching ME I have a problem with."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Did ye have troubles with the village girls?"
"That, and Miroku was calling, 'Would you like a swim'? Feh!" Inuyasha collapsed onto his pallet.
"I thought you could use the relaxation after all you've been through," Miroku said, shrugging. "Besides, I think I've been remarkably restrained over the past week."
"Yeah, sure you were, because you knew if you touched Kagome, I'd make sure you could NEVER pass on that curse of yours," Inuyasha said ominously.
"Stop ye bickering," Kaede said sternly, sitting beside the bristling half-demon. "Inuyasha, tis time for your medicine. And ye cannot avoid it this time."
*
"Inuyasha?" a high voice called from outside. "Kagome? Inuyasha?"
Miroku smiled. "I see Shippo is here."
Kagome put down the fire-rat kimono she had been wringing dry. Inuyasha was curled up, half-asleep, under a blanket while Kaede and Kagome had been washing his clothes. Now he sat up, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
Miroku pulled the door screen open, and a little ball of fur bounced in. It landed directly on Inuyasha's chest and hugged his neck. "Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed. "I was so worried!"
"What's to be worried about?" Inuyasha peeled Shippo off his throat and let the little fox sit on his knee. "I told ya that old monk's curse didn't stand a chance."
Shippo blinked and looked at his hands. "Is it safe to touch him?" he asked belatedly.
Kagome wiped her soapy hands on her skirt. "Yes, Shippo, everything is fine."
Shippo bounced forward again, trying to hug Inuyasha's bare chest. His arms didn't reach far enough. "I was worried about you! Myoga kept saying you were gonna die."
The flea leaped out of Shippo's tail. "I was just trying to keep you grounded during a time of crisis!"
"Hah!" Inuyasha snorted. "You think that I was worried? No way."
Yes way, Kagome thought, rolling her eyes. Inuyasha's usual know-no-fear facade was firmly in place again, now that he was recovering his strength.
As she began scrubbing his kimono over the washboard again, Kagome found herself remembering the quiet, more vulnerable side he had shown to her that one night. That was the worst thing about him turning human. When he said something sweet, she always was left wondering whether it was truly him saying this, or just some part that he kept buried for the rest of the month.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome peeled off the bandage for what seemed like the hundredth time. This time, she wasn't wincing. The raw claw marks had started closing the day the Bloodfang had been purged, and now, a few days later, they were just thin red lines on Inuyasha's shoulder.
The half-demon sat up and flexed his arm. "Not bad. A little stiff, though."
The past few days had been hard on him. And on Kagome. She knew Inuyasha hated any weakness in himself,and so being bedridden and unable to stand without help was a horrible strain. When she brought up the idea of a bath in the river, he stared at her as if she had just sprouted antennae.
"I don't see why I need one," Inuyasha said stubbornly.
"First of all, you were all sweaty when you were sick. Second, we can't take any risks about you possibly passing the Bloodfang on to Shippo, Kirara or Myoga," Kagome had said, kneeling down beside him. "There probably isn't any risk, but we should stay safe anyway. Look, I'll come with you to help, if you want."
Inuyasha had turned bright red. "No."
"You don't want me around when you're bathing, do you?"
"Right."
"All right, then." Kagome stood up and dusted herself off. "Miroku!"
Miroku didn't seem thrilled about this idea, but he helped Inuyasha walk unsteadily to the riverbank anyway. They came back half an hour later, with Inuyasha dripping and sulky, and Miroku saying, "Stop sulking, Inuyasha. I don't think those village girls saw much of us."
"I don't mind them seeing YOU," Inuyasha had snapped, leaning heavily on the monk. "I know you crave the attention. It's them watching ME I have a problem with."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Did ye have troubles with the village girls?"
"That, and Miroku was calling, 'Would you like a swim'? Feh!" Inuyasha collapsed onto his pallet.
"I thought you could use the relaxation after all you've been through," Miroku said, shrugging. "Besides, I think I've been remarkably restrained over the past week."
"Yeah, sure you were, because you knew if you touched Kagome, I'd make sure you could NEVER pass on that curse of yours," Inuyasha said ominously.
"Stop ye bickering," Kaede said sternly, sitting beside the bristling half-demon. "Inuyasha, tis time for your medicine. And ye cannot avoid it this time."
*
"Inuyasha?" a high voice called from outside. "Kagome? Inuyasha?"
Miroku smiled. "I see Shippo is here."
Kagome put down the fire-rat kimono she had been wringing dry. Inuyasha was curled up, half-asleep, under a blanket while Kaede and Kagome had been washing his clothes. Now he sat up, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
Miroku pulled the door screen open, and a little ball of fur bounced in. It landed directly on Inuyasha's chest and hugged his neck. "Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed. "I was so worried!"
"What's to be worried about?" Inuyasha peeled Shippo off his throat and let the little fox sit on his knee. "I told ya that old monk's curse didn't stand a chance."
Shippo blinked and looked at his hands. "Is it safe to touch him?" he asked belatedly.
Kagome wiped her soapy hands on her skirt. "Yes, Shippo, everything is fine."
Shippo bounced forward again, trying to hug Inuyasha's bare chest. His arms didn't reach far enough. "I was worried about you! Myoga kept saying you were gonna die."
The flea leaped out of Shippo's tail. "I was just trying to keep you grounded during a time of crisis!"
"Hah!" Inuyasha snorted. "You think that I was worried? No way."
Yes way, Kagome thought, rolling her eyes. Inuyasha's usual know-no-fear facade was firmly in place again, now that he was recovering his strength.
As she began scrubbing his kimono over the washboard again, Kagome found herself remembering the quiet, more vulnerable side he had shown to her that one night. That was the worst thing about him turning human. When he said something sweet, she always was left wondering whether it was truly him saying this, or just some part that he kept buried for the rest of the month.
TO BE CONTINUED