"To live is like to love---All instincts are for it, all reason against
it."
~Author Unknown
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 28: Antidote
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
I kneel beside Kagome's unmoving body. Her face is ashen and her breathing shallow. The guests are silent, the music has stopped, everyone watches to see what the outcome with be. Kagome does not awake even after a few minutes, I am now sure that she did not faint.
I motion to Miroku who has already pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"Go fetch the Royal Doctor." I say in a low voice.
Miroku nods and rushes out of the ballroom. I sit down next to Kagome on the floor, taking her cool hand in mine.
A few minutes later Miroku reenters with the doctor on his heels. The doctor joins me on the floor and I explain the symptoms that I have noticed. The doctor thinks for a second and then answers without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, Lady Kagome has been poisoned. From the symptoms you have described I would say it was silent-leaf: a plant common to this climate region. It is slow acting, for her to have reach this point now it must have been administered last night some time during dinner-no later then midnight. The dancing sped up the spreading of the poison, it probably was meant to start later at night so it would be too late to cure when she was found. For silent-leaf not to be detected it has to be given in a strong liquid-like wine or ale."
I look around the gathering. I am sure she did not drink ant wine during the evening when I was with her.
"Your Majesty." A voice calls.
I look up and my gaze look on one of the barons.
"Speak."
"Your Majesty, late last night I passed Kikyo going into Lady Kagome's room carrying a goblet of wine. I do not know if..." He trails off suggestively.
"Where is Prince Kouga and Kikyo?" I ask a footman.
"They elected to remain in their chambers, Your Majesty." He replies.
"Put guards outside of Kikyo's chambers and do not let her leave. I will speak with her later." I order.
"Your Majesty, I must do make the antidote before it is too late." The doctor says and leaves the ballroom.
With one fluid motion I gather Kagome into my arms and walk to the doors, Sango and Miroku follow me. The rest of the courtiers remain in the ballroom. No doubt to speculate on Kagome's fate.
I carry Kagome to her chambers and lay her on her bed. I can tell that she is dreaming from the emotions that flick across he face and her tensing muscles. Sango and Miroku join me by the side of the bed, staring into Kagome's face. For the first time in the last few days they have stopped bickering.
I drag a chair form the sitting room beside the bed. Sango has pulled up the covers to cover Kagome's body. She tenderly tucks the quilt under Kagome's chin as though she is a small child.
I sit in the chair. I am restless, the guilt eats at me. If only I hadn't forced her to dance, if only I could have stopped her from being poisoned.
Finally the doctor appears with a large flask filled with a green liquid. He get us to hold Kagome up so she is sitting and forces her mouth open. He uses a short hollow reed to gather some of the antidote, then he transfers it to Kagome's mouth and lifts his finger. This motion seems to make no difference in the amount of liquid in the flask.
The process is long and boring but eventually there is nothing left. We lower Kagome back onto the bed.
"Make sure she gets lots of liquids, broth is the perfect thing. Have someone by her always to watch for any signs that the antidote is not working. I hope that she received it in time, now all we can do is wait and hope that her body can fight the poison. I will take a few days until she is awakes. Your Majesty." The doctor explains and bows. He leaves the reed and exits the room.
We all stare silently at Kagome. She does not look any better, if anything she looks as if she is dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i know it kinda short...sorry! i have to go pack though. anyway this is the last chapter i'll be writing until i get back (in 2 weeks). i try and write a bunch when i'm gone and update as soon as i get home. we'll see though... ^_^
thanks to: Soudesuka-Shurikens, Thesmartazngirl, gueshoo, Jazzy, Kaoru Kagome Botan Mitsuko, nacobe, ShadowSpinner, bonessasan and Taina for your reviews!
See you in a while!
~Author Unknown
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 28: Antidote
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
I kneel beside Kagome's unmoving body. Her face is ashen and her breathing shallow. The guests are silent, the music has stopped, everyone watches to see what the outcome with be. Kagome does not awake even after a few minutes, I am now sure that she did not faint.
I motion to Miroku who has already pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"Go fetch the Royal Doctor." I say in a low voice.
Miroku nods and rushes out of the ballroom. I sit down next to Kagome on the floor, taking her cool hand in mine.
A few minutes later Miroku reenters with the doctor on his heels. The doctor joins me on the floor and I explain the symptoms that I have noticed. The doctor thinks for a second and then answers without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, Lady Kagome has been poisoned. From the symptoms you have described I would say it was silent-leaf: a plant common to this climate region. It is slow acting, for her to have reach this point now it must have been administered last night some time during dinner-no later then midnight. The dancing sped up the spreading of the poison, it probably was meant to start later at night so it would be too late to cure when she was found. For silent-leaf not to be detected it has to be given in a strong liquid-like wine or ale."
I look around the gathering. I am sure she did not drink ant wine during the evening when I was with her.
"Your Majesty." A voice calls.
I look up and my gaze look on one of the barons.
"Speak."
"Your Majesty, late last night I passed Kikyo going into Lady Kagome's room carrying a goblet of wine. I do not know if..." He trails off suggestively.
"Where is Prince Kouga and Kikyo?" I ask a footman.
"They elected to remain in their chambers, Your Majesty." He replies.
"Put guards outside of Kikyo's chambers and do not let her leave. I will speak with her later." I order.
"Your Majesty, I must do make the antidote before it is too late." The doctor says and leaves the ballroom.
With one fluid motion I gather Kagome into my arms and walk to the doors, Sango and Miroku follow me. The rest of the courtiers remain in the ballroom. No doubt to speculate on Kagome's fate.
I carry Kagome to her chambers and lay her on her bed. I can tell that she is dreaming from the emotions that flick across he face and her tensing muscles. Sango and Miroku join me by the side of the bed, staring into Kagome's face. For the first time in the last few days they have stopped bickering.
I drag a chair form the sitting room beside the bed. Sango has pulled up the covers to cover Kagome's body. She tenderly tucks the quilt under Kagome's chin as though she is a small child.
I sit in the chair. I am restless, the guilt eats at me. If only I hadn't forced her to dance, if only I could have stopped her from being poisoned.
Finally the doctor appears with a large flask filled with a green liquid. He get us to hold Kagome up so she is sitting and forces her mouth open. He uses a short hollow reed to gather some of the antidote, then he transfers it to Kagome's mouth and lifts his finger. This motion seems to make no difference in the amount of liquid in the flask.
The process is long and boring but eventually there is nothing left. We lower Kagome back onto the bed.
"Make sure she gets lots of liquids, broth is the perfect thing. Have someone by her always to watch for any signs that the antidote is not working. I hope that she received it in time, now all we can do is wait and hope that her body can fight the poison. I will take a few days until she is awakes. Your Majesty." The doctor explains and bows. He leaves the reed and exits the room.
We all stare silently at Kagome. She does not look any better, if anything she looks as if she is dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i know it kinda short...sorry! i have to go pack though. anyway this is the last chapter i'll be writing until i get back (in 2 weeks). i try and write a bunch when i'm gone and update as soon as i get home. we'll see though... ^_^
thanks to: Soudesuka-Shurikens, Thesmartazngirl, gueshoo, Jazzy, Kaoru Kagome Botan Mitsuko, nacobe, ShadowSpinner, bonessasan and Taina for your reviews!
See you in a while!