CHAPTER EIGHT
*
Kagome felt as if she had been pushing on Inuyasha's chest for hours; her wrists were starting to hurt. But he was still breathing. She was keeping him breathing, and nothing was going to stop her from continuing until he could do it alone. I'm so glad I took first aid, she thought, even if this isn't really CPR.
His ragged breathing, and her gasps of exertion, were the only sounds she could hear in the clearing. At times, she paused and glanced around for any signs of the snake, or grasped his hand to see if it would twitch in response. Then she continued forcing him to breathe.
It was still too dark to tell, but Kagome thought that his face didn't look as pale as before. Then slowly his eyes opened, looking straight at hers. But he didn't say anything. As Kagome kept working, he kept watching her, with an almost sad expression in his dark eyes.
Why is he looking at me that way? Kagome wondered.
"Is it almost morning?" Inuyasha whispered after awhile.
"No," Kagome said unhappily, glancing around. The sky was pitch-black all over, except for a few puny stars.
Her thoughts were interrupted. "Kagome... I think I can... do it alone now..."
Kagome lifted her hands from his chest, ready to start pounding again if he couldn't. But to her relief, he kept breathing steadily, if rather faintly. "I guess the poison got worked out of your lungs," she said, smiling. Carefully, she slid off of his body and gripped his hand. It was still cold and limp, like clutching a dead fish. But it was HIS hand.
"Yeah," Inuyasha grunted. "I still can't... move my body."
"That'll probably come later. Inuyasha, I... I'm sorry."
"Wha' for?"
"I shouldn't have run off like that. I should have stayed with you, to make sure you were all right."
"Don't be an idiot," Inuyasha rasped, glaring at her. "That snake would've eaten you... if you hadn't run." He took a shallow breath. "Now... you need to keep going... like before. So run."
Kagome blinked. "What?"
"Take the Tetsusaiga... and run back to the village. It should protect you... if you run into trouble along the way."
"I told you I wouldn't."
"I can breathe now."
"But you can't move. If I leave you here, sooner or later that demon's coming back, and this time no one would be here to protect you. I'm not leaving you here to die." Tears of frustration clouded Kagome's eyes. No sooner had she saved his life than he wanted her to go and let him be murdered.
"You're gonna die too... if we stay here," Inuyasha said faintly. "And I won't... I don't want that to happen... because of something I did... a long time ago. This is... my problem... not yours. I don't want you... mixed up in it. And you should just... run... because I can't come with you."
"Yes, you can!" Kagome said determinedly. "I can carry you."
Inuyasha made a strangled noise that sounded like a snort. "Yeah right. I'd have trouble... carrying you... with this body. How are you supposed to carry me?" he demanded.
"I don't know exactly how, but I WILL do it," Kagome said.
She slid the Tetsusaiga into its sheath, then knelt beside him and managed to get her arms under his back. But his dead weight almost made her lose her footing. Gritting her teeth, Kagome tried to lift him higher -- and slipped. Inuyasha crashed down to the ground with a groan, unable to even catch himself.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Kagome repeated. She tried again, lifting him from behind, with her arms under his, linked around his chest. But she tripped on a rock, and ended up sprawled on the ground, with Inuyasha's limp form draped over her. He was making a pained growling noise in his throat.
One more try, Kagome thought. Through a lot of squirming, she managed to drape Inuyasha over her back, with his arms over her shoulders and his head resting against her neck. His feet were going to drag on the ground, but she couldn't help it.
"You... idiot," Inuyasha murmured in her ear.
Kagome ignored him. Her legs and back felt like they were about to break, but somehow she got moving, half-dragging Inuyasha with her.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome felt as if she had been pushing on Inuyasha's chest for hours; her wrists were starting to hurt. But he was still breathing. She was keeping him breathing, and nothing was going to stop her from continuing until he could do it alone. I'm so glad I took first aid, she thought, even if this isn't really CPR.
His ragged breathing, and her gasps of exertion, were the only sounds she could hear in the clearing. At times, she paused and glanced around for any signs of the snake, or grasped his hand to see if it would twitch in response. Then she continued forcing him to breathe.
It was still too dark to tell, but Kagome thought that his face didn't look as pale as before. Then slowly his eyes opened, looking straight at hers. But he didn't say anything. As Kagome kept working, he kept watching her, with an almost sad expression in his dark eyes.
Why is he looking at me that way? Kagome wondered.
"Is it almost morning?" Inuyasha whispered after awhile.
"No," Kagome said unhappily, glancing around. The sky was pitch-black all over, except for a few puny stars.
Her thoughts were interrupted. "Kagome... I think I can... do it alone now..."
Kagome lifted her hands from his chest, ready to start pounding again if he couldn't. But to her relief, he kept breathing steadily, if rather faintly. "I guess the poison got worked out of your lungs," she said, smiling. Carefully, she slid off of his body and gripped his hand. It was still cold and limp, like clutching a dead fish. But it was HIS hand.
"Yeah," Inuyasha grunted. "I still can't... move my body."
"That'll probably come later. Inuyasha, I... I'm sorry."
"Wha' for?"
"I shouldn't have run off like that. I should have stayed with you, to make sure you were all right."
"Don't be an idiot," Inuyasha rasped, glaring at her. "That snake would've eaten you... if you hadn't run." He took a shallow breath. "Now... you need to keep going... like before. So run."
Kagome blinked. "What?"
"Take the Tetsusaiga... and run back to the village. It should protect you... if you run into trouble along the way."
"I told you I wouldn't."
"I can breathe now."
"But you can't move. If I leave you here, sooner or later that demon's coming back, and this time no one would be here to protect you. I'm not leaving you here to die." Tears of frustration clouded Kagome's eyes. No sooner had she saved his life than he wanted her to go and let him be murdered.
"You're gonna die too... if we stay here," Inuyasha said faintly. "And I won't... I don't want that to happen... because of something I did... a long time ago. This is... my problem... not yours. I don't want you... mixed up in it. And you should just... run... because I can't come with you."
"Yes, you can!" Kagome said determinedly. "I can carry you."
Inuyasha made a strangled noise that sounded like a snort. "Yeah right. I'd have trouble... carrying you... with this body. How are you supposed to carry me?" he demanded.
"I don't know exactly how, but I WILL do it," Kagome said.
She slid the Tetsusaiga into its sheath, then knelt beside him and managed to get her arms under his back. But his dead weight almost made her lose her footing. Gritting her teeth, Kagome tried to lift him higher -- and slipped. Inuyasha crashed down to the ground with a groan, unable to even catch himself.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Kagome repeated. She tried again, lifting him from behind, with her arms under his, linked around his chest. But she tripped on a rock, and ended up sprawled on the ground, with Inuyasha's limp form draped over her. He was making a pained growling noise in his throat.
One more try, Kagome thought. Through a lot of squirming, she managed to drape Inuyasha over her back, with his arms over her shoulders and his head resting against her neck. His feet were going to drag on the ground, but she couldn't help it.
"You... idiot," Inuyasha murmured in her ear.
Kagome ignored him. Her legs and back felt like they were about to break, but somehow she got moving, half-dragging Inuyasha with her.
TO BE CONTINUED
