Chapter 7
It all happened so fast. She didn't even get a chance to scream. Her voice was lost in her throat. Everything seemed as if it was in slow motion. Her eyes couldn't even register what was happening in front of her. It was just a mass of confusion. Her hands went to her ears as it was being assaulted by a high pitch screeching.
She felt Inuyasha push her away, and saw him mouth 'Run', but she just stood there as Inuyasha held the non-transformed Tetsusaiga in front of him, attempting to hold off a giant demon with his human strength. The demon was nothing she's ever seen before.
"You stupid girl!! What are you doing! RUN!" Inuyasha screamed again as the girl just stood there. Damnit, why did he have to forget that tonight was a new moon! He cursed himself as he gripped the Tetsusaiga tighter and took a breath.
He knew what this demon was after, and there was no way in seven hells that he was going to let him have it. The demon growled and let out another high pitch screech, turning his head towards the young girl. Before Inuyasha could even move, the demon's tail whirled around and hit him square in the chest, sending him flying towards the God Tree, knocking him out the instant his head made contact.
"Inuyasha!!" yet her cries were no use. Kagome tried to run towards the currently human form of the hanyou but was stopped as the demon stepped in the middle of her path. It growled softly and sniffed the air, then turned it's eyes down to look at her neck. Then it dawned on her why the demon was here.
She reached behind her out of instinct and realized her bow was back at Kaede's hut. She mentally cursed herself and raised her hand to grip the Sacred Jewel. She turned to run, but suddenly stopped when the demon magically appeared in front of her, she saw its tail raise and swing around to do the same attack it did to Inuyasha.
She turned again to run, but it was too late. The breath left her body as the rock hard tail collided with her stomach, sending her through the air. She blinked, her mind not even being able to register what was happening. Again, slow motion. In the distance she heard the battle cries of her companions. Heard the high pitch screech again, and then silence. Time sped up as she hit the ground with such tremendous force that she was sure she must of broken a rib or two.
She struggled to stay awake when she heard that her name was being called out. Her eyes were so fuzzy she couldn't make out the owner of the strong arms that gently picked her up. She felt herself being hoisted up onto Kirara and then a pair of feminine arms holding her into place. She blinked, attempting to clear her vision.
"Inu...ya..sha.." she managed to say before she passed out.
~Darkness. That was all he saw. He could barely see Kagome in the distance, holding something in her arms. He couldn't make it out. She was crying. He reached out a hand and try to ask what was wrong, but he couldn't speak. He had no voice. He blinked in confusion as he made his mouth move. He tried to walk towards her, but every time he did, she would only drift further away... till she was gone....~
Inuyasha sat up quickly, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming out in strangled gasps. His eyes scanned the hut taking in his surroundings. It was very early morning. The sun just barely started to peek from its slumber over the hills. He brought a hand to his eyes, making sure he was actually awake. What the hell was that dream about? What was Kagome holding? Why was she crying?
He pulled his hand away and realized he was back in Kaede's hut. He made another glance around the room saw his companions all resting soundly on their sleeping mats. Except one. He panicked. Thoughts started jumbling through his head in mixed commotion. 'Is she dead?! It's all my fault. She was kidnapped!'
"Kagome? Kagome?!" he panicked when he didn't hear her respond, but was silenced when he heard movement from one of the mats.
"She's in the other room." A soft feminine voice said. Keeping her voice in a low whisper.
He looked the Sango who looked like she had only an hour of sleep. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes had dark circles under them. He blinked a couple of times and ran a clawed hand through his silver hair. "How is she?" He almost hated to hear what Sango's answer would be.
Sango sighed and sat up further, being careful not to disturb the kitsun that snuggled close to her. "She should be okay. Kaede thinks she may have a few severely bruised ribs, and a concussion." Inuyasha flinched at the answer and looked down to his bandaged chest. Sango rubbed her eyes and gave the hanyou a gentle look. "She'll be alright. You know she's strong."
Inuyasha shook his head, clenching his fists. "It's all my fault." He reached behind him and grabbed his off white shirt and winced slightly as he slipped it on. "If I only remembered it was the night of the new moon..." his voice died in his throat.
"Inuyasha, don't blame yourself..." the demon exterminator sighed. She rested a hand onto Shippo's head and gently curled her fingers in his red hair. "I'm sure she doesn't blame you for what happened."
"And what if she does!?" he hissed. He took a deep breath and shook his head again while slowly standing up. "I'm going to see her..." Sango nodded as she settled back under her blankets and watched him as he walked into the next room.
He stood outside the door of where Kagome was sleeping. He took a deep breath, reached out to the slider door and stopped. He dropped his hand and stared at the door. Why was it so hard to just slide the door open? 'Okay, Inuyasha...get a grip...' He took another breath and slowly slid the door aside. He silently walked in and slid the door shut behind him and stopped when he saw Kagome.
She looked so frail and venerable. He sat down next to her and gently took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Kagome." He whispered. He nuzzled her cheek softly with his nose and sat up when she whimpered. He saw her eyes flicker open and look around the room. They soon settled on Inuyasha.
"What happened? What's going on?" She started to set up, and flinched as pain coursed through her body. He stayed silent. Watching her in pain just tore at his heart. He gently pushed her back to the futon and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"Inuyasha, say something." Kagome pleaded. She blinked a few tears away from her eyes as her ribs flared with pain again when she took a shuddering breath.
Inuyasha wanted to say something, but his words were trapped in his throat. Instead he leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on her forehead. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand.
"Do you need any of that aspirin stuff from your bag?"
Kagome gave a small nod and pulled the blanket closer to her chin. "There should be a bottle of water in there too."
After Kagome had fallen asleep, Inuyasha slowly made his way back to his companions.
"How is she, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he watched Inuyasha walk backed into the main room.
"She's sleeping. I gave her some of that aspirin stuff..." he sat down in front of the fire and stared into the flames. He looked down when he felt Shippo curl up into his lap. He was about to growl in protest, but stopped. Kagome wouldn't appreciate him getting mad at the kit at a time like this. He sighed in defeat and mechanically scratched the top of the fox child's head and rested his own head against the wall. Even though Shippo did annoy Inuyasha to no end sometimes, he still held a small place in his heart for the kid. He secretly enjoyed watching Kagome interact in a motherly fashion with Shippo, and was happy with how tightly they bounded. Seeing her with the kid made him think about how things will be when he and Kagome start having little cubs of their own. A very faint smile crossed his lips.
"Inuyasha...is she going to be okay?"
Inuyasha blinked when the sound of a small voice broke his daydreaming. He looked down to the young kit who was laying on his back in his lap, his head resting on his thigh. He nodded and gave the kit another pat on the head. "Yea. She just needs to rest. Don't worry about it." He plucked Shippo from his lap, stood up, and while holding him out at arms length he walked over and placed him in Sango's arms.
Shippo automatically curled up against Sango's stomach in her lap making a sigh of contentment and falling asleep. Sango looked down and gave the kit a small smile, then looked back up to the hanyou. "Are you going to be okay?"
Inuyasha nodded once and picked up a futon from the corner. With out a word, he disappeared into Kagome's room for the rest of the night.
Miroku raised an eyebrow and looked to Sango. "Something has changed between those two." He said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin.
Sango nodded and glanced down to the young fox who slept against her stomach. "I think he finally had the courage to ask her after all these years." She looked over her shoulder to notice Miroku inching closer.
"Do it, and you'll be in worse condition than Kagome." She heard Miroku's defeated sigh and smiled gently. "Good night, Miroku." She slid herself underneath the blanket of the futon she was sitting on and fell asleep for the night.
The poor monk sat there all by his lonesome.
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The day slowly slipped away as the sun gave way to the moon and slipped behind the mountains, leaving behind orange, reds and purples to dance across the clouds. The village fell silent with the night with the exception of a few chirps from crickets and giggles of children in the huts down the dirt road. Inuyasha shoved his arms in his sleeves and tilted his head to the stars that were starting to come out from hiding. He adjusted his back against the roof of Kaede's hut above Kagome's room and sighed.
The more the sky around him turned dark, the more the dream's dark images haunted his mind. Was the dream a warning? It had been one week and Kagome still hasn't fully recovered and it started to worry him. Though there was a day or two where she said she felt perfectly fine, but after walking around for only a few minuets she would collapse to the floor complaining of dizziness. Kaede felt that it was the side effects of the concussion.
Inuyasha sighed and turned onto his side and scratched the back of his neck. There would be some nights where he would stay with Kagome, reassuring himself that she was going to be just fine, and then there were the other nights where the feelings of guilt were just so overwhelming that he couldn't stand to be in the same room. One of those nights was tonight. He sighed and thought back to the fight they had at the God Tree. His brows came together in confusion as the events ran through his head. Was she really regretting that night and lying about it just to make him happy? He sighed. Maybe he did rush her into this. He turned onto his side and pillowed his head against his arm.
The sounds of the night were starting to give way as he heard muffled voices from inside the hut, and the shuffling of futons being put into place. He heard Kaede say something to the sleeping miko and leave the room, but couldn't quite make out what was said. He heard Sango, Miroku and Shippo say their goodnights to him, though he ignored them and turned to his other side and closed his eyes.
Time ticked by and gave way to sometime past midnight. He opened his eyes and sighed. He really should be with Kagome. She was his mate now for crying out loud. Yet he just couldn't bring himself at that moment to be with her. He needed time to be by himself. It hurt to be in the same room with out the overwhelming feeling of guilt washing over his entire being.
She reminded him too much of Kikyo.
He growled at himself for how stupid he was for thinking that. Kagome is her own person, always has and always will be. She was his, and he was hers. He knew Kagome loved him for who he was. Kikyo just wanted him to be human.
He growled slightly to himself again. 'She's hurt because of me, if I hadn't been an idiot towards her... maybe...' His ears perked up as he heard a soft whimpering that interrupted his thoughts. He jumped down from the roof and crept into the hut, making sure not to wake anybody and went to Kagome's room. His face fell as he saw the girl curled up into a ball on the futon. He went over and sat down next to her, and took the damp cloth from the bucket of water that had been placed by her head. He gently washed her face and sighed. If only there was something more he could do for her.
She whimpered and opened her eyes. "Inuyasha..."
"Are you alright?"
"It hurts..." Kagome's face scrunched up in pain as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"What hurts?" Inuyasha gently pushed her hair away from her face. "Do you need more of that aspirin stuff?"
Kagome shook her head and yelped softly as she curled up into a tighter ball. Inuyasha frowned. "I'll go wake Kaede." As he stood up, a scent assaulted his sensitive nose. He spun around to face the girl at his feet. "Kagome?" She didn't move. He dropped to his knees and tossed the blankets back. There was blood on her upper legs. "Kaede!!" He screamed. The young girl looked so pale. Life seemed to be draining away from her. He screamed again for the old priestess. Frantic shuffling was then heard and 3 humans and a small fox came running into the room.
"Kagome!" Shippo screamed as the smell of blood came to his nose. "Why is she bleeding!?" Sango quickly picked up the young fox and carried him away to the other room.
Kaede ran over to Kagome and looked her over. "Well! Do something!" Inuyasha practically screamed.
She frowned and looked up to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha. You have to take her to her time. I can not save her here." She looked up to Miroku. "Could you accompany them to the well?"
Miroku was about to answer but was silenced as the hanyou stood up, the bleeding girl in his arms. "I'll go by myself." And ran out of the hut.
"You're not allowed to die on me Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed as he ran through the woods towards the well. He gripped the girl tightly to his chest and shuddered at how cold she felt. He finally reached his destination and jumped in with out a second thought.
"Mom!! Mom!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran through the hallway of the house, gripping the frail bloody girl close to his chest. His ears twitched as Mrs. Higurashi came flying down the stairs. He turned to see his "mother" standing at the bottom of the stairs, eyes widening.
She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "What happened?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know. She needs help... she's bleeding and we don't know why."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded and motioned him to follow her to the family room. She grabbed a blanket from closet and spread it out on the sofa. "Place her on the sofa and go upstairs to get dressed while I call for an ambulance."
Inuyasha clutched the girl tighter and growled softly, lowering his head to hide his eyes with his bangs. Kagome's mother's eyes softened at his urge to protect her daughter as she walked up to the boy and placed a gentle hand on his arm, and brushed his bangs away with the other. "Please, Inuyasha. She'll be fine. Now please, go change alright?"
Inuyasha did as he was told and quickly ran upstairs to Kagome's room to change into a pair of baggy black jeans and a baggy red shirt that they kept for him whenever he stayed over. He grabbed his hat from the hook on the back of Kagome's door and placed it on his head. As soon as he was about to walk down the stairs, he felt a tug on the bottom of his shirt. He looked down to see Souta standing next to him, hand gripping his shirt, the other rubbing an eye.
"Inuyasha? What's going on? Why are you here?"
Inuyasha messed with Souta's hair. "Just go back to bed alright? I'll send your mom up in a few."
Souta raised his eyebrows and tugged the shirt again. "Something's wrong with Kagome." There wasn't even any room for question.
Inuyasha stopped and sighed. He nodded and kneeled down in front of Kagome's little brother. "Kagome got hurt, so your mom and I are taking her to see your healers. We need you to stay here with your crazy grandfather alright?"
Souta nodded gently and sighed. "Take care of her for me..." he said before shutting his bedroom door behind him.
Inuyasha sighed as he went back to the living room and sat on the sofa, cradling the unconscious girl in his arms. His ears twitched every so often, listening to Kagome's mother on the phone and also listening to Kagome's heartbeat. He brought his eyebrows together in concentration as he listened closer and held the girl tighter to him. He buried his face in her hair and kissed the top of his head whispering his sorry to her.
"Inuyasha?" He slowly brought his head up and saw Kagome's mother standing in front of him, with two men dressed in white uniforms were behind her with what looked like a bed on wheels. He looked back to his 'mom' and gave her a questioning look. He let out a low growl towards the men and gripped Kagome tighter. "Inuyasha, you have to let these men take her... they're only here to help." She gave him a small smile as he gave a small nod. She walked over and gently helped him out of the sofa. "Place her on the bed."
Inuyasha hesitantly set the girl on the bed and grimaced at how pale she actually looked. The healers fussed over her, making sure she was secure to the bed, when his eyes went wide. Her heart stopped. "Kagome!" He lunged forward but was quickly stopped by Kagome's mother. The healers were muttering something back and forth and rushed out of the room with the girl to the awaiting ambulance outside. He managed to free himself from Mrs. Higurashi and ran to the door. Mrs. Higurashi was soon behind him, holding on to one of his arms to prevent him from going any further.
Inuyasha looked on in horror as growl rose in his throat when he saw one of the men open Kagome's shirt and yell "Clear!". He flinched inwardly as he heard a strange sound fill the air and then watched as her body convulsed from the bed and felt Mrs. Higurashi grip his arm tighter. "What are they doing to her!!" he glared down to Kagome's mother and his anger quickly faded when he saw the terrified look in her eyes. He uncharacteristically placed an arm around her shoulder and brought her close to his side. They watched as the ambulance doors closed and start to leave.
Mrs. Higurashi gently patted Inuyasha's back and stepped away from him, her eyes following the ambulance. "We'll follow them, go put your sandals on and retrieve the keys from the hook. I'll meet you at the car."
The drive was only fifteen minutes long, though it seemed like an eternity till they finally arrived.
Inuyasha drummed his fingers on the armrest of one of the waiting room chairs, his legs pulled up to his chest, his head resting on his left arm, which draped over his knees. Everything just seemed like a blur when they got to the hospital. They managed to arrive the same time the ambulance got in. He could only watch in horror as they brought her out from the ambulance and into the building. The amount of wires and tubes that were attached to her and a strange foreign scent that was clung to her chilled Inuyasha to the bone. He tried to follow Kagome to one of emergency rooms. He didn't want her out of his sight. What happens if she gets hurt and he's not there to rescue her? It took five men to keep Inuyasha from following and it was Kagome's mother who finally told him to settle down or else he wouldn't be able to see her.
So here he was, three hours later, sitting restlessly in a waiting room chair. He peeked his eyes from under his bangs to look at the table in front of him that held a half full ramen cup. His eyes then wandered around the walls and came across random peaceful paintings of either ocean or farm views. He made a quick glance to his 'mom' and saw she was still sleeping restlessly in one of the other chairs. He rested his forehead on his arm and started tapping his foot in annoyance. The wait was too long, and the scent that seemed to cling to Kagome when she came in scared him. The scent almost reminded him of death.
His ears twitched and flattened to his head underneath the baseball cap. 'I hope she's okay...' he thought to himself. 'I'll never forgive myself if I loose you, Kagome.' Inuyasha closed his eyes balled up his fists, fighting back the tears that threatened to surface. He couldn't cry now. He had to stay strong for Kagome. Though right now he was ready to pray to any god that would listen to help in anyway possible.
"Higurashi?"
Inuyasha looked up and saw a tall man in a long white coat standing in the doorway. He walked over and pulled a chair up to them. Inuyasha sniffed the air and detected a small presence of Kagome. He looked over and saw Mrs. Higurashi in the next chair, resting her hand on his arm. "How is she, Doctor?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
The doctor leaned forward and placed his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. "She's awake now and resting in her room...She..."
Before the doctor could even finish his sentence the hanyou was up on his feet towering over the doctor. "Where is she?!" He turned his head to sniff the air, trying to pick up her scent, yet he found it hard with other smells such as medicines, illness and death that smothered the air. He finally managed to lock onto Kagome's scent he ran off before the doctor could answer.
He didn't hear the reason why Kagome was bleeding in the first place.
It all happened so fast. She didn't even get a chance to scream. Her voice was lost in her throat. Everything seemed as if it was in slow motion. Her eyes couldn't even register what was happening in front of her. It was just a mass of confusion. Her hands went to her ears as it was being assaulted by a high pitch screeching.
She felt Inuyasha push her away, and saw him mouth 'Run', but she just stood there as Inuyasha held the non-transformed Tetsusaiga in front of him, attempting to hold off a giant demon with his human strength. The demon was nothing she's ever seen before.
"You stupid girl!! What are you doing! RUN!" Inuyasha screamed again as the girl just stood there. Damnit, why did he have to forget that tonight was a new moon! He cursed himself as he gripped the Tetsusaiga tighter and took a breath.
He knew what this demon was after, and there was no way in seven hells that he was going to let him have it. The demon growled and let out another high pitch screech, turning his head towards the young girl. Before Inuyasha could even move, the demon's tail whirled around and hit him square in the chest, sending him flying towards the God Tree, knocking him out the instant his head made contact.
"Inuyasha!!" yet her cries were no use. Kagome tried to run towards the currently human form of the hanyou but was stopped as the demon stepped in the middle of her path. It growled softly and sniffed the air, then turned it's eyes down to look at her neck. Then it dawned on her why the demon was here.
She reached behind her out of instinct and realized her bow was back at Kaede's hut. She mentally cursed herself and raised her hand to grip the Sacred Jewel. She turned to run, but suddenly stopped when the demon magically appeared in front of her, she saw its tail raise and swing around to do the same attack it did to Inuyasha.
She turned again to run, but it was too late. The breath left her body as the rock hard tail collided with her stomach, sending her through the air. She blinked, her mind not even being able to register what was happening. Again, slow motion. In the distance she heard the battle cries of her companions. Heard the high pitch screech again, and then silence. Time sped up as she hit the ground with such tremendous force that she was sure she must of broken a rib or two.
She struggled to stay awake when she heard that her name was being called out. Her eyes were so fuzzy she couldn't make out the owner of the strong arms that gently picked her up. She felt herself being hoisted up onto Kirara and then a pair of feminine arms holding her into place. She blinked, attempting to clear her vision.
"Inu...ya..sha.." she managed to say before she passed out.
~Darkness. That was all he saw. He could barely see Kagome in the distance, holding something in her arms. He couldn't make it out. She was crying. He reached out a hand and try to ask what was wrong, but he couldn't speak. He had no voice. He blinked in confusion as he made his mouth move. He tried to walk towards her, but every time he did, she would only drift further away... till she was gone....~
Inuyasha sat up quickly, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming out in strangled gasps. His eyes scanned the hut taking in his surroundings. It was very early morning. The sun just barely started to peek from its slumber over the hills. He brought a hand to his eyes, making sure he was actually awake. What the hell was that dream about? What was Kagome holding? Why was she crying?
He pulled his hand away and realized he was back in Kaede's hut. He made another glance around the room saw his companions all resting soundly on their sleeping mats. Except one. He panicked. Thoughts started jumbling through his head in mixed commotion. 'Is she dead?! It's all my fault. She was kidnapped!'
"Kagome? Kagome?!" he panicked when he didn't hear her respond, but was silenced when he heard movement from one of the mats.
"She's in the other room." A soft feminine voice said. Keeping her voice in a low whisper.
He looked the Sango who looked like she had only an hour of sleep. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes had dark circles under them. He blinked a couple of times and ran a clawed hand through his silver hair. "How is she?" He almost hated to hear what Sango's answer would be.
Sango sighed and sat up further, being careful not to disturb the kitsun that snuggled close to her. "She should be okay. Kaede thinks she may have a few severely bruised ribs, and a concussion." Inuyasha flinched at the answer and looked down to his bandaged chest. Sango rubbed her eyes and gave the hanyou a gentle look. "She'll be alright. You know she's strong."
Inuyasha shook his head, clenching his fists. "It's all my fault." He reached behind him and grabbed his off white shirt and winced slightly as he slipped it on. "If I only remembered it was the night of the new moon..." his voice died in his throat.
"Inuyasha, don't blame yourself..." the demon exterminator sighed. She rested a hand onto Shippo's head and gently curled her fingers in his red hair. "I'm sure she doesn't blame you for what happened."
"And what if she does!?" he hissed. He took a deep breath and shook his head again while slowly standing up. "I'm going to see her..." Sango nodded as she settled back under her blankets and watched him as he walked into the next room.
He stood outside the door of where Kagome was sleeping. He took a deep breath, reached out to the slider door and stopped. He dropped his hand and stared at the door. Why was it so hard to just slide the door open? 'Okay, Inuyasha...get a grip...' He took another breath and slowly slid the door aside. He silently walked in and slid the door shut behind him and stopped when he saw Kagome.
She looked so frail and venerable. He sat down next to her and gently took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Kagome." He whispered. He nuzzled her cheek softly with his nose and sat up when she whimpered. He saw her eyes flicker open and look around the room. They soon settled on Inuyasha.
"What happened? What's going on?" She started to set up, and flinched as pain coursed through her body. He stayed silent. Watching her in pain just tore at his heart. He gently pushed her back to the futon and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"Inuyasha, say something." Kagome pleaded. She blinked a few tears away from her eyes as her ribs flared with pain again when she took a shuddering breath.
Inuyasha wanted to say something, but his words were trapped in his throat. Instead he leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on her forehead. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand.
"Do you need any of that aspirin stuff from your bag?"
Kagome gave a small nod and pulled the blanket closer to her chin. "There should be a bottle of water in there too."
After Kagome had fallen asleep, Inuyasha slowly made his way back to his companions.
"How is she, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he watched Inuyasha walk backed into the main room.
"She's sleeping. I gave her some of that aspirin stuff..." he sat down in front of the fire and stared into the flames. He looked down when he felt Shippo curl up into his lap. He was about to growl in protest, but stopped. Kagome wouldn't appreciate him getting mad at the kit at a time like this. He sighed in defeat and mechanically scratched the top of the fox child's head and rested his own head against the wall. Even though Shippo did annoy Inuyasha to no end sometimes, he still held a small place in his heart for the kid. He secretly enjoyed watching Kagome interact in a motherly fashion with Shippo, and was happy with how tightly they bounded. Seeing her with the kid made him think about how things will be when he and Kagome start having little cubs of their own. A very faint smile crossed his lips.
"Inuyasha...is she going to be okay?"
Inuyasha blinked when the sound of a small voice broke his daydreaming. He looked down to the young kit who was laying on his back in his lap, his head resting on his thigh. He nodded and gave the kit another pat on the head. "Yea. She just needs to rest. Don't worry about it." He plucked Shippo from his lap, stood up, and while holding him out at arms length he walked over and placed him in Sango's arms.
Shippo automatically curled up against Sango's stomach in her lap making a sigh of contentment and falling asleep. Sango looked down and gave the kit a small smile, then looked back up to the hanyou. "Are you going to be okay?"
Inuyasha nodded once and picked up a futon from the corner. With out a word, he disappeared into Kagome's room for the rest of the night.
Miroku raised an eyebrow and looked to Sango. "Something has changed between those two." He said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin.
Sango nodded and glanced down to the young fox who slept against her stomach. "I think he finally had the courage to ask her after all these years." She looked over her shoulder to notice Miroku inching closer.
"Do it, and you'll be in worse condition than Kagome." She heard Miroku's defeated sigh and smiled gently. "Good night, Miroku." She slid herself underneath the blanket of the futon she was sitting on and fell asleep for the night.
The poor monk sat there all by his lonesome.
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The day slowly slipped away as the sun gave way to the moon and slipped behind the mountains, leaving behind orange, reds and purples to dance across the clouds. The village fell silent with the night with the exception of a few chirps from crickets and giggles of children in the huts down the dirt road. Inuyasha shoved his arms in his sleeves and tilted his head to the stars that were starting to come out from hiding. He adjusted his back against the roof of Kaede's hut above Kagome's room and sighed.
The more the sky around him turned dark, the more the dream's dark images haunted his mind. Was the dream a warning? It had been one week and Kagome still hasn't fully recovered and it started to worry him. Though there was a day or two where she said she felt perfectly fine, but after walking around for only a few minuets she would collapse to the floor complaining of dizziness. Kaede felt that it was the side effects of the concussion.
Inuyasha sighed and turned onto his side and scratched the back of his neck. There would be some nights where he would stay with Kagome, reassuring himself that she was going to be just fine, and then there were the other nights where the feelings of guilt were just so overwhelming that he couldn't stand to be in the same room. One of those nights was tonight. He sighed and thought back to the fight they had at the God Tree. His brows came together in confusion as the events ran through his head. Was she really regretting that night and lying about it just to make him happy? He sighed. Maybe he did rush her into this. He turned onto his side and pillowed his head against his arm.
The sounds of the night were starting to give way as he heard muffled voices from inside the hut, and the shuffling of futons being put into place. He heard Kaede say something to the sleeping miko and leave the room, but couldn't quite make out what was said. He heard Sango, Miroku and Shippo say their goodnights to him, though he ignored them and turned to his other side and closed his eyes.
Time ticked by and gave way to sometime past midnight. He opened his eyes and sighed. He really should be with Kagome. She was his mate now for crying out loud. Yet he just couldn't bring himself at that moment to be with her. He needed time to be by himself. It hurt to be in the same room with out the overwhelming feeling of guilt washing over his entire being.
She reminded him too much of Kikyo.
He growled at himself for how stupid he was for thinking that. Kagome is her own person, always has and always will be. She was his, and he was hers. He knew Kagome loved him for who he was. Kikyo just wanted him to be human.
He growled slightly to himself again. 'She's hurt because of me, if I hadn't been an idiot towards her... maybe...' His ears perked up as he heard a soft whimpering that interrupted his thoughts. He jumped down from the roof and crept into the hut, making sure not to wake anybody and went to Kagome's room. His face fell as he saw the girl curled up into a ball on the futon. He went over and sat down next to her, and took the damp cloth from the bucket of water that had been placed by her head. He gently washed her face and sighed. If only there was something more he could do for her.
She whimpered and opened her eyes. "Inuyasha..."
"Are you alright?"
"It hurts..." Kagome's face scrunched up in pain as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"What hurts?" Inuyasha gently pushed her hair away from her face. "Do you need more of that aspirin stuff?"
Kagome shook her head and yelped softly as she curled up into a tighter ball. Inuyasha frowned. "I'll go wake Kaede." As he stood up, a scent assaulted his sensitive nose. He spun around to face the girl at his feet. "Kagome?" She didn't move. He dropped to his knees and tossed the blankets back. There was blood on her upper legs. "Kaede!!" He screamed. The young girl looked so pale. Life seemed to be draining away from her. He screamed again for the old priestess. Frantic shuffling was then heard and 3 humans and a small fox came running into the room.
"Kagome!" Shippo screamed as the smell of blood came to his nose. "Why is she bleeding!?" Sango quickly picked up the young fox and carried him away to the other room.
Kaede ran over to Kagome and looked her over. "Well! Do something!" Inuyasha practically screamed.
She frowned and looked up to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha. You have to take her to her time. I can not save her here." She looked up to Miroku. "Could you accompany them to the well?"
Miroku was about to answer but was silenced as the hanyou stood up, the bleeding girl in his arms. "I'll go by myself." And ran out of the hut.
"You're not allowed to die on me Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed as he ran through the woods towards the well. He gripped the girl tightly to his chest and shuddered at how cold she felt. He finally reached his destination and jumped in with out a second thought.
"Mom!! Mom!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran through the hallway of the house, gripping the frail bloody girl close to his chest. His ears twitched as Mrs. Higurashi came flying down the stairs. He turned to see his "mother" standing at the bottom of the stairs, eyes widening.
She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "What happened?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know. She needs help... she's bleeding and we don't know why."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded and motioned him to follow her to the family room. She grabbed a blanket from closet and spread it out on the sofa. "Place her on the sofa and go upstairs to get dressed while I call for an ambulance."
Inuyasha clutched the girl tighter and growled softly, lowering his head to hide his eyes with his bangs. Kagome's mother's eyes softened at his urge to protect her daughter as she walked up to the boy and placed a gentle hand on his arm, and brushed his bangs away with the other. "Please, Inuyasha. She'll be fine. Now please, go change alright?"
Inuyasha did as he was told and quickly ran upstairs to Kagome's room to change into a pair of baggy black jeans and a baggy red shirt that they kept for him whenever he stayed over. He grabbed his hat from the hook on the back of Kagome's door and placed it on his head. As soon as he was about to walk down the stairs, he felt a tug on the bottom of his shirt. He looked down to see Souta standing next to him, hand gripping his shirt, the other rubbing an eye.
"Inuyasha? What's going on? Why are you here?"
Inuyasha messed with Souta's hair. "Just go back to bed alright? I'll send your mom up in a few."
Souta raised his eyebrows and tugged the shirt again. "Something's wrong with Kagome." There wasn't even any room for question.
Inuyasha stopped and sighed. He nodded and kneeled down in front of Kagome's little brother. "Kagome got hurt, so your mom and I are taking her to see your healers. We need you to stay here with your crazy grandfather alright?"
Souta nodded gently and sighed. "Take care of her for me..." he said before shutting his bedroom door behind him.
Inuyasha sighed as he went back to the living room and sat on the sofa, cradling the unconscious girl in his arms. His ears twitched every so often, listening to Kagome's mother on the phone and also listening to Kagome's heartbeat. He brought his eyebrows together in concentration as he listened closer and held the girl tighter to him. He buried his face in her hair and kissed the top of his head whispering his sorry to her.
"Inuyasha?" He slowly brought his head up and saw Kagome's mother standing in front of him, with two men dressed in white uniforms were behind her with what looked like a bed on wheels. He looked back to his 'mom' and gave her a questioning look. He let out a low growl towards the men and gripped Kagome tighter. "Inuyasha, you have to let these men take her... they're only here to help." She gave him a small smile as he gave a small nod. She walked over and gently helped him out of the sofa. "Place her on the bed."
Inuyasha hesitantly set the girl on the bed and grimaced at how pale she actually looked. The healers fussed over her, making sure she was secure to the bed, when his eyes went wide. Her heart stopped. "Kagome!" He lunged forward but was quickly stopped by Kagome's mother. The healers were muttering something back and forth and rushed out of the room with the girl to the awaiting ambulance outside. He managed to free himself from Mrs. Higurashi and ran to the door. Mrs. Higurashi was soon behind him, holding on to one of his arms to prevent him from going any further.
Inuyasha looked on in horror as growl rose in his throat when he saw one of the men open Kagome's shirt and yell "Clear!". He flinched inwardly as he heard a strange sound fill the air and then watched as her body convulsed from the bed and felt Mrs. Higurashi grip his arm tighter. "What are they doing to her!!" he glared down to Kagome's mother and his anger quickly faded when he saw the terrified look in her eyes. He uncharacteristically placed an arm around her shoulder and brought her close to his side. They watched as the ambulance doors closed and start to leave.
Mrs. Higurashi gently patted Inuyasha's back and stepped away from him, her eyes following the ambulance. "We'll follow them, go put your sandals on and retrieve the keys from the hook. I'll meet you at the car."
The drive was only fifteen minutes long, though it seemed like an eternity till they finally arrived.
Inuyasha drummed his fingers on the armrest of one of the waiting room chairs, his legs pulled up to his chest, his head resting on his left arm, which draped over his knees. Everything just seemed like a blur when they got to the hospital. They managed to arrive the same time the ambulance got in. He could only watch in horror as they brought her out from the ambulance and into the building. The amount of wires and tubes that were attached to her and a strange foreign scent that was clung to her chilled Inuyasha to the bone. He tried to follow Kagome to one of emergency rooms. He didn't want her out of his sight. What happens if she gets hurt and he's not there to rescue her? It took five men to keep Inuyasha from following and it was Kagome's mother who finally told him to settle down or else he wouldn't be able to see her.
So here he was, three hours later, sitting restlessly in a waiting room chair. He peeked his eyes from under his bangs to look at the table in front of him that held a half full ramen cup. His eyes then wandered around the walls and came across random peaceful paintings of either ocean or farm views. He made a quick glance to his 'mom' and saw she was still sleeping restlessly in one of the other chairs. He rested his forehead on his arm and started tapping his foot in annoyance. The wait was too long, and the scent that seemed to cling to Kagome when she came in scared him. The scent almost reminded him of death.
His ears twitched and flattened to his head underneath the baseball cap. 'I hope she's okay...' he thought to himself. 'I'll never forgive myself if I loose you, Kagome.' Inuyasha closed his eyes balled up his fists, fighting back the tears that threatened to surface. He couldn't cry now. He had to stay strong for Kagome. Though right now he was ready to pray to any god that would listen to help in anyway possible.
"Higurashi?"
Inuyasha looked up and saw a tall man in a long white coat standing in the doorway. He walked over and pulled a chair up to them. Inuyasha sniffed the air and detected a small presence of Kagome. He looked over and saw Mrs. Higurashi in the next chair, resting her hand on his arm. "How is she, Doctor?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
The doctor leaned forward and placed his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. "She's awake now and resting in her room...She..."
Before the doctor could even finish his sentence the hanyou was up on his feet towering over the doctor. "Where is she?!" He turned his head to sniff the air, trying to pick up her scent, yet he found it hard with other smells such as medicines, illness and death that smothered the air. He finally managed to lock onto Kagome's scent he ran off before the doctor could answer.
He didn't hear the reason why Kagome was bleeding in the first place.
