I'm not too fond of this chapter, but any further tinkering won't make it better. Hopefully Inuyasha and I both have better luck with Day Four!
See chapter two for disclaimer.
Day Three.
"Kuso!"
The little one was burning up, and for the first time since his own childhood Inuyasha felt utterly helpless. Certainly, Inuko and Jiro had both had their share of minor illnesses in the past, but their blood was infused with his own youkai power. They'd whine, cough, sniffle, and be over it by the end of the day. They'd never even had a fever!
Fumbling in Kagome's first aid kit, he retrieved the ther-mom-e-ter she'd purchased when Sango fell victim to last season's flu, and studied the device intently. Now, how to use it…
A small blue button on the device begged to be pressed and when he did, the tiny gray window beside it flashed zero. Praying that he'd used it properly, he aimed the conical end of the tool into his son's ear as he'd seen Kagome do to Sango. It beeped sharply before he pulled it back and studied the readout. Thirty-eight point eight degrees [102 F]. Kagome had been worried when Sango was running at thirty-seven. Maybe babies were naturally warmer?
Don't fool yourself, Inuyasha chided his silly thought, you can smell the sickness all around him.
Lifting the infant in his arms, Inuyasha rocked him gently, racking his brain for every remedy Kagome had ever used to cure their ills over the past ten winters. Bringing Kano over to the oil lamp in the corner of the nursery, he lowered them into a chair and adjusted the baby for a more intense scrutiny. Kano yawned, shutting his glassy eyes, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to inspect his throat. It was red as fresh blood, and his normally tiny tonsils seemed to have swelled. Perhaps it was a side effect of the wailing he'd been inflicting upon the family, but Inuyasha knew better.
Well, whatever the cause, the child's throat was irritated. In the back of his mind the hanyou was relieved that at least the screaming would likely cease. Sitting back more completely into the comfort of the chair, he pulled Kano up to rest against his naked chest, feeling his son's gentle heartbeat against his own. The poor infant felt like fire personified, but the sun had yet to rise and he didn't dare leave his elder sons alone for a trek to the village stream. If only he hadn't let his pride send Shippou away.
The rasping breaths coming from Kano's tiny nose were somehow both worrying and soothing. As Inuyasha became lost in his thoughts, the peace that had fallen over the pair did its magic, and soon enough, both males were fast asleep.
* * * * *
"Chichi, is Kano sick?"
"Hai, so try to be quiet today." Inuyasha shook up the bottle of milk he'd heated for Kano's breakfast and then squirted a small amount onto his arm to test it. A bit warm, but chances were good he'd refuse to drink it anyway.
Fisting an apple wedge in his chubby little hand before stuffing it into his mouth, Jiro piped up, "when Mama coming back?"
"Two more days, Jiro. Now finish your breakfast and be quiet."
The boy glared at his father, "want Mommy now."
"Too bad. She'll be back in two days."
Inuko stuck his tongue out at his younger brother and grabbed a piece of apple from his plate. "I got your apple!"
"Give it back!"
"Nuh-uh."
"Give it back!"
Shaking his head fervently, Inuko popped the wedge into his mouth and grinned.
"Chichi!"
"QUIET!"
The boys dropped their heads, eyes suddenly intently focused on their breakfasts. Having located a small blanket for Kano's feeding, Inuyasha left them to their meal in the kitchen, hoping against reason that they could stay out of trouble for the next ten minutes.
"I want Mama," Jiro whined again.
His arm snaking towards his younger brother's plate again, Inuko imitated his father. "Two days!"
Jiro slapped his brother's arm away, deftly protecting the remainder of his breakfast, and suddenly smiled. "I'm gonna marry Mommy."
"Baka, you can't marry Mommy."
"How come?"
"'Cuz."
"I love Mommy," the quarter-demon responded in determination.
Inuko shook his head. "Daddy married Mommy. So you can't marry her."
Pouting again, Jiro growled. "Daddy's mean. I hate him!"
"I'm telling!"
"So!"
"Chichi!"
Jiro slapped a hand over his brother's mouth, glaring daggers at him. Annoyed with the obstruction, Inuko bit down on his fingers, nearly drawing blood with one of his tiny fangs. The younger brother shouted, quickly pulling his hand back and waving it in the air. "Bad Inuko!"
"You started it."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!" Jiro reached out and grabbed Inuko's ebony forelocks, tightening his hold as he pulled his elder brother forward.
"Stop it!"
"You hurted me!"
"Chichi!"
"Chichi!"
From somewhere in the back of the house, both boys shrunk back as a deep voice growled out in frustrated anger, "JUST SHUT UP!"
* * * * *
Inuyasha was quite pleased with himself. He'd managed to rig up a sling for Kano, so he could carry the infant on his back while he went about his other chores. Given this new freedom, he'd successfully kept the living room clear of crayon bits and toys, and sent the elder boys out to release some of their never-ending energy on the large tree just a few feet from the front door.
For the first time since Kagome left, he was starting to feel himself getting the hang of things. Now all he had to do was keep the boys out of trouble and fed for the next day and a half and he'd be home free. Perfect.
"CHICHI!!!!!!!"
Then again…
"What?" A sudden fatigue descended upon the hanyou as he imagined the infinite possible reasons his middle child could be calling for him.
"Inu-chan fall down!"
"He fell? Where?"
"Off tree!"
Quickly checking the ties on Kano's sling, Inuyasha ran after Jiro to find his eldest son lying in a sobbing heap at the base of the old cherry tree. His heart stopped as he noticed his limbs tangled up in what appeared to be rather unnatural angles. The fear ebbed a bit when he got closer and realized it was just his imagination. Still, the four-year-old hadn't made any attempt to move…
"Inuko, can you sit up for Daddy?"
"It hurts, Chichi."
"I know, son, but try to be brave for me."
Sniffling back a sob, Inuko hauled himself to his hands and knees and managed to sit back. Inuyasha sighed in relief, and began inspecting the little one's arms and legs. "Tell Daddy where it hurts."
"Everywhere!"
Okay, change of tactics. "Can you point to where it hurts?"
The boy nodded, tears still streaming down his cheeks, as he began to point to the various abrasions on his arms and legs. Inuyasha wiped away a trickle of blood from some of the larger scrapes, making sure they weren't deep cuts, and began lightly pressing on Inuko's joints, searching his face for any sign of discomfort. Finally assured the little one hadn't broken anything, he hauled him up into his arms, and carried him back to the kitchen to dress his scrapes.
"You can stop crying now, you just got scratched up a bit."
Inuko ignored his father, continuing to sob as the hanyou set out an assortment of colorful band-aids and the antiseptic spray Kagome was so fond of applying to every little scratch her boys received.
Recognizing the bottle, Inuko howled anew. "Not the spray! Please not the spray!"
Inuyasha bit back a smirk, and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were hurt?"
The little boy was quite smart for his age. He stopped crying in an instant. "I'm okay."
"Glad to hear it." He replaced the antiseptic in the first aid kit and instead cleaned off his son's scrapes with a moist rag. He moved to set Inuko back on the ground again when Inuko held up his hands to stop him. "Can I have band-aid, Daddy?"
He'd never understood his sons' fascination with the sticky things. Kagome claimed it was a childhood fashion statement, something akin to his pride in Tetsusaiga. "Battle scars," she'd called them. Removing a few of the adhesives from their box, he handed them to Inuko. "Here, I'll even let you put them on yourself."
"Arigato Daddy!"
"Now TRY to stay out of trouble?"
"Hai!" He scampered off, proudly displaying his prize to Jiro as the two ran toward the sandbox Inuyasha had built for them the previous summer.
At least that should keep them busy for a little while, Inuyasha thought to himself. A rasping noise drew his attention back to Kano, and he adjusted the sling to rest against his chest. His fever had subsided for a few hours, but Inuyasha could tell it was returning again. The little one shivered, and the hanyou wrapped his arms around him, rocking them back and forth on his feet.
He'd wanted to believe that Kano was getting better, but with every fever his breathing grew more and more labored. He'd also noticed the infant pawing at his ears, suggesting he might have developed a secondary infection. If it got any worse, Inuyasha realized, he might just have to lug the whole pack to the well.
But I promised her, he reminded himself miserably. I promised I'd let her have this time off for Eri's wedding and I'm not going to take it away from her.
* * * * *
Another evening, another round of ramen noodles. Inuko and Jiro sat around the table, eagerly awaiting their dinners. Reaching up to the cupboards with Kano slumbering at his back, Inuyasha felt his leg buckle beneath him. He grasped, futilely, at the shelves within the cupboard, bringing them crashing down into the buckets of water beneath, along with the rest of the ramen.
"Kuso!"
"Chichi said a bad word!" Inuko giggled.
Inuyasha desperately pulled the packages from the buckets, realizing as he did that it was useless. Water seeped into every package, quickly turning the noodles into mush. The water was clean; they'd be able to eat a few of the salvaged portions for dinner tonight. Tomorrow, however, was another story.
Dividing up the edible packets and pouring heated water over them, he passed the bowls to his sons and sat down for an all-too-small portion of his own. "Looks like you're going to have to eat something else tomorrow night, boys."
"Dumplings?"
What was it with his sons and these dumplings? He'd really have to ask Kagome about that when she got back. Turning his attention back to the young ones, he shook his head. "No, no dumplings. We're eating fish or rabbit."
"Yucky."
"Too bad. You're too old to be so picky."
"Don't like rabbit," Inuko complained. "Fish is stinky."
Nodding his head in fervent agreement, Jiro added, "Daddy get more ramen?"
"Sorry runt, but we're out until okaa-san gets back."
This was not the answer Jiro wanted to hear. He stood, stomping his foot in anger. "Want ramen!"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to try that shit with me, are you?"
Inuko's eyes widened at the scene playing out before him. Jiro was going to get into big trouble…
"No rabbit! No fish! Want RAMEN!" Stomp, stomp, stomp.
"How about NO DINNER?" Inuyasha roared, pushing aside his own bowl to tower above Jiro.
"FEH!"
"What was that?"
"I HATE YOU, DADDY! You're MEAN!" Knocking over the rest of his dinner, Jiro ran toward his room, his eyes filling with angry tears. "I want Mommy," he sobbed out as he landed on his futon, burrowing his face into the soft pillow beneath him.
Back in the kitchen, Inuyasha stared in wide-eyed disbelief at the darkened hallway. Inuko kept his head down, silently scarfing down his meal while Kano began squeaking in an attempt to cry out his fevered frustration.
Somehow things had managed to go from bad, to worse.