DEPTHS OF THE DAMNED

...Clinging To Life...

Disclaimer: I don't think I'd ever be able to own InuYasha, now do you? Nope.

A/N: Oh, by the way, I'm writing a short story that should be about 7-(8)? chapters featuring Kagome and InuYasha in "Seven Days", where InuYasha is mistaken for a dog and gets taken to a dog pound. He will be put down in seven days if no one comes to pick him up. So Kagome is trying to figure a way to get him out, or at least raise enough money. Hope you like it!

InuYasha: I wonder if that asylum place will be able to hold a demon like Naraku.

Kikyou: I put a weakening spell on him, so he will be able to stay put in there. And just in case, I put a rosary on him just like how Kaede put that rosary on you, InuYasha, love... rubs his ears

Sango: gasp So smart!

Kagome watched InuYasha, Sango, and Ayame all leave to go to Kikyou's aid. Sure, she felt sorry for Kikyou, and she would like to help her, but right now, she was concerned about InuYasha. Had he lied to her about his choice? Did he really love Kikyou better? Or did he love her, Kagome, more than anything else in the world?

"Move aside, people! I said to MOVE!" InuYasha shoved people to the side as Sango and Ayame trailed after him. 'I need to get to Kikyou... Please be alive, Kikyou, please be alive...' he thought anxiously and wiped at his eyes.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Oops. Sorry, didn't mean to step on you, sir." They apologized as they tried to keep up with their hanyou friend. Finally, InuYasha found what he had come looking for. He kneeled down beside Kikyou, laying on a stretcher, and reached out a hand to stroke her face.

Kikyou opened her eyes and batted her lashes as she felt the familiar touch of InuYasha. She reached a hand out to touch his cheek. She smiled dimly and her black eyes gazed into his golden ones. Her hand trailed to his lips and they rested there. InuYasha shivered with a sensational feeling that sent pleasure down his spine.

Finally, Sango and Ayame reached to Kikyou and hovered over her. Kikyou turned her attention from InuYasha to her two friends. Sango and Ayame dove down and wrapped their arms around Kikyou. They sobbed into her neck and she just clung onto them, afraid to lose them.

"Oh, Kikyou, are you okay??" Ayame cried. "We were so worried!!"

"I think I'm alright..." Kikyou sighed as she looked into InuYasha's face. She squeezed his hand. InuYasha's eyes were brimming with tears and he furiously wiped them away.

"It's okay, InuYasha, it's okay to cry..." Sango whispered and Ayame nodded.

"I'm—not—crying..." he sniveled. He fell on the ground and held onto Kikyou. "Kikyou, I'm sorry, I don't want it to end this way! I'm sorry about earlier. Kikyou...don't die on me. Please don't..."

"InuYasha..." Kikyou whispered and squeezed his hand again. "I'm sorry, too. I know I was being rude and all, and I know that you and Kagome were together before, but I just was having a bad day...and it's gotten worse...what with me getting hit by that trucker and all..." she said breathlessly. InuYasha hushed her and pulled her into his strong arms.

"It's okay, Kikyou, I'm here now, and that's all that matters..." he whispered softly and she made a tiny sound of contentment.

Miroku stared at Kagome, who was staring back at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but chose not to, and closed his mouth and sighed. Kagome suddenly piped up.

"Miroku...I—I'm worried about InuYasha."

"Kagome, what would worry you about him?" Miroku asked thoughtfully.

"Well, it's Kikyou I'm meaning..." she shot a glance at him and he understood. "C'mon! Let's make it down to the accident! Maybe we can make it..." She followed Miroku out the house, closing it behind her and hopefully thought to herself: 'Kikyou just better not try anything...please don't do anything, Kikyou, I love him so much...'

Kikyou held onto InuYasha's hand for a long time, having Sango and Ayame sit behind her, very close. After all, their friend was on the brink of death...

"Kikyou, I don't want it to end like this...please...you have to stay with us. Just hold on a little longer, please, Kikyou..." the hanyou cried as tears began to sting his eyes.

"InuYasha, I don't know... I think I need...some help..." she said in sharp breaths. The paramedics beside her heard her sharp intakes and immediately rushed to her side. They hoisted the stretcher up and it was loaded into the ambulance. InuYasha hopped inside.

"Hey, wait for meeeeeee!" Sango and Ayame turned as they heard a girl call after the departing ambulance vehicle. Kagome came panting up the road as Miroku easily jogged alongside her. "Damn, the ambulance is gone... Hey, where's InuYasha?"

Sango shifted uneasily and looked around, not answering her friend.

Kagome tapped her foot impatiently...

"Well?" she snapped. "I can understand that that stupid hanyou won't answer me, but you, Sango?!" Sango scoffed and turned to look at Kagome fuming at her.

"He left." Sango said shortly.

"I can see that, Sango. But where?" Obviously Kagome was in a bad mood. Perhaps it was the bad aura in the air, or the thought of Kikyou with her hanyou made her anger very noticeable?

"He's with Kikyou. They went to the hospital." Sango sighed and scuffled over to Miroku and rested her head on his chest, rubbing her temples. She had a very bad migraine that pounded at her head.

Kagome sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sango-chan, it's just that..." Her voice trailed away. Sango glanced at Kagome and smiled as she left Miroku's warm body to her friend.

"It's okay, Kagome-chan. I understand. It's Kikyou...isn't it?"

Kagome nodded.

"Just...Kikyou....is all..."

"Kagome, eventually you and Kikyou are going to have to solve your differences. Remember that you and I are friends? If I can be Kikyou's friend, so can you!" Sango chided as she placed her hands on her hips. Kagome exhaled deeply and loudly.

"Kikyou and I are never going to become friends! We both like the same guy! We'll always be competing against each other!" Kagome pouted stubbornly.

Sango frowned and let out a sigh.

"If we're lucky, we can catch up to the ambulance and you can meet up with InuYasha at the hospital! C'mon, Miroku and Ayame!"

Somehow, they had enough energy left to sprint up and down hills until they made it to a large hospital that towered high in the air. Miroku breathlessly pushed the door open, and the group walked in, tired and lost of breath.

InuYasha sat at in a seat in the waiting room, hoping desperately for Kikyou's results, whether she was going to make it, or... He shook his head. He couldn't bear to think of the consequences! "I've just got to stay positive, t-that's all...stay positive" He told himself. He tapped his fingers nervously and kept glancing at the clock. It ticked very loudly, which was rather unusual. Or maybe it was because the room was so quiet?

The double doors leading to the waiting room burst open with a crash and the woman at the counter glared at Kagome, who happened to be in front. She paid no heed and marched over to InuYasha, who was sinking lower and lower in his seat, hiding his face with an old, out-dated magazine, which the pages were fading and torn from over the years.

"INUYASHA!!!" Kagome exclaimed in an angry tone. InuYasha sunk even lower in his seat, if that were even possible for him... "Don't you dare try and hide under that magazine—I know it's you!"

The magazine slid down from his face and his face was paler than a ghost's. His lower lip trembled.

"Kagome, uh, whatever are you doing here of all places?" he asked shakily and winced as Kagome slapped him.

"Don't you try playing dumb on me, dog-boy!"

"Kagome, uh, why are you m-mad?" He smiled hopefully, but he knew very well why his girlfriend was angry with him.

"You know damn well why!" Kagome then lowered her voice. "InuYasha...don't you realize it? How much I care for you? I would never, ever leave your side...and yet, you left me today..." she whispered as tears begged to stream from her eyes. Her hands started to tremble and she collapsed onto him. "InuYasha, I don't want to lose you! I love you so much! It's just that I don't want Kikyou stealing you from me! I need you..."

InuYasha was speechless. He didn't know what to say... All he could think of was to hold onto her and he stroked her lovingly. He hushed her and her cries died down. Eventually, she stopped sobbing and was now smiling as her cheeks shined with the tears and her eyes were pink.

"There, now, Kagome...it's okay, I'm here..." InuYasha mumbled into her ear and she nodded gratefully. At that moment, the door in the corner—one leading to where Kikyou was kept—opened up very slowly, so slowly that it creaked. A foot stepped out and made a clunk on the hard linoleum floor. Then a white jacket whipped out, revealing the doctor himself. He looked very grim and walked over to InuYasha. The hanyou's face dropped and he couldn't feel his heart beating anymore.

The doctor opened his mouth to speak.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and tears brimmed dangerously in his golden orbs and they streamed quickly over one of his softly curved cheeks. He laid his head against Miroku's arm and Sango, Ayame, and Kagome looked expectantly at the doctor.

"Kikyou is fine, she's alive, and she's going to make it," InuYasha whipped his head up and a sound of happiness escaped through his lips. He blushed. "Although she does have some pretty bad wounds, it will take several weeks for her to fully recover. Other than that, she's fine. Oh, and I think she'd like to see you all, starting with you." He pointed at InuYasha, who arose and walked through the door, which closed shut behind him quietly. Kikyou's gasp of excitement could be heard through the door and Kagome smiled. Maybe Sango was right, she realized. Maybe Kagome and Kikyou really can be friends after all...

Kikyou had seen everyone and had now fallen asleep. She had told everyone that she was extremely happy they came to see her and that she was going to make it. She was even especially friendly with Kagome. Looks like a beginning of a new friendship. The two apologized to each other for being rude and always fighting over the hanyou. Miroku dropped Ayame off at her house, and InuYasha brought Kagome home, and now Sango and Miroku were seating in his living room, smiling at each other. Miroku patted the empty seat next to him and Sango immediately hopped on there and snuggled up against him.

Soon, very soon after that, she fell asleep, happy and grateful to know that Kikyou was alive and well, and was going to make it. Everything was perfect in life now. And nothing was going to stop that.