&&&&&&&
As soon as Kaede saw the look on Inu-Yasha's face, she knew something was horribly wrong. The hanyou moved quickly into the hut, then knelt and gently lowered Miroku to the futon the elder miko hastily prepared. Inu- Yasha crouched next to her as she examined the fallen monk's pupils, then felt for the glands on either side of his neck, then exposed his chest to check for fluid in his lungs, all the while careful not to disturb the seal on his kazanna. After examining him for a moment, she spoke grimly.
"The poison from this particular youkai can only be counteracted with anti- venom, derived from the venom itself and one other herb, of which I haven't any at this time."
Thirty seconds had not passed before the entrance to the hut opened again. Kagome ran immediately over to where Kaede was administering to Miroku, but not before squeezing hands with Inu-Yasha. Sango and Inu-Yasha locked eyes momentarily. The pain in her eyes that he beheld earlier had not diminished.
"Is he..." She tried to glance over his shoulder at the prone monk.
"He's still here."
He regarded her critically, trying to find the right words. She was so delicate right now, that if she became hysterical, he didn't know how he would deal with her.
Sango..."
"Inu-Yasha..."
She interrupted, cautiously approaching him. She could hear snippets of the conversation between Kaede and Kagome, but wasn't paying much attention. Her complete focus was on the young hanyou in front of her. He was one of her very best friends, and she realized that he was looking out for her emotional welfare, but she had to make him understand. She HAD to see... him. If he died before she could tell him...
She stopped directly in front of Inu-Yasha as she composed herself as best she could, nervously reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. Kagome had helped greatly on the way over, hugging her friend tightly from behind as they rode Kilala's back, assuring her that they would find a way to make him better, and that everything was going to be all right. The hanyou had his arms folded across his chest, avoiding her gaze. He took a deep breath and exhaled audibly.
"Inu-Yasha, look at me, please?"
She said it softly, trying to keep the emotion in her voice to a minimum. She reached up to touch him on his upper arm, tilting her head to where his face had turned. He grunted and grudgingly gave in to eye contact. Sango's deep brown pools spoke volumes. She placed her other hand on his forearm.
"Inu-Yasha, thank you for trying to protect me. I... I understand. I just need for you to understand something."
She turned her head away for just a moment, the color coming into her cheeks as she prepared herself, swallowing the knot in her throat.
"I..." She turned back to look him in the eye.
"I love him, Inu-Yasha. I... I know I've never come out and said it, but I know you can understand that." Her eyes searched his for any indication that she was reaching him.
"I didn't want to fight you. I don't want to fight you. You are my friend. But please..."
Her gaze never left his. He was melting under her emotional assault. She desperately used her trump card.
"Think about the feelings you have for Kagome. If, the gods forbid, it was her in that condition..."
That went right to his heart.
She squeezed his arm with both hands. He sighed. Turning to check on the mikos' progress, he took one of her hands into his before turning back to her. Concern overflowed golden eyes.
"Are you sure you're gonna be alright? 'Cause I'm not letting you go."
"Yes." She nodded. He turned to lead her when he felt her tugging at his hand.
"What is it?" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him warmly.
"Thank you." Inu-Yasha blushed slightly.
"Aww, c'mon. Save that stuff for Miroku."
When they reached the monk, Sango's heart seized up in her chest. He was in very bad shape. Her hand involuntarily squeezed Inu-Yasha's, but she did not break down. She took a knee next to Kagome, as Kaede was working some kind of ointment into his chest.
"We must keep his body temperature up so that his system has a chance to fight against the poison."
Kagome was working on bandaging a puncture wound just below his ribs, where the youkai had injected its venom.
Sango turned to Inu-Yasha and patted the hand holding hers.
"I'm o.k. now. Thank you." He cautiously released her hand and she immediately took Miroku's hand into both of hers.
After fixing the monk's robes and covering him with a blanket filled with goose down, Kaede stood and cleared her throat.
"We have much to do if we are to save Miroku. Inu-Yasha, I need for ye to retrieve as much of the head of the youkai as you can and bring it back here. I will locate and retrieve poison from the glands within to make the anti-venom. Kagome, I need ye to retrieve three items from your time which will help as well with his recovery."
She turned to prepare the list. Kagome walked over to Inu-Yasha and they held each other for just a moment, before he kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I won't be gone long." She said as their embrace slowly broke, her hands sliding down his arms until their fingers interlaced briefly.
Their eyes spoke many things to each other, because this was not the time to verbalize them. Inu-Yasha reluctantly released her hands and bounded out of the hut on his mission. Kagome turned to where Kaede was preparing the list.
"Kaede?" Sango looked up at the elderly priestess.
"Yes, child?"
"What can I do?"
"Keep him as warm as ye can, my dear."
&&&&&&&
Kagome, with her empty pack slung over her shoulder, was about to leave. She walked over and put her hand on Sango's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The taijiya was seated in the lotus position, holding Miroku's hand with one of her own, running her fingers through his hair with her other. She looked up at the young miko and smiled, the first time she had done so in a while.
"I'll be back soon. I know you'll take good care of him."
"Thanks, Kagome. We... I really appreciate all that everyone is doing.
"Nonsense. We're all like a big family. Anyway, I have to run." They clasped hands and cheek-kissed before Kagome left the hut. Kaede spoke while preparing to leave also.
"I must leave as well. Tell Inu-Yasha should he return before me that I shan't be more than fifteen minutes or so collecting herbs. Sango nodded.
"Remember, ye must see to it that he remains warm."
"I will."
Now alone with him, she resumed her vigil. She rubbed his hand with hers, hoping the friction would warm him somehow. She was becoming concerned. Kaede had started a fire before she left, but he still felt cold. She pressed a hand to his cheek and then his forehead.
"Houshi."
She thought about what else she could do, Kaede's last words to her ringing in her ears. Then an idea struck her. Calling out to Kilala, she stood and waited. When the cat appeared in the doorway, she bounded over and leaped into Sango's arms. Sango petted her friend, then told her.
"I need you to stand guard outside. Let me know when anyone approaches the hut, o.k?" Kilala mewed that she understood, then hopped down and out the entrance.
Once the cat was outside, Sango began to remove her body armor. She was glad no one was there to see the blush that had spread across her face. She would keep him warm.
She would give him her own body heat.
She gently lifted the down cover and gingerly placed her body onto his, careful to support her weight with her elbows and knees. She placed the down cover back over the both of them, and moved her cheek up next to his.
"Houshi. Come back to me. Please."
She whispered into his ear. Just being this close to him validated what she had always suspected but could never before put to words. She loved him, and her love for him was deep. She raised her head to look at his face. He looked so peaceful. Although pale, he was beautiful to her. She was greatly tempted to kiss his lips, but relented, as she knew she would be taking advantage of him - the very thing she admonished him for in the past. Gently, she kissed his forehead before settling back down cheek-to- cheek. She became brave, whispering again.
"Did you know that I love you?"
His breathing, although shallow, was rhythmic, and, along with his heartbeat, seemed to alleviate her nervousness.
Emotional exhaustion caught her, and she fell asleep in minutes.
&&&&&&&
Sango0808: Thanks for your kind comments, I hope it gets better for your namesake soon.
Torina Archelda: Thanks. They did find him, but it's touch and go.
ShortPoet: You hit the nail on the head as far as the misdirection. I try not to give readers the same thing they've read countless times before (although that's exactly what some readers want!)
LOTRwolf: Thanks for your comments. Yes, we have sadness. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
crazylittlecheezer: Great name! Thanks for your comments. I agree, Miroku is strong, but sometimes you need your friends (or loved ones) to help pull you through.
As soon as Kaede saw the look on Inu-Yasha's face, she knew something was horribly wrong. The hanyou moved quickly into the hut, then knelt and gently lowered Miroku to the futon the elder miko hastily prepared. Inu- Yasha crouched next to her as she examined the fallen monk's pupils, then felt for the glands on either side of his neck, then exposed his chest to check for fluid in his lungs, all the while careful not to disturb the seal on his kazanna. After examining him for a moment, she spoke grimly.
"The poison from this particular youkai can only be counteracted with anti- venom, derived from the venom itself and one other herb, of which I haven't any at this time."
Thirty seconds had not passed before the entrance to the hut opened again. Kagome ran immediately over to where Kaede was administering to Miroku, but not before squeezing hands with Inu-Yasha. Sango and Inu-Yasha locked eyes momentarily. The pain in her eyes that he beheld earlier had not diminished.
"Is he..." She tried to glance over his shoulder at the prone monk.
"He's still here."
He regarded her critically, trying to find the right words. She was so delicate right now, that if she became hysterical, he didn't know how he would deal with her.
Sango..."
"Inu-Yasha..."
She interrupted, cautiously approaching him. She could hear snippets of the conversation between Kaede and Kagome, but wasn't paying much attention. Her complete focus was on the young hanyou in front of her. He was one of her very best friends, and she realized that he was looking out for her emotional welfare, but she had to make him understand. She HAD to see... him. If he died before she could tell him...
She stopped directly in front of Inu-Yasha as she composed herself as best she could, nervously reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. Kagome had helped greatly on the way over, hugging her friend tightly from behind as they rode Kilala's back, assuring her that they would find a way to make him better, and that everything was going to be all right. The hanyou had his arms folded across his chest, avoiding her gaze. He took a deep breath and exhaled audibly.
"Inu-Yasha, look at me, please?"
She said it softly, trying to keep the emotion in her voice to a minimum. She reached up to touch him on his upper arm, tilting her head to where his face had turned. He grunted and grudgingly gave in to eye contact. Sango's deep brown pools spoke volumes. She placed her other hand on his forearm.
"Inu-Yasha, thank you for trying to protect me. I... I understand. I just need for you to understand something."
She turned her head away for just a moment, the color coming into her cheeks as she prepared herself, swallowing the knot in her throat.
"I..." She turned back to look him in the eye.
"I love him, Inu-Yasha. I... I know I've never come out and said it, but I know you can understand that." Her eyes searched his for any indication that she was reaching him.
"I didn't want to fight you. I don't want to fight you. You are my friend. But please..."
Her gaze never left his. He was melting under her emotional assault. She desperately used her trump card.
"Think about the feelings you have for Kagome. If, the gods forbid, it was her in that condition..."
That went right to his heart.
She squeezed his arm with both hands. He sighed. Turning to check on the mikos' progress, he took one of her hands into his before turning back to her. Concern overflowed golden eyes.
"Are you sure you're gonna be alright? 'Cause I'm not letting you go."
"Yes." She nodded. He turned to lead her when he felt her tugging at his hand.
"What is it?" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him warmly.
"Thank you." Inu-Yasha blushed slightly.
"Aww, c'mon. Save that stuff for Miroku."
When they reached the monk, Sango's heart seized up in her chest. He was in very bad shape. Her hand involuntarily squeezed Inu-Yasha's, but she did not break down. She took a knee next to Kagome, as Kaede was working some kind of ointment into his chest.
"We must keep his body temperature up so that his system has a chance to fight against the poison."
Kagome was working on bandaging a puncture wound just below his ribs, where the youkai had injected its venom.
Sango turned to Inu-Yasha and patted the hand holding hers.
"I'm o.k. now. Thank you." He cautiously released her hand and she immediately took Miroku's hand into both of hers.
After fixing the monk's robes and covering him with a blanket filled with goose down, Kaede stood and cleared her throat.
"We have much to do if we are to save Miroku. Inu-Yasha, I need for ye to retrieve as much of the head of the youkai as you can and bring it back here. I will locate and retrieve poison from the glands within to make the anti-venom. Kagome, I need ye to retrieve three items from your time which will help as well with his recovery."
She turned to prepare the list. Kagome walked over to Inu-Yasha and they held each other for just a moment, before he kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I won't be gone long." She said as their embrace slowly broke, her hands sliding down his arms until their fingers interlaced briefly.
Their eyes spoke many things to each other, because this was not the time to verbalize them. Inu-Yasha reluctantly released her hands and bounded out of the hut on his mission. Kagome turned to where Kaede was preparing the list.
"Kaede?" Sango looked up at the elderly priestess.
"Yes, child?"
"What can I do?"
"Keep him as warm as ye can, my dear."
&&&&&&&
Kagome, with her empty pack slung over her shoulder, was about to leave. She walked over and put her hand on Sango's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The taijiya was seated in the lotus position, holding Miroku's hand with one of her own, running her fingers through his hair with her other. She looked up at the young miko and smiled, the first time she had done so in a while.
"I'll be back soon. I know you'll take good care of him."
"Thanks, Kagome. We... I really appreciate all that everyone is doing.
"Nonsense. We're all like a big family. Anyway, I have to run." They clasped hands and cheek-kissed before Kagome left the hut. Kaede spoke while preparing to leave also.
"I must leave as well. Tell Inu-Yasha should he return before me that I shan't be more than fifteen minutes or so collecting herbs. Sango nodded.
"Remember, ye must see to it that he remains warm."
"I will."
Now alone with him, she resumed her vigil. She rubbed his hand with hers, hoping the friction would warm him somehow. She was becoming concerned. Kaede had started a fire before she left, but he still felt cold. She pressed a hand to his cheek and then his forehead.
"Houshi."
She thought about what else she could do, Kaede's last words to her ringing in her ears. Then an idea struck her. Calling out to Kilala, she stood and waited. When the cat appeared in the doorway, she bounded over and leaped into Sango's arms. Sango petted her friend, then told her.
"I need you to stand guard outside. Let me know when anyone approaches the hut, o.k?" Kilala mewed that she understood, then hopped down and out the entrance.
Once the cat was outside, Sango began to remove her body armor. She was glad no one was there to see the blush that had spread across her face. She would keep him warm.
She would give him her own body heat.
She gently lifted the down cover and gingerly placed her body onto his, careful to support her weight with her elbows and knees. She placed the down cover back over the both of them, and moved her cheek up next to his.
"Houshi. Come back to me. Please."
She whispered into his ear. Just being this close to him validated what she had always suspected but could never before put to words. She loved him, and her love for him was deep. She raised her head to look at his face. He looked so peaceful. Although pale, he was beautiful to her. She was greatly tempted to kiss his lips, but relented, as she knew she would be taking advantage of him - the very thing she admonished him for in the past. Gently, she kissed his forehead before settling back down cheek-to- cheek. She became brave, whispering again.
"Did you know that I love you?"
His breathing, although shallow, was rhythmic, and, along with his heartbeat, seemed to alleviate her nervousness.
Emotional exhaustion caught her, and she fell asleep in minutes.
&&&&&&&
Sango0808: Thanks for your kind comments, I hope it gets better for your namesake soon.
Torina Archelda: Thanks. They did find him, but it's touch and go.
ShortPoet: You hit the nail on the head as far as the misdirection. I try not to give readers the same thing they've read countless times before (although that's exactly what some readers want!)
LOTRwolf: Thanks for your comments. Yes, we have sadness. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
crazylittlecheezer: Great name! Thanks for your comments. I agree, Miroku is strong, but sometimes you need your friends (or loved ones) to help pull you through.