Oh, man I just realized that I forgot the review replies. I'll do 'em next chappie. Sorry about that. Here's my chapter in consolation. Enjoy!
Ch. 4
Inuyasha soon caught up with Kagome, only to find that she was changing the cloth on his brother's head tenderly. She had already removed the taiyoukai's armor and was softly rubbing a wet cloth on the dry, burning hot skin, for Sesshoumaru was a Dog and as such did not have sweat glands.
"Kagome! What the...?"
"Shh!!" the girl snapped. "He's sleeping."
"So what?" Inuyasha yelled. "Why do you have to help this ingrate?"
"Just be quiet!" she replied, giving the hanyou a look that radiated a hundred thousand sits.
"Feh."
Kagome turned away and commenced rubbing Sesshoumaru's belly with water. This caused an action she did not expect. The youkai lord's leg began to twitch weakly, thumping involuntarily on the ground as she increased the speed of the rubbing. Kagome found this extremely cute.
Quite suddenly, Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open and he gave her a look of weak reprove.
How dare this ningen filth even contemplate trying to pleasure herself at my expense! He thought angrily. However, the anger soon dissipated as he turned onto his side and began to clutch his stomach. He feared that he would be sick again...
"Just hold still! I'm trying to cool you down!"
Sesshoumaru didn't have the strength to snarl. For that matter, he had not the strength to keep his mask of indifference up.
"What can you do onna?" he said thickly. "Are you a healer?"
"No...but I can get you special medicines from my lands. I swear upon my honor that they can help you. Unless you'd rather stay sick and die or have to get your stomach pumped."
"Hn."
Sesshoumaru didn't enjoy thinking of any of the three options set before him. However, he seemed to prefer the one that didn't involve pain, which he guessed, was the special medicine.
"Fine, onna. You will not be compensated, however."
"I don't need compensation. I just want to make sure you stay alive."
He almost said why, but he literally bit his tongue to prevent it. No more curiosity.
Sesshoumaru began to shiver softly, his breath short and shallow.
"Inuyasha, you stay here with him. Wait for Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. And whatever you do, don't kill him. He's having a hellish nightmare of a time as it is."
Inuyasha merely "feh'd" and sat cross-legged next to his brother, nose upturned.
"Hello...little b-"
"Spare me! I don't wanna hear your voice!" Inuyasha spat.
Sesshoumaru growled, but there was little he was able to do in his condition, so he merely curled into as small a ball as he possibly could and shivered more violently.
"I feel so cold, but my body's so hot..." he murmured.
Inuyasha kept his nose up, not feeling the least bit of remorse.
Kagome piddled around her house, finding it difficult to be sure on what she should bring.
"Well..." she said, hands on her hips.
She reached for a bottle of Advil, then snatched up the Pepto Bismol. She then grabbed about 12 Cup-A-Soups for Inuyasha and a bunch of cooking supplies.
"Well, if Inuyasha can't appreciate my cooking, maybe his brother can...wait. What am I saying? This is Sesshoumaru we're talking about here!"
She stifled a laugh and grabbed some beef cubes from the fridge.
"Oh, and maybe I should get him some mouthwash so that his breath won't be so stinky," she added, remembering how she'd found him in the first place. "I'm glad that dragon didn't decapitate me when it saw me. Real glad."
She threw her supplies into her enormous backpack and prepared to head into the well, grabbing a few last-minute things before departing.
Sesshoumaru suffered another night terror as he slipped into unconsciousness. Only this time, he had not hero or heroine to save him from the burning fever.
"Hmm...ngh..."
Inuyasha's ears twitched. He turned to his trembling sibling.
Wow, he looks so pathetic that even I wouldn't think to slay him, Inuyasha thought offhandedly. But you should never trust an enemy.
Kagome burst through the brush moments later.
"Whew! What a run!"
Sesshoumaru suddenly cut her off with steadily rising moans, which soon became yells that shook the trees.
"Aaaaghh! Don't...damn it...Wind Scar...hurts..."
He bolted straight up gasping, eyes wide. His head pounded painfully.
"I...I..." he stammered.
What's the matter with him? He's actin' like a ninny! Inuyasha thought in surprise.
The taiyoukai turned away and became sick once again. This time, tears stung at his eyes, not just from sadness, but mostly from reflex. However, it still tugged at Inuyasha's heart, despite his loathing of this particular person.
"Hey! Stop crying!"
Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha a look of reprove.
"Feh! It takes a real man to cry, you big baby!"
Inuyasha stomped off.
"But..."
Sesshoumaru was still too weak to prove any challenge to his half-brother.
"Hn."
He leaned forward.
"Look at me, Sesshoumaru-sama."
With a growl of annoyance, Sesshoumaru looked up.
"I'm going to give you some food, but you need to try this. You may get sick again, but we have to try."
Kagome poured a small cupful of Pepto for the demon and held it out. He drank it, shuddering. It came up, as she predicted.
"I'm sorry."
Sesshoumaru continued to shudder, unable to rid himself of the awful feeling in his gut.
"Okay, I'll just make the stew, and see if you can stomach that."
Kagome made a rich soup over an Ah-Un-produced fire. After several tries, she goaded the taiyoukai to take a few gulps. He cringed, nearly gagging, but the soup stayed down.
"Good! You're improving!" she said softly.
Sesshoumaru kept his head bowed.
"Sesshoumaru..."
"Hn."
"Is that a what?"
"Hn."
"Okay...um...you're being very quiet. Usually we can't get you to shut up, you know?"
Kagome laughed a bit.
"No offense, of course."
"Hn. I have no need to ask anything," he said, but Kagome could tell.
"Curiosity sometimes can be bad, but you might as well ask at least one question. I know you're dying to."
"Fine. What is my brother's problem? Why doesn't he like crying?"
"Well...Sesshoumaru...I guess that since he was little, he sometimes cried. Well, a lot, actually. I suppose he just grew out of it. He expects others to do so, especially you. You're technically an Ice Prince to him."
"I see."
Sesshoumaru bowed his head and stared at his meal.
"You cook acceptably, onna."
"Thanks!"Whoa, I'm dead if I don't go to bed, man!!! Got's ta go!!!! Bye!!!
R&R, please!