The time frame from this chapter and previous one are different just thought I'd warn everyone. I'm trying hard to fill in every characters pov Enjoy!

Shippo stared at Kouga, mild disbelief clearly evident on his face. "Inuyasha? I thought you'd want to know about Kagome. No one has seen him since you came with Kagome…" Shippo tried to control a sob as he continued, "we looked for him but all we found was signs that he used the Wind Scar. I tried to follow his scent but I lost it."

Kouga listened and as he did he slowly scented the air. He could detect the kitsune's smell and faintly the monk's and the old miko as well. So they had tried to help his healing along. The thought brought mild amusement to his eyes. " Shippo, Kagome hasn't come back has she?"

"No." he answered dejectedly.

"Did dog-turd go to her then?"

"We don't know. I can't tell because his scent and hers, they linger there. I've been learning to tell old from new but I couldn't, that is, Inuyasha was teaching me, and since he's gone…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be good as new in another day; I'll go look for dog-turd so he can go check up on my Kagome. Now, didn't you promise me some food?" Kouga questioned.

"Yeah, I'll be back with food in a little bit." Shippo turned and headed back to the village. At least he had some good news to share.

Inuyasha had wanted to go back to the well. To go and see how Kagome was doing. It had been two days since the battle with the demon. So as is his way, he followed the path in his mind and rushed over to the well. He slowed his pace as he came closer to the lip of the well. Kagome's blood left its impression faintly, but Kouga's was more pronounced. He sniffed at the air a time or two before following the trail back to the village. They had definitely taken Kouga's carcass back to Kaede, he thought. But Kagome's was missing.

He walked into Kaede's hut and found no one there. Where did they go? There were obvious signs of them healing someone still strewed about. He turned and shrieked as he came face to face with the old miko herself.

"So ye lived." she stated.

"Don't sound too happy about it will you. Where is everyone? I followed the stench of the mangy wolf here."

"They have taken him out into the forest. He asked that if he was to die, he wanted his only memory of humans to be that of Kagome. Miroku and the others have taken him beyond yonder."

"Feh! So Kagome's alright then. No doubt comforting that useless piece of …."

Her silence was making him uneasy. She kept her back to him as she told him what had happened to her. Of how they were unable to heal the wounds or stop the bleeding. That Kouga had taken her with Shippo back to the well. He stood there, his hair falling forward to hide his eyes. His emotions were raw, and he wanted to destroy something, anything, because the pressure was building and it was going to need some sort of release very, very soon.

"What will ye be doing Inuyasha?"

"I'm gonna go check on Kagome. Then I'm gonna come back and finish what we started." he growled out.

"Finish? Did ye not destroy the demon then?"

He remained there motionless. " No. I used the Wind Scar on it after Kouga left with Kagome. I didn't feel it be incinerated by the blast, it faded away." He dug his claws into the palm of his hands with that admission. "If Kagome's not on her way to perfect health, I'll return soon. I'll hunt it down and make it regret ever coming into contact with us." He turned and was walking out of the hut when he threw over his shoulder, " Don't worry the others. Either way I'll return. Vengeance is mine you hear, so don't say anything. Mine alone, I won't share it."

She's okay. She's okay. She's okay. She's got to be okay. She'll probably just want to stay a few days there and I'll be nice and let her. She's okay. She's okay. Nothing to get all worked up about. Her time's healers are much better than anyone here could ever be. They've been to the moon for crying out loud! She's okay, she's okay, she's okay.

He reached the well before he realized he'd been running. But he didn't slow his down this time, he jumped in and as the blue lights came he wished it would hurry up. The sounds of sirens and the overpowering smell of a lot of humans in a small area hit him. There was a bright yellow ribbon surrounding the well. He could clearly make out the smell of her blood now. He jumped quickly and was at the top step about to go outside when he saw that boy.

Quickly as not to be noticed, he left the shrine housing the well and leapt into a nearby tree. He watched as the boy walked up to the door of the Higurashi house and saw Sota let him in. Torn between entering through that same door and confronting, no demanding what that boy thought he was doing here and just going to see if Kagome was indeed okay, he crouched there on the branch. That boy was imposing on his territory; he should at least go and scare him off. Kagome would be really pissed if he actually hurt anyone from this time. But on the other hand, he had to check up on Kagome. With a sigh of deep regret, because the urge to do damage was still fresh in him, he continued on to the top of the Higurashi house and lowered himself onto the windowsill of Kagome's room. He opened the window and could tell Kagome had not been here recently. He felt a moment of panic course through him. If she wasn't in her room, then maybe the damage Kaede had told him of was worse then he imagined. He needed answers and the only way to get them was to go downstairs and ask. But with his hand on the knob to the door, he paused. Kagome had ingrained into him the importance of other's not seeing him without some kind of disguise. He looked around her room but couldn't see anything he could use. He could just wait until the boy left and then go and ask, but if she was really seriously hurt he wanted to know so he could be there with her. What use he would actually be didn't matter, only that she know he was there for her.

He opened the door and peeked outside, seeing no one he carefully left her room and crouched at the top of the stairs; still partially obstructed from anyone seeing him. That boy was talking to Sota, and he could smell the tears both of them had shed. Tears? Why would Sota be crying? he thought. And just as quickly he had an answer, Kagome she didn't survive the attack. His heart felt as if it had stopped beating, moisture had begun to form in his own eyes and it was getting harder to catch his breath. Pain he hadn't experienced before burned through his being.

And he remembered Kikyo's words, she felt her soul fill but it stopped. It could only be filled with Kagome's death. But it stopped. It had stopped, so she hasn't died. He needed to be near her. To see for himself that she still lived and he needed to know where they took her. He could scent her out, but he was in a hurry to be with her. Forget her rules! Knowing she's alive is more important. He tuned back into the present hearing Sota tell the boy he'll see him later. Inuyasha didn't wait for the front door to close before rushing down. Sota stood by the closed door, looking more than a little bit lost. Failure, another feeling fighting for supremacy in Inuyasha.

"Where did they take her to Sota?" he asked without preamble.

Sota hadn't heard Inuyasha come. He honestly believed that Inuyasha had died. But how could he be standing there looking completely unhurt while his sister was torn to shreds? His hero had let him down. He wanted to protect Kagome from any further harm but what if the harm came in the form of the guy standing in front of him? What if Inuyasha was the one who did that to her. With open hospitality he spoke, " She almost died. She still could. They have her and mom in the same hospital. Grandpa won't let me go, so Hojo has been going for me and telling me what the doctor's say. How could you let that happen to her?! Aren't you supposed to be protecting her?!"

Inuyasha flinched. "Where?" he asked again.

"I, I'm not sure I can trust you to know where she's at."

Inuyasha took a very small very slow step towards Sota. He looked him straight in the eye before speaking. " Sota, I sent her away to get help while I stayed behind to kill the one who did this to her. I couldn't tell how bad off she was because I had to keep my eye on the demon. A, friend, he brought her to Kaede to get healed, then to the well because Kaede couldn't heal her fast enough. I came as quickly as my body would let me move. So please, tell me where she's at. I need to be there."

"No."

Anger made him respond, " I didn't do this! I've got to make sure she'll live before I can go back and finish getting our revenge. I won't leave her until I know for sure. I, I , I.." he fumbled for words, how could he stand there and justify his feeling to Sota when he never had to justify them to himself. But he needed to know god dammit! With a voice humbly soften he asked again, " Please Sota, please tell me where she's at."

Sota looked at him and felt a perverse sense of power over Inuyasha. Sure Inuyasha could just smell Kagome out and eventually find her. But Inuyasha didn't seem to be inclined to do that. He was here asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness for letting them all down, for not being strong enough to protect the ones he cared about. For being weak. All Sota had to do to keep punishing him is simply deny him that. He thought about it and it appealed to him, but in the end he couldn't do that to his sister. She would forgive him, she loved Inuyasha, sure she would oswarii him until he left a deep crater in the ground, but she would forgive him.

"If you hurry, you can still find Hojo. Just follow him to the hospital. Don't let anyone see you; Kagome would get mad if you did. I'm not gonna tell anyone you came by. If I did Grandpa will find someway to seal the well even if he has to call every shrine in the country." Inuyasha bowed his head and left, rushing to catch up to the boy that seemed to have so much interest in his Kagome.

It was disturbingly more difficult to sneak into the hospital this time around then it did last time he was here. Not only were there no windows that he could fit through near Kagome, there were also what amounted to guards near her door. He would have just gone in as he was, but he could not afford to get stopped. So he waited. And waited some more until the sun had set and the new moon graciously came out, turning him human for the night. He had never been more grateful for the change as he was at this moment. He strolled into the hospital and no one looked at him strangely, at least not for long. His manner of dress did cause a few eyes to linger though.

He went to the floor where Kagome was on and demanded to see her. A nurse, not at all impressed by his tirade, asked if he was family. He said that he was her mate. She didn't even bat an eye and asked him to clarify. He stared at her and tried to remember what it was that he had heard Kagome call it to Sango during one of their trips to the hot springs. He drew a blank. So he told her bluntly that he was from the Higurashi shrine and he was sent by Sota and her Grandfather to check up on her and offer prayers. "Oh is that what you call a partner? She's and apprentice like you then." the nurse said. He asked nicely this time to be allowed to see her. The nurse told him that he had to wait until her fiancé was done visiting. The doctor would only allow one in at a time, to limit the chances of infection. And he had to put on scrubs over his shrine attire, no exceptions. He agreed, not as if he had much of a choice.

The fact that this fiancé of hers was none other than the boy set his blood to heat again. But Hojo didn't pay him any mind as he walked past Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't say anything but followed another nurse into the room Kagome was in. He barely heard the nurse say he had ten minutes then would have to leave. The nurse seemed a bit embarrassed to be saying it, and it didn't occur to him that they thought he had come to offer final rights to her.

He went up to Kagome lying on the bed. There was a barrier of what she called plastic separating her from the rest of the room. All manner of tubes were coming from her arms and chest. Her blood pumped slowly through most of the tubes. His eyes burned. He placed his hands on the railing of her bed and tried to inhale her scent as deep as was possible. But his body was human this night, so his senses were so dulled he might as well be in a bubble of his own. He looked at her face but there was bandages covering it completely. Her hair seemed to have been cut off. A deep sob left his throat and the burning in his eyes intensified.

"I'm so so sorry Kagome. I promise you I'll get revenge for you. My promise to you will come before any promises I made to Kikyo. I'll do this first because you mean more to me than…" he couldn't finish. His throat locked up with suppressed grief. When the nurse came in to get him he growled at her. He said that he would remain by her side until morning in case she woke up. The nurse backed away and left him. If he got out of hand, the nurse could also call security. Inuyasha was only sitting next to her so the nurse figured it would be okay.