CHAPTER NINE
*
"And that... is what happened?" Miroku said slowly.
Kagome nodded. She looked lost and miserable, and her hand was still tightly clasped around Inuyasha's limp one. Suddenly she rose and walked away, with her hands over her face.
Miroku didn't try to go after her. He felt dazed by the rambling story Kagome had told him, but he was not entirely surprised when he learned why she had shot the man she cared so much for. But it was terrible to see her so broken up.
He looked down at Inuyasha. Somehow, as a monk -- even one often called woefully wayward -- Miroku felt that he should somehow do something for the young man he had thought of as a friend. Even a friend who had expended a lot of time and effort keeping Miroku away from women. But Miroku had seen from the start that Inuyasha was a far better person than most suspected...
With a sigh, Miroku took Inuyasha's cold hands and started to fold them over his chest. But suddenly he stopped. It can't be, he thought.
The monk bent down and pressed his ear to the burned rip in Inuyasha's clothing. He heard a distant heartbeat. It was so faint that he almost missed it, but it was there. Inuyasha was somehow still alive, even after being hit by Kagome's sacred arrow.
"Kagome!" Miroku shouted.
"What?" Kagome said, looking back at him.
"He's still alive!"
"WHAT?" Kagome scrambled over to Miroku. "But he... I hit him..."
"Right in the heart. I know," Miroku said grimly. "I don't understand it either, but even with the purifying arrow, he's... quickly, help me lift him. We should get him far away from this hellish place, as fast as we can."
Kagome helped Miroku heave Inuyasha's limp body onto the monk's strong shoulders. She felt almost dizzy now. Inuyasha was alive -- somehow -- she didn't care how! All that she cared about was that he was still alive. He wasn't gone, not yet....
Kagome gently squeezed Inuyasha's cold fingers.
*
The tiny abandoned hut was huddled against the foot of a sprawling hill. It looked rather pathetic, with its patched roof and hole-filled walls. But Kagome didn't care, just so long as they got Inuyasha to it. She wasn't exactly sure what she could do to help him, but she planned to do everything she possibly could.
Sango and Shippo came running to meet them. "Kagome!" Shippo wailed. "What happened to Inuyasha?"
"I'll explain later," Kagome said faintly. "Sango?"
"Yes?"
"Is there any straw or anything in that hut?"
"Yes, there is. I was going to make some bedding from it. I'll get it ready." Sango turned and ran back to the hut.
By the time Kagome and Miroku had dragged Inuyasha into the hut, Sango had managed to arrange the straw into a makeshift bed. Miroku shooed her and Shippo out. Kagome was kneeling by Inuyasha's side, still clutching his hand as if afraid that he was going to vanish. "Why is he so cold?" she said quietly.
"He's still alive," Miroku said grimly, opening the first aid kit. "But he's close to death... Kagome, do you have any idea what might help him?"
Kagome shook her head.
"I thought not. I don't know either." Miroku pulled off Inuyasha's red fire-rat robe. There was an ugly burn mark over a deep wound, on the left side of Inuyasha's chest. Kagome flinched. I did that, she thought. I almost killed him... Inuyasha, will you forgive me?
The half-demon stayed still and quiet as Miroku dribbled some disinfectant into the wound, then bandaged it tightly. He must really be under, Kagome thought, pressing his hand against her face. Last time I used disinfectant on him, he started yelling and cursing.
"Well, that's all I can do," Miroku said quietly, tying off the bandage. "I'll go explain the situation to Sango."
"Thanks," Kagome said softly.
She waited until Miroku was gone. Then she studied Inuyasha's too-pale, too-still features. As before, he looked just like a young boy, asleep and quiet. Kagome pressed one of her hands to the bandaged wound over his heart. "Inuyasha, please come back," she whispered. "I know you can do it..."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"And that... is what happened?" Miroku said slowly.
Kagome nodded. She looked lost and miserable, and her hand was still tightly clasped around Inuyasha's limp one. Suddenly she rose and walked away, with her hands over her face.
Miroku didn't try to go after her. He felt dazed by the rambling story Kagome had told him, but he was not entirely surprised when he learned why she had shot the man she cared so much for. But it was terrible to see her so broken up.
He looked down at Inuyasha. Somehow, as a monk -- even one often called woefully wayward -- Miroku felt that he should somehow do something for the young man he had thought of as a friend. Even a friend who had expended a lot of time and effort keeping Miroku away from women. But Miroku had seen from the start that Inuyasha was a far better person than most suspected...
With a sigh, Miroku took Inuyasha's cold hands and started to fold them over his chest. But suddenly he stopped. It can't be, he thought.
The monk bent down and pressed his ear to the burned rip in Inuyasha's clothing. He heard a distant heartbeat. It was so faint that he almost missed it, but it was there. Inuyasha was somehow still alive, even after being hit by Kagome's sacred arrow.
"Kagome!" Miroku shouted.
"What?" Kagome said, looking back at him.
"He's still alive!"
"WHAT?" Kagome scrambled over to Miroku. "But he... I hit him..."
"Right in the heart. I know," Miroku said grimly. "I don't understand it either, but even with the purifying arrow, he's... quickly, help me lift him. We should get him far away from this hellish place, as fast as we can."
Kagome helped Miroku heave Inuyasha's limp body onto the monk's strong shoulders. She felt almost dizzy now. Inuyasha was alive -- somehow -- she didn't care how! All that she cared about was that he was still alive. He wasn't gone, not yet....
Kagome gently squeezed Inuyasha's cold fingers.
*
The tiny abandoned hut was huddled against the foot of a sprawling hill. It looked rather pathetic, with its patched roof and hole-filled walls. But Kagome didn't care, just so long as they got Inuyasha to it. She wasn't exactly sure what she could do to help him, but she planned to do everything she possibly could.
Sango and Shippo came running to meet them. "Kagome!" Shippo wailed. "What happened to Inuyasha?"
"I'll explain later," Kagome said faintly. "Sango?"
"Yes?"
"Is there any straw or anything in that hut?"
"Yes, there is. I was going to make some bedding from it. I'll get it ready." Sango turned and ran back to the hut.
By the time Kagome and Miroku had dragged Inuyasha into the hut, Sango had managed to arrange the straw into a makeshift bed. Miroku shooed her and Shippo out. Kagome was kneeling by Inuyasha's side, still clutching his hand as if afraid that he was going to vanish. "Why is he so cold?" she said quietly.
"He's still alive," Miroku said grimly, opening the first aid kit. "But he's close to death... Kagome, do you have any idea what might help him?"
Kagome shook her head.
"I thought not. I don't know either." Miroku pulled off Inuyasha's red fire-rat robe. There was an ugly burn mark over a deep wound, on the left side of Inuyasha's chest. Kagome flinched. I did that, she thought. I almost killed him... Inuyasha, will you forgive me?
The half-demon stayed still and quiet as Miroku dribbled some disinfectant into the wound, then bandaged it tightly. He must really be under, Kagome thought, pressing his hand against her face. Last time I used disinfectant on him, he started yelling and cursing.
"Well, that's all I can do," Miroku said quietly, tying off the bandage. "I'll go explain the situation to Sango."
"Thanks," Kagome said softly.
She waited until Miroku was gone. Then she studied Inuyasha's too-pale, too-still features. As before, he looked just like a young boy, asleep and quiet. Kagome pressed one of her hands to the bandaged wound over his heart. "Inuyasha, please come back," she whispered. "I know you can do it..."
TO BE CONTINUED