He saw a small shop and ran to the door. He tried to open it but found it, but it didn't budge. He took Kagome off his back and held her in his arms, looking down at her worriedly. A man walked up to the door and pointed at a sign that read 'closed'. Inuyasha hugged Kagome closer to him.

"Please help her!" he called through the clear, hard barrier (glass door) and the man looked from her to him before opening the door, noticing her condition.

"Come in, hurry, put her here," the man said as he cleare off the table, "I'll call the hospital."

Inuyasha didn't understand what the man was talking about but thought it better not to ask.

He kneeled down and took Kagome's hand in his, "Please, Kagome, hold on...I need you...Please don't die..."

He got no response so he continued, "I thought I'd lost you once...and it nearly killed me...Look, I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm so sorry...Kagome...I love you..."

He felt her finger twitch beneath his hand an was stirred out of the dream-like state he'd been in, "Kagome?"

"They're on their way..." the man said, emerging from the back room.

Inuyasha nodded and looked back at Kagome's body laying on the table. It would've been completely motionless if not for the rhythmic up-and-down motion of her breathing which told him there was still a chance.

"Don't worry...I'm sure she'll be fine..." the said in a compforting tone.

"Why were you here so late?" Inuyasha surprized him with his sudden change of subject.

"I, uh, have a small living quarter in the back..." the man answered, "See I live a distance away and work early mornings so I stay here durring the week..."

Again, Inuyasha was lost and wondered what a 'week' was, but again restrained from questions.

"So...What exactly happened to her?" the man interupted his thoughts.

He knew he couldn't tell him exactly what happened because, as Kagome had explained, this world was very different from his.

"She was shot with an arrow..." Inuyasha replied vaguely; He was starring at Kagome as he spoke and had a tone to his voice that revealed his dream-like state in which he almost couldn't believe this was real.

"By someone you knew...?" the man was searching for an explanation without pushing too hard.

"...Kikyo..." he answered in a low, angry voice, leaving the man as confused as ever.

"What's your name?" Inuyasha asked still not taking his eyes off of her.

"Kotan...Kotan Motsui, and you are?" he replied.

"My name's Inuyasha," he spoke in a simple tone.

"And...what's her name?" he asked, glad that he was finally getting some information on the two strangers.

"...Kagome..." Inuyasha stood, "I have to go...will you...take care of her for me?"

"Of course..." Motsui nodded.

"Tell her I had to go...it was getting close to morning will you?" he turned away to face Motsui, looking away from Kagome for the first time since his arrival.

"And don't leave her alone...she doesn't like being alone..." he added.

Motsui nodded again and patted Inuyasha on the arm. Inuyasha thanked him and left quickly. He ran to the well and when he was almost through the doors of the shrine, he changed back into his half-demon form. He sat on the ground with his back against the well, "Kagome...I can't believe I let this happen to you..."

He sat there for over three hours before falling asleep, emmotionally and physically drained and unable to fight to stay awake any longer.

earlier that night

Inuyasha picked Kagome up and jumped through the well.

"...You hurt Kagome..." Sango said quietly before her anger got the best of her, "I was right about you all along!"

Sango started toward her but was stopped by Miroku's hand on her shoulder.

"Miroku!"

"No, we'll let Inuyasha do what he wants with her when he returns...Whatever we can do to her," Miroku looked down, "Inuyasha can do ten-times worse...especially to anyone who even touches Kagome.."

He looked back up at Kikyo and glared at her with enraged eyes, unlike Sango had ever seen. Sesshomaru put his sword up.

"I too will fight him in this state..." he decided.