Hmm...it seems nobody cares about this story, despite the effort I'm attempting to put in it. This was supposed to be dedicated to all the people who ever fought in wars, but maybe it's not good enough...well, anyways, I just got .hack/quarantine, so the next update may be even further away than this one...besides, less reviews, less caring on my part as compared to my other stories...

A large cloud exploded from several high flung bombs from Eros' army. The smoke was inhaled accidentally by many of Sesshoumaru's soldiers.

"Opium!" he managed to yell. "Pull on your masks!"

Most everyone pulled on their gas masks (like Sango's) up in time. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru however, did not have them, and because of that, their skills were badly hurt. Sesshoumaru, still sick, was trying madly to fight the inhibition loss in battle. Inuyasha was doing better, but his moves were slow and drunken. The opium was another one of Eros' dirty tricks, and it was working. A slew of the Western Army was intoxicated.

Sesshoumaru was having it worst of all. As before, having the strongest senses was not an edge. He staggered more than ran, and attacked empty space instead of the enemy.

He managed to slay seven demons before he passed out onto the battlefield. A youkai horse landed on him as it died, concealing his upper body.

There was no victory for the West today. They had lost 15 of the 40 miles they had gained, and "General" Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be found…

"I'll find him," Inuyasha said to his friends. "I doubt he died, he's too strong for that…"

Inuyasha sighed, scanning the battlefield.

"You guys go back to camp. The soldiers need you."

Kagome nodded.

"Be careful, Inuyasha," she said as the hanyou sprinted off.

Inuyasha sniffed frantically, nose working spasmodically to find Sesshoumaru. Eventually, he came upon a pair of legs clad in white that smelled of his elder brother. The rest was under a dead demon horse.

"Sesshoumaru, you alive?" he snarled, somewhat nervously.

"Mmm…"

Sesshoumaru groaned in reply.

Inuyasha pushed the horse off of his brother, then turned him around so that he was on his back. His face looked flushed, no doubt an after-effect of the opium and perhaps some internal injuries.

"Can ya walk?"

"…"

"Sesshoumaru!"

"…What?"

"Can you walk?"

It was no use. The youkai was slipping in and out of consciousness. Inuyasha carried him, instantly noting the slight rise in temperature.

I better get you to Kagome quickly…"

Kagome instantly began to work on lowering Sesshoumaru's fever, but found it difficult due to the fact that he wouldn't wake for more than five seconds; not enough time for her to find out how he'd gotten sick all over again.

"Sesshoumaru needs time to heal," was her diagnosis, never mind that she had no prognosis.

"Whaddya mean?" Inuyasha growled. "He had a whole day off! If he's gonna be an Inu no Taisho, he'd better start working like one! He's gettin' too easily injured!"

"Inuyasha, you don't understand!" Kagome yelled in frustration. "He's not giving himself enough time to heal…"

"He's a taiyoukai!"

"I don't care! He's running himself ragged! I never thought you'd be so dense as to miss it!"

"And I never thought you'd put an asshole like him before me!" Inuyasha growled, baring his fangs.

"I would never! Are you hurt?" Kagome retorted.

"…no…"

"Then I'm tending to Sesshoumaru!"

"…"

Inuyasha made his way out.

"He's so immature," Sango said.

"No, just jealous," Miroku corrected.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru moaned in pain as he came back into consciousness.

"It's okay," Kagome crooned softly.

"No…it hurts…"

The miko pulled his haori off partially and began to rub water on his chest when Sesshoumaru's abdominal muscles contracted. His back arched and another pain-filled moan rose form his throat. Two fang marks were now visible on his side, which his haori previously covered.

"A spider youkai bite," Sango warned. "The venom won't kill him but it's going to cause him excruciating pain."

"Oh, no!" Kagome growled in greater frustration and sadness. "He doesn't deserve it. This is just like before…there was always something impeding his healing process…"

"…O-only this time…I know not to act…foolish…" Sesshoumaru rasped. "Wench…may I have a drink of water?"

"Of course!"

Kagome tipped a thermos of water onto his lips and he drank it slowly and with difficulty. The spider venom was disrupting his ability to swallow.

He passed out seconds after, and Kagome resumed rubbing his stomach with a water-cooled cloth. However, the muscular contractions in Sesshoumaru's abdomen caused by the venom soon intensified; Kagome was unable to touch him without quintupling his pain.

"Help…me…" he begged piteously, unable to control his muscle contractions. "My stomach…the pain…"

"Someone get Ayumi! Maybe she can help!"

All Ayumi could do, however, was suture the wound and give Sesshoumaru some numbweed, which did little for his pain.

"I can't remove it. He'll have to fight it himself, and since he's a poison user and naturally strong against poisons, it should expel itself from his body more quickly."

"That's good," Kagome said.

"Just bring him what he asks for, and trust him," Ayumi warned.

"Okay."

About 45 minutes later, Sesshoumaru begged for grass and water.

"Uhm…hold on," Sango said. She left for a few minutes, then came back with an armful of healthy forest grass. Sesshoumaru took it and ate it.

"What's going on, Kagome?" Miroku asked as Kagome looked for a bucket.

"Well…see…my friend has an Afghan hound and it got a really upset stomach one day. She ate some grass, and after a few minutes, she…"

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru threw himself to the left side of his bed with a wet belch. He began to dry heave and Kagome plunked a wooden bucket she'd found near the back of the tent in front of his bedside.

The taiyoukai's body shook violently, then he vomited forcefully into the bucket an enormous wad of grass. Fortunately, a gloppy purple substance was clinging to the blades. He choked as the purged mass caught in his throat, but it soon fell into a bucket and he collapsed, panting with exertion and face flushed.

"…did that…" Kagome finished. "Sesshoumaru, are you okay?"

"…it's very cold…"

He shivered terribly, practically prompting Kagome to feel his forehead.

"You're very sick again."

"No…I'm…not. I m-made…a vow…to win this…for…Chichi-ue…" he huffed.

"Your father?"

"…yes…"

Droplets formed on his forehead. (A.N.—Not sweat, cuz dogs can't sweat; the hotness of his body was creating humidity on his body) and his bangs began to stick to his forehead, as did his breath.

"This is…my first w-war…" he told her quietly, "and…I'm d-doing it…to make him proud…"

His violent shivering did not subside.

"…too cold…" he whispered weakly. "Too hot, and too cold…"

Kagome covered him and placed a moist cloth on his head. He gave a shuddering moan, then pulled his blanket up.

"…Kagome…" he whispered huskily. "N-n-no matter what…I w-will fight t-to-m-morrow…"

R & R pretty please with sugar on top!