Coughing again. The tiny girl had now started almost hacking her lungs out coughing. Eyes pressed closed, she coughed again, a greenish matter coming out with it. She was desperately ill, and InuYasha was utterly helpless in trying to improve her condition.
There was nothing he could do, sitting outside of Kaede's hut, only able to listen to his daughter's suffering. The scent of fever had filled his nose, he wanted to help, but knew he would only be in the way. He was perched impatiently on the roof, tapping his foot rapidly as he just wanted to hit something, as if it would bring Hanaharu out of her illness.
The young fox demon, Shippou, had been sitting on the roof not to far from InuYasha. If it weren't for Kagome begging him to keep the hanyou company while she saw to their daughter's health, he wouldn't be here. He was now older, about the age of twelve, and had grown a few feet in height so that InuYasha didn't pick on him as much. He still wore the same kind of garments, though. He knew how InuYasha cherished his daughter and how he felt right now. They were all worried, everyone in the village.
The hanyou couldn't help but be fidgety, wanting to move around every few moments from where he was. "Kuso!" InuYasha cursed, cracking his knuckles. He couldn't pound on the roof, or Shippou, how could he get rid of this ever-growing anger? "I hate this." His ears were flat, fangs gritted tight as it tempted him even more to hit something.
Shippou just sat there for a moment, arms crossed. He had begun living with Kaede ever since InuYasha and Kagome got married, and he knew that he could go in and help if need be. Working under the village miko helped him to see many illnesses and learn cures for them. Most of the time the child, if young and sick enough, would die. He hoped not to see this with Hanaharu. She had demonic blood in her, and maybe that was the only thing keeping her alive.
"InuYasha... gomen nasai, but you aren't the only one who's-" Shippou started, but was quickly cut off from a death glare given by the hanyou. He may not pick on as much anymore, but he still knew that if he were to "rub his fur the wrong way," InuYasha would come after him.
Kagome never used the rosary anymore, therefore, InuYasha got away with a lot these days. Then again, whenever he did do something worth an "Osuwari," it was usually when he was holding their young daughter.
InuYasha jumped from the roof, landing near the door of the hut. He was so busy focused on the sounds from within the hut that he didn't notice the houshi come up behind him.
"InuYasha, settle down. I'm sure Hanaharu will get over this soon enough." The monk stood there with a weak smile on his face. His son had never really had to see Kaede-dono after he was born, how could the monk know of it?
"Urusai, houshi." The hanyou looked back at Miroku. "Hanaharu may be part demon, but only a little. She's mostly human. Your kid would die in an hour with a fever like hers." He watched the houshi wince, looking back towards the hut. 'Besides, how can I not worry?'
"Poor babe," the elder priestess held a wooden ladle of cold water as she sat down on her knees at her side. Kaede was the one who delivered Hanaharu, and she had seen many deaths from young children who fell ill. If the young inu died from this illness, InuYasha and Kagome would be devastated. It took them years to have the little one in the first place.
"Kaede-dono," Kagome had tears in her eyes as she stroked her small daughter's soaking brow. "I can't loose her, but I can't take her back." The young woman folded up in her own lap, hands thrown over her head. She prayed that her husband would be allowed in, but she knew he would only be in the way and make it worse.
"Aye, Kagome. I know. There ain't much I can do to bring the fever down." She moved the silver bangs from Hanaharu's eyes, removing the sweat with a dry cloth.
The young girl whined, only able to move a few inches from the spot she lay in because she was so hot. "Oto'sn." She wasn't even able to speak correctly, but it did feel good when the elder woman put a wet rag over her forehead.
Kagome knew she wanted her father but she couldn't let the hanyou in. It was just like with the births, but now someone's life was on the line. InuYasha would go crazy in trying to help them, but there was nothing that even the priestess could do.
"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" The hanyou pounded the ground with his fist, growling as he stood there about to barge into the doorway. "I'm sick and tired of being worthless shit!" He didn't like that he could hear everything that went on inside, that his daughter wanted him there and that he could do nothing about it.
"InuYasha, don't be so hasty. Kagome won't be so happy, neither will-"
This got an exasperated sigh from InuYasha, letting off some steam with it. "These idiots don't get it. I know how to get rid of the fever, it works every time." He leant up against the wall near the door, knowing that no one would believe him. InuYasha may not seem to know much when taking care of him self, but his mother, Izayoi, had been with him until just shy of his eighth summer. He had gotten sick in those years, and whenever he thought about it, he could probably remember the scents and tastes of the herbal medicines he was given, and the ways that she would help him. Children seemed to get ill at the most convenient times.
"You know how to rid her of the fever?" The houshi inquired, bringing a hand up to his chin thinking. "Then why did you never tell Kagome-sama and Kaede-dono?"
"It doesn't matter anymore." The hanyou lifted the tarp, stepping inside the hut.
"InuYasha," Kagome yelled as she looked back at the hanyou. "You aren't supposed to be in here." She looked concerned, holding the hand of her young daughter.
"I won't be in here for long, but neither will Hanaharu." He knelt down next to Kagome, looking at her as if he really did know what he was doing, picking up the young girl as he held her close to his chest.
"InuYasha!"
"Urusai!" He snapped at her, taking her back towards the entrance of the hut. "I'll get rid of her fever and bring her back for you to take care of her." Before Kagome could run to catch up with him, he was already near the exit of the village making his way towards the forest.
She rushed out the door, leaning against the frame. "Miroku-sama. Did he say where he was taking Hanaharu?" She looked so worried as she looked to him, clutching her chest.
"Iie." The monk looked to his distressed friend, knowing that she, too, thought InuYasha was crazy. If there were some herb that could help her get better, InuYasha would have at least heard of it, even if he didn't know how to prepare it. Maybe that was what he was after.
It took only a few moments for the hanyou to slow down, coming to a riverside. There was a small clearing with multiple colored flowers there, and he could just wade into the shallow waters, which was what he did. "Hanaharu, when you were born, I promised nothing would ever take you away from me." He paused, stepping into the shallow water and making his way to the calm middle of the stream, bringing the young girl so that only her head was above the water.
He was going to take the fever from her by bleeding it out with the water, letting the cold liquid take over the feeling of warmth in the girl's body. She didn't know what to think. Was she hot? Or was she cold? Her temperature was going down with the cool water; the trees were keeping the sun out of their faces, too. Young Hanaharu opened her tawny-golden eyes she had inherited from her father, looking up at him and reaching towards the silver tresses that hung over his shoulder. "Otou-san?"
"Annon, Aka-chan." He stroked the young girl's forehead, at least now she could call him her father correctly. It was a sign that she was improving in health, that she would be getting better. It would take a while for the fever to be completely gone, but he was fine with staying in the cold water for a while. It wouldn't be the only pain he had ever endured. And besides, Hanaharu was in much more pain than he would be.
"It's been two hours, do you think-"
"Urusai!" The miko protested when Miroku started saying such things. "InuYasha knows what he's doing, and he wouldn't take Hanaharu away unless he knew what he was doing." She looked towards the way he had taken their daughter, only to see the hanyou clad in red walking back slowly. "Thank Kami." Kagome started running towards where the hanyou had a sleeping child in his arm, cradling her and trying to wake her up. She ran up and hugged her husband, kissing the sleeping girl's forehead. "Her fever's gone." She looked up to the hanyou. He was cold, and looked exhausted, but he would do anything for his daughter… and they were both wet.
"Hai."
"What did you-"
"I'm not telling." He smirked, kissing his mate on the cheek.
She might as well guess, he wasn't going to tell, but it was obvious he didn't give her anything. "Fine." She laid her head against his chest, looking down at Hanaharu. "Let's go home. We need to get her out of those clothes or she might get sick again.
"Hai."
Author's note: Sorry it took so long to post such a short, crappychapter. >. I promise I already have a chapter written up to put after this.
Inu: Oh, joy. Like I care. (snort)
Sara-chan: (glomps him) X3 InuYasha still doesn't belong to me... even if I say he does... but Hanaharu is totally mine! (huggles Hanaharu)
Hanaharu: Weeee!
Inu: (exasperated sigh)