Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance in this story.

Chapter 8

Although Hiei had prepared himself, it was like jumping into an icy lake-- he knew what to expect, but the shock of such an intense sensation took his breath away. The pain came crashed down on him, threatening to overwhelm him. He fell forward, his right arm supporting him while his left hand tightly clutched Kurama's wrist. His entire body was shaking with the agony. I can deal with this... To help Kurama, I can withstand a little pain... he thought, defiantly establishing a firm link between his and Kurama's minds.

Somewhere beyond the anguish, he felt Kurama's presence pushing him, trying to force him out and away from the torturous pain. Hiei clutched Kurama's arm tighter than before, refusing to leave his friend to deal with this alone. By linking their minds, the pain was shared between them, increasing the fox's chances of making it through this alive. The only draw back was, it also increased Hiei's chances of not making it out at all.

The agony seemed to be increasing, a feat Hiei had previously thought impossible. Belatedly, the fire demon realized that the antidote must have started to take effect and it was only going to get worse. Kurama's body jerked beneath his hand a fraction of a second before the pain hit Hiei, drawing him in. Instinctively, he blocked it, reflexively clinging to his mind with the Jagan acting as a shield against the agony. Kurama cried out as the pain was repelled, the rebound hitting him full-force.

Hiei cursed. I can't take some of the pain from Kurama if I block it out-- I'll only end up making it worse for him, instead. That means, I... Resolutely, Hiei clenched his jaw, trying to prepare himself. Taking a shuddering breath, he mentally let go, immersing himself more deeply in Kurama's mind as he surrendered himself to the pain.

. . .

Yukina woke, feeling that something wasn't right. She looked around, disoriented. "What am I doing in the kitchen...?" she wondered, trying to make her tired mind focus. The events of the previous night came back to her and she jumped up. "Kurama!"

Running from the kitchen, Yukina hurried to his room, bursting through the door. She gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight before her. The redhead was thrashing around on his futon, obviously in excruciating pain and gasping for air. He almost seemed to be trying to distance himself from Hiei. The fire demon was kneeling on the floor next to him, his rigid body shaking almost convulsively. He had a death grip on Kurama's arm and, although his eyes were open, he did not seem to be aware of anything around him. The fire demon's grip seemed to tighten every time the redhead pulled away, refusing to let him leave. The Jagan eye on his forehead was pulsing, as if it was enduring some form of torture, as well.

Spotting a discarded cup on the ground behind Hiei, Yukina figured out what was happening. It must be the antidote. I-- I can't do anything to help them, she realized, helpless to do anything but watch.

A bit of movement on the edge of her vision caught her eye and Yukina looked up, spotting a tree branch that had entered through the window. The leaves pulled the branch closer to the vulnerable fire demon, raising one of the sharpened ends as if to impale him. Immediately, the entire branch froze, taking on a bluish sheen that sparkled in the light.

Yukina stood, an emotionless mask falling into place over her features. I may not be able to heal them right now, she thought, looking at the now frozen branch, coldly. But I will not stand by while the plants attack Hiei! He must be helping Kurama by trying to alleviate some of the pain. That's dangerous, because if Kurama dies-- Her chest constricted painfully at the thought of losing Hiei. She shook her head firmly. No! They will both live! They have to!

A vine slithered in through the doorway, quickly trying to sneak behind the ice maiden. It was frozen before it got more than two feet into the room.

Yukina stood, using all her senses to detect the plants before they were able to get too close. I will protect you. Just as you have both protected me. I swear it, she vowed silently.

. . .

Kuwabara hit the plants with his Spirit Sword, cutting them up. He attacked a tree, slicing off as many branches as he could. Genkai watched one of the limbs fly through the air, cursing as it landed on the windowsill of Kurama's room. Quickly dispatching the plants in front of her, she started to run for the building, stopping as she felt Yukina's aura increase inside. Allowing herself a small smile, she turned back to the fight. It would seem Yukina is freezing any plants that make it to the room. Good. Hiei might have a chance at surviving this, after all.

. . .

Pain. There was nothing beyond the pain, nothing before it and nothing after it. There was nothing else except pain. How long Hiei had been experiencing it, he wasn't sure. Seconds, minutes, hours-- it all ran together, blurred by the pain. His entire body felt extremely sore and sensitive, causing the slightest twitch of a muscle to hurt. The unconscious kitsune thrashed around, instinctively trying to escape from the torment, which only intensified it exponentially. Hiei's body jerked with Kurama's, the fire demon no longer having the strength to stifle his body's natural reactions to the agony.

Without warning, every nerve seemed to explode, bringing with it a whole new realm of torture. The fire demon's breath caught in his throat, his entire body becoming rigid, although he was trembling uncontrollably. There were a few seconds of excruciating anguish before Hiei's restraints broke. He couldn't take any more. Throwing back his head, Hiei screamed, finally giving voice to the torturous pain consuming him.

. . .

Outside, the fight was not going too well. Severely out-numbered and significantly weakened, it had been a long, hard battle. Kuwabara had been blind-sided by a tree and knocked out, forcing Yuusuke and Genkai to spread out even further, covering his side. Despite all their efforts, more than a few plants had gotten past them and into the temple. Not having energy to spare, Genkai could only hope that Yukina had been able to take care of them.

Everything, even the plants, in the courtyard froze as a blood-curdling shriek rent the air. The animalistic cry of pain seemed to reverberate off the temple walls, growing louder as a second voice joined in. Although the voices themselves were unidentifiable, there were only two people to whom they could belong. The two remaining fighters in the courtyard knew this did not bode well for their friends. With renewed vigor and more than a little desperation, they redoubled their efforts and continued on, plowing through the greenery of which there seemed to be no end.

. . .

Yukina jumped as her charges screamed behind her. The sound almost broke her heart and it took all her willpower to keep from turning around. There was nothing she could do for them and it would only be a distraction. So, she ignored it, resisting the urge to cover her ears as tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor.

. . .

Genkai looked around, wearily. She had no idea how much time had passed since Hiei had given Kurama the antidote, but it seemed that the barrage of plants was finally over. Slowly, she made her way over to the temple, sinking down against one of the posts. I'm too old for this, she thought, bringing up her legs and resting her forehead on her knees, trying to bring her breathing under control. She knew she should go check on Hiei and Kurama, as she couldn't sense either of them, but she was too tired to rouse herself. I'll get up in a minute, she thought, closing her eyes.

Yuusuke punched a flower, angling his body and letting gravity do the work rather than put any force behind it. Shaking the pollen off his hand, he looked around, searching for more greenery. Realizing there were no more plants, the black-haired teen collapsed, too tired to do anything more than lie on the ground, panting.

Inside Kurama's room, the temperature had lowered drastically. The doorway and window were filled with various frozen plants, blocking off the only exits from the room. Yukina stood, her breathing a little heavier than normal, as she surveyed the plants. She cocked her head to the side, listening intently for sounds of fighting outside. With a jolt, she realized that not only had the fighting stopped, but also there was no noise coming from either Kurama or Hiei. Apprehensively, she looked behind her. Kurama had kicked his blankets off although he had somehow managed to stay on his futon, despite his thrashing. Hiei was lying face down on the floor beside him, still clutching the redhead's wrist. Both were completely still.

Yukina's breath caught in her throat as she rushed over, gently easing Hiei onto his back. Her heart pounded in her chest as she leaned over him, her cheek resting just above his mouth. She placed her other hand on his chest. His skin was cool to the touch, but she gave a choked laugh as she felt his chest rise, his breath scarcely ruffling her hair as he exhaled. She smiled, relief flooding through her as she pushed some of the sweat-damp hair off of his face.

She moved on to Kurama, placing her fingers against his neck. His skin was a little colder than Hiei's and his heartbeat was faint, but he was alive. His chest rose slightly, his shallow breath barely misting in the frigid air.

Yukina sat between the two for a minute or so, relishing the fact that they had both survived and would recover. Belatedly, she realized that she would need another futon for Hiei, as it didn't look like he planned on waking up anytime in the near future. Waving her arm, she caused the frozen plants to shatter, clearing the window and doorway. A warm breeze wafted through the room, brushing Yukina's cheek and making her realize exactly why Hiei and Kurama were so cold to the touch. I shouldn't have let the temperature drop this far! Not only is it bad for Kurama's human body, but Hiei is a fire demon! His body temperature needs to be kept even higher than Kurama's! How could I have let this happen?! I could have killed them both! she berated herself, hurrying out into the hall. She stopped short, realizing something. Hiei. When I realized they weren't moving, my immediate concern was for Hiei. I should have checked Kurama first, but... It's strange. I barely know him, yet...I love him. Not as a mate, but it is definitely more than a friend. Why do I feel this way...? She shook her head, continuing down the hall. It doesn't matter, I can ponder it later. Right now, I have people that need me to take care of them.

Retrieving a futon and several extra blankets from one of the other rooms, Yukina laid the bed out on the floor next to the redhead, managing to pull Hiei onto it and covering them both with numerous blankets. Despite her best efforts, she could not remove the fire demon's hand from Kurama's arm.

After making Hiei and Kurama as comfortable as possible, Yukina realized that she hadn't seen anyone else. Hurrying outside, she spotted Genkai leaning against one of the posts on the porch. "Master Genkai?" she asked, tentatively.

Genkai raised her head, half-lidded eyes gazing up at Yukina. "How are they?"

"They're both unconscious, but fine other than that," she informed her, beaming.

The older psychic managed a small smile. "Glad to hear that. Could you help me inside? I'm not as young as I used to be."

Yukina helped Genkai up and supported her as they walked to her room. The ice maiden laid out the futon and Genkai sank onto it, not even bothering to change. "You're probably going to be the only one awake for a while. You can either help Yuusuke inside or cover him with a blanket-- I doubt he'll know the difference. No one was badly wounded, so if you have any energy left, I think now would be a good time to heal some of Hiei's injuries. Although, don't drain yourself too much. The Dimwit destroyed most of the wards around the temple, so we're pretty much open to attack from any demon that happens to be wandering by. I would stick to herbal remedies until Yuusuke or I wake up," Genkai instructed, closing her eyes.

Yukina nodded, leaving the room to tend to the others in the courtyard.

. . .

Murmured voices drifted through his mind, a word here and there making sense, but most of it slipping away as though it was a foreign language. The blackness, so warm and comforting, was receding and gradually being replaced with darker shades of orange as light filtered through his eyelids. His entire body felt heavy, as if it were made of lead, and extremely sore. Even if he had had enough strength to attempt it, moving did not sound like a good idea. The voices seemed to become louder and, although he was still having trouble focusing on the words, he could identify the speakers. Yukina... Genkai... The strong smell of disinfecting antibiotics assaulted his nose, pushing him closer to consciousness. His mind began to clear a little, the words becoming comprehensible.

"...held on tight," Genkai was saying.

"Yes, Kurama was trying to pull away, but Hiei refused to let him go," Yukina said. He vaguely registered that someone's hand was on his arm, pulling it.

"The shrimp's got a good grip, I'll give him that. We'll need a crowbar to get his hand off." Kuwabara's here, as well, he thought. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he opened his eyes. He squinted, blinking a few times until his eyes adjusted to the light, before glancing around. The room seemed to be moving, but he could make out Yukina sitting directly on his left before he had to close his eyes as nausea gripped his stomach. It settled after a few seconds and he chanced opening his eyes again, keeping them half-lidded. Genkai and Kuwabara weren't in his immediate line of sight, although the room was still tilting a bit. He briefly considered turning his head, but quickly discounted the idea. His head felt as heavy as the rest of his body and he had the oddest notion that if he tried to move, it would fall off. He settled for listening to the conversation instead.

"...hiryuu's venom?" Yukina was saying.

"I didn't want to, but it doesn't seem like we have any other choice. You're sure you know which one it is? Hiei really doesn't need any more poison in his system, right now," Genkai replied.

"Yes, I thought it might be useful, so he said I could keep it."

"Alright, but only a little bit. We need to relax his hand to the point we can pry his fingers off, not numb the entire limb."

The hand was removed from his arm and he saw Yukina pull something out of her pocket. It looked like a small vial containing some sort of milky liquid. She uncorked it, leaning forward and out of his line of sight. What's going on? he wondered, confused. He considered voicing his question, but figured it would be easier to wait and find out. He didn't feel like doing anything more than going back to sleep, but his curiosity kept his eyes open, looking for answers.

Presently, he felt an unpleasant tingling in his hand as circulation was restored. Yukina sat back, rubbing the swollen fingers to get the blood flowing through them again. She jumped as her eyes met his. "Kurama! You're awake!"

He managed a weak smile as Genkai's and Kuwabara's heads also came into view. "How are you feeling, dude?" Kuwabara asked.

"Weak," Kurama managed to say, his voice raspy. "Tired."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Kuwabara replied.

He figured that since he had their attention he might as well get some answers. "Happened?" he asked, his voice little louder than a whisper.

"Hiei brought back all of the ingredients for the antidote last night and it was given to you this morning," Genkai explained. "You've been asleep all day."

"Hiei?" he repeated, softly. I vaguely recall sensing him before. Where is he now? "Where?"

"He's resting." At Kurama's confused look, Genkai elaborated. "His energy is a bit low. He stayed up all last night creating the remedy and entered your mind this morning, acting as your support while the antidote cleared the poison from your body."

Yukina scooted back, allowing Kurama to see Hiei lying on a futon next to him. The fire demon was pale and looked utterly worn. His chest and right arm were wrapped in bandages, the rest of him covered in blankets. Kurama's eyes moved back to Genkai. "Heal?" he whispered, questioningly.

She shook her head. "We can't. Until he wakes up, his Jagan will not allow any outside energy to tamper with his body, either reiki or youki. So far, we've only been able to apply salve and bandage his wounds," she explained.

Kurama blinked slowly, his eyes not opening quite as far as they had previously. They were getting harder to keep open, but there was still more he wanted to know. Genkai smiled at his efforts to stay awake. "Sleep now, Kurama. You've lost a lot of energy, as well. Your questions can be answered later."

Although unhappy about it, he knew he couldn't stay awake much longer and Genkai was right in as far as he needed to replenish the energy he'd lost. Sighing softly, Kurama allowed his eyes to fall closed once more, his body relaxing as oblivion claimed him.

. . .

There was a knock on the large doors across from a wooden desk covered with large stacks of papers. Behind the desk sat a toddler dressed in blue, pulling papers off of one stack, stamping them and placing them on another stack. "Enter," he called, talking around the pacifier in his mouth.

The doors opened enough for Botan to slip through. Smiling, she made her way to his desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He looked up. "Ah, there you are. I haven't received a notice of death for the past few hours, so I assume that the problem with Kurama has been taken care of?" he asked.

"Yes, it has. Hiei finished gathering everything last night, and Kurama was given the remedy this morning. With a little rest, they'll both be as good as new in no time!" she said, enthusiastically.

"Well, it's about time. I guess I can throw these away now," he said, picking up a large pile of papers and dumping them in the trash.

Botan looked a little worried. "Um, Koenma-sama, aren't those C.E.Ds-- Certificates of Eminent Death? Don't you need to keep those?"

"Normally, yes, but according to your report, Kurama is still alive."

Botan's eyes widened as she looked at the large stack. "Then, those were all for Kurama?" she asked, a little shocked by the number of close calls he'd had in the past week.

George walked in, interrupting them. "I'm sorry, Koenma-sama, but there's another problem. It seems that one of the souls that was supposed to be picked up last week was, uh, missed," he explained, handing a paper to the toddler.

Koenma took the paper, skimming over it. "Botan, you're dismissed to attend to your duties," he said. The blue-haired girl bowed, exiting the room. "How did this happen, ogre?"

"Well, apparently a C.E.D. was received and a ferry girl was dispatched to pick up the soul. But, when she arrived, she couldn't find the soul or the body," the blue ogre explained.

"Hm. Shimogoe, lower E class, killed by another demon last Friday?! Today is Wednesday, so his soul's been missing for six days?! Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?!" the toddler demanded, his pacifier practically flying out of his mouth as he yelled.

"Uh..."

"Can we even confirm that he has died?" Koenma asked, sitting back in his chair.

"We have people checking it out right now."

Koenma groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Father is going to kill me..."

. . .

Kurama slept all through the night and late into the morning. As his mind drifted towards consciousness, a soft humming filled his ears. Opening his eyes, he saw Yukina sitting with her back to him, bent over Hiei. She was humming a soft tune as she worked.

"That is a beautiful melody," he commented, interrupting her.

She turned around. "Oh, good morning, Kurama-san!" she greeted him. "It is a lovely song, isn't it? My mother used to sing it to me. So, do you feel like eating anything?"

"Not really," he admitted. She looked at him disapprovingly and Kurama laughed. "However, I don't believe I have much choice in the matter, do I? I will try to eat something if it will make you happy," he responded.

Yukina smiled, pleased. "Let me finish dressing Hiei's arm and I will go make you something."

Kurama propped himself up on his elbows so he could see. The ice maiden was about halfway done wrapping the arm, but the redhead could still see some of the wounds. There were several deep cuts that appeared to have been made by claws or possibly teeth. They were red and inflamed, obviously infected, but Kurama noted that not one of the gashes cut into the tattoo of the black dragon coiled around Hiei's arm.

Kurama's eyes drifted past Hiei's arm, taking in the fire demon's overall appearance. "Has he woken up at all?"

"No," she replied, softly.

"Yukina-san, what happened to Hiei? There are not many creatures that could take him by surprise, and even fewer that could injure him. What happened?" he asked.

Yukina tied off the bandage, shaking her head. "I don't know, Kurama-san. I believe he was in the Makai for five days, searching for the ingredients for your antidote, but I do not know how he came by all these injuries. He had these when he returned and he changed the subject whenever I asked. I'll go make you something to eat, now," she said, standing and leaving the room.

Kurama stared at Hiei's still form, pensively. What happened to you, Hiei? You know better than to allow your wounds to get infected. Were you really that worried about me? Kurama's mind drifted back to what Genkai had told him last night. Five days. I don't have much of a recollection of the last day, aside from being in pain. Or, perhaps it is the last two days? Three? Although, I do remember sensing you towards the end, Hiei. Did you really act as my support, suffering through the worst of it with me? Why? A memory surfaced in Kurama's mind. Suzaku, the leader of the Saint Beasts, had been defeated and Kuwabara was giving Yuusuke some of his own energy to save his life. Hiei didn't understand why humans made such sacrifices. The fire demon's words came back to him. "Risking my life for someone else...is not something you'll catch me doing." Kurama shook his head. I remember you speaking those words with such contempt, as if you couldn't stand to be in the same room with someone who would willingly jeopardize their life to help another. And yet, linking my mind to yours when you were severely weakened... Why? You have stood by your beliefs for hundreds of years-- what made you change your mind now?

Kurama's sensitive nose picked up the aroma of food before Yukina reached the door. The smell interrupted his musings, making him realize just how hungry he actually was. I suppose abstaining from food for a few days will do that to a person, he thought, trying to push himself into a sitting position. His weakened body, however, lacked the strength to obey his command.

Yukina slid open the shoji, balancing a tray on one arm while she closed it behind her. Noticing Kurama struggling to sit up, she crossed the room, setting the tray down and helping the redhead into a sitting position. "Master Genkai's not sure if you'll have any side effects from the remedy, so she thought it better not to give you anything solid just yet," she explained, handing him a bowl of broth and supporting him while he drank it.

Kurama accepted it gratefully, sipping some of the warm liquid. It was delicious. "Thank you, Yukina-san. So, tell me what has happened while I was incapacitated. I seem to recall Yuusuke and Kuwabara being here. Have they returned to their homes?" he asked, drinking the broth.

"Yuusuke-san and Kazuma-san are still here. Master Genkai has them both replacing the wards around the temple," she explained.

"Replacing the wards? Whatever for?"

"Well, Yuusuke-kun got a bit carried away with his Shotgun and destroyed most of them," she replied.

"Shotgu-- oh, yes. The plants were attacking the temple, I believe," Kurama said, pulling pieces of information from the haze of pain that covered his memories of the past few days. "And Botan has returned to Reikai, I take it?"

"Yes. She was only here to help keep you alive until the remedy could be found," she explained.

"I see." Kurama drained the last of the broth from the bowl, setting the empty container aside. The redhead felt like lying down and going back to sleep; but instead he looked up, meeting the ice koorime's eyes. "Yukina-san, tell me. What day is it today?"

"It's Thursday, one week after you were poisoned. Hiei found the demon responsible, but he didn't tell anyone why he was after you. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up," she said, her worried gaze drifting back to the comatose fire demon.

It appears that Hiei's condition has made Yukina realize she cares for him deeply, although I doubt she understands why. This is bound to make her treat him differently. Interesting. I wonder how Hiei will react to this when he finds out? Kurama thought, fighting back a yawn. His drooping eyes sought Yukina's once more. "Don't worry. Hiei will be fine," he said, smiling reassuringly.

"I know he will. He's strong," she said, softly. She shook her head. "I'm supposed to be the one telling you that you will both be all right, not the other way around," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She suddenly noticed the slump of his shoulders and sleepy eyes as Kurama fought to stay awake. "Although, if you want to get better, you need to rest," she chided him gently, pushing down on his shoulders.

Kurama didn't fight against Yukina as she forced him to lie back on the futon. "I've done nothing but sleep for the past few days. You can hardly blame me for wishing to remain awake a while longer," he replied.

Yukina looked at him, frowning slightly, although she couldn't quite hide her smile. Kurama seemed more like himself than he had all week. "You've been sleeping so much because your body is exhausted. Please, Kurama-san, you need to rest. Everyone's worried about you."

Kurama chuckled. "If all else fails, you use guilt. It is an unfair advantage you have over me. Very well, Yukina-san, I yield. I will go back to sleep," he replied, closing his eyes.

It wasn't more than a few seconds before Kurama's body relaxed as sleep claimed him once again. Yukina smiled softly before turning her worried eyes back to the fire demon who had yet to waken. Please wake up soon, Hiei, she thought, pulling the blankets up to his chin. Please.

. . .

To Be Continued