Disclaimer: InuYasha is not mine, and will never be mine. Which makes me happy, 'cause then I can't ruin the story.

Chapter Eight: Return from the Edge

InuYasha didn't wake up from his unconsciousness until three days later. He woke up slowly, not even opening his eyes until he heard soft crying above him.

"InuYasha…" His ears perked forward. Kagome was crying. He tried to move to sit up, but his limbs wouldn't respond. He opened his yes and look up at Kagome, and tried to talk.

"Kagome…" it came out in a choked whisper. He tried again. "Kagome." It came out slightly louder, loud enough to make her actually look at him. She had been pointedly looking to the side as she cried, trying not to see the poor hanyou lying unconscious on the futon in front of her. She stared at him.

"InuYasha…are you feeling any better?" she said, when she saw him trying to move. "Try not to move. The poison is leaving your body, but slowly."

Her only response was a "Keh." as the hanyou kept trying to sit up. She pushed him back. "Don't InuYasha. We almost…" her voice broke a little, as she thought about the past few days. "We almost lost you…"

He stopped struggling, and lay still on the futon. "Kagome…I'm sorry for being weak like this…" She just looked at him for a moment, as she took in what he said.

"InuYasha! That poison would have killed anyone else, and would have even put a youkai close to death! You're strong if you could survive it!" She looked at him, one long, hard stare. "Now, will you please sleep? I'm still worried, and you need rest to fight the rest of the poison out."

He sighed and closed his eyes…'Stupid wench…Don't need sleep. Not tired…' his thoughts became less coherent as he fell into a deep sleep.

Kagome watched InuYasha fall asleep, then thought back on the previous few days. If it hadn't been for Kaede, and Sango with Kirara, they would have lost InuYasha to the poison within a few hours after he fainted. She ran her mind through those events.

Flashback

"InuYasha!" She shook the fainted hanyou. "Wake up! Please!"

Her screams woke up Sango, who stumbled up, looking alarmed. "What's wrong!" She cried to Kagome.

"He was awake! He was talking, and fine, and then he fainted! The poison…it must be weakening him!" Kagome clutched the hanyou's haori, as if to hold his soul in his body. "We have to do something!" She was panicking.

"Calm down! Let's wake Kaede, she should know a remedy, or at least something to help." Sango grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Come on."

Kaede was already awake, having heard Kagome's screams. "Child, calm down. I heard ye from my sleep. Ye need a cure, correct?" Sango nodded as Kagome steadfastly refused to let go of the hanyou.

"Sango, I will need your help. Ye will need to take me on Kirara to a waterfall, preferably one near a cold river." Sango nodded, and with a last glance, called Kirara as she moved outside, Kaede following.

They flew for an hour, setting down at waterfall after waterfall. Finally Kaede had found the plant she had needed. Clambering aboard Kirara, they hurried back.

InuYasha was worse. His whole arm black, and a portion of his chest. Kagome had pulled him down to the floor, and sat with his head in her lap. Kaede moved quickly to her rooms, and came out with several dried herbs, a mortar and pestle, and some water. Mixing them expertly, she ground the fresh leaves of the plant into a few other herbs, mixed it with water, and set the whole thing to boil on the fire.

After a few minutes, the potion had boiled long enough. Setting it out of the fire, they let it cool, before sitting InuYasha up, and forcing some of it in his mouth. He instinctively swallowed, and they put him back down on the futon, to let him sleep.

Kagome stayed by his side for all three days.

end Flashback

Kagome sighed. He was getting better though. His arm was almost back to normal, aside from a blackness around the still gaping wound.

She leaned against the wall, and half an hour later, as the morning sun rose, it shed light on her still, sleeping form.