Mocha Latte
-Kitty
Chapter 19: Yan Du Xian
The line between awake and sleep blurred and for a long, protracted moment, his dreams blended into his reality. His mind moved slowly, groggily, and it was a monumental effort to simply raise his eyelids. His senses dull, it was a while before he recognized a presence in the room. And though initially tensing in response to the perceived intruder, the press of groggy fatigue weighed heavily on his consciousness, pressing out a groan as his body failed to respond to his mind. The tinkle of her giggle revealed her identity and he could only huff a short sigh in response. He heard her move and even following her with his ears proved too demanding. The fatigue pulled on every limb and joint. His body ached when he tried to command it and finally, he heaved another laborious sigh of resignation.
"Must be a whole new experience," her voice said from across the room, laughter clearly evident in the lilt of her tone, "I'm guessing you've never been sick like this before."
He barely had the energy to grunt.
Through the haze of brain fog and the stabbing headache, he vaguely heard her sigh as she moved to stand. A cool hand gently caressed his forehead and for a weak, trembling moment, he thought he would weep for the relief of the sensation. With both a physical relief of easing the heat of his fever and the emotional balm it was to feel the care of another person, he felt he finally could muster the strength to crack open his golden eyes and squint blearily up at his caretaker.
Her face beamed down at him, a soft smile and a warm gaze. There was amusement swimming in her eyes, and also, a spark of pride.
"It was really good of you though, to volunteer your body like this," she said, her hand shifting to cool his hot, sweaty cheek, "Miyuki also wanted to thank you."
He had trouble focusing on her words, only truly capable of appreciating how good it felt to shed some small fraction of his fever into her cool fingers.
"She should be done with her business soon," Kagome continued, "In the meantime, how bout some soup?"
He mourned her departure as her fingertips lifted off of his forehead. It didn't matter that she was nearby and returning soon, in his fevered daze, the world consisted only of his aching body and its immediate vicinity. He wanted her right next to him. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been so needy. Was this how illness affected humans? How could their soft, mortal bodies take such a powerful, consuming agony?
His musings didn't last long and soon he returned to feeling sorry for himself, occasionally seeking out Kagome with his senses until she finally returned. As congested and feverish as he was, it took his nose several seconds to notice the thick, salty scent she returned with.
"Here," her voice said, soft and gentle, "Let's help you sit up."
It took every ounce of willpower he had to help her help him into a roughly seated position. His sheets were soaked through and clung to his skin as he shifted. He grimaced as a soft light was turned on but he managed to bite back his grunt of protest, squinting his eyes open again to glance at her.
She gave him another sympathetic smile, leaning toward him with a hand raised. A powerful wave of relief surged through him to feel the cool, damp cloth press against his forehead and his eyes fluttered closed without him realizing it.
"Come on now, open up," he heard her say distantly. Cracking open his eyes once more, his gaze was met with a wide, dripping spoon, the liquid inside shining with fat globules of oil, and the mouthwatering scent of the salty broth cleared his nose.
It was a small effort to respond to her order, but once the broth swept into his mouth, he was already craving the next spoonful. The fat coated his parched, cracked lips and pork was soft enough to press apart with just the smallest force from his tongue. He felt the dazed cloud lift from his mind and the next time he blinked, his eyes were sharper and more focused. Kagome smiled to see his response.
"Like it?" she asked him, "It's my mom's recipe."
"Good. More."
She giggled at his limited vocabulary but answered his request nonetheless. It was a slow task, being hand fed spoonful by spoonful, and to be treated this way by anyone else would have been insufferable. With Kagome however, he only groaned now and again, but not to protest the tender treatment. Instead, to solicit care, the touch of her cool hands against his face, another spoonful of soup.
Eventually, their dying client was able to complete her last earthly wishes, departing peacefully, and the spell was broken. His fever lifted and his aches faded. When he woke, his eyes opened to find Kagome's dark head resting against his side, her breathing deep and rhythmic. Her hunched posture didn't look at all comfortable and he moved carefully, shifting her into the bed and under the covers. It was now his turn to stand vigil and he savored the peace in the little apartment. One long stretch to work out the residual effects of the sickness, one long breath to appreciate being alive. One carefully clawed hand brushing a dark lock from her sleeping face.
…
A/N: hey folks! It's been a while. Sorry if this update is a little sloppy, life's been a whirlwind lately. I'm apparently a magical pony of mastitis and have been getting it over and over these last few months :( it's not that serious and easily treated but still, i figured i'd at least turn the experience into fanfic fodder… not sure exactly what illness Inuyasha has in this chapter but let's just say it's deadly for humans...?
Yan du xian is a soup my mom used to make all the time. It's salty and brothy and something i often crave when i'm not feeling well.
