I can't do this!
Kagome was panicking.
Don't doctors have to go through medical school for years for this sort of thing?! I haven't even finished high school! Kaede only taught me about healing herbs and natural poison remedies, I don't know how to birth a baby!
Several hours had passed since they rescued Kohaku, and Sango had been correct in her fear: the baby was coming tonight. Kagome guessed that all the stress of losing her brother after hunting him for so long and then his revival had caused the taijiya to go into labor.
But is this the right time? What if it's too early? How will I know if everything's ok?
Kirara was too injured to fly at the moment, and even if she weren't they were too far away from Kaede's village to return for help. There were no other villages nearby, they were out in the middle of the demon infested wilderness. This is where Sango would have to give birth.
It wasn't long after the taijiya announced her predicament that her water broke. Inuyasha told them that they'd need to leave the clifftop at once.
"The scent of blood and the cries of a woman in pain? Demon or not, anything looking for an easy meal will be out here as soon as they hear her," The hanyou had said before he picked up the slayer and made his way for the line of trees at the far end of the rocky outcrop, moving slowly so as not to cause her any further pain. Kagome trotted after them, Miroku, Risu, and Kirara helping the wobbly Kohaku keep up as his strength returned. Sesshomaru and his children rejoined their group, and together the ten of them disappeared under the cover of the forest just as the first drops of rain from the approaching storm began to hit.
Now, as Sango lay in a mossy crook between the roots of a beech tree, Kagome couldn't help but wish that Kohana was here. At least the other girl had actually birthed a child and would know what to expect. Kagome felt lost and helpless as she watched her friend whimper in pain as her body convulsed once more.
What do I do? Sango needs real help, what if something bad happens? She hit the ground during the fight, what if the baby isn't ok? What if Sango's too tired to do this? What if it doesn't come out? What if she needs a C-section?! What if they don't…
"Kagome," A hand rested on her shoulder and the miko exhaled the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She turned and looked at Inuyasha, who was gesturing towards the tree where the woman in labor lay.
"Sango needs you," Inuyasha said, his voice calm, "She can't do this on her own." He looked back at Kagome, and the miko slowly nodded.
He's right. I need to stay calm, I'm the only one who can do this, I have to focus.
"Okay," She said. Whether or not she had appropriate medical training, there was one thing that Kagome Higurashi was the best at: helping someone in need. "I can do this…but I'll need your help."
"Just tell us what you need," Inuyasha nodded, letting the miko take charge. Kagome began doing a mental inventory of what she had in her bag while she thought everything that might need to be accounted for. In the distance something howled, the creatures of the night prowling in the distance.
"Even though Naraku has the entire jewel now, I doubt that he is going to ignore us," Miroku warned, standing next to them, "He knows about Sango's weakened state, he may try to take advantage of that tonight."
"Right," Kagome nodded, "Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, I need the two of you to be on guard duty and keep away anything that might try to attack us."
"On it," Inuyasha nodded. Sesshomaru made a sour face and 'hmph'd, clearly unhappy with being given orders from her, but he said nothing and turned away to face the dark forest.
"Okay," Kagome turned back to Miroku, "I have a few towels and a pair of scissors in my bag, but I'm going to need some hot water to sterilize everything and to soak some of the towels." She felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see Rin.
"Futeki and I can help," The girl said. Kagome smiled.
"Allright, the two of you can go fetch some water and Miroku can start a fire for me," the miko knelt down and pulled a few empty plastic bottles from her backpack and handed them to the young girl and the toddler, "I think I can hear a stream not far away, take Sesshomaru with you, and hurry back as fast as you can." The children nodded and ran off to complete their task.
Kagome pulled the rest of the supplies she thought she might need, before heading over to kneel next to Sango. Kohaku was there, holding his sister's hand and murmuring quiet encouragement. Kagome nodded to him, it would do Sango well to have her brother by her side.
"Sango?" Kagome asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," the taijiya panted, her voice quavering with exhaustion, "The pain isn't so bad right now, it only comes after long intervals." Kagome nodded, doing her best to try and remember everything she'd ever heard about babies and giving birth.
"Okay," the miko nodded, "I think we still have a while to go then. Do you think you can hold on for a while?" Sango gave a slight nod, but tears were beginning to well at the bottom of her eyes.
"Ronuku…" She whispered, "He's not here…."
"Sis," Kohaku uttered, as tears once more began to trickle down Sango's face. Kagome gently took the woman's other hand.
"It's ok," the miko encouraged, "I'm sure that if Ronuku knew you were in labor right now, nothing would keep him from being at your side. But I'm here for you, and so is Kohaku and everyone else. We'll be by your side, and when Ronuku comes back you'll have the most beautiful healthy baby to show him." The taijia looked at her, sorrow still clearly written on her face.
"You're not alone Sango," Kagome said, willing her friend to take strength, "You can do this. We're going to bring your baby into this world."
"You're right…" Sango nodded, blinking the tears away, "Thank you, Kagome."
The miko gently smiled, all of her previous fears hiding at the back of her mind. No matter what, they couldn't let Sango's spirits fall. As she went back to organizing items from her pack, she let Kohaku take over encouraging his sister; the boy telling stories of the happier memories of his childhood as the still injured Kirara curled up next to her mistress and purred.
The night however, was just beginning.
Rin and Futeki returned with the water, and Miroku was able to get a good fire started despite the rain. The light projected their presence through the woods, and it wasn't long before the beasts of the night began closing in on them. Wolves, giant birds, and demons all began attacking at intervals sensing the woman in distress. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru decimated them before any got close, but this forced the rest of them to form a tight circle around Sango and Kagome knew that this would only stress the soon to be mother more than she already was.
The miko reflected on how exhausted the rest of them were. On the run from demons for days on end, none of them had gotten any proper rest or food in a long while. Rin was showing it the worst, bags forming under the girl's eyes as barely healed scratches covered her arms. Miroku looked worn out and feeble, stress lines forming on his brow, and poor Kohaku who'd already died that day had had no time to recover his strength. Futeki was holding up far better, but the boy was still a child and started to nod off every few moments only to wake with a start and growl.
With everything that was happening there would be no sleeping tonight.
Sango's labor gradually progressed. Her contractions, sharp and short at first began to grow longer and closer together as the hours passed. The taijiya's pitiful cries only grew softer, she was drenched in sweat and seemed barely able to keep her eyes open. Kagome grew worried as she wiped a cold cloth across her friend's head. The miko checked every time there was a contraction, but there was no sign of the baby yet.
Sango looks as though she's about to faint, why isn't the baby here yet? The tremor of fear began to worm its way back into Kagome's mind, and she fought it back. I don't know what's going on, but I have to keep helping, we have to stay strong for Sango's sake!
Even so, she remembered what she knew of the Sengoku period from her own era and what she'd heard from this one as well. Childbirth wasn't safe, the medical technology wasn't advanced enough yet. Most babies didn't live past infancy, and women in labor often didn't…
Kagome couldn't bring herself to think the word. She stepped away to soak her washcloth again, wiping the tears from her eyes. She couldn't bear it if she lost her friend, Naraku had already taken Kikyo from Inuyasha and they'd just barely gotten Kohaku back.
Sango can't…she just can't, she has to…
A soft weight enveloped her, and Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha's red haori draped over her.
"Here," the hanyou said, his voice still strangely calm, "The rain's picking up, you or Sango might need it to keep dry."
"The fur of the fire rat…don't you need it too?" Kagome didn't want Inuyasha guarding them without protection. She glanced around, seeing Sesshomaru take out a lone demon. She guessed that there was a lull in the attacks.
"To fight these guys?" The hanyou huffed, "They're nothin' but half-starved wolves and birds; I could take 'em in my sleep." Kagome, usually one to laugh or roll her eyes at Inuyasha's bravado, simply nodded. She wiped more tears from her eyes.
"…Kagome? What…"
"Inuyasha," she confessed quietly, "I'm scared. Sango's exhausted and there's still no sign of the baby. I'm trying to do my best, but I just…what if…what if it's not enough and she…" Before she broke down, Inuyasha reached forward and grasped her hand tightly.
"She's not gonna to die."
"How do you know?" She turned to look at Inuyasha and was surprised by the intensity of his golden gaze.
"Because you're looking after her." He said it as if it were the most absolute thing in the world, and Kagome's fears burned away under the heat of his stare. Inuyasha believed in her, believed that she could save her friends, and that thought alone was enough to give her strength.
Inuyasha…, she smiled at him, grateful that he was by her side, Thank you.
Before the two of them were able to realize just how close they were and start blushing, Sango cried out once more, her voice piercing through the night.
"Kagome!" Miroku called, and the miko shot up and raced back over towards the taijiya.
"Here," Kagome handed Inuyasha's haori to Miroku and Kohaku, "Spread this out above her, make sure she stays dry." The two nodded and did as they were told. The miko looked to the taijiya.
"Sango, how bad is the pain this time?"
"It…hurts!" was all she was able to manage through her wails. Kagome moved around and checked under the woman's skirt again.
"…The baby!" Kagome exclaimed, "I can see it!"
"Wh-what?" Sango uttered
"Yes," Kagome nodded, "Sango, I can see the baby's head, its coming! You've done great, all you need to do now is push!"
Sango nodded, surprising Kagome by somehow finding new strength and began to push. The next several minutes were tense, Kohaku and Miroku held the haori up against the rain, letting their free hands be crushed by Sango's immense strength as she suddenly gripped them with each contraction and scream. Kirara gently licked her mistress' face, while Rin waited nearby with a towel. The beasts drawn in by the birthing cries never got anywhere close.
Through the entire process, Kagome encouraged the new mother onwards, never once letting anyone give up.
A new voice cried out, the baby screaming at the top of its lungs as it was thrust out into a new world.
"The…the baby?" Sango called out weakly, "Is it ok…?"
"Yes!" Kagome nodded, wrapping the infant into the towel held by Rin. The miko's heart flew with joy, and new happy tears sprang from her eyes, "Yes Sango, she's ok!"
"Oh wow," Rin breathed, awestruck at what she had just seen, "It's a girl!" Futeki's tail wagged as he sat at his sister's feet, sniffing the new bundle.
"L-let me see her," Sango demanded, and her squirming daughter was passed up into her arms.
"That's...that's my niece," Kohaku's eyes were wide.
"She certainly is a beauty," Miroku added.
"Yes," Sango said, "She is." The new mother began to sob, overcome with emotion, "You're here at last." The red-faced infant continued to scream, a new life crying out loudly to the world. Sango cuddled the girl; recognizing her mother's voice the baby soon began to quiet.
"A girl, huh? Wonder how Ronuku's going to handle that." Kagome jumped, startled at hearing Inuyasha's voice from right behind her. The hanyou looked at the new baby, his ears twitching as they adjusted to the new noise.
"He's going to love her of course!" The miko defended their absent friend.
"Well duh!" The hanyou retorted, "I meant, you know…he's not the type of guy you'd expect to see raising a girl." His words seemed harsh, but Inuyasha was smirking. As he gazed at the baby it was clear to Kagome that he was just as happy as the rest of them.
"Don't forget about Sango," Kagome said, smiling on her own, "I'm sure she'll do just fine te-" The taijiya's eyes widened as she suddenly cried out in pain again. Everyone's eyes widened, and the baby began to scream again.
"Sango? What's wrong?" Kagome shouted.
"The…pain," the taijiya winced, "It's back!" Heart pounding, Kagome checked over Sango and looked under her skirt again. The miko gasped.
"There's another baby!"