DISCLAIMER: Do we really have to go through this? I DON'T own Inuyasha or any of the Inuyasha characters or ideas that come from the series. The original characters are my own. If you want to use them in a fic, let me know so I can read the fic.

Drafted Version

AN: Sorry for the delay. I've sent this first part to Wolfluv already, so if there are any crazy errors, they should be resolved. Hope you like, the second part of this chapter is on its way very soon.

"Do we know what caused their injuries?" the healer asked briefly stopping to speak with the wolf prince.

"Not a clue. How's Ginta?"

"He's beaten up pretty badly, but nothing to serious," she replied, while glancing at the hanyou in Kouga's arms. "Take him in the second room, get his clothes off and I'll be in as soon as I'm done with Ginta", the healer said, as she quickly rushed into the other room with an arm full of herbs and bandages.

Kouga, still caught up in the all the confusion surrounding the recent events, could only do as he was told. He quickly rushed Inuyasha into the second medical room and placed him gently on the bed.

"Inuyasha, can you hear me?" Kouga whispered hoping for a response.

The half demon merely laid there. The only signs of life were the quick gasps for air and the occasional moan of pain.

"Inuyasha…Im sorry I have to do this, but I need to prep you for the healer so she can get a better look at your wounds.

Kouga began taking Inuyasha's clothes off. With each article of clothing that came off, Kouga could help but wince at the wounds that Inuyasha received during his latest battle. There were bruises and gashes covering his chest and arms. To top it off, the half demon looked nearly starved to death. His ribs were beginning to show. There wasn't much left of Inuyasha, other than skin and bones.

"Geeezz, Mutt face," Kouga whispered under his breath, "how were you even able to run out of hear this morning, let alone fight another demon, win and carry Ginta back before you managed to collapse?"

Kouga then took a deep breath, "well let's get this over with," he mumbled as he began to pull Inuyasha's pants off. "Dog breath, you better not decide to wake up now, 'cause I don't want to have to explain myself right now."

As the waist of his pants past his thigh, Kouga noticed the huge gash on Inuyasha's right leg. The gash alone didn't worry him so much. It was the green foam that was all around the wound. He slowly sniffed at the wound and the smell of venom and rotting flesh hit him hard. Then a new wave a panic set in.

"KETSUI!!" Kouga shouted as he quickly finished removing Inuyasha's pants.

"What? What happened?" the healer asked as she came running in the door.

"It was a scorpion demon," Kouga said as he showed the healer the wound on Inuyasha's leg.

"Quick, I need you to get some clean cloths and both hot and cold water. When you get back, I will have a list of thing that I need to treat him." Ketsui stated as she began making a list of herbs and other supplies she would need to help the injured hanyou.

Kouga quickly left the room to get the first items needed. Meanwhile, she quickly continued to check Inuyasha for any other serious wounds that that would also need immediate treatment.

"…not gonna…leave…you here…"

Ketsui, listened to his ramblings as she felt for a temperature. Sure enough, the venom was taking effect. Fever had set in and the hanyou was indeed fighting for his life.

Kouga quickly returned with the water and the cloths requested by Ketsui. "How is he?" Kouga asked. Concern was clear in his voice.

"Not well, but it's good that he is here with us," she said handing Kouga a list. "I need you to send the best trackers to gather these herbs."

Kouga looked at the list. "Wouldn't it be faster if I just gathered them myself?"

"Not if you sent multiple teams to gather them. Also, I need you here in case he wakes up. He will be in a lot of pain and in a strange place. You are the only one that he may be comfortable around. If his heart rate picks up, it will cause the venom to spread through is his system faster."

Kouga looked at her and agreed.

"Now hurry and get some teams on that and get back here and help me clean and take care of some of the other wounds," Ketsui said as she dipped one of the cloths in the hot water and began to carefully clean the gash on Inuyasha's leg.

Meanwhile, Kouga headed to the entrance of the den and summoned the packs best and fastest trackers. "Listen up… I need you to break up into to teams and gather the ingredients on this list," Kouga began, "this is a matter of life or death…"

"…Did something happen?" one of the demons asked. "Will Ginta be…"

"Ginta will be fine; he is resting as we speak. These herbs are for Inuyasha. We discovered that it was a scorpion demon that they encountered earlier. Ginta has a few broken bones, but Inuyasha has more serious injuries and he all took a large amount of venom, and it is slowing killing him."

"Good riddance…" a voice began.

Before the demon was able to finish his comment, Kouga had grabbed him by the neck and held him against the side of the den entrance. "what were you saying Mazui?" he asked as his eye briefly flashed red. Mazui wasn't able to answer. Kouga's grip was preventing him from breathing and he was slowly turning blue. "Don't you ever speak down about him again," Kouga began again. His voice was seething with rage.

"Boss! Let him, go," another demon chimed in, "he didn't mean it."

Kouga released is grip on the other demon and he fell to the ground gasping for air. Kouga was a little shaken up as well. He nearly killed one of his pack mates over a comment about Inuyasha.

"What the fuck!? Whhhy did you stop? He deserved to die for even thinking ill about our mate. You are weak!"

Ignoring the demon speaking in his head. "I-I'm sorry Mazui," Kouga quickly apologized to his pack mate. "Here's the list from Ketsui," Kouga said handing the list to one of the other demons and quickly retreated back into the den.

Mazui stood up after regaining his breath. "Kouga is crazy," he began, "I knew he was a little off when he first came to this pack killed Fuubi and took control of the pack…but to get so aggressive over the life of a half demon?"

"Mazui, have you been hiding under a rock for these past few years?" Zurui, the female demon that just spoke up for him, asked.

"What do you mean? Inu-whats-his-face, has always been getting in Kouga's way every time he went to see that miko. Why is it that Kouga's willing to kill for him now and especially over just a few words?

"Gezz, how is it that you are one of the elite trackers in this pack? You can't even follow the clues right in front of you." Zurui said looking over the list of herbs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mazui asked, offended.

Zurui let out a sigh. "Ok, I'm gonna spell this out for you, then we need to get a few more to help us get all of these ingredients… "First, Kouga always went to see Kagome to woo her, right?"

"Yea, so…" Mazui replied.

"So, as a good tracker, you noticed Kouga's scent when he came back to the den."

"Of course, he come back smelling of Kagome and the hanyou."

"Ok, now think back. Did Kouga always have Kagome's scent on him when he returned?" Zurui asked.

"No, but he did have dog boy's scent all over him, which tells me that they fought over Kagome." Mazui says confident and proud of his assumption.

"Good, now up till now I would have agreed with you…"

"What do you mean? Up till now? What do you know that I don't?"

"I'm getting there…Now look back over the past couple of days. Kouga leaves the den in a complete rage, and returns with an unconscious hanyou in his arms. Ginta and Hakkaku come racing back and head for Kouga's chambers in a panic. Then, last night, Kouga puts Ginta and Hakkaku in charge while he stays with the half demon. This morning, inuboy runs out of here, Ginta chases after him. They both return hours later, injured. Kouga orders us to stand down from attacking, rather than killing, the hanyou…"

"Idiot…"

"You want me to finish or what?"

"Yea sure whatever," Mazui says nonchalantly as he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. "what's left? He takes dog boy to Ketsui and then comes back out here with a lists and attacks me cause I said something about his rival."

"Ok, and what does all of that tell you?" Zurui asks.

"That he's crazy."

"Wow, you are dense. You better be glad I like you."

"…"

"Put yourself in Kouga's place," Zurui tries one last time. "Other than to take over leadership, why would you try to kill a pack mate?"

"That's stupid, the only reason I would even think about of attacking another pack mate was if they tried anything against…you…" the light just click in his head and everything became clear. "Are you saying that Kouga…"

"…loves the hanyou." Zurui finished for him.

"But, then that would mean…"

"…that you are lucky to be alive for wishing ill will against Kouga's possible mate," Zurui finished with a smirk on her face.

Mazui, collapsed to the ground. The realization of what he had just done was finally taking its full effect.

"Well while you come to terms with your near death experience, I'm going to get a few others to help use gather these herbs." She said heading back into the den. She stopped and leaned over and whispered into Mazui's ear, "it's nice to know, you would kill for me." She then disappeared into the den.