Chapter Two

"Inuyasha, you need to stop blaming yourself." Miroku said. They had been walking all night, Inuyasha determined not to stop for anything. They'd meet their share of demons inside the forest that they were traveling in, but Inuyasha had taken quick care of them before they knew what was hitting them.

"Who says I'm blaming myself." Inuyasha growled. He wished Miroku would shut up and run faster. They were only about a half mile away from Kieda's village and he wanted to get there. It already pissed him off that it had taken them most of the night to get where they were. 'It's all those demons faults; they keep getting in my way.'

"Inuyasha don't even try to say you don't, show some integrity for my intelligence and not try and lie to me, I know you remember?"

"Fine, but if it hadn't been for me, she'd never had gotten hurt. I should have blown that demon to smithereens when I had the chance, or at least been close enough to reach her before it did." Inuyasha pushed harder, but at a walk. He could tell that Miroku was tiring. They reached the sacred tree, the same one where Kikyo had pinned him for fifty years, and were he and Kagome had first met. He turned away from the spot, and couldn't keep from saying. "What if she's dead? If she is, than it's entirely my fault. I promised after Kikyo died that I'd never let anything happen to her, I promised her family." Miroku was facing Inuyasha, and Inuyasha couldn't bear to see the pity or understanding in his eyes right now, he turned and slammed through the woods, they passed the bone eaters well and headed straight for the village.

"Inuyasha, you've finally arrived." Kieda said as he and Miroku walked down the road to her hut. She had been sitting out in her garden relaxing, and enjoying the fresh air, after being inside all night.

"How's Kagome?" He asked, hardly waiting for a reply, when he made a beeline to Kieda's hut.

"She's alive, but barely. She'll be weak for a long while. We need to keep her still, so that she doesn't reopen her wounds; and Inuyasha!" She said this very sternly, so much in fact that Inuyasha stopped before going inside the hut. "She doesn't need to be under any stress. So be nice." Keida scowled.

Inuyasha looked defeated as he answered. "I know." He moved aside the door flap and entered the room. The sights that met his eyes almost made him leave the room, in anger. Kagome was lying on Kieda's pallet, very still and pale. She was covered in bandages from her neck to below the sheet around her waist. She also had her left hand in a sling across her chest. Inuyasha for a moment thought that she was dead, until he saw the up and down movement of her chest. Sango was sitting next to her wiping off blood from her hands. Sango got up, carrying a bloody rag and bowl of also red water. She passed by him with hardly any show that she knew he was there. Inuyasha knew it wasn't because she was mad, but because she was tired. He nodded to her and went to Kagome's side. He set his tetseiaga in a corner near him and Kagome; there he noticed a pile of bloodied rags, bandages, and Kagome's torn and bloody clothes. Kieda came over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"She's very lucky you know. The demon didn't get any vital organs, but he did nick her stomach, and there's probably blood left in her stomach so we'll need to watch her closely for a while. You know as well as I that stomach wounds take time to heal. The pressure issued by the snake broke two ribs and her left arm. The breaking of her ribs is what made her pass out, thankfully. She's lost a lot of blood, she'll be weak and helpless, so I'm glad your back." When Inuyasha didn't answer she added. "She'll be fine."

The reason Inuyasha hadn't said anything was that all the worry that had been building up inside him since Kagome had lain in his arms, the night before, had began to loosen; it wasn't gone all the way but it had loosened quite considerably. "Good, because without her we won't be able to find the rest of the jewel shards." Kieda suppressed a laugh; she knew that he'd been worried.

"Yes well, Kagome, needs her sleep. So don't disturb her. If anything happens we'll be outside." With that Kieda, smiling to herself walked out the door.

A week had passed, and Kagome still hadn't awoken. Inuyasha never left her side, except for when Kieda and Sango needed to change Kagome's bandages and wash her. He also left to take care of his more personal needs. Lately he had become more insistent on helping Sango and Kieda take care of Kagome's other needs; such as feeding her broth and water to keep her strength up, he also washed her face, neck and arms with a damp cloth when her temperature rose.

As the second week came to an end; Kieda sometimes found Inuyasha asleep awhile watching over Kagome. She wasn't angry or upset with him about it, if truth be told she was glad of it. Over the last two weeks Inuyasha had gotten less sleep than any of them. To their displeasure, in Shippo's words, he'd become a bigger Meany than usual. That's were she found him tonight. She smiled checked on Kagome, and then without waking Inuyasha walked back outside to where the others sat around a fire.

"How are they?" Sango asked when Kieda began to sit down, sighing as she did so.

"They're fine, both sleeping peacefully." She poked at the fire, making sparks fly into the air.

"What ails you, Lady Kieda?" Miroku asked. She looked up; they were all starring at her.

"I'm worried about Kagome, the child hasn't awakened and it's almost nigh on two weeks. I don't understand I knew that it would take a couple of days for her to regain consciousness, but not this long. All signs are pointing that she's getting her strength back; I've tried all I know, but to no use. I'm afraid if she doesn't wake up soon, she might not wake up at all."

"Could it be something we've missed?" Sango stated, she snapped a twig in two, putting it in the flames.

"I just don't know. All we can do is hope. If all use fails, Inuyasha will have to bring her back to her own time, from what Kagome told me, they have great doctors, and powerful medicines." They all nodded in agreement.

'It's so dark, and cold.' The thought echoed into the surrounding darkness. 'I feel so…. empty.' echo 'Where is everyone? Where am I? Where's Inuyasha?' The echoing voice seemed to become more hysterical. 'I need light!' Screamed the voice, dropping down into a heap in the oppressive darkness. Something flashed across her view. 'What is that?' A dim glow was shining in the distance.

'Kagome!?' Said a familiar voice. The glow was coming closer. 'Kagome?'

'Yes.' She answered.

'Kagome.' The glow was so close that, she could feel its warmth upon her face.

'Who are you?' She whispered, covering her eyes.

'Stupid, who do you think it is?' The voice wasn't harsh or mean. 'It's so familiar.' Kagome thought to herself; she lowered her hands. Inuyasha stood in front of her, looking the same as all ways. His ears poking out of his long sliver hair, as it hung freely at his back. His red kimono hanging loosely off him, and his tetseiaga at his side. The prayer beads jiggling around his neck as he moved towards her.

'Inuyasha?' She whispered.

'Duh, it took you long enough. Who else would bother to come and find you.' He smiled at her, a short laugh coming from him.

'Where are we?' She asked.

'We're inside your mind, your subconscious.'

'How did you get here?'

'You brought me here, sort of.'

'What happened to me?'

'Don't you remember?' At this flashes went through her mind, pictures circling around them.

'Yes, I remember now.' Her head began to hurt, she rubbed at it. 'How do we get out of here?'

'Come here, stupid.' He opened his arms to her; she floated into them. 'You know you're helpless without me.' Kagome smiled.

'I know.' Kagome felt a pull, and with it came heaviness, and then lots of pain, last came a very bright light. As she soared through it, she felt herself drop back into her body.