PTSD Criterion A: stems from exposure to life-threatening events, serious injury, or violence. This can involve directly experiencing or witnessing trauma, learning of it happening to close others, or being repeatedly exposed to its details in a professional capacity.
PTSD Criterion B: Intrusive symptoms include recurring distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional or physical distress, and reactions triggered by reminders of the trauma.
Unfortunately, Sango didn't get a chance to ask Kagome what happened. She knew Inuyasha had reached her just before she and Miroku arrived, and she pieced together some clues from the cryptic words of Naraku's infant:
"Now that the priestess Kikyou is no longer with us, Kagome is the only one who can see the shards."
"There are many ways to corrupt that girl, Inuyasha, so long as you cannot forget Kikyou."
Whatever had occurred, it was undoubtedly serious.
When they returned to Kaede's village, Kagome was still unconscious, her encounter with Naraku having drained her entirely. Sango tried to reassure Shippou, who was visibly anxious about Kagome's prolonged slumber.
"She'll be just fine, trust me," she said, even as doubt flickered in her mind. Sango's words felt hollow, a mantra she repeated more for herself than for the kitsune.
Later, she found herself sitting alone, reflecting on the turbulent chain of events. The poison that had nearly killed her at Monkotsu's hands, the endless skirmishes with the Band of Seven, the discovery of Saint Hakushin, Mount Hakurei, Naraku's newly evolved form, Kikyou's death, and now Kagome's collapse. The sheer weight of it all was suffocating.
'I wouldn't want to wake up either,' she thought bitterly. Even the act of recalling it all left her feeling drained.
Despite her exhaustion, her concern for Kagome lingered in the back of her mind. As much as she wanted her friend to recover, she also wished Inuyasha would finally take responsibility for his actions. How much longer could Kagome bear the weight of his indecision? How much longer could any of them?
Her thoughts then drifted to Kohaku. Every step closer to Naraku brought her closer to the day she would have to confront her brother's fate. Sango's faith in her companions was unwavering, and she held tightly to Inuyasha's promise, but the doubt remained. Every battle reminded her of the horrific moment Kohaku had been forced to kill their family and nearly her as well. The memory replayed in her mind, vivid and unrelenting. Sometimes, she heard their screams. Other times, she heard her own.
Whenever they encountered Kohaku, she would feel the phantom pain in her back, a burning reminder of his blade and the betrayal that wasn't his to own. Sango's love for her brother warred constantly with her fear for his life and the guilt she felt over her lingering resentment. What would happen when his shard was the last one left? Would they have to kill him? The thought had once seemed like mercy—an escape for both of them from the torment of what had happened. But now, the idea of losing him permanently felt unbearable.
"Does he remember it, too?" she wondered aloud, her voice breaking the stillness around her. "Does he feel it the way I do?"
And yet, letting him die would be an easy way out—for both of them. Life didn't offer such absolutions. Responsibility was the price they all had to pay to move forward. That was the lesson she had learned, painfully and slowly.
Her thoughts circled back to Kagome. When would Inuyasha learn the same lesson? When would he stop dragging Kagome through the wreckage of his unresolved grief? And when would Kagome decide that enough was enough? She deserved more—more than hesitation, more than being second to a ghost. Sango's fist clenched around the strap of Hiraikotsu as her frustration bubbled to the surface.
"We can't keep living like this," she muttered, standing abruptly. The time for reflection was over. They all had choices to make—choices that would determine not only their fates but also the fate of the battle against Naraku. For Kagome, for Kohaku, and for herself, Sango vowed to see it through, no matter the cost.