InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 1; Seasons in Owari ❯ Recovery ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3, Recovery

(Inu-yasha)

Whatever it was that brought me home so fast, I'll never know. One thing was on my mind and that was Kagome's health. Nothing mattered more to me than her at that moment, and it was sort of selfish because I left Miroku, Sango, and Shippo in the dust. They trailed behind at their own fast pace and often had to stop for one another to rest.

I couldn't stop! The life in my arms and blood on my shirt was enough to make my blood keep in time. Luckily my strength didn't fail me now, and I knew it was because of Kagome's need and presence. It was my fault for dragging her into this mess. I had to get her back to the village and to get aid from Kaede.

When I arrived, my return didn't go unnoticed. The large dust cloud behind me was more than enough evidence to prove I was back home early this time.

"Look! Inu-yasha has arrived home early, Priestess Kaede!" one of the children squealed. The old hag turned her head slowly and spotted me. She walked slowly up to the path's edge to greet me, but her face turned into shock when Kagome's body came into view.

"Oh my!" she said heavily. I stopped short of the path end and tried to catch my breath. Kaede dropped her cane and looked at Kagome. "What happened?"

I tried to collect myself. "She was telling me earlier, but she spoke of two names. I don't know who inflicted her wounds, but if I had a guess, I would say my brother."

Kaede looked at me, and even though I was trying to hide everything, my eyes and cheeks were stained with tears. The old hag narrowed her brow and nodded. "Take her to my hut!"

~~~~

I didn't leave that hut all day and my stomach growled with an unimaginable hunger, but I couldn't eat. I held a vigil over Kagome, as she lay there covered in those strong herbal medicines and bandages. I couldn't leave her despite the awful smell. My eyes burned, and tears washed them often. All I could think about was she, and watch. The herbs masked her scent and I hated it. I wanted to hit myself a few times to discover if it was all a dream. Just some horrible nightmare and that I would wake up from it soon and see her under the tree dreaming away wrapped up in my kimono. Safe!

It wasn't until nightfall that the rest of our company rejoined us. Kagome was still asleep, and I didn't budge from my spot when Miroku and Sango entered the hut. Sango came to Kagome's side and touched her hand. She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

Miroku came to my side and leaned on his staff. "How is she?"

I didn't want to answer, but I decided it would be healthier to talk. After all I couldn't put up an argument with Kagome to get out all this pain.

"What do you think?" I scowled, but I couldn't muster the will to look him in the face. My eyes were glued to Kagome, and I dared not to take my eyes off her for even a second.

Miroku, however, was no fool. He placed his staff to his side and placed his hand on my shoulder. A moment later he was sitting beside me and watched Kagome.

"How about you?"

I turned to him, "What's your problem? Are you blind?"

Miroku smiled and turned back to Kagome. "I can see why she likes you. Not completely, but it's there."

I turned back to Kagome, and I hoped that my heart would stop pounding once I looked at her. "It's my fault! I should have been more careful. I should have smelled or looked--"

Miroku squeezed my shoulder and leaned toward me, "Even if you had done everything right, do you really think none of this would have happened? Say you hadn't woken up? Say you had been killed or harmed in the process? Do you really think Kagome would be here or safe even if you had done everything in your power to protect her?"

Inside, part of me was telling my head that he was right. Still I would have given anything to be covered in those herbs and bandages instead of her.

"I suppose not, but still I could have tried not to be so careless."

Miroku turned to Kagome and released my shoulder and he folded him arms to keep a vigil with Sango and me.

Sango looked at me next and smiled. "Think of it this way, Inu-yasha! If you hadn't woken up that night, or had caught her scent, she'd probably be dead...or worse."

In some way, Sango's words brought some comfort. I remembered I owed a lot of gratitude to Shippo for sensing her first. However, the words also made me think about how many ways this could have been prevented. No matter what, I had to protect her no matter what now. This promise I would keep, and for the rest of my life.

~~~~

That burning in my nose, and the feeling of my body going numb was what woke me. There was a thick black fog all around me. As I got to my feet I looked around, but not because I was lost. I knew what this was.

"Naraku!" I growled, and stood up right. "Show your face, you coward! I know you have something to do with Kagome's injuries. What did you do to her?"

I heard a voice in the fog, but I couldn't make out the words. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't words at all. Someone was laughing! Laughing at my misery and pain!

"Naraku! What did you do to Kagome?"

I spun around and found that blue monkey hide. I then saw a bare hand lift the face of the monkey up and over, and I saw the bastard's face. He was smiling instead of laughing.

I felt my chest start to hurt and I fell to my knees once more. The pain started in my heart and slowly moved down to the pit of my stomach. I looked up as Naraku loomed over me. He bent down slightly as I snarled.

"The child will be the end of you!" he hissed.

I glared at him. "No! Kagome cares about me. She won't kill me like Kikyo did."

He grinned evilly and repeated, "The child will be the end of you!"

The phrase echoed in my head, and then got louder and louder. "The child! The child will be the end! The end of YOU!!!"

"No!" I cried, and sat up. A dream? No, a nightmare, but the rest of it wasn't. I was still in the hut, Miroku and Sango sleeping at my side, and Kagome...still sleeping in her blankets and those herbed bandages. I wiped the sweat from my face and neck as I tried to catch my breath. It was dark outside, still nighttime.

I looked at Kagome and sort of admired her for a moment. She was too far away! I got to my knees and crawled silently over to her head. I lay on the side facing her with her head cradled by my chest. I wanted my heart to be as close to her as possible. I placed my head opposite of hers and listened to her breathing. It was starting to sound normal now, and smelled sweet. I could smell her scent now, just slight. I felt my heart's pain start to subside. Kagome was going to be okay.

The words in my head echoed, "The child will be the end of you!"

No, Kagome wouldn't kill me. Not if this connection between us was so strong. I loved her so much! I really, truly, loved her!

It would only be in the weeks to come, that I would realize how wrong I was. No, not the love! That was the right thing about it. It was that phrase... "The child will be the end of you!"

~~~~

I woke up the next morning, and found myself on my back with an unknown weight on my stomach. I picked my head up just slightly and found Kagome had placed her head on my stomach. She looked so much better now. Her hair was still covered in her own clotted blood, but still she never looked better for someone in her state. She never looked so beautiful!

I smiled and put my head back down to doze the morning away. I wanted Kagome and I to stay stuck like that forever. It was just so perfect. If she wasn't injured it probably would have been better, but this was enough during those days.

Kagome stirred and moaned a little, and I opened my eyes to look at her. She was trying to get comfortable again, and I sat up to assist her. She groaned a little, but she no sooner fell asleep then I had awoken. The herb's nasty scent had diminished, and her scent replenished the hut.

I waited as I ran my claws through her sticky hair. I didn't care if she wasn't clean because all I needed was to know she was alive. Her sweet scent mixed with the scent of life; nothing smelled better!

Kagome finally took a deep breath and opened her eyes, and I never looked at those eyes with more awe. She blinked a few times before looking at me. "Inu-yasha?" she said weakly.

I smiled and continued to stoke her hair. "In the flesh! How do you feel?"

Kagome closed her eyes again and squeezed them a little. "I feel like I haven't bathed in weeks!"

I snorted in laughter, but not loud enough to wake anyone else in the hut. My moment of laughter was forgotten as wriggled my body down so that my face was across from hers and I was looking at her up side down since my body was still supporting her head. She opened her eyes and we looked at each other for a moment. I placed my nose on hers and inhaled the air she had previously exhaled a few times. I closed my eyes as my body immersed itself in her presence. My heart wanted to be so close to her, like it was complaining that is wasn't close enough, and its whines were in the forms of heartbeats.

"I won't lose you again!"

She moaned, "Hm?"

I rubbed my nose against hers. "It's all my fault for not seeing the danger sooner. You got hurt because of me."

She opened her eyes. "Inu-yasha!"

Her voice was so weak, and it pierced my heart just because I was making her speak.

"Don't blame yourself, please? I should have just spoken up when I knew danger was near. I woke up knowing the danger was near and I thought I could get to you. I failed and got caught."

It was breaking my heart just listening to her beating herself. I hushed her and rubbed our noses together a while longer. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but the nose rubbing was safer for now. I didn't want to push it.

Kagome closed her eyes again, and with the little energy she had at the moment, she moved her head to press her lips to my right eye. Father's resting place must have been blessed with that one moment, and never did my heart feel more alive. Gods how the urge to smother her face in kisses built up in my chest, but I took a deep breath and exhaled softly through my nose. This releases some of that pressure, but I still wanted to kiss her.

Today I would stay close by, and I wouldn't leave her side. I just wanted to make sure she was safe. Tomorrow she would have the power to get to her feet again, but she wouldn't be able to do a lot. Yet tomorrow never brought more fear, and not because of Kagome's safety. In fact the fear would come from her.