InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A new beginning, a new hope ❯ The Gift of Life ( Part 3) ( Chapter 33 )

Kagome allowed her eyes to trace the silhouette of Sesshoumaru's back as it distanced and faded out of the kitchen door. Her rapt attention, though, fell upon none other than the youkai's low pony tail, so obedient, feathery, conditioned and elegantly swinging, from the knot at his nape, poles apart from her own untamed, wire-like and coupled with occasional visible splitting ends.

 

Not even revealed to her hanyou hubby, that was the part of Sesshoumaru she secretly admired best. Well, she couldn't find any other part of him that came close to being likable. In all honesty, if still in her teenage years, she'd say she'll do anything to have hair like his. Now, which normal, high-schooled, vanity driven gal wouldn't? If it wasn't standing at that surreally pale colored shade, probably, he'd make a more than perfect model for any shampoo company desperately wishing to promote their new product.

 

She did a brief scan on the remaining members at the table of the discussion on the matter pertaining to the girl who had just turned mother-to-be, the one who was now lying so strengthless and helpless, ill-knowledge of what's to come and succumbing to all the developing powers of the unborn baby within her.

 

That was yet to be confirmed, Kagome corrected, reminded of the task she had given her word to the youkai she'd fulfill the very next day--- to send for the family doctor and have Rin thoroughly checked. Even when an average general practitioner would never with pure logics of science discover the unique heritage and origins of the fetus, he would at the very basic, be able to tell if the girl was truly expecting.

 

Sota was rocking his chair as he made regular peeping checks in the direction of the living area. The miko knew in her heart why. Her brother didn't wish to get in the way of the demon lord and his bed-ridden wife. As generously as he had let Rin go and set himself free from all his feelings for the girl, he sure wasn't yet fully prepared to see them involved in crooning each other with overly sweet nothings, lavishing each other with their ever loving kisses EVERYWHERE and even the specially synchronized eye signals that spoke more than words, understood by no one but the couple themselves.

 

It must be still hard for him, Kagome let off a sigh of empathy. She had her own etched experience on such heartaches--- during those times when Inuyasha had yet to decide between herself and Kikyo. As the years went by, the conclusion that she was NOT second place, as she'd always thought since her high school days, in the hanyou's heart had gradually become stronger as their relationship grew more maturely. The dead miko was no more than just a memory, like the first love of a teenager, Inuyasha's teenage years, when he was newly an orphan and craving for something sweet as an infatuation to replace the motherly one he had lost.

 

The hanyou had eventually managed to somehow differentiate between this dream-like chase of his unforgotten crush and the unwavering, well-grounded bond built through numerous battles side to side. Of course, that moonless night had helped a million too, the one which she had offered him the warmth of her body when he had turned human, fragile, injured and cold after fighting to protect her from just some lowly demon which he could have slash dead even without Tetsusaiga or his claws if it being his normal days.

 

With the unexpected addition of those outrageously overblown hormones, she ended up presenting him more than just her heat. Strange enough now that she was recalling, their first night together was in fact the ONLY one among the others spent when Inuyasha was in human form, even after their marriage.

 

Yes, that impatient, unpolished, spoilt half-demon that she once acquainted herself to, now the centre of her life, family and love--- the one who was now grumbling and rumbling on and on to himself at one corner. He hadn't come to terms that he was going on a trip to the western deserts with his elder half brother; his wife had made that decision for him without his consent.

 

In her heart, Kagome was actually smiling to herself. She had absolute confidence that all the previous grudges would not deter Inuyasha from assisting Sesshoumaru through his first fatherly mission though the demon lord had hinted he had no need of.

 

Sesshoumaru--- Just thinking of that name and one word just kind of shoot out of nowhere--- pride, over appraised and overly rated pride. That goes for Inuyasha as well, the miko wasn't bias. Perhaps this is a God granted chance to mend the relationship between these two dog demon siblings. They should. They had ONLY each other left in this world.

 

Even now, Kagome could still shake her head in utter disbelief when the spot light shone on Rin and Sesshoumaru. It was just so damn drop dead amazing just counting the number of visual evidence of the once rigidly high-strung youkai's love for this frail human girl. She couldn't help but to agree with her eight-year-old daughter. Sesshoumaru does have that romantic spirit and it was till the point that she even felt envious that her own husband was most of the time too crude or just simply too engross in eating to be alike. Well, to be fair, Inuyasha had his own way of expressing his passion statement. She had made that choice to be with him. No point complaining and comparing now.

 

Back to the youkai, who had spent a good two hours bulleting her with countless queries regarding issues on her suspicions, her test and theories on the girl. The miko withheld nothing, revealing even the tiniest details of her own pregnancy as a reference, some of which even her own insensitive hubby had absently overlooked.

 

The truth was, the root of the problem lies with demonic blood of these descendents of the powerful Taiyoukai dogs nesting in a weak and meekly deficient human womb. As she related more of that past exposure, it was as though she was reliving it, every single, horrible, heart wrenching bit of that nine whole months which felt something more like nine years rippled back into her mind in huge nauseous waves. In fact, the entire experience was so marring that Inuyasha, who initially cheekily declared to Sota his wish to produce his own basketball team, had made the decision to stop at one.

 

Her memories fell on that very day when Inuyasha, as oblivious as he had been, still did make a careful observation of the change in her eating habits, or rather, the lack of it. It was only then she had realized that she hadn't had anything in her stomach for days. How could that have happened? The miko had the answers. With the heated chase after Naraku and his plot to complete the Shikon-no-tama so close at hand, their loyal team of five and a half, which includes the elderly flea demon, Myoga, had hardly even the time to rest their journey laden bodies. Who would have noticed whether the miko had taken one helping of fish or two, or even none, since food had always been a commodity up for a fight between her then newly wedded husband and the fully grown Shippo?

 

Whatever the case, that was the starting point of absolute nightmare.

 

She remembered how her body just developed this new special ability of repelling all food and water that was supplied to it, how her stomach churned and turned inside out whenever she tried to take a small bite or sip of anything. The strangest part of this was--- she felt more than better without all these daily nutrients. It was as if she had turned immortal or something, suddenly able to live seemingly a normal and healthy life by fasting perpetually.

 

Still, as happy as she wished it to be her perfect weight loss plan, even the dumbest souls could tell that something was amiss. But not in all levels of sanity were they prepared for the truth, the truth which was furnished to them by the pragmatic hanyou physician cum friend--- the once scar and blemish crammed boy frequently bullied despite his overbearing size, the excessively gentle natured half demon to the point of timidity, the one who briefly had a crush on her, the ever obliging Jinenji.

 

But through the years, Jinenji was no longer that cowardly young boy he used to be. He had built immensely on his interest in herbs and their uses, advancing to higher knowledge in medicine and the practice of it. He had even spent the better part of his years experimenting with new antinodes to an assortment of deadliest poisons including Naraku's bee trackers. He was known for being well-read in the vast medical histories of extended breeds of youkais, trailing back many generations even the demons themselves did not know. Indeed, he had earned every bit of who he had become today, a well respected, well sort after hanyou doctor throughout the demonic realm.

 

The conclusion Jinenji made after almost an hour of examination couldn't be wrong. Well, it was a historical fact now--- he wasn't. First and foremost, she was congratulated for becoming a potential mother but after that, he gave the couple a good and long lecture on how to keep the hanyou baby PLUS not getting herself killed in the midst of it.

 

Apparently, as if pregnancy itself wasn't tough enough, conceiving a hanyou child would take a tremendous toll on the supposedly human mom. The baby, being of youkai blood, would be so naturally and innocently enticed by the life force of the one it was residing within, deeming it much more tantalizing than any form of human consumables. Hence, on the outside, she would look perfectly fine but the cruel truth was--- the baby was absorbing and drawing strength from her very breath. Everyday that she was carrying it, everyday as it grew, a part of her would be dying slowly and surely.

 

And the solution?

 

It was to find something else to distract it from the most obvious storage ration.

 

And the trickiest part was---what?

 

Different for different babies, the hanyou physician had said.

 

She could almost giggle at Inuyasha's expression then if he weren't looking so genuinely worried for her. Her husband, his joy of hearing about his new post of a father had soon dissipated, replaced by his brains exploding into exhausting desperation. He was freaking out and he damn had the right to. His wife was expecting but she was on a straight road to hell and not mentioning that the murderer would be none other than his very own child, THEIR child.

 

And what's worse, he was tasked with the impossible--- to send questionable experimental varieties of food into her in search of that one specific type, knowing that she'd throw up ninety-nine point nine percent of it. Judging from the tens of thousands of choices to narrow down from, he'd say perhaps, right till the birth of the baby, he might not even have hit the jackpot.

 

But--- God bless Jinenji.

 

He had burnt the midnight oil rummaging and searching meticulously through his library, eventually tracing down the long and prestigious ancestral records of the Inu-line. It wasn't all that difficult frankly. Inuyasha IS the son of the Great Inu-noTaisho. If not, it might have taken days or even weeks. Instantly, Kagome's heart went out to those lesser known demons with human mates.

 

And it came down to the infamous desert honey, the one thing that almost all of those long chronology of doggy demons couldn't resist, including Inuyasha himself, the hanyou had recalled after the item was brought up by Jinenji. Though he had never once seen his honored father's face, his mother, the beautiful Lady Izayoi was in possession of some of the past tributes made to the Inu general.

 

As a child, he would beg, do anything for it and the clever princess had used it to her advantage, only rewarding him with a preciously tiny portion when he was a good boy. Moreover now coming to think of it, perhaps, the real reason why Lady Izayoi had the rare commodity in the first place was that it had been part of her prescription when she was carrying Inuyasha.

 

And it worked like a charm, freeing her from this bazaar fasting habit. She was back to her normal eating routine in no time, only needing to take a specific dosage of the mixed fluid daily. But whenever Inuyasha was just a wee bit late getting it back in time for her, she would turn extremely feverish and everything around her would kind of just black out even when her eyes were wide open and blinking.

 

But that blissful closing didn't come without a good fight with the Taiyoukai bees on Inuyasha's part either. Those old, muddled headed, thick skulled, obstinate stingers wouldn't budge to anyone except her father-in-law's ghost. Well, somehow, like always, Inuyasha did a wonderful job showing them who's the boss with his inherited Tetsusaiga.

 

But now, it was Rin's turn to suffer and pay the price for pledging her love to these equally stubborn ego-governed Inu boys.

 

Sesshoumaru kept his footsteps as light and soundless as he could. As he arrived by the side of the now serenely slumbering girl, he instantly felt like a total idiot. What's the point of being so careful not to wake her when what he actually intended, in the first place, was to carry the girl up to her bed?

 

Gosh! He must have been that saturated, all those new and threatening information were taking their full effect on testing the capacity of his composure.

 

But deep in his heart, he wished that he would jostle Rin enough to rouse her. As much as he wanted the girl to recuperate and regain her health, Sesshoumaru did not wish to leave for the West without informing her, without first speaking to her and sooth any of her own concerns. The truth was, given her present condition, he didn't wish to repeat his previous mistake, that one which he had made long ago, the one which he had left her without providing an answer or where he was heading and not mentioning all those times in the past which she had woken only to find him missing.

 

Putting his arm underneath her body, he lifted her up pressing her head gently against his chest and started up the stairs. As soon as he moved her out from the deep sunken well-sat couch, Rin reflexively reached her hands round his neck and snuggled into his warmth. Her nose slowly picked up his scent, one which was strongest when he had lain unclothed beside her.

 

She forced herself to half open her eyes only to find that Sesshoumaru's irises were already waiting anxiously to meet hers. She would really like to give him a reassuring smile but all she could manage was a slight upward twitch at one corner of her lips.

 

“How are you?” His voice was too soft, too tender and without waiting for a reply, he placed her down in the mattresses then arranging the covers round her.

 

“Aren't you sleeping too, Sesshoumaru?” Though only half awake and shivering, Rin still noticed that the demon did not settle next to her. Instead, he merely sat at one side of the bed, bending over and feeling her forehead.

 

Sesshoumaru did not supply the girl an immediate answer. His mind was too pre-occupied by his latest discovery--- Rin was running a fever. He had distinctly recollected that the miko had recounted the possibility of such escalating temperatures subsiding after three consecutive dosages of the girl's new daily requirement.

 

The only problem was--- the miko had none left.

 

“I would be away for about a day, be back by sunset tomorrow.” The youkai pressed a kiss on her pale lips. He was reminded of his task at hand.

 

“Where are you going?” There was an obvious sulky tone in her muffled voice and to top it, she made an agonizing attempt to lean forward and embrace him.

 

Actually, Rin herself wasn't usually the sticky sort. It was just that her body was feeling so out of her control--- all dizzy, sick and cold. She wanted nothing more than his companionship right now.

 

What's wrong with the air-conditioner by the way? The room's like freezing. She mused while trembling ceaselessly.

 

“Are you feeling cold?” Sesshoumaru pulled her into his arm, covering the blanket over them and at the same time rubbing her hand with his.

 

“Could you press the off button on that control?” Rin nodded as she choked. The demon peered at the rectangular case above the door. It was never switched on.

 

“Close your eyes. You'll be better in a while.” Sesshoumaru unfolded a second blanket round the girl. “I'll be traveling to the western deserts and I'll return with more of what you have taken just now. As for you, your job is to have a good rest. When I get back, I wish to see that you're better.”

 

Rin flashed him a smile of consent as her body grew warmer in the double layered quilt. Sesshoumaru looked down at her drowsy eyes, unable to locate that special spark from within. She was simply too weak.

 

He had to hurry.

 

Still he did not forget his goodbye kiss and their lips meshed, he felt her clear lack of energy to reciprocate.

 

“Don't worry. We'll take good care of her.” The youkai had detected that the miko had been standing at the door for about a minute now, waiting but not disturbing their conversation.

 

“Rin, she's feverish.” The youkai stated as he strode and paused momentarily at the miko's side.

 

“I'll stay with her through the night and tomorrow, I'll get her a doctor.” Kagome nodded in comprehension, assuring the youkai that the girl would be in safe hands. She was all prep to sponge her the whole night if needed to bring her temperature down.

 

“Arigato.”

 

What was that?

 

Sesshoumaru said thank you?!??!! Kagome turned, astounded, but the demon had already disappeared without a trace.

 

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