InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Weekend Interlude ❯ A Broken Inuyasha ( Chapter 5 )

Red Falcon

red_falcon0001[at]yahoo.com

 

Chapter 5:

 

Miroku clutched at Inuyasha's tattered clothes to keep him on Kirara's back as the fire-cat landed near the edge of the village. Kirara crouched and Sango slid down to the ground.

 

“We need to get him to Kaede quickly,” Sango said while reaching up to help Miroku lower Inuyasha to the ground.

 

Miroku nodded as he slid off Kirara's back and slung Inuyasha's limp arm over his shoulder. Sango did the same after throwing Tetsusaiga on her hip next to her own bloody katana. Kirara mewed and detransformed, too tired to continue on after the speed of her flight. She padded ahead of them on the path to Kaede's hut.

 

Miroku grunted slightly as his grip on Inuyasha's limp form began to fail. It was not that the hanyou was too heavy for the pair of them, but that Inuyasha was covered in blood. His own robes still wrapping the hanyou's middle were all but soaked through.

 

“Oh my!” A woman from the village stumbled upon the pair carrying Inuyasha gasped and covered her mouth. The early rising villagers were beginning to prepare for a day in the fields. Several of them stopped to watch in mute horror at their guardian's battered body.

 

“Please,” Sango called out, “someone go warn Kaede. We'll need hot water.”

 

Several of the villagers ran ahead to warn the old miko while others ran to gather water. A group of men approached them carrying a stiff plank of wood to support the unconscious hanyou.

 

“Let us help you,” a man said placing the board before them. Sango and Miroku exchanged looks and moved to set Inuyasha on it. The village men all lent a helping hand to flip him to his back.

 

Inuyasha groan and his eyes fluttered. He coughed once and a drop of blood trailed from the side of his mouth before he drifted back into oblivion again. The men exchanged looks of bewilderment that even a hanyou could be regaining consciousness in such a state. Working together, the six men lifted the plank and began walking to Kaede's hut.

 

Sango found a water skin placed in her hand and looked gratefully at one of the wives who was also passing one to Miroku. The two shard hunters followed after the plank mildly dazed as the entire village roused to take care of a hanyou.

 

“What happened houshi-sama,” one of the village wives asked as they walked quickly. Miroku frowned and looked over at Sango.

 

“We don't know. Inuyasha and Kagome left after a shard,” Miroku recalled from what Kaede told them.

 

“Do you four not travel for them together?” The woman asked looking from the monk to the exterminator.

 

“We were returning from a trip to my home village with the fox child, Shippou.” Sango said for Miroku. Shippou had disappeared sometime before nightfall and privately, Sango hoped he had not been near the battle. The kit was likely to have tried to catch up to his adopted mother.

 

“We'll find out the rest when Inuyasha awakes,” Miroku finished. “We found him like this. Kagome was no where that we could see.”

 

“I hope she is alright,” the woman said.

 

“Me too.” Sango said looking at the pained expression on Miroku's face. However unlikely the possibility, she thought silently.

 

“Children, what happened?” Kaede approached them as quickly as she could manage.

 

“He's torn up pretty bad. He'll need stitching.” Sango called out jogging ahead of the men to reach the miko.

 

“Quickly, quickly,” Kaede ushered them inside. “Bring me as much of the blood clotting herb you can find.” Several women following the entourage jumped at the miko's command and rushed off.

 

“There's water on the way,” one of the men said.

 

“Good, I'll need a fire to heat it up.” Immediately, one was started from the kindling always kept near Kaede's hut. “Miroku, grab hold of Inuyasha's arm. I'll need three other strong men for his other limbs, in case he thrashes at all.”

 

“Bring his arms up over his head. It'll be harder for him to break free. Be careful Miroku, that's the broken hand.” Sango instructed as she moved out of the way. The men complied, trusting her advice.

 

“The water is heating!” Someone called in the door of the hut.

 

“Sango, stay near child. I'll need your help with the wounds when the water is finished. We'll fix his arm after we stop the bleeding.” Kaede looked up at the exterminator and said, “Cut the bandage away with your blade, child.”

 

Sango grabbed her blade and began to slice through the thick cloth. Careful to avoid Inuyasha's skin, Miroku's ruined robe fell away and revealed the damage. Even Kaede gasped at the sight of Inuyasha's torn flesh. Quickly regaining her composure, Kaede barked out another set of orders.

 

Amidst the scrambling, Sango looked up at Miroku in despair. The monk looked back at her and forced a supportive smile.

 

Several towels were handed to Sango and Kaede with large bowels of hot water. They set to work cleaning away both fresh and old blood so they could better see the damage. When finished, the dirty cloths and water were removed and replaced.

 

Kaede rinsed her fingers clean and probed around the gashes to make sure the internal organs would be out of the way of the stitching.

 

“Baba… I'm not sure…” Inuyasha's weak voice floated to them. He groaned and blinked hazy amber eyes at her.

 

“Inuyasha!” Sango exclaimed.

 

“I'm…not sure,” he started again, “I really like…the way…that feels.” He hissed as Kaede finished and removed her fingers.

 

“I think it would be better if you stayed unconscious for this.” Kaede said looking up at the hanyou.

 

“Me…too,” Inuyasha sighed and dropped off again.

 

“Quickly! Bring me the needle before he wakes again.” The requested items were pressed into the old miko's hands. “Sango, child, I need you to press the wounds together while I close them.”

 

“Alright.” Sango moved to press her hands along the sides of the first of four gashes running along Inuyasha's torso. Kaede quickly set to work. Only the slight twitch of Inuyasha's muscles betrayed his discomfort. The second and then the third gash was closed with little effort. The fourth was much deeper than the others.

 

Inuyasha's body tensed up and all four men were hard pressed to hold him still without hurting him. Kaede worked as smoothly as she could, but the low growl from Inuyasha as she continued alerted her to his impending return to consciousness. She tied the small knot off quickly and sat back. Sango shook her quivering arms out to relieve the stress. A small bowel of salve was pressed into her hands and she worked quickly to smear the numbing solution over the wounds.

 

“Sango,” Kaede started, “can you set his hand?”

 

“Yes.” The exterminator moved to the arm Miroku was holding and quickly jerked the bones back into place. “Give me something to splint his fingers with.”

 

“He'll just break them,” Miroku murmured. Sango looked up and shrugged.

 

Fresh cloths and more water were handed to the healers. They cleaned up the rest of the blood and smeared more salve on the numerous scrapes and abrasions. Sango and Kaede placed smaller bandages on the larger scrapes and then bound a long strip around Inuyasha's middle and then his hand with the help of the men still in the hut.

 

Kaede finished cleaning the matted blood out of Inuyasha's silver hair and instructed a pallet to be set up against the wall for him.

 

Sango sat back and watched as the villagers take care of removing the dirty cloths and the tattered remains of Inuyasha's clothes before laying him on the pallet with a light blanket.

 

“Don't bother cleaning his clothes,” Kaede said wearily. “They will clean and mend themselves.” The few women who heard looked and the rags dubiously, but left them sitting by the door.

 

“They will have your robes mended tomorrow, houshi-sama,” one of the village girls said. She blushed prettily and ducked out of the hut when he flashed her a charming, if tired, smile. Sango would have seen red had she been less tired. As it was, she could not muster the energy to be angry.

 

“Tell me, what happened to him?” Kaede knelt near the two shard hunters and waited for the story.

 

As Miroku finished the tale, Kaede closed her eyes. “I only hope Inuyasha can shed some light on this tale when he wakes.”

 

Sango and Miroku nodded. In a fluid movement, Sango stood and said, “I am going to go wash. Is there a kimono I could borrow? Mine was left at the campsite when the youkai attacked.”

 

“I will inquire about one for you. And replacements for you as well, Miroku,” Kaede said. Miroku nodded his thanks and also stood to go wash the blood off himself.

 

Kaede watched them leave and looked back at Inuyasha. What could have happened to the hanyou?

 

~<>~

 

Meanwhile…

 

Kagome fumed. Literally. The steam could practically be seen pouring from her ears. How dare he do that to me, she thought heatedly. The youkai had all but undressed her with his eyes and then demanded she answer his questions!

 

Kagome took several calming breaths and let her clenched fists relax. Giving herself a mental shake, the girl slipped off her kimono and into a simpler yukata. She crawled into the giant bed next to Shippou and glared at the wall. At least the wall did not look back at her the way Sesshoumaru had. Kagome pursed her lips as she changed her mind. Instead, she sat up and made the decision to bathe while the kit was asleep.

 

~<>~

 

Kagome sighed as she sank down into the heated pool. This was nice, she thought. If only she could have this all the time during her trips to the past. Inuyasha was such a drag when it came to bathing.

 

The girl frowned as she began washing her hair. She still did not know what happened to Inuyasha. If Kouga was able to chase after her… Kagome let her thoughts trail off. Of course, nothing bad had happened to her hanyou guardian. He was too stubborn to get himself killed.

 

Kagome finished her bath quietly and lay back to soak before her damned host required her attention again. Stupid youkai, Kagome thought rather acidly. She mentally berated herself for letting him rile her up without him even being there.

 

After a good soak, the miko changed back into her clothes and climbed into the bed next to Shippou. The kit made a slight huffing sound in his sleep and Kagome automatically smoothed his rumpled hair back until he quieted. Lost in thought, Kagome found sleep elusive. Closing her eyes, Kagome calmed herself and tried to ignore the phantom feeling of Sesshoumaru's breath against her ear.

 

~<>~

 

Sesshoumaru paced around the floor of his personal chambers. The girl was hiding something. That much he new. It was something important enough to risk her life to protect. He growled to himself as he continued to pace.

 

He could torture her, but Sesshoumaru realized that the prospect of torturing a small human female was not all appealing. The smell of the blood from her feet was disconcerting enough. He dismissed the notion.

 

Sesshoumaru stopped pacing and pressed his ear to the wall nearest Kagome's room. He felt a little foolish, but with no one to see, he did not care. The girl, Kagome, he corrected himself, was still awake. Her aura still crackled with her emotions.

 

Cursing himself in an Inuyasha like manner, Sesshoumaru realized he was being ridiculous. As the Lord of the West, nothing was beyond his grasp. At least that was what he told himself haughtily as he gave up trying to hear her and lay down in his bed instead.

 

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. It did not offer any help. How was one supposed to coax information out of an unwilling female? Sesshoumaru sighed lightly. They say curiosity killed the cat, but apparently, inu-youkai were not much better.

 

He could always try to charm her. Sesshoumaru snorted in a cross between disgust and amusement. Somewhere between learning how to gut an opponent and deal with state business, Sesshoumaru knew he missed the courtly manners lesson.

 

The icy youkai breathed in deeply, remembering the change in the miko's scent before he had left her in her rooms. He had surprised her, and she had surprised him with her reaction. The small woman was fairly attractive, even to his eyes. Sesshoumaru let his mouth curve upward in a small smirk. Apparently, she found him attractive as well. Maybe charming her would not be that hard?

 

Cunning plan in hand, Sesshoumaru gave in to the sudden uncharacteristic urge to yawn and dropped off into sleep.

 

~<>~