InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Always ❯ Five ( Chapter 5 )

Always

 

Chapter 5

 

 

 

 

It didn't take long for Kouga to get from Jinenji's field to his home, in the mountains. The two of them were greeted by an onslaught of wolves. Ginta and Hakkaku, Kouga's closest friends, were among the first. They knew Kouga was approaching, and met him a little bit before their leader reached the caves.

 

“Kouga! You're back!” Hakkaku shouted.

 

“Onee-chan! You came too? So Kouga was successful! Great!” Ginta cried.

 

Kagome giggled. “Yes, I'm here to try to help.”

 

“Okay, you two, knock it off. Kagome's a little tired. You guys do whatever she says. She's going to need help. But we're not staying,” Kouga said roughly, explaining that they had to travel south to find a rare flower to save the tribe.

 

Kagome decided it was best to only bother each patient once, for now. She walked around, gauging each wolf-demon's health as she went. She separated the mildly ill from the worse-off. She had Ginta and Hakkaku make them all comfortable. Then she set about making a liquid form of all the herbs put together. Kouga watched intently. When she was ready to pour the liquid into individual containers for each patient, she found that it was a bit heavier full than empty. She laughed nervously. Kouga, seeing her struggle, picked it up easily, and poured it into the intended containers.

 

“Oh, Kouga, thank you! But you shouldn't. You're the leader, after all…” she began.

 

“Nothin' to it,” he said, not wanting to hear an argument over it. He was intent on helping her.

 

Kagome just nodded, and directed his pouring. “ Yes, that one there? Only half-full; it's for a child. Those are fine. Thanks,” she said, smiling.

 

Kouga beamed. He called Hakkaku and Ginta over and gave them instructions to give certain containers to certain patients, and to make sure they drink the whole thing. They nodded in agreement, and began administering the medicine, beginning with the children - the most sick- as told. As they began, they brought back empty containers that Kagome dropped into a boiling kettle. Kouga wondered what she was doing, and said so out loud.

 

“Oh, this?” she asked. “By boiling these containers after sick wolves have used it, it kills the germs, and so the next wolf that uses it won't get those germs,” she explained.

 

Kouga was stunned with her knowledge. He watched her do the tasks effortlessly, and admired not only how easily she did it, but how happy she seemed to do it. Seemed… A wave of horror went through his body. What if she doesn't want to do this? What if she's disgusted and wants to go back? What if she's really tired? She's already worked so hard… Kouga was determined to let her do the least possible.

 

“Ah, thank you!” Kagome said as she tried to remove a cup with a stick from the pot. Kouga had taken the stick from her and got it out much quicker.

 

Maybe it's the sleepiness… she thought. I'm usually much quicker. But at least I have Kouga… Kagome smiled at him, looking into the ocean that gave way to his soul. Kouga's eyes were so emotional; you could almost always tell what he was thinking. Then again, we can't all be emotional messes like InuYasha… Why does he always insist on popping up? Why can't I talk to myself in the confines of my own mind without him showing up? Because you still love him, you idiot. You may be a replacement, but you still love him. You silly, stupid girl. He loves a flower pot. And there's a perfectly great - and handsome - demon right in front of you that likes you. He may not love you like you love InuYasha, but it would be better than sitting around waiting for dog-boy to realize he has feelings for me. But… Kagome shook her head. She was tired of “but's”.

 

She looked up to find Kouga gone. She put a fresh set of containers into the kettle that Ginta and Hakkaku had brought, and stood to look for Kouga. She walked around, seeing some of the less sick demons looking better already. She smiled at the ones that were awake, and she took a better look at the sleeping ones. She went over to the children's area, which were also separated by more or less sick. From a distance, she thought she saw Kouga, crouching in a corner, in the area where the very sick children were. She walked over to them. She saw a young boy wolf demon in human form- around Shippou's age as far she could tell - with dark grey hair. He looked very sick. He was quite pale, shivering, but covered with furs, and he was sleeping, or unconscious. Kouga was holding the boy in his lap, trying to get him to drink the liquid medicine. The look on his face broke Kagome's heart. He genuinely cares for them. He doesn't want to lose a single one.

 

She couldn't take her eyes off the pair, and Kouga appeared startled when he finally noticed Kagome's presence. He looked up to meet with Kagomes' huge brown eyes. She was smiling. Not a happy smile, but a content one.

 

“I thought you were supposed to be helping me…” she said gently.

 

“Yeah, sorry, Kagome. I just… well I didn't want Hakkaku or Ginta to get sick. I need them healthy, so I came to give the sick children the medicine myself. But this one… Yuki… I can't seem to get him to wake up. It may be too late for him…” Kouga's voice trembled as much as his eyes did. He looked back at the boy's face.

 

Kagome watched his interaction with the child, and she melted. She knelt down beside Kouga, and placed her hand over his, which was on one of the boys' shoulders. She smiled warmly at Kouga, and it made his heart jump. As if sensing his unusual reaction, she blushed, but she didn't take her hand away. Instead, she bent low over Yuki and whispered in his ear.

 

“Yuki, you need to be awake. For you to get better, you need to drink this…” she told the wolf boy.

 

He didn't speak, but they both felt him stir. Kouga looked at Kagome with amazement. She smiled back at him, and they both spoke this time.

 

“Come on, you can do it. Just open your eyes for us, and we'll give you this medicine to drink,” she spoke to him again.

 

The wolf child fluttered his eyes weakly, but couldn't' keep them open. They took this as a good sign, and offered him the liquid, which he drank. Kouga grinned at the progress, and Kagome used her hand to test the child's forehead. He was so hot she could barely stand to touch him.

 

“No wonder he's so non-responsive! He has a very high fever!” she exclaimed.

 

She told Kouga that they must get him to the closest body of water as quickly as possible. He began to gather the boy up as Kagome bunched up the furs. They scrambled out of the cave and Kouga gave her directions.

 

“Just over that hill, there's a valley with a stream that runs through it. That's where we get most of our water,” he said, motioning towards the east.

 

“Right,” she said, and she began to follow him towards the stream.

 

Suddenly, Kagome stopped in her tracks. Kouga, not hearing her footsteps, asked her what was the matter.

 

“You say… that's where you get your water from? And of course, it flows downstream from the mountains?” she asked.

 

Kouga's interest was piqued. “Yeah… what are you getting at?”

 

“Well, you said there's never been an epidemic like this before, right?” she began.

 

“Yeah, I mean no. There's never been an epi… whatever you called it. What do you think it is? The water?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

 

“Well, I can't be certain, but if your water supply runs from the mountains, then perhaps something is going on up there, and now your tribe has caught it because it was in your drinking water…” she proposed.

 

“Wow…” Kouga said, eyes wide.

 

“What?” Kagome asked.

 

“How do you do it?” he asked wondrously

 

“Do what?” Kagome answered, intrigued.

 

“How can you be so beautiful and then so smart at the same time?” he said honestly.

 

“Oh, Kouga, this isn't the time!” she said, smirking. “Besides, we have to find another source of water…” she reminded him.

 

“Right,” he nodded.

 

He told her of another stream, this one a bit deeper, to the southwest of the caves. Kagome agreed, and they jogged off together. When they got to the river, she noticed that Kouga had been exaggerating when he said it was slightly larger. It looks at least 15 feet deep! she thought. Kouga must have sensed her fear, because he turned to face her, and told her he wouldn't let her drown. She thanked him sarcastically, and he flashed that big, wolfy grin at her, and suddenly, she felt calm. She told him to strip the boy and place him in the water so that only his face was showing. She explained that they had to get his body temperature down, especially his head. Kouga did as he was instructed, taking the boy's clothes off and cradling him in his arms, then entering waist deep into the river, letting the wolf cub's body become submerged, while only allowing his face to be above the surface. Kagome watched intently, making sure Kouga was paying attention to Yuki's head, but she was forgotten. Kouga had abandoned any thoughts of Kagome, and was focused on the grey head in front of him, watching the waves go by so that none would rise above his ears. Kagome knew he was intent on saving the boy. He's so caring. He would do anything for his pack. For his family…

 

She watched his eyes, going back and forth between searching the boy's face for consciousness and guarding his head from the rougher waves. They were tough, yet gentle. His features matched them; they were rugged yet soft. Hard, but kind. She felt like reaching out to touch his face…

 

While admiring his jaw line, Kagome noticed something vibrating. Was it her eyes? Was the ground shaking? Perhaps the movement of the river… No, it was Kouga's jaw that was shaking. She examined his face a little more and found that his lips were tinted blue. Oh no! Kouga's temperature is dropping too much!

 

“Err, Kouga, I think you should come out…” she started.

 

“Is it time for him to come out?” he asked slowly.

 

“No, but I'll hold him. I think it's time for you to come out,” she said sternly.

 

“No way, Kagome. I don't want you to get sick,” he told her firmly.

 

“Please…” she pleaded.

 

“Just… a… little longer…” he said, wavering.

 

Kagome reached out her hand to him. “Let me have Yuki - he's okay now.”

 

Kouga turned enough so that Kagome could reach the wolf boy's arm, and pulled him towards the shore. The arm was icy; the water that came from the mountains was melted snow and ice, so it was much colder than the rivers she was used to traveling near. She pulled Yuki unto the bank, wrapping him in the furs. When she turned around to offer Kouga her hand, he was no where to be found.

 

“Kouga!” she cried. “Kouga, can you hear me? Where are you?”

 

There was no time. Kagome dove into the water, surveying the depths. Luckily, the water was very clear and was not very turbulent, so she found him easily, only a few feet from where he had been. She grabbed onto his chest armor and heaved with all her might, pulling them both up to the surface. Had he been closer to the center where it was deeper, neither of them may have made it. But Kagome triumphed, digging her shoes into the gravel and bringing them both to shore. She used her shoes again to brace herself into the ground to drag Kouga unto the safety of the bank. She was so cold, but Kouga was in danger. Not only had he been exposed to the river for a long time, but he had been underwater for a bit. How long she didn't know, but it could be enough to take his life. What was she supposed to do? What did they teach her in health class? Was she supposed to check his tongue? No, that was for choking. Pump his chest? Yeah, that was it. She looked at his chest, only to find armor. Oh yeah…

 

Kagome began to undo his armor and searched his face for the grin he reserved for her. Instead, she found his rugged face pale, and his lips blue. Done with the straps, she flung the armor to the side and immediately began to pump his chest. One, two, three… one, two, three… What else? Oh… breathing. I'm supposed to… breathe into his mouth. One, two, three… Kagome knew she couldn't waste any more time, and, bringing her hand up to capture her sopping wet hair and bring it to the side, she knelt over Kouga, pinched his nose, and pressed her lips against his. And exhaled. She thought of how cold his lips felt, but they still felt nice to touch with her own. Shaking the thoughts away, she exhaled again, and resumed pumping his chest. She breathed into him a few more times, and felt tears come to her eyes. No, she thought, I can't lose him! She began pumping again, and pushed harder this time. She bent over to breathe into him again, her face hot with emotion and tears, and felt air push back. She shot up to a sitting position and watched as Kouga coughed, sending bits of water shooting out of his lungs. He rolled over to his right side, facing Kagome, but his vision was blurry and he began violently trembling from the cold. Kagome cried harder, from relief this time. Kouga reached for her, and as she leaned toward him, sobbing, he reached up and caressed her face.

 

“Don't worry, Kagome,” he said. “I'm never leaving you…”

 

And he passed out from exhaustion. Kagome cried hard for a few moments, but her survival instincts kicked in, and she calmed down. She checked on Yuki first, and, noticing that his head wasn't too warm, but his body was warming up, decided he would be okay. Now she had to cover Kouga… with what? Her body, giving her the answer, began to tremble. I guess I have no choice... she thought. So she lay down next to Kouga, blushing as she wrapped her arm around his bare chest and waist, pressed up against him, and as she began to feel more comfortable, her own mind slipped into unconsciousness from exhaustion.