InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Be Careful What You Say ❯ Chapter Eleven: This Healer is Different ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter Eleven

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the show. But I do own this story!

"Inuyasha? Can you hear me?" asked Nagura. The hanyou blinked slowly, and nodded, his movements sluggish. "Don't be alarmed. I included some poppy syrup in the medicine that you drank. It will help you bear the pain."

Inuyasha's eyes flared open and he started to pull against his restraints.

"Be at ease,Inuyasha!" commanded Naura. "With a wound as serious as this, I give poppy to all my patients." He laid a hand on the hanyou's forehead. "Stay calm, all will be well."

Something in the healer's eyes reached to Inuyasha. He didn't trust him, but he found himself believing him. With a sigh, that sounded suspiciously like"Feh!", he relaxed and closed his eyes.

Kagome looked at the healer with anger on her face. "Why did you do that without telling him?" she demanded. "He has a right to know what he is taking!"

The healer looked at her with both amusement and irrtation. "I decide what is best for my patients, child!" he reprimanded her. "Besides, I would have thought that you would want to spare him as much pain as possible."

"I do. It's just that...," Kagome began, but Nagura cut her off.

"I have been healing people since before you were born. Trust me to know what I am doing." stated Nagura.

"I apologize, healer. Where I am from, no healer administers medicine without the patient's consent, unless the patient is dying and can't make the decision on their own." apologized Kagome, remembering that this was not her time.

Nagura looked puzzled, "Strange custom! Just remember that here, that custom is not in effect! My word as to what a patient needs is all that matters." He looked at Inuyasha. "Ah, good. He is asleep, now we can begin."

As Kagome watched, she noticed that Nagura's assistants had set up several stands around the table, some with coals burning under bowls of water. Noting her surprise, Nagura explained. "In my years of practice, I noticed that wounds did not currupt as easily when I used a freshly cleaned knife. Through more observation, I saw that knives that were kept in boiling water until time to use them resulted in even fewer cases of curruption. So now, I boil everything that I use. My successs rate has been remarkable."

"I knew that boiling your intruments would reduce chance of infection!" exclaimed Kagome. "I just didn't know that any healer's here knew it as well!"

Nagura looked at her with new respect. And not a little surprise! He thought that he was the only healer who had discovered that secret. "We must talk about this later. Now, let's heal your friend."

Taking a knife from the nearest bowl, Nagura cut away the bandages that wrapped Inuyasha's chest. His eyes widened slightly at the placement of the wound. "This is not good. The knife came very near the heart. It will be dangerous to clean this wound, but there is no choice." Turning his head to his assistants, "Yoshi, come hold the wound open while I scrub it with the potion." Before he could say anything else to his assistants, Kagome stepped forward with the bowl that held the antidote. Looking at her, he nodded his approval and reached for a boiled towel to begin.