InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forever a Shadow ❯ Dissolution ( Chapter 14 )

14. Dissolution

 

 

 

“There is a massive amount of poison circulating through his blood stream. If not for Naraku's own natural resistance to poisons he would have been dead moments after the initial injury. A lesser youkai could never last this long.”

 

 

“Can we tell what type of poison, perhaps an antidote?” Kagura sniffled as she knelt to the floor near where Naraku lay on their bed.

 

 

“Was the blade poisoned?” Kouga was becoming exceedingly angered as he watched his uncle writhing in pain, his body fighting to neutralize the toxin tearing through his system. The wolf always intended the fool dead, but it was a pleasure Kouga was saving for himself.

 

 

“No this is not a man or youkai concocted poison, and no the blade did not cause this. In all circumstance the blade wound is the least of his problems.” The man Kouga simply called “Doc” was a greasy looking weasel youkai, however no amount of youkai magics could truly hide his form, even in the guise of a human he was disturbing to look at and each time Kouga went to near the man his skin began to crawl. The physician pulled open Naraku's shirt revealing his neck. “Look.”

 

 

 

 

Kouga stepped toward his fallen uncle as the doctor stepped away allowing the wolf leader a closer look. The area around Naraku's windpipe was adorned with four puncture wounds on the left and another single mark on the right. The wounds were seeping a foul smelling green puss, and the skin itself was turning a nasty shade of purple, Kagura could take no more, the distraught wife gagged getting to her feet making a hasty retreat from the scene unable to view the injured form of her spouse.

 

 

 

“That is disgusting. What do you think his chances are?” Kouga stepped away from Naraku's body pinching his nose, the smell of decaying flesh strong for his receptive senses.

 

 

“If I could get him to a hospital maybe 70%.”

 

 

“No hospital, you know that, too many questions from the law and human doctors are far too nosey. I'm sorry but he stays here, as will you until Naraku either pulls through this or dies.”

 

 

“I never agreed to that Kouga. I came as a gesture of good will between families.” The youkai's sickly looking eyes narrowed as Doc harshly glared toward the pack leaders way.

 

 

“No, you came in hopes of lining your pocket Doc, there is no other reason, as for good will that perished with your older brother, you will do as I say or you will also meet an unfortunate end as he did. I will have my brothers come to give support for security and whatever errands you need run to look after the old man.” Kouga leaned against the bedroom door frame watching the weasel think of a way out of the deal he inadvertently had just struck, Kouga could literally see the wheels in Doc's head franticly turning desperate for a way out of this predicament.

 

 

With a bated sigh Doc sighed nodding his head in compliance with the alpha male, the weasel had neither the recourses nor the brute strength to try and break away from Kouga and his clan.

 

 

“There will be things only I can acquire for treatment.” Doc raised his head looking toward the door, looking past Kouga to Kagura who was finally returning seeming more pale than usual.

 

 

“Oh I doubt that Doc, you give me a list and I will find what you need, you have no reason to leave my uncle's side.” Kouga gave the youkai a full fanged smile reminding him of who he was dealing with. Doc took the warning for what it was and returned to a case filled with medical supplies. “I'm glad you see things my way.” Kouga turned to look into the saddened ruby eyes of a still weeping Kagura. “The tears do nothing to me woman you should know that by now.”

 

 

“You are a callous bastard Kouga. You care for no one but yourself, I feel such pity for that poor woman you intend to call wife.”

 

 

The poison of Sesshomaru that was coursing through Naraku's body had left him in a semi-conscious state, fading in and out when he would hear familiar voices, drifting back and forth between reality and the world of pain induced dreams, the poison in his body was aching, yes, but there was a plus to having miasma in your veins, in only a few more hours Naraku hoped to regain full use of his faculties, and soon. However the damage to his throat was an excruciating pain unlike any Naraku had dealt with before, each time he drew breath, the black, murky, waves of agony would crash over him dragging him down into a silent, thoughtless void.

 

 

The youkai physician that Naraku felt hover over him would hopefully be able to do something, unless he was as useless as most youkai of his species. He wished to calm his poor Kagura, but he would be unable to move till Sesshomaru's poison was dealt with, Naraku wrestled with the facts that swirled through his mind, when his mind was his own and not slave to the damned poison of the Taiyoukai, Naraku would gain brief intermissions from the darkness and fever, only to remember Kouga had planned for Sesshomaru to kill him, not merely maim him. Naraku was supposed to be the fall guy for everything, and Naraku just could not have that. The pup must think he was smarter than he was, you just don't trick the master trickster.

 

 

 

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After three hours of surgery and two spent in recovery Ayame excitedly rushed to find Inuyasha lying holding his unconscious Suki tenderly in his arms. The expression of amazement on Ayame's face caught Inuyasha off guard as he carefully untangled himself from his child's sick bed; the hanyou was on his feet seconds after seeing her enter the room with such enthusiasm in her posture.

 

 

“Inuyasha she's waking up. Come with me.” Ayame was all smiles, even after adding an extra six hours to her already daunting twelve hour shift.

 

 

In a state of disbelief the stunned hanyou followed blindly, when he entered the dimly lit recovery room he could instantly tell the change in his wife's condition. Her scent was much stronger, and vibrant, the way Inuyasha knew Kikyo to always be. She lay motionless on the gurney, the droning heart monitor still in place, as was the oxygen, but the ventilator was removed, and her chest rose and fell in a good steady rhythm on her own power. Kikyo's eyes were closed as Inuyasha approached, daring to hope that his mate truly was awakening to the world, he desperately needed his wife to return to their family, however where Inuyasha's place would be within that family, made the guilt ridden hanyou swallow his heart back down his throat. Ayame stood behind him a smile etched on her face, the wolf was so happy to see Inuyasha's family awakening slowly, but returning to him never the less. Inuyasha took a deep breath, standing at Kikyo's bedside, taking her hand in his own, it was warm, and when he squeezed lightly Kikyo responded in kind, it was enough to cause Inuyasha laugh in surprise.

 

 

“Kikyo? Baby do you hear me?” Inuyasha leaned over whispering in her ear. “Come on baby say something.” After a moment of her silence he sighed deeply, resting his head on her shoulder. “I love you. I need you to wake up, the girls and I really need you to wake up.” Ayame squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder and left him alone with the woman he loved.

 

 

“I despise you Inuyasha.” The voice was hoarse, but strong and full of venom. The strength of Kikyo was there even if her voice was not, weakly Kikyo pulled her hand from his, as Inuyasha stood to look upon her face, as all color-drained form his. The eyes of his wife were cold, and unyielding; the scowl on her face terrified the hanyou to the very marrow of his bones. How could this be his gentle loving Kikyo? “How could you betray us like that? I hate you with my entire body, I wish you were dead.”

 

 

Inuyasha felt week kneed, like he was about to collapse under the weight of Kikyo's harsh words, somehow he stayed standing, facing the woman he took as mate, and wife, Inuyasha did not expect Kikyo to awaken in such a vicious state of mind. “K…Kikyo, please, let's talk about this.” How could they talk about it? He was entirely to blame. “I know I fucked up, but please, I beg of you, let me try and make everything right.”

 

 

“You no longer have the right to ask a damn thing of me. Get out.” Kikyo hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits.

 

 

“No. I've come so close to loosing you too many times, I'm not leaving, and you don't have the strength to make me leave by force. We are going to talk about this. Give me a chance.”

 

 

“You don't seem to understand Inuyasha, there are no chances. I want a divorce. Why did you even come? Did you think I would forget?” Her look traveled out the window to a place unknown in the night, she prayed to God to give her the strength, how was she going to end the relationship to the man her heart loved so deeply?

 

 

He just went and did the one thing that was the most damaging to her heart, trampling their vows with another woman, ruining their life together, it was not bad enough that Kikyo was hurt, Inuyasha indirectly hurt their children with the little office slut, there was no absolution in her saddened eyes. There could be no forgiveness; there would be no clemency for Inuyasha, just the loneliness of a man with a treacherous heart that had lost everything. It should make it easier for her to say good-bye, but it wasn't, it was even harder, seeing him with dark circles encapsulating his eyes, and the rumpled, slept in clothes, how was she supposed to say good bye, she had to say goodbye? He sat in vigil of her, how was she supposed to deny it all? Kikyo fought with her softer emotions that whispered in her ear to hear him out, all her mind continued to flash across her eyes were those damned photographs, of her husbands' infidelity. No, she could do this.

 

 

Inuyasha sat stunned, each carefully chosen word he had planed, was lost in the sands of his devious action, Kikyo held no intention of forgiving, and the realization of that fact cut him to the quick. He was unable to give a rebuttal, there was no scenario in his mind that said Kikyo would awaken with `guns a blazing'. How was he supposed to say how he felt about his transgressions, saying `I love you' would just not be enough, maybe it would never be enough?

 

 

They needed to talk, but she refused, her week, cold smile, signing the death warrant on their married live. Their life together of the past few months was nothing but hurt and blame, it wasn't always like that the two of them used to be happy, they used to be in love, Kikyo had lost her best friend, when had she become a fool? Kikyo now belonged to the bitterness that raced through her body and soul, why should she try to save the heart of the one she still loved, but knew she must let go. There was no way to save the life they once shared; it was now a bed of dust.

 

 

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“Sixteen fuckin' hours… sixteen mind numbing hours, that I'll never get back.” Shippo groaned as he followed Kagome through Heathrow airport, dragging his duffle bag and hers behind him.

 

 

“You're the one who insisted on coming, I don't feel a bit sorry for you Shippo, you should have slept.” Kagome glanced over her shoulder smiling at the kitsune all bright eyed, and glowing. “Well, it's after one already, Sota would be at work, should we stop in and surprise him?”

 

 

“Sleep, Kagome, I need sleep.” Shippo muttered, the exhaustion was taking a toll on him already, and the jet lag hadn't even set in. “Please, can we go to the hotel.”

 

“We're not going to a hotel, for a couple of days, not until I have some things taken care of, Kouga would find me, remember. We'll stay with my brother.” Kagome smiled sweetly at him. “It won't be so bad Sota has a great place, plenty of room for a bachelor, and I happen to have a key, I helped him get settled when he first started working for Sesshomaru.”

 

 

Shippo abruptly stopped in his tracks looking at the back of Kagome wide eyed, why was that name so important? Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, InuTaisho. “Kagome you never said your married guy was the InuTaisho.” Shippo was suddenly very worried for his father whom he left back in the states; you do not cross such a powerful youkai like Sesshomaru. “Oh god what have I gotten myself into?”

 

 

“No, no, not Sesshomaru, his brother, Inuyasha.” As she spoke his name all of her joy she felt from getting away from Kouga faded, she would never see her Inuyasha again would she?

 

 

“Won't they suspect your brother first off?” Shippo took Kagome softly by the wrist turning her to face him. “They will look for you there.”

 

 

“Don't worry, the Chinkara brother's will not come looking for me, hell, Sesshomaru will probably do back flips when he realizes I am gone. No, no one from there will give my disappearance a second thought, except maybe Sango after she cools off, but I doubt even that.” Kagome pulled herself away from Shippo walking even faster to retrieve her baggage, and get the hell out of the airport. “Come on, you need sleep, you look like you could fall over at any second.” Kagome's cell phone began to ring in her purse; by habit she nearly answered it until Shippo snatched it from her hand turning it off. “Hey, that could have been important.”

 

 

“You brought this?” Is this woman a moron? What is she thinking? “You do know these things can have GPS trackers in them, I'm sure your wolf has though of that, we need to destroy this thing.”

 

 

Kagome looked at him puzzled as what he said sunk in, she would have never even thought of that, Shippo was proving a valuable asset already. “Thanks Shippo.”

 

 

“Lets get the to your brothers.” Shippo was annoyed with the woman who had recently become friend to him, however at times her blinding stupidity infuriated him, but oh well, she was only human. Yea, she was only a human who could be carrying a child of the great InuTaisho's son, or the spawn of a homicidal wolf. Just great Shippo, what else?