InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Patchwork Family ❯ Emergency Mode ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: All Inuyasha characters and references belong to the creator of Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi and published by Shogakukan. Any other characters are more than likely my own creation. If I borrow directly from another story I will do my best to make sure I give credit where credit is due.

***

Between preoccupied thoughts and his natural tendency for a lead foot on the pedal, it only took 15 minutes to get back to Arcata. When Inuyasha pulled into the apartment complex parking lot, the clock told him it was almost 7 p.m. and the sun was beginning to sink in the sky. He walked around to the back of the building where his big living room window was, and climbed his way up the fire escape again.

Standing easily on the 10 inch ledge, he pulled the window aside and swung down through the opening. Inuyasha reached back to close the window, but then paused instead. He lifted his nose and inhaled deeply. He could smell Kagome. Her scent was heavily laced with the sour musk of fear. His ears twitched, listening with a new alertness. Someone was in the bathroom. By the faint creaking sound he associated with Sango’s old crutches, he decided that had to be Kagome. But there was another smell that hadn’t been there when he’d left. It was human, male, and unfamiliar.

He took a moment to pray Kagome stayed in the bathroom while he checked things out. His eyes flicked to the front door, where the wood of the inside frame was splintered. Someone had broken past the door locks. It was a good thing most of the units on this floor were empty or someone might have called the police. Breaking in a door was not a quiet business, and it took some real muscle. It wasn’t usually as easy as they made it look in the movies.

Silently, he took one step forward, inhaling deeply again. There was a faint sound of measured breathing and her smelled sweat, gun oil, peanut butter, and only the smallest hint of fear. He reached back and pulled his P-07 out of the holster, quickly screwing on the silencer he’d kept in an inside pocket. He raised it up to aim in the direction of the kitchen before he growled, “stand up. I know you’re there.”

He heard a nearly silent curse in Spanish, and a large, dark haired man, almost six feet tall and built like a linebacker slowly got to his feet. He was pointing his own weapon; a handgun of a larger caliber than Inuyasha’s own, also equipped with a silencing barrel. The man spoke with an accent that hinted at a strong Spanish background. “I’ve no business with you. I’m here for the girl.”

Inuyasha sneered. “Well she sure as hell ain’t going anywhere with you; if she wanted to, you both would have been gone by now. Instead, she’s holed up in the bathroom and you were hiding behind my kitchen counter like a stinking coward-- so let’s try this again.”

Inuyasha took one more step across the hardwood floor towards the man, threat inherent in every move. “Put your gun down. We both know shooting me will do you no good. A single shot is hardly going to drop me and you wouldn't have time to make a second one before I tore out your throat. Naraku sent you?”

The man’s eyes widened a little but he shook his head, muttering “I don’t know this name.” Inuyasha took one more step forward, grinning widely enough to show his fangs as he snarled. “Liar... You’re a real big man hugh? Breaking in armed and ready to come after a half-drowned, half-starved woman who can’t get across the room without crutches? If you touched her at all you’re already a dead man, so don’t feel the need to try and protect him. Who else would have sent you? Tell me, how’s Naraku feeling with a bullet hole in his chest?”

The man didn’t say anything but sidestepped towards the door, continuing to aim his gun at Inuyasha. The demon fired once into the refrigerator right between the man and the door, barely missing his opponent’s knee. “I don’t think so,” he said smoothly. Then he called, “Kagome, don’t come out. I want you to pound on the door twice if you’re hurt, three times if you’re okay.”

He waited and after a moment there were three solid knocks. “Good news,” he said, grinning at the man in the way a mountain lion might smile when it’s found an injured deer. “You’re not necessarily doomed from the start. Naraku wants her alive?” After some hesitation the man nodded.

“Why?” Inuyasha snapped.

“He needs her alive. It’s important. That’s all I know. Little Miko has some information, some magic or something that he needs. He said he was invested in her.”

Miko? She’d said her name was Kagome. Then he remembered-- Miko was a term used for a priestess of sorts back home in Japan and he knew Naraku was from that far off chain of islands as well. She was a priestess? He guessed she looked like she could be part Japanese. “What do you mean invested? What does he need from her?” he growled.

The man shook his head and snarled right back. “Fuck you. Even if I knew, Naraku would kill me for telling, and for returning without the girl. Just give her over. What is she to you?”

Inuyasha didn’t answer that question; he wasn’t sure about that just yet. Something about her felt important-- vital to him in some way. It was unsettling, and he hadn’t had a chance to examine it. A bead of sweat dripped down the man’s brow as he offered slowly, “Naraku would pay you well for your cooperation. She belongs to him.”

Inuyasha snapped out his words in a sharp, hard tone. “Naraku’s people tossed her in the river to die. I think we can safely say he’s relinquished any claim he might’ve had. He can’t need her that badly.” The man laughed now, sounding a little manic. “Esos idiotas… they were sorry they did that. Once Naraku was up again he nearly killed them; flayed them to within an inch of their lives for their transgressions.”

“So, Naraku sent you to fetch the Miko back to him. I hear he has a new toy of some kind that he can’t figure out by himself. That must be frustrating, sure he hasn’t mentioned it?”

The man frowned muttering, “no, he tells me to get the girl, so that is what I do. What he needs her for isn’t my business. I don’t want to know. I do the job and he pays me.”

Just then a key rattled in the broken lock and the door swung inward, framing a surprised Sango who stood with an arm-load of grocery bags. She stood no more than three feet from the man’s shoulder and the bags crashed to the floor as he grabbed for her with one arm. Inuyasha yelled, “Sango, drop!”

Sango tried to squirm away so Inuyasha would have a clean shot; but the man was much bigger, and much stronger than her. As good a fighter as she was, she hadn’t been prepared and he outweighed her by probably 100 lbs. of muscle. The man grinned, aiming the muzzle of his gun near Sango’s head and almost shouting, “send out the girl, and you get your Sango. We can be on our way and leave you in peace.”

Inuyasha heard the bathroom door open and called, “stay there Kagome.”

He cursed when he heard the squeak of the crutches instead of the closing of the door. She limped out of the hallway and stopped just inside the living room, facing the man. Inuyasha could smell the fear rolling off her, but she stood on her crutches stiffly, bruised face set with a severe sort of determination. She gestured at herself and then to the man, and then to Sango, waving her hand away in a clear message.

The man laughed. “That’s right darling girl, you come with me, and everybody lives. This lovely lady will accompany us to the car, and the demon will stay here. I will leave her in the parking lot, but if I see him take even one step to follow, she will have a hole through her brain; such a terrible waste that would be.”

Sango threw her head back into the man’s nose and jabbed her elbow back into stomach, then quickly lunged for his gun hand. He made a grunting sound but pulled the gun out of her reach before returning it to her head and placing it right against her temple. “None of that, if you please, try again and I may have an accident with the trigger… What will it be little Miko?”

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and he could see in her eyes what she intended to do. He growled through his teeth. “Kagome, stay put, get back in the hallway.” She shook her head, looking upset but resolute. He wondered briefly-- where was the timid little mouse that had shrunk away when he’d hit the couch with a dish towel?

Kagome gestured at the man to let Sango go, then pointed to herself and the door. The man shook his head. “Afraid not girl, she’s coming with us to the parking lot. Now move!”

Kagome took one last look at Inuyasha and started to gimp towards the door. The man loosened his grip on Sango just enough to start walking backwards towards the door. The instant he lifted his left foot Sango used his own motion to knock him off balance, jumping up and hitting him in the chin with her head while simultaneously bringing her shoulder up to move his arm, and the gun, away from her head. She gave him a shove and dropped to the floor as he fell backwards.

Inuyasha fired twice, hitting the man in the chest. The gunman fell to the floor, but when Sango turned to disarm him he swung the weapon around and fired twice in her direction. She jumped aside as soon as she saw him start to raise his arm, and kicked a booted foot out at his hand, knocking the gun away so it spun across the kitchen floor. Then she hopped to the other foot like a soccer player for maximum force, and landed another hard kick to his head, leaving him unconscious.

There was a soft thump and Inuyasha saw Kagome go pale where she leaned against the wall behind her, sliding down off of her crutches to the floor. “Kagome!” he breathed, seeing the bloom of red flowering across the white t-shirt in both the left shoulder and her chest, just below her ribs. He looked back at the man, now lying sprawled out, still breathing but barely conscious. Sango frowned and knelt down to pull up his shirt, revealing a vest similar to the one Inuyasha wore.

The man began to blink his eyes open and Inuyasha snapped, “Sango, go to her.” He knelt down on the man's chest and snarled, “did Naraku send any others with you?” The man tried to pull away but Inuyasha shook him, feeling his fangs lengthen a little as his demon blood roared in his ears. He was almost shouting. “Are there others?”

The man shook his head, unfocused, and Inuyasha jerked his wrist, breaking the man’s neck instantly. He moved across the floor to Kagome. Sango had pulled off her own over-shirt and folded it up to use as a pad, applying pressure against the wound in the girl’s chest. Kagome shook a little, her breath coming raggedly, her eyes glassy with pain. She looked up at Inuyasha, focusing on him for a long moment before she coughed, a little blood leaking out of her mouth. Her front was covered in it now, and the iron smell filled his nose as it dripped onto the floor around her. Inuyasha pulled out his phone, murmuring, “hang on for me Kagome, it’s gonna be fine.”

Sango flashed him a doubtful look as he dialed Sesshomaru. He waited impatiently for him to answer and pressed a dishcloth to the wound in Kagome’s shoulder, grateful that at least the wound was well above her heart. The girl cried out in pain at the pressure just as Sesshomaru answered the phone. The Tai-Yokai must have heard it because he said sharply, “what's happened?”

“There was a guy waiting in the apartment when I got back. He’s dead but Kagome’s shot, left shoulder and lower chest. Is there anyone besides Vin? She needs help fast and Naraku’s watching the hospital for her.” Sesshomaru thought for a moment and asked, “she’s important?”

Inuyasha nearly snarled into the phone without stopping to think about it. “Yes, dammit!”

A half second passed and Sesshomaru said, “I’m leaving now with Tenseiga. Call Gabriel, Koga and Ayame and send them to guard headquarters.”

The call disconnected and he started pulling up Ayame’s number. “Sesshomaru’s coming, hang on Kagome.” He didn’t like the way her face was going ashen and she was beginning to shiver. She worked her mouth a little as she looked up at him, whispering raggedly, “Inuyasha…” His chest tightened painfully at the sound of his name on her lips. Some far-away thought crossed his mind that it was the first time she’d said his name.

Just then Ayame picked up and he barked into the phone, “there’s been an emergency, shots fired, get Koga and Gabriel and get to headquarters as fast as possible. Stay there with Rosie and Rin. Sesshomaru’s coming to me.”

Ayame didn’t ask what was going on, just said, “on our way. Is Gabriel at the garage?”

“Yes,” he clipped out.

They hung up and Inuyasha shook his head as Kagome’s eyes began to flutter closed. “No you don’t.” He brushed her hair away from her sweaty face and she turned her cheek into his hand, the corners of her lips lifting for a short moment. When her eyes remained closed, he pressed just slightly harder on her wound and they flew open again as she gasped in pain. “I’m sorry Kagome, but you have to stay awake. I know it hurts.”

Kagome coughed again and her lips were freshly coated with her own blood, her breath making a wet, unhealthy sound. Sango’s eyes were shining with tears as she continued to press the soaked shirt to the chest wound. “Inuyasha, she has a punctured lung. It’s going to take Sesshomaru twenty minutes, fifteen if he rides his bike.”

Inuyasha knew what she was saying but he couldn’t stand the thought of those sharp, stormy eyes closing and not opening again after everything she’d already been through. “He’ll get here a little faster than that. He’ll fly,” Inuyasha said. Sango looked up at him in confusion, but a voice whispered in his mind, ‘she still isn’t going to make it.’

“No…” He ground out the word roughly, responding to both Sango, and the nagging thought in his head. He looked at the clock over the refrigerator and swore. Kagome had nearly stopped shivering and her eyes were closing again. “Kagome!” he shouted at her. When she didn’t open her eyes at this he swore again used the thumb claw on the hand that was holding the towel to slice open part of the wrist on his other arm.

Sango cried out as blood dripped down his arm. “Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing?”

He ignored her and sucked hard on the cut, pulling in a mouthful of his own blood before he leaned in and placed his lips against Kagome’s. There was a snap of what felt like the strongest static shock he’d ever felt as his lips touched hers He drew back in surprise for a moment. He felt her flinch away from him a little as he pressed his lips to hers again and forced the blood into her mouth. Her chest heaved and he put his hand over her mouth. “I need you to swallow that Kagome. Don’t spit it out.”

Her eyes fluttered a little and she finally swallowed. Inuyasha sucked another mouthful of blood from his wrist and did it again. He did this three more times and she choked it down, her foggy mind unable to think clearly enough to resist. He had to reopen the cut on his wrist once, as it clotted and began to heal. Twice more he received a sharp shock of bright violet energy for his efforts and after the third time he growled, "stop it Kagome. I'm trying to help you."

Sango watched, looking slightly horrified. “That could kill her… couldn’t it?”

For the first time in his long life Inuyasha thanked the gods that he was hanyu. He glanced at Sango and she could see the desperation on his face as he said, “if I was full demon it would be riskier. As I’m not, there’s a better chance it’ll help keep her alive for Sesshomaru to get here with Tenseiga. Otherwise she isn’t going to make it long enough.

Sango gaped for a moment. She’d heard about Sesshomaru’s ancient sword but she was never sure if it was just a story or not. “Will that really work? Have you done this before?”

Inuyasha didn’t meet her eyes. “No, not really. I’ve only seen it used on demons. The only time I saw it used on a human, it… it didn’t work. It was too late; she was already gone.” Sango frowned and after some thought, asked slowly, “when Rhiannon had Rin?”

Inuyasha nodded curtly. Kagome’s eyes fluttered opened again and there was some color in her cheeks, though she was still losing too much blood. “Kagome? Can you hear me?” he asked. She nodded and he asked, “can you feel your legs?” She seemed to think about this for a long time before letting her head fall back against the wall and shaking it from side to side, a few tears leaking over her cheeks. She croaked out a few words in a hoarse voice. “Just stop... it’s cold…”

“I know sweetheart; just stay awake, and listen to me.”

Sango tried not to look at him with incredulity again. She’d almost never heard Inuyasha use an endearment like that. It sounded weird coming from him for anyone but his niece. Inuyasha didn’t even look at her. He was trying to keep eye contact with Kagome. Sango turned the shirt over on the wound and said in surprise, “I think the bleeding’s slowed down.”

Inuyasha checked the bullet hole in her shoulder and saw Sango was right. “It’s working,” he said, breathing out in relief. “Kagome, can you hear me?”

The girl nodded drowsily, and he continued speaking. “I’m going to say a word and I want you to give me as many words as you can that rhyme with it ok? Just whisper, if you can.”

She nodded again and he said, “the word is door.” She didn’t respond and he said again a little louder, “what rhymes with door Kagome? Stay with us.”

After a second she whispered hoarsely, “floor.”

“Good.” Sango said, joining him. “What else?”

“St… Store,” She stuttered out.

Inuyasha felt her face and said, “Sango I’ll hold the pressure. Can you get a towel and soak it in cold water?” Sango nodded and Inuyasha took the shirt from her while she went to the sink.

“What else Kagome?” he prompted.

“Boar… lore…”she whispered, followed by, “Coors.” Inuyasha nodded and smiled, a barely-there tug of the lips. “Beer, that’s great Kagome. New word: tape.”

“Cape… rape…” She said slowly, glazed eyes trying unsuccessfully to track Sango as she came back and knelt down with the towel, wiping Kagome’s face, cleaning the blood from her lips and setting the towel on the girl's forehead. She looked at Inuyasha with an expression of deep concern. “You realize that in the condition she’s in, this is like playing word association with a really drunk person right? This is coming straight from her subconscious.”

He nodded once seriously, and said, “I think Naraku tried to rape her. I don't know if he succeeded in the end though. I know she fought him hard.” Sango nodded, turning the cloth over, and murmuring, “new word Kagome: bet.”

Kagome seemed to think for a moment and coughed, grimacing before she said, “net...network… internet… intranet.” Sango’s brows rose in surprise. “She’s pretty good for a drunk person.”

Inuyasha felt Kagome’s face again and frowned. “grab some ice out of the freezer. My blood is driving her temperature up fast. Sango nodded and took the cloth with her to fill it. He checked the wound in Kagome’s chest and found it had nearly stopped bleeding now. “What rhymes with the word ‘link’?” he asked. She shook her head, turning her face to the side and letting her eyes close.

“Hey,” he said, turning her chin back to face him. “What rhymes with link, Kagome?”

When she still didn’t open her eyes he pressed gently again on her shoulder wound. That was enough to snap her halfway back and she cried out roughly, “drink, zinc, pink…”
“Three words, that’s good, listen, I’m going to say a word and I want you to just tell me the first thing you think of. Alright?”

Sango came back and placed the towel full of ice on Kagome’s forehead, giving him a dirty look as she heard what he’d said. She pursed her lips and added, “she is hot. It’s been eight minutes. Sesshomaru should be here soon. You know this isn’t entirely fair to her right?”

Inuyasha just snorted and said, “the world ain’t fair. For her sake and ours, I need to know what exactly we stepped in here - the first word is demon Kagome.”

Kagome frowned and spat, “bastard…” Inuyasha frowned and Sango just raised her eyebrows, keeping her fingers on the girl’s wrist to monitor her pulse.

Inuyasha continued, “father.”

“Gone…” Kagome moaned, her voice full of more than one kind of pain.

Inuyasha thought for a moment and said, “shoot,” to which Kagome replied with a frown, “Sango.”

Sango looked surprised again and a little guilty. "I'm fine Kagome, he didn't hurt me. Gods, if she came out here just to protect me..." She made a sound of frustration.

“Gun,” Inuyasha said. Kagome responded almost by rote, “second drawer…"

Inuyasha sighed. “That must have been Naraku’s gun she got hold of. She told me it was in his desk. Next word is ‘Miko.’”

Kagome coughed, blood spattering her lips again as she whispered, “Shikon no... Tama…”

Her glassy eyes seemed to search the room in front of her, not quite seeing them as she hoarsely said, “I have to get it. He can’t…” Inuyasha froze for the second time that day, still as a statue. “Naraku has the Shikon no Tama?”

Kagome closed her eyes for a second, and a tear slid down her cheek as they flickered open again. “I have to get it… supposed to keep it safe…” The girl’s voice was a ragged, almost eerie whisper.

Sango looked up at Inuyasha with a frown. “What’s a Shikon no Tama?”

He scowled and explained distractedly, “the Jewel of Four Souls. It’s an ancient spiritual artifact from Japan, where Sess and I came from, and Naraku too. I thought it was gone. No one today even thinks it’s real. She’s right. If Naraku has it, he can’t be allowed to keep it.”

Sango looked curious but Kagome’s eyes were closing again so she squeezed the girl’s hand and said, “Kagome, next word: home.”

“Gone…” she whispered again, barely loud enough to hear. “Can’t go…”

“Oregon.” Inuyasha continued.

“13th…,” the girl whimpered after a long moment. “Missed my 13… they need me,” she moaned softly, another tear leaking from one eye as she sucked in a ragged breath. “And… I’m not there…”

Inuyasha and Sango exchanged confused looks, both confused by this. It made no sense without more details, but obviously this 13 something or other was important to her.

“Family?” he asked.

“Gone… Gang…” she said, sounding puzzled, unsure.

Inuyasha frowned and repeated her own word, ‘gang.’ She shook again a little, a shudder moving through her as she replied, “tank… in the basement.” Her brows lowed in a pained grimace as she whispered, “no more basement...please…” He sighed, still frowning, and said, “guess that could be why she gets so nervous whenever anyone asks her if she wants to stick around with us. Next word Kagome,” and he said hesitantly, “mother.”

Her face seemed to crumple a little with unhappiness and she said, “gone…” again.

He thought back to the things she’d said since she’d woken that first time and said, “necklace.”

“Mama…” she whispered, one arm twitching towards her chest, but only moving a few inches before it fell back to her lap weakly.

“Tsubaki…” Inuyasha asked, carefully. Kagome spat out the word, “bitch…” rather venomously and he said, “Ah…okay.” Deciding to give her a break for a second he chose a word that might not be associated with such painful feelings. “Cat?”

“Buyo…,” she said.

“Buyo?” he asked, confused.

“Grand-père,” she sighed. He searched his mind at the slight lilt to the word, guessing it meant grandfather, but sure it wasn’t the English version. The way she used the accent, it was warm, and wrapped around the syllables in a loving way.

“Grand-père …” he prompted, trying to emulate the foreign accent she had applied to the word. She didn’t say anything at first, and her face almost looked worried. She stared into nothing, as if looking at something they couldn’t see. “Lab, should check... at home…”

“Home?” he prompted again, softly.

“Safe…” she mumbled. Sango rolled to sit on one hip, turning the cloth full of ice over, asking, “safe?”

Kagome mumbled again, quietly, but not so quiet they didn’t catch it when she said, “Inuyasha…” They looked at each other and, again, he felt his chest tighten when he heard her say his name, even in her hoarse, damaged voice. Just then Sesshomaru knocked once and came in the broken door, carrying a medic’s bag and his sword in its sheath at his hip. He closed the door quickly and knelt in front of Kagome. She opened her eyes briefly and they tracked him for a moment before they went glassy and unfocused again.

He reached a hand to her and she flinched away, more tears slipping from her eyes, as she sobbed, “no…please…”

“Stop,” he said firmly. “I won’t hurt you. Be still, small one.”

He felt her head, checked her eyes and frowned, looking at all the blood she’d lost. “How is she still conscious?” Sango started to answer but he inhaled deeply and his eyes seemed to flash in surprise as he looked at Inuyasha. “You gave her blood?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Later Sesshomaru, she’s not doing so great. She’s hardly bleeding anymore but her fever is high and it’s getting harder to keep her awake.”

Sesshomaru nodded and stood, pulling his sword from its sheath. The sun had set and Sango had only turned on the light over the sink. Sesshomaru stood in the dim kitchen, golden eyes glinting as he ordered, “move the towels away.” Inuyasha pulled the towel and shirt away from Kagome’s wounds and tossed them aside. Sango scooted away from Kagome a little nervously unsure of exactly what she was about to witness. Sesshomaru’s eyes flicked to her for a moment and he said simply, “this sword cannot harm the living.”

She frowned in confusion and watched as Sesshomaru held the sword in front of him and gazed at Kagome down its length with great focus. The girl’s chin had dropped to her chest, her eyes closed. He could see the imps of the underworld creeping over her body, beginning the work of turning her soul over to the world of the dead. He said quietly, but with steel in his voice, “no,” and brought the weapon down across the girl three times, sending the creatures scurrying away.

Sango clenched her teeth as she felt the personal power Sesshomaru called forward being pressed into the sword. It made something in her bones buzz almost uncomfortably. Then she gasped as the sword seemed to pass right through Kagome’s body, leaving her unharmed. A golden light seemed to dance across her skin, gathering to shine brightly over the wounds in her chest and shoulder, as well as the ones on her leg and side. The young woman took a deep, heaving breath and opened her eyes wide. They glowed with a warm, golden pink light for a second.

Inuyasha bent over her again as the light slowly faded. Sango looked at Sesshomaru with a little awe. “What on earth did you do?”

Sesshomaru explained tonelessly. “When I hold this sword, I can see all the creatures that exist in the gray, doing death’s work; I can drive them off, and undo the damage that attracted them.”

Inuyasha cupped Kagome’s face in his hands, ran his fingers into her hair, and looked into her eyes. They were still full of pain but she looked more alert now. The wandering, unfocused expression was gone. “Kagome, still with me?” he asked, worriedly. She nodded slowly, looking weary. He looked up at Sesshomaru and asked, “you think it’s alright to move her?”

Sesshomaru nodded once. “If it’s done with care, yes. It will be a few hours yet before I would recommend much movement on her own. The magic needs time to heal her insides. Let’s leave Sango for a few minutes to clean her up. We need to talk.”