InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of The Were-Dog ❯ The Bite ( Chapter 1 )

The Curse of the Were-Dog

Sesshoumaru panted slightly as he sped through the woods, Rin wrapped tightly in his tail.

What is this Dog's problem? He wondered as he felt his muscles begin to twinge faintly in fatigue. I am certain I have not wronged him, and yet he chases me with nothing but bloody intent…

This is why the taiyoukai was running through the forest.

He had been running for three hours now, but his enemy never seemed to tire. It had been during one of his periods of rest…

Sesshoumaru didn't need to rest often, but when he did, it was meant to be fitful. Such was not the case this time. Just as he settled down with Rin at his side, an unearthly howl lit the air. It made even him, the taiyoukai of the powerful Western province tense up.

And then the Inu Youkai burst through the woods, saliva dripping from his fangs…

This brought Sesshoumaru back to his present situation.

Knowing full well that the youkai would not tire before he, Sesshoumaru concealed his sleeping ward and his aura began to intensify. He welcomed the feeling of power as his fangs grew and he began to change.

The rabid-looking Inu Youkai burst into the clearing with its hackles raised, a worse image than Sesshoumaru himself could ever conjure. However, he too looked fierce, fangs also bared, ears flattened, and a deep growl in his throat.

Come at me!! He thought, deepening his snarl. Play the fool, be the fool…

As predicted, the animal leapt forward, but instead of sinking his teeth into flesh, his jaws clamped on air as the taiyoukai lord's jaws clamped on his shoulder.

Hrrrowwwrrrr!!

The animal doubled back and bit Sesshoumaru on the neck, successfully felling the larger Dog. Sesshoumaru hacked blood, but before collapsing, he swiped at the dog solidly, breaking a front leg, tore at its throat with his teeth, and finally leapt upon it, breaking its spine cleanly in half. The other Dog spasmed and convulsed as Sesshoumaru fell to the ground, changing back to his more human form.

The ugly gash on his neck frothed strangely.

***

“Kagome, I'm hungry!”

“Okay, okay Shippo. We'll rest and eat.”

Kagome pulled her bike over and began to scout for a clearing from her position.

What she found was blood.

“EEK!”

She ran from the substance and into Inuyasha's arms.

“Gross, gross, gross!!!!” she screamed.

Inuyasha sniffed tentatively.

“…that's Sesshoumaru's blood.

Upon further inspection, Inuyasha found his half-brother's beaten body. A gargantuan gash spanned from his throat to clear past his pecs and nearer to his stomach.

The injury was slowly bleeding, and Sesshoumaru was already extremely pale.

“Kagome, let's go.”

“WHAAT?!?!” she cried. “You don't just mean to leave him here, right?”

“That's exactly what I mean to do!”

“B-but…we can't just let him die!”

“…Naw, you're right. I oughta kill him myself. `Sides, I'm sorta curious who could do this to him when I'm one of the only people able to injure him at all…”

Kagome sighed.

That's not what I meant, idiot.

Kagome applied a huge wad of gauze to stem the blood flow as she searched for an antiseptic. She soon located one and poured the entire bottle onto her “patient's” wound.

Sesshoumaru bolted up, a horrifying look on his face as his features twisted in pain.

“Wench! Inuyasha!”

Great. He knows me as “wench.”

Sesshoumaru covered his chest with his hand in an attempt to rub the antiseptic off, but the salt on his fingers merely worsened the cut, which was already partially infected and smelled of rotting meat. He howled in pain.

“Dammit!!!”

He fell back, squirming in pain.

“Sesshoumaru, stop fidgeting! I need to do this!” Kagome said.

“I do not need your help, damned wench…unh!”

His eyes rolled back and his body froze up and his skin paled to a nearly translucent color.

“Inuyasha! He's in shock, he's in shock!! What do we do?!?!”

“Did you ever think to look in that little box you bring around with all the cures from your future?”

“OH!!! There's a book in there!!”

Kagome yanked the lid open and dug through her first aid equipment until she found a small booklet. Feverishly, she searched for what she needed.

“Shock…shock…here it is!!”

 

Any condition in which the circulatory system is unable to provide adequate circulation to the body tissues, also called circulatory failure or circulatory collapse. Shock results in the slowing of vital functions and in severe cases, if untreated, in death. It may be caused by inadequate pumping by the heart, by reduction of the blood volume due to dehydration or to loss of blood or plasma, or by reduced blood pressure resulting from dilation of the blood vessels. Inadequate pumping may occur as a result of various kinds of heart disease. Blood loss may result from injuries or from such internal conditions as bleeding ulcers. Burns produce extensive plasma loss from blood vessels into the burned area; crush injuries may result in loss of blood and plasma into the injured tissues. Dilation of blood vessels may be caused by injury to the nervous system, or by pain or emotional stress. Fainting is a form of shock brought about by a sudden reduction of the blood supply to the brain. Symptoms of shock include weakness, pallor, cold and moist skin, and thirst. The arterial blood pressure is reduced, the pulse is weak and rapid, and the surface veins of the limbs may collapse. Emergency aid for shock victims includes maintaining a clear breathing passage, administering oxygen, controlling bleeding, and keeping the patient warm and in a supine position with legs elevated. Therapy may include blood or plasma transfusion to restore the normal circulation, as well as treatment of the underlying cause of shock.

 

“Miroku, Sango, can you check his symptoms with me, please?”

“Of course, Lady Kagome,” Miroku said.

“Right away,” Sango added

Between them both, the houshi and taijiya found Sesshoumaru already with pale skin, obvious weakness from his actions, and a weak and rapid pulse. They relayed the information to Kagome, who read the part about “emergency aid.”

“Clear breathing passage…oxygen…control bleeding…what's supine?!”

Miroku calmed Kagome down.

“It's all right, Kagome. Supine means in this case that we lay him flat on his back with his legs elevated.”

“Thanks, Miroku. Now please remove your hand from my skirt.”

“Er…sorry, Kagome.”

Kagome and Inuyasha pulled Sesshoumaru flat onto the ground and put his feet up on a boulder so that his legs were higher than the rest of his body.

“And now for the control of his bleeding.”

The young girl pulled another large piece of gauze out, but this time, she rubbed it across the wound…

It slid as if the gash was covered in grease.

“What the…”

She pulled the gash back and instantly found out why the wound smelled of rotting flesh.

It was covered in the slaver of what looked to be an animal demon. The cut's edges were foaming yellow and she heard as it festered.

In her haste, she had not seen it before.

“It's poison…”

Inuyasha feh'd.

“This bastard's more trouble than he's worth.

Suddenly, just as before, Sesshoumaru snapped awake.

“Wha…why does it burn…?”

“Sesshoumaru, what happened to you?” Sango asked incredulously.

“Some Dog…he was acting mad…only wanted blood…bit me on the neck…”

Kagome gasped.

“This Dog…was he foaming at the mouth?”

“…wha…”

“Foaming, Sesshoumaru! Was he foaming?!”

“I dunno…”

The taiyoukai's eyes slid in and out of focus.

“I do not feel very well…”

“Sesshoumaru, you gotta remember!” Kagome cried, shaking his shoulders roughly.

“I do not…know…yes…he w-was…”

Sesshoumaru turned away from her as he felt his stomach clench.

“Leave me alone…leave me…” he managed to say, already beginning to gag and cough.

Kagome knew that cough. He was about to be sick.

“Guys, leave him with me for a few minutes…”

“Like hell!” Inuyasha spat. “I ain't leavin' you with this murderer!”

“SIT!! Now go!!!”

But it was too late to save Sesshoumaru some embarrassment. With a final gut-wrenching cough, he began to vomit.

“Oh, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome said sadly. “You have rabies…”