InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The End of Innocence ❯ Waiting ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Hi, here is another chapter for you fantastic readers . . . I hope that it lives up to all expectations. Sorry about the delay - as soon as school got out, I got a summer job, which, unfortunately, steals five days out of my week, and on my days off, I'm usually too tired to do anything . . . but enough with the excuses. Please read, enjoy, and review!

 

Disclaimer: Do I own them? (Peeks behind curtain). Nope. (Looks under table). Still nope. (Sigh)

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Faster than she ever worked before, Kaede cleaned the wound under Kagome's breast and began to wrap bandages around the girl's chest.

 

InuYasha stood with his back to Kaede, facing the window, but his fists were clenched so tightly behind his back that his knuckles were white.

 

“InuYasha, Kagome was bleeding badly, but thanks to your quick actions, ye have stopped any further harm from being done”, said Kaede.

 

“These cuts on her legs and chest will soon heal if cleaned properly, as well as the bruises on her face. But I fear that I have no power to heal any wounds inside of her body. If she is bleeding internally . . . “

 

Kaede sighed, and began to clean the jagged claw marks on Kagome's thighs.

 

Kagome moaned, and InuYasha whipped around, staring at her face. Her cheeks were pale, and sweat stood out on her forehead.

 

“InuYasha, there is nothing ye can do for her right now. Sit down, child”, said Kaede, motioning for him to take a seat on the other side of Kagome.

 

He slumped to the floor, and the tension left his shoulders. His ears drooped, and he looked the picture of despair.

 

In a low voice, he asked, “Will she . . . be all right? Is there a chance that Kagome might . . .”, InuYasha trailed off, unable to speak his fear.

 

“Kagome is in the hands of the Kami now. There is nothing that we can do. Don't blame yourself. You are not the one who hurt her - are ye?,” said the old miko, cocking her head and staring at InuYasha.

 

“Will ye even tell me what happened? Ye rushed into my house as if death was on your heels, and I saw that Kagome was hurt, so I did not waste time with questions. What caused this terrible thing?,” said Kaede, as she carefully wiped at the blood.

 

“It is my fault! All the blame is mine!”, cried InuYasha, leaping from the floor.

 

“If I had tried harder, this never would have happened!” Unable to control his rage, he slammed his fist through the floor of the hut.

 

“InuYasha, surely ye do not mean to say that ye were the one!”, said Kaede, her voice trembling in horror.

 

“Feh! Hag, how dare you accuse me of such a thing! You know how much I care - “, he broke off, frowning ominously at Kaede.

 

He opened his mouth wide to yell again, but suddenly slumped and began to talk quietly. “The demon who beat her and - and RAPED her - has run away, and there is nothing I can do to change what he has done. Nothing that I can do will give Kagome back her . . . what she lost,” he finished lamely, unable to get “virginity” through his lips.

 

“InuYasha, ye may plan your revenge later, but what matters now is Kagome. We must find a way to help her, and we must do our best to make her better”, said Kaede.

 

“Did ye not say that the healers in her time have made wonderful advances? Mayhap ye could take her through the well to her own people.”

 

“Aaagh! Why didn't I think of that?! I'll take her right now!,” said InuYasha, bending to scoop up Kagome and carry her away.

 

“No! she is too weak to be moved right now, InuYasha. If ye took her, ye might cause her more harm than good. Wait a day until she is stable, unless her condition worsens. Then ye can have her examined by the modern healers”, said Kaede, putting out a hand to stay the eager hanyou and stop him from rushing out the door.

 

InuYasha exhaled impatiently, but turned around and gently carried Kagome back to the tatami mat on which she had been lying. He frowned, then sniffed the air.

 

“Hag, check her bandages again! I can smell it - she is bleeding fresh blood!”, he said, whirling angrily on Kaede. The elderly priestess bent over the girl, checking each of her bandages, then suddenly straightened.

 

“InuYasha . . . there is nothing I can do. The blood is coming from her gates within. I can only staunch it.”

 

InuYasha, who had been staring angrily at Kaede, suddenly blushed crimson and spun around as Kaede gently wiped between Kagome's legs. She pulled a blanket over the girl, for modesty, and the hanyou slowly turned around.

 

He picked up a towel and dampened it with water from Kaede's water bucket, placing it on Kagome's feverish brow.

 

Kaede, watching InuYasha, saw a look of tenderness pass over his face, disappearing as rapidly as it had come.

 

Kaede blinked, staring at InuYasha's angry brows, and she wondered if she had merely imagined her glimpse behind the hanyou's mask of rage and fear.

 

She suddenly began to fear for InuYasha's health and sanity. What if he couldn't handle it? His blind demon rage might take over.

 

If Kagome died, would he kill himself to join her in the next world?

 

Kaede looked down at Kagome, and felt only sorrow for the girl's loss. Her purity and innocence could never be regained. Would Kagome still be the smiling, optimistic anchor of her shard-hunting group?

 

Maybe her mind is broken. Her soul may have shattered under the trauma, and be beyond repair. The girl may lose her trust in good demons . . . she may turn on InuYasha!

 

Kaede stopped herself from speculating any further.

 

There is no way to know what is going to happen to Kagome right now, she reminded herself. She has great powers. She may yet heal herself. She may even remain untainted, merely physically injured by the experience.

 

Kaede tried to convince herself, but she could not stop worrying about the dire possibilities of what could yet befall Kagome.

 

To distract herself, she began to mix a drink that would help ease Kagome's pain, and allow the young miko to rest more easily.

 

As she ground herbs and measured powders, she began to calm down.

 

I have not lived sixty years on this earth simply to lose my head in a tense situation.

 

Kaede watched InuYasha, who sat as still as a stone by Kagome's side, moving only to wipe away her sweat every few minutes. The old priestess could tell that he only kept his rage in check so that he could better help the girl.

 

If she had died, he would certainly have gone mad.

 

The tension of waiting became so thick that Kaede felt stifled. Her one-room house seemed too small to hold InuYasha's smoldering pain.

 

Although he sat still, Kaede could almost feel him pushing against the walls and trying to vent his rage.

 

She tried to think of something to say, anything to ease the hanyou, but she knew that her words would have no effect on him at the moment, so she attempted to steady her own breathing and focused on the work at hand.

 

After what seemed like forever, there was a loud thump outside, and Kaede heard Shippo's shrill voice over the muted tones of Miroku and Sango.

 

The old priestess stood up to meet them, but before she could pull back the door flap, Shippo came flying into her arms as he hopped through the doorway, making a neat hole through the middle of the flap.

 

“Kaede! Where's Kagome? Is she okay? What happened? Is InuYasha here?!”

 

The tiny fox demon hopped in circles in his impatience as he said, “What about the jewel shards? Are they okay?”

 

There was a startled gasp behind him, and he turned to see InuYasha staring at Kagome's neck in surprise. Kaede turned to see what was the matter, but before she could see what was wrong, Miroku cut in.

 

“The jewel is there, around Kagome's neck - but look at it!”, he said, his voice filled with apprehension.

 

Kaede finally caught a glimpse of Kagome's necklace, and let out her own gasp.

 

The crescent jewel, once so clean and shining, was now encircled by a miasmic aura, and tainted a terrifying black!

 

~*~*~*~*~