Healing
Morning came without warning. Inuyasha growled angrily. He could not believe how quiet and boring his forest has become. It used to be filled with dirty and slimy youkai who wouldn’t even think before trying to t their hands on the Shikon shards. But perhaps his reputation has gone out, and now the little forest near Kaede’s village is filled with only wild animals, and some weak youkai that never bothered with humans or the Shikon shards.

Inuyasha was out in the forest all night, waiting for some youkai that was stirring up trouble. His original plan was to chop down as many youkai as possible to get rid of his anger and frustration. But to his dismay, none showed up. He was just getting ready to move out to some further areas when he noticed that dawn had already come.

Okay, so how the fuck am I gonna tell everyone about Kagome? The grumpy hanyou thought to himself while he walked back slowly to Kaede’s hut. No doubt they’re gonna blame it all on me. Well, it is my fault, but if I don’t want Shippo to cry ‘till I’m deaf, better keep that a secret for now. Yeah, I’ll just tell them that Kagome got involved in an accident, and won’t be back for a while. Then I’ll work out the problem with Kagome and everything will be fine again. “What the…”

Inuyasha suddenly smelled something familiar. It was the stench of youkai. Not a strong youkai, but definitely a youkai. Instinctively Inuyasha leapt toward the bush to his right, and found a shivering kitsune youkai yelping. She was obviously trying to hide from Inuyasha.

Seeing that Inuyasha had discovered her, the kitsune youkai squealed and sank to the ground. “Mighty Inuyasha-sama, please don’t kill me. I don’t hurt humans, I don’t even eat meat. I was just out trying to find some berries for breakfast. Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”

Inuyasha growled. “I ain’t gonna kill ya.” The kitsune youkai was barely up to his knees, it just wasn’t worth his time. But it was very interesting to see how much respect he received these days.

The youkai seemed relieved. “Oh, thank you, Inuyasha-sama, thank you.”

“Wait, hold it!” Inuyasha suddenly stopped the youkai by grabbing on to her tail and lifted her up so they could be on eye level. The youkai thought Inuyasha had changed his mind about killing her and is now squealing her brains out.

“I just need you to listen to what I have to say.” Inuyasha looked annoyed with the youkai. His face clearly says “I won’t kill you, will ya stop squirming?!” The youkai relaxed a bit, and Inuyasha put her back onto the ground. Inuyasha lowered himself by squatting, he looked down on the youkai like he always looks down on Shippo.

“Okay, listen well. I’ll say a bunch of stuff, and afterwards I want you to answer some questions.” When the youkai looked like she understood, Inuyasha went on. “Everybody, I don’t want you to panic, but Kagome got run over by a car. What’s a car, you ask? It’s a carriage not pulled by horses and goes really fast. Kagome’s injured, but the healers at her time said she’ll be fine. Neither of us will come back until she’s healed, so the hunt for shards will have to wait. She’s fine, no need to worry.”

Inuyasha was finally finished, but his listener had a look of confusion on his face. “Okay, did you get that?”

The kitsune youkai shook her head slowly. “Inuyasha-sama… what…what’s a Kagome?”

Inuyasha growled with impatience. “None of your business. Okay, first question, did anything seem to be my fault?”

The youkai shook her head again slowly. This brought a small grin to Inuyasha’s face.

“Second question, would you bombard me with more useless questions after I told you this?”

The youkai hesitated. Finally she replied. “Well, yes, seeing how I don’t really understand you, Inuyasha-sama.”

Inuyasha growled, finally giving up. “Keh, you’re done, go find your stupid berries.” He stumped away angrily.

The skunk youkai finally let out a sigh of relief after seeing Inuyasha’s figure disappear into the woods. She turned around and sniffed the air for berries. But her nose caught a foul smell. She looked up and saw several bee-like youkai staring at her with the most evil expression. She tried ignoring them. Most bee youkai don’t bother with other beings. But as she walked on, the bee-like youkai just followed her. Finally, the kitsune got annoyed and turned to yell. But before she can let out any sound at all, the youkai attacked her. Their needle-like behinds stung into the kitsune’s skin, the poor kitsune youkai fainted in a matter of seconds. And the silent bee-like youkai flew away with her at their claws.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha returned to the hut just as everyone got up (except for Haruko, the long night out drained her energy). Shippo was the first to jump on him to interrogate him. Sango and Miroku’s worried faces followed.

“Where’s Kagome?!!!” It was more of a demand for an answer than a question. Shippo jumped on the hanyou’s head the second he entered. Inuyasha grabbed the fur on his back and threw him away. The kitsune accidentally landed on Haruko’s head, which woke the girl with a start.

“Okay, now everyone’s awake, shut up and listen!” Inuyasha directed the last part at Shippo. But his fierce tone somewhat frightened Rin, the little girl grabbed Haruko’s arm by instinct. Inuyasha looked around and mumbled a little “damn, it’s getting crowded in here”. But no one said anything as they all anticipated his answer to Shippo’s question.

“Now, I don’t want anyone to panic (again, directed mainly at Shippo), but Kagome got run over by a car.”

“What’s a…”

“I was getting to that!” Inuyasha almost howled. “A car is a horseless carriage that goes really fast, entirely made out of metal.”

“Wouldn’t it hurt a lot to get run over by a metal carriage?” Shippo cut in.

“Of course it would, that’s why Kagome’s in a hospital.”

“What’s a…”

“I was getting to that!” Inuyasha grabbed his Tessaiga so he wouldn’t get too angry and kill all his friends. “A hospital is where sick or injured people go to get treated by professional healers. So Kagome will be fine.”

“So I gather Kagome-sama won’t be back for a while.” Miroku sorted out his ponytail while talking, he was the only one who didn’t look worried.

Inuyasha shook his head with some hidden guilt. “Neither will I. I’m gonna stay over there until she fully heals.”

“Why didn’t you save her?” Sango was on the verge of tears. It wasn’t like her to accuse Inuyasha of being useless, that’s usually Shippo’s job. But it looks like she’s not taking the news so well.

“I…” Ahh, shit, why didn’t I think of a response earlier? I should’ve known someone would ask this question.

“Yea, that’s a good question, why didn’t he save Kagome?!” Shippo was outraged again. He climbed onto Miroku’s head so he could look down on Inuyasha, messing up Miroku’s ponytail in the process.

“Don’t say that, Shippo-chan, Inuyasha probably did his best.” Haruko stood up and picked Shippo off Miroku’s head. Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at her, wondering why her attitude was so pleasant today.

Sango rubbed her red eyes, and started pushing Inuyasha out. “Hurry and get back to her, Inuyasha. If Kagome-chan gets better, you have to come back right away and tell us, got it?”

Inuyasha sighed with relief. He ran back to the well as fast as he can. He heard a last “bring Kagome-neechan back soon” from Rin.

*****~~~~~*****
“Mama?” Kagome tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, her ribs started to ache like hell. Slightly raising her head, she saw her mother, asleep with her head on the bed. Her mother woke up the minute she heard Kagome’s cracking voice.

“Oh, honey, you’re awake. Don’t move, dear. Do you need anything?” Mrs. Higurashi sighed in relief as she saw her daughter’s puffy eyes.

“Some water wouldn’t be too bad.” Kagome’s voice sounded like it belonged to a croaking frog.

Mrs. Higurashi rose immediately to the nightstand where there was a pot of water and a cup. All the while she didn’t stop talking. “Dear, how are you feeling? Do you remember anything?”

Kagome groaned. “Yea, I was angry at Inuyasha, so I ran. And a car came at me. That’s about it.”

“Oh, honey,” Mrs. Higurashi fed the water to Kagome so she wouldn’t have to lift her own hand. “Are you in pain?”

“Not unless I move.” Kagome paused before asking. “Umm…mama, where’s… Souta and Grandpa?”

Mrs. Higurashi smirked. “You wanted to ask where is Inuyasha-kun, ne?”

“Yea right, as if I ever want to see that jerk ever again!” Kagome almost pounded the bed, but her mother stopped her before she can injure herself any further.

“Well, here he is now.” A knock came at the room window, a figure in red stood outside on the window sill.

“Iya, mama, don’t let him in, I don’t want to talk to him!” Kagome protested in rage.

Mrs. Higurashi merely ignored her daughter. “The two of you need to work this out.” With that she opened the window. “I’ll be in the bathroom, washing up.” Then the woman exited the room.

“You’re awake.” Inuyasha barely had the strength to whisper it. He was still in his fire rat’s fur, gripping Tessaiga as tightly as possible. He stood barely a foot away from the bed, eyes not moving from Kagome’s face. He looked at her with a painful expression. All bandaged up like that, she looked like a beautiful mummy. But the young miko’s turned her head the other way.

“You seem surprised,” Kagome shot back bitterly, “what? You want me to remain unconscious forever so you can go off with whomever you want? Kikyo, and now Ayumi-chan?”

“Kagome, that’s not…”

“Why do you care then, Inuyasha?” Kagome said his name with a grunt, almost as if she was in pain just to say the name. “It’s not like I won’t let you. If you want to be with someone else, it’s not like I’ll stop you. Why do you keep coming back?”

Inuyasha couldn’t see her face, but he was sure that Kagome was in tears at the moment. The salty smell reached his nose, and it stung.

“Kagome… I...”

Kagome didn’t give him the chance to explain. “And worst of all, you insulted me. If you were unsure of something, you should’ve came and asked me before jumping into your stupid conclusions. And why would you even doubt me in the first place…” Kagome was heated at first, then she slowed down, her own tears were choking her. With all the strength she can muster, she whispered, “why can’t you trust me?”

Inuyasha was completely taken back at her last words. Good question, he asked himself silently, why didn’t I trust her?

Inuyasha stood near Kagome’s bed in silence. Kagome wouldn’t look at him, but her injuries prevented her from moving.

Meanwhile, outside of the room, Mrs. Higurashi had her ears pressed against the shut doors, clutching to a bag that held all the belongings the doctors got from Kagome, including her kimono (the nurses were kind enough to wash the blood off), her jewelries, and a small glass bottle which contained the Shikon shards.

“What are you doing, Higurashi-san?”

Mrs. Higurashi jumped up in surprise. She turned around and saw Ayumi’s curious face. “Well, uh… I was… uh…Ah, Ayumi-chan, what are you doing here so early?”

Ayumi smirked, she could very easily guess that Inuyasha’s having a talk with Kagome. “I came to check on Kagome-chan. She’s awake, I presume. And Inuyasha-kun is in there?”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded with a stream of red, obviously embarrassed about being caught red-handed spying on her own daughter.

“What’s that you’re holding?” Ayumi noticed Mrs. Higurashi’s blush and decided to change the conversation to an easier direction.

“Oh, just some of Kagome’s stuff that I got from the nurse.” The two of those stood there in awkward silence for a good minute before Ayumi broke the ice.

“Umm…” Ayumi pointed at the closed door, “room for one more?”

Mrs. Higurashi grinned broadly and shifted to the right so both of them can have some entertainment. (Mothers can be so evil)

But all they can hear was silence. The couple inside seemed to have stopped talking. Finally…

“I won’t be able to move around for a while.” Kagome’s voice was like sudden thunder even though she was speaking softly. “You can take back most of the Shikon shards and search for Naraku. Just leave me one so I’ll be able to return there as soon as I’m healed.” Kagome’s voice was ice cold. It struck into the depth of Inuyasha’s heart, and it hurt more than he thought it ever could.

Inuyasha didn’t seem to know what he wanted to say, but his unconsciousness did. Before his thoughts even begin to generate, he shot out, “you’re crazy if you think I’m gonna leave you during a time like this.”

“And you’re crazy if you think I’ll let you stay during a time like this.” Kagome shot back with the same cold tone. Her voice penetrated into Inuyasha’s bones, and he shivered involuntarily.

After another long moment of silence, Inuyasha finally said: “Kagome, have it occurred to you that I’m doing all of this because I’m already crazy.” It was more of a statement than a question. And Inuyasha said it with so much confidence that his voice and his pulse were both steady.

This finally caught Kagome’s attention. Her head finally shifted as she could look at Inuyasha eye to eye. She was confused at what he meant. But in Inuyasha’s eyes, she found an unsheathing determination, and also, the definite truth.

“You drive me crazy, Kagome,” Inuyasha said this with some sadness, some hidden emotion that he never let out, but has always there. “I feel safe just being around you. You were the one thing constant in my life, did you know that? I trust you, though I thought I wasn’t able to trust anyone anymore after what happened with Kikyo. And then this Hobo guy appears, along with your other three friends. And I saw the other side of you that I never knew. And I was always afraid that you had secret past, then you won’t be that one constant thing in my life anymore. And that drove me crazy. Jealousy was only half of it. Fear was the other…”

Inuyasha shifted closer and closer to Kagome with each sentence. He finally reached her. Cupping her face with his clawed, but steady hands, he wiped away the tears near Kagome’s eyes; his sharp nails were milliliters away from Kagome’s eyes. But she didn’t flinch. Kagome’s focus remained still on Inuyasha’s handsome face. If only she could move around, then she would hit him until he’s unconscious, then hug him and never let go.

Inuyasha didn’t stop there. Seeing how Kagome stopped ignoring him and wasn’t pulling away, Inuyasha leaned in, closer and closer, until their noses were almost touching. Kagome closed her eyes and waited for the intimate closeness that she’s been longing for.

But it never came. Kagome opened her eyes in confusion and found Inuyasha had withdrawn his hands and was clutching at the Tessaiga. “Inuyasha, what…”

“Tessaiga…” Inuyasha’s tone was a mix of excitement and nervousness, “it’s pulsating.”

Before Kagome and Inuyasha had a chance to find out the reason for Tessaiga’s sudden movement, the door opened noisily. Kagome’s mother nearly flew in, clutching tightly at something in her palms. The woman struggled, as if though she was trying to pull back whatever it was in her hands. “Kagome, the… shards… they’re pulling me toward you.”

“Mama,” Kagome sat up in a hurry, but the pain in her ribs caused her collapse back down with a loud groan. “Let the shards go, mama, they’ll cut your hands!”

Mrs. Higurashi followed her daughter’s command, and several glowing Shikon shards darted straight for Kagome. Just as Inuyasha was prepared to block the shards, they stopped in midair and remained floating there.

“Quick, close the door before the nurse sees!” It was another quick command from Kagome. Her mother dragged Ayumi in and shut the door in a flash.

Just as the glowing shards were floating in midair, Tessiaga escaped from Inuyasha’s grasp and joined the shards in floating in midair just in front of Kagome.

Whether it was instinct or curiosity, Kagome grabbed Tessaiga in an instant. As soon as her bandaged hand touches the sword, the shards began to move in an eddy, faster and faster. Soon Kagome’s entire body was glowing pink, just like the shards.

The other three only watched in amazement, since they could not figure out what was happening either. Inuyasha wasn’t as nervous, since he knew Tessaiga would never hurt Kagome. But the shards were another story.

Kagome remained glowing in pink for a good five minutes. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. “Mrs. Higurashi, this is Dr. Tanaka, I’m here to check on your daughter. Hello? Mrs. Higurashi? Are you in there? Why is this door locked?”

Everyone panicked as the doctor exclaimed that he was going to find a custodian worker with a key to open the door. Inuyasha attempted to go near Kagome, but the shards’ powers nearly burnt his hand to a crisp.

Keys jingled outside the room and the people inside knew that their time was up. Inuyasha rushed and put on the sterilized robe he left on the chair the day before, so if the hospital workers come in and sees him in his haori, they wouldn’t get too freaked out. Of course, that is if they are blind enough to not notice the girl glowing in pink grasping an old sword.

But to everyone’s amazement, as well as relief, the glowing stopped all of a sudden, and the shards dropped onto Kagome’s bed. Kagome gasped for breath, and Inuyasha quickly took Tessaiga away from her and hid it in his robe.

“Inuyasha, I’m…” before Kagome can say anything more, the hospital door burst open, with an annoyed custodian and an angry doctor on the other side of it.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why didn’t anyone open the door when I knocked?” It was the same doctor from yesterday. And he didn’t look at all pleased.

“Oh umm… it was stuck.” Ayumi was the one who came up with the fastest answer, and everyone nodded along with her.

The doctor looked around him suspiciously. He planned on asking why no one answered, but a growling stomach waiting for breakfast stopped him. “Alright, I’m just going to do some check ups. I’ll send the nurse in afterwards to re-bandage her.”

“Umm… doctor, that won’t be necessary.” Everyone looked at Kagome with some surprise as she stood up from the bed, pulling out all the electrical instruments. She looked perfectly healthy with the exception of the bandages on her body.

“Kagome!” Mrs. Higurashi and Inuyasha exclaimed simultaneously.

Kagome merely smiled at them. To show that she was perfectly fine again, she jumped several times before the doctor stopped her.

“How is this possible?! This is a medical miracle, a mystery!” The doctor went on mumbling some things about more tests and him winning a Nobel Prize if only he could figure out how this happened.

It was lucky that Dr. Tanaka was too overjoyed to ask any more questions. Before the morning was over, Kagome’s bandages were removed, her things gathered, and she was out of the hospital just in time for lunch.

“Kagome, how…” Even though the incident occurred many hours ago, Inuyasha still couldn’t conceal his excitement.

“I think it was the shards,” Kagome looked at the shards that were glowing no longer, she put them back into the bottle, “and the Tessaiga that somehow healed me. I think Miroku or Kaede-baachan would know something about this.”

“Oh, honey, I’m just glad you’re safe now.” Mrs. Higurashi hugged her daughter for the umpteenth time that day. It matter not to the woman how Kagome healed, as long as her little girl was back on her feet again.

“So, Ayumi-chan, I guess you know everything now,” Kagome looked over to Ayumi across the table. Souta was out, and grandpa left a note saying that he went to another temple to buy more charms, the company of four sat down for a homely meal. “I hope you don’t hate me for hiding this from you.”

Ayumi smiled, rather painfully for some reason. “I heard that you get injured a lot over there.”

“Not as much as this guy.” Kagome pointed at Inuyasha with a scoff, and noticed that the hanyou’s eyes were on her with the most intense gaze.

“So are you heading back there?” Ayumi asked shyly.

Kagome nodded with a sad look. “I have some major ass to kick. Before all the shards are gathered and Naraku’s dead, I won’t be able to rest peacefully.”

“Then let’s go back and kick some ass after lunch.” Inuyasha spoke with a cracked voice. Kagome couldn’t read him at the moment. His gestures and expressions were so unlike the pompous hanyou she knew.

The things he said to me at the hospital…I know they were true. Why does he look so determined about something? Kagome ate her lunch with small bites, while thinking over the same question in her head the whole time.

“See you soon, Kagome-chan, Inuyasha-kun!” Ayumi walked the two to the well house after dinner to see them off. Ayumi hugged Kagome tightly. Now that she knows the truth, she’s even more worried about her friend than before. “You go back to the past and kick some youkai butt, ya hear?!”

Kagome flashed Ayumi a warm smile. “We will!” And just before she jumped into the well, she yelled to Ayumi, “And the bad guy’s a hanyou, not a full youkai!”

Inuyasha followed after Kagome, giving Ayumi one of his rare smiles. “Thanks for everything, Ayumi!”

After seeing a bright light engulf her friends, Ayumi yelled loudly into the ancient well, “look after her, Inuyasha-kun!”

*****~~~~~*****
Ahh, don’t kill me!!! I know there must be some readers out there that are preparing to chuck knives and send nuclear missiles toward me at the moment. But sorry, folks, still no kiss. Hehe, you’ve just have to wait a while longer. ^_^

I’m not that evil. I didn’t put Kagome in a coma or make her stay in bed for months. I healed her after only a night. See? I’m nice… kinda… Haha, okay, so let’s have a poll, who wants to kill me right now? *no one raises hands* Wow! You guys are so nice!

Some crazed reader: yeah, keep dreamin’, Mizu, you won’t live to see tomorrow!

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