We had left the spring in a heated argument while nearly running back. Miroku excused himself from leaving Inuyasha's side, claiming that he was bored, or that something had possessed him, and then he apologized an annoyingly large amount of times. Deep down we already forgave him, though he didn't get out of it with out a few good smacks and some reasonable insults.
Miroku threw out another apology; backing it up humbly with his most heart felt expression. The earnest look in his eye was enough to know that he meant it but we all just needed someone to blame at the moment. I almost expected Shippou to mumble about Miroku being an idiot, but the fox didn't say anything.
And it was slightly unnerving. Was I being so selfish again that I didn't notice he was tore up about Inuyasha's condition?
We had made it to camp, walking out of the first layer of trees and bushes. Miroku pushed back a branch for us and waited till we had walked passed him before letting the branch snap back and following us, being the chivalrous monk he was. My heart stopped thumping painfully when I noticed the campsite was in one piece, not a pebble out of place. And there lay Inuyasha, beaten and looking half-dead.
My beautiful Inuyasha lay still, though it seemed like he was almost aware of what was going on. I stopped walking and sighed while Sango walked past me, Miroku hot on her tail.
"I can't believe you…" Sango sighed, though her beautiful voice stuck out.
I watched Inuyasha's eyebrows lower, a sweat breaking loose.
"Lady Sango…" Miroku grabbed his shoulder, causing the girl to blush and look at him. I knew that Sango was melting in his violet eyes and didn't have enough control to continue to argue with him. I stepped in as her heroine while shifting my eyes away from Inuyasha.
"He is badly hurt." I knew the poor guy was feeling horrible, and I felt guilty for continuing this. I shook my head and looked at the ground. It was almost like I was going to cry. We were all scared and emotional. We were all so tired and emotional. The feeling of a cool breeze blew against my wet skin, causing me to shiver slightly. I had changed at the bush but didn't bother drying off completely.
"He needed to be watched over..." I murmured, and then allowed silence to settle in. In the solemn/angry mood, Sango lightly pulled away from Miroku to gather her things and prepare for the night. Miroku took Shippou to his bed and sat heavily, leaning against a tree where his staff resided.
I continued to stand; watching my feet and the debris shift with the light breeze while everyone went to do his or her nightly routines. I had assumed once we found Inuyasha things wouldn't seem so depressing, and the air wouldn't be so thick with a burning dread. Oh how that was wrong. Spotting him in that condition… In the state where death seemed merciful…
I took a step, which seemed to catch everyone's attention. They moved along side me, until we were a step or two away from the slumbering form of Inuyasha. His skin was pale, his cuts and bruises standing out, purple in the cold and smeared with black blood. A flush marred his pale cheeks, and I could now see that he was under the influence of a fever.
It was a while before anyone moved; Shippou hugged my shoulder, awake with the rush. His eyes scanned over Inuyashas' form lowering with understanding and drowning in tears need to be shed. Instead I watched him close his eyes and turn his head away while he composed himself. He wasn't going to cry anymore tonight even if he needed to.
I opened my mouth to speak, but air didn't come. That caused my voice to be softer than I intended, but maybe that was a good thing. No one was disturbed but everyone had heard. "I wonder what happened…." I noticed no one seemed as angry as they did before, just calm—solemn. The kit, which had also calmed drastically, looked back at Inuyasha and murmured jus as quietly as I did.
I've never seen him look so…."-He searched for a word on Inuyasha's body, his green eyes scanning it up and down as he made a one worded summary for his condition-"Beaten before…" I felt him hug me tighter, rest his head against me and close his eyes against the horrific sight.
Sango remained silent as she watched Inuyasha's breathing patterns. She had sworn to be with him through the good and the bad, but how bad did she expect it to get. Full youkai, perhaps. But never did we assume he'd be kidnapped, beaten, broken and misplaced.
Miroku cleared his throat silently; I side glanced to him on my left, feeling guilty for yelling at him. It was true, I just needed someone to blame. But it was unfair. It was almost like I was blaming him for everything that had happening, all the cuts on Inuyasha, and all the tears I had shed. He wasn't to blame.
In fact, if it weren't for him I'd be a bigger wreck than I was.
So who was to blame?
Who was Naraku's little friend? Whoever…
I was going to find and destroy it.
My body relaxed against my will, and my eyes studied Inuyasha again. He was still Inuyasha, abused or not. And I still loved him. I almost blushed when I heard myself think that. But it was true, and I fully admitted it to myself.
"Kagome-sama" I jumped and turned to Miroku, his face straight, and his eyes dead on me. It almost looked like he wasn't the one who had spoken at first. I was about to turn and looked somewhere else until he began to speak again. "Knowing him," he indicated to the unconscious hanyou, "he might try and pretend like nothing's wrong. His ego is too big, he won't want sympathy."
I closed my eyes and nodded at the time Shippou chose to speak. From the direction of his voice I could tell he was still looking at Inuyasha.
"That's to bad… Because that's all we can offer…" Involuntarily my body stiffened and tears built up behind my eyes.
Uh. If there's any mistakes live with it. It was going to be a helluva lot longer, but my computer is being assy and it deleted half of it. But hey, I was lucky it saved so much.