InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blood & Tears ❯ Slow Road to Recovery ( Chapter 2 )

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

 

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the anime/manga characters. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.
 
 
Blood & Tears
 
 
Chapter2: Slow Road To Recovery (Warning: Limes in Chapter)
 
Kagome woke to find herself wrapped in InuYasha's warm arms. The last few days had been a daze - had any of this really happened, or had it been a dream? She pulled back the blanket only to quickly cover herself again. Nope - no dream. She was covered in cuts and fading bruises, and she had no clothes. She realized the warmth she felt behind her was InuYasha, and he was naked, too. What had they done?
 
As Kagome stirred, InuYasha realized she was awake. Sesshomaru had left to take the water bottles to refill them. They were alone for now.
 
“Kagome?” InuYasha asked quietly.
 
“What happened, and where are we?” Kagome replied with a question.
 
“We're still in the cave Sesshomaru brought us too. He saved us and helped us heal,” InuYasha responded. “You don't remember?”
 
Kagome had been asleep since the day before.
 
“I…I thought some of it was a horrible nightmare, and then some was a wonderful dream…” Kagome trailed off, unable to finish.
 
“Kagome, it wasn't a dream,” InuYasha said softly, ears plastered to his skull. She was probably going to be furious with them. At the time, they thought she had been somewhat coherent.
 
“Why do we have no clothes on?” Kagome inquired.
 
“We were already naked. Sesshomaru and I tried to dress you before, but it just reopened your wounds. We were keeping you between us to keep you warm, but our clothes had the same effect. Plus Sesshomaru said we couldn't keep you warm enough if we were wearing clothes. Something about body heat…” InuYasha answered her.
 
“Kouga…did…did…did he really…” Kagome trailed off again.
 
“I'm sorry, Kagome. It was all my fault.” InuYasha turned her to face him, and wiped away a tear that started to trail down her cheek.
 
“InuYasha, I don't understand. I thought he was our friend. I had no idea… How could he be so cruel?”
 
“I don't know why he did it either, except he couldn't stand the thought that you wanted to be with a filthy hanyou like me.” InuYasha was staring at the ground, his ears so flat that they practically disappeared into the top of his head.
 
“InuYasha, don't say that. You aren't a filthy hanyou, not to me. I love you as you are. I just wish that you could love me.”
 
InuYasha looked at her again. “Kagome, I just couldn't put you through what my mother went through. Her own family threw her out because of me. I couldn't stand to hear you called the names and be treated like she was.”
 
“InuYasha, don't you understand that I don't care what others think? My mother and brother both accept you as you are, and they wouldn't care either. If there were no place in this world for us, there would always be a place in mine. We could make it work somehow if you really wanted to, but it doesn't matter now. I know after what Kouga did, you'll never want to touch me…” Kagome was crying again.
 
“Kagome, that wasn't your fault. You didn't submit willingly to him - I saw you try to fight those wolves off. Fuck, he had to have four of his demons hold you to control you, and you have the slashes and bruises to prove it. Even then you were still fighting him. It was my fault. I couldn't stop them.”
 
“You two need to stop blaming yourselves.” Kagome and InuYasha jumped. Sesshomaru had come back with the full water bottles.
 
“May I have one of those, please?” Kagome was really thirsty.
 
Sesshomaru handed one to her as he said, “We need more meat. I will be back after I find something. But while I am gone, talk about something more productive. The only ones at fault are Kouga and his pack that went along with him. They have paid for their grievous actions.”
 
As they watched Sesshomaru's back disappear from the mouth of the cave, Kagome drank down half the bottle of water and then asked, “What did he mean?”
 
InuYasha wasn't sure she would like the answer. “They're dead, all of them. He killed Kouga first while he was raping you, then all of the others who had helped him. What they did was inexcusable and dishonorable, and they made the fatal mistake of doing it on his territory. There will be no dispute of Sesshomaru's actions.”
 
“It's just as well. I would never have felt safe again if he were still roaming free,” Kagome said sadly.
 
Kagome suddenly gasped as she clutched at her neck, “The Sacred Jewel - where is it?!”
 
“Sesshomaru retrieved the two shards from Kouga and put them somewhere in your bag with the part of the jewel you had been wearing. The chain broke in your struggle, but he saw it on the ground and picked it up before he brought us here. He has no interest in it, but he knew that it couldn't be left lying around,” InuYasha replied.
 
Kagome relaxed and asked, “InuYasha, why didn't you trust me enough to tell me how you felt? What you were afraid of? I thought you understood how I feel about you.”
 
“I'm sorry I'm such a baka. Every time I got brave enough to try and talk to you, we would come to another village and the whispering would start all over again. Between remembering what happened to my mother and being terrified you would reject me anyway, I couldn't do it.”
 
They were silent for a few minutes before he continued, “That was not all I was afraid of.”
 
“What do you mean?” Kagome asked.
 
“As my brother, the oldest in the family - our pack - Sesshomaru has the right to…to…” InuYasha couldn't finish.
 
“The right to do what - come on and tell me. You've managed this much.” Kagome was pleading, not demanding.
 
“He has the right to claim you as well if he desires, and that's not all. If you refused or did not please him, then he would have the right to kill you,” InuYasha said, his voice barely above a whisper.
 
“Oh…” Kagome realized what he was saying, “You were afraid because I am human that he would…”
 
“Just kill you and be done with it.” Kagome could barely hear him as he spoke.
 
“InuYasha, are you still worried about that? I mean after everything that has happened?” Kagome now understood where a great deal of his fear came from.
 
“I…I…don't know, especially after yesterday…” InuYasha answered.
 
Kagome blushed. “You mean that really did happen - the three of us?
 
InuYasha knew he was in for a sitting now. “Yeah - we thought you were really awake again and wanted to. We didn't mean to force you into anything. We were trying to reseal your cuts that had reopened and the way you responded - well…”
 
“It's okay, InuYasha. I remember I enjoyed it and do not remember being forced into anything. Your brother surprised me though - I didn't think he cared for humans… It's one of the reasons I thought it was a dream…” Kagome was blushing down to her toes as she answered. Unfortunately, thinking about it was making her become aroused again.
 
“I think you may have changed his mind, at least about you, but how would you feel if he wanted to take you as well after I had claimed you as my mate? He has the right whether we agree to it or not,” InuYasha asked. He was also trying to remain calm - the scent of her arousal so close to him was starting to affect him.
 
“InuYasha, after what he has done for us I would not deny him. I don't love him like I do you, but I can appreciate him and accept him and I would do anything I had to if it would let us be together.” Kagome surprised even herself as she said it, but as the vague memories of yesterday passed through her mind she knew she could do as Sesshomaru ordered. She was also certain he would not do anything to harm either of them after what he had already done for them. They would both be dead if he had not appeared when he did. Kagome was certain that she wouldn't have survived very long under Kouga's plans for her. She would have bled to death if nothing else.
 
To punctuate her answer, Kagome leaned over and kissed InuYasha. At first he was surprised, but then wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. She opened her mouth and nibbled at his lips, trying to invite his tongue in response. InuYasha realized what Kagome wanted when he felt her tongue start probing at his lips, and he opened them.
 
Their tongues were in a duel when Sesshomaru returned. They both jumped when he said, “Well, I see you two have been trying to do something more productive.”
 
Kagome blushed and pulled the blanket back up to cover them.
 
InuYasha replied, “Keh.” But he didn't turn her loose, not completely.
 
InuYasha would have sworn that Sesshomaru almost smiled as he put the two rabbits on spit and placed them over the fire. “Just be careful you don't reopen any of her wounds again. They are healing well and there should be few scars.”
 
“Keh.”
 
Kagome giggled. “I don't know if I would mind if that meant you had to heal me again.”
 
`What, I can't believe I said that out loud!' she immediately thought.
 
InuYasha just looked at her in surprise. “I thought you would be mad at us…I didn't think…”
 
“That I was such a Hentai?” Kagome finished for him before she continued, “I…I didn't either…it's just that in spite of the pain I feel in other areas, you made me feel so good. I've never experienced anything like it.”
 
InuYasha raised an eyebrow - he hoped not, but had to ask, “Then how did you know…how did you know what to do?”
 
“TV,” she responded.
 
“You mean that box with the moving pictures - they show that?” InuYasha asked in amazement, while Sesshomaru looked puzzled - he didn't understand what this `TV' was.
 
“Yeah, but I never thought you would want to do anything like that with me, much less both of you.” Kagome was trying not to giggle again; she could feel InuYasha growing hard against her at the thought - and the smell of her arousal.
 
Sesshomaru thought he probably should not get involved this time - he could smell them both and knew they would be acting on their raging hormones soon. He turned to walk back outside.
 
“Where're you going?” InuYasha asked.
 
“I will be outside if you need me,” Sesshomaru responded.
 
Kagome's response was to turn and pull InuYasha into another kiss. As their kiss deepened, she reached down and stroked his growing erection. InuYasha gasped at her warm touch. He gasped again as he realized her other hand had found its way up to his ear, and was gently stroking it in rhythm with the hand below. In response he trailed down to her breast, and started gently licking and sucking on it, mindful of the cuts that were still trying to heal. With one hand caressing her other breast, the other found its way down to warm and wet area between her legs, where he seemed to bring her such pleasure the day before. As he gently rubbed, he found her legs parting to give him easier access.
 
He found her hand losing contact with his ear as she laid him on his back. As she trailed warm kisses down his chest and abdomen, she worked herself around so that her knees were on either side of InuYasha's head. She pulled him into her mouth and started twirling her tongue around his head, and InuYasha started to lick what he found above him. Kagome responded by spreading her legs wider and lowering herself closer to him. InuYasha inserted a finger into her as he started to attack her clit and the nub associated with it with his tongue.
 
Kagome showed her appreciation by starting to vigorously pump InuYasha in and out of her mouth, using one hand to pump his base while the other fondled his sac. InuYasha inserted another finger into her and started working in rhythm with her. Then added a third when she reacted favorably. He had to stop as he felt the burning and tightening in his loins.
 
“Oh fuck, Kagome, don't stop, don't…stop,” InuYasha groaned as he gasped for breath.
 
As Kagome felt he was about to explode, she rammed as much of him as she could into her mouth and grabbed hold of the rest with both hands. When he exploded she continued to massage him until the pulsations had completely subsided.
 
As InuYasha lay there panting he said, “Oh fuck, thank you, Kagome.”
 
Kagome crawled back up alongside him and leaned over to kiss InuYasha. As he returned her kiss, he laid her gently on her back. He trailed his kisses down her neck and continued down to her breast. He pulled her nipple into his mouth, and his hand trailed down once again to between her legs where he started to stroke her. As she arched her back and spread her legs further for him, he started trailing kisses down her abdomen, stopping to tease her navel before he continued south. He worked his body around so that he was now looking up at her from between her legs. He dove in again with his tongue before he inserted two, then three fingers. He started pumping her with his fingers as he alternated sucking and thumping her clit with his tongue. Kagome's moans and bucking just excited him more. The next thing he knew, she had her legs clamped around his neck where he couldn't have quit if he had wanted to (not that he did). Kagome's body finally released as she exploded. When the juices started to flow out, he removed his fingers and dove in with his tongue, determined to drink it all in.
 
When Sesshomaru came back in, he found them entwined in each other's arms and asleep. He checked them both over to make sure that no wounds had reopened or new ones created, and covered them with the blanket.
 
 
~ ^~^ ~
 
 
Kagome's wounds had finally healed enough so that even the worst of them would allow her to put clothes on again. In truth, she had gotten so use to being nude with the two of them she didn't really mind. They kept her warm, made sure she was healing, and had not done anything to harm her; however, they had been there for over a week, and she did feel in serious need of a bath. For that matter, so did the other two. She dressed in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants that didn't cling to her. She was still sore and couldn't walk very far at a time. Kagome also couldn't ride on InuYasha's back like she usually did, so he carried her in his arms with her arms wrapped around his neck. Sesshomaru had found a hot spring about a day's walk from where they were, so they had gathered up all of their belongings and headed out.
 
InuYasha had warned Sesshomaru that other demons were likely to come after Kagome and the Sacred Jewel she carried. He suspected that his brother really did not have to be told that, though. Even when he was nearly unconscious, as his broken body healed, he had smelled demon blood on his brother several times when he came in. He wondered how many he had killed to protect them while they were helpless.
 
 
~ ^~^ ~
 
 
Kagome squealed in InuYasha's ear when they reached the hot spring. She was so ready for a good bath. She dug into her bag and pulled out her soap, shampoo, and the funny soft thing she scrubbed herself with before she stripped off her clothes right in front of them.
 
InuYasha blushed.
 
Kagome just looked at the two of them and said, “What? Like you haven't seen me like this before? What are you waiting for?” With that she picked up her stuff and waded into the warm water and settled in so only her shoulders and up were visible.
 
InuYasha shrugged his shoulders and looked at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru answered his unasked question, “I'll stay out and keep watch. You need a bath as much as she does.”
 
“Keh.” InuYasha pulled off his clothes and waded in to settle next to her. The warm water did feel good to his recently battered body.
 
Kagome had ducked her hair in the water and was now soaping her head with shampoo. She had InuYasha do the same and then had him turn his back to her while she lathered his mane and started to scrub. InuYasha's chest started to rumble in what was almost a purr. It felt good to have her scrubbing his hair for him. She tried to be careful to not get any soap in his ears as she massaged his head. He was disappointed when she told him he could rinse. He wasn't for long though. He forgot she used something called conditioner and he went through the process once again.
 
Once their hair was clean, Kagome pulled out the bottle of soap and squeezed some onto the soft fluffy thing. She soaped her arms but then rose out of the water to soap the rest of herself. InuYasha was trying not to get excited again as she stood next to him, scrubbing first one leg, then the other. Then she asked if he would mind scrubbing her back.
 
InuYasha stood and took the squishy thing and gently rubbed the soap on her back. Some of her worst cuts had been there and he was careful to clean them without opening them again. Kagome then turned to him, took the puff back from him, poured more soap onto it, and started cleaning his body. She had scrubbed his chest and back before he decided that he better do the rest himself if he was to remain in control of his body. She smiled as he took it and sank back into the water up to her neck. Once he was clean all over, he settled back in next to her.
 
Sesshomaru came back from his patrol of the area to find them just sitting in the water next to each other. They weren't saying or doing anything - they just seemed to be enjoying each other's company in silence.
 
InuYasha sensed his presence before he saw him and stood. He knew that Sesshomaru would be ready to bathe now. He offered Kagome his hand and she took it as they waded out of the spring. She pulled a couple of towels out of her pack and they dried off and dressed again.
 
Sesshomaru looked at them and asked, “What was that you used to clean yourselves? You smell much better.”
 
Kagome showed him her shampoo, conditioner, and soap and asked if he would like to try them. Sesshomaru actually looked puzzled as she tried to explain, so InuYasha said, “Why don't you just go back in with him and help him like you did me?”
 
Kagome nodded and stripped out of her clothes again and went back into the water with Sesshomaru. She figured it was the least she could do since he had cleaned her entire body as best he could with his tongue when she was cut and bleeding all over.
 
Kagome went through the same procedure that she had with InuYasha. She had Sesshomaru dunk his head back far enough to wet it, and then scrubbed his hair. As InuYasha had, Sesshomaru sat there with his eyes closed as she gently massaged his scalp. When Kagome was ready, he laid his head far enough back in the water for her to get all of the shampoo out, and then repeated the process with the conditioner. Once that was complete she retrieved her soft fluffy scrubbie and soaped it to start scrubbing Sesshomaru's back and chest. However, as InuYasha had done, once he got the idea he took it from her and started scrubbing the rest of his body himself. At that point, Kagome waded back out to dry off and dress again.
 
InuYasha had watched the entire process in amusement as he kept watch. He was now pretty certain that no harm would come to Kagome from his brother. InuYasha did not really want to share her with him, but would do whatever it took to be with her now. It had taken the entire horrible incident with Kouga to make him see it.
 
 
 
InuYasha was feeling better and went hunting for supper. He came back with fish from further downstream cleaned and ready to put on the fire. Now that they were all clean, he was struck by the faint scent of blood when he came back.
 
“Sesshomaru, do you smell it?” he asked.
 
Kagome looked up. “Smell what?”
 
“Blood,” they answered in unison.
 
InuYasha spoke first, “I could smell it before, but there had been so much I thought it was old or on something. Now it smells fresh again.”
 
Sesshomaru looked at him. “I agree. Miko, take off your clothes. One of your wounds must have reopened.”
 
Kagome did as they said and stripped bare. They examined her closely all over but couldn't find anything.
 
“Oh, fuck,” InuYasha said in a very worried tone.
 
Sesshomaru saw where he was looking - there was a faint trail of blood going down Kagome's leg.
 
They threw the blanket on the ground and had her lay on her stomach while they gently pried her cheeks apart. While the exterior was healing, the blood was trickling from somewhere within. InuYasha took a small cloth she had and gently cleaned her.
 
“She must not be healed up on the inside yet. There is only so much we can do - I need to take her home. They have healers there that can help,” InuYasha said quietly. He did not want to frighten her.
 
Kagome heard the worry in his voice. “What…what's wrong?”
 
“You're still bleeding somewhere inside. Kouga hurt you badly. It's not something we can do much about. Kagome, I need to get you home,” InuYasha told her.
 
Sesshomaru looked at them both - where could they go that a healer could deal with an internal injury like this?
 
InuYasha looked at him and had a good idea what he was thinking. “Sesshomaru, Kagome's not from here.”
 
“What do you mean? Where is she from?” he questioned.
 
“Five hundred years in the future,” Kagome replied.
 
InuYasha said, “I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. We have to get her back to the village where I was pinned to the tree. There is a well there that connects to her time. Only she and I can travel through it.”
 
Sesshomaru stared at them both. It was too crazy to be made up, and it explained some of the unexplainable things about the miko. He answered thoughtfully, “That is at least three or four days travel if we have to go on foot. You cannot run because you would risk injuring her further. I will fly home and get Ah-Uhn to transport her. We can make it in two days or less in the air. You keep watch while I'm gone. I will be back in a few hours.”
 
Sesshomaru vanished into a ball of light and disappeared.
 
 
 
True to his word, Sesshomaru was back in a few hours time. When he reappeared with Ah-Uhn, they did not waste any time. InuYasha secured her backpack to the dragon's back and then jumped up with Kagome in his arms. He didn't want her to straddle the wide animal, so he set her sidesaddle in front of him and held her to his body as they took flight.
 
They only stopped a handful of times so that Kagome could relieve herself and have something to eat. They made it to the well late the next evening. Sesshomaru watched in fascination as InuYasha jumped with Kagome in his arms into the flash of blue light.
 
 
 
Mama Higurashi knew something was wrong when she heard them come in so late. Kagome and InuYasha usually tried to keep their visits to normal waking hours. She got up and threw on her robe to meet them.
 
She gasped when she turned on the kitchen light and saw Kagome's pale face, and how carefully InuYasha set her down. She didn't miss Kagome wince with pain either as she tried to sit in the chair.
 
“What happened?” Mama asked.
 
“She was attacked. We have done all we can for her, but she's bleeding somewhere inside and we can't help her. We've got to get her to one of your healers.” InuYasha was almost in tears again.
 
InuYasha set down the backpack he had thrown over his shoulder and picked Kagome up again when he saw that sitting in the hard chair was too painful. She had only been able to sit before because she had Sesshomaru's soft and thick fur piece under her.
 
Mama could tell that InuYasha was seriously worried. She ran back to her room and threw on some clothes and grabbed her car keys. “Can you carry her to the car? We need to go to the hospital.”
 
Mama grabbed a hat for InuYasha on their way out the door.
 
 
~ ^~^ ~
 
 
On the other side of the well Sesshomaru was still staring down the empty structure. He could not believe that they had really vanished when they jumped. As he was pondering over everything that had happened, he smelled an older woman approaching him as fast as her legs would carry her.
 
Kaede came to a complete halt when she saw Sesshomaru at the well. She knew who he was even though she had never been introduced to him. She also knew he was deadly and decided to approach with caution.
 
“Lord Sesshomaru, what brings you here?” Kaede asked him.
 
“You know of this Sesshomaru?” he inquired.
 
“I recognize you as InuYasha's half brother. They said you aided them in the battle with Naraku,” Kaede answered.
 
Sesshomaru could tell she was nervous, but not terrified of him. They must have told her enough for her to know that he and his brother had been at something of a truce with each other. He could tell she was still wary of him, and trying not to anger him.
 
“The miko was injured. InuYasha said that he had to take her home, so we brought her here,” Sesshomaru responded to her original question.
 
“Kagome? What happened to her? I cannot believe that InuYasha would let any harm befall her.” Kaede couldn't believe what the Demon Lord said.
 
“It was not their fault. They were attacked by the wolf-demon and his pack. InuYasha and the miko both thought them to be allies and were blindsided,” Sesshomaru replied.
 
“Kouga? I thought he was always proclaiming his love for Kagome. What happened?” Kaede was not sure she wanted to know.
 
“Apparently Kouga decided that if he could not have the miko, no one could. He took fifty of his wolves with him to attack InuYasha. After he broke both InuYasha's right arm and leg and had eight of his demons restraining him, he had four more holding the miko so he could rape her while he forced InuYasha to watch.”
 
Kaede gasped as Sesshomaru told her this. “How…how could he?! Kagome and InuYasha saved his life more than once. How could he do something so horrible? What happened to Kagome and InuYasha?!”
 
“This Sesshomaru took care of the offending wolves. They will bother no one ever again. The miko and InuYasha were tended to, but she had internal bleeding and InuYasha said he needed to take her home. The wolf hurt her badly when he raped her. He had entered her anally and kept driving into her in spite of the blood that was pouring out of her. We thought we had her mostly healed, but when she was finally able to take a good bath we could smell the blood again.”
 
“You…you took care of them?” Kaede couldn't believe it. It was not that long ago that the Demon Lord was trying to kill them both.
 
“They are both honorable. They have stood up to enemies that made most run in fear. This Sesshomaru could not leave them to die like that at the hands of someone who had no honor at all. Even after this Sesshomaru had dispatched with all of the wolves, they would have died if they had been left where they lay.”
 
“Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. Thank you for taking care of them. I do not know if you eat human food, but I have rabbit stew on the fire if you would like some,” Kaede said. She was not really sure what else to say.
 
The Demon Lord just stared at her for a minute - had a human actually invited him to dinner? And an old miko at that? However, he was actually hungry and rabbit stew that was already prepared sounded better than hunting in a strange forest in the dark. “That is acceptable. Let this Sesshomaru turn Ah-Uhn lose first so he can water and graze.”
 
Sesshomaru pulled off the bridles and harness and set the dragon free until he was needed again.
 
Kaede looked at the strange two-headed dragon in wonder and Sesshomaru answered her yet asked question, “He is harmless unless you anger him, and that is difficult. Please warn your villagers that he may be wandering about but he only eats grass and leaves.”
 
Kaede nodded and headed back down the path toward her hut.
 
“Miko?”
 
“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?”
 
“How did you know this Sesshomaru was here?”
 
“I could feel the presence of InuYasha and Kagome when they arrived back, along with a strong demonic aura I had not felt before. I came to make sure they were okay,” Kaede replied.
 
Sesshomaru nodded in silence as he followed her to her hut.
 
 
~ ^~^ ~
 
 
When they arrived at the hospital emergency room, InuYasha carefully picked Kagome up to carry her inside. The noises and smells almost overwhelmed him when the doors opened. He could smell everything: sickness, death, antiseptic, new life, fear, joy - the list was endless.
 
Two attendants with a gurney met them almost immediately. InuYasha lay Kagome down on it and helped her roll over onto her stomach. Mama took his hand as they followed the gurney down the hall. They were brought to an area that was curtained off and told to wait for the doctor to come in. A nurse came in shortly with a hospital gown for Kagome to put on and started asking questions in order to fill out a form.
 
“What is the nature of the injury?”
 
Kagome looked at InuYasha so he answered, “She was attacked and raped.”
 
Mama gasped. Who would do this to her little girl?
 
“How long ago?”
 
InuYasha looked at Kagome - he was not really sure of the time. Kagome replied, “About a week.”
 
The nurse looked at them. “Why did you take so long to report this?”
 
Kagome answered again, “We were camping in the wilderness. We were both too injured to be moved at first, but came in as soon as we were able to get back.”
 
The nurse looked at InuYasha. “You were attacked as well? Do you need attention?”
 
InuYasha shook his head. “They just beat me up and knocked me out. Kagome's the one they really hurt. Take care of her.”
 
Mama had tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew that InuYasha had been badly hurt if he could not protect Kagome.
 
The nurse continued, “Did she know the perpetrator? Have the local authorities been notified?”
 
InuYasha answered softly, “We thought he was our ally…”
 
Kagome finished, “The local authority has taken care of the problem. He has been dealt with.”
 
Mama would ask later what all of that meant. “Oh Kagome, we'll have to test you for pregnancy and who knows what else.”
 
“No, Mama, I can't be pregnant,” Kagome was almost in tears again with this entire ordeal. “He didn't rape me there. He went in the other way and ripped me apart. That's where I'm bleeding.”
 
The nurse left after she finished with her forms, and Kagome needed to undress. She would not let InuYasha leave, much to her mother's surprise. InuYasha helped her to stand up, and then gently pulled her top over her head followed by helping her step out of her sweats. She had worn no underwear because they clung to her too much.
 
Mama gasped and started to cry again when she saw the cuts that covered Kagome's body. Most of them were healing well, and she could not believe that there appeared to be so few scars, but still, there were just so many.
 
As Mama held out the gown for Kagome to run her arms through the sleeves, and then tied the back she finally asked, “Oh Kagome, what happened? InuYasha said you thought he was a friend. Who did this to you?”
 
Kagome did not want to say too much at the hospital. She wasn't sure who might overhear them. “Do you remember Kouga that I've told you about?”
 
Mama understood she did not want to reveal too much to be overheard. “You mean the one that was always proclaiming his love for you and making InuYasha jealous?”
 
“That's the one. He decided that if he couldn't have me, then no one could. He brought fifty of his pack to attack InuYasha and me. We were completely blindsided.”
 
Fifty. How were you able to stop him?” Mama asked.
 
“We couldn't. InuYasha's older brother showed up and saved us both,” Kagome said quietly.
 
“But all of these cuts - who tended to them? Some of them were really bad,” Her mother asked.
 
“Sesshomaru tended to both of us. Once InuYasha had healed enough, he helped him with me,” Kagome answered.
 
“But how did they keep them from scarring? What did they do?” Mama asked - she couldn't believe what she was hearing. The answer was going to shock her more.
 
“They cleaned me with their tongues, both of them. I started healing faster when InuYasha was able to help because his saliva was stronger. Sesshomaru had to dilute his because otherwise it would contain poison.” Kagome was blushing as she answered.
 
Mama was starting to understand why Kagome did not let InuYasha leave, and wasn't embarrassed to be nude in front of him. “You mean he licked your entire body to heal you?”
 
InuYasha was blushing now. “Keh, and my saliva helps keep her from scarring.”
 
Mama didn't know what to say.
 
The doctor finally came in to look at Kagome. Thank goodness it was a female or InuYasha might have hit the roof. Fortunately, as soon as it was revealed that her injuries were due to rape, the hospital attempted to make sure that a woman doctor saw her.
 
The doctor looked at InuYasha. “Young man, you will need to leave.”
 
Kagome had a death grip on his hand. “I want him to stay.”
 
The doctor tried to reason with her, “But I need to examine you. You really do not want him here.”
 
Kagome held on tighter. “I do want him here. He can stay up here by my head, but I do not want him to leave.”
 
The doctor looked at her mother, hoping she would reason with her daughter. Mama wasn't really happy with Kagome being so comfortable being nude in front of InuYasha, but replied, “Apparently he took care of all of her injuries until he could get her here. She only feels safe if he is with her.”
 
The doctor responded, “There are some questions she needs to answer for me that she may not want to in front of him.”
 
Kagome answered, “It's okay. He's my best friend and knows more about me than anyone.”
 
Kagome squeezed InuYasha's hand and said, “Go ahead.”
 
Kagome knew pretty quickly why the doctor thought she would be embarrassed in front of InuYasha. In truth, she was more embarrassed in front of her mother. The doctor and her mother now knew that she was a virgin, and had not had sex of any kind before she was raped, and certainly had not had anal sex. She continued to squeeze InuYasha's hand as the doctor poked and prodded. While the doctor was appalled at the amount of injuries she had sustained, she was impressed with the care she had been given. She did prescribe antibiotics and then requested Kagome be taken for an exam with an endoscope to see where the bleeding was coming from. Neither InuYasha nor even her mother could go with her for the procedure, so Mama took InuYasha's hand and took him to the waiting room until they were called back.
 
The waiting room on the floor they were taken to was empty, so Mama decided it was time to ask, “InuYasha, you mean you and Kagome have never…”
 
InuYasha shook his head. “I'm just a hanyou. I don't deserve someone like her. Every time I would even think about talking to her we would come to another village and I would hear the whispering again. I just couldn't put her through what my mother went through. She was cast out from her family and the villagers where we lived were always calling her these horrible names. I couldn't do that to Kagome.”
 
Mama looked at him. “InuYasha, did you ever think to ask Kagome what she thought? I know you care for her whether you want to admit it or not, and Kagome cares for you. We would have found a place for you here if you couldn't live there.”
 
InuYasha looked at her. “That's exactly what Kagome told me after this happened. Now…now I know I should have told her a long time ago how I felt, but I was afraid…”
 
“InuYasha, most of us are afraid to admit our feelings for someone. It takes a lot of courage to finally do it. InuYasha, you said you were not badly hurt, but I know that was a lie. You had to have been for this to have happened.” Mama changed the subject.
 
InuYasha's ears were plastered to his head again, though they were not visible under his hat. “I wasn't expecting the attack. Kouga broke my right leg and then had his wolves attack. He broke my right arm too, just to show Kagome how tough he was. Then he had four of them hold Kagome and eight hold me, to force me to watch…”
 
“Where did your brother come from?” Mama asked. She knew they weren't really close.
 
“We were in his territory, and he heard our screams. He killed Kouga and the entire pack and then carried us to safety. He took care of us and protected us until we came to,” InuYasha said very quietly.
 
They sat in silence until an aide came to fetch them. Kagome had been moved to a room and had an IV attached to her arm.
 
“What's that? What's wrong with her?” InuYasha asked. He was worried about the strange device taped to her arm.
 
The doctor came in and said, “Good, you are both here. She is healing well, but her bowel movements have reopened some of the inner tears. I have put her on a liquid diet for the next ten days so that her body can have time to repair itself. I have her on IV antibiotics for now. We plan to keep her overnight for observation, but if all is well she can go home in the morning. Just remember no solid food for the next ten days at least. The dietician will send a diet home with her along with one to transition her back to normal foods. Young man, I do not know what you did, but you did a very good job tending to her wounds. I cannot imagine what kind of animal did this to her.”
 
“Keh.”
 
InuYasha went over to Kagome and kissed her on the forehead. She took his hand and said, “InuYasha, I know you are as tired as I am. Go home with Mama and get some sleep. You can come back with her in the morning to get me.”
 
“Kagome, I don't want to leave you here alone.”
 
“InuYasha, it's okay. I plan to go to sleep, and there is nowhere but the floor for you to sleep on. I know you were up for the entire trip to get me here safely. Let Mama take you home. You can sleep on my bed, okay? You can say you don't need sleep as much as you want to, but it's been a long week.”
 
“Keh.”
 
Mama kissed Kagome on the forehead as InuYasha had, took him by the hand, and led him out of the room.
 
 
To be continued…