InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ Ane-ue ( Chapter 83 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.28.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 8.1K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.28.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 8.1K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chapter 83 - Ane-ue
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Do something damn it!”
“Miroku!” Kaede scolded over Sango’s cries. Empathize as she might, she would not permit such language in her presence. At least, not by those who wore holy cloth. “I am doing all that I can!”
None had thought there was need for concern, in the beginning. When Sango had first recognized the onset of labor, she had merely sent Kirara out to retrieve Miroku, whom she knew had been helping Kohaku build his new hut. However, it was admittedly disconcerting for the ex-slayer, when her young daughter had started wailing beyond control. It was only then that Sango suddenly had the tiniest hint as to what may have been troubling Emi all along. Pushing those unsettling feelings aside for the time being, though, once Miroku showed up, she calmly explained that it was time, and that, though she knew it could take quite a while, she best get to Kaede’s without delay. His brief look of nervousness did not go unnoticed.
After Miroku assisted his wife with getting settled in the aging miko’s hut, he headed back toward where Kohaku was busy at work, to let him in on the goings on, and also to ask a favor.
“Would you mind keeping an eye on Emi?” he’d asked, as Miroku wanted to be there for his wife, but their daughter’s cries were becoming too upsetting.
Kohaku had agreed, though somewhat perplexed as to what was troubling his niece, as he’d never before been informed that anything had been bothering her regarding Sango’s pregnancy. Deciding the hut could wait, for the time being, Kohaku took Emi over to Kaori’s, knowing that she and her mother would likely be much better at soothing the frantic child than himself.
Several hours had passed in which nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Sango’s water broke, and slowly but surely, her channel dilated to proportions that would permit an infant passageway. She had said that there was no need to disturb Kagome too early, as there really wasn’t anything for her friend, and village apprentice-midwife, to do. She knew that Kagome had her hands full that day, what with worrying over Shippo practicing with his new sword, and Sango had even said that if Kaede felt up to it, they needn’t disturb Kagome at all. Kaede had originally argued that Kagome should be present for every birth in the village, as she needed to be sure to learn all that there was to know before it officially became her duty to take over. However, the elderly miko eventually relented to Sango’s wishes, stating that she would only summon the her apprentice if she deemed her presence was required. Miroku kept a steady vigil throughout the remainder of the day, as Kaede mulled about preparing herbs and boiling water. Sango did not miss the whispered prayers that her husband continually repeated to himself.
Emi eventually cried herself to sleep, mumbling incoherently about “mother” and “hurt”. Kumiko had assured her daughter’s fiancé that the child was simply scared to have heard her mother cry out in pain, not understanding that what was happening was natural. As Kohaku had no insider information to suggest otherwise, he reluctantly nodded his agreement to Kumiko’s assessment, although he would only have been lying to himself if he’d said that he felt one hundred percent confident that that was all that was bothering his young niece.
What should have made him feel giddy inside, over the realization that he was, in fact, planning on spending the night in the very same dwelling as his soon-to-be-bride, was shadowed by the fact that he could simply not shake the feeling of uneasiness that had encroached upon him upon his sister going into labor, quickly preventing him from otherwise enjoying his current company. When Kaori had crept from the bedchamber to greet him in the living area where he rested, he should have blushed at the sight of her wearing nothing but a sleeping yukata. Instead, Kohaku merely greeted her presence with a subtle nod, before silently going back to his worrying. It was only when she asked him what was wrong, and he reluctantly explained himself, that he realized just how perfect for him she truly was. Kaori told Kohaku that she had felt that he was uneasy, and she also admitted that she shared his concern that Emi’s words held more truth than her mother had realized. She told him to go to his sister, insisting that she and her mother could keep watch over his niece by themselves.
When Kohaku arrived at Kaede’s, the scene he’d walked in on was not what he had been expecting. He knew he should have felt embarrassment over the notion of barging in on his big sister during such a delicate event, but growing concern had eventually overridden everything else. Fortunately, she appeared mostly clothed, her lower half covered by a blanket, though his sister’s modesty was quickly the least of his worries. Instead of seeing her sweaty and exhausted, huffing and puffing, and swearing to her husband that he was never permitted to touch her ever again, what he saw was his big sister crying it utter agony as she begged, literally begged them, to get the baby out of her. What had really pushed him over the edge was the worried expression Kirara wore, as the nekomata silently observed her mistress from the corner of the room. Last time, when Eri was born, Kirara had seemed completely unfazed by Sango’s giving birth.
“What’s wrong?!” Kohaku had cried right away, surprising the other two occupants of the hut, as Sango herself was near the point of hysteria.
“I do not know.” Kaede explained quickly, “Your sister’s body is ready, yet the baby does not move forward.”
“That’s it!” Miroku shouted, “I’m getting Kagome.”
Not that he knew what the futuristic miko could do in a situation like that that Kaede could not. In all honestly, during an emergency such as this, Kaede should have been the better choice of the two, as she had far more experience. But something inside himself simply insisted that he get the girl. She did often possess knowledge that went beyond their own, after all.
“No!” Sango shouted, quickly locking onto Miroku’s wrist with a vice grip. “Don’t leave me!”
“Sango!” he cried back, “I must get Kagome and Inuyasha!”
“Don’t go!”
“I’ll go!” Kohaku shouted, drawing the attention of the others again. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he was out the door like a bat outta hell, making it all the way to Inuyasha’s hut even faster than Kirara could have carried him, or so it seemed.
Almost as if Kagome and Inuyasha had merely been standing outside Kaede’s, it wasn’t more than a few breaths before the duo burst into the hut, a huffing and puffing Kohaku trailing behind by a few minutes. By the time Kohaku reentered Kaede’s hut, he observed Kagome poking and prodding around his sister’s belly, and she was…naked. Blushing, he looked away, wandering over to the corner of the hut where Inuyasha was currently keeping himself distracted by trying to calm down a frantic Miroku.
It was quickly decided that there were far too many people in the small hut, so Inuyasha had Kohaku escort the tearful ex-monk back to his own dwelling. Kohaku managed to get Miroku to focus when he reminded the man that he had a daughter who needed him, as they stopped by Kumiko’s to retrieve Emi on the way home. It was a good thing, too, as the toddler had already awoken from a terrible nightmare, and the women had both been unable to console the youth. Kaori had understood without the need for words that Kohaku would be returning with Miroku, and silently offered her prayers of hope with a gentle kiss to his cheek.
Back at Kaede’s, Inuyasha was quick to get over his embarrassment regarding Sango’s lack of attire, as he approached and asked his mate what was wrong. Sango apparently didn’t seem to object for the time being, either, as she merely continued to plead for their assistance.
“I don’t understand it.” Kagome said quickly, wracking her brain. “The first thing I had thought of was a breached birth, but the baby feels head down.” she explained.
“In all my years of birthing the village children, there have been very few cases of the baby refusing to leave its mother.” Kaede’s worried voice chimed in. “However,” her face was solemn as she whispered to the two with youkai hearing, “Unless we find a way to coax the baby from her, both mother and child will surely perish.”
Although it was said extra quietly, and not in the range of Sango’s mortal hearing, the ex-taijiya had already been aware of that fact, from such an occurrence that had happened once in her own village. I’m going to die… she thought hopelessly, as she continued to cry in pain.
Shaking her head, Kagome said “Babies don’t just refuse to come out. Something is obviously wrong.” She worried her bottom lip, knowing her friend’s life, not to mention the life of her baby, was hanging in the balance. “It’s times like these that I miss modern technology…” she muttered under her breath, as she moved to soothe her friend’s discomfort as much as possible, while Kaede prepared more herbs for the pain.
But something in her words triggered a flashback in Inuyasha’s mind… What was it? Something about Kagome’s “modern” technology, and how helpful it was during childbirth?
~Mini-Flashback from Chapter 21 ~
“How often to complications arise during childbirth?” Mrs. Higurashi asked out of the blue.
“Uhhhhh…” Inuyasha stumbled, blushing tremendously, but then, when he realized the nature of her question, he got himself under control. “Don’t worry.” he said, “She’s strong; she’s got my blood in her, remember? She’ll be able to handle it just fine.”
Nodoka nodded at that. That was true…she’d momentarily forgotten, but her baby was part youkai now, and a lot stronger than a normal human. Still…
“I know I’d prefer it if she gave birth in a modern hospital, although I know that won’t be possible.” She took a deep breath, and confessed…
“Souta’s birth was…complicated.”
~End Mini-Flashback~
“The cord!” he shouted, startling both miko as well as the semi-coherent slayer.
“C-cord?” Sango managed to ask.
“The umbilical cord…” Kagome gasped in realization at her mate’s statement. “It’s tangled!”
“Oh dear…” Kaede whispered, knowing that if that was the case…then all was surely lost.
But the elderly miko was pulled from her depressing thoughts upon hearing her apprentice barking commands to her hanyou mate. Something about a certain medical book she needed, and right away. A quick whiff of Sango’s belly had revealed that all was not lost, at least not yet, as Sango’s child was still alive. Fortunately, her failed deliver attempts had not been going on for very long before Kohaku had felt his sense of unease and rushed out to investigate. Kagome knew that they couldn’t survive much longer, so she had to act quickly.
Not that she’ll probably survive the procedure, anyway… a negative voice argued inside the young miko’s head, but still… I have to at least try!
Inuyasha returned quickly with the requested book, and it didn’t take long for him to flip it to the page he knew Kagome needed. She shot him a curious glance but quickly shook her head, deciding it wasn’t important. The truth was, ever since that discussion he’d had with Kagome’s mother so long ago, familiarizing himself with the information on that particular page had been one of the few things he’d made sure to accomplish prior to Kazuki’s birth. Inuyasha had believed he’d been telling the truth when he’d assured his mate’s mother that she didn’t have anything to worry about in regard to her daughter experiencing complications during birth, but Kagome was still a human, and it never hurt to be overly prepared. At the time, though, the other breeding female of his pack had honestly slipped his mind, and Sango was unquestionably the more fragile of the two, despite her background as a Taijiya.
“Do you think we can do this?” Inuyasha quickly asked his mate, thoughts of Sango’s mortality making the hanyou more than a little nervious. Though his words were spoken softly, so as not to distress the slayer any more than necessary, Kaede heard his question and was curious as to what they were discussing. “She doesn’t have any youkai blood to help her heal.” Inuyasha continued to address, genuinely concerned that such a detail would be the make-all/break-all of the procedure.
“What choice do we have?” was Kagome’s answer, her tone of voice indicating that she understood and shared her mate’s concerns, but regardless, they had no other options available to them.
“What?” Sango asked suddenly, having also heard and understood the two despite their attempts at speaking on the quieter side. “What are you going to do?!” she demanded to know with an air of panic, although her only concern was for the well-being of her baby.
“Sango…” Kagome spoke soothingly, wincing as another contraction suddenly wracked her friend’s body, undoubtedly making the situation even worse. “We think the baby is trapped inside you, so…” She gripped her hand, “…we need to cut him out.”
“What?!” It was Kaede who bellowed in shock. “Such a thing is only done on birthing mothers who have already left this world!” she insisted, “Sango could never survive such a thing!”
“But you said it yourself, old hag!” Inuyasha yelled back, not appreciating the way the old miko was yelling at his mate, “She ain’t gonna survive as it is!”
“Please help my baby!” Sango cried next, yelling out “I don’t care about me, save my child!”
“Let me at least give her some sleeping tea.” Kaede said after a moment, reserved to the fate of one of the young women she had come to think of as a granddaughter over the years.
Kagome watched in morbid fascination as Sango met her eyes while drinking the tea she knew would have her unconscious in a matter of minutes. “Please…” her eyes said, “Please save my baby.”
Inuyasha didn’t know what to do, having never felt so helpless before in his entire life. He could not play a part in practically killing one of his own, and yet…to do nothing merely sentenced the child to death, as well. It was without much deliberation that he shifted himself into his full-youkai form, able to better block his cumbersome human emotions while his youkai blood reigned dominant. His claws were sharper in that form, too.
“I think we should do a lower uterine segment section.” Kagome said once her friend was out cold, consulting her surgical book. “It involves less blood loss, and with the horizontal incision along the muscle fibers of the uterus, it’ll be more likely that she’ll still be able to give birth again in the future.” Provided she doesn’t die of infection.
“Just tell me where to start…” Inuyasha agreed solemnly, as he prepared to cut into his pack sister with his very own claws. Kami help us.
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Tossing and turning, he wanted to fall asleep, but try as he might, Shippo could not block out the distant sounds of the village. He supposed he had been making too much commotion before, what with his happy blabber about his new sword, and then of course there was the whole fox-fire in the house incident. Really, it was no wonder that nobody had heard Sango’s earliest cries of discomfort. But now that his parents were at Kaede’s, and he was left alone to look after his slumbering kid brother, Shippo could not help but to hear every curse, every scream…
Besides Sango’s own cries, he could also make out the frantic wails of the slayer’s daughter, and apparently, Kazuki could hear them too, even in his sleep, as the hanyou pup started whimpering unconsciously. Mind made up, the kitsune delicately hoisted his slumbering brother into his arms, relieved that the boy didn’t stir. Shippo simply did not want to be alone for the time being, and somehow, he doubted that Miroku truly wanted to be alone, either.
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Saving the baby had to be top priority. Kagome instructed Inuyasha step-by-step, and so rather than wildly cutting into Sango’s belly, they managed to perform the closest facsimile to a modern c-section that 16th century Japan had ever seen. But that wasn’t to say that things were going smoothly. Far from it.
The scent of blood was everywhere, and it was driving Inuyasha’s youkai mad. Even though he shouldn’t, in theory, need Tetsusaiga for its shielding properties any longer, he wore his sword on his hip all the same. Better safe than sorry. Several times he even found himself reaching down to grip the sheathed blade, for mental support if nothing else. Nobody noticed the faint glow that came from the scabbard whenever he made contact.
Kagome wasn’t about to say anything regarding Tetsusaiga. If he believed his sword would help him, then it would, and part of her honestly wished that she had such an anchor for herself, at the moment, feeling on the verge of losing it, as well. Kagome had initially been concerned that Sango would develop an infection, but was quickly becoming more worried that her friend would merely bleed to death, instead. Treating Inuyasha’s wounds at the castle that one night had been a cakewalk compared to this, as everything was buzzing around her so frantically that she suddenly felt as though she were in a hectic O.R.
“Get me more rags!”
“That’s the last of them!”
“Then use your stupid suikan, the blood will wash out!”
He scowled, but obeyed, quickly stripping off his outer kimono jacket to remain clad in kosode and hakama. It wasn’t that the blood wouldn’t wash out. He knew it would, with as often as he’d bled in the damn thing. But the lingering scent always lasted a little while longer, and he didn’t want his jacket smelling of Sango’s blood.
“I see the baby!” Kagome cried, as she pulled the uterine walls apart.
“Quickly!” Kaede commanded, and without hesitation, Inuyasha severed the cord that had gotten tangled around the unmoving infant’s neck, before Kagome reached inside and pulled the child and placenta away.
That had been the easy part.
“He’s not breathing!”
“He’s fine.”
“He’s purple!”
“Calm down Inuyasha…”
“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!”
“Do not yell at Kagome in such a manner!”
“Don’t fucking tell me how to talk to my fucking mate you hag!”
“Inuyasha!”
Ears flattening, the hanyou did his best to still his panicking heart long enough to see if the child had truly survived. If it hadn’t, then all he’d done… Inuyasha looked back over Sango’s open and bleeding body… the child just had to survive.
But Kagome had felt an aura of life from the infant, and knew that he lived. A quick swat to his bottom promoted breathing, as the first cries that had been a welcomed sound finally rang out throughout the night.
Kaede knew she was useless to assist with the “surgery” as Kagome had called it, but quickly took her cue for taking the infant at the joyous sounds of its life. Disappearing into a corner somewhere where she had warm water and a blanket, she left the life of the mother in the hands of her apprentice.
Gods speed child…
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Miroku was a nervous wreck. Emi wouldn’t stop bellowing, and both he and Kohaku were powerless to do much more than ignore her cries, truly desiring nothing more than to join her in her bale.
A none-to-gentle rapping at the doorframe pulled the males from their mutual depression, as Miroku moved to see who was calling at such an hour.
“Shippo?” he asked, truly surprised, even if his tone sounded more neutral due to emotional exhaustion.
“I…” the kit started, but getting that close to Emi’s cries suddenly triggered Kazuki’s, as the pup sprung awake in Shippo’s arms, keening and howling at the top of his lungs.
Shippo cringed, wondering if going there had been a bad idea after all.
Upon the hanyou pup howling, however, Emi immediately stopped crying, looking around for the source of the strange, yet familiar noise. “Zuki” she mumbled, once she spotted him, tears still pouring down her face, though her bewailing had ceased.
“I…” the kitsune started again once his brother also quieted back down. Pausing for a moment, Shippo appeared to swallow an apple sized lump in his throat, before leaning forward to gently place the squirming youth he held down upon his feet. “Kazuki didn’t want to be alone.” he finally said, instead.
“I think Emi would like the company.” Miroku commented, as he observed the way Kazuki toddled over to where Kohaku held Emi in his lap as he sat upon a futon. Under any other circumstances, everyone would have cooed at how cute it was when the young hanyou licked the falling tears from her cheeks.
“Any word?” Kohaku asked, after he scooted his niece off his lap and onto the futon itself, little Kazuki sensing her distress as he wrapped his tiny arms around her trembling frame.
Shaking his head, Shippo confessed that nobody had told him anything, and as far as eavesdropping went, he could only hear the louder shouts. He said that from what he’d been able to ascertain, he believed that her fate was still uncertain at that time.
“But don’t worry…” he tried to say though, “If anyone can save her, it’s okaasan.”
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“Damn it!” Kagome cursed, blood hindering her vision of what she was supposed to be sewing back together. At least Kaede had had some decent sutures to work with.
Sweat was plastering her bangs to her forehead, and every time she reached up with the back of her hand to brush them off to the sides, she succeeded in getting more of Sango’s blood on her face.
“She’s losing too damn much blood!” she continued to bellow, observing her friend’s paling complexion, as her youkai hearing picked up on the slowing of Sango’s heart beat.
“Where’s Myouga when you need him!” Inuyasha shouted, still in his full-youkai form.
“Right here Master!” suddenly came a tiny voice.
“Myouga!” hanyou and miko both shouted at once. “Where did you come from?” added the hanyou.
“I was not far…” the flea-youkai started, not wishing to confess that he had actually been sent to spy on the kitsune’s progress by his elder brother, “I could not help but to sense your distress, so I came right away!” That part was true.
“Good!” Kagome shouted, “There may be hope yet. Myouga, we need you to do another blood transfusion.”
“But, child…” Kaede spoke up from her corner of the hut, “Did ye not say before that such a thing could not be done without knowing which type of blood a person possesses?”
Kagome faltered. Damn, she’d forgotten about that. It hadn’t been an issue between herself and Inuyasha because of their bond.
“What about Kohaku?” said hanyou spoke up, and if she weren’t covered in her best friend’s blood, Kagome would have kissed him.
“Kirara!” she shouted, earning the neko’s attention.
She had been in her kitten form, trying her best to stay out of the way, yet refusing to leave her mistress’ side. Now, upon hearing her name called so demandingly, the nekomata immediately stood at attention.
“Meow?”
“Go get Kohaku! Quickly!”
“Mrrrow!”
Running outside, she transformed the moment she cleared the doorway. Taking off at a full run, she appeared like nothing more than a blazing streak of fire zipping between the huts.
Nobody at Miroku’s had any real time to react. Shippo smelled Kirara’s scent around the same instant both human males sensed her youki. But by the time Kirara’s name had escape the ex-monk’s lips, she had already barged into the hut, in full-youkai form, grabbed Kohaku by the back of his robes, and dashed out again, leaving everyone else to blink in confusion.
The young Tijiya nearly freaked at the sight of his sister. She looked just like somebody who had fallen victim to a youkai attack. She was lying unconscious, her stomach cut open to expose her insides, as Kagome appeared to be busy at work with sheep gut sewing said insides back together. A small cry momentarily drew his attention to the far corner of the hut, where he noticed old Kaede cradling a small bundle, and his heart rose ever so slightly. The baby had survived. Why his sister was cut open like she was, suddenly made sense.
“How can I help?” he asked, just as Myouga appeared on his shoulder.
“You can sit down so you don’t fall over from the dizzy spell.” the tiny youkai said, moments before piercing a vein in the youth’s neck.
Kohaku sat as he was told, and realization dawned quickly when he suddenly felt incredibly lightheaded. He then saw the flea-youkai, fat with his own blood, wobble over towards his sister (who had been partially covered with blankets to preserve as much modesty as possible) and slowly, the tiny youkai began to feed her body the blood he had just extracted.
Kagome knew it was possible for Sango and Kohaku to have two different blood types, depending on the blood types of their parents, but it was a small risk, and one she had to take. Sango could possibly die from blood loss otherwise, and even if she didn’t, being in such a weakened state with so little blood would greatly increase her odds of getting an infection. Kagome had made sure everything they used had been sterilized, at least as well as something could be sterilized in that time period. The sutures and needle she was using had all been boiled, as had the rags she used to clean Sango’s internal wounds. She also broke into her dwindling stash of modern antibacterial soaps to wash her hands with, as well as Inuyasha’s, and she’d tied a cloth over her nose and mouth to avoid breathing directly on her patient, too.
At some point in time, Kagome relented, it was simply in the gods’ hands.
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Seemingly delicate hands lazily traced a powerful clawed one, a powerful clawed hand that currently rested securely around a newly seeded belly. Kagura could not for the life of her wipe the silly smile off her face, but she supposed that was okay, considering Sesshoumaru was behind her, and therefore, couldn’t see it.
“Mate” he grumbled low in the inu tongue, knowing that the woman he held understood him.
Perhaps this time she would bear him a son, not that he would truthfully mind another daughter, he secretly smiled to himself. He knew he could get away with dropping his facial mask, as he was behind her, and therefore, she couldn’t see it.
Kagura was just about to roll over and shower her love with kisses, when she suddenly felt him stiffen behind her…and not in a good way.
“Sesshoumaru?” Her voice was but a whisper, low and unsteady.
“Something is wrong.” he said matter-of-factly, quickly releasing his grip of her to rise to his feet.
“What’s the matter?” she asked in a soft voice, not wishing to distract him as he looked to be concentrating.
“I am…uncertain.” he confessed, hating to admit that he could feel something he could not honestly explain. But something inside of himself was insisting that his brother was distressed. Tremendously so.
“I will return.” he stated quickly before dressing. He paused briefly on his way out the door to grab his swords from the display that hung on the wall, and then he was gone.
Kagura was left blinking in confusion over how quickly everything had changed. She shivered when she realized that something was obviously amiss for him to have reacted in such a way, and that whatever the situation was, she prayed that it would be resolved without much difficulty.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chapter 83 - Ane-ue
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Do something damn it!”
“Miroku!” Kaede scolded over Sango’s cries. Empathize as she might, she would not permit such language in her presence. At least, not by those who wore holy cloth. “I am doing all that I can!”
None had thought there was need for concern, in the beginning. When Sango had first recognized the onset of labor, she had merely sent Kirara out to retrieve Miroku, whom she knew had been helping Kohaku build his new hut. However, it was admittedly disconcerting for the ex-slayer, when her young daughter had started wailing beyond control. It was only then that Sango suddenly had the tiniest hint as to what may have been troubling Emi all along. Pushing those unsettling feelings aside for the time being, though, once Miroku showed up, she calmly explained that it was time, and that, though she knew it could take quite a while, she best get to Kaede’s without delay. His brief look of nervousness did not go unnoticed.
After Miroku assisted his wife with getting settled in the aging miko’s hut, he headed back toward where Kohaku was busy at work, to let him in on the goings on, and also to ask a favor.
“Would you mind keeping an eye on Emi?” he’d asked, as Miroku wanted to be there for his wife, but their daughter’s cries were becoming too upsetting.
Kohaku had agreed, though somewhat perplexed as to what was troubling his niece, as he’d never before been informed that anything had been bothering her regarding Sango’s pregnancy. Deciding the hut could wait, for the time being, Kohaku took Emi over to Kaori’s, knowing that she and her mother would likely be much better at soothing the frantic child than himself.
Several hours had passed in which nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Sango’s water broke, and slowly but surely, her channel dilated to proportions that would permit an infant passageway. She had said that there was no need to disturb Kagome too early, as there really wasn’t anything for her friend, and village apprentice-midwife, to do. She knew that Kagome had her hands full that day, what with worrying over Shippo practicing with his new sword, and Sango had even said that if Kaede felt up to it, they needn’t disturb Kagome at all. Kaede had originally argued that Kagome should be present for every birth in the village, as she needed to be sure to learn all that there was to know before it officially became her duty to take over. However, the elderly miko eventually relented to Sango’s wishes, stating that she would only summon the her apprentice if she deemed her presence was required. Miroku kept a steady vigil throughout the remainder of the day, as Kaede mulled about preparing herbs and boiling water. Sango did not miss the whispered prayers that her husband continually repeated to himself.
Emi eventually cried herself to sleep, mumbling incoherently about “mother” and “hurt”. Kumiko had assured her daughter’s fiancé that the child was simply scared to have heard her mother cry out in pain, not understanding that what was happening was natural. As Kohaku had no insider information to suggest otherwise, he reluctantly nodded his agreement to Kumiko’s assessment, although he would only have been lying to himself if he’d said that he felt one hundred percent confident that that was all that was bothering his young niece.
What should have made him feel giddy inside, over the realization that he was, in fact, planning on spending the night in the very same dwelling as his soon-to-be-bride, was shadowed by the fact that he could simply not shake the feeling of uneasiness that had encroached upon him upon his sister going into labor, quickly preventing him from otherwise enjoying his current company. When Kaori had crept from the bedchamber to greet him in the living area where he rested, he should have blushed at the sight of her wearing nothing but a sleeping yukata. Instead, Kohaku merely greeted her presence with a subtle nod, before silently going back to his worrying. It was only when she asked him what was wrong, and he reluctantly explained himself, that he realized just how perfect for him she truly was. Kaori told Kohaku that she had felt that he was uneasy, and she also admitted that she shared his concern that Emi’s words held more truth than her mother had realized. She told him to go to his sister, insisting that she and her mother could keep watch over his niece by themselves.
When Kohaku arrived at Kaede’s, the scene he’d walked in on was not what he had been expecting. He knew he should have felt embarrassment over the notion of barging in on his big sister during such a delicate event, but growing concern had eventually overridden everything else. Fortunately, she appeared mostly clothed, her lower half covered by a blanket, though his sister’s modesty was quickly the least of his worries. Instead of seeing her sweaty and exhausted, huffing and puffing, and swearing to her husband that he was never permitted to touch her ever again, what he saw was his big sister crying it utter agony as she begged, literally begged them, to get the baby out of her. What had really pushed him over the edge was the worried expression Kirara wore, as the nekomata silently observed her mistress from the corner of the room. Last time, when Eri was born, Kirara had seemed completely unfazed by Sango’s giving birth.
“What’s wrong?!” Kohaku had cried right away, surprising the other two occupants of the hut, as Sango herself was near the point of hysteria.
“I do not know.” Kaede explained quickly, “Your sister’s body is ready, yet the baby does not move forward.”
“That’s it!” Miroku shouted, “I’m getting Kagome.”
Not that he knew what the futuristic miko could do in a situation like that that Kaede could not. In all honestly, during an emergency such as this, Kaede should have been the better choice of the two, as she had far more experience. But something inside himself simply insisted that he get the girl. She did often possess knowledge that went beyond their own, after all.
“No!” Sango shouted, quickly locking onto Miroku’s wrist with a vice grip. “Don’t leave me!”
“Sango!” he cried back, “I must get Kagome and Inuyasha!”
“Don’t go!”
“I’ll go!” Kohaku shouted, drawing the attention of the others again. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he was out the door like a bat outta hell, making it all the way to Inuyasha’s hut even faster than Kirara could have carried him, or so it seemed.
Almost as if Kagome and Inuyasha had merely been standing outside Kaede’s, it wasn’t more than a few breaths before the duo burst into the hut, a huffing and puffing Kohaku trailing behind by a few minutes. By the time Kohaku reentered Kaede’s hut, he observed Kagome poking and prodding around his sister’s belly, and she was…naked. Blushing, he looked away, wandering over to the corner of the hut where Inuyasha was currently keeping himself distracted by trying to calm down a frantic Miroku.
It was quickly decided that there were far too many people in the small hut, so Inuyasha had Kohaku escort the tearful ex-monk back to his own dwelling. Kohaku managed to get Miroku to focus when he reminded the man that he had a daughter who needed him, as they stopped by Kumiko’s to retrieve Emi on the way home. It was a good thing, too, as the toddler had already awoken from a terrible nightmare, and the women had both been unable to console the youth. Kaori had understood without the need for words that Kohaku would be returning with Miroku, and silently offered her prayers of hope with a gentle kiss to his cheek.
Back at Kaede’s, Inuyasha was quick to get over his embarrassment regarding Sango’s lack of attire, as he approached and asked his mate what was wrong. Sango apparently didn’t seem to object for the time being, either, as she merely continued to plead for their assistance.
“I don’t understand it.” Kagome said quickly, wracking her brain. “The first thing I had thought of was a breached birth, but the baby feels head down.” she explained.
“In all my years of birthing the village children, there have been very few cases of the baby refusing to leave its mother.” Kaede’s worried voice chimed in. “However,” her face was solemn as she whispered to the two with youkai hearing, “Unless we find a way to coax the baby from her, both mother and child will surely perish.”
Although it was said extra quietly, and not in the range of Sango’s mortal hearing, the ex-taijiya had already been aware of that fact, from such an occurrence that had happened once in her own village. I’m going to die… she thought hopelessly, as she continued to cry in pain.
Shaking her head, Kagome said “Babies don’t just refuse to come out. Something is obviously wrong.” She worried her bottom lip, knowing her friend’s life, not to mention the life of her baby, was hanging in the balance. “It’s times like these that I miss modern technology…” she muttered under her breath, as she moved to soothe her friend’s discomfort as much as possible, while Kaede prepared more herbs for the pain.
But something in her words triggered a flashback in Inuyasha’s mind… What was it? Something about Kagome’s “modern” technology, and how helpful it was during childbirth?
~Mini-Flashback from Chapter 21 ~
“How often to complications arise during childbirth?” Mrs. Higurashi asked out of the blue.
“Uhhhhh…” Inuyasha stumbled, blushing tremendously, but then, when he realized the nature of her question, he got himself under control. “Don’t worry.” he said, “She’s strong; she’s got my blood in her, remember? She’ll be able to handle it just fine.”
Nodoka nodded at that. That was true…she’d momentarily forgotten, but her baby was part youkai now, and a lot stronger than a normal human. Still…
“I know I’d prefer it if she gave birth in a modern hospital, although I know that won’t be possible.” She took a deep breath, and confessed…
“Souta’s birth was…complicated.”
~End Mini-Flashback~
“The cord!” he shouted, startling both miko as well as the semi-coherent slayer.
“C-cord?” Sango managed to ask.
“The umbilical cord…” Kagome gasped in realization at her mate’s statement. “It’s tangled!”
“Oh dear…” Kaede whispered, knowing that if that was the case…then all was surely lost.
But the elderly miko was pulled from her depressing thoughts upon hearing her apprentice barking commands to her hanyou mate. Something about a certain medical book she needed, and right away. A quick whiff of Sango’s belly had revealed that all was not lost, at least not yet, as Sango’s child was still alive. Fortunately, her failed deliver attempts had not been going on for very long before Kohaku had felt his sense of unease and rushed out to investigate. Kagome knew that they couldn’t survive much longer, so she had to act quickly.
Not that she’ll probably survive the procedure, anyway… a negative voice argued inside the young miko’s head, but still… I have to at least try!
Inuyasha returned quickly with the requested book, and it didn’t take long for him to flip it to the page he knew Kagome needed. She shot him a curious glance but quickly shook her head, deciding it wasn’t important. The truth was, ever since that discussion he’d had with Kagome’s mother so long ago, familiarizing himself with the information on that particular page had been one of the few things he’d made sure to accomplish prior to Kazuki’s birth. Inuyasha had believed he’d been telling the truth when he’d assured his mate’s mother that she didn’t have anything to worry about in regard to her daughter experiencing complications during birth, but Kagome was still a human, and it never hurt to be overly prepared. At the time, though, the other breeding female of his pack had honestly slipped his mind, and Sango was unquestionably the more fragile of the two, despite her background as a Taijiya.
“Do you think we can do this?” Inuyasha quickly asked his mate, thoughts of Sango’s mortality making the hanyou more than a little nervious. Though his words were spoken softly, so as not to distress the slayer any more than necessary, Kaede heard his question and was curious as to what they were discussing. “She doesn’t have any youkai blood to help her heal.” Inuyasha continued to address, genuinely concerned that such a detail would be the make-all/break-all of the procedure.
“What choice do we have?” was Kagome’s answer, her tone of voice indicating that she understood and shared her mate’s concerns, but regardless, they had no other options available to them.
“What?” Sango asked suddenly, having also heard and understood the two despite their attempts at speaking on the quieter side. “What are you going to do?!” she demanded to know with an air of panic, although her only concern was for the well-being of her baby.
“Sango…” Kagome spoke soothingly, wincing as another contraction suddenly wracked her friend’s body, undoubtedly making the situation even worse. “We think the baby is trapped inside you, so…” She gripped her hand, “…we need to cut him out.”
“What?!” It was Kaede who bellowed in shock. “Such a thing is only done on birthing mothers who have already left this world!” she insisted, “Sango could never survive such a thing!”
“But you said it yourself, old hag!” Inuyasha yelled back, not appreciating the way the old miko was yelling at his mate, “She ain’t gonna survive as it is!”
“Please help my baby!” Sango cried next, yelling out “I don’t care about me, save my child!”
“Let me at least give her some sleeping tea.” Kaede said after a moment, reserved to the fate of one of the young women she had come to think of as a granddaughter over the years.
Kagome watched in morbid fascination as Sango met her eyes while drinking the tea she knew would have her unconscious in a matter of minutes. “Please…” her eyes said, “Please save my baby.”
Inuyasha didn’t know what to do, having never felt so helpless before in his entire life. He could not play a part in practically killing one of his own, and yet…to do nothing merely sentenced the child to death, as well. It was without much deliberation that he shifted himself into his full-youkai form, able to better block his cumbersome human emotions while his youkai blood reigned dominant. His claws were sharper in that form, too.
“I think we should do a lower uterine segment section.” Kagome said once her friend was out cold, consulting her surgical book. “It involves less blood loss, and with the horizontal incision along the muscle fibers of the uterus, it’ll be more likely that she’ll still be able to give birth again in the future.” Provided she doesn’t die of infection.
“Just tell me where to start…” Inuyasha agreed solemnly, as he prepared to cut into his pack sister with his very own claws. Kami help us.
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Tossing and turning, he wanted to fall asleep, but try as he might, Shippo could not block out the distant sounds of the village. He supposed he had been making too much commotion before, what with his happy blabber about his new sword, and then of course there was the whole fox-fire in the house incident. Really, it was no wonder that nobody had heard Sango’s earliest cries of discomfort. But now that his parents were at Kaede’s, and he was left alone to look after his slumbering kid brother, Shippo could not help but to hear every curse, every scream…
Besides Sango’s own cries, he could also make out the frantic wails of the slayer’s daughter, and apparently, Kazuki could hear them too, even in his sleep, as the hanyou pup started whimpering unconsciously. Mind made up, the kitsune delicately hoisted his slumbering brother into his arms, relieved that the boy didn’t stir. Shippo simply did not want to be alone for the time being, and somehow, he doubted that Miroku truly wanted to be alone, either.
``````````````````````````
Saving the baby had to be top priority. Kagome instructed Inuyasha step-by-step, and so rather than wildly cutting into Sango’s belly, they managed to perform the closest facsimile to a modern c-section that 16th century Japan had ever seen. But that wasn’t to say that things were going smoothly. Far from it.
The scent of blood was everywhere, and it was driving Inuyasha’s youkai mad. Even though he shouldn’t, in theory, need Tetsusaiga for its shielding properties any longer, he wore his sword on his hip all the same. Better safe than sorry. Several times he even found himself reaching down to grip the sheathed blade, for mental support if nothing else. Nobody noticed the faint glow that came from the scabbard whenever he made contact.
Kagome wasn’t about to say anything regarding Tetsusaiga. If he believed his sword would help him, then it would, and part of her honestly wished that she had such an anchor for herself, at the moment, feeling on the verge of losing it, as well. Kagome had initially been concerned that Sango would develop an infection, but was quickly becoming more worried that her friend would merely bleed to death, instead. Treating Inuyasha’s wounds at the castle that one night had been a cakewalk compared to this, as everything was buzzing around her so frantically that she suddenly felt as though she were in a hectic O.R.
“Get me more rags!”
“That’s the last of them!”
“Then use your stupid suikan, the blood will wash out!”
He scowled, but obeyed, quickly stripping off his outer kimono jacket to remain clad in kosode and hakama. It wasn’t that the blood wouldn’t wash out. He knew it would, with as often as he’d bled in the damn thing. But the lingering scent always lasted a little while longer, and he didn’t want his jacket smelling of Sango’s blood.
“I see the baby!” Kagome cried, as she pulled the uterine walls apart.
“Quickly!” Kaede commanded, and without hesitation, Inuyasha severed the cord that had gotten tangled around the unmoving infant’s neck, before Kagome reached inside and pulled the child and placenta away.
That had been the easy part.
“He’s not breathing!”
“He’s fine.”
“He’s purple!”
“Calm down Inuyasha…”
“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!”
“Do not yell at Kagome in such a manner!”
“Don’t fucking tell me how to talk to my fucking mate you hag!”
“Inuyasha!”
Ears flattening, the hanyou did his best to still his panicking heart long enough to see if the child had truly survived. If it hadn’t, then all he’d done… Inuyasha looked back over Sango’s open and bleeding body… the child just had to survive.
But Kagome had felt an aura of life from the infant, and knew that he lived. A quick swat to his bottom promoted breathing, as the first cries that had been a welcomed sound finally rang out throughout the night.
Kaede knew she was useless to assist with the “surgery” as Kagome had called it, but quickly took her cue for taking the infant at the joyous sounds of its life. Disappearing into a corner somewhere where she had warm water and a blanket, she left the life of the mother in the hands of her apprentice.
Gods speed child…
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Miroku was a nervous wreck. Emi wouldn’t stop bellowing, and both he and Kohaku were powerless to do much more than ignore her cries, truly desiring nothing more than to join her in her bale.
A none-to-gentle rapping at the doorframe pulled the males from their mutual depression, as Miroku moved to see who was calling at such an hour.
“Shippo?” he asked, truly surprised, even if his tone sounded more neutral due to emotional exhaustion.
“I…” the kit started, but getting that close to Emi’s cries suddenly triggered Kazuki’s, as the pup sprung awake in Shippo’s arms, keening and howling at the top of his lungs.
Shippo cringed, wondering if going there had been a bad idea after all.
Upon the hanyou pup howling, however, Emi immediately stopped crying, looking around for the source of the strange, yet familiar noise. “Zuki” she mumbled, once she spotted him, tears still pouring down her face, though her bewailing had ceased.
“I…” the kitsune started again once his brother also quieted back down. Pausing for a moment, Shippo appeared to swallow an apple sized lump in his throat, before leaning forward to gently place the squirming youth he held down upon his feet. “Kazuki didn’t want to be alone.” he finally said, instead.
“I think Emi would like the company.” Miroku commented, as he observed the way Kazuki toddled over to where Kohaku held Emi in his lap as he sat upon a futon. Under any other circumstances, everyone would have cooed at how cute it was when the young hanyou licked the falling tears from her cheeks.
“Any word?” Kohaku asked, after he scooted his niece off his lap and onto the futon itself, little Kazuki sensing her distress as he wrapped his tiny arms around her trembling frame.
Shaking his head, Shippo confessed that nobody had told him anything, and as far as eavesdropping went, he could only hear the louder shouts. He said that from what he’d been able to ascertain, he believed that her fate was still uncertain at that time.
“But don’t worry…” he tried to say though, “If anyone can save her, it’s okaasan.”
```````````````````````
“Damn it!” Kagome cursed, blood hindering her vision of what she was supposed to be sewing back together. At least Kaede had had some decent sutures to work with.
Sweat was plastering her bangs to her forehead, and every time she reached up with the back of her hand to brush them off to the sides, she succeeded in getting more of Sango’s blood on her face.
“She’s losing too damn much blood!” she continued to bellow, observing her friend’s paling complexion, as her youkai hearing picked up on the slowing of Sango’s heart beat.
“Where’s Myouga when you need him!” Inuyasha shouted, still in his full-youkai form.
“Right here Master!” suddenly came a tiny voice.
“Myouga!” hanyou and miko both shouted at once. “Where did you come from?” added the hanyou.
“I was not far…” the flea-youkai started, not wishing to confess that he had actually been sent to spy on the kitsune’s progress by his elder brother, “I could not help but to sense your distress, so I came right away!” That part was true.
“Good!” Kagome shouted, “There may be hope yet. Myouga, we need you to do another blood transfusion.”
“But, child…” Kaede spoke up from her corner of the hut, “Did ye not say before that such a thing could not be done without knowing which type of blood a person possesses?”
Kagome faltered. Damn, she’d forgotten about that. It hadn’t been an issue between herself and Inuyasha because of their bond.
“What about Kohaku?” said hanyou spoke up, and if she weren’t covered in her best friend’s blood, Kagome would have kissed him.
“Kirara!” she shouted, earning the neko’s attention.
She had been in her kitten form, trying her best to stay out of the way, yet refusing to leave her mistress’ side. Now, upon hearing her name called so demandingly, the nekomata immediately stood at attention.
“Meow?”
“Go get Kohaku! Quickly!”
“Mrrrow!”
Running outside, she transformed the moment she cleared the doorway. Taking off at a full run, she appeared like nothing more than a blazing streak of fire zipping between the huts.
Nobody at Miroku’s had any real time to react. Shippo smelled Kirara’s scent around the same instant both human males sensed her youki. But by the time Kirara’s name had escape the ex-monk’s lips, she had already barged into the hut, in full-youkai form, grabbed Kohaku by the back of his robes, and dashed out again, leaving everyone else to blink in confusion.
The young Tijiya nearly freaked at the sight of his sister. She looked just like somebody who had fallen victim to a youkai attack. She was lying unconscious, her stomach cut open to expose her insides, as Kagome appeared to be busy at work with sheep gut sewing said insides back together. A small cry momentarily drew his attention to the far corner of the hut, where he noticed old Kaede cradling a small bundle, and his heart rose ever so slightly. The baby had survived. Why his sister was cut open like she was, suddenly made sense.
“How can I help?” he asked, just as Myouga appeared on his shoulder.
“You can sit down so you don’t fall over from the dizzy spell.” the tiny youkai said, moments before piercing a vein in the youth’s neck.
Kohaku sat as he was told, and realization dawned quickly when he suddenly felt incredibly lightheaded. He then saw the flea-youkai, fat with his own blood, wobble over towards his sister (who had been partially covered with blankets to preserve as much modesty as possible) and slowly, the tiny youkai began to feed her body the blood he had just extracted.
Kagome knew it was possible for Sango and Kohaku to have two different blood types, depending on the blood types of their parents, but it was a small risk, and one she had to take. Sango could possibly die from blood loss otherwise, and even if she didn’t, being in such a weakened state with so little blood would greatly increase her odds of getting an infection. Kagome had made sure everything they used had been sterilized, at least as well as something could be sterilized in that time period. The sutures and needle she was using had all been boiled, as had the rags she used to clean Sango’s internal wounds. She also broke into her dwindling stash of modern antibacterial soaps to wash her hands with, as well as Inuyasha’s, and she’d tied a cloth over her nose and mouth to avoid breathing directly on her patient, too.
At some point in time, Kagome relented, it was simply in the gods’ hands.
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Seemingly delicate hands lazily traced a powerful clawed one, a powerful clawed hand that currently rested securely around a newly seeded belly. Kagura could not for the life of her wipe the silly smile off her face, but she supposed that was okay, considering Sesshoumaru was behind her, and therefore, couldn’t see it.
“Mate” he grumbled low in the inu tongue, knowing that the woman he held understood him.
Perhaps this time she would bear him a son, not that he would truthfully mind another daughter, he secretly smiled to himself. He knew he could get away with dropping his facial mask, as he was behind her, and therefore, she couldn’t see it.
Kagura was just about to roll over and shower her love with kisses, when she suddenly felt him stiffen behind her…and not in a good way.
“Sesshoumaru?” Her voice was but a whisper, low and unsteady.
“Something is wrong.” he said matter-of-factly, quickly releasing his grip of her to rise to his feet.
“What’s the matter?” she asked in a soft voice, not wishing to distract him as he looked to be concentrating.
“I am…uncertain.” he confessed, hating to admit that he could feel something he could not honestly explain. But something inside of himself was insisting that his brother was distressed. Tremendously so.
“I will return.” he stated quickly before dressing. He paused briefly on his way out the door to grab his swords from the display that hung on the wall, and then he was gone.
Kagura was left blinking in confusion over how quickly everything had changed. She shivered when she realized that something was obviously amiss for him to have reacted in such a way, and that whatever the situation was, she prayed that it would be resolved without much difficulty.