InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What's In A Name? ❯ Once Lost ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: InuYasha, I don't own you so why do you torture me to write this!

Yes, this story is not supposed to be written till AFTER I finish Forever Mine, but I have had some serious writer's block on that and I think this one here is the cause. If I don't write them when they tell me too they never let me do anything else easy.

I hope you all like it. Review! Review! Review!

Also, I do use much more Japanese terminology in this than in my other stories, so at the end will be translations for those who need them.

What's In A Name?

Kagome ran to him. Why wasn't he moving? Why was he just lying there? Where was the arrogant, conceited smirk he should have right now; getting up from such a weak attack and fighting back again? Why was he so still?

"Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome-sama!"

She could hear their voices, but…but they didn't matter…Hakudoushi didn't matter…the world didn't matter. Only him. Only…

"InuYasha!"

Kagome threw herself over the still hanyou, cradling his head against her chest, shielding him from anyone who would hurt him. She would let Naraku and all his abominations kill her if it protected him. Anything to keep him safe.

Time was a relative creation of the world, to Sango and Miroku it was moving all too fast, and they too slow. Hakudoushi would reach Kagome before they could. Both Kagome and InuYasha would die if they didn't make it.

To Kagome though, time was still, as still as the one who rested in her arms. Nothing else existed for her but InuYasha. His blood soaked silver hair clumped together. She would need to wash and brush it later. She slowly pushed back his bangs and ran her fingers over his forehead, down the bridge of his nose, and finally across his cheek. Tears fell from her pale cheeks as her eyes followed the path her nails had made in his blood.

"Kagome-chan!"

She needed to get the blood away.

"Run!"

She used her whole palm to wipe away the blood flowing over his face…his eyes…his mouth.

"You'll die."

Why wasn't there any air on her hand? She held it above his mouth again. No air. Baka. Of course there was air. There had to be. He had to be breathing.

"Kagome-sama!"

He was too stubborn to just go off and die. No, he had to be breathing. He had to be alive.

"Kagome-chan, run! You'll both die!"

Time and reality returned to the ill-trained miko. Her life didn't matter, but if Hakudoushi thought she would let him kill InuYasha…no. She would never let him die!

Kagome lowered InuYasha's body to the ground and rose, one hand grasping her bow, the other removing an arrow from her quiver. Hakudoushi was almost upon her, the blade on his staff raised to strike. Kagome's face was cold…deadly. Her fingers notched the arrow against the bowstring and pulled back.

"Your sight is no longer needed. Die." Hakudoushi swung the blade down.

"Yes, die."

A single motion. The lifting of three fingers away from the arrow. That was all she did. That simple, single motion. But that was more than enough.

Hakudoushi's blade came down across her arrow as it made its path to Kagome herself, but the arrow pierced through the weapon, shattering the wood and sending the metal blade flying. The pale aura only increased the closer to Hakudoushi it got. The light, was blinding.

When everyone was able to see again Hakudoushi was high in the sky, his right hand holding onto his severed left arm as Kagura made their escape. Miroku and Sango stared at the unyielding form of their young friend; her hand still held back from the shot. Suddenly, the bow fell to the ground and Kagome collapsed beside the seemingly lifeless hanyou.

"InuYasha! InuYasha! Wake up!" Kagome frantically tried to clean his face again. "They're gone, so please…please wake up!"

She yanked at her sleeve, ripping the seams apart, and tore again and again till she had a pile of make shift bandages. She used them all only to have to do the same with her other sleeve. She pressed as hard as she could against the gash going up the side of InuYasha's face. But it was so long, from the top of his neck to just below his precious canine ears, and there was so much blood.

Sango and Miroku were working to stop his other wounds from bleeding, while Shippo brought new bandages from Kagome's bag. Stopping his facial wound wouldn't matter if he bleed to death from the others. Each of them struggled to stop his bleeding, to save his life, to keep their dear friend with them. None could stand to lose anyone close to them ever again.

With the last of their supplies used up Miroku helped Kagome and Sango place the battered hanyou on Kirara's back. The two women sat on either side to keep him steady as they headed back to Kaede's village and the well. Miroku and Shippo followed behind on foot so as not delay them. Kagome knew if she could just get him back to her time he would survive. There was so much more they could do for him there.

But then, time is always relative to the person, and Kagome could feel its enormous power pressing in on her. She was losing to what was only a futile struggle to which InuYasha's life was the prize. How could she have let him do that? Why did he have to do that?

"Kagome!" InuYasha screamed as Hakudoushi's blade made an effortless swing towards the fallen girl.

Kagome watched as the shimmering metal struck Tessaiga, pressing down till it reached the red cloth covering InuYasha's right shoulder. Down. It kept going down. After InuYasha's scream. It kept going down. Why? Why?

InuYasha placed his left palm against Tessaiga and will all his strength forced Hakudoushi's blade back. Blood dripped over his wrist and down the length of his fingers. Tessaiga's hilt was completely drenched with its master's blood in a matter of seconds, but InuYasha still stood there, protecting her.

"Kagome, are you hurt?" InuYasha's breathing was strained, but he didn't seem to care.

"InuYasha? InuYasha, your shoulder…"

"Are you hurt?"

Kagome was taken aback. Why wouldn't he care about himself?

"Kagome?"

"I'm fine."

A strange expression crossed his face, just for a moment, but it was definitely there. Was it…relief? In a second it was gone and replaced by the arrogant smirk aimed directly at Hakudoushi.

"Is that all you got?"

Tears rolled down Kagome's flushed cheeks. It wasn't worth it! One shard! One! Kagome would give up the whole Shikon no Tama if it meant InuYasha lived.

"Give me the Shikon shard you stole."

"Kohaku gave his life to get us this shard. Not you or Naraku will ever touch it again!"

A menacing smirk danced on Hakudoushi's lips. "That boy had no life to give. That shard was his life."

Kagome heard a low growl coming from InuYasha. Her brown eyes shot open as he charged Hakudoushi without even considering the seriousness of his injury. He swung, breaking the ground and splitting the wind as Kaze no Kizu raged towards the monstrous boy. Hakudoushi's barrier immediately swallowed the power of his attack and reflected it back to InuYasha.

Kagome was about to scream, but InuYasha…smiled. He lifted Tessaiga above his head and swung once more, right into his reflected attack.

"Bakuryuuha!"

Everyone stared in confusion. Could he actually use his own attack to create the Bakuryuuha? The two powers connected and for a moment nothing was certain for anyone. The youki attacks mixed and split. They waited…where would it go?

InuYasha's smiled broadened as the powerful attack turned and spun straight towards Hakudoushi. The barrier was formed but with each strike against it Hakudoushi's face showed more fear until…

Why? Why didn't it end there? The barrier broke! Why didn't it end right there? Why couldn't he have died right then!

"Ryuuja no Mai!"

Kagura's wind mixed with the Bakuryuuha and diverted the attack away from Hakudoushi. He was, however, without a barrier and severely weakened from straining to hold the previous one. InuYasha saw his opportunity and hurried to take it. Tessaiga was lifted high above his head.

"Kagura!" Hakudoushi screamed.

From her place high above the battle Kagura released attack after attack to keep InuYasha away from Hakudoushi.

Kagome's hands shook as she held InuYasha in her bloody embrace.

"I…I should have paid more attention. It's all my fault." She buried her face in InuYasha's mangled hair and wept.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango's voice was hesitant. "Kagome-chan, it's not your fault. No one…no one could have stopped this."

"No!" Kagome screamed. "If I had just watched him. If I hadn't let him get so close InuYasha…InuYasha wouldn't…"

"Kagome-sama!" It was Miroku's voice that brought the danger to everyone's attention.

Hakudoushi was nearly in striking distance of Kagome who, in her confusion, had yet to move from her fallen position. Her eyes locked on the metal quickly approaching her. There was no escaping it, and InuYasha was too far away to protect her. Everyone was too far. So why was there blood but no pain?

Kagome ran her fingers over the crimson trail slowly dripping off her face, but there was no wound. Her eyes focused in front of her. How? How had he made it?

Hakudoushi laughed as he pulled the blade form the side of the hanyou's face. He lifted it once more and struck InuYasha in the side, throwing him effortlessly.

Yes, this was all her fault. If only she had died, InuYasha would be safe now. She felt Kirara begin her descent and lifted her frightened face from InuYasha's back. They were already at the village? How long had she been thinking? She watched as Sango directed Kirara towards Kaede's hut and grabbed hold of her friend's arm.

"The well. Please. My time has more…more we can do for him, please."

Sango didn't objected and Kirara once again bounded into the air heading for the well. It was only a minute with the youkai neko's speed, but to Kagome eternity was shorter. Once at the well Sango helped Kagome lift InuYasha's unconscious form onto the edge.

"Kagome-chan, will you be ok?"

"I swear I won't let him die."

Sango nodded and pushed InuYasha and Kagome into the well. She held tightly to InuYasha as they traveled the span of centuries and knowing a single second could take him from her. Kagome soon felt the cool earth beneath her and hurried to check InuYasha. Somehow…somehow he was still alive, still fighting to stay in her world.

Kagome gently placed him next to her before climbing the small ladder leading out of the well. She ran as fast as she could, the setting sun casting its final rays on her blood-streaked body.

"Help! Mama! Grandpa! Souta! Anyone help!" Kagome's frantic screams were heard long before she reached her home.

Her family bolted out of the house and hurried to find out what had was wrong. All of them stopped as they took in Kagome's ragged appearance. Blood covering her face and bare arms. Her shirt in tattered remains of what it once was, and terror firmly etched in her young face.

"Please, he's hurt! We have to hurry!"

Kagome didn't even wait for them to reach her before double backing to the well house. Behind her she could hear her families shoes pounding against the smooth stone ground. She ran down the well house steps, nearly tripping in her haste, and carefully climbed into the well so as not to return to the past.

She checked him again. She had to keep checking. He had to stay alive, and, for now, he still was. Shadows blocked what little light she received as her mother looked in to see what they needed to do.

"Kagome, use this and tie him to the ladder. We will pull him up."

She waited and soon a pale purple sweater fell into the well, her mother's sweater. Kagome did as she was told and tied InuYasha's unharmed shoulder to the well ladder.

"Okay, he's ready."

Slowly, the ladder and hanyou began rising up the side of the well. From her place Kagome supported InuYasha from below, which sped up the process. Finally, she felt his weight completely leave as he disappeared over the edge. The ladder was quickly tossed back down and Kagome joined the others at the surface.

It hurt Kagome to look upon InuYasha's fragile body. Fragile. When had he ever been fragile? Yet, he was right now. Fragile. Weak. Dying. No…no he couldn't be dying. She wouldn't let him die.

Her mother was the most in control. She took InuYasha's arm and with Grandpa's help managed to support part of his body. Kagome moved to his other side and did the same.

"We need to take him to the hospital," Souta said in a scared voice as he helped get InuYasha's feet up the well house steps.

"We can't take him there. Who knows what they would do when they found out he is a hanyou. He needs help, but we can't take him to a hospital."

"But we can't do much for wounds this severe, Kagome. He needs help from professionals."

Suddenly, Grandpa ran ahead of then as fast as his old legs could take him. "I may know someone that can help. Leave it to me."

Kagome was finding it increasingly difficult to move beneath the combined weight of InuYasha's body and her own exhaustion. Somehow, though, she kept going, and with her mother's help the managed to drag the injured to the house, leaving a bloody trail over the once clean stone ground. Grandpa was on the phone frantically talking to his unknown friend as the two women managed to pull InuYasha into the front hall.

"…take him to the hospital. He needs help though. Can you get over here right now?"

"Souta, go clear a path to the bathroom, we need to clean him up," Her mother ordered.

"Right!" Souta ran ahead and began moving things away.

"Hurry, we will do what we can till you arrive."

Kagome's head spun with all the shouting going on. Her fear and confusion were struggling to overwhelm her, but as long as InuYasha was still alive she knew what she had to do. Save him.

With a now cleared path to the bathroom Kagome and her mother worked to get InuYasha through the house and into the large tub. It was the only place they would be able to clean body off and contain the blood still seeping from his wounds. It was difficult at times, but the combined strength of the woman was enough to get him there. When he was safely in the tub Kagome's mother turned to Souta and Grandpa, who had just entered the room.

"Get bandages and antiseptic and every towel we have." Her mother's calm and sure voice was helping steady Kagome's panicked mind. "Kagome, we need to get his clothes off and clean the wounds. Take off his haori."

Kagome nodded and worked the tattered pieces of red cloth free of his torso. His normally beige undershirt was soaked a scarlet hue. Kagome held back her tears and focused on getting the undershirt off. Wasn't there any color but red on him? Or maybe she had blood in her eyes and everything was red. Yes, it had to be that. No one could lose that much blood.

Suddenly, she heard the water turn on and her mother grabbed her hand. "Kagome, come wash his legs off. I will take care of his chest and face."

"But Mama…"

"Kagome, wash his legs off."

Her mother's voice was gentle but unwavering. Kagome knew she was not in a state to properly treat his wounds, but she wanted to be the one with him. Kagome reminded herself it was best for him to let her mother take care of the more serious injuries and consented. She moved to the other end of the tub and looked down.

His red hakama had been removed and a white towel now covered his waist. Kagome couldn't recall her mother taking them off him, but then again her mind was having trouble doing a lot of things. A small wash cloth was put into her hand, she guessed by her mother though she didn't look up to see. His legs weren't nearly as bad as his upper body. Most of the blood was dried already, mostly from wounds at his chest that had dripped down.

She passed the cloth beneath the running faucet and let it soak up the clear water. Kagome's fingers trembled as she scrubbed away the blood and dirt only to reveal his strong legs had turned very pale. Aside from the lack of color in his skin InuYasha's legs were relatively free of wounds, other than scrapes and cuts. Kagome was glad her mother had them switch, seeing this gave her some hope.

That small piece of assurance was quickly taken from her when she looked up at the rest of his body. If she had thought his legs were pale then the rest of his body was as white as the towel around his waist. The only color on him was the crimson soaked cloths covering his wounds. Over half of his face was covered and her mother's hands were working frantically to stop his bleeding.

How…how was he still bleeding? How could he still be alive? Was all she doing here, watching him slowly die? Was she really that helpless to save him? Her hand slowly moved to try and touch his face.

"Kagome!" Her mother's harsh tone shocked Kagome out of her trance. "If you can't stay focused then get out."

Kagome just stared at her mother, shocked by the fierce look on her face. She was doing everything to save InuYasha and Kagome was just becoming an obstacle for her. No, she wasn't going to leave and she wasn't going to give up on him yet. Kagome nodded her resolve and focused on the wound at his waist, the last one Hakudoushi inflicted.

Her mother had already cleaned it but the makeshift bandage was already soaked so Kagome worked to change and clean t once more. A part of her was pleased to see it wasn't bleeding nearly as badly as before. As she examined it closer she found it wasn't as deep of a cut as she had first thought, or perhaps InuYasha's youkai nature was already healing him. She prayed it was the latter since that would mean all his wounds were healing.

Kagome didn't know how long she and her mother knelt over the bathroom tub continually cleaning and re-bandaging his injuries, but after what felt like an eternity a man arrived at the shrine door. Grandpa hurried and showed him and, many thanks could be heard coming from the old man, and if he could help InuYasha she would give hundreds more.

Before the man even got near the tub she could see the shock on his face. "With all this blood why can't you take him to a hospital. He definitely needs it."

It was Kagome's terrified face that stopped the man completely. "Please, please, we can't take him. Please help him."

The middle age man placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Of course I will help him."

Somehow everything seemed to get a little better when she heard those words. She had no idea who this man was but his tone was gentle and strong. He moved closer to the tub and looked over at InuYasha.

"Why can't he be taken to the hospital though?"

Kagome's mother moved the towel on his face back just enough for his perfect puppy ears to show. "Because he isn't human."

The man's brown eyes widened as he stared at the canine features. "What is he?"

"A hanyou. Half human, half inu youkai," Kagome explained. "You'll still help him, won't you?"

"I said I would help him and I will. That just explains a lot of questions."

The man traded places with Kagome's mother and examined the extent of InuYasha's injuries. After a few minutes of silence Kagome moved closer to the tub again.

"Will he be okay?"

"Please leave." Kagome was taken back by the rigid tone now filling the once gentle man's voice. "Higurashi-san, please remain here. Everyone else leave."

"But…but I need to help."

"You helped all you could, now let me do what I came to."

The man's eyes were cold and unwavering. Grandpa took her by the arm and carefully pulled her out of the room, closing the door behind them. He guided Kagome up the stairs and to her own room.

"Kagome, all we can do now is wait. Why don't you take a shower and change into some fresh clothes."

Kagome moved in a trance state. Her mind had stopped thinking. It was the only defense she had left. Her body found some clean clothes and walked to the unoccupied bathroom. She stripped and left the soiled remains of her clothing on the floor. Her legs stepped into the small tub and her bloodied hand turned on the shower. Kagome watched as the clean, clear water turned pink as it slid over her bare body. The porcelain beneath her feet covered in a pale crimson color.

"It's all my fault," Kagome whispered to herself. "Why couldn't I have died? Why was he willing to sacrifice himself? Why?"

Her body leaned against the back wall of the shower and slowly slid down till she sat curled up in the corner. The water splashed over her face hiding the tears that fell from her bloodshot eyes.

Somehow Kagome managed to move again and she left the shower. She dressed and opened the door to find her brother sitting against the opposing wall.

"Souta," Kagome managed a weak call.

The young boy's eyes were red and filled with concern. "Nee-chan, are you alright?"

Kagome nodded, but Souta still looked worried.

"Nee-chan, you're all wet."

Kagome looked down at herself. Her clothes were soaked and sticking to her body. She had dressed before bothering to dry off.

"I had better change then," she said in an emotionless tone.

She walked to her room and changed into a new outfit without even knowing what was going on. She just kept moving. Souta was waiting for her outside her room as she exited. Before she could do anything Souta reached out and grabbed Kagome around the waist, burying his face against her stomach.

"InuYasha no nii-chan is going to be okay, isn't he? He isn't going to…to…"

Souta's breakdown finally snapped Kagome into reality. She wasn't the only one worried about InuYasha. Souta…Mama…Grandpa, they all knew InuYasha. Sango…Miroku…Shippo…even Kaede, they all must be very worried. They can't even know what is happening right now. They didn't see how deathly pale he was, or how horrible his once handsome face now looked with the gash going up its right side. They must be so very scared for him. So worried. Sango. She just lost Kohaku, how can she lose InuYasha too. How could any of them stand to lose him? The answer was simple, they couldn't.

Kagome pushed the shaking boy away before kneeling before him. She placed her hand behind his head and held him to her comfortingly.

"Don't worry. InuYasha is stronger than this. He won't leave us. He'll be fine."

"But…he was so hurt…and you were so scared."

"Gomen, Souta. Gomen. It was scaring, seeing him like that. Scarier than anything I have seen before, but you know what?"

Souta sniffed back tears as he looked up to her. "What?"

"InuYasha will not die."

"How can you be sure!"

"Because he will not die before Naraku. I know that. InuYasha will be with us when we finally defeat him." If he's not… "He will be there, so he will live. I believe that." I have to believe that.

Souta was still scared, but at least he had calmed down. Kagome took him downstairs and was about to go to the living room when she saw Grandpa in the hallway on his hands and knees. The siblings took a closer look and found out he was cleaning the floor of the blood trail they had created dragging InuYasha in. Kagome was already anxious and at least by cleaning she could do something useful.

Both she and Souta joined Grandpa in cleaning the floors. It wouldn't have taken that long to do normally, but if they finished it would just mean they would have to sit and wait. It took a very long time to clean the floors that night. The closer to the bathroom door she got, the more her body tensed.

What was happening behind there? Was he still alive? Where they afraid to come out and tell her he had died? Why was it taking so long? How much longer would it be?

Kagome leaned against the wall next to the door and prayed. Even after the floors were clean and Souta and Grandpa had gone to clean the ground outside, Kagome sat there praying for him to live. She didn't know how long she remained there, only that Souta and Grandpa had finished and returned inside while her mother and that man worked. Finally, Kagome stood and went to find her grandfather.

"Grandpa," she said sitting down on the couch next to him and Souta, "who is that man?"

"A priest, like me."

Both Kagome and Souta stared at him confused.

"But how can he be a priest and a doctor?" her brother asked.

"Sanzo-sensei didn't become a priest till years after he had been a doctor. He took over when his father died and the shrine was entrusted to him. He still practices medicine at free clinics, as well as attending to his duties at the shrine."

"That's why you called him, cause he is a priest?" Kagome asked.

Grandpa nodded. "I figured if anyone would believe he was a hanyou it would be a priest, but we needed a doctor as well. Sanzo-sensei was the only person that fit that."

"Is he good? I mean, a good doctor?"

"As good as any you will find at a hospital. He will be able to help InuYasha."

Kagome sighed and leaned back against the couch exhausted. How much longer could she stand not knowing what was happening to him? The stillness of the house became nearly unbearable. Nothing seemed to be happening, and Kagome desperately wanted to be doing something, anything but sitting there waiting. As the night drew on Kagome felt Souta fall asleep against her. Kagome's own body was crying out for rest but no matter what she couldn't seem to fall asleep, her worry was all consuming.

Finally, at around three in the morning, Sanzo walked into the living room. Kagome's breath stopped in her chest as she waited to hear the news.

Sanzo smiled down at her. "He's still alive."

Tears of relief fell from Kagome's tired eyes. So much worry and fear had been lifted from her in those three words she couldn't even think to speak.

"However."

And that one word brought it all back a hundred folds.

"However," Sanzo continued, "He is not completely out of danger yet. To be honest there is no way a normal person would have survived those injuries, but then again, he is not a normal person."

"Could he still…still die?" Kagome asked in nothing more than a whisper.

"The next twenty-four hours will tell that. He needs blood, badly in fact, but I am afraid of what his body's reactions would be. Just typing it could be hard, let alone knowing if it he would accept human blood. I don't want to risk it if it's not necessary."

"So what should we do?"

"I am going to go to the clinic I work at and get some supplies. If we can't get blood into him we need to at least get fluids and antibiotics. The last thing we need is for his wounds to be come infected. I also need something that will accurately monitor his vital signs. I left instructions with Higurashi-san on what to do till I come back, but before I leave I need everyone's help to move him to a bed."

"Of course."

"We are going to make a stretcher, so we need two poles, brooms should do, and a sheet."

Grandpa stood up and headed for the door. "I'll get the brooms, Kagome you go get the sheet."

"Right." Kagome gently woke Souta up and smiled down at him. "Souta, InuYasha is okay."

The boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "InuYasha no nii-chan is okay?"

"Yes, now we are going to move him so everyone is gonna to help."

Kagome stood and gently guided Souta to where the sheets and covers were stored. They grabbed one and met with Grandpa who had he brooms. With Sanzo's assistance they make a quick but sturdy stretcher and took it to the bathroom InuYasha was in.

When they entered Kagome's mother was cleaning the floor of a number of bloodied towels and rags. Despite the fact most of her clothes were soiled, she gave walked over to Kagome and gave her a comforting hug before returning her attention to Sanzo. He moved to the tub, which a now clean and freshly bandaged InuYasha lay. It hurt to look at his face, the white bandages completely shielding it from view. Sanzo gently lifted InuYasha's torso from the tub and instructed the others to support the rest of the body until they reached the stretcher. Once his body was on the stretcher, it was a simple matter of carrying InuYasha's weight to her mother's room, which was the only room on the main level of the house.

They gently laid him, stretcher and all on the bed and then removed the brooms from the sheets. He was covered up and Kagome knelt next to the bed.

"I will be back as soon as I can. Just watch him and if anything happens call my cell phone."

Right before Sanzo left Kagome ran over and bowed. "Arigatougozaimasu!"

He bowed back and left the small room. Kagome returned to InuYasha and slid her hand beneath the covers searching for InuYasha's. When she finally found his hand it felt like ice and Kagome's heart sank.

"Kagome, you need to get some sleep. You must be exhausted."

"Please, can I stay with him?" Kagome begged.

Her mother sighed and nodded. "I'll go get you a chair."

Kagome stayed with him throughout the night, always holding his hand, as though he would leave if she let go. At some point Kagome fell into a restless sleep and only awoke when someone tried to separate her from InuYasha. Her brown eyes struggled to see who it was.

"Kagome-san, I need you to let go." Sanzo's gently voice managed to satisfy her enough to release InuYasha from her grip.

She leaned back in the chair and watched as Sanzo hooked him up to various machines as well as an IV drip. Kagome looked out the curtained window and saw the sun filtering through.

"What…what time is it?"

"A little past six."

Still early. Kagome hesitated to ask a question, but her concern won out.

"If he…if he survives the twenty-four hours he will be fine, won't he?"

Sanzo paused in his work for a moment, but only a moment. "I won't lie to you Kagome-san, his injuries are severe. If he were in a hospital there would be countless tests done to check the extent of the internal damage. Since I can't do that I can only speculate. His body is healing at a remarkable rate. The bleeding has all but stop, which is the best thing for him. If this continues his body will only need a few weeks to repair itself. What concerns me is the wound to his head."

Kagome once again looked to InuYasha's bandaged face. "Why?"

"There is no way without going to a hospital to test for brain damage. That wound actually reached his skull and fractured it." Kagome's breathing stopped. "It didn't break through, but there is no telling what has been done. Even if his body heals, there is the chance he may never wake up. Or, if he does, what state of mind he will be in."

Kagome held back her tears. Even if his body healed, he may never wake up, or he might not be the InuYasha she knew. That couldn't be. He had to return to her. Her InuYasha had to return.

She felt Sanzo place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "There is also the chance he will recover without problems. You have to accept that at this point, anything can happen."

Days passed and Kagome rarely left InuYasha's side. She left the house only once, two days after she had brought him and returned to the Sengoku Jidai to tell the other what had happened. But no matter how long she waited InuYasha didn't wake up. He never moved, or made any sound, he just lied there. His body had all but healed itself within the week and the only thing that remain to remind them of the hell they went through that day was a small, hairline cut on the right side of his face. It wasn't until the ninth day passed that Kagome awoke to something new.

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The young man's head was pounding. Had he ever know such an unbearable pressure before? He struggled to open his eyes, but for some reason they didn't want to obey him. He stopped trying for a moment and worked instead to figure out what the feeling at his right hand was. He concentrated and finally figured it out. Someone was holding it. So what was the pain in his left hand? And why was his head still pounding?

He struggled once more to open his eyes and this time he succeeded. His amber gaze had trouble focusing at first, but soon he managed to make out objects. He didn't know what they were, but one was connected to his left hand, right where the pain was. He would need to get rid of that, if only he could move his other hand.

The man's eyes turned to the figure seated near him. That's right, there was someone holding his hand. But who was it? Where was he? What happened to him?

He worked to free himself of the person's…the sleeping person's grip, but each time he pulled the other person held tighter. Finally the person began to stir and then look up.

It was a girl. Her black hair was disheveled and there were circles lining her still sleepy brown eyes. As she looked at his face a broad smile crossed her face. Who was this girl?

"Inu…InuYasha!" the girl reached up and grabbed him around the shoulders. "You're awake, InuYasha. InuYasha!"

The girl repeated that word over and over. InuYasha. Was she talking about him? Was he InuYasha?

She moved away from him so they looked at one another. Her face was filled with relief. "InuYasha, do you feel alright?"

He stared at her a moment longer, unsure of how to answer.

"InuYasha?" the girl's voice began to falter.

"Am…am I InuYasha?" he finally asked.

Tears brimmed in her eyes and soon fell to the covers she leaned over. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you are InuYasha. Do you…do you know who I am?"

Somehow he knew that his answer would upset her, but he was so confused there was nothing else he could do. He shook his head.

The girl's tears fell quicker but she didn't turn away or leave him. She stayed there, trying her best to comfort him. "Do you remember anything about yourself?"

The man…InuYasha thought and fought within himself to find any piece of himself, but nothing was there. He shook his head again.

He could see the pain in the girl's face. She gently took his hand in her own. It was very warm to touch. "My name is Kagome. You were hurt very badly so I brought you here. This is my home. Do you understand that much?"

"Ka…go...me." She nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. I don't understand anything."

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So yeah, there you go. First chp of the story I shouldn't have started. Hopefully my writer's block on my other story will go away now that I wrote this.

::points to story:: Let me go now! I want to write the other one!

Sigh, but as promised I will translate all the words for those who don't know them.

Baka - Idiot or Stupid.

Hanyou - half-demon

Youkai - Demon

Neko - Cat

Inu - Dog

Youki - Demon Power

Arigatougozaimasu - Formal "Thank You"

Miko - Priestess

Sengoku Jidai - Warring States Era

nee-chan - older sister

no nii-chan - older brother (Souta uses this as a term of affection to InuYasha)

chan - term of endearment, used primarily for girls

san - all purpose honorific suffix, much like Mr. or Mrs., used whenever poilteness is needed

sama - higher than san, used to convey great respect

sensei - term used to indicate certain professions, in this case doctor