The Wolf and the Dog

Chapter 6: Waking Up And Gearing To Go

Consciousness slowly returned to Inuyasha. The smell of medicinal herbs and incense then hit his nose. He slowly opened his eyes to gaze at the thatched ceiling. 'Where am I?' He tried to remember what exactly happened to him. He remembered he had fainted in the forest. Then how did he get here? 'So much for being dead.' He sighed. He found himself on a futon with the light weight of a blanket covering his body and a wet cloth was placed on his forehead. He tried to sit up but stopped as a feeling nausea washed of over him. His head pounded, followed by a fierce pain in his abdomen. He whimpered from the pain in his head, falling back onto the pillow. He took in deep breaths and the pain in his abdomen seemed to recede a little.

At that time the shoji was pushed open and voice called to him, "Oh Inuyasha.... You're finally awake." Miroku strode over to him placing his hand on his forehead. "Good, the temperature's down. You gave us quite a scare you know?"

"Where am I? What happened? How did find you me? What is the matter with me?"

"Maa maa, one question at a time 'Yasha."

"As for the first question you're in Kaede's hut. She's not here. She had some business in the next village, we sent Shippo with her." He started crushing the herbs he had brought in and put a kettle on fire. The scent told Inuyasha that tea was brewing in it.

"As for the other questions, Sango was worried about you after you left and so we decided to follow you. She said you were behaving suspiciously. Did something happen between you and Kagome?"

"........"

"All right you can tell me when you feel like it. Now drink this." He placed a cup full of herbal tea in front of Inuyasha and helped him to sit up. "This will ease your throat pain and headache." He said knowingly, before continuing. "As I was saying we found you in the middle of the forest unconscious burning with fever. We used Kirara to bring you back here. With Kaede gone we had to take care of you. You were shivering violently and crying in your sleep. We tried every means but your fever didn't break. On the day when Kagome..."

"Kagome's back?!"

"Yes. She retuned three days after we brought you in. It was she who gave you the medicine that broke your fever finally. Poor thing, she cared for you day and night. Sango even caught her crying over you a few time saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry". She looked very upset but wouldn't tell us the reason."

"Hmmm." Inuyasha sighed.

"Anyway you were out for eight days you know. We thought you wouldn't survive. But I guess it would take a lot to kill a stubborn bastard like you." He added with a smile. Inuyasha finished his tea and Miroku helped him lie down. "So what happened to you? Did something attack you?"

"I....I... don't remember very much... I..." He didn't know what to tell him. Memories of the time spent with Kouga still haunted him but he didn't want to reveal anything for now.

"All right no need to push yourself, now get some rest. Sango dragged Kagome down for a bath at the hot springs. Said it would relax her. I wish I could join them... haaaah." Miroku sighed.

An amused snort was heard from the hanyou.

"All right you should rest now till they get back. Boy... will they be happy to see you."

"Hmmm..." Came a weak reply as Inuyasha's eyes drifted close.

Miroku pulled the blanket over his sleeping form and went outside to wait for the girls.

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Inuyasha woke to the feeling of someone scratching behind his ears and raking their fingers through his hair. He let out a lazy purr as he leaned into the touch. "Inuyasha, are you awake?" Kagome's voice floated through his drowsy mind and his eyes snapped open.