The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Questions

Chapter 10 - The Questions *Infection* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

Kagome stood and stretched, her back and neck popping loudly in protest of her spending so much  of the last 24 hours hunched over. "Give me a few minutes, and then I'll check out your neck and change the bandages."

The dog watched as she pulled her bag closer to the fire and began removing items. He was surprised to see that she carried books with her, and as she piled them up, he began to wonder what else about this girl was going to be a surprise. Her kindness and her innocence were enough, but now... Was she educated? Could she actually read those books?

"I don't know why you're still lugging those stupid things around," Inuyasha muttered. He had always hated her school books. They were the cause of her having to return to her time, leaving him worried that she might not return, and even in his time, they kept her distracted, focused on her studies instead of  him.

"Because I have to, Inuyasha," Kagome snapped back. "I have responsibilities, and not just to fix the jewel. I'm so tired of explaining this to you. We're going to be stuck in this cave for days, so I might as well get some work done." She continued to collect her things, locating her notebooks, pens, and finally, the list of work she needed to do. The miko sighed as she looked it over. The backlog grew longer and longer every day. Even if she managed to finish what was on that sheet, when she went back to turn it in, there would be a new list waiting for her. The pressure to keep up was immense, and one of these days, she was going to crack under it. Inuyasha's bitching and moaning wasn't helping things either.

Once she located everything she needed, Kagome stuffed everything else back into the seemingly bottomless bag and returned her attention to her patient. "Okay, Prince, let's get those bandages off and see how you're doing. I'm praying you don't get an infection. I don't have anything to treat you with if you do." The miko walked over to where her medical supplies still sat from the dog's operation the night before, and he followed, laying in front of where she sat cross-legged. "Just stay really still for me, and I'll try and make this as painless as possible."

The dog looked up at her, and then tipped his head in what she had decided was definitely a nod, before laying his muzzle on her knee once more. He breathed her scent in deeply, hoping it might distract him from the discomfort to come. He wasn't a stranger to pain, though he hadn't experienced nearly as much as one might think. He was an expert fighter, after all, and he was very rarely injured. Much to his displeasure, Inuyasha seemed to be the only one who could actually land a hit on him. He had suffered more in the last two weeks than he had in his entire life, including when he lost his arm and when he had been struck by the Windscar.

Kagome carefully peeled off the tape she had used to secure the end of the gauze and slowly unwrapped it layer by layer. She kept close watch on his eyes as she did so, noting that, as she got further in, he seemed to wince. "Almost got it, Prince," she said softly, hoping to keep him calm and take his mind off it. "Then I'll get you something to eat. I bet you're hungry. Sango saved you some choice bear bits, and there are even some bones for you, if you like that kind of thing."

By the time she finished speaking, she had completely uncovered his injury and she studied it closely, checking for any signs of infection, thankfully finding none. "Looking good, Big Guy. You're healing pretty quickly for the condition you're in. Maybe it's that bit of demon blood you might have. Either way, at least it's not infected. Let's clean it up, and then wrap it again. Keeping dirt out of it is important."

She continued to talk to him, explaining the various signs of infection and what she would have to do if he began to show them, along with the importance of disinfectant and antibiotic ointment in wound care. She said anything and everything she could think of to keep him distracted while she cleaned and bandaged his neck once again. When she was done, Kagome sighed in relief, glad she hadn't been the cause of any whimpers of pain this time around. That sound was like an arrow through her heart, and she never wanted to hear him make it again.

"Alright, now I want to look at your gums. It'll tell me if you're anemic. Can you show me your teeth, Prince?"

The dog curled up his mouth in a silent snarl, displaying his long, perfect fangs and his somewhat pale gums.

"Good boy! Well, it's not perfect, but it could be worse. Hopefully eating will help."

He watched her in awe as she rose to collect his food. She knew more about treating wounds than he had ever heard of. Not even his expert healers were so knowledgeable, and they had centuries of experience. Half of what she said, he hadn't fully understood, but he soaked it all in. Perhaps someday he would be on good enough terms with the miko that he would be able to speak with her about it, and ask for further explanations. Rin was human, after all, and any knowledge he could gain about keeping her healthy would be greatly appreciated.

This miko, she was an enigma, and as he ate, he watched her lay beside the fire with one of her books. Was all her knowledge from those books? If he were to read them, could he be as educated as she seemed to be? Never had another bested him in that way, but he did not feel anger at being upstaged by a human woman. It only made him desire to learn more about her. A woman was almost never educated, and yet she was, more so than even males of the highest levels of society and scholars. This was something he needed to reconcile. He needed to understand this, and everything else, about her.