Chapter: awakening

Darkness. Darkness and a sharp pain That was all Sesshoumaru was feeling at the moment. How did he imagine death? Perhaps less painful. Have you not been freed from all your torments after all? Would he suffer from it forever? Maybe that was the punishment. The punishment for all the evil he caused or for breaking with everyone who ever meant something to him. He had spent most of his life building a protective wall around himself so that nobody would come too close to him. How did it come about? Sesshoumaru couldn't remember it himself and he didn't want that either, because every time he tried, he felt this infinite emptiness again, which threatened to swallow him up. It was as if he were standing on the edge of a bottomless precipice with no way of escaping. That fear had turned into hatred over time.A hatred of everyone else, but above all of himself. Only when he could inflict pain on those around him did he feel better, but this feeling also didn't last.
He had to stop indulging in this thought or he would soon lose his mind. Or had he already lost everything? And what else should he do to pass the time here?
Now he heard that laugh again. This time it seemed a lot farther away, but he still heard it very clearly. He deserved the scorn. He was trapped like a stupid boy. If he only had one last chance. He would use her. Naraku would never laugh at him again.
But slowly the laughter changed. It ebbed away more and more and gave way to a strange melody that Sesshoumaru did not know, but was as familiar to him as if he had written it himself. He had never heard anything like it before. Warmth spread inside him and slowly his tension eased.Hopefully this song would never end ...

Linn had lost track of time a little. How long has she been here in the woods? Was it two or three days? It felt like a couple of weeks. Time seemed to creep by infinitely slowly. And she lacked sleep. She didn't dare to doze for more than a few minutes in a row so as not to lose sight of Sesshoumaru. Not because she was afraid he would cut her into four parts in his sleep. In his current condition, he probably couldn't even mash an overripe banana ... She was concerned that his condition might worsen suddenly. The medicine seemed to be working, but she still wasn't sure if he was over the hill. His wounds still looked bad and he seemed to be falling from one delusional fever to the next. His body tensed up again and he let out a low moan.Linn removed the damp rag from his forehead and dipped it in cold water. At that temperature you could easily fry fried eggs on it. At the introduction, Linn couldn't help but chuckle. But no, she couldn't think of that. She wouldn’t even wish such pain on her worst enemy. Did sesshoumaru also belong in this category? Linn still didn't quite know how to classify him. Inuyasha had warned her several times about him and their first meeting had only more than confirmed that, but she still felt connected to him in some way. The connection wasn't as strong as it was between her and Inuyasha, of course. But after all, twin ties and relationships between half-siblings were also worlds apart. Still, she couldn't stop seeing him suffer like that. She wanted to ease his pain somehow, but slowly she was at the end of her Latin.In any case, it was time to change his bandages again. Linn got up and went to the tree where she had hung the freshly washed bandages to dry. As she took the fabric from the branches, she absently began to hum a melody to herself. Her mother always sang this song to her before she fell asleep when she was a little girl. Unfortunately she had forgotten the lyrics, but she remembered the melody deeply. Sometimes when she didn't know what to do, she just hummed it to herself and usually felt better afterward.
When she turned around again, she noticed that the expression on Sesshoumaru's face had changed. His body seemed to have relaxed completely and a gentle smile was on his face. He wasn't ...
She quickly rushed to him and checked his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief. He walked very calmly and evenly.A few minutes ago his heart was racing like it had been after a marathon, and now ?? What was it that happened?
She was still holding his left hand when Sesshoumaru suddenly opened his eyes. Linn got a tremendous shock and instinctively slipped back a little. How would Sesshoumaru react?
"Sesshoumaru is really not to be trifled with" Inu Yasha's words crossed her mind.
His eyes were still clouded and he didn't seem to know where he was.
"Why did it stop?" He asked, but his voice was still nothing more than a shaky breath.
Linn had no idea what he was talking about but she was glad he hadn’t sharpened his claws on her yet.
"Sesshoumaru ..." she started.
The demon's gaze, which until then had only stared unfocused into the area, now focused on her and his eyes widened.
"You ??" he hissed and tried to sit up with a jerk. Because of his not yet healed wounds, that was a rather unreasonable act and with a loud moan and a contorted face he let himself fall again, which didn’t improve his situation."You mustn't move so much!" Linn shouted worriedly. That would be better for both of you ...
"You are badly injured and your wounds still look bad, so take it easy to start with. I'm glad you woke up at all. I thought so ..." she added she tried to read Sesshoumaru's gaze. Why was he staring at her so strangely?
"What did you do?" He interrupted her harshly.
"What? Me? What I ...? Hey, listen, I sat by your sick bed for days and looked after you even though I actually had more important things to do. A little thank you would be more appropriate than such sloppy remarks!" cried Linn angrily.
"I didn't ask you to.", Sesshoumaru replied indifferently and averted his gaze from her.
"That really is the height of ingratitude. You weren't even able to ask for help.And if I hadn't taken care of you, you would probably be looking at the radishes from below now! "Linn scolded.
"Then maybe that would have been my fate. In any case, I don't need any help from a half-breed like you.", Sesshoumaru poisoned in a cold voice.
Linn felt the blood rush to her head. How could she have been so stupid? What reaction did she expect from this guy? A bouquet of flowers?
"Good, if you think you can handle yourself. Then I can go!", She screamed and glared at him angrily. Sesshoumaru seemed to be completely indifferent to that. Why should he get upset at the screeching of a little girl too?
"Seems like there are no dissenting votes. Well, have a good trip.", He said and again pretended that everything else around him was much more interesting than the angry half demon in front of his nose.
That was really too much."You can't be helped any more!", She managed from behind clenched teeth and angrily began to pack up her things.
Before she left, she looked over at Sesshoumaru one last time, but he didn't look at her. She trudged off indignantly.
Fine The others had been waiting for her too long anyway. Then she would have to listen to Inu Yasha's know-it-all remarks - he would certainly love to give her entire lectures about why he was right and she wasn't ... - but then she would just flirt a little too obviously with Miroku and the subject would be passé.
She missed her friends, with whom she could talk sensibly without being turned on straight away. A few days ago she had had a lively discussion with Kagome on the subject of jealousy. It was really amazing what ...But a sudden outcry made her startle out of her thoughts. Immediately she knew where the scream must have come from and ran back to the clearing. There Sesshoumaru was lying on his stomach, writhing in pain. He had tried to get up and had obviously failed miserably. One of his wounds on his back was torn open again due to the excessive strain and the blood had already soaked the bandage completely. Linn quickly ran to him and tried to loosen the bandage, but Sesshoumaru fended them off.
"Get out of here!" He growled tightly.
"Now shut up and relax! I'm not going to let you bleed to death here, get it?" Linn hissed and pushed his hand aside. To her amazement, Sesshoumaru let her go and kept still.
Sesshoumaru was confused. Why didn't this girl let herself be stopped from helping him? Why did she care so much about his health?Surely she couldn't assume that he would have done the same for her because he wouldn't. He would not have cared about any of them. Why? He didn't need anyone!
He felt Linn applying an ointment to his wounds. The burning pain made him wince.
"Sorry.", He heard her voice above him and acknowledged that with a long groan. But then he fell silent. He heard that tune again. Wasn't that what he had just dreamed of earlier? Their sound was so beautiful and soothing. He closed his eyes and forgot all pain.
Linn had also noticed what was happening to Sesshoumaru. She interrupted her humming in surprise. She had already opened her mouth to say something but Sesshoumaru got ahead of her:
"Don't stop," he muttered in a low voice.
Had she misheard?
"I beg your pardon?" She asked puzzled. "What did you say?"Sesshoumaru slowly turned his head in her direction.
"You're so worried about my health. So, just go on singing!" He growled annoyed. But when he saw the outraged expression on her face, he added a pained "request". This admission was incredibly difficult for him, but he didn't want to mess with her any more. This melody was too precious for him for that.
Linn no longer understood the world. Why was he so intent on her singing to him now? Maybe his head had gotten something too ...
A confident smile spread across her face.
"Can you say that again? I didn't understand you acoustically.", She grinned. With pleasure she noticed how much effort it took him to continue speaking.
"Please - sing - on." It was as if the words were so repugnant to him that he had to spit them