Sleep Baby Sleep

By MistressSafire

Word:1143

Genre: Angst

Rating:G

World: AU

Ebonysilks Challenge: Goodbye

Sleep Baby Sleep

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru, there is nothing to be done." Said the calm voice in front of him. It made him want to rip them man's throat out. Why did all the damn doctors in the world have that calm voice. The voice that said We are the medical men. We know more than you.

And this man, this human, seemed to have mastered it. If it were only the old days, he could kill him because ….well just because. He was Lord, dammit!

He brought his attention back to what doctor was saying.

"Demons and humans were never meant mate, the genetics are too diverse. Your daughter is proof of that, Lord Sesshmoaru. She should have never been conceived."
The InuYouki demon was suddenly pissed and had to restrain himself from grabbing the man by the throat.

"You had better explain yourself fast, Doctor!" the enraged demon hissed, advancing on the now terror stricken man. "Our child is dying!"

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She felt him come up beside her, sorrow coming through the bond they shared in waves.

Kagome cuddled the small undersized form closer, her fingertips tracing the small pointed ears, the silken black hair. "There is nothing to be done, is there, my love?" she whispered, her throat hoarse from shed tears and others that threatened to follow. "We are going to lose our angel, aren't we?"

The pale demon placed his hand on his mate's shoulder, in a futile attempt to comfort her, dreading the words he had to say.

"The doctor says nothing can be done for her. She may look perfect on the outside but on the inside she is terribly malformed." Pain colored his voice. He would rather have al the skin flayed off his back than to hurt his beloved.

She bit her lip trying to hold back the tears that were starting to flood her eyes. The beeping of the machines filled the private room she'd given birth in.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to have a happy ending. They were supposed to be a family celebrating their beginning of a life not an ending.

Damn it! You weren't supposed to say goodbye to the child you just birthed. The child you waited all those months for, the child you felt kick and grow beneath your heart, in it your heart. Why did the Kami's give them a child just to take it away? They had wanted/waited for this!

"How long?" she asked her blue eyes haunted as the tears again overflowed washing her cheeks with the horrible taint of grief. She could hear the heart monitor that was keeping an electronic eye on their child. The beeps were slowing.

Sesshomaru moved his hand to gently caress the bundle held so gently, so lovingly in his mate's arms. His eyes burned with his own grief.

He took a ragged breath. "An hour, possibly less."

And the beeps still slowed.

Kagome suddenly began pulling at the leads connected, gently removing them from the frail little body.

A nurse rushed forward as alarms began to go off. "What are you doing?" she yelled at the distraught mother, trying to stop what she was doing.

Kagome's demon mate leaned forward, snarling promising a messy and pain filled death if she touched his love and child again.

Kagome sobbed as she continued, uninterrupted now. "I want them off. I refuse to listen as she dies." She looked up, pleading with the male who stood protectively beside the bed. "Sessho, I can't listen to the machines keeping track of our baby's impending.." she choked up "death. I can't." He nodded and reached out and crushed the machine, shutting down the alarm, at the same time giving the doctor and nurse a look that dared them to say anything.

"Leave us." He commanded the medical personnel. "This is a time for family only."

Soon the sterile room was empty, the tragic family still gathered together.

Sesshomaru seemed to come to a decision. Walking to the light switch, he dimmed the lights, till it resembled the comforting darkness of a wolves den but still enough light they could see each other. He took a small bowl and bottle from a nearby bag, bringing it to the bedside table. Kagome looked up at him wondering eyes as he filled the small bowl with sake.

"You're going to go a head and do it? The heir ceremony?" she whispered.

He leaned forward and gently kissed her, then kissed the top of their failing child's soft head.

"Is she not my firstborn, my heir? Therefore she must be claimed as such so all Inu may know her when she reaches the Heavens."

He picked up the bowl, holding it beneath a tiny finger and pricked it gently releasing a small drop of blood into the alcohol contained within. Next he took his mate's finger and repeated what he'd done on their child before pricking his own fingertip and releasing his own life's fluid.

As he gently swirled it, he recited from memory the ancient words of the ceremony he'd been taught.

"As the first Inu father and leader claimed his child and heir, I claim you as mine."

He looked at Kagome to recite the words he'd taught her.

"As the first Mother and Mate to the Great Inu Leader claimed her child and her mate's heir, I claim you as mine and we name you, Mei."

Sesshomaru's hand bit deeply into itself. They had to hurry. Their little one's malformed heart was steadily slowing.

He choked a bit at the next line. "By the sipping of this cup, we each take a portion of each other's spirit so we may never be alone and always be remembered. May all the Great Inu's watch over you and protect you always, my daughter."

He took a very small drop and placed between her sickly blue lips, causing her to scrunch her face a bit at the taste.

He then offered it to his mate and after her small drink he finished it.

"It is done."

Kagome slid over body over in the bed. "Lay with us, my love, so we may both spend Mei's last moments together as a family." Her voice broke as she leaned down to nuzzle and kiss a soft cheek. "Let us say goodbye together."

Sesshomaru settled his long frame into the bed, pulling his mate and child into his arms, listening as Kagome began to softly sing a lullaby.

He knew in a matter of minutes they'd grieve, but right now they'd let their little one know she was loved.

And would be very very missed.

"Goodbye, little Mei." He whispered. "Wait for us on the other side. We'll be there someday."

And a single tear slowly ran from his eye.