Author's Note: Over the last few months I have been striving to be accepted into a private high school. I spent hours suffering over my appilcation, went to their school play and other school functions, talked to teachers about courses while visiting the school, and did anything else I could think of to make a good impression. Unfortunatly it seems like my efforts weren't good enough because I was put on the waiting list.
This story is my hope. Just as there's hope for Kagome, there's still hope that I will get into my high school. Therefore that is why this story is called A Story of Hope.
Wish me luck because from here on all I can do is pray and hope that I get accepted into the school.

Ack. This is my third time posting this chapter. First I forgot to put in the author's note and I had to put that in. Then I notice that the formatting is messed up. Sorry about that!

The atmosphere in the room was dark as the doctor finished his examination of Kagome. He sighed, taking one last look at his patient. She was pale under the tan she had acquired from traveling through feudal Japan. Her eyes were shut tightly as small drops of sweat slipped down her face.
"Well Doctor?" Mrs. Higurashi asked from her position in the back of the room. Her voice was strained from fear and distress. "Is there any hope?"
The doctor sighed again. "Yes." He said after a moment of silence. "There is one type of medicine that I believe could cure Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi looked up expectantly. "What is it?" she questioned.
"A drug that just came onto the market." The doctor said, "To tell you the truth I don't know how they let it on. The risk of using it is very high."
"But will it help?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned, "Can it save Kagome?"
"Yes." He replied, "There is no doubt that it could cure Kagome. The drug itself is a miracle. If I give it to your daughter she should be well again in a week or so."
"Then what are you waiting for?" she half demanded, "If it can make Kagome well again you must give it to her at once!"
"But the risks are high, Mrs. Higurashi!" the doctor insisted.
"What are they?"
"As I said, the drug just came onto the market." He began, "It was tested on fifty people that were suffering from the same, unknown, disease as your daughter. All fifty of these people were cured in only a little more than a week. Nine days I believe it was. But out of those fifty people, twenty six went blind."
"Blind?" Mrs. Higurashi repeated.
"I'm afraid so."
Kagome's mother looked to her daughter. "There's no other medicine that could cure her?"
"No."
"And what will happen if we don't give Kagome this medicine you're talking about?"
"I don't mean to be blunt, but you might as well begin planning her funeral." The doctor said sadly.
"Then we'll have to give her the medicine and take the chances." Mrs. Higurashi decided, trying her hardest not to cry. She never believed that her baby could ever become so sick. It could have been from traveling through the feudal era, but somewhere deep down she knew that wasn't the reason.
The doctor nodded and opened his bag, pulling out a vile of yellow liquid. "I thought this might be the only way to treat her." He explained, "That's why I came prepared. I will give Kagome a shot of the medicine now."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded and watched as the doctor filled a shot with the mysterious medicine that could save her daughter's life at such a high risk. The doctor carefully inserted the needle into Kagome's arm and injected the liquid. She gave a little moan in her sleep. Removing the needle, the doctor turned to Mrs. Higurashi.
"Now all you can do is wait and see." He said, "I will take my leave now. Call me if you need anything else."
"Thank you." Kagome's mother said smiling a bit.
"You're quite welcome. Even after Kagome becomes well make sure that she gets a lot of rest." The doctor instructed.
"Of course."
The doctor turned to leave, stopping at the door. "One more thing Mrs. Higurashi." He said, "Your daughter still has hope even if she loses her sight. Out of those twenty six people who became blind, six regained their sight."

Later that day Mrs. Higurashi sat in the kitchen, sipping a strong brew of tea. Kagome hadn't woken up, but she could tell that the medicine had done something. Kagome had stopped sweating and she looked more peaceful.
A bright red streak flew from the window and into the kitchen. Kagome's mother looked up at Inuyasha. Through out Kagome's illness he had never once used the door to enter the kitchen. In the beginning Mrs. Higurashi had tried to get him to use the door, but she had stopped after the first four days. Now she had even started to keep the window open.
"Anything new with Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled at the hanyou. His genuine worry for her daughter made her happy. She knew that Kagome had real friends through the well.
"Yes." She replied, "The doctor came today and-"
"And!" Inuyasha interrupted.
"And he gave her medicine."
The young man sighed in relief. "Has it seemed to help?"
"Actually yes." Mrs. Higurashi admitted, "The doctor said she should be cured in a week."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes filling with hope.
"Yes, but he said that there was a risk."
"A risk."
"Kagome might go blind as a result of the medicine."
The news took a few seconds to sink into Inuyasha's head, but it finally did. "Kagome- Kagome could go blind!" he managed to choke out.
Mrs. Higurashi nodded sadly. "But it was either take the risk or let her…"
"Finish the sentence." Inuyasha prompted nervously. He had an idea of what she would say, but he wanted to hear it directly out of Mrs. Higurashi's mouth.
"Or let her die."
"Can I see her?" the hanyou questioned quietly.
"Yes." She replied standing up, "I'll come with you."

Over the next seven days, true to the doctor's word, Kagome's condition improved steadily until the only reminder of her sickness was the fact that she continued to sleep. That ended on the eighth day.
Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she groaned, not wanting to get up.
"Kagome?"
The girl's ears registered the voice and her head turned towards it. "Inuyasha? Is that you?"
"Yeah. Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes." She replied, "I'm feeling much better now. Have you stayed with me all this time?"
"On and off." Inuyasha admitted, "Miroku and the others insisted that I had to come back and give daily reports."
Kagome grinned. "How are the others doing?" she asked.
"Fine." He replied, "Why wouldn't they be?"
"I don't know." She confessed, "But before we keep on talking can you turn on a light or something? It must be really late because it's so dark in here."
"Kagome…"
"What?"
"It's just past noon and the sun's shining…"