To Make You Well
Chapter 1
Blood & Amber
'Thoughts'
Flashbacks
"Speaking English" / "Speaking Japanese"
A/N: Of course, due to the nature of the situation... Sesshomaru will be OOC for now. Fluff, everywhere.
Original Publish Date: 2/14/2016
:~;
"These are so goooodd!"
The month was February, Valentine's Day to be exact. It was a typical day in the tropical city; hot, humid, and very sunny. Though it was technically still winter on the calendar, this city knew nothing of snow or frost.
"Thanks!" Rin didn't mind the temperature and was adapted to the thick air; she also wore enough sun block to not fret over the sun rays.
She was at the main pavilion in the hospital, handing out her famous red velvet cupcakes, topped with her home-made cream cheese frosting. She decorated some with tiny red, pink, white hearts on the white topping—others had round little sprinkles of the same colors—giving it a nice contrast of color and fitting for the holiday.
"You have to give us the recipe!"
Rin giggled at Sara, who worked as an otolaryngologist—or just ENT for short—and was one of the few native Japanese doctors in the hospital. "Hehe, it's a family secret!" She replied, giggling again at Sara's crestfallen expression.
"Well, as long as you keep making them, I can't complain!" Rin finished handing out the remainder of her treats before taking a seat with Sara.
"Are you going to the conference in April?" Sara asked, munching on the last of the red cupcake.
"I don't think Dr. Lopez is giving me much of a choice." Rin remarked, unpacking her lettuce-wrapped sandwich from the hospital's café. "Not that I mind." She reiterated, before taking a bite of her lunch.
"So, what are plans for today? I heard someone has been looking for you~"
Rin nearly choked on her water, "Not him."
"Yes, him."
"He knows I'm working today?!" Rin asked, switching to her native language.
Sara nodded, before giving a soft shrug. "I saw him get off on your floor when I came down from Dr. Lopez's office."
Dr. John Beckett was not a bad man, and was a wonderful ophthalmologist—which meant there was only one reason he would be in her floor at all and that was for her—but Rin was not interested in a relationship, or even casual dating. She wasn't ready for that. She didn't like having to constantly put him down, and wished he would understand.
"Luckily, I have a short day today with Dr. Sanchez filling in—as long as nothing happens, I should be gone in an hour or two."
"I think you mean you aren't leaving today." Sara teased, switching back to English. Though a native Japanese woman, Sara grew up in the states and was more comfortable using the English language.
"Isn't that how it always works?" Rin sighed, and the two women continued their chit-chat until their hour was ending.
"See you Monday!" Sara exclaimed, before jogging off to her building. Rin waved her goodbyes before making her way to the pediatric building where she worked as a surgeon*. Once she got inside, the elevator doors revealed the man she was avoiding.
"Hello, Dr. Beckett." Rin said pleasantly as she entered, her face void of her true feelings.
"Please, call me John." The older man smiled at her, his straight, white teeth almost glowed. He would be the perfect man for many women actually. He made a comfortable salary, he was smart, intelligent, kind—His eyes were as blue as the sea, his cropped hair was as gold as a lion's mane, his body appeared to be very much in shape, and he towered over most of those at the hospital with his 6' 2' height. She always heard the whispers of some female employees ogling him in their short free time—and patients.
"Okay… John. What are you doing over here?" He didn't get off on the ground floor before the doors closed, which meant he would probably escort her to her office...
"I, uhm, I just wanted to know how you were doing?" He did have this cute, nervous persona around her that she did honestly find endearing, but reminded her a bit too much of her ex-husband, and constantly having to push away made it almost irritating—and it is very difficult to get her irritated.
"Pretty good, I'm hoping to have a short day today." She mentally kicked herself for that.
"Do you have any plans for tonight…?" Rin bit back a sigh, looking up at the taller man.
"No, just wanted to relax at home. It's been a very busy week for me." The elevated dinged, its steel doors opening to reveal her floor. "I really need to finish checking up on a couple of patients before heading out. It was nice seeing you, —John." Rin quickly exited, and rushed to her office before John was able to respond.
:~;
It was almost midnight. 'Midnight.' Rin rubbed the bridge of her nose, an exhausted sigh past her lips. 'I was suppose to leave 8 hours ago.' She filled out the last bit of paperwork for the emergency patient she had been treating for the past 4 hours before filing it away. She yawned, stretching her arms above her. 'Time to go...' She waved her goodbyes to the night nurses as she made her way out of the building and into the multilevel garage. Rin entered her vehicle, eager to head home and pass out on her comfy bed.
Of course, fate had a different plan for her lonely Valentine's day.
She was about 2 thirds of the way home, waiting at a stop light when she heard gunfire in the wide alley beside her. She reacted without much thought, taking the weapon she hoped she'd never have use out of her glove compartment, driving the car halfway into the alley and effectively scaring off whomever was the shooter and their buddies.
Rin exited the car, and grabbed the medical kit in her trunk before running to the slumped figure against the dirty concrete wall. She counted 4 bullet wounds, a large gash across the man's left bicep and right thigh. Thankfully, he was still breathing. "Sir, are you alright?" A pair of golden eyes peeked from the long silver bangs that covered much of the man's face.
"Yes, but.." Rin was in the process of calling emergency, when the man smacked the phone from her hand so hard, it shattered when it hit the hard ground. 'What...?'
"Why would do that? You need medical treat—Oh my god." The gash on his arm, she could see the fibers of muscle, skin, and the veins reconstructing themselves and attempting to close the wound. 'That's impossible.' His harsh coughing jogged her out of her shock, crimson blood spilling out of his mouth.
He was missing one exit wound, but before she could do anything, the man attempted to reach in and remove it himself with his... 'Are those...' She had grabbed his hand before he did more damage to himself, pointed nails tipped his fingertips. '…claws?'
"Just take it out. It will be fine." Rin narrowed her eyes at the man—if she could even call him that. She had a small dose of anesthetic, which he batted away as well as he shook his head. She didn't comment on it. Everything about this was already strange.
"I need to remove your top." She warned before taking the pair of scissors and slicing the damaged clothing away from the wounds. She then grabbed her pair of forceps, "This is going to hurt." And pulled the bullet out of the wound. The man barely made a sound. She noticed how quickly his body was already trying to seal wound. 'This man...'
Noticing his more relaxed posture, she finished cleaning the bullet wounds and dressed them, the gash on his arm was already healed. "Whoa..." Rin gently touched the new skin, noting how soft and white it was compared to the rest the arm. "How are you able to do that?" She asked, before directing her gaze to his. His eyes... 'He must be wearing contacts... right? The gold is so vibrant...'
"I don't know."
She blinked at the response, "You don't know?"
"I don't remember..." He looked at the other end of the alley where the men ran off. "You should go. They may return."
Rin shook her head, she wasn't about leave him here. Healed he was, but she didn't want him to get injured again. "Do you have somewhere to go? Let me at least take you out of this area..." The man hesitated before he nodded, following her into her car. She backed out of the alleyway and onto the street, "So you say you don't remember? Do you remember your name?"
The man narrowed his eyes, concentrating but only sighed in defeat. "No."
Rin frowned, "What's the earliest thing you remember?"
"A black light. Someone angry, someone laughing... That's all."
"I'll take you to that station-"
"No."
She sighed, "Why are you against any real help?"
"I tried... Someone else tried, they got hurt. I cannot trust any authority in this area. Whoever has done this to me, they are looking for me."
Should she believe him? Rin worried her bottom lip between her teeth, if she did, then should she be helping him? "They were trying to kill you? Did they say why?"
He scoffed, "I interrupted them trying to take a woman away. Once they realized they had no chance fighting, they pulled their weapons." He bit back a groan as he shifted in his seat, pressing a hand against one of his closed wounds.
"I have painkillers if-"
"No."
"There is no need to be in pain if-"
"No."
Rin sighed, defeated. She kept her eyes on the road, driving a bit aimlessly. She wasn't sure where to take him, they just agreed on away. Her brown eyes turned to him, widening in shock to see him... sleeping? "Sir?" Nothing. She poked him, no response. 'Now what?' She frowned weighing her options, she was super curious about how he healed...
:~;
He woke to the smell of breakfast food cooking and covered in a soft, warm blanket. He glanced around a bit, he appeared to be in someone's room? His tattered and bloodied clothing were gone, only wearing shorts that were a bit too small. His head was pounding, the spots of the previous wounds severely sore, stomach growling in hunger pains—every time he healed, it was the same. The man noticed a robe hanging on a nearby chair and slipped it on, before trying to not-so-eagerly follow the scent of food.
It was the woman from last night, humming softly as she cooked bacon, eggs, sausage. 'Why did she bring me here?' He couldn't help the suspicion, after all he had been through in the past couple of weeks-
"Oh! You're awake! Hope you're hungry!" She placed a plate down with a few sausages, a couple of bacon strips he thinks, scrambled eyes-it was gone by the time she turned back around. Gods, he was starving. "Whoa. Uhm, more?" She didn't wait for him to answer, she simply served him more food. "Sorry about the clothes. Its the only men clothing I got laying around still."
"Its fine." He replied, stuffing his mouth while her back was still toward him. Gods, he was so hungry. It had been far too long since he had a proper meal. She served herself and turned away, about to sit down when she gaped at his empty plate, again.
"I... uhm... I can make more?"
"No, its alright. I don't wish to take more from-"
"Are you still hungry?" She asked, hands on her hips. "Tell me the truth."
He looked down at his empty plate, frowning. Yes, he could easily eat five more plates if given the chance but he did not want to be a bother.
"I have some waffles in the freezer. It will be quick to heat them up." She pushed, as if knowing his thoughts.
The man nodded, "But eat first." The young woman smiled at him before taking a seat and working on her plate. "I didn't get your name..."
"Oh, sorry! I'm Rin. What should I call you?"
"I... I don't know."
"Hmm..." Rin began munching on her food, interrupted by the sound of her cellphone going off. She let out a loud sigh before answering. He heard every word exchanged, her being needed at the hospital due to emergency surgery. 'She is a surgeon?' "I got to go. Now. Help yourself to what's left in the kitchen, I have to go grocery shopping later any way. I'll be back as soon as I can." 'This woman is just going to leave a stranger in her home?' "But it will probably be won't be for another 4 hours... or more. Ugh, I was suppose to be on a break..." She quickly grabbed the rest of her things, yelled a quick parting and bolted out the door, leaving him alone.
The man looked around, feeling a bit uncomfortable being alone in an unfamiliar apartment. His stomach rumbled again, reminding him that hadn't nearly had his fill yet. 'She did say help yourself...' And that he did.
:~;
Rin returned about 6 hours later, 'Could have been worse.' She thought, holding a bag filled with a bit of men's clothing and another bag with some takeout she picked up along the way. 'Wonder if he is still here...' She messed around with her keys, but had difficulty opening the door. "Do you need some help?" She smiled up at the golden eyes that greeted her from the other side, the man taking the bags before she could respond.
"You cleaned..." Her place was absolutely spotless now, everything so perfectly organized.
"Yes, I wished to repay you somehow, though I do not think that is enough..." He peeked into bags as he set them on the counter, "Are these clothes?"
"Yes! For you. I hope they fit, kind of had to guess." Rin replied, feeling a bit shy all of the sudden.
"I don't understand. Why? Why are you doing this?"
Rin blinked at him, "You need it and I can provide. Why would I not help someone in need?"
"You don't know me. I don't know me. What if I am-"
"I know you are a kind, modest man whose a little lost right now and can use a bit of help." 'Who also happens to have inhuman healing abilities.' She mentally added, 'But that's not the point!' The man seemed to not want to believe her, or couldn't, or didn't, she really had no idea. His lips pursed, gaze drifting to the ground for a moment before meeting hers again.
"Thank you."
Rin grinned, hoping it meant he trusted her kindness. She didn't want him to feel suspicious or afraid of her. "Go, change if you want. I brought some food if you are interested." The man nodded and disappeared with the bag into the hallway while she made her way into the kitchen.
Her empty kitchen. 'Whoa. He had... everything.' The fridge, the cupboards, all empty. 'How in the world...?' She turned when she heard him walk back, wanting to ask if he really had it all but the words died in her throat as he approached. Wearing properly fitting clothing, and not bleeding this time around, she admired the way the simple v-neck tee gripped his upper arms and pecs and how his lounge pants hanged from his slim hips. Which brought her back to the food... "Did you eat everything?"
"I... Yes." Rin stared, then walked right up to him and lifted the hem of his new tee up a bit. 'Yup, still has washboard abs.' She lowered the shirt back down quickly, ignoring his confused look.
"Where are you putting all that?"
"I am not sure what you mean." Rin just shook her head, she was too tired to try to figure all that out. And hungry. She didn't get to finish breakfast, had to skip lunch, and was just dying for some food. She quickly put down all the Styrofoam boxes and plastic cups of soup down, before grabbing a plate for them both and immediately began digging in. "So..." Rin finished swallowing a bit of noddles, "Have you figured out what I should call you?"
The blank expression she got in response told her he hadn't thought of that at all. Her gaze moved to his brilliant, long mane, every strand in place, white as snow. "How about Yuki?"
He replied with a small smile, "I am fine with that."
She noticed he did not grab much food, just a bit of soup. "Did you finally have your fill?" Rin teased.
"Yes, I feel much, much better now. The healing is very taxing on me." He replied.
Oh, she was so curious about that... "Can I... see? Where you were injured." She asked.
The man just shrugged, standing from his chair. "I don't see why not."
Rin tried to look too excited as she rounded the table, first lifting the hem of his short sleeve a bit to see where his gash of last night marred his bicep. Nothing. She ran her hands down the spot where she had known exactly where it was, and not a single trace of evidence was left. She moved towards his back, to check the exit wounds of the bullets he endured and found the same, nothing. Skin evenly colored and smooth.
The young woman moved back towards his front and lifted the hem of shirt again, fingertips softly pressing against where the bullets pierced his skin. When she made her way to his side, his torso contracted under her touch, shying away from her hands. "Oh, I'm sorry, does it still hurt?"
"No, not at all, its just..." He never finished the sentence, and Rin grinned,
"Are you ticklish, Yuki?"
"Don't-" But she did, how could she not? 'You just don't find out a man is ticklish and do nothing!' The man was trying so hard to not laugh as he tried backing away from her cold, wiggling fingers. She heard his chuckling exhales, very close to a full-out laugh. Suddenly, he stopped, his amber eyes narrowed and determined enough to make her pause. And he just snatched her up, as if her weight was meaningless, and dropped her on her sofa before he pounced and subdued her to the same torture she tried on him.
"Nooo!" Rin laughed, trying to push his hands away. It was a battle she lost fast and quick, too slow to get a tickle in him and break free. "I give up!" She yelped, and finally his hands yielded from her body. Out of breath, her eyes looked up at the man hovering over her, his silver mane making sort of a curtain on one side of them. She felt her face get hot once she realized just how close he was to her, and how his victorious smirk made her heart pound.
"Okay, okay, off!" She giggled nervously, hoping he didn't catch her embarrassment. He slipped away and the rest of their early dinner went on without incident. She picked up all the trash as Yuki made his way to the bathroom. He must have cleaned a bit too well, as her socked feet had a bit trouble keeping steady on the shiny kitchen floor. She dumped the trash in the bin but lost her footing when she turned, ready to hit the floor.
"Are you alright?" Yuki asked, raising her back up to her feet just when she was inches from the floor.
Rin stared at him, bewildered. "You were... over there. How did... what else can you do?"
:~;
"You are... amazing..." Rin gushed as they walked out of a national chain gym. She had been curious about his abilities, realizing super speed was one of them when she almost tripped on the freshly-cleaned kitchen floor and he caught her just in time... from the other side of the apartment.
She wondered if strength was one, 'And boy, is it definitely one.' The gym did not have a bar strong enough to keep putting on the weight he needed to perform any where near his max on compound lifts. If he cared to, he may be able to break world records.
They entered a nearby bakery and she let him order whatever he desired. She still didn't figure that one out, but chalked it up to him having a extremely fast metabolism when exerted. If just lounging around, he seemed to eat less than her. Rin let out a small laugh when he ordered one of each pastry that did not have chocolate, apparently that made him sick, and they went to sit at the small cafe table... with a mountain of baked goods.
She put an elbow on the table and rested her cheek against her raised hand, staring at the man content in eating his sweets. He noticed her staring and stopped eating, "Do you want some?"
Rin waved him off, "I think you lifted like 100k pounds in total back there. You need it more than me." And he continued on with his meal, oblivious to the others in the cafe staring at him in shock; and she oblivious to one of those people recognizing her.
"Riinnnn..." The young woman sat up at the familiar voice called her name. It was her co-worker, Sara, coming up to their table.
She waved, "Hey! How are you?"
"I'm great..." Sara's eyes traveled to the man, "And who is this?"
"Oh! Uhm, Sara, this is Yuki. Yuki, this is Sara, she works at the same hospital as I do."
"Pleasure to meet you." He said, before moving on to pastry number 14?
"You as well... Rin, can I talk to you for a moment, in private?"
Rin blinked in confusion, before replying unsure. "Yeah, of course... I'll be right back, Yuki."
Sara led her to the other side of the restaurant before speaking, "Who is that?"
"I just told you-"
"No, I mean, who is he to you?"
"Oh, he's just a friend, Sara."
"You are just friends, with that incredibly attractive man? … Is he gay?"
"Yes and no..." Rin clarified, crossing her arms over her chest to hide her sudden nervousness. She had a hard time disregarding his attractiveness already, she didn't need these kind of interrogations. 'Well, actually, he could be gay, I have no idea.'
Sara just shook head, "First John, now him. These men just fall onto your lap and you want nothing to do with them."
Rin gave her a flat look, "Sara, you know what happened to me. I'm... I'm not ready to get back into a relationship, and I just met this guy!"
"It doesn't have to be a commitment." Sara grumbled, before her expression softened. "And its been so long, Rin, you should give yourself a chance." She gave her hands a quick, friendly squeeze. "I'll see you later, 'kay?"
"Yeah..." Rin watched her friend walk away before she made it back to Yuki, who was already done eating. If Sara had known Yuki was just a homeless, memory-less man she found the street, that conversation would have gone very, very different! "Ready to go?"
:-;
THE NEXT MORNING
"Rin..."
"Yes?" They were at the elevated train station, sitting on the bench next to each other, waiting for the next train.
"You have not made a move to rid of me yet."
She frowned at the statement, said as if she was suppose to kick him to the curb by now. "Do you remember anything?"
"No."
"Do you want to go to authorities?"
"I told you, I did not-"
"Then I'm not just going to kick you out." Rin huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "But if you just want to leave, I can't stop you."
"I don't want you to get hurt..." Yuki replied, shoulders slumped as he rested the back of his head against the high wall behind the bench.
She pursed her lips, thinking maybe she was being a bit mean, she hadn't meant to... "You never told me what happened to you before I found you." The man closed his eyes, bowed and shook his head, staying silent. 'Not yet... That's okay.' Rin thought, giving him a small half-hug. She decided to change the subject, "I hope this going around town helps jog up some of your memory."
"I as well."
They boarded the train, and got off in every major stop in the city which included things like the airport, the most popular malls, parks, downtown, a bit of the more run-down areas. Nothing was familiar to man. 'He could not even be from here...' Rin thought, wondering if his amnesia was extremely severe or if they just were in the wrong place... They now stood in a popular mall only a few minutes walk from the train station.
Rin sipped on her coffee drink as she watched Yuki calm down a lost, crying girl with such ease. She smiled at how quickly the girl took to him, as they made their way to the nearest security officer to pass her on. The girl made some comment on how he was as pretty as a princess, and she wished one day she could be as pretty as him. The young woman laughed softly at the comment while Yuki thanked the girl before parting, giving Rin a small pinch in passing.
"H-hey!" Rin complained, before giving him a little push with her hips. The man smiled at her but Rin looked away immediately, finding things like smiling, smirking, chuckling, staring-anything from him directed at her could be potentially disastrous. "Ooo, let's go in there!"
They had spent the time buying more clothing for him as she had a secret love of showering people with things, and she got to him see wear a variety of different clothing. He insisted he should find a job to repay her for the amount of food she had been buying him. Rin didn't think it would be so easy for him, and may be dangerous as he still didn't fully understand his differences against the general population. They didn't need anyone else finding out about his speed or strength...
The sun long since set when they both left the mall and headed back to the train station, catching the right train just as it arrived. 'Huh, its pretty empty...' Making their way to their stop, Rin was unsurprised when the train stopped mid-way, while it didn't happen too often, it happened often enough during the nights. The only six other people on their train car stood, facing them. 'That's... a little creepy.' Rin thought, noticing they were all wearing the same black clothing. She swallowed thickly as they approached.
"Rin, stay here. Don't move." She frowned in worry as he stood, between her and the menacing group of people. One pulled out a crowbar, one other a knife, while the rest went into a stance with their fists. Rin began to feel her eyes watered at the tense atmosphere and neither parties made a sound, until the lights of the train shut off. She yelped when the fight began, only able to make out half of it due to the darkness in the train car.
When she heard the crowbar hit flesh, she covered her mouth to avoid screaming, not wanting to distract Yuki from the fight. They were ganging up on him and were succeeding, she had to do something fast, anything-A rumble resonated in the pile of bodies, the air grew thick to the point of her grabbing her throat, trying to breathe. One man was thrown out of the window of the train, she heard the thump and crackle of his body hitting the street. Yuki parried the crowbar out of the other man's hand, and hit him hard enough with it to knock him out cold.
Something was different about him, something changed. His usual golden eyes were engulfed in flowing red and teal, there were markings decorating his face that were not there before, and fangs much larger than earlier. He looked absolutely terrifying. He made quick work of the other unarmed men, unconscious bodies scattered around the train car. The only one left was the man armed with a knife, but his posture indicated he wasn't going to fight...
"Huh... Not as graceful as I would have expected from you, Sesshomaru, but I suppose memory loss does that to you..."
"You know him?" It was the first sound she managed to utter throughout the whole thing, she was surprised to hear the man speak Japanese.
But he ignored her, "It appears I'll need to bring more men with me. Until next time, Sesshomaru." And he just disappeared in a small cloud of black smoke, along with the rest of the bodies. The train's lights lit back on, and the train returned to normal operation, as if not a thing changed.
Her attention was brought back to Yuki, when he dropped down to one knee on the floor, clutching his torso. She rushed to him, bringing him up to sit on one of the chairs. Those marks on his face were fading, along with the red and teal in his eyes, a familiar amber flowing back in place.
"What... what did he say...?" Yuki rasped, batting away the hands that were trying to check his injuries.
"He said next time he'll have more men... and he knows your memory is gone... And he... He called you 'Sesshomaru'."
:~;
Sango groaned, wanting to pull her hair out in frustration. It had been nearly 3 weeks since Sesshomaru's disappearance and they had ZERO leads. None. Nothing. As if he just fell off the face of the earth. 'He has to still be alive somewhere.' They all believed that but they had no proof he escaped that dark place alive... Their only argument was that he was Sesshomaru and nothing can get rid of him so easily.
"... Sango?"
"Yes, Shizu?" She motioned for the woman to enter her office. "Please tell me you have good news."
"Maybe... Fresh from intelligence, Sesshomaru may have... ended up in the States."
"That's not good news." Sango grumbled, accepting the folder being handed to her. "That's way more to wade through..." She skimmed through the paperwork, seeing it concentrating on one state, "South Florida..." She put the folder aside, looking back at Shizu. "Does Inuyasha know?"
"Yes, it was briefly discussed with him. He believes the theory is sound and we should concentrate our search efforts there."
Sango grinned, "Is that actually what he said?"
Shizu smiled back, "Not exactly. You know he has a certain way of saying things."
"Well, then that's what we do. Please send the order out, Shizu."
"Yes, ma'am, right away."
End of Chapter 1
Author's Note: I've been wanting to get this up for awhile. Hope you all enjoyed it!