Drifting Away

Her daughter was dying.

The room was quiet and solemn as the people inside the room felt the eminent presence of death. Her hand clutched her daughter's in a stronger grip, refusing to give away her only daughter; her sweet, precious child, into the welcoming arms of the dark night.

She inhaled sharply as she heard Kagome's moan of pain echoing through the walls as no one in the room dared to even make a sound, painfully hearing how Kagome was slowly slipping away into nothingness.

Sakura glanced at the people around the room. She was the only one right beside the bed; Souta wept quietly in Kagome's desk chair, while Grandpa prayed silently to whoever God he believed would take care of Kagome in the next world. And although she was still in denial that Kagome was in her deathbed, deep down, she was grateful with Grandpa's efforts.

For weeks, doctors came and went; checking on her daughters condition, but each of them just shook their heads in pity. They would always say the same thing over and over again: 'It is no use', 'Poor child, she was so young', 'How could this happen?' None of that helped to ease the devastating sorrow she felt at the moment. Although, she wondered the same thing as well. Why? Kagome was still young; beautiful…She never could have imagined she would see the end of her youth with a tumor in her womb.

Yes, in her womb.

Kagome had given birth to a child a year ago; He was beautiful; with black hair and golden eyes…just like his father. They (Kagome and Inuyasha) had married barely 2 years earlier before Kagome gave birth to Hakuro.

Everything was just fine at first; Kagome was overjoyed with her child, and so was Inuyasha. They were forming a family at last. Soon they wanted yet another child to give Hakuro some company.

Barely six months after Hakuro's birth, Kagome was pregnant again, or at least, she felt like she was; she would have morning sickness, she missed her monthly bleeding and sometimes she peed herself. She was happy.

But it didn't turn out as expected.

A week later, she miscarried badly. Blood, dark as ink, gushed form her in pools; leaving her week, clammy and sick. At first, she wasn't that bad, she felt dizzy and weak, but she still nursed Hakuro and still kissed Inuyasha.

Days turned into weeks and Kagome was still not feeling better; in fact, she was starting to get worse. She would faint all the time and would experience sharp pains in her lower belly. After a while, she started to have high fevers and coughing blood. At the sight of that, Inuyasha immediately demanded Sakura to get a doctor. She did as she was asked; bringing home the family doctor, letting him check her daughter. After a while he said she was going to be alright, the symptoms were just the second effects of her miscarriage. There was nothing to worry about.

At first, they believed him, and gave Kagome the medicine the doctor had determined. She looked like she was getting better, but they later realized she was not. One morning she just couldn't get out of her bed, experiencing agony in her lower belly. Inuyasha carried her to the hospital immediately. Sakura still remembered the frustrating hours they had to wait at the hospital to know Kagome's results.

After many hours of waiting, they gave them the results. They were fatal. Kagome had acquired with her miscarriage a deadly tumor that would soon take her life, if not removed as soon as possible.

The operation was too expensive for their family to afford, but for Kagome's sake and welfare, they sold their family heirlooms, Sakura's car and Souta's computer to have the money to pay off the operation.

They operated Kagome 2 months later after detecting the tumor. Kagome endured many painful hours in the surgery room. Her operation was futile; they had not been able to remove the tumor because it had grown within the two passing months.

Kagome remained in the hospital for another 3 months; she was due to die there, but all of them including Kagome herself, insisted on moving her into her home, so at least she could die in the place where she had grown up and lived. The doctors reluctantly accepted and moved her as soon as possible.

Her last month of life she remained in her bed, surrounded by her family and friends most of the time. Many times, her school friends came to visit her, remaining hours beside her bed comforting her with trembling but beautiful words as they mourned quietly their loss.

Sakura glanced at her daughter; her once beautiful skin was deadly pale. Her hands were skinny and boney. Her black hair was thin and opaque, and her cheekbones stuck out dispassionately.

Having another look around; Sakura's eyes fell lastly on Inuyasha's direction. He was in the far corner of the room, cradling Hakuro in his arms, unconsciously hugging his child closer to his body as he saw his wife and dearest friend fighting uselessly against an enemy she could not defeat.

Sakura's heart clenched in pain, as she noticed the look in Inuyasha's eyes. Although he never cried in public, she knew he had been crying very frequently for the past six months, feeling the loss of Kagome deeply. His eyes were red and swollen, unshed tears glistened in his golden eyes as he contemplated with regret her daughter's body.

She knew Inuyasha felt guilty. He thought he was responsible for impregnating Kagome with a tumor. Although everyone knew and told him it was not his fault, deep down he felt the need to blame himself for Kagome's pain.

She was aware that Inuyasha had been at Kagome's side all of this time, whispering soothing and loving words to her ear, making her smile despite her pain. He had stayed up in the late hours to look over her, putting his hand on her shoulder as she felt agonizing pain, knowing he could do nothing except giving her painkillers that made her gaze glassy and drowsy looking.

Sakura suppressed a sob as she saw a single tear slide down Inuyasha's cheekbone to disappear into his shirt. His lower lip was now trembling as he started to emit pitiful whimpers.

She knew exactly how he felt; he was losing someone precious to him in the cruelest way. She felt the same way. Her only daughter, her beautiful loving daughter was leaving Inuyasha and her behind forever. She was going far away, too far to reach her ever.

"Mama…" A low whisper said beside her. The whole room turned at the almost far from earshot sound. Sakura caressed her daughter's head lovingly and yet sadly.

"Shhh….you must rest" she said urgently. Kagome opened her eyelids revealing her only feature that had not changed with her disease; her chocolate orbs.

Kagome looks at her mother warmly "I know" she said with her usual smile. She then turned her face to the ceiling. "I sense my final moment approaching soon" she continued, looking at the ceiling with a peaceful but sad expression. Sakura's heart skipped a beat at her daughter's truthful admission, dread gripping her heart tightly. "No, no…" she said helplessly getting even closer to Kagome, almost dawning on her. "You…you are going to be alright dear, I promise." She had been lying many times lately more for her sake than Kagome's, but still she could not bear to hear those words coming from her daughter's mouth.

"I know I will be mama" she said. She looked around her room, her eyes traveling from her mother's to her Grandpa's, to Souta's and finally into Inuyasha's. "Inuyasha" she said looking at him sadly. Inuyasha was there in an instant, holding Hakuro with one hand while touching Kagome's face with the other. "I'm here" he said sweetly. Tears were now falling freely from his eyes, staining his cheeks and neck with moisture. A single drop fell on Inuyasha's and Kagome's holding hands.

'Inuyasha….' She gripped his hand fiercely "I'm so sorry…please forgive" Inuyasha interrupted her gently placing one finger over her lips, not losing at all his grip of her hand. "Don't be, it's not your fault…It's mine. I….I should have known…done something" Inuyasha looked down, leaving a sob escape his lips, barely controlling his trembling body.

Kagome was crying by now, touching Inuyasha's face with her fingers, gently wiping away the tears that were falling steadily from his eyes. "Don't cry …please don't" Sakura could barely hold her own tears, wanting to look strong and supportive. "It's ok, it was nobody's fault…Maybe it was written, maybe it was better to happen this way…" She didn't bother to finish because Inuyasha was not even listening to her words; he was mumbling under his breath depressing things 'I should be the one dying, not you….I wish I could go with you…'

"No" said Kagome sternly "You can't…Hakuro needs you…you are his father, he needs your support; imagine loosing not only your mother, but your father as well-"

She then set into a series of painful coughs. Everyone in the room winced and looked pitifully at her as she suffered by the effort of staying awake.

"It's ok Kagome, its ok" Sakura repeated over and over at her. But she knew it was not ok. Her daughter was suffering the worst death, painful and slow.

The series of coughs finished, but Kagome looked worse. "I don't have much time left" her voice trembled after too much coughing. She looked at everyone in the room. "Souta…" she began "Please, don't give troubles to Mama. Be a good boy and help Grandpa even if he doesn't need it" Souta mumbles a low 'yes sis'. Kagome then turned to her Grandpa.

"Grandpa…" she said. His eyes swelled with tears when he got called "Oh my poor grandchild" he said. She smiled at him "Thank you grandpa, for the knowledge you gave me, for your care and consideration and…ha…for all those excuses you invented and used to cover me when I missed school" He didn't say anything, merely nodding. Many of those excuses where related to tumors and cancers, all of them she had miraculously 'survived'. But it had never had occurred to him that she would actually die of one. "Please grandpa, ask the gods to be merciful with my soul" Grandpa was now sniffing uncontrollably.

"I will, I will my precious grandchild, you can count on that" She smiled at him. "Thank you" she paused for a moment, and then looked at her mother.

"Mama…" she said; her voice and tone told everyone that she was not just sad. Sakura could hear clearly behind her voice all of her endurance slipping away, all her despair and sorrow catching on Kagome full force. "Mama…" she said again, this time, her voice breaking into a higher pitch at mid sentence. Sakura laid both of her hands in Kagome's left hand. "Yes dear?" she said gently, not wanting her voice to betray her and show weakness in front of her daughter that needed her strength more than anything at the moment.

"Mommy" she began "Thank you… thank you so much for everything; for who I am, and for who Hakuro will be someday……. You gave me life, you shooed away my nightmares, you listened to me when I needed it, you comforted me, you cradled me into your arms many times, you were always there for me, and I will never forget that mama" Sakura, overwhelmed, hugged her daughter tightly.

"Don't worry about it" she said soothingly "After all, that's why I am here, to be there for you and Souta… "Kagome's sob immediately left her silent. "Mama…I love you so much, I love you mama... I love you…I'll miss you so much…I'm so sorry" she said between sobs, she hugged her mother even tighter as she wept into her arms. "It's ok, its ok" Sakura repeated once again, not wanting her daughter to cry in her final moments. After a while Kagome's sobbing turned into whimpers, whimpers turned into hiccups, and then silence.

Inuyasha meanwhile had obediently stayed in his place, not wanting to ruin the mother-daughter moment. Kagome then turned to Inuyasha and Hakuro once again. She gave a pleading look to Inuyasha "Please…let me…" As she said this, she extended her arms in her baby's direction. Inuyasha nodded in agreement and gently set Hakuro in Kagome's waiting arms.

The baby squealed in delight looking at Kagome expectantly. She smiled at him and started playing with one of his dark locks. "My big baby boy…" Hakuro raised his arms, hugging her mother sweetly "Amam! Amam!" he repeated over and over again excitedly. Kagome's eyes were blurry with tears, but she did not dare to weep in front of her baby.

"Hakuro…I'm afraid that I won't be able to be there for you when you grow up or take your first steps. I won't be there when you graduate from high school or when you get married. I'm afraid I won't be able to meet your own children or when you most need me. But…" she inhaled deeply trying to restrain the emotions that wanted to burst out. She managed to give him a smile before continuing. "But I assure you, that I'll always be there in spirit…and your grandmother will be there with you as well.

I love you Hakuro, and I will always be watching over you, no matter where my soul ends up. I love you…" she kissed her baby's forehead and hugged him tightly before reluctantly letting Inuyasha take him away from her. Hakuro started laughing as his father took him in his arms once again. Inuyasha looked at Hakuro with a warm smile and then turned to Kagome, the smile still on his face "He's got your smile…" he stated sadly. "He resembles you so much Kagome… I really hope he inherits your golden heart as well…" he kneeled besides her taking her hand in his face. "Oh Kagome…"I'll miss you so much…" He intoned softly while he caressed her hand.

She didn't say anything for a while, looking at Inuyasha lovingly and yet desperately at the same time. "Inuyasha…I just wanted to tell you that-"she couldn't finish because Inuyasha muffled the rest of her sentence with a soft kiss on her lips. He kissed her again, this time more deeply. Kagome closed her eyes, and responded the kiss with equal or more passion as she realized that maybe; this, was going to be their last kiss.

When their lips parted, Kagome's lips were swollen and red. "You don't need to tell me anything…" said Inuyasha "I…I am the one that wants to tell you that I love you and I'll never forget you…because, you were they first one that opened entirely your heart to me…and accepted me truly for who I am. And for that you have won the biggest part of my heart"

He gripped her hand tighter at the tearful admission, then he looked at her seriously and yet with determination as he continued "Kagome….I swear to you, that I will take care of our son with all of my soul; and I also swear, that I will try to make him the happiest boy alive"

Kagome's eyes swelled into tears once again at his declaration.

"Promise?" she asked

"Promise."

Kagome swallowed once to clear the roughness in her throat. Then she looked at everyone in the room with sorrow "I'm so sorry that all of you had to suffer because of me; I don't like to see any of you cry" No one said a word; all of a sudden knowing that the following was probably the last thing she would say in this life.

"I…" she began, her voice becoming almost a whisper "I love all of you deeply; Souta, Grandpa, and Mama…Hakuro…" She looked at Inuyasha for the last time. "Inuyasha…you are the only man I ever loved….and …I'll always love you, even beyond death……I love you Inuyasha" and then she smiled.

Inuyasha was about to say something else, but all of a sudden, he realized with a jolt, that something in Kagome's eyes had left; her smile didn't change, but her eyes were now opaque and not looking.

The hand that had been in Inuyasha's cheek went limp.

Dread swallowed all of their hearts as they realized that Kagome had stopped breathing. Her expression looked so peaceful, so happy, that they couldn't believe she wasn't there anymore.

Sakura gently closed Kagome's eyes, kissing her already cold forehead sweetly, now letting her tears fall freely this time. Souta was now crying loudly, and Grandpa had a solemn look in his eyes. Inuyasha rested his head in his hand, which had already taken Kagome's once again, holding her gently. He shook and cried as well, staining Kagome's skin with new tears.

She was gone.

Hakuro, now aware that something had happened, looked around the room, looking for answers all the time. He then rested his eyes on his mother's body, which was not moving anymore. He probably sensed that there was something terribly wrong with his mother. "Amam?" he asked, but she did not answer. "Amam?" he asked a bit louder this time, hoping she would listen this time.

Nothing.

Hakuro started to panic; he extended his tiny arms at his mother's direction "AMAM, AMAM!" he shouted over and over, now crying. Inuyasha looked like he was about to faint in that precise instant, but Souta was fast, and took Hakuro from his father's now trembling and weak arms, and taking him to his crib next room, Hakuro calling and crying for Kagome all the time.

The scene had made Inuyasha fall to his knees, now sobbing uncontrollably, looking at Kagome's body with a devastated expression, like a man that had suffered for a thousand years. He emitted strangled noises as he cried, sounding remotely like a wounded animal.

Sakura, who had witnessed the heartbreaking scene, felt lost. She looked at her daughters body; feeling her heart shatter in thousands of pieces as she realized how lifeless Kagome looked now.

Their Kagome…their sweet, caring Kagome; just like a feather carried by the wind, had drifted away.

END

A/N: This is my first attempt of a One-shot. I hope it was good enough.

I know I haven't updated in a while, but this idea just came to me and I could not leave it alone. I know it's sad, it's supposed to be sad. I really hope you guys review, so I can know if a I still continue to make One-shots like this or not. So what do you think? Should I make a sequel? Do I suck?

P.D: A friend forced me to say this: 2 days later Sesshoumaru came and revived her with Tenseiga. (Forget it Spooks)

I want to thank my friends: Taninu, Spooks Mattusalen, Kiosè, Selenic Soul, Dania, Lucero, Luis and Diego Kin for reading my story andgiving me your opinions. I could not have done this without you guys.

Review please; it just takes a few seconds. (Maybe a minute if you are inspired)Yours:

PurplesugarX