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Chapter 2: That Single Person

That night was a blur of emergency room visits, blood tests, physical examinations, and endless psychological wear.

Constant prying into my psyche, and the same questions over and over.

Why?

Why did you do it?

If I could have answered, I wouldn't have been there in the first place.

We had been put into a standard, secluded, yet public room, where I was asked to change into a gown- save my undergarments. I sat, covered in blankets, while my mother sat in a chair against the wall. There was much time spent making small talk whilst my mother and I waited between visits from this psychiatrist and that physician.

A bit about my mother. She's a professor of English studies at a local university, so she often comes to school for college visits and lectures during classes. She's also the type who tries to make light of any situation.

"You know, Kagome, why I came to check on you at that specific time, don't you?" my mother suddenly asked me.

I wasn't sure where she was going with that statement, however, and made her aware.

"A very nice boy came to me today and told me he was worried about you, quite handsome too. He said he'd seen you run out of the school from the window of the class he was in, during the middle of the period, saw you crying and was worried. I can't remember his name at the moment..." She trailed off.

My heart was stretching, preparing for the jump to a lighter mood at the thought and possibility of Inuyasha telling my mother he was worried about me.

"Did he have light hair?" I asked, almost timidly.

"In fact, he did, a very peculiar silver shade. Very beautiful, and long, too. And his eyes, Kagome, his eyes! So gentle and caring, just like honey... How could you not have mentioned you had an attractive boy in your classes like him?"

I was in shock, not by what my mother said (though I was slightly put off by her judgement, but only because I agreed) but that Inuyasha had cared enough, had remembered my mother the one time I had told him about her, and had been worried.

I'll be damned if my cheeks didn't tint pink.

He never seems to run out of reasons for me to respect and fancy him.

"His name is Inuyasha," I said, looking down at the hands fiddling with each other in my lap.

"Inuyasha, yes, that's right! Seemed like a very sweet boy, that one. I'd keep him around if I were you."

With that, the doctor walked in, and delivered the fate of my near future.

"We'll be keeping her as an inpatient in our adolescent psychological/ behavioral wing," said the head doctor, Suikotsu (A/N: Going to be honest, I hate to use Suikotsu as a doctor because he IS one, but, you know, can't help it because the entire story is filled with doctors, so..) "You can bring her selective toiletries, clothes, and, if you so choose, reading material. That would be tomorrow, though. For now, say goodbye to your daughter so you both can try to get some rest."

I turned to my mother, finding onyx and teary eyes to meet my own similarly-colored ones.

"I'll come and visit during hours tomorrow," she tells me.

I gave her a weak smile and told her I'd miss her.

"We'll all miss you too, Kagome, more than you know," she said as she hugged me rather tightly.

Interesting.

Because I had only had a t-shirt and sweatpants on, I was allowed to wear my own clothes. After I had changed back, a night-nurse came to my room and gave my mother a plastic bag of my belongings I had brought with me, because there was, evidently, a number of things one was not allowed to have on their person in the part of the hospital to which she was going to take me.

"Sorry 'bout all that, they just wanna know you better before they take ya in, even if it does last 'til damn near 12 o'clock midnight," she said with a slight southern accent. "The time's never important to them, but time itself takes priority over ev'rything. Funny how that works, ain't it?"

The warmth and kindness this woman radiated wrapped around me like a blanket, cuddled me like a newborn child. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but feel... Better.

I immediately decided I liked this woman, and that I could trust her for some reason.

"Yeah," I breathed, "it is."

"And you, dearie, must be exhausted after all the testin' and talkin' they made you do since you been here."

"I guess 'sleep' does sound appealing right now," I sheepishly admitted.

"Alrighty then, let's get you up to your room!" she said, and gestured for me to follow her.

As tired as I was, I payed very close attention to the hallways and elevators she led me through, and eventually we arrived at a rather large wooden door with an intercom on the wall right of it. I thought it was a little strange, though, that the door handle was on the left side and not the right.

The nurse, whose name I later learned from looking at her ID to be Jessie, chose a key from the few that dangled around her neck and unlocked the hulking door.

So began the clock that booked my time in my first (and hopefully last) psych ward.

I feel like I should make a scrapbook, or at least be handed a diploma.

I don't know what exactly I was expecting when I came here, but I don't think it was this. It seemed sort of like any other doctors office; a front desk, a long hallway on either side, and a room parallel to the front desk on far side of the room labeled 'Day Room'.

"Someone will come an' give you a tour tomorrow, but for now you should just try'n get as much sleep as ya can, dearie," Jess told me. I was starting to think that she was bad with names, and hid that by calling everyone 'Dearie'. Or maybe she's just a generally endearing person.

Jess led me past the front desk, and when we came to the 'Day Room', she turned left and brought me to a room with my name next to the door frame.

I noticed the absence of another name, then remembered a conversation I had with one of the nurse practitioners from before.

She asked me my sexual preferences.

I asked her why that was relevant.

She answered, saying that non-heterosexuals are not allowed roommates (for obvious reasons).

I answered.

"So you're sexually attracted to boys and girls?" She asked for my confirmation.

"That's not what I said. I said I was pansexual, which means I'm attracted to personality rather than sexuality. I'm not sexually attracted to anyone."

Yet. Okay, that WAS a little provocative.

"Attracted to both genders..." The nurse ignored me and scribbled, mumbling to herself all the while.

I sighed. I don't know why I bother sometimes.

The moral of the story is, I don't get a roommate.

She led me into the room and explained that I can keep clothes in the dresser and books under the bed, and that someone would be around at about 8:00 to see if I was up for breakfast.

Jess bade me goodnight, and I, her, and I was alone again.

I hate being alone.

But now; now could be different, these kids have the same issues as me, some calmer, some worse. None the less, they're all here.

Maybe it's not just me.

Maybe I'm not really alone this time.

Blinding sunlight obstructed my vision while illuminating the room when I woke up in the morning. I took a minute or so to let my eyes adjust before sitting up. I was chilled the moment the covers fell from my shoulders and hastily threw on my sweatshirt.

Reaching over onto the floor for my socks, I checked the small clock above the door; 11:36

It was about 2:40 by the time I got to the room last night, and another two hours or so before I actually fell asleep, so 7 hours of sleep is really nice.

Because I didn't have a brush, I hastily threw by butt-length raven hair into a loose french braid and secured it with an extra hair-tie (that I was allowed to keep) on my wrist.

My wrists.

The cuts were still vaguely fresh, being from two days ago.

They were red, they were going to leave scars, they were long, they were deep.

They were ugly.

I was glad to have had my long-sleeved sweatshirt.

Maybe there will come a day that I'll be able to wear short sleeves comfortably again. I stress maybe, because I don't want to have to deal with the stress of questioning when scars are on display.

I looked in the mirror, not entirely pleased with my appearance as my makeup had since washed off, and makeup was not allowed.

'Best it's going to get,' I huffed to my psyche.

I put the hospital socks on after I had put my own socks on, pulled the sweatpants over my ankles, and walked cautiously up to the door.

It took a couple of deep breaths before my hand that rested on the door actually moved and allowed me to pass through.

The main corridor was brighter, the blinds fully open in the Day Room (with giant windows rather than walls) to my left. The front cube ( I call it a 'cube' because it looks like a counter that has three sides, desks in the middle, and offices on the back) was occupied by a nurse that I was not familiar with.

I asked her where the other residents were and what I should be doing.

"They're all in the school room right now, they will be until about 11. That's where you spend the first two hours of the day, after breakfast and a check-in, of course," she explained.

"Alright, and where can I find the school room?" I asked her.

"Oh, you're going to need your vitals checked, and some breakfast in you, I'll call for it after I check you up in a second here, let me grab the machine."

After she had checked my blood pressure ( it was low, as always) and temperature, I was brought a bagel and cereal with orange juice, which I ate in the company of the single nurse, with whom I made polite conversation. Although I wasn't comfortable eating in the presence of someone, I felt comfortable with the atmosphere and allowed myself to eat the first (semi) full meal since the beginning of the school year.

"Thank you for sitting with me, even if it's because you had to," I told her when I was finished. I felt bloated, as my stomach wasn't used to the feeling of being 'full'.

"It's no problem, Kagome. My name is Kikyo, by the way," she responded in kind.

"Nice to meet you, then, Miss Kikyo."

"Oh, please, just call me Kikyo, I'm barely ten years older than you!" she told me with a smile and a wink.

I chuckled a little and told her she didn't look a day over eight years older, which was when she informed me I was her new favorite patient.

"You're a great conversationalist, Kagome, very friendly."

The comment caught me off guard a little. Most compliments do. It's not that I don't like receiving compliments (who doesn't? Talk about an ego Level-Up-er), but more so I never know how to deal with them and respond.

"Thank you, Kikyo, I get that sometimes," I said politely. That's really always the best I've got in terms of responding to compliments.

"I think you'll get along great with the other patients that we have right now. In fact, if you're done, I'll take you to the day room right now to meet everyone and see how things work here, since there's only about..." she checked her watch, "15 minutes before everyone comes back for lunch."

"Alright," I said, rising from my seat with the tray in hand.

"Just put it right over there," Kikyo pointed to a silver, multi-shelved cart whereon my breakfast was delivered.

After the tray was disposed of, Kikyo gave me a smile and led me past the first hall where my room was, past the front desk, and turned right down the second hallway nearest the giant door with the silver handle.

Just as we were going to reach the end of the hall, Kikyo walked into the last room on the left that had the same sort of glass windows for walls as the Day Room; I noticed the label for this room, though, was 'School Room'.

The room itself was significantly smaller than (at least half the size of) the Day Room, though, and had four different tables that sat four people a piece, two computers on the left wall, cabinets lining the right, three single-seating study desks (one directly opposite the door, two on the same wall as the door, on either side of it), and two normal sized windows on either side of the single person desk on the back wall.

From what I saw, there were two boys and three girls. The two boys were at the table closest to the window on the right, and the girls were spread out; two at the table closest to the right window, and one at the other table on the right side of the room.

The two boys seemed to have handsome qualities, save the inch-long ponytail on the one facing me. The rest of him was pretty okay, though; scruffy black bangs over eyes so indigo I could've sworn they were black.

The other boy, from what I could see while facing his back, had a lady-length black ponytail and the same sort of bangs as the first, but a little more unkempt, a little more untamed.

I went on to observing the girls. The one by herself seemed very content to be by herself, with very long brown hair that was stick straight in a loose ponytail. Moving on. The one facing me had beautiful onyx eyes and silver hair. Not silver as in grey, silver as in 'bleached-with-toner-after' silver. I looked to the other girl, she had brown-black hair that was to her shoulders, and, from what I could see, a lot of layers.

"Hey guys, really quick before you head to lunch, this is Kagome," Kikyo announced, grabbing all of the teenagers' attention as their heads turned toward me.

"Hi," I waved.

"Hey, I'm Sango," said the girl with the ponytail sitting by herself. She regarded me with hard, but warm brown eyes.

"Tsubaki," The silver-haired girl announced herself shortly.

"Hi, I'm Yura."

She turned to face me. I'm glad I had enough composure not to react rashly to her shocking scarlet irises that met my eyes.

Contacts? Maybe? Maybe not?

Didn't look like it.

Hm.

I then turned my attention to the two boys sitting together.

"Hello there, my beautiful friend, I'm Miroku," called Rat-Tail.

"The name's Koga," said Pony-Tail.

They were both repulsively charming. However, they seemed to have outgoing and humorous personalities, which I could appreciate, and from then I decided we'd get along just fine.

"Kagome, over here."

I hadn't noticed Kikyo walking past me to the single school desk along the back wall. I walked over to her, and she gestured to a lime green sticky note that had my name hastily scribbled on it, indicating this single-seater desk to be mine. I definitely didn't mind being alone, though.

"I should probably explain. This is the School Room, where you'll do your school work so that you can stay as caught up as possible during your stay here," Kikyo told me. "Normally you, being an inpatient, will be here around 9:15 to 12:00, after which you'll have lunch."

I nodded in acknowledgement, taking a seat as she continued.

"There's also the School Room 'teacher', Kirara-" she looked to a mid-sized, well-built, African woman in her late-twenties (whom I completely missed upon entering the room) who had black. braided hair with pale yellow tips, "-who supervises you kids during the School Room hours. She'll be here to answer any questions you might have with any sort of homework. Your fellow residents can also help with any sort of subjects that give you trouble. As a nurse, I'll be doing one-on-one's with you, as well as the other patients, and you'll rotate what nurse you have your one-on-one's with every two days or so." She looked at her watch, then back at me. "Alright, well I'll see everyone later, I'm due up at the front desk. Bye for now!"

As soon as Kikyo was gone, I head a small chuckle from the corner of the room where Kirara perched on a stool.

"Very nice, but very chatty, that one. Since I couldn't get in a word edgewise whilst she was here, My name's Kirara," She said with a surprising alto that seemed almost impossible for her build. I looked her in the eyes, slowly getting used to the wide array of irides in this wing, as Kirara's were Pale yellow, nearly matching her braids.

An image of Inuyasha's golden eyes flashed in my mind, though the psychiatric nurse's didn't hold same warmth, the same passion, the same intensity as his. Kirara's eyes were lighter, harder, older, and wiser than Inuyasha's. The odd fact was, though, that for as young as Kirara was, her eyes seemed to say otherwise.

I wondered if I'd ever be able to find anything out about Kirara, maybe more than anyone was supposed to.

I'm quite convincing when I want to be.

Before I know it, everyone is packing up their things, and it's then when Kirara announces that we'll be heading to the Day Room for lunch.

I'm the last out, following behind everyone down the long stretch of hallway. Like usual, I suppose.

But it's not too long before I fall into step with the one with the long brown ponytail, Sango, I think.

I look over to her, and she looks over to me.

We both just kind of, smile. Not entirely genuine, but it doesn't take long before the two of us are giggling like school girls without having said anything at all.

I think I've just made a friend. Or, well, as much of a friend as you can have in a Psych Ward.

So right now I'm sick, (Great way to start off spring break, ne?) but who gives a crap, (I DON'T) and I was so freaking determined to get this up so that maybe I could find some sort of way to bring my first story, Reality is a Bitch, to a close. I have a few ideas of what should happen with that story, and if you've read it, I'd love to hear some ideas as to what to do with the ending (it won't be immediately the next chapter, don't worry ^-^), and if you HAVEN'T read it, please do (it's much funnier than this one.) so and give me some feedback (I'M GOING TO NEED IT) as to what you guys would like to see happen with that story. I hate writer's block.

IN OTHER NEWS. I am also so heightened with emotion (= SO FREAKIN' EXCITED) because I recently auditioned for an Honors credit Drama class at my school and was accepted into the acting [group, troupe, company, (i think it's company...)] aspect of the class, and we get to write our own stuff and perform it and crap and I can't stop smiling and stuff and ahhh :DDDD just woah, but enough ranting.

IN OTHER OTHER NEWS: My hair is now Purple into blue at the bottom. Not that you guys care really, but I just felt the need to share.

IN OTHER OTHER OTTER (that was on PORPOISE) (I am full of sooo many bad puns. I am sooo soorry.) NEWS: I have decided that I'm going to pose a question to you guys every time I post a chapter. So, My question for this chapter, is...

What is your favorite oxymoron? (suuper nerdy, I know. [WOO ENGLISH] If you don't know what an oxymoron is, it's two different words that are put together to form a contradictory phrase. i.e. Jumbo shrimp, bitter sweet, living dead, or awfully good.)

(If you don't like that question, or are just too lazy to Google it, just tell me your favorite color. That's close enough.)