Title 07/10/2011
Arms filled with bags, some with food, some with clothes and a couple with painting supplies, Rin and Sesshomaru were walking back from the town to the flat, Rin humming but Sesshomaru silently. After a while, Rin began looking over her shoulder, checking behind her irregularly.
Sesshomaru was confused and slightly irritated by her actions. "What are you doing?" he asked at last.
Rin stopped and looked behind. "I… I'm sure we're being followed."
"Followed?" he said, turning to check the path. It was housing was around them but the path was empty and the road was quite. He scanned the area for a moment, checking everything then turned back to Rin. "There's nothing there."
Standing still, Rin looked herself. Then she pointed with the bags in her hand. "Ah, there it is!"
Sesshomaru looked where she was pointing. A long shaggy black nose popped out from behind a fence post, followed by two large round eyes, floppy ears by its side. Rin smiled and laughed, kneeling as it trotted over to him, the long coat flopping in the wind. "It's a dog!" She said as it leant on her, licking her cheek. "Are you following us you little rascal?" she scratched the dogs ears then heard a clinking. She looked to see a collar under his head. "Oh… 'Jack'n'. Must be Scottish."
With a blink, Sesshomaru looked down at the collar as well. "I think it's Jaken."
The dog yipped suddenly. "Ra!"
Blinking, Rin smiled and giggled, giving him a petting. "I guess it is Jaken." She turned the label over and looked at the address. "Humm… he doesn't live far from here. Perhaps he got out." She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around the dog, picking him up. "Ohh he's heavry." She turned to Sesshomaru and smiled. "Come let's take him home."
"If that's what you want."
Rin pouted slightly, bouncing Jaken in her arms. "Come on, look at that face… can you leave out here?"
Sesshomaru lifted his head slightly, not looking at the dog. "If you want to."
With a sigh, Rin picked up her bags and the dog. "Honestly Sesshomaru, you need to lighten up."
She didn't say anything else, walking back the way she'd come with Sesshomaru behind her. The address was just five minutes' walk away and soon they came to the street, a little road with loads of small houses. "Number 32… 32… 32… ah here it is." She stopped outside the house and looked at the large 'FOR SALE' sign in the path. "Wow, good job we found him. What if they moved and left him behind?"
Sesshomaru said nothing as they walked to the door. Knocking and ringing the bell, they stood and waited, the dog still and quite in her arms. After a while, they ran the bell again and knocked a little louder.
"You won't get any reply there darling." The two turned to the voice and spotted a little man coming out of the house next door, pulling on his coat. "The old man died a few weeks ago, lord rest his soul." He turned around to face them and blinked at the dog. "Well I never, its old Jaken! Where you been boy?"
"Is he yours?"
"No, he belonged to him." He nodded to the house next door. "He didn't have any family so poor was Jaken kicked out. I leave food out for him and I would have taken him in myself but he's a little picky." He turned his head to the side. "Seems to have taken a shine to you, young lady. I've never known him let anyone pick him up before."
Rin chuckled as she stroked the dog again, his tongue rolling to the side as he panted in her arms.
The man looked at her and smiled. "Why don't you take him in? He's very smart and a good pet… loyal as anything he is."
Biting her lip, Rin thought about it. "Well… my apartment does allow dogs… and I've wanted a pet…" she thought for a little longer then nodded. "Yeah, why not? I'll look after him."
"Brilliant. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got a doctor's appointment, arthritis you know."
From the side, Sesshomaru blinked and stepped forward softly. "What's your name?"
The old man blinked and looked at him. Bald but a few tuffs behind his ears and a short moustache, old, wrinkled skin with a narrow nose and mouth. He smiled and lifted his cane from the wall. "Why, I'm old Myoga."
As he walked away and Rin played with her new pet, Sesshomaru stood, thinking. His head hurt again. Laughing, Rin looked up at him as Jaken rolled over to have his belly scratched. But then her face fell and she stood, looking at him. "Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru… are you alright? You look pale."
He blinked… and collapsed.
Rin managed to catch him but his weight brought her to her knees. "Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru!"
"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! Please my lord! Can you hear us? Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Please my lord, wake up!"
"Sesshomaru… Sesshomaru!"
Something irritating was over his mouth. He moved his hand and slowly removed it, making it easier to breath suddenly. With a sigh he opened his eyes and looked around. A bright light and strange sounds flooded his senses.
"Sesshomaru?"
He looked to the side and saw the dark haired woman sat next to him. "Rin?"
She gave a gasp and stood up, leaning across him. "You really scared me." She said, hugging him tightly then leaning back and holding his hand. "The doctors are still working on why you collapsed. Do you remember anything?"
He thought for a moment. "I felt dizzy. Have I been out long?" he said, noting that her clothes were different.
"A day and a half." She sighed, shaking her head. "You really scared me."
He looked away from her, his hand still in hers. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Just don't do it again." She laughed but it was hollow.
"So, my patient's awake is he?"
The two turned as a man in a white coat came over to them, looking at a clipboard. "Mr… Sesshomaru right?"
Sesshomaru nodded, looking at the man. "And you are?"
"I'm doctor Miroku, I've been looking after you while you're here. Now, can you tell me how you feel now?"
He looked at the man, his short black hair, his eyes and his smile. "Dizzy."
"Hummm…"
Rin stood slowly and looked at the two. "I'm going to go to the shop, let you two talk in private. Do you want anything Sesshomaru?"
"Water."
She nodded and left the room, quite glad to be away from the doctor. Ever since she'd arrived with Sesshomaru, he'd been playfully hitting on her, making her feel quite uncomfortable around him. The walk to the shop gave her a chance to think and getting two bottles of water, she started back on the way just as Dr Miroku finished. "Ah Rin, back so soon? I was just telling Sesshomaru that we might have found the reason for his collapse. He suffered from a vasovagal syncope." He saw her face and chuckled. "It basically means his heart beat a little too fast, not getting the blood to his brain and he fainted. I'm giving a prescription that should help reduce it happening again but… its one of theose things you can't control really."
"What about the memory loss?"
Miroku shook his head. "Not my area of expertise but to what I can tell… with no physical injury, there is no reason for his memory loss." He turned to his clipboard, writing slowly. "My recommendation is to rest and go around town. Try and see if there is anything that will spark a memory, sights, smells… anything could be a trigger." He ripped the paper away and passed it to Sesshomaru. "Take this to the desk down stairs and they will sort you out." He turned to Rin, stopping before her. "And this is for you."
Taking the bit of card, Rin looked down at it.
The doctor smiled. "It's my number. In case you need… anything." Her eyes shot at him and he chuckled. "Forgive me, it's hard to control myself around such beauty."
Jaken jumped up and down, yipping and barking as Rin and Sesshomaru came back into the flat. Rin laughed as she pushed him down. "Hello, yes, I've missed you too."
Sesshomaru stood behind her and gave a small smile. "He looks happy."
"Yeah but, its time for a walk." She reached to the side of the door and took a lead from it. "The medics gave me this lead, so I could bring him home while you were at the hospital. Shall we?"
The man nodded and turned to follow the two out and across the road to the park. In the large open space, with the trees and grass, Sesshomaru began to feel better as his head cleared. Outside… no walls, no restrictions, no rules, living off the world. He watched as Rin threw a stick for Jaken who chased after it and brought it back for her. As he watched, he felt an urge and when she threw it again, he ran after it as well. The dog was much faster than him but he soon caught up, grabbing the stick and trying to pull it from the dog, laughing as he did.
Rin laughed as well as she ran over and tackled Sesshomaru to the ground where they rolled in the grass, the dog reclaiming his stick. The two laughed for a while before Sesshomaru stopped, feeling that laughing was somehow wrong. Slowly, he sat up and sighed, his mind returning to the calm, emotionless way it had been. Slowly he looked at Rin. "Rin…" he said but was interrupted by the dog as it began licking his face. He pushed it away and watched as Rin sat up. "Rin… I was… I was wondering…"
"Umm?"
"Until I get my memories back… would you consider… allowing me to stay with you?"
Rin blinked as she petted Jaken. "I thought you already were."
Sesshomaru looked at her then smiled before letting it drop, standing and helping her up. "Let's go back inside."
"Alright. Come on Jaken!"
Rin straighten herself out as she sat behind her easel, paint pallet in hand as she worked, Sesshomaru sat on the couch with one of her book, reading silently, Jaken asleep in the corner. A few minutes later, she did the same again.
Sesshomaru looked over at her, lowering his book slightly. "Are you alright Rin?"
Blinking away from her work, Rin shrugged slightly then rolled her shoulder back. "I'm fine. Just a pain in my back. Been working too hard again."
After looking her over, Sesshomaru turned to the book but kept his eyes on Rin as she worked, constantly rolling her shoulders and pushing her back away. "Rin… tell me, something's wrong with you."
Her eyes on her work, Rin sighed. "I've just haven't been sleeping well."
"Wh…" he said then stopped, thinking and closing his eyes. "This flat only has one bedroom."
"Don't worry about it." She insisted, putting her paint down and standing up, stretching once again as she did.
"Where have you been sleeping?"
"The couch isn't that bad."
"The couch? Rin, this is your home. I'm the guest… I should be the one on the couch."
"You're still hurt. Besides, I don't mind."
He stood and walked over to her, pressing down on her shoulders. "Rin, I won't let you sleep on the couch in your own home. Have your bedroom back."
She shook her head. "No. You have it."
"I don't know how long I'll be here. It would be unfair to do this to you."
"Sesshomaru…"
He looked away from her, standing up tall, thinking. "How about we share?"
Rin blinked and even Jaken popped his head up from his sleep. The woman blinked. "What? You can't be serious."
"That bed's large enough for two people."
"Yes but… what will people think?"
His eyes narrowed on her. Is she… blushing? "Are you worried I would do something to you?"
The blush rose to cover the rest of her face. "I… I… I never… I mean… I never… you… I'm…"
"Rin, I wouldn't hurt you."
She kept silent, her face red.
"It's that or I leave."
"NO!" She said, a little too quick and eager. "I mean… no, its better you stay with me, so I can keep an eye on you. You know, in case you collapse again."
"Then it's settled."
Rin said nothing so she nodded and slowly went back to her painting.
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