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Snippet 2

"Please… help me…"

He heard her voice quivering in uncertainty through the headset latched atop his head. He never expected to receive such a call while filling in for his younger brother. Half-brother, he corrected himself admits the chaos from the other line. He can hear her uneven breathing rustling into the receiver—frightened, uncertain of her future to come.

He was sure she wasn't another one of those pranksters that often hogged up the busy lines. No… her fear was heartfelt. He felt it.

What is it that I'm supposed to say?

He wasn't trained to respond to these distress calls. His brother claimed nothing would happen; that it would be another day of uneventful waiting or threatening to turn in pranksters to the authorities for wasting their precious time and money. What were these people trained to say?

"Do not do it," he finally spoke up; his voice sounding foreign to his own ears. Sesshoumaru inwardly cringed at his tone of voice. He didn't mean to sound so distant, but he wasn't accustomed to talking with people. Especially not strangers over the phone.

The female on the other line was silent; her breathing was near undetectable if not for the static rustling from his headphones. 'Damn it,' he was trapped between a rock and a hard place. He had no training regarding this situation—so what was he supposed to say?

"Whatever it is you're contemplating about doing, don't do it. It'll be foolish..."

'To say the least,' he finished in his mind. He reached over the work station to grab his cellphone. –This is the last time I do you a favor. – He sends the text to his half-brother. His well-groomed fingernails tapped against the teak desk's surface.

"… How do you know what I was thinking… about doing?" came the hesitant voice over the other end.

"You're in fear—debating whether or not to take your own life. Am I wrong?" Sesshoumaru coolly replied, clearly distracted by the reply his brother sent him. –What the hell did you screw up on? – Sesshoumaru's eyes twitched with annoyance before freezing in his seat, realizing his fatal mistake. 'Did I just…'

Click.

The sound of ragged breathing ended on the other line, a monotone dial replaced the static.

"Damn," Sesshoumaru cursed under his breath. Once again, he's managed the impossible. Actually, it was quite possible—being unbelievably stoic that is. 'Blasted brother.' He let off an inaudible sigh and gave his attention on the monitor in front of him. With a series of clicks and maneuvering through some commands, he managed to retrieve the caller's information following the cellphone number. Something he was forbidden to do, but a life was hanging on the line here—quite literally.

Maybe he can correct his mistake.

Sesshoumaru quickly dialed the number onto his cellphone—another broken policy. Quickly replacing the computer's headset with his cellphone, he waited for her to pick up.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

"… Hello?"

"Forgive me, I've been rude."

/ 500 Words

JR- :) Given, this story will be updated more quickly than Murasaki… but I'll have to see. Anyway, this is sort of like a series of drabbles and a short chapter story as well. I just fell in love with the idea of them meeting under these circumstances.

For future references, I am NOT poking fun at these hotlines… because they do save lives. I'm just writing for my enjoyment and how everything may play out between two fictional characters. Please do stop reading if it offends you…. The story is meant to be fun and up lifting at later chapters.