Sorry for the long wait, guys. School started, things have been a bit hectic. I'll try and update more regularly, but no promises.

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Chapter Four,
The Diagnoses


Inuyasha cursed and slammed the phone down, turning on his heel. "Hurry your ass up, we're going. Unless you'd rather stay here alone?" She wasn't getting a choice; she would go- now she really needed to stay with him, whether she liked it or not, and he didn't trust her not to leave.

"Inuyasha what happened?" Kagome sounded worried; she didn't like the way he was acting. It was even more aggressive than before, almost nervous. She started towards the bathroom, going to change back into something more decent, crusted food or not.

"Just get shoes!" he snapped after her, pulling on his own sneakers. He waited impatiently for her to come back, watching her hop down the hall pulling her shoes on after about five minutes- she had rushed to pull her bra on. "Hurry!" he said, grabbing her wrist. Shoving a jacket in her hands, he barely waited for her to pull it on and zip it up on before making her go again. "Come on…" Slinging her up like a baby, he took off; he would move faster than the car.

"Inuyasha please- what happened? Who was it?" He grunted at the pleading voice in his ear, shifting her to bridal style so she was more comfortable.

"It was Kaede. Sango and Miroku were attacked…" He paused, and then added, "She said to hurry for their sakes, 'cause they need attention immediately."

"But that sounds as if-"

"They are going to die, yeah."

For the rest of the trip, neither said anything, not even when they saw the damage to the sidewalk that had earlier been done because of them.

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"Inuyasha! And…Kagome?" Kaede greeted them in the emergency room, and lead them back through double doors. "Why, child, are you with-"

"I'll explain later, hag," Inuyasha cut in rudely. "Where are they?"

Kaede nodded and pushed through double doors, and they followed her down a clean hallway to a wooden door. "Come, Kagome. We will start to patch them up best we can here before…"

"Before what?"

"They need help, Inuyasha. Do not speak to Miroku, he cannot talk."

Inuyasha was the first through the door, Kagome right after him. She couldn't help but gasp at the sight- the two people she had seen not even forty minutes ago were almost unrecognizable. Inuyasha just stared, his face hard. Both his friends were connected to tubes and IV's, and neither looked good. Ripped clothing, bruises and bleeding cuts, limbs in weird positions, bandages that had been hastily tied…Miroku appeared to be unconscious, and he was breathing very heavily. Sango's right arm was bent at a weird angle, and her expression made Kagome wish she were asleep as well; she looked like she was in such pain, though she bit back her groans.

"What happened?"

Kagome was amazed by the roughness in Inuyasha's voice. He best friends were hurt, but he still sounded like he cared more about what happened then if they were going to live. Grabbing the washcloth and warm water from Kaede, she went over to Sango and started cleaning the cuts. They were deep gashes, and just after cleaning two of the deepest on her arm she had to switch cloths.

"Attacked," Sango wheezed. "Naraku's men- there were seven…" She swallowed. "Warn Sesshomaru. Naraku's got plans, and…" She trailed off, knowing the Hanyou would put two and two together. "Spies everywhere, they knew exactly were we were. Surrounded." She paused and took a deep breath.

Kagome looked up, watching as Inuyasha planned to pose a question. "No," she said sharply. "That's enough. You've got enough information, question her later." He glared at her, but she glared back. "She has to go and get her lungs checked out, her rib back in place. Her arm needs to be set. And look at Miroku! Let's go, now."

To her surprise, the Hanyou backed off and nodded. Immediately, Kagome went to the door and called out, demanding someone come this instant. Giving another look of pity to the two patients, she grabbed Inuyasha's sleeves and dragged him out. "They will be fine; some doctors from a better hospital are coming…" She trailed off. "Let's go to the waiting room."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha took the seats right outside the room. "Technically," Kagome said, joining him, "these seats are for family…"

"Sango's only family is in this hospital. Miroku was raised by some kindly drunk, who for all I know is dead 'cause he never goes to visit. I'm pretty sure these seats would stay vacant if we didn't take them."

"Oh…"

"What was wrong with them?"

Before giving him an answer, Kagome stood and took the clipboard from the door. "Only assigned nurses are supposed to touch them, but I cleaned one, so if anyone says anything…"

"Screw them."

Kagome smiled without humor and nodded. "Exactly." Taking her seat again, Kagome looked over Sango's paper. "Do you know the names of bones?"

"What?" The voice sounded annoyed; obviously, he just wanted the diagnosis.

"The clavicle, fibula, pelvis and names like that. Do you know what they are?"

"What?"

"That's my answer." Kagome's eyes glided over the paper then went back to the top, working the medical names to those that Inuyasha would understand.

"Sango's broken two ribs, one may be puncturing her lung- they'll be fixing that first... Her arm was snapped in half, and twisted her knee. X-rays show that were was air outside her lung, so she'll be here at least one night in intensive care so they make sure it doesn't collapse…If it does…" She swallowed and went to Miroku's page, again switching the names in her head. "Miroku split his scapula- his shoulder blade- and broke his right arm and leg. He fractured his skull, but it doesn't say that there is internal bleeding, but..." She trailed off, not wanting to upset Inuyasha, and continued. "He also got a major gash down his face, I guess that's why he cant talk... Plus, they've both lost tons of blood, that's why they were so weak- and they are both open for infection…"

"Internal bleeding?"

"It's-"

"I know what it is, wench!" he said irritably. "Will he get it?"

"It may develop, it may not, and it may already be there so I'm not sure."

"Oh. And will her lung collapse?"

"Again…not sure."

"Damn. Naraku, that bastard." He looked up as a doctor came down the hall, going into the room without pausing. Kagome stood and replaced the clipboard, gasping as Kaede came out just as she pulled back her hand.

"You know what happened, then. That clipboard is meant for their doctors and nurses only."

Kagome blushed and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"But I'm glad you looked, I do not feel like retelling it." Kaede cleared her throat as Kagome sat down again. "They are now working at moving Sango's rib away form her lung and setting it, then they will set her bones and knee. She will then be sent to intensive care so they can make sure it doesn't collapse. Miroku…All they have to do is his bones. They'll have to work easily, for internal bleeding would occur at one slip of the hand because of the position of the fracture." Kaede clasped her hands behind her back. "They will both need to stay for awhile, to make sure they can function properly and nothing disturbed their heart or other organs. They both also lost a lot of blood, and they have some cuts that seem unable to stop their bleeding."

Kagome swallowed and nodded, looking at Inuyasha's face. It was expressionless, smooth. Like he didn't care, but she knew better. No one wouldn't care, unless they had no heart.

Kaede sighed. "They were terrible when they first came in- Miroku lost more blood carrying and dragging Sango to the nearest place their were people. His breaks would have been less dramatic if he had stayed in his place and screamed, but it seems he could talk- his gash, I suppose. And Sango woke up just in time to call for you and demand to speak to you." She gave Inuyasha an appraising look and sighed again. "That is not all the bad news, I'm afraid."

"What?" Kagome said sharply, looking up. She saw Inuyasha's ears twitch; the ears that she thought were so adorable.

"Sango does not know this, for it would have upset her. Please do not inform her until you have my permission, as we don't want to risk anything. Kohaku was taken, a woman smashed through his window on the third floor. She killed the patients in the room and took the boy, and then went upstairs to Ginta, who she also killed." Kaede's faced was taunt, stressed, hurt. "It was terrible. I fear that this Naraku is not only after your gang, Inuyasha. He's up to something."

Kagome blanched; she had just treated Kohaku, now he was gone, kidnapped. Inuyasha still stayed unemotional, as if he didn't know how to react. "I am sorry." Kaede bowed and backed off, nodding gravely to another doctor. They both watched her go and Inuyasha cursed, digging his claws into the chair.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fuck," he hissed. "I've got to tell Sesshomaru. He'll need to know."

"Who exactly is Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked fiddling with the jacket Inuyasha had given to her. He looked at her, looking slightly confused- obviously, he had been ranting to himself and forgot she was there. "I mean, you've mentioned him, and…" She paused, frowning, and then her eyes lit up. "Wait, surely you don't mean the Sesshomaru, as in the big business leader in Kyoto- do you?"

"That's exactly who he is."

"But he's involved in gang stuff?"

"You don't need to know anymore. Breathe a word of it, you're dead."

"You wouldn't kill me."

"Think what you want, but he'll find someone that would if I don't."

"Oh…" Kagome blinked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. After that, nothing else was said until the door was opened.

Sango was wheeled out sleeping, down the ward towards another room. They both stared, watching as all the tubes were transported with her.

"How can you work here?" Inuyasha demanded, watching as his friend was wheeled through a door at the end of the hall.

"What?" Kagome turned to him, confused.

"It smells bad, like death and sickness. The air is heavy, and you watch people…" He trailed off, scratching his arm. "It just isn't an environment that I'd like to be caught up in."

Kagome smiled slightly and nodded. "Its hard, sometimes, but I've always wanted to help people. Here I can do that. I make a difference." She shrugged and leaned against the hard chair, resting her head against the wall. "That's why I chose to stay here. I have a shift in the afternoon or morning, classes in afternoon or night. It's a good system. And here, at this hospital, they need my help."

Inuyasha nodded. "I guess. But it still smells. Especially that food."

Kagome giggled, drawing her knees to her chest. "I don't have your nose, remember?"

"Keh."

After a moment of silence, Kagome broke it again. "Inuyasha?" A grunt in response said that he heard her. "Let's go home, alright? You will be more comfortable there, and there isn't anything you can do here… You can come back in the morning, I have an early shift."

"No."

By the sound of his voice, he would not be moved. Sighing, Kagome nodded and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Alright then," she murmured, leaning back against the wall.

Again, silence fell- neither moved nor spoke, though Kagome fell asleep. A few moments later, her head suddenly dropped and rested on Inuyasha's shoulder, making him jump. Looking at her, the gold eyes blinked and he lifted her head. She was right. There was no point in staying.

Growling slightly in annoyance, he stood and lifted her up, carrying her towards the entrance. They would come back in the morning, everything would be fine. They would recover, they had good doctors. And after they were better, they could go and kill that bastard and get Kohaku back.

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It was written in somewhat of a hurry, I apologize for any mistakes and whatnot. Anyway, read and review. (: