Chapter 7: Survivors
It was quiet now…for the first time in three long hours, it was truly calm. Inuyasha lay on his back, his hands lightly folded on his chest as he slept silently. Kagome was strapped to the bed once more, but aside from the thick strips of red across her forehead, collarbone, hips, legs and feet, she looked relatively peaceful. The only sound was that of their heart monitors, sounding to the beat of their hearts at a now steady beat. They looked so comfortable and calm, that the doctors often forgot why they were even there…until they saw their injuries. They looked so relaxed, that little Rin was afraid to even enter in fear of waking her injured friends.
She cracked open one swinging door, peeking her black-haired head threw the gap and peered into the white and gray room. She saw the two sleeping soundly, and with the light that hung over their beds shining so pail on their exposed skin, they looked dead. Rin walked in, stepping aside to Sesshoumaru and the others could enter. They slipped in, their slipper-covered feet padding the ground with a soft 'pft, pft'. They saw Kagome and Inuyasha asleep in their beds, looking pail and cold. Rin put a shacking hand to her chin, and willed herself to move towards her brother-in-law. She and Sesshoumaru circled his bed, a cautious eye on their fallen friend as they stopped at his side. Miroku and Sango did the same, circling around Kagome's bed and stopping at her side.
"They look…dead," Rin whispered.
"They look it, yes. But their not," Sesshoumaru said, reaching a clawed hand for Inuyasha's at his side. He took the hand in his, letting Inuyasha's fingers fan out in his palms as if to compare sizes. Inuyasha felt the touch, but to whom it came from he didn't know. He let his eyes wander open, meeting the ceiling, than floating down to Sesshoumaru's bowed head. Inuyasha's eyes widened and he lifted his head slightly off the pillow.
"S-Sesshoumaru…" He managed to get out. That little episode of his actually walking and talking left his body sore and weak, and now he barely had enough energy to talk. Sesshoumaru's head snapped up and his eyes met Inuyasha's. Rin gasped, feeling her heart leap out her chest and her eyes widen. Sesshoumaru had to steady his excitement even though it shook his body in impatient waves, as he watched his brother force himself up onto his elbows. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe it. He had to touch him. Reassure himself that the thing in front of him was tangible and alive. He drew a quick hand to his brother's face and nearly collapsed when he felt the very real flesh burn beneath his fingertips. Inuyasha put a hand on the one placed on his check and clenched it with weak fingers.
"Brother," Inuyasha managed to get out, before they jumped into each other's arms. Sesshoumaru wouldn't cry. Couldn't. Though his body was so full of strong emotions just begging to be exposed, he held it in, only pushing his brother's body into his own to reassure himself he wouldn't fade away like a dream. He dug his fingertips into Inuyasha's back. Put a hand on his head and felt the hair. He was real. He was real and he was alive. Sesshoumaru never felt fear or worry or utter despair until he heard of his brother's close brush with death, and he never wanted to let go now. He feared even a piece of cotton could tear Inuyasha away from him forever. He'd protect him from anything and everything. Nothing would keep his brother from living. Ever since his mother died, and his father…and even though Inuyasha was only his half brother, he was still the only family Sesshoumaru had left. Losing him would mean that HE would be the only one left. His unborn daughter would not only have no Grandfather or Grandmother, but no uncle or possibly aunt. His only child would grow up in a small and broken family, and he didn't want that. Oh thank God his brother lived. Thank god he could hold him in his arms again. Thank god, thank god…. Thank GOD!
They parted, both cheeks dry but both rosy with happiness. Sesshoumaru's hand came up once more and he ran a finger under his brother's soft bottom eyelid, feeling the long hairs on his top eyelash brush his skin.
Sesshoumaru starred into the golden orbs of his brother's eyes before he felt the gentle tap of Rin on his shoulder. He looked up and could see in her face that she too wanted to make sure Inuyasha was real and alive. Sesshoumaru stood up and took a step back, letting Rin step forward. The very site of him caused her legs to buckle and she fell to the ground on her knees. Inuyasha turned in attempts to catch her, but was too late, and in that quick motion sent a sting of pain threw his side. Rin looked up at him, tear soaked eyes and puffy lips, and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, taking him into a hug. Inuyasha gladly returned the embrace.
The thick thud of Rin landing on the floor caused Kagome to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she met the blue orbs of Sango leaning…a little too close for comfort. Kagome gasped and sat-well tried to sit up but was stopped by her restraints. Kagome only had time to blink before Sango threw herself on the bound Kagome.
"Ngh!" Kagome grunted as she felt Sango's body flop on hers.
"Gyaaa, Kagome, you're alive!" Sango cried, bearing her face in Kagome's black locks.
Kagome felt the wind forced from her lungs…again and she began to struggle against her friend's death grip.
"C-can't…B-breath…SANGO GET OFF!" Kagome managed to eek out, sending Sango strait up in the air.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Sango plead under Kagome's cough. Kagome rubbed her neck and glared at Sango with burning eyes.
"Aside from the fact you crush my wind pipe, yeah!" Sango cringed and said a mousy 'sorry' under her breath. Miroku laughed and made his way to the opposite side of the bed.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're alive, Kagome."
Barely
"I had to admit you had me worried," said Miroku with a tilt of his head.
"Yeah, it's…nice to be here."
Though heaven seems quite pleasant at the moment.
Inuyasha forced his upper body onto his elbow's (now that he had reassured his brother and sister-in-lawthat he was alive and wellto look at Kagome across the room.
"So," began Inuyasha in a tired voice. "Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Miss Higurashi."
Kagome shook her head and gave a sarcastic line of chuckles. "Oh ha, ha. You don't look half dead yourself, MR. TAISHO."
Inuyasha smiled at her, but it wasn't a laughing smile. It was more of a warm, and glad smile. He was glad to know they survived that crash, but even more…that Kagome actually came back to life. Weather it was for him of for her won desire to live, he didn't know. But all that mattered was that she was alive and well….kind of.
The swinging doors creaked and all heads turned to face the lady nurse, Ayame who stood with a pleased and contagious smile.
"And how are our two patients this evening?" she said, as she glided her way into the room. As she approached the beds, Rin and Sango Miroku stood up from their kneeling points on the floor as a silent greeting and to give her room to work.
"I uh…feel a little rusty," Inuyasha said, rolling his arm up and down as if expecting to hear his joints squeak.
Ayame laughed, holding her little clipboard to her chin. "Well, that's natural, Mr. Taisho. You have 7 metal ribs and hip bone now."
Inuyasha nearly stopped breathing, and even his heart monitor skipped a beat.
"Excuse me?"
Ayame turned and walked over to some gray cabinets, as she flipped threw the papers pinned to her clipboard. "You had a car roll over you at 45 miles an hour. The fact that you escaped with 7 broken ribs and a shattered hipbone is a miracle."
Inuyasha twitched just at the thought of how they had to replace his ribs and hipbone with metal. It made his skin crawl.
"Is that really all?" Sesshoumaru asked, clasping his hands together in front of him.
"No," Ayame answered, her back still to them. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and let them snap. " Punctured lung, heart and stomach. Cracked hipbone, SHATTERED hipbone. Broken face, collapsed left ribcage, and uh…oh yeah! We had to cut off your penis."
"WHAT?" Inuyasha screamed at the top of his lungs, closing his legs and squeezing his knees together as tight as he could.
Ayame burst out in laughter, holding her sides and turning red. Seeing Inuyasha's horrified look, she collected herself and said, "I was just kidding. You're absolutely fine."
Inuyasha let out an exasperated breath; falling back against his pillows as if the trauma sucked out every ounce of energy he had left. The others around him joined Ayame in laughing in Inuyasha's expense.
"He Doc, what about me? Can I be unstrapped now?" Asked Kagome, after the laughing died down to minor chuckles.
Ayame stood up strait and whipped a tear from her eye before she answered, " I'm afraid not, Ms. Higurashi. We fear you might be paralyzed. Any sudden movements like sitting up could guarantee that." She paused, turning back to the cabinets and grabbing two shots from the counter, before walking between the beds.
"But I already sat up quick," Kagome said with a tint of alarm. "When I came back from the dead, remember? Does…. that mean I'm paralyzed?"
Ayame turned to Inuyasha, holding the shot up to the light, flicking the bottle and letting a little squirt out. "We don't know. Probably. But knowing you're luck, you'll be up and walking within a weak or two." She pricked Inuyasha in the shoulder without warning, gaining a displeased 'hey!' out of him, before withdrawing the needle.
"It's to dentin the pain. You'll feel a bit sore soon, so I wanted to catch it before it got really bad."
"Soon? Aren't I in enough pain already?" Inuyasha said, a little worried.
Ayame turned to Kagome as she said, "You're not feeling the beginning of it."
Inuyasha gulped, and looked away. Rin patted Inuyasha on the shoulder and gave him a small one-armed hug.
Kagome shifted a little, cringing in the process…than paused.
"I…can't feel my right side." She turned her face to look at Ayame. "Is that natural?"
"Actually yes. THIS is the only injury that truly makes since. You've lost feeling in your entire right side. And…we doubt you'll ever gain it back. You're face won't go sliding off your skull, but if someone were to say punch you, you wouldn't feel a thing."
Kagome 'hmmed' to her self and looked away. "I could use that to an advantage."
"Now don't go getting any idea, Higurashi," Ayame said, bending down, and giving Kagome a prick in the right shoulder. Kagome, of course, didn't feel a thing. "The last thing we need is to see you here again with more injuries."
"Yeah," Kagome chuckled to herself and looked into the light hanging over her bed.
"God forbid."
Author's note: I am SO sorry it took me so long to update. I have had serious writer's block the past weak and have FINALLY found the motivation to write! And I didn't wanna give you guys a piece of crap chapter so I tried to put a lot of thought into this chappy. Hope you guys liked it!
