Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, but I can live with it.

AN: Yeah! Finished the chapter! Cookie for me! But we have no cookies. sad I'm a little insane cause I'm so glad I finally finished it, but that's okay! I hope everyone liked the other chapter, even though it was sad, and kind of confusing. Even I was confused, and I wrote it. Oh well, this one is kind of confusing too, but I hope everyone likes it. I like it. Lol! Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Reflecting, Waiting, and Wondering

Beep Beep Beep

Rin could hear the alarm going off, but decided to leave it alone. 'Someone will turn if off,' thought Rin to herself. She didn't even want to move, her body was hurting her so much.

Beep Beep Beep

Rin moaned, unable to turn over to rid herself of that horrible, constant beeping.

Beep Beep Beep

Finally having enough, Rin moved her tired body to try to silence the menacing alarm, but unable to find it. She stretched out her arm, trying to feel for it, but no matter how far she stretched, the alarm evaded her. She opened her eyes reluctantly, surprised to see her surroundings. Instead of the room on the top level filled with beds, she was in a stark white hospital room, tubes and wires sticking off of her. She looked at her side seeing the beeping was from her heart monitor than her alarm clock.

She looked around her, trying to find a call button, but her search was cut short when she overstretched her shoulder, sending a sharp pain to go rushing through her. When she finally became comfortable again, she remembered what happened to get her in this situation. She remembered the man who tried to rape and kill her, and then her rescue by someone, but she didn't know who it had been. Suddenly, she remembered the arrangement she had made with Sesshomaru. "Crap," she said, sighing, her head lying against the pillow. "He's going to be mad at me."

"Who's going to be mad at you?" asked a female voice from the door. The woman had blonde, curly hair and was holding a clipboard. She had on a pair of violet scrubs, making her hair stand out even more.

"Are you a nurse?" asked Rin, feeling exhausted, but not doing anything.

"I am," said the woman, coming in. "My name's Valerie, but you can just call me Val."

"It's nice to meet you Valerie," said Rin, trying to be polite.

"How's your arm feeling?" asked Val, checking the bandages on Rin's shoulder, concerned at the blood beginning to seep through the gaze.

"I feel tired and hurt," said Rin truthfully.

"That tends to happen when you lose a large amount of blood," said Val, taking the gaze off to look at the stitches underneath. "It seems you've pulled a few stitches," said Val, marking it down in her clipboard. "You have to be more careful."

"I didn't mean to," said Rin, "I didn't even know I had stitches in my shoulder."

"You have stitches in your leg too," said Val, lifting up the blanket on her side, moving her gown so she could look at the stitches on her leg. "These seem to be doing alright."

"What day is today?" asked Rin, slightly embarrassed.

"Today's Wednesday," said Val, marking on her clipboard some more.

"I've been here for two days?" asked Rin, slightly surprised.

"You've been unconscious for most of it," said Val, pulling out a flashlight, checking her eyes. "You came to us bleeding, unconscious, and with a concussion."

"Do you have any idea when I can be released?" asked Rin.

"I truly couldn't say, but if I had to guess, I'd say Friday, at the earliest." Val jotted down more information, turning to go.

"Wait!" said Rin, Val turning around. "Does my family know that I'm here?"

"Of course they do," said Val. "You're brother was the one to come with you. Then he called you're guardians and they came down, making sure that you were being properly cared for."

Rin had a look of shock on her face. 'Brother?' she thought to herself. 'They couldn't have met my brother.'

"What's wrong?" asked the nurse, seeing confusion and shock on Rin's face.

"Do you remember what they guardians looked like?" asked Rin.

"Well, they were two women, one older one younger. The older one had one hell of a temper on her, while the younger one had been calmer, but still a little disorientated. They also had a great amount of kids with them. They said they were from an orphanage."

"Yeah," I said, "That's them." I sighed, feeling disorientated. "Is there any chance I can get some food?" she asked her nurse.

"Of course," said Val, smiling. "What can I get you?"

"What do you have?" asked Rin, trying to lean up on her elbow, her body straining to keep her upright.

"There's jello, salads, jello, mystery meat, and jello," said Val laughing, not noticing Rin straining.

"I think I'll have the jello," said Rin smiling, her arm in agonizing pain, her arm shaking.

Rin smiled as Val left, and plopped down on the pillow with an 'oof'. She took some deep breathes as she tried to overcome the pain she had caused herself by foolish act. She put her hand through her hair, gritting her teeth at the way it felt.

"I really need a shower," said Rin out loud, closing her eyes.

"You sure do," said a voice, "I could smell you from here."

Rin opened her eyes, smiling as Inuyasha walked through the doorframe.

"What's up girly?" asked Inuyasha sitting next to her, looking her over. She seemed to be drained. She looked so small in the big room. Inuyasha noticed how pale she was, even after days in the hospital.

"Oh nothing," said Rin, readjusting her arm. "I had a dream I had to turn off my alarm clock and I woke up in here."

"You've been in here a long time," said Inuyasha, lying back in his chair, getting comfortable. "My brother's been here a lot."

"He has?" asked Rin, turning her head to look at Inuyasha. "Why would he do that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Inuyasha. "He feels guilty about what happened to you."

"Why would he feel like that?" asked Rin, her voice filled with curiosity.

"I don't know," said Inuyasha sighing, his head hurting from trying to figure out the motives of his half brother. It was pointless to assume with him, but Inuyasha was going to try, for Rin's sake. "Maybe it's because you were supposed to meet him and you got taken on his account. Or maybe it's because you wouldn't be as hurt as you are now without him."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rin, "He was the one who rescued me. He knocked the man away, I think?"

"Oh he knocked him away," said Inuyasha, running his hand through his hair, his hand resting on the bridge of his nose," but while he was doing it, the man's knife sank into your leg. You wouldn't have to have stitches in your leg if it wasn't for him."

"I wouldn't have to have any stitches if he didn't come," said Rin gloomily.

"How do you figure that one?" asked Inuyasha, looking at Rin from under the heel of his hand.

"I could be dead," said Rin, looking at Inuyasha. "He saved my life. I owe him my life."

Inuyasha looked over at Rin, seeing the truth in her eyes. "You really mean that don't you?"

"Of course I do," said Rin, her face getting slightly flustered. "Why would I say something I wouldn't mean?"

"I'm not saying you would," said Inuyasha defensively. "I was just saying what was on my mind."

"And I'm saying what's on mine," said Rin, lying back down, tired.

"You tired babes?" asked Inuyasha, a little worried by Rin's sudden switch from defensive to passive.

"A little," murmured Rin. "If Val comes back, tell her to keep the jello for me."

"Val?" asked Inuyasha, cocking an eyebrow, "Jello?" But he didn't get an answer. Rin had fallen back asleep, breathing softly.

"Sleep tight kid," said Inuyasha getting up, and walking to the door, just as another person was walking away.

Sesshomaru walked into the hospital, walking up to the front desk.

"Good morning Sesshomaru," said the secretary at the front desk named Susan, "How are you today?"

"I'm fine," said Sesshomaru, "How's Rin?"

"Your sister is doing better, she's actually awake now, I hear," said Susan smiling. "You may go up to see her, although another boy just went up to see her too."

"Another boy?" asked Sesshomaru, his eyebrow cocking.

"Yes," she said looking at the sheet. "A boy named Inuyasha. Says he was her cousin. He looked a little like you, so I just let him go by without thinking about it."

"Alright," said Sesshomaru, leaving the front desk. 'Don't say anything stupid Inuyasha,' Sesshomaru said to himself, anger starting to rise in him.

As he reached the door to Rin's room, he could hear his brother's words. "He feels guilty about what happened to you."

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks, leaning against the wall near the door.

"Why would he feel like that?" he heard Rin asking.

"I don't know," he heard Inuyasha sighing. "Maybe it's because you were supposed to meet him and you got taken on his account. Or maybe it's because you wouldn't be as hurt as you are now without him."

Sesshomaru froze. He didn't realize how much his brother actually understood about him. He closed his eyes listening to Rin. "What are you talking about?" she asked, "He was the one who rescued me. He knocked the man away, I think?"

"Oh he knocked him away," he heard his brother say," but while he was doing it, the man's knife sank into your leg. You wouldn't have to have stitches in your leg if it wasn't for him."

Sesshomaru didn't hear what was said next. All he could hear was the blood rushing to his ears. 'Rin will hate me now, because I was one of the reasons she go hurt.' But what he heard next, brought him go through an emotional tailspin.

"I could be dead," Sesshomaru heard her say, "He saved my life. I owe him my life."

Sesshomaru stood there, not knowing what to think. She wasn't mad at him at all. On the other hand, she was grateful to him. He had gotten her hurt, and she didn't see it. She saw it as a rescue. Even though Sesshomaru had in fact had rescued her from a horrible fate, he had hurt her too. She was such a forgiving person, and Sesshomaru could feel his chest seem to be filled with emotions he wasn't used to. They seemed to be combating each other. He stood there, reflecting, waiting, and wondering. When he heard Inuyasha head towards the door, he walked away, feeling confused but collected. 'I'll talk to her later.'

Rin woke up, and the room was dark, the only light coming from the machines in her room and the soft glow that streamed in from the hallway. She moaned, stretching her hands above her head, gasping when a pain shot through her shoulder. "Ow…" she said quietly to herself.

"Rin?" asked a groggy voice next to her. Rin looked over to see another person stretching, moving the hair from in front of their face. Rin didn't say anything, but watched as her eyes became more accustomed to the light, allowing her to make out the face of the person sitting beside her.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked, seeing his handsome features and long silver hair clearly.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked, coming closer to Rin, looking her in the eye.

"I'm fine," she said, backing away a little, not knowing how to respond to this strange behavior.

"I'm so glad," said Sesshomaru, a small smile playing on his lips. "I was so worried."

"Worried?" asked Rin still backed away, Sesshomaru having not leaned back.

"Very," he said softly. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up. I was worried you'd hate me." The last sentence surprised Rin. She unconsciously came closer, peering into his eyes.

"Hate you?" she asked. "Why would I hate you? You saved my life."

"But I'm the reason you were hurt in the first place," sighed Sesshomaru, looking down at the bed, unable to look her in the eye. "If I had just met you somewhere else, if I had just walked with you from school… none of this would have happened," said Sesshomaru quietly.

"But it did happen," said Rin solemnly. "And because of you, I'm alive and sitting in the hospital talking to you about this."

"I'm sorry Rin," said Sesshomaru quietly, not looking up at her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," said Rin comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry Rin," said Sesshomaru, seemingly in his own world.

"Please look at me Sesshomaru," said Rin quietly.

When Sesshomaru didn't look at her again, Rin took his face in her hands and forced him to look her in the face. "You haven't done anything wrong. You have no reason to be sorry." Rin looked into Sesshomaru's eyes and saw the guilt that seemed to darken his beautiful amber eyes. Behind the guilt was sorrow and sadness.

The motherly nature of Rin took over. When one of the kids was upset, they'd come to Rin to be comforted. She'd just hold them, and wait for them to calm down. She drew Sesshomaru into her arms and held him, talking to him soothingly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I don't hate you." Comforting him came naturally for Rin.

When Sesshomaru put his arms around Rin, she tightened her hold on him, resting her chin on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong," she whispered again into his ear. She felt him rest his head on her shoulder, smiling at how he accepted her comforting. Sesshomaru picked his head up off her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. Rin couldn't say anything; her breath was stolen by the look in Sesshomaru's eyes. She could feel the blush rushing to her face. She was in close proximity to one of the most handsome men she knew, and she was falling for him. She could feel how attractive he was down to her bones, and it was clouding her mind. All she could see was his amber eyes. They seemed to shine, almost illuminating. She looked deeply in his eyes, not breaking contact.

She could feel his hands on her face, cupping her jaw and cheek, but she didn't leave his eyes. She watched him closely as he lowered his mouth to hers, touching her lips sweetly with his. Unsure of what to do, Rin sat there, stiffly. Warmth seemed to spread through her, from her lips out, calming her down. She relaxed and began to respond to Sesshomaru's kisses. When Rin began to respond, Sesshomaru gave the kisses more pressure. He didn't rush forward with her, but kept it sweet, relishing the taste of her lips.

When Rin put her hands on Sesshomaru's chest, it kept all his self control from wanting more. He didn't want to take advantage of the sweet girl in his arms. But, Sesshomaru was so engrossed with Rin that he didn't hear the door open. He did, on the other hand, hear the woman in the door very clearly.

"Rin!" said Val, "What are you doing." The two closed their eyes quickly as Val switched on the lights.

"Ummm…" said Rin, her face beet red. "I…I…. ummm…"

"You don't do that kind of thing with your brother!" she said sternly, though a trace of a smile played on her lips.

"Brother?" asked Rin quickly.

"He's not your brother is he?" asked Val, standing at the end of Rin's bed.

"No," Rin said quietly.

"I figured he wasn't," said Val turning towards Sesshomaru. "You don't act like a brother would."

"What do you mean?" asked Sesshomaru.

"You just don't have that air," said Val, "I've been doing this for a long time. You just don't feel like her brother, plus you don't look like her at all." She was just about to leave the room when she turned around quickly. "Plus, the fact that your parents came by for you but not for Rin helps my theory too." With that, Val left the room.

"That was…" said Rin, not knowing how to explain how that felt. Her heart was still racing, and her face was still flushed.

"Would you rather I didn't?" asked Sesshomaru, looking over at her, amused by how flustered she seemed.

"No!... I mean… I don't know what I mean," said Rin, hiding her face in her hands.

"Well," said Sesshomaru smiling, "why don't you lie down again and rest. We'll talk about this tomorrow or so." He ended any kind of argument by kissing her softly on the forehead, the act taking Rin by surprise.

"Alright," said Rin, her face extremely flushed.

"One more thing," said Sesshomaru, before he left. "There's a dance at school in a month or so, would you like to go with me to the dance?"

"I'd love to," said Rin smiling.

A small smirk flashed quickly over his face. "Goodnight Rin," said Sesshomaru, turning off the light, and closing the door a little.

"Goodnight," murmured Rin as she dozed off again, dreaming of sweet kisses and amber eyed men.

To be continued…