Disclaimer: This fanfic is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham. Neither "Inuyasha" nor the "Painted Veil" belong to me
She had gone to the convent daily for the past two weeks, escorted by a young cadet called Lin whose sole job was to be her shadow while around town. He was a young man that could barely be eighteen, with a round and kind face, whose manners were shy and clumsy but seemed competent enough to be given a gun. Normally her trek involved a three hundred yard walk to the makeshift pier where she could take a sampan to town, two miles downriver.
It was a pleasant trip, provided that no corpses were seen on the side of the road. Despite its poverty, Paibi was located in a bucolic setting, with lush bamboo groves bordering the peaceful river, and the small farms along its shores filled with plantings of rice and vegetables. The town, though modest, had a beautiful stone bridge that crossed the river, and the old stone buildings told the story of a richer town that had befallen harsh times. Though harsh may have been too insufficient a word to describe the magnitude of the catastrophe that it was facing.
The impact of cholera struck her from the first day. According to mother Kaede, they had received close to 60 additional young children in the past three months, and their resources and rooms were stretched to the limit. Not only did they have more young mouths to feed, but many nuns, unaccustomed to dealing with the disease, soon fell ill and died, further straining their ability to cope with demand. It took the massive efforts of Sesshomaru to train, isolate and set up the ward to prevent the staff from getting contaminated while tending the sick - but even though these steps helped reduce the casualties at the convent, the town itself was being pounded by the malady, and the makeshift hospital often had to turn patients at the door.
Kagome quickly realized that she was over her head. She had little experience with children, was unaccustomed to manual labor, and soon the wails of the babies, the projectile vomiting, and the changing of diapers proved to be overwhelming. Thankfully, a young novice named Kanna took pity on her, and with signs and gestures helped her get the hang of bottle feeding and the changing of dirty nappies. Soon, she found out that toddlers were particularly fond of music, and she would play some simple songs on the old piano of the order, clapping and laughing with them -until one day she heard an "hmp" only to see Mother Kaede and her husband on the doorstep.
"My dear, do not stop on my account", Mother Kaede said kindly "both your husband and I were enjoying the sight, though probably a selection that is more sedate will help calm the children". Sesshomaru, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable - almost pained - to be caught looking, and quickly excused himself to go back to the infirmary.
It dawned on her how right Mr. Myoga was - Sesshomaru never saw her - but it was clear that others were far luckier. If the staff was kind and patient with her was all thanks to the efforts of her husband and the never-ending kindness that he supposedly gave to all the people that met him. They waxed poetically about his dedication to the young, whom he often brought fruits and candies after their weekly mass, and his desperate efforts to help the sick in the ward and stop the spread of the illness. Many patients did recover thanks to his efforts, but the casualties were still quite significant, and though the nuns tried their best to shoo her away from the ward, her curiosity one day gave way to its doors.
The first thing that she perceived was the stench and the many sick who were relieving themselves on the strange beds that had a bucket to collect the waste underneath. She was about to vomit until a young man saw her and grabbing her from the elbow took her back to the inner courtyard.
"I assume you are Mrs. Nakamura. I wish we had the chance to meet under better circumstances, but it was clear to me you had lost your way", the dark-haired man said with a broad and kind smile. "It is dangerous for you to enter the ward without suiting up, so when I saw you I had to take you outside". Noticing her grimace, he continued " I bet you were looking for your husband, but Dr. Nakamura went out to meet our local commander".
Breathing deeply, Kagome felt herself heave and puked on the grassy yard. The man laughed softly. "Not bad, Mrs. Nakamura. Others pass out when seeing Cholera for the first time". Bowing, he continued "I am pleased to meet you, Madam. My name is Miroku Shui, and I am your husband's assistant".
The man was pleasant and friendly, with handsome features and wandering eyes that often settled in one of the pretty novices that helped in the ward. Along with Mother Kaede, and the young women that worked in the convent, soon Kagome felt less depressed and despondent. But it was the young boy, Shippo, who brightened her days with his smiles and his ability to spread mischief around the nursery. She often sang lullabies to him, brought him small treats from home, and would mend his clothes at home. She often wondered why she was so attached to the young boy- until it dawned on her that if her baby had lived, it would have been about Shippo's age.
Despite his enormous workload, Sesshomaru knew fully well that avoiding his wife at the convent was impossible, and would bring uncomfortable questions from the mother superior, who often wondered about the state of his immortal soul. So around five, he would pick her up at the nursery, to accompany her to the pier where her escort awaited. And silently, they would go upriver, avoiding each other, while their troubled hearts soothed in the beauty of the setting sun.