Prompt: Red, Protection from evil

Triggers/Warnings: Referenced domestic abuse, trauma associated with car accidents/hospitals

Timeline: AU, Modern w/ youkai

Crimson Conspiracy

There was smoke.

Fire.

There was also pain. It crawled up her spine before pooling between her temples. She tried to move her hand, wanting to massage the headache away, but they were too heavy. Why couldn't she move her hands?

And why was it so dark? It was the middle of the day, wasn't it? Why couldn't she remember what time it was? Or what day it was?

The pain increased, the sounds blurring around her. Sirens. She thought she could hear sirens. She was in trouble. She needed to get away. Away from the pain. Away from the darkness.

She needed to escape.

But she was stuck. A heaviness pressed against her chest, preventing her from getting up. She pushed against her restraints, but they only tightened further, her throat constricting and making her gasp.

Maybe if she could get her hands to work, she could find a light. Something more useful than the red glare surrounding her. It seemed to flash in time with the sirens and it was familiar but not something she could place.

Did the lights mean she was safe? Or were they a warning? And why were the sirens getting louder? She wanted them to stop; the shrill sound raked across her face, creating new pain between her ears.

The darkness was beginning to feel like a comfortable alternative. It slowly consumed her, and she wanted to struggle, but it was helping with the pain. Brushing it away from her head as a strange warmth licked at her feet.

It was too much. She didn't want to feel any of it anymore.

She stopped fighting and let the darkness swallow her whole.

"Have there been any changes?"

"No doctor." The nurse checked the chart, quickly reviewing the numbers. "There's no cranial swelling, but she hit her head hard enough that she was unconscious at the scene. The burns on her feet are minimal, which is surprising considering how quickly the car caught fire."

Sesshoumaru adjusted his stethoscope, placing one end on the woman's chest, listening carefully.

"She has no smoke in her lungs either. How long did the paramedics say she was in there?"

"From the point of impact to the point of rescue, 14 minutes."

Sesshoumaru frowned. A normal human would be suffering from more than just a concussion and a few cuts. He looked the woman over again; her dark hair had been braided to keep it out of the various lacerations on her face, a few of them sporting stitches. The blood had been hastily wiped from her skin, leaving burgundy streaks behind, and the clothes she'd been in had been cut away by the paramedics. A pale, blue hospital gown was the only thing covering her under the thin, cotton blankets.

Dark bruises peeked out from the collar, a clear indication she'd been wearing a seatbelt at the time of impact. That didn't account for the marks on her arms though.

"Did they mention what the cause of the crash was?"

The nurse shook her head, already heading to the door to check on the next patient. "The guess is alcohol, but we're waiting on the test results from her blood. Witnesses say she sped through a red light, then hit a telephone pole after swerving around oncoming traffic. Sounds like she was drunk to me."

"Indeed." He checked the woman's chart again, then frowned. He didn't like riddles, and this woman was the definition of one. He could smell no alcohol or drugs in her system—he didn't need a lab result to tell him that—and she'd somehow avoided third degree burns on her feet but had sustained bruises on her arms. Bruises that didn't look fresh.

There was also the lack of identification. Her medical bracelet currently read Hanako Yamada, a simple placeholder name until she woke up and could tell them who she was.

And who she was running from.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the woman moaned, shifting against the pristine sheets before her eyes fluttered open. Sesshoumaru was taken aback at the intense hue of her gaze. She looked around; looking over her surroundings before her dazed expression landed on him.

"You are in a hospital. Do you recall crashing your car?"

She blinked at him before her eyes slid to the identification clipped to his coat pocket. He sat down on the chair next to her bed so she could get a better look at it.

"My name is Dr. Taisho; I am the current emergency room physician."

There was a lack of recollection in her eyes and her shoulders slumped, tension easing out of her muscles.

How odd.

Pulling out a small pen light, Sesshoumaru quickly inspected her pupils, checking their reaction time. There didn't seem to be any lasting damage, but Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice how she pulled away when he leaned in closer.

"You will need to fill out some paperwork once you have regained your strength. First of which will be your name so we can contact—"

"Kikyou! My darling, are you alright?" A dark-haired man strode into the room, his red eyes full of concern before he was blocked by a nurse.

"Sir! I told you, no visitors are allowed right now!"

His gaze shifted to the woman in front of him, pupils constricting as he seemed to contemplate something and Sesshoumaru felt the twinge of concealed power. He moved to stand but was stopped by a trembling hand gripping his lap coat. He covered the movement, shifting forward on his chair as he forced himself not to look at her.

"This patient is still recovering. If you leave your contact information, we will call you when she is ready for visitors."

The man looked at the patient over the nurse's shoulder and Sesshoumaru could taste her fear. He gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze as he pretended to check her eyes again. His youki slid over his fingers, teasing her skin as comforting waves washed over her.

Her surprise was obvious; his, he kept hidden when he felt the spark of reiki rise up to meet his youki, the two powers brushing against each other.

"I am trained in first aid. I can help with her recovery." The object of her distress still stood in the doorway. Sesshoumaru longed to sink his claws into him but didn't want to give him any reason to be alone with the woman.

"If you are incapable of following the rules of this hospital, you will be removed from the premises."

The dark-haired man bristled, clearly unaccustomed to taking orders. Sesshoumaru watched his feet out of the corner of his eye, waiting to see what he would do next as he checked each of the woman's bandages.

"Very well. But please keep me apprised of her progress. I want to take my wife home as soon as possible. She's clearly been through something traumatic."

The nurse didn't move until the intruder had turned around, ushering him out of the room as he cast one more glance over his shoulder.

"Stay safe my dear. I will be back for you later."

The woman's knuckles were white as she continued to clutch at his coat, not releasing her grip until Sesshoumaru covered her hand with his own.

"He is gone."

"You don't know that." Her voice was raspy, but from the smoke or her fear, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure.

He squeezed her hand, her eyes focusing on him again. "I can assure you, I do." Letting his glamour drop for a moment, she caught a glimpse of silver hair and golden eyes.

She gave him a startled look and tried to pull her hand away.

"You have no reason to fear me. I mean you no harm."

"What are you?"

"Something more powerful than him."

She opened her mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it and simply nodded her head.

"Do you remember the crash?"

Shame stained her cheeks and she leaned back against the pillows behind her, finally releasing his coat as her fingers twisted together.

"I was trying to get away."

"I gathered that."

"I'm not his wife," she said, staring desperately up on him.

"I gathered that as well." He closed the door, placing a barrier around it to keep out any further interruptions. "Is this the first time you have tried to escape?"

She shook her head, wincing as she tried to pull her knees up to her chest. "I've never gotten this far though. I was hoping…but I had to go quickly. And then there was another car and…it wasn't their fault."

"Witnesses claim you hit a telephone pole while trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle."

Her face scrunched up as she closed her eyes, trying to remember. "That sounds right."

Unwilling to harm others even at the expense of her own freedom.

"Do you wish to return to him?"

Reiki crackled around them, her eyes turning stormy as venom dripped from her lips. "Never."

"Will you allow me to aid you in this?"

Defeat overpowered her anger, her spirit reduced to shambles once more. "By doing what? You can't keep me here forever. And he's already threatened my family if I ask them for help."

"The less questions you ask, the better. Will you let me aid you or not?"

Hearing the bite in his voice, she met his gaze again, hope shimmering along the edge of her aura. Tears glittered in the corners of her eyes as she stifled a sob, giving him a jerky nod.

"I must see to the other patients, but I will be back within the hour. Place a barrier around the room and do not let anyone in aside from myself."

Another jerky nod was his only answer, and he opened the door, his fingers pausing on the handle as she finally found her voice again.

"Kagome. My name is Kagome."

Unable to stop himself, he gave her a small smile. "It suits you." Closing the door behind him, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, quickly dialing as he made his way to the next room.

"Kagura, I need a favour."

A week later, Sesshoumaru found himself at the top of a large set of stairs. Casting his youki out, he smirked at what he found in the shadows.

Predictable.

He made his way to the main house, knocking twice. An older woman opened the door, confusion evident on her face before she gave him a welcoming smile.

He could see the resemblance.

"Hello, how can I help you today?"

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

She frowned, her head tilting to the side. "Yes, do I know you?"

"No. My name is Sesshoumaru Taisho, I am a doctor at St. Luke's International. I am here to inform you that your daughter has been in an accident."

The colour drained from the woman's face, and she slumped against the doorframe.

"Is she—is she alright? Who—" Her eyes darted around them. "What caused the accident?"

"Your daughter sustained minimal injuries. However, that is not the reason I am here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "She left before she was cleared by the nurses and has run out on her hospital bill."

Mrs. Higurashi took the piece of paper from him, her mouth falling open in shock. "What? She wouldn't do that! And since when do doctors hand deliver medical bills?"

Sesshoumaru hid his smirk. The resemblance really was uncanny. Schooling his features, he gave her his haughtiest look.

"Since she was told specifically to wait until her injuries had healed before she was to leave." He tapped the paper. "All the details of her care are in here."

She straightened her shoulders, unaffected by him as she unfolded the paper, her dark brown eyes dancing over the numbers. "I can assure you, we can afford anything she—oh!"

"She received extensive care, Mrs. Higurashi. This is not a balance you can pay off in one installment. And I prefer when patients take care of their own business instead of relying on those close to them. It can get them in trouble."

"Y-Yes, of course. I understand." Her eyes filled with tears as she read the scribbled message at the bottom of the page. Recognizing her daughter's handwriting immediately, even through the smudges of red pen.

Escaped N

Safe

Trust S

"I have a sister in law enforcement and she will be looking into this personally." He reached out and tapped the N on the first line. "You can be sure we will get to the bottom of her disappearance."

She gave him a silent nod, holding the paper against her chest. "Can I—"

"I will be back to see if she has contacted you at all. Do not think you can hide, Mrs. Higurashi. There are always people watching."

Understanding dawned and she gave him a curt nod. He leaned in, the movement threatening to any onlookers as he spoke low, his voice barely above a rumble.

"Justice will prevail, Mrs. Higurashi. I give you my word on that." Not waiting for an answer, he turned and walked back to the top of the shrine steps. Casting one last look at the older woman before disappearing down to the world below.

The shadow he'd sensed before was following him and he smirked in anticipation.

He'd promised Kagome no unnecessary bloodshed, but he couldn't very well allow anything to follow him home, now, could he? Especially considering its proximity to her family's home. No, she would understand.

He flexed his hands, wondering what colour would stain his claws tonight.