Author's Notes: I know it was a bit confusing in the first chapter but it will be cleared up soon and things will make more sense.
Queer Practicality
Chapter 2
Surprised to be Dead
Hectic and active as always in the hospital, the doctors and nurses rushed back and forth in the emergency room with their hands full.
Just now there are two patients that are in a grave situation and in a dire need for a surgery—a matter of life or death which is not to be taken as a pun.
Both Inuyasha and Kagome were in the same condition. They were placed still on the bed in their own room with their oxygen masks on. The doctors and nurses encircled the patient in this life-threatening situation to perform their duties in the surgery. They were basically carrying out the same procedures to Kagome and Inuyasha. But to no avail, the light beeps in the heart monitor have dropped to a monotonous drone in both patients. The doctors quickly resort to the defibrillator. Without wasting time the nurses obtained the gel pads and prepared for the doctor's next step. The doctors stand next to the patient, holding the paddles while their assistance nurses adjust the droning apparatus.
"Clear!" The people around stepped back as the doctors placed the paddles down on the patients' chests and snapped on the button.
Kagome and Inuyasha's body jolted from the bed, responding to the force of the shock, but there was still no heartbeat.
"Again. Clear!" The doctor repeated and placed the paddles down again, this time on a higher voltage. Once again both patients doesn't react to the electricity shock. Trying to revive the patients one last time, the doctors attempted again.
This time something changed.
Something they haven't expected.
Inuyasha's pulse had returned. The heart moniter was showing a feeble sign of bleeps and the patient's eyes slowly started to open slightly.
"Doctor, he has a pulse." The nurse informed.
"Quick. Send him to intensive care." The doctor brusquely commanded.
Meanwhile in the other room, where Kagome are, the doctors and nurse still can't a pulse after several attempts. Believing that there's no hope at all, they shook their heads and stopped the defibrillator machine. "What is the time?"
"2:12 pm." The nurse replied with a clip board in her hands.
"Mark the time. Certify." The doctor simply told the nurse and walked out of the cold emergency room to report the news.
~«*»~
Out of the emergency room, Miroku, Sango, and the Higurashi family sat anxiously on the benches waiting for God knows how long.
"Please be okay. Please be okay." Mrs. Higurashi prayed which she quietly mumbled to herself.
The others were quiet though.
Souta, Kagome's little brother, sat next to his mother and watched everyone, moving his pupils to one place then to another in curiosity while dangling his legs. Kagome's grandpa was staring at the door with his weary eyes, waiting for someone to come out. Miroku and Sango on the other hand, was sitting on the other bench next to theirs either gazing at the ceiling or the floor with their blank eyes, contemplating what had happened before their eyes not so long ago.
Just then the doctor walked out. At that second Mrs. Higurashi and the others rushed to the doctor, encircling him.
"Is she all right?"
"Is he ok?"
"How is she?"
"Can we go see her?"
"Hold on." The doctor raised his hand in defense and tried to silence the crowd that is bombarding him with questions. "Let me answer your questions one at a time. Now are you the family or friends of the patients?"
"Yes." They all answered in unison.
"The male patient, Mr. Inuyasha Hitoushi am I correct?"
"Right." Miroku responded.
"He's very lucky. The bullet didn't pierce through his heart but he is still in a serious condition. However he will survive."
"What about my daughter, Kagome Higurashi?"
The doctor hesitated for a second. This was never an easy thing to say, but it is his job to break the news. "I'm sorry. The bullet had penetrated her heart, causing a major loss of blood. We did everything we could."
With that said, Mrs. Higurashi broke down to sobs, followed by Sango, then Souta and finally to Grandpa. Although it was the more silent type in Grandpa unlike Mrs. Higurashi, who was really overwhelmed but not that the others aren't. Souta was hugging his mother with his face hidden—in fact, he was trying really hard to hide his tears since now he know that he had to be brave but due to the fact that he was just a kid at the age of ten, he can't stop the uncontrollably tears from falling, nonetheless he did his best to kept his facade from sinking—he did wept silently in grief for the death of his adored sister while trying to comfort his mom.
"Why... why?" Mrs. Higurashi murmured while she had her hand over her mouth trying to conceal her sobs.
"Kagome...." Sango closed her eyes as the tears trickle down her face relentlessly.
Miroku stood there, looking at them. Indeed there was nothing he could do to ease them, so he just stood helplessly, watching Sango and Kagome's family weep in sorrow. But being the sympathetic person he is, he rested his hand on Sango's shoulder, who was actually standing next to him, to comfort her in this situation.
This gave her a little shock in response.
She turned her head and find Miroku looking down at her with his solemn, indigo eyes.
The fact that Miroku-the-pervert would actually be sensitive and not to mention that his hand wasn't in the wrong place surprised her a bit. But other than that she was startled because suddenly of the connection without her awareness. She was quite tensed up even though it was just friendly pat. She regarded him with her tearful, magenta eyes and gave him a weak smile in return for showing his kindness.
Unbeknownst to Sango, that smile of hers was enough to melt his heart.
Before Miroku had the time to say anything, someone's cell phone rung.
......It appears to be his own cell, playing a very particular music of a song: 'Baby Got Back.'
Sango quirked her eyebrows and stared at him with wide eyes. A innocent grin curled on his lips and he sweat-dropped when Sango gave him that weird look.
"Excuse me." He quickly answered his cell phone. "Hello?"
"Miroku, get your butt back here right now."
"Yes, Sir Myouga. What's up?"
"You certainly know what's up. Where are you now?"
"At the hospital."
"We are interrogating the witnesses about the incident. We need you in here too and the victim's friend, Sango Ohaki."
"We'll be there right away." He naturally clicked the button and snapped the phone shut, ending the conversation abruptly. Turning his gaze back to Sango, he find her glaring at him with her arms crossed. Getting back to business he cleared his throat. "Ms. Ohaki, it seems like we have to be in the police station for some interrogation. So do you mind coming with me right now?"
She narrowed her eyes while glaring at him even more menacingly.
"Alright. I swear I won't do anything." He figured that if he tried anything more she will surely pound him.
"Fine. Let's get it over with." She replied bluntly.
~«*»~
~At the Police Station~
"So what do you think of this?" Myouga asked while he joggled his soda can sitting on the top of the escritoire, his feet can't even reach halfway from the desk to the floor. He was really what they called a midget.
"Hmm... We inspected the field but I found nothing. The murderer must have known the victim's whereabouts that's for sure. So this person or persons must be acquainted with the victim." Miroku answered standing next to the sturdy, wooden chair.
"Any suspects?" Another officer stepped up.
"So far... the only suspect is Kikyo Shigame, Taika I assume." Their chief answered tersely.
"So jealousy is her only motive?" The apparently officer named Taika pondered.
"It was obvious that Kagome Higurashi had been friendlier and more welcoming in office than her and not to mention better than her in terms of working and popularity from what divulged from the witnesses that are either her friends or co-workers." He was in thought for a second. "It's not that difficult to imagine Kikyou Shigame killing Kagome Higurashi because of her bitter jealousy of her. But she seemed so calm though when we questioned her and she said that she's not the only one that resent her at work." Miroku analyzed.
"Who knows maybe Kagome Higurashi had other enemies?"
Just then another person stepped into the office, holding a few files on his hand and passing it over to Myouga.
"Thankyou Akio." Myouga reviewed the files. "According to her family and friends, she was a person that can easily get along with other people and was not likely to make adversaries."
"Oh... so Kikyou Shigame is the murderer."
"Noooo." He groaned. "She's the suspect number one."
"So who's the murderer again?"
"You know... you are a bit slow." Myouga mocked sarcastically.
"I know." Taika shrugged, not feeling any offended at all.
"Just forget it, Taika." Miroku shook his head.
"So now we'll keep Kikyou Shigame under surveillance and meanwhile checking the victim's relationships with the people she knows." Akyo concluded.
"Okay we have a lot to do in our hands." Miroku said.
"How's Inuyasha?" Myouga suddenly brought up.
"He's fine, Sir."
"Good. All right then. Time to get cracking." His eyes were still pasted to the report. "Can one of you three lend me a couple of bucks for a cup of coffee?"
No answer.
He looked up from reading the files and found everyone gone. "Where they go? Darn they run so fast."
~«*»~
It was early in the morning, around 3:00 am or so, the sky was nevertheless dark as ebony and plus there was a storm. The hospital was dead still and quiet. Even though it wouldn't be as scary as a haunted house but it's still kind of creepy when no one's around. It was raining hard outside. The pitter-patter of the incessant rain plummeting against the windows and the loud thunder roaring along with the instant flashes of lightning makes the thunderstorm twice as frightening. All the patients' room's lights are out except the lights out in the hallways and in the offices where some nurses are still working and checking on patients. The only sounds that can be detected outside of the patient's rooms were the nurses's pacing footsteps along the corridors.
This is what gets on his nerves.
Just when it gets all peaceful and he's ready for bed after the nurses came like hundreds times to tell him to do so and there has to be little rackets that pops out of nowhere and bugs him. And when one's over, a moment of stillness reign but after for like a few seconds something else has to start—something that really irritates for someone that's in a bad mood. He had already squashed the stinking fly that has buzzing around the room, slammed the window shut because of the storm, and plopped the pillow over his head to muffle anymore sound. After all he had already been writhing around for an hour or two.
~ 15 minutes later~
By some miracle, he finally got himself resting but unbeknownst to him this is not yet about to end.
~ 1 hour later~
The rain still hasn't stop. The thundering has dwindled but the rain was coming down hard as ever.
Although the thunderstorm continued, this doesn't affect him in anyway, for he was deep in his sleep, maybe even dreaming.
It was dark in the room except for the little nightlight and the slight shimmering beam through the blinds. From the inadequately lights in the room, a feminine silhouette was illuminated—her shadow moving within the wall and the floor. She stepped forward and gazed idly at Inuyasha's sleeping form.
Her face was contorted with confusion and anger. "Why did you survived and I didn't?!Why are you alive am I'm not?!?" Kagome screamed out, not caring if she could wake anybody up or not because no one could hear her at all.
At the sound of her voice, Inuyasha bounced right up where he lied resting; his eyes were still half opened. He was partially awake but he did acknowledged the fact that there was no one.
He cocked his head and cracked his neck. Hours of sleeping really do gets a person all sore and fuzzy. Especially in his case, well, let's just say that he had an awful day. Then at the sudden when he turned his head to look up, he found Kagome launching at him fiercely and grasping his neck in a terminal way and choking the daylights out of him. He caught her wrists and struggling to push the crazy woman away who is trying to kill him.
With him thrashing and all, he woke up from his crazy dream, or then again, a nightmare with his arms still flinging around. Opening his eyes and taking a good look around, he reassured himself that it was only a dream but he did felt somewhat disturbed of dreaming about someone that had just died.
"Bitch..." he grumbled and along with other incoherent things.
Then he caught something from the corner of his eye.
The door was slowly opening, revealing a crack of brightness from the hallway. Inuyasha shielded his eyes from the light before he can adjust to it. A man was standing still at the doorway with his hands raised like a zombie. He was an old man with eyes as huge as chicken eggs and his long, grey beard reached to his chest.
"Give me back my bed." He mumbled as he started to approach Inuyasha. "Give me back my bed."
"Another dream..." Inuyasha groaned and smacked his forehead with his palm.
Inuyasha stared at him as he moves toward him. "Give me back my bed." He repeated.
He shooked his head and tried to wake himself, or so he thought. But then he felt someone's hands tapped him by the shoulders.
"What the hell—" Inuyasha felt the guy jolting him from the shoulders.
"Hey hey Mr. Totousai." A nurse came in and walked towards the two. She tapped on the old man's shoulder. "You forgot again. Your room is B107."
"Oh yeah it was."
"Now let's go back to your room." The nurse led him out.
"Where am I again?" Both the nurse and Totousai walked out the room, leaving Inuyasha sitting in his bed with a sweat-drop.
"When is this going to be over?" He let out a drawn-out sigh.
~«*»~
"So I'm dead now." Kagome walked up to the rooftop of the hospital and sat on the platform. Instinctively she reached for her heart necklace that's bore on her neck and fiddled it frivolously whilst she was deep in thought. Her dull, brown eyes staring distantly forward at the rain. The raindrops were splashing callously on the tarmac at first but as the storm prolonged, the harsh droplets converted into a lighter spray of water.
Although it was still a stormy weather outside but it didn't bother her. She was in fact dead so she was transparent. Nothing solid could collide into her or vice versa— she was unable to touch—one of the things ghost lacked.
It's funny though. Always, whenever it was raining and it was just her lone self, she would sit next to the window and watch the rain. Somehow this is a way for her to alleviate stress and think clearer. But who would thought that this time, she would be sitting outside in the rain to think and can avoid getting drenched and from getting a fever.
Just that and her life was over.
Just how could have anyone predicted that? For a moment she was having all fun and games but then the second... she was watching her family and her friend wept over her death.
It was heartbreaking for her.
The sight of seeing it made herself cried. She tried to call out to them but no one could hear her or see her.
That was it.
No more hanging out. No more chatting with Sango. No more family times. No life. All gone thanks to the one who killed me. She said it miserably to herself.
She all of a sudden become more fuming at the thought of her death.
Who could have been the murderer? Who would have wanted me out of the way so badly that he/she had to kill me? Well Kikyou would have been one major suspect. She sighed.
I hate this. If I died why am I still here? I mean... aren't I suppose to be actually be six-feet under?
She hugged her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, feeling really lonely and lost. What am I going to do? Tears starts to well up in her eyes again. She buried her face in her arms, her smooth, black hair cascading on her back and her shoulders shaking intensely. "What.. am I.... going to... do..?" She nearly choked on a sob.
Her soft crying sound turned to louder sobs but it was stifled by the rain.
I hate being alone.
Suddenly she felt it's so quiet excluding her own sniffles. She lifted her chin and looked around her surroundings. The rain had stop. Gazing at the night sky with her weary eyes, she see that dawn is almost approaching. A soft, cool breeze drift by, swept her hair flowing.
What's the use of sitting around anyways. Her conscience told her.
Right I have to do something. Whoever killed me has to pay and for dear life he/she will or my name isn't Kagome Higurashi.
Realizing that this isn't the time to cry, she hoisted her hand from her embrace and brushed the tears from her cheeks.
She has to get up. She still has unfinish business to do. She has to find the murderer, the one who had taken her life away from the ones she loved, in order to serve justice or render her a chance to rest in peace.
Slowly she pulled herself up and straighten herself. Now she had only one thing in mind— revenge. But first she needs to find Inuyasha.
AN: Until next time ^.^;
