Love Beyond Life
Book Two: Life in Modern Times
Chapter 1
Sango-sama
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
******
After they had reached Kagome's side of the well earlier that morning, Kagome had been rushed to the hospital with her mother at her side. Inuyasha, with his speed, tracked the ambulance atop the roofs of Tokyo. The rest of them had to walk to the hospital.
Sango had found herself gaping at all of the wonders of Kagome's country. Souta held her hand and was busily tugging her along. There were so many people milling about on the raised stone paths that lay right next to the tall building, towering high over their heads. There was a long enclosed cart that zipped along a raised stone road; she was certain that it was moving along faster than Kirara ever had, and that was saying quite a bit as the mountain lion demoness moved at incredibly fast speeds during battle.
The exhaust of the cars, the smell of thousands of people in one place, the clashing perfumes of everything from cleaning products to soap... It was sensory overload for someone used to walking around the unspoiled countryside. 'Its really a wonder that Inuyasha, with his highly sensitive nose didn't have a fit every time he came to pick up Kagome.' Sango chuckled inwardly at the thought. 'Well, he certainly threw a fit, but it wasn't because of his nose.'
Markets lined the paved streets, the windows presenting shining glassware, elegant robes, and a wealth of toys...such items that only the richest daimyo could afford for his family, were so common here in Kagome's country. A few of the girls about her age were wearing pants which closely resembled her battle garb, but many of them wore the same short dresses Kagome always wore...and some wore theirs even shorter, which caused Sango to blush slightly.
A ghost of a smile perked her lips as she absently wondered what sort of land speed records Miroku would break in trying to grope her if she ever dared to wear such an outfit. Unfortunately, all too quickly she remembered what had become of her lecherous companion...this in turn had forced her memory onto the last words he had said to her. Her smile faded as she tried to force those thoughts from her mind. It wouldn't do to wade in her own misery while Kagome's life still hung in the balance.
******
Almost as soon as Kagome had come into the hospital, her odd, rolling bed was pushed off into another wing of the hospital. After Kagome's mother had been forced to fill out a seemingly endless string of paperwork, the group had been ushered slowly down an endless maze of hallways, to a tiny room a short distance from where Kagome was being kept. As they passed her door, they could all see a blur of white coats scurrying around her bed. A large red light above the door gave the ominous proclamation that surgery was in progress.
Sango sighed as she shifted her weight on the surprisingly soft chair. They had been at the hospital for the whole afternoon...waiting for some sort of news about Kagome from this...doctor person. The sour smell of antiseptic was nearly as strong in the tiny windowless room as it had been on their way past all of the patient's rooms. She found herself quickly growing anxious.
She sipped a can of cold tea that had come from one of the large vending machines down the hall, trying to cover the overpowering smell of the antiseptic. Souta had to help her exchange the coins for one of the cans. Sango was almost surprised to see the can drop into the black box at the bottom of the machine, but Kagome's country seemed to have so many marvels that nearly everything she had seen had managed to surprise her.
For the past half an hour, Kagome's mother had been pacing the small room, wearing permanent scuff marks into the marbled tile floor. Her hands had nervously smoothed down her hair, mussing the curls that were set so perfectly; now and then, her fingers would wrap around each other and her clasped hands would lightly press against her trembling lips.
The old man had buried his head in a magazine, while Kagome's brother played a video game. The chirps and whistles of the console was suddenly halted by the loud voice, which shouted a cheerful "Game over!" Souta was not nearly so cheerful as he reluctantly started a new game.
Sango frowned as she slumped down in one of the seats between Kagome's little brother and grandfather. 'Was it like this for Kagome's mother was every time her daughter left their country to help look for the Shinkon shards? She must feel miserable.'
Inuyasha himself looked a bit pale. He was mulling over the tiny dots that clung unto the ceiling tiles like tiny, dark stars. They had been sitting in this hallway for far too long. He ground the flat surface of his molars together as he watched the older woman pace, his pronounced fangs tapping together in time with the clack-clacking of Mrs. Higurashi's heels across the tile flooring.
Sango bit her lip, deep in thought. Kagome had very much become a part of their rag-tag family, she knew it be incredibly difficult for her if Kagome was somehow unable to pull through. She had already dealt with so many deaths of all the people she cared for so dearly. But she knew that she could pull through, if nothing else but to complete her revenge on Naraku for the deaths of her entire village.
But Inuyasha... She frowned as she traced her finger over the lip of the aluminum can. He had met Kagome long before she, Miroku, and Shippou ever had. Even with his debt to Kikyou still in the picture, it was fully obvious to her that Kagome had touched him more deeply than even had expected. Somewhere along the way, Kagome had become dear to him, perhaps much more so than Kikyou, although no one aside from the hanyou himself would every truly be able to say for certain. If she died...it might really break his spirit. And without Inuyasha's help, Sango doubted that she would ever be able to stop Naraku and redeem the name of her village.
He certainly was as worried as Kagome's mother, but watching her continuously tread back and forth was only making him more impatient. The smell, the tiny room, the excessively long wait...all of it was almost certainly trying Inuyasha's dwindling patience. His fists were clenched tight, shaking angrily, but much to Sango's surprise, he made no move to do something as drastic as sinking his knuckles through the dry wall. "Where the hell is that damn doctor?"
Mrs. Higurashi stopped pacing with her back to them all. The others gazed at her out of concern; Sango turned and threw a sharp warning glare at Inuyasha, but he was too consumed by his irritation to notice. "It's been too damn long already! Why won't they just say something to us?"
He had only voiced what.they were all thinking, but in shaping the thought into spoken words Inuyasha had shattered the woman's already wavering dam of self control. No longer could Kagome's mother hold back her rapidly welling tears. Her shoulders were slumped and shaking. The tears were streaming down her face as she tried in vain to stifle her soft, choked sobs.
Inuyasha's amber eyes widened. "I..." His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, as the words stumbled feebly from his mouth. He certainly hadn't intended to make Kagome's mother cry. "I didn't..."
The old man sat quietly, giving a mournful glance to the tile floor.
"Mom...it'll be okay." Souta got up and stood at his mother's side, rubbing his tiny hand over hers as comfortingly as he could manage. "Kagome will be fine, you'll see." She threw her arms around Souta, pulling him into a tight, desperate hug and began to sob onto his tiny shoulder. "You'll see..."
'But Inu-niisan is right. Why won't they just tell us that she is alright?' The boy sighed softly, as his hand rested on the back of his mother's neck.
Sango dragged Inuyasha out the door and a bit farther down to hallway by the still bloodstained sleeve of his hakuma.
She didn't dare to stop until they were well out of hearing range, but then she turned on him angrily, the slight red tinge of battle aura surrounding her. Her deep brown eyes bored holes into his as he pressed back fearfully against the wall. "You know very well where he is, Inuyasha. He's still in that room, like he has been all afternoon, doing all he can for Kagome- chan " She hissed sharply forcing Inuyasha to cringe. Of course she knew that he was worried, but he wasn't making things easier for anyone else. She pressed her lips together tightly, eyes straying to the now far off door before she glanced back at Inuyasha. "Right now, we can't do anything to help her. We have to trust him."
He looked at the floor uncomfortably.
The Taiji-ya sighed wearily. It was clear that he hadn't intended to hurt Kagome's mother, but his impatience was beginning to grate on everyone. "I know you're impatient to see how she is. I am, too. But right now you're only upsetting her mother. She just can't handle that sort of stress right now."
"I..." He shifted uncomfortably; his ears twitched as his enhanced senses could detect the softest sound of whimpering coming from the far off waiting room. "I'm going up to the roof." He avoided Sango's eyes as he trudged towards the stairwell. "If something happens..."
Sango nodded. "Someone will come find you."
She watched silently as the stairwell door shut behind him, before breathing a soft sigh of relief.
******
Sango was beginning to regret returning to the cramped waiting room. The tense air that had enveloped the room still lingered with the antiseptic smell. She had returned from her conversation with Inuyasha only a half an hour before, but the wait now had seemed far longer than the two hours that had already passed in wait.
Mrs. Higurashi had an anxious grip on the younger girl's hand, giving it a squeeze whenever the burden of waiting seemed too much.
"Kagome has a strong will, Mrs. Higurashi." Sango said, with a smile that appeared far more certain than she was feeling at the moment. "I'm sure she'll pull through."
The mother returned her smile, as she brushed away a large tear nestled in the corner of her eye. "Thank you, Sango-chan."
"I'm going to go and get a cup of water." Sango stated as she gently freed her hand and stood up. "Would you like one?"
The older woman nodded silently.
While Sango was out, the door to the waiting room creaked open slowly. A dark-haired man in a long white coat stepped into the room, taking great pains to softly shut the door behind him.
Mrs. Higurashi had jumped out of her chair and was looking up into the doctor's stark blue eyes with a mix of anxious apprehension. "How is she?"
The man smiled weakly, as he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. "She was bleeding internally, but we managed to stitch up the wound and stop the bleeding not too long ago. She'll be asleep for at least another hour more."
Mrs. Higurashi brushed away a few tears. "Then, she will be okay?"
"Well, I'd like to keep her here for another day or so, just to make sure that her stitches don't open back up." His eyes were serious, but he graced her with a quick smile. "She'll also want to keep still at home for a few weeks, but she should have no problems after that."
"That's wonderful!" Kagome's Grandfather boomed jovially.
"I must ask, though. How is it that she got such a wound?" The doctor looked a bit concerned. "I could tell that she has had it for a while...and from the stitches she had, that someone tried to fix it."
Mrs. Higurashi had gone pale.
"Well, my granddaughter is one of the miko of our shrine..." Jii-chan started, scratching nervously at the back of his head. "A...a powerful one at that."
As luck would have it, Sango had chosen that moment to come back into their tiny waiting room with two cups of water in hand. "Kagome-chan," she murmured anxiously, her eyes wide. "Is she alright?"
The older woman smiled as she accepted one of the cups. "Yes, dear. She'll be fine."
Sango pressed a free hand over her heart and allowed a relieved smile.
"The doctor here was just asking how Kagome was hurt." Jii-chan gave her a look, which prompted her to take over telling the tale.
"I..." The Taiji-ya looked a bit unsure. Her country and Kagome's were so different, that it was possible that this doctor might misunderstand her. But all eyes in the room were focused on her; reluctantly, she gave in. "Alright."
Sango turned to look towards the doctor to try and explain the situation.
And promptly fainted.
******
He had woven his way through the labyrinth of hallways and stairwells, eventually emerging into the light amber hue that illuminated the roof. The sun was setting fast over the horizon.
Inuyasha perched himself on the cement lip, his feet hanging over the side of the building to brush against the rapidly cooling cement. He regarded his claws with naked irritation.
He never should have left her alone. He should have been by her side faster.
His hand balled into a fist, his claws digging deep into the fleshy heel of his palm.
It was his duty to keep her safe. He had sworn to her mother he would keep her safe. Even more, he had sworn to himself that he would keep her safe. For himself. Whether it was a selfish hope or not, he could not stand to lose another woman, let alone one who had so changed his heart.
As long as he was still living and breathing, he would not leave her side again.
******
Author's Notes: I would like to thank Queen and Mynuet for being my sounding boards here. I'm trying to extend my writing style; I would be much appreciative of any feedback. Should I keep my style as is...or lengthen it, as I've done with this chapter?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
******
After they had reached Kagome's side of the well earlier that morning, Kagome had been rushed to the hospital with her mother at her side. Inuyasha, with his speed, tracked the ambulance atop the roofs of Tokyo. The rest of them had to walk to the hospital.
Sango had found herself gaping at all of the wonders of Kagome's country. Souta held her hand and was busily tugging her along. There were so many people milling about on the raised stone paths that lay right next to the tall building, towering high over their heads. There was a long enclosed cart that zipped along a raised stone road; she was certain that it was moving along faster than Kirara ever had, and that was saying quite a bit as the mountain lion demoness moved at incredibly fast speeds during battle.
The exhaust of the cars, the smell of thousands of people in one place, the clashing perfumes of everything from cleaning products to soap... It was sensory overload for someone used to walking around the unspoiled countryside. 'Its really a wonder that Inuyasha, with his highly sensitive nose didn't have a fit every time he came to pick up Kagome.' Sango chuckled inwardly at the thought. 'Well, he certainly threw a fit, but it wasn't because of his nose.'
Markets lined the paved streets, the windows presenting shining glassware, elegant robes, and a wealth of toys...such items that only the richest daimyo could afford for his family, were so common here in Kagome's country. A few of the girls about her age were wearing pants which closely resembled her battle garb, but many of them wore the same short dresses Kagome always wore...and some wore theirs even shorter, which caused Sango to blush slightly.
A ghost of a smile perked her lips as she absently wondered what sort of land speed records Miroku would break in trying to grope her if she ever dared to wear such an outfit. Unfortunately, all too quickly she remembered what had become of her lecherous companion...this in turn had forced her memory onto the last words he had said to her. Her smile faded as she tried to force those thoughts from her mind. It wouldn't do to wade in her own misery while Kagome's life still hung in the balance.
******
Almost as soon as Kagome had come into the hospital, her odd, rolling bed was pushed off into another wing of the hospital. After Kagome's mother had been forced to fill out a seemingly endless string of paperwork, the group had been ushered slowly down an endless maze of hallways, to a tiny room a short distance from where Kagome was being kept. As they passed her door, they could all see a blur of white coats scurrying around her bed. A large red light above the door gave the ominous proclamation that surgery was in progress.
Sango sighed as she shifted her weight on the surprisingly soft chair. They had been at the hospital for the whole afternoon...waiting for some sort of news about Kagome from this...doctor person. The sour smell of antiseptic was nearly as strong in the tiny windowless room as it had been on their way past all of the patient's rooms. She found herself quickly growing anxious.
She sipped a can of cold tea that had come from one of the large vending machines down the hall, trying to cover the overpowering smell of the antiseptic. Souta had to help her exchange the coins for one of the cans. Sango was almost surprised to see the can drop into the black box at the bottom of the machine, but Kagome's country seemed to have so many marvels that nearly everything she had seen had managed to surprise her.
For the past half an hour, Kagome's mother had been pacing the small room, wearing permanent scuff marks into the marbled tile floor. Her hands had nervously smoothed down her hair, mussing the curls that were set so perfectly; now and then, her fingers would wrap around each other and her clasped hands would lightly press against her trembling lips.
The old man had buried his head in a magazine, while Kagome's brother played a video game. The chirps and whistles of the console was suddenly halted by the loud voice, which shouted a cheerful "Game over!" Souta was not nearly so cheerful as he reluctantly started a new game.
Sango frowned as she slumped down in one of the seats between Kagome's little brother and grandfather. 'Was it like this for Kagome's mother was every time her daughter left their country to help look for the Shinkon shards? She must feel miserable.'
Inuyasha himself looked a bit pale. He was mulling over the tiny dots that clung unto the ceiling tiles like tiny, dark stars. They had been sitting in this hallway for far too long. He ground the flat surface of his molars together as he watched the older woman pace, his pronounced fangs tapping together in time with the clack-clacking of Mrs. Higurashi's heels across the tile flooring.
Sango bit her lip, deep in thought. Kagome had very much become a part of their rag-tag family, she knew it be incredibly difficult for her if Kagome was somehow unable to pull through. She had already dealt with so many deaths of all the people she cared for so dearly. But she knew that she could pull through, if nothing else but to complete her revenge on Naraku for the deaths of her entire village.
But Inuyasha... She frowned as she traced her finger over the lip of the aluminum can. He had met Kagome long before she, Miroku, and Shippou ever had. Even with his debt to Kikyou still in the picture, it was fully obvious to her that Kagome had touched him more deeply than even had expected. Somewhere along the way, Kagome had become dear to him, perhaps much more so than Kikyou, although no one aside from the hanyou himself would every truly be able to say for certain. If she died...it might really break his spirit. And without Inuyasha's help, Sango doubted that she would ever be able to stop Naraku and redeem the name of her village.
He certainly was as worried as Kagome's mother, but watching her continuously tread back and forth was only making him more impatient. The smell, the tiny room, the excessively long wait...all of it was almost certainly trying Inuyasha's dwindling patience. His fists were clenched tight, shaking angrily, but much to Sango's surprise, he made no move to do something as drastic as sinking his knuckles through the dry wall. "Where the hell is that damn doctor?"
Mrs. Higurashi stopped pacing with her back to them all. The others gazed at her out of concern; Sango turned and threw a sharp warning glare at Inuyasha, but he was too consumed by his irritation to notice. "It's been too damn long already! Why won't they just say something to us?"
He had only voiced what.they were all thinking, but in shaping the thought into spoken words Inuyasha had shattered the woman's already wavering dam of self control. No longer could Kagome's mother hold back her rapidly welling tears. Her shoulders were slumped and shaking. The tears were streaming down her face as she tried in vain to stifle her soft, choked sobs.
Inuyasha's amber eyes widened. "I..." His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, as the words stumbled feebly from his mouth. He certainly hadn't intended to make Kagome's mother cry. "I didn't..."
The old man sat quietly, giving a mournful glance to the tile floor.
"Mom...it'll be okay." Souta got up and stood at his mother's side, rubbing his tiny hand over hers as comfortingly as he could manage. "Kagome will be fine, you'll see." She threw her arms around Souta, pulling him into a tight, desperate hug and began to sob onto his tiny shoulder. "You'll see..."
'But Inu-niisan is right. Why won't they just tell us that she is alright?' The boy sighed softly, as his hand rested on the back of his mother's neck.
Sango dragged Inuyasha out the door and a bit farther down to hallway by the still bloodstained sleeve of his hakuma.
She didn't dare to stop until they were well out of hearing range, but then she turned on him angrily, the slight red tinge of battle aura surrounding her. Her deep brown eyes bored holes into his as he pressed back fearfully against the wall. "You know very well where he is, Inuyasha. He's still in that room, like he has been all afternoon, doing all he can for Kagome- chan " She hissed sharply forcing Inuyasha to cringe. Of course she knew that he was worried, but he wasn't making things easier for anyone else. She pressed her lips together tightly, eyes straying to the now far off door before she glanced back at Inuyasha. "Right now, we can't do anything to help her. We have to trust him."
He looked at the floor uncomfortably.
The Taiji-ya sighed wearily. It was clear that he hadn't intended to hurt Kagome's mother, but his impatience was beginning to grate on everyone. "I know you're impatient to see how she is. I am, too. But right now you're only upsetting her mother. She just can't handle that sort of stress right now."
"I..." He shifted uncomfortably; his ears twitched as his enhanced senses could detect the softest sound of whimpering coming from the far off waiting room. "I'm going up to the roof." He avoided Sango's eyes as he trudged towards the stairwell. "If something happens..."
Sango nodded. "Someone will come find you."
She watched silently as the stairwell door shut behind him, before breathing a soft sigh of relief.
******
Sango was beginning to regret returning to the cramped waiting room. The tense air that had enveloped the room still lingered with the antiseptic smell. She had returned from her conversation with Inuyasha only a half an hour before, but the wait now had seemed far longer than the two hours that had already passed in wait.
Mrs. Higurashi had an anxious grip on the younger girl's hand, giving it a squeeze whenever the burden of waiting seemed too much.
"Kagome has a strong will, Mrs. Higurashi." Sango said, with a smile that appeared far more certain than she was feeling at the moment. "I'm sure she'll pull through."
The mother returned her smile, as she brushed away a large tear nestled in the corner of her eye. "Thank you, Sango-chan."
"I'm going to go and get a cup of water." Sango stated as she gently freed her hand and stood up. "Would you like one?"
The older woman nodded silently.
While Sango was out, the door to the waiting room creaked open slowly. A dark-haired man in a long white coat stepped into the room, taking great pains to softly shut the door behind him.
Mrs. Higurashi had jumped out of her chair and was looking up into the doctor's stark blue eyes with a mix of anxious apprehension. "How is she?"
The man smiled weakly, as he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. "She was bleeding internally, but we managed to stitch up the wound and stop the bleeding not too long ago. She'll be asleep for at least another hour more."
Mrs. Higurashi brushed away a few tears. "Then, she will be okay?"
"Well, I'd like to keep her here for another day or so, just to make sure that her stitches don't open back up." His eyes were serious, but he graced her with a quick smile. "She'll also want to keep still at home for a few weeks, but she should have no problems after that."
"That's wonderful!" Kagome's Grandfather boomed jovially.
"I must ask, though. How is it that she got such a wound?" The doctor looked a bit concerned. "I could tell that she has had it for a while...and from the stitches she had, that someone tried to fix it."
Mrs. Higurashi had gone pale.
"Well, my granddaughter is one of the miko of our shrine..." Jii-chan started, scratching nervously at the back of his head. "A...a powerful one at that."
As luck would have it, Sango had chosen that moment to come back into their tiny waiting room with two cups of water in hand. "Kagome-chan," she murmured anxiously, her eyes wide. "Is she alright?"
The older woman smiled as she accepted one of the cups. "Yes, dear. She'll be fine."
Sango pressed a free hand over her heart and allowed a relieved smile.
"The doctor here was just asking how Kagome was hurt." Jii-chan gave her a look, which prompted her to take over telling the tale.
"I..." The Taiji-ya looked a bit unsure. Her country and Kagome's were so different, that it was possible that this doctor might misunderstand her. But all eyes in the room were focused on her; reluctantly, she gave in. "Alright."
Sango turned to look towards the doctor to try and explain the situation.
And promptly fainted.
******
He had woven his way through the labyrinth of hallways and stairwells, eventually emerging into the light amber hue that illuminated the roof. The sun was setting fast over the horizon.
Inuyasha perched himself on the cement lip, his feet hanging over the side of the building to brush against the rapidly cooling cement. He regarded his claws with naked irritation.
He never should have left her alone. He should have been by her side faster.
His hand balled into a fist, his claws digging deep into the fleshy heel of his palm.
It was his duty to keep her safe. He had sworn to her mother he would keep her safe. Even more, he had sworn to himself that he would keep her safe. For himself. Whether it was a selfish hope or not, he could not stand to lose another woman, let alone one who had so changed his heart.
As long as he was still living and breathing, he would not leave her side again.
******
Author's Notes: I would like to thank Queen and Mynuet for being my sounding boards here. I'm trying to extend my writing style; I would be much appreciative of any feedback. Should I keep my style as is...or lengthen it, as I've done with this chapter?