CGII:

Inuyasha could only watch his brother with a saddened expression. All night he had spent with his parents at his sibling's bedside at the hospital. The young man's lavender eyes revealed an unusual gentleness at seeing his older half brother in such a state.

The doctors were not being very optimistic.

Dr. Suikotsu was the best in the field of neurology. And Inuyasha's family most definitely had the money to afford the absolute best. The doctor bit his bottom lip as he shifted his eyes back and forth from his clipboard to look at Sesshoumaru's vital signs being recorded on the monitors.

"He's a very lucky young man," Dr. Suikotsu began, meeting the eyes of the powerful business man with long silver hair that stood vigilant over his eldest son. "The alcohol level in his blood was well below the legal limit, so the worst he can be charged with for the accident is involuntary manslaughter."

"Who gives a fuck about that? I want to know if he's going to wake up anytime soon!" Inuyasha shouted as he rose to feet to glower at the tall doctor. Mr. West put a calming arm around his son's shoulders, but also gave the doctor a heated stare demanding an answer to the question.

Dr. Suikotsu ran his fingers through his thick hair and glanced back at the monitors before answering the question that kept being raised. "I'm afraid that I do not know the answer to that question. Comas are very unique. Some people wake up days, months, or years later perfectly healthy and others never wake up."

"What do all your damn tests say then?" Mr. West demanded.

"You son has only acquired some minor injuries that will be healed within the week. The trauma to his head from when he crashed into the other vehicle doesn't seem very critical. But as I said before, we have no way of calculating when he will awaken." Dr. Suikotsu calmly explained.

For Suikotsu the hardest part of his job was explaining the unpredictability of comas. He really wished his assignment at the hospital would end soon so he could return home to his wife. But, Mr. West had specifically requested his expertise so he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

Mrs. West smiled at the young doctor with kind violet eyes. Her long dark hair was disheveled from the ordeal but she still held the epitome of calmness. She gently reached for the hands of both her son and her husband and led them back to their chairs. "So all we can do is be here for him, correct doctor?"

The doctor nodded his head. It seemed that the boy's mother was the only one that listened to his earlier explanation of how to comfort a comatose person. Inuyasha moved his gaze away from the sight of his battered brother and looked briefly at his grief stricken parents.

He stood once more and addressed the neurologist. "Doctor, what about the other victim of the accident? Would it be okay if I saw her?" Inuyasha wanted to have visual proof that the accident was survivable. The other driver had died.

"She's three doors down on the left," Dr. Suikotsu replied. "Her parents and some of her friends are with her now."

Sesshoumaru was growing annoyed with his situation. He had spent the last two hours floating in his hospital room watching his family interact with the doctor. Rin had released him from the misty realm saying he needed to reenergize. If he wanted to be 'conscious' then that was easiest done in close proximity to his body. Otherwise he needed to rest in that misty realm.

His family was acting pathetically. His father and stepmother were acting weak. His brother was at least acting normal. Inuyasha always was irrational and easily provoked into anger.

When Inuyasha left to visit that girl in the room down the hall, Sesshoumaru decided to follow him. Surely she hadn't seen him before. Still, it would be more interesting to watch how his brother would interact with a room full of strangers than to watch his parents cry.

Inuyasha knocked lightly on the door. It was opened by a young man with his hair in a small pony tail at the base of his neck.

"May I help you?" Miroku asked the strange young man.

Shifting his feet, Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of his chest. "My brother was the driver of the other car. He's in a coma a few doors down. I just wanted to check up on the girl."

Something in Miroku's eyes softened and he opened the door invitingly to the dark haired youth. Inuyasha accepted the invitation, but before Sesshoumaru could catch up the door was slammed in his face.

Sesshoumaru glared at the door for a few moments, willing it to open. Nothing happened. Maybe he was like a ghost now? He moved his right hand towards the door and smirked when it went through the heavy metal door. He then proceeded to walk into the room to observe.

"Kagome, this is the brother of that guy in the coma." Miroku introduced. Kagome raised her head from her pillow to see past her suspended leg. It had been placed in a cast and then secured in a lever system that elevated it.

She smiled at the dark haired young man and waved him over towards her bed. Her mother and step-father didn't look pleased with the youth. "Hello, I'm Kagome. What's your name?"

"Inuyasha. I'm sorry about your leg." Inuyasha told her in a gruff voice. Sesshoumaru raised a brow at his brother's tone. He only acted that poorly when he was around a girl he liked. Sesshoumaru leaned past his brother to examine the invalid closer. She didn't look that special to him.

He certainly wouldn't have lost his ability to speak in front of her. But then again, he would have to admit that she was some what attractive. However, she was still far below his level.

Kagome smiled sadly at the man. "It's okay Inuyasha. It wasn't your fault. Besides my leg is the least of my troubles. How is your brother?" Her blue-grey eyes seemed to flicker over in the direction of Sesshoumaru briefly.

Sesshoumaru felt a surge of guilt in his gut at her words. He was responsible for the death of that boy. It was an accident and wasn't really his fault, but the truth remained that it was his fault because he was driving.

"I'd like to apologize for my brother. The doctor doesn't know when or if he will awaken. But if he doesn't I promise I'll try to make this up to you." Inuyasha declared. Sesshoumaru raised an ivory brow at the proclamation. It was a typical Inuyasha thing to say. Always making promises before thinking through the consequences.

"I appreciate that." Kagome assured him. There was a knock on the door. A nurse popped her head. "I hate to break up the party but visiting hours are over now. The doctor said you could take her home in the morning, but I ask you all to leave now."

Kagome's mother leaned over her daughter and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Be strong dear, we'll pick you up in the morning. I just regret that your bedroom is on the third floor of the plantation house. I'm sure Naraku will help you up the stairs though." She then left with her new husband to wait in the hallway for the other visitors.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice the cringe the young woman gave at the mention of the name Naraku.

"Bye Kagome, I promise we'll come visit you next weekend." Sango leaned over Kagome to give her a brief hug. Then she moved to stand behind Miroku as he said his goodbyes.

"It was a pleasure being royalty with you for one evening. Call me if you ever need to talk." Miroku reached his hand to gently cup her cheek and smiled at her before he turned back to Sango and they walked out of the room hand-in-hand to wait in the hallway with Kagome's parents.

Finally, that left only Inuyasha in Kagome's room. His lavender eyes examined her face closely and he memorized all the bruises and cuts along her skin. "What did he mean by royalty?"

"Tonight was homecoming and Miroku and I were elected the King and Queen." Kagome explained.

Inuyasha nodded his head. "I see, what high school do you go to?"

"I went to Shikon High but I'm moving into the country tomorrow. I'll be having a private tutor then. My new step-father doesn't like the school system." Kagome explained. "Where do you go to school?"

"I'll actually be starting Shikon High on Monday. I had been studying abroad in Japan for the past year. I just moved back. My brother is a Junior in college but now, I don't know what's going to happen." Inuyasha admitted.

Sesshoumaru continued to hide in the shadowed corners of the room but was watching the exchange intently. He couldn't believe that his half-brother was so worked up about him! They didn't even like one another. He wished that he was tangible so that he could beat the crap out of the emotional fool.

"I'm sure he'll be okay." Kagome assured him, her gaze moving to the far corner of her room, causing Sesshoumaru to freeze.

"I guess I'll be going now before that nurse comes back. Do you think it would be okay if I called you to check up on you?" Inuyasha asked as he made his way to the door. He felt extremely guilty that this girl was in such a terrible accident. It was easier to be sympathetic with her. The other two couldn't speak to him.

"Sure, I would like that. You can give me the progress on your brother too." Kagome suggested with sparkling blue-grey eyes.

Inuyasha turned back towards the door and shut it softly behind him as he sauntered back towards his brother's room and his parents. The hospital staff were allowing them to remain after hours because of a few green bills from Mr. West.

After Inuyasha left and the room was empty, Kagome cleared her throat and directed her gaze towards the dark corner on the other side of her room. "I can see you, there's no use hiding."

Sesshoumaru glided across the tiled floor to stand at the edge of her bed. His golden eyes looked her body over skeptically. He hadn't seen her this close up before. Perhaps she was prettier than he gave her credit for, but she was still beneath him.

"You can see me? Can you hear me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice registering as a faint whisper on the wind.

Kagome shifted in her bed so that her upper body was supported by her elbows. "I can see you, but I can barely hear you. Who are you?"

"What? You didn't recognize me earlier?" Sesshoumaru asked, he had thought she had identified him when she saw him earlier that night.

"I remember your hair and your eyes from the other car. Your brother said you were in a coma. You don't look anything alike by the way." Kagome informed him.

Sesshoumaru allowed himself to float off the ground a foot as he drifted to her bedside on the right instead of standing at the foot of the bed near the raised leg. "He is my half brother."

"So, what are you doing here then? Are you a ghost?" Kagome asked.

"This Sesshoumaru is no ghost, your HIGHNESS." He stated the last word with biting sarcasm as he took great offense to being labeled a ghost, even though technically he had been wondering that himself.

"Alright, then why are you here, HAUNTING me?" Kagome demanded with ire evident in her blue-grey orbs as they narrowed in annoyance. This man was responsible for the accident after all.

"I am not haunting you. I am serving as your guardian for the time being." Sesshoumaru calmly explained, figuring it would be easier to tell her than have her pestering him for the duration of his servitude.

Kagome looked at him thoughtfully, as she brushed aside a strand of her hair that had fallen into her eye. "Am I the only one that can see you?"

"Apparently." Sesshoumaru replied as he allowed himself to drift back to the floor. He really didn't want to spend any more time with the girl, but he also didn't want to watch his family be weak. He walked towards the now unoccupied seat that her mother had vacated and sat down.

"Can you even do anything? Some guardian you are if you can't be seen or do anything." Kagome grumbled closing her eyes and allowing a tear to leak from her closed lid as she thought about the loss of Hojo.

Never having felt guilty before in his life, Sesshoumaru felt extreme angst at this. He had inflicted pain on so many this night. If only he had broken up with Kagura over the phone like he had intended. He had left the house to break up with her in person so he could avoid his younger brother.

He closed his golden eyes wearily. He just wanted to rest. He was feeling so tired. "Look, I never intended to inflict this pain upon you. I do not know what use I will be to you, but I have no choice." He opened his eye to gage her reaction but found himself no longer in her hospital room.

Once more he was in the white mist. Rin stood before him shaking her head at him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you are not doing a good job at being comforting to Kagome-chan."

Sesshoumaru growled deep in his throat. "Why am I supposed to comfort her? I'm the one that's in the freaking coma!" He angrily cried in frustration.

Rin smiled at him innocently. "You'll discover why later on. You need to rest. You are still too weak to make your observations."

"I will wake up won't I?" Sesshoumaru asked, extremely curious.

Rin appeared to be biting the inside of her cheek in contemplation. "That is not clear yet Sesshoumaru-sama. Your waking up will depend on you and how strong a call to return to consciousness you have."

"Are you implying that this Sesshoumaru is weak?" Sesshoumaru's cracked his knuckles together in annoyance.

Rin merely smiled at him as she began to fade into nothingness. "You must rest and become stronger."

Soon blackness is all the greeted the young man, leaving all his questions unanswered.