The Club

christielea54

Chapter Twenty Two

Inuyasha had driven Shippo home when it got dark out, and was now sitting in the waiting room… just waiting. Sango was back in Miroku's room. She found it difficult to stay away for more that forty-nine minutes and ten seconds at a time. He knew because he'd been timing her.

Kagome yawned. She was sitting next to him on one of the cushioned benches in the waiting room. Now that he thought about it, he was kind of tired himself. It had been a long day, for all of them. It was funny how mental stress could be more draining than physical exercise. He felt his stomach tighten in worry as he thought about Miroku again.

If he doesn't pull through this, I'll kill him myself! Inuyasha thought.

Kagome's eyes were starting to droop shut now, but every few seconds she'd jerk herself awake, blinking madly, just to droop off again.

He nudged her with his shoulder. "You can go to sleep if you want to, you know," he offered. "I'll wake you up if anything happens."

She smiled at him gratefully, and already half asleep whispered, "Thanks Inuyasha." Her eyes drifted shut and she leaned back in her seat, yawning.

Inuyasha had never actually seen anyone fall asleep before. He'd never known anyone well enough besides his mother, and before she'd died, she'd always put him to bed first. So he'd never seen, for real and up close, what a person looked like falling asleep. Kagome's whole body had gone lax, and her face had smoothed out, like she was forgetting all her troubles in her sleep. She looked peaceful.

Suddenly she started shifting about, trying to stretch out and find a more comfortable position on the hospital bench. She settled for taking Inuyasha's shoulder as a pillow.

He struggled not to blush as he got used to the new warmth on his shoulder. He hadn't realized until just this moment how intimate a gesture simply falling asleep next to someone was. They were leaving themselves vulnerable and open next to you. He could do anything he wanted to her right now, and she'd be helpless to stop him. He could shave her eyebrows off, or paint a moustache on her face, or abduct her, or leave her alone and defenseless in the middle of this public place. Not that he would do any of those things, but the point was that a person could. This was another one of Kagome's silent shows of trust.

Okay, so maybe he was overanalyzing, but seeing her there, lying with her head on his shoulder, without a worry on her pretty face… He felt a surge of protectiveness go through him. He hadn't felt quite like this about anyone before, and it scared him more than he was willing to admit.

She sighed lightly, still tossing about in her sleep, trying to get more comfortable.

He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Sure, there were still reservations and what-ifs bouncing around in his head, but he ignored them like he didanything that ever got in his way… it felt good to have her here.

o0o

The first thing Kagome was aware of was that someone was nudging her shoulder. She didn't want to get up! She burrowed further into the blissful warmth of sleep surrounding her. But the nudging became more persistent, and vaguely she could hear someone calling her name. Was… was that Inuyasha? She cracked an open and saw that not only was Inuyasha the one waking her up, but he was also the one giving off all the warmth she thought was her bed.

She shot straight up, rubbing furiously at her eyes. But even more startling still than the fact that she'd been sleeping on Inuyasha while he held her, was what he was telling her now.

"Kagome, Miroku just woke up!"

o0o

Sango was sitting on what she now referred to as her chair. God only knew how long she'd sat on the thing today. Today seemed like forever for her. The clock read a little past midnight, and she still couldn't fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes she would she her burning house, would remember having to identify her parent's charred remains, she would even imagine how this morning's accident must have played out.

So instead, she kept them open, convincing herself that the man on the bed next to her was still breathing.

She'd been holding his good hand, and when she felt it squeeze her own, she thought she must have imagined it. Slowly, her eyes traveled up his arm, across his shoulder and neck, and when she got up to his face, she saw his eyes open, and a tired smile on his face.

She was so relieved she could have cried!

"Sango," he stated simply, quietly, as he squeezed her hand again. He was in a hospital, and she was the one here by his bed, waiting for him to wake up.

She had heard strength in Miroku's voice, had heard the mirth that constantly laced his tone, but never before had she heard this… warmth. "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?!" she demanded, but with a teary smile on her face.

He smiled, shrugging his shoulders, but the simple action was so painful that he grimaced. "I was hit by a car, wasn't I?" he asked, eyes closed, trying to remember what had happened.

"Yeah," she said softly, "you were."

He sat there for a moment in silence, taking it all in. "Wow," he finally said turning back to her. "That'll sure put your life into perspective for you."

She wasn't sure how to respond. "I'll go get the nurse, tell her you woke up, I'm sure she-"

"Wait Sango," he called.

She turned back to him with a questioning look on her face.

"Would it be… so much to ask… to let me take you out on a date?" he asked. Sure he was milking the sympathy factor for all it was worth, but the results would be good, right?

The thought that he might just be using her had certainly crossed her mind, but the thought that he might not be using her was definitely there too. She knew that did like him, and right now, she was beyond caring about much else other than the fact that he was going to be okay. A smile graced her features. "I'd love too."

Miroku returned her smile, and lifted up a hand that they both thought would end up in a place where it shouldn't. Narrowing her eyes, and wondering if the hit to his head had made him stupid or something, she swatted the offending hand away.

Unfortunately, it had been the hand that he hadn't realized yet how bad it had been hurt. The light touch of Sango pushing it away had sent tremors up and down his arm so painful that he thought he might just die. He let out a wordless shout.

Sango jumped away from him as if she'd been burned. "Oh my god Miroku! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

He was left panting as he tried to pull himself together. "What," he asked through gritted teeth and clenched jaw, "happened to my hand?"

She slumped back into her chair. "I'm not sure... they said it would be good as new after surgery."

"Surgery?" he asked in a dangerously low voice

"Miroku, I, I don't know! I'll get the doctor. He'll be able to explain everything." She made to get up, but he stopped her.

"Sango," he said as he picked up the phone with his good hand to call the doctor over instead. "Stay." And his gaze held hers until she sat down again, a light smile on her face.

Awww! See, Miroku got through okay. I'm not the type to kill all my characters off. It's too depressing.

So I was thinking next, maybe Inuyasha's performance, and some holiday fun! How's that?

Review!