A/N: First off I want to dedicate this chapter to two people. The first is my friend Emily who is one of my buds! She's pretty much the only one of my friends at school that I can obsess Inuyasha with! She also gave me the coolest Birthday card for my birthday! Thank you Emily! The next person is Katy who is not only the author of one of the best Billy/becca RE stories ever but she has been helping me out with some personal crap too! Thanks Katsi for putting up with me! Oh and thanks everyone for the great reviews! It warmed heart! Yey! And yes I know last chapter was pathetic and for that I apologize but I hope this angsty one makes up for it! Anyways on with the fic ne?

Chapter 7: Cries of the heart, a meeting of friends

Kagome was finally here, finally facing what had scared her most. Seeing Inuyasha, who had once been so full of life now so….motionless. Kagome stared at him, watching her favorite dog demon lay there in that bed. She silently took in the sight of him and the clear plastic tubes running out from his body. With each passing minute she heard sounds of something cracking and chipping away, and each sound she heard became louder then the last. Kagome moved her eyes up on his face, the cracking sounds becoming bigger and more continuous. His once glorious silky silver hair was now a dull grey and hung around his body like a dirty rag. His skin was pasty and pale, while his cute dog ears lay flat against his head. But his eyes were what haunted her most. The gold orbs were vacant, the pupils tiny dots, looking more like the eyes of a drug addict than the eyes of a eager young boy.

The cracking sound filled her ears and soul. It roared so loud that she clamped her hands over them in hopes to block it out. She began to tremble, barely even noticing the wetness on her face. Then finally all at once it stopped. Total silence echoed in the room, not even the machines allowed their noise to reach her. Despite this she knew it was coming that the pain was only just beginning. Kagome shut her eyes tight, begging the darkest depths of her being to hold on, not for her to lose control. If only things were that simple, if only we could hold on to our emotions and control them to our benefit. If only we could become iron statues so cold and deep. Maybe it was because she wasn't strong enough. Maybe it was because of what fate intended. But no matter how we analyze the problem, Kagome slowly felt her hold loosen. Suddenly, with a cry of anguish her heart shattered, exploded, fell to pieces, whatever colorful adjective you want to use to describe the pain that she felt. All the sorrow she had been keeping inside this whole time escaped into one powerful wave of tears and screams. She flung herself upon the bed and screamed until her voice broke, she pounded her fists and stomped her feet on the floor.

The nurses passing in the halls regarded the lone door from which the sound had come with silent pity. The pain, screams, and tears continued for a lifetime, filling up ever inch of the white building of death. Even the intercoms with their loud announcements and the annoying music couldn't compete with her. People in the waiting rooms looked around at each other with nervous expressions, wondering if this was a place of torture instead of a hospital.

The girl's tirade ended as she gasped, her chest aching from the lack of oxygen. Heart still bleeding and eyes burning with more unshed tears, her head once again crashed into the surprisingly soft covers. Her labored breath grew less and less until she was once again able to breathe normally. She turned her head to the side to gaze upon him and watched his chest move as he breathed in and out. Her heart flashed with pain and she came close to crying all over again. Brief visions of better times could be seen in Kagome's eyes as she relieved them. The adventures they went on………the troubles they had faced……..the warm smile that was rarely shown. She smiled softly at these things, her most precious memories. It was in the act of remembering that brought about a desperate need in Kagome, a need that seized her so suddenly that it caught her unawares and she fell backwards on the floor. Bewildered, she shakily got to her feet and stared at the boy in confusion. What had been that need that she had experienced so desperately? Her eyes widened and again filled with tears as the answer came to her. It was the need to hear his heart. It hadn't occurred to her until this moment how much she missed it. Why had she forgotten? What had caused her not to notice the long period of silence since she had last heard that wonderful sound? How often she had laid her head against his back as he carried her just to hear that beating heart? Nervously she approached, afraid and uncertain, yet exhilarated in this discovery. With a single motion she reached out and gently touched his cheek, then bringing her hand up to gently stroke the soft fur of his ears. Her eyes shifted to his chest as the fear once again grew. She was afraid that if she listened she would hear nothing, ignoring the beeping the machines made. Once again her eyes carefully took in the shape of his face and she half smiled. With the grace that could only be achieved by royalty, she got down on her knees. Taking one last deep breath, she lowered her head onto his chest, her line of vision never leaving him. As the soft material came into contact, she stayed completely still. Listening with all her might to catch the sound she was searching for. To say that she had been blessed by whatever powers existed out there would be an understatement. To her, the sheer miracle of it was enough to send a real true smile to her face, the first one in days. The steady thump thump of his heart was carefully piecing together her heart although the cracks still remained. She listened in total peace and happiness to the melodic sound.

2 days later

She stared at the old wooden doors with grim determination, if she was going to go through with this then she should get it over with. Her hands shook as the doors slid open and she descended the worn staircase. Again she paused as she reached the bottom.

'What am I going to say to them?' She wondered. ''What are they going to think when I tell them?'

Kagome briefly shut her eyes, closing off her view of the link to her second home. Her mind filled with the smiling faces of her other family that lived there. She could imagine the worry that would cloud their faces, the concern that would show through when they asked questions.

'But they have to know'

This thought cleared her mind of fear and apprehension. Without hesitation, without a hint of pause she stepped forward and made that fateful jump into the well.

With one last heave, the young girl pushed herself out of the well and tumbled onto the grass. She stood and brushed off her skirt and took a look around the forestry area. Kagome breathed deeply and her nose filled with the familiar scent of trees, flowers, and running water. Oh how she had missed this place….

She set off down that same path she had been using for a year now, that lead to Kaede's village. She knew they would all be there, waiting patiently for Inuyasha and her to return. Thinking of that scene made her heart heavy. Yes it would all be the same, - except Inuyasha wouldn't be there to greet them with her.

A few tears escaped her eyes; she had just climbed to the top of the hill and was now staring down at the village. Down there was her friends, her family, and the source of life she had come to know. Again she thought of what they were going to say when they learned of the fate that had befallen their favorite Hanyou.

Kagome had prepared herself both mentally and physically for this but she felt her courage slowly draining away. Breaking into a run, she flew down the hill, going faster and faster with each step she took. She stopped running as soon as Kaede's hut came into sight and she crept cautiously towards it. As she got closer she could hear the voices of her second family in her ears, laughing. They sounded happy, and Kagome began to hate herself because she would soon end that laughter.

When she entered the small hut, silence soon followed as they stared at her…..then, a orange ball of fuzz tackled her yelling:

"Kagome!"

She caught the young Kitsune and held him close to her, she was really happy to see him. Finally, Shippo pulled away and looked up at her with a big grin.

" You're back finally! What did you bring us this time? Anything for me? Probably some more Ramen for Inuyasha….he's crazy about that stuff! Although he most likely ate it all already when he was at your house…hey! "

Shippo exclaimed taking a look behind her, then looking back into her eyes.

"Where is Inuyasha anyways?"

"Yes" Added Miroku, getting up off the floor, dusting off his robe. "That was just what I was wondering."

Hearing this, all the happiness left Kagome and she cast her eyes down towards the floor. She remembered why she was here at all, the news she would have to share with them.

Rising to her feet as well, Sango looked at the other female member of their group with worry.

"Kagome………is anything wrong?"

The young girl took a moment to look up and gaze into each of their faces.

'Well this is it' she thought.

Kagome sighed and took a seat on the floor. Her friends copied this action and gathered around her. She began to tell her tale.

As she expected, it has taken her awhile to explain it to them. She told them about the fight Inuyasha and her had had, the gang of men that had cornered her, the attempted rape, Inuyasha coming to save her, the man with the gun. She had to pause her story for a moment at that point to explain to them exactly what a gun was, but after it she could tell they only had a vague understanding.

When she had finally finished, with only a few tears that had escaped, she hung her head, unable to take in the sight of the sorrow and confusion on their faces. So lost was the girl in her own sorrow that she jumped as Miroku spoke:

"So………." He started, his voice almost breaking from the pain. "Inuyasha's at this place full of healers…now?"

She nodded slowly. Miroku looked down trying to struggle with his own surge of sorrow. Then Sango spoke, and again she could hear the pain present in one of her friend's voices.

"And that piece of metal……that bull…….let….put some sort of spell on him that sent him into some deep slumber from which he might not wake?"

Again Kagome nodded. No one spoke for a long time, for they could not think of anything to say, the sadness was so great in their hearts. The silence was stifling, then, Shippo with his never-ending questions, a force that was so predictable and widely known, shattered it.

"Why haven't they done anything to help him!?" He screamed, causing everyone to look at him in shock. Never had they seen their little friend show such anger.

"Why haven't the people….those healers in that-that place done anything! Surely they can help him get better! I know they can! So why!? Why haven't they done anything!? Why wont they bring him back to us?"

In that brief moment, the kitsune shone, not as a little boy, but as a young youkai, angry at the world for the injustice done to him and his friends.

"I can't!" He yelled again, his rage forming into a solid wall or blue aura that surrounded him, engulfing him. "I just can't!"

The light grew brighter as his anger was expressed more and more. His friends did nothing but stare as his anger reached its point and the light began to disappear as his rage dissolved into exhausted sobs. His fingers unclenched and fell limp at his side, shivering slightly as the tears soaked through his shirt.

"I just can't "He almost whispered. " I can't lose another member of my family….not again." And with this, Shippo collapsed into Kagome's arms, sobbing loudly.

Yes its short.......yet again.......And poor Shippo! Will he ever recover?