(Divider)
Sesshomaru didn't argue with Rin the rest of the afternoon. After he saw her nearly break out into tears he simply...couldn't. Not without feeling the guilt that had wedged itself in his spirit and denied him any pleasure that came from bantering with her.
She had told him that he could come along if he wanted, but if decided to be a "problem" she'd drop him off at the nearest bus stop. Normally, Sesshomaru wouldn't have thought twice about putting her in her place but, under the circumstances, he held his tongue. It was the damn guilt that was keeping him from tearing her apart. He had killed others for far less.
He knew from day one that Rin's father was ill, and that Rin loved him. He had never loved his father, and still did not love him. Demons did not value such an emotion when it came to relating to one another. He was grateful to his father, yes, but there was no love between them. So, when he saw how broken Rin looked at the thought of her father lying dead on a hospital bed, he had listened to her demands.
He was also curious about Rin's father, given that he had never met the man. Though it didn't matter what he thought of him or how he reacted to him living with his daughter, he was still curious about him. He wondered if her father would show her the same amount of love that Rin obviously felt for him.
He sat in silence on the passenger side of Rin's pickup truck, still much too large for the tiny foot room provided. His struggles at finding a somewhat comfortable position brought out a faint smile from Rin. He saw her saddened eyes brighten slightly when their eyes locked, and he felt a strange surge of pride hit his system at the thought that he had caused her to smile. Even though it was slight, it was more desirable than the worried frown that now tugged at the edges of her lips.
"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru," Rin murmured suddenly as she slowed her truck at the red-light.
"What for?"
"For dragging you into my life, for making you see more of me than anyone has," Rin replied solemnly, "do you know that I haven't even told Shippo about the robberies, or that I think my dad might be dead?"
"Who is Shippo?" Sesshomaru asked.
"He's my best friend, and I haven't told him anything," she answered.
"You apologize too much," Sesshomaru noted as he glanced out the window of her car, staring at the snow that had collected at the edge of the road.
"I'm sorry about that too," she added.
"Stop," Sesshomaru nearly growled back as he turned to glance at her with narrowed eyes, "if I hadn't wanted to come with you, then I would still be sitting in your house. There is no need for these apologies," he added, and admitted to himself that they made him uncomfortable.
"I'm – I'll just shut up now," Rin hurriedly muttered as she glanced back at the road. They didn't speak as Rin drove the rest of the way to the hospital. He noticed her visibly tense once the large building came into view, the large red cross etched into the entrance evident among the various white buildings surrounding it.
She parked as close as she could before she bent her head on the steering wheel and shut her eyes. When she didn't move for a time, Sesshomaru thought she might be praying. He gave her the time she needed before she raised her head and opened her door. Sesshomaru quickly opened his door and followed close behind her.
(Divider)
Rin didn't know what to think, if she was even thinking at all, as she hurried through the hospital doors. Her path was hindered the moment she walked in when a large line of people were badgering the doctors and nurses in the main lobby. Rin couldn't piece out complete sentences through all of the yelling, but she did hear a few curses and threats. Rin tried to look over the heads in front of her, but had trouble due to her short stature.
She nearly gave up when she saw Sesshomaru glancing off towards the right. She followed his gaze and spotted the nurse from the morning's news report. She was cornered by a couple of doctors among various others.
"Are they going to hurt her?" Rin asked in dismay, noting the angry looks she was getting as the nurse huddled closer to the wall.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" a familiar voice yelled out as Rin turned just in time to see a flash of red hair whiz past her. She blinked in surprise before her eyes followed the owner of that head of hair, and saw that it was Shippo! He walked over to the group of people surrounding the nurse and pushed a few out of the way.
"She hasn't done anything. If you would look into what caused all the cardiac arrests instead of pointing fingers and assuming, you all wouldn't be in this mess!" he scolded as he stepped close to the nurse and used his body as a barrier between her and the others. A few people murmured to themselves before the group slowly dispersed and the nurse let out a loud, thankful sigh.
"Shippo!" Rin called then as she ran over to her best friend's side.
"I had a hunch that you'd be here today," Shippo half smiled at her before his eyes drifted upward, and froze.
"It's you," he added, and when Rin followed his gaze she saw that Sesshomaru stood closely behind her.
"So it is. Were you expecting the tooth fairy?" Sesshomaru replied nonchalantly.
"What are you doing here, and why are you with him?" Shippo asked, turning his green gaze from Sesshomaru to Rin.
"It's...a long story," Rin replied as politely as she could. Shippo didn't seem to like her answer, if his narrowed eyes and slight frown weren't sign enough of his disapproval.
"We'll talk about this later," he told her before his expression fell slightly, "have you found out how your dad is doing?" he asked and Rin shook her head.
"What's his name?" the nurse asked, peeking over Shippo's shoulder to look at Rin.
"Haku Mizaki," Rin replied, and felt her heart drop to her stomach when she saw the nurse's face fall.
"I think...he's still in his room, if you'd like to see him?" she asked, "I can take you now, since everyone's distracted. It's the least I could do for the friend of my savior," she added with a smile in Shippo's direction. The man gave her one to match in response.
"Is...is he alright?" Rin asked as the nurse motioned for them to follow her. As Shippo sneaked in by the nurse's side, Rin paused when she noted that Sesshomaru wasn't following her. Instead he was staring at the pack of people still fighting with the doctors and nurses in the lobby. Rin grabbed ahold of his arm and tugged on it.
"Hurry up, or you'll blow our cover!" Rin hissed as she dragged him into the hospital hallway. He didn't fuss once they caught up with Shippo and the nurse. She stood in front of a door with a worried expression as her hand rested on the doorknob.
"Your father's in here," she informed Rin as she took in a deep breath and gave the nurse a thankful smile.
"Thank you for risking your job like this," Rin stated as the nurse let out a throaty laugh.
"I've been risking my job since last night. You won't believe how many threats I've gotten from patients' families. They think I poisoned them, or something! It wasn't just me working, I was just in charge of the unit last night," she explained before opening the door for her. Rin hurried inside without speaking to either man that stood behind her.
Her eyes watered when she caught sight of her father lying motionless in his bed, his arm hooked to an IV.
"Papa," Rin whispered as a soft sob escaped her lips. She rushed to his side and took hold of his IV-free hand. It felt cold to her touch, and she bowed over it as a tear traveled down her cheek, already assuming the worst.
But her breath caught when her father's hand pulled out of her grasp and rested against her cheek.
"My angel," a soft voice whispered as Rin looked up to see her father's dark eyes staring back at her. He had the same gentle smile that he always had, and looked a little worse for wear. His hair was messy and he had dark rings underneath his eyes.
"I'm perfectly fine," he smiled as he let his hand drop from her face to rest at his side.
"I was so worried..." Rin whispered thankfully as her father opened his arms wide for her.
"Come here and give your old man a hug," he said as Rin gave him a smile before wiping away her stray tear and bending down to hug him.
"I haven't seen you lately," he whispered in her ear, "I was worried something happened to you or the house. You know how I worry,"
"I know," Rin murmured back as she held him as close to her as she could, like it was the last hug she'd ever give her dad. They soon pulled away and her father rested his head on his pillow with a shallow breath before he let out a choked laugh.
"I've become such a marshmallow," he stated, using the old nickname Rin used to call him when she was little. Her eyes began to water at the reference just as he let out another laugh.
"Don't you cry in front of me," he ordered with a smile, "you're a tough girl, remember?"
"I can't help it!" Rin sniffled back, "I thought you were dead..." she added while she rubbed her eyes to stop the tears that she knew were coming. Her father merely smiled back at her before his eyes drifted towards the door.
"Who's your friend?" he asked, "unless that's Shippo who decided to dye his hair silver and have a major growth spurt,"
Rin glanced around to spot Sesshomaru standing mutely in the doorway. He walked into the room after a moment's pause, and surveyed her father with curiosity.
"You're a very strange looking character," her father observed before he glanced over at Rin, "who is he, Rin?"
"This is Sesshomaru Tashio," Rin introduced, and noted the strained look that pulled at her father's features at the name.
"I see...I believe we've met before Mr. Tashio," he stated and Sesshomaru merely nodded in return.
"Is there something you want from me or...from Rin?" he asked.
"There's nothing you could do for me. I'm simply helping out a...friend," Sesshomaru replied.
"Are you? Or are you revealing in the downfall of your longest standing rival? Do you like looking down at the man who caused you and your father so much trouble, who can barely stay alive with his heart condition?" he badgered before he let out a hoarse cough and collapsed on the bed with a faint collection of coughs.
"Papa!" Rin cried out in surprise, resting her hands on his arms to help stabilize him.
"If my presence causes you such disdain, then I shall leave," Sesshomaru stated as he whirled on his heel and walked out of the room.
"Sesshomaru!" Rin called after the demon as he rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.
"Coward," his father muttered, "can't even face me in this state,"
"Papa, you're dieing! He's not going to start a fight with someone in your condition," Rin answered and her father huffed before shutting his eyes.
"The tag team he and his father formed was almost enough to bring my empire down. When they went from auctioning horses to auctioning businesses, there was no hope for me. We lost everything, Rin. Everything to them," he explained before he covered his mouth when another wave of coughs hit him.
"But, you came down with your heart condition, you couldn't manage the business alone," Rin replied and her father weakly shook his head.
"Though I do have a heart condition, my downfall had started years before it even appeared. It was just an easy excuse to fall back on when the media started asking questions," he informed her before he grabbed her hand.
"Please, promise me that you won't talk to him anymore. I couldn't stand the Tashio family taking something so precious from me," he begged as Rin visibly gulped before glancing out towards the hallway.
"I – I can't do that, Papa. He's protected me from so many things, and I think...I think he deeply cares for me, even if he won't admit to it," Rin murmured, "I love you so much Papa, but please, don't ask that of me. Don't ask me to break the bond that has formed between us, because I think I might break along with it,"
"Do you really feel that strongly for him? Even after hearing what he's done to us, to our family?" her father asked.
"I...yes," she answered. Her father let out a loud sigh as he brought one hand to his forehead. He rubbed his temple for a moment before glancing over at her, and rubbing his temple again.
"If that's how you really feel, then I can't stop you," he stated gravely, "and no matter how much it pains me, if it's for your happiness, than I'd suffer far worse on your behalf,"
"Thank you Papa," Rin smiled through watery eyes.
"Now go to him, before he decides to abide by my wishes,"
(Divider)
