Chapter 2 (Pseudomonas)
Kagome stepped into the ward and realized that it was a Class A ward since there was only one bed inside. The window was opened and soft sunlight filtered in, filling the room with a cheerful outlook even though the patient reclining on the bed did not look happy at all. In fact, he seemed like a big baby, someone who was rudely woken up even though he desired more sleep.
Still, this was Inuyasha's brother, the vet who ran the clinic and according to him, his brother was an expert in hypothyroidism. She cleared her throat and hoped that she would not look too dreary bef3Cp>Kagome walked noiselessly to his bed but remained standing, "Yes. My friend's Husky has contracted hypothyroidism and he saidh a soft click. Somehow this vet had an intimidating presence around him that made her felt like a small girl.
Sesshoumaru's tired eyes rounded a little, she's not the nurse. He nodded his head wearily and sat up. The medicine that the doctors had given him was making him drowsier than ever and he did not like it at all.
"Yes, I am. Has Inuyasha asked you to come?"
Kagome walked noiselessly to his bed but remained standing, "Yes. My friend's Husky has contracted hypothyroidism and he said that you will need to sign these papers in order for the treatment to commence."
Sesshoumaru took over the papers without another word and looked over the documents carefully, in case Inuyasha missed out on something since he was not a very detailed and careful person. Sometimes he wondered to himself how his little brother had graduated with a veterinary degree from his alma mater. Probably by sucking up to the professors, he thought wryly to himself.
The documents were fine, and he silently praised Inuyasha even though he had spent one whole night in the hospital with him. To be honest, even though he did not get along very well with him, he could not ask more from Inuyasha since he was really a responsible brother. Even though they were born of different mothers, their father had made it a point to treat both of them as equally as possible to prevent practicing favoritism.
Dad...
Sesshoumaru thought of his deceased father and how he had taken care of Inuyasha all by himself when he was just eighteen. He would never forget the pig-sty of house they lived in since there was no woman to do chores and Inuyasha was only twelve at that time. They literally had to work their way through college and if not for the scholarship that he had gotten, he would never be able to finish his education and sponsor Inuyasha at the same time.
"Er..."
Again, Kagome strived to address this elder brother, but there was no nametag on his patient's dress gown or around his wrist. He seemed to be staring at the documents so intently that she wondered whether there was anything wrong with it. Inuyasha's brother had the same golden eyes and white hair as him, but their faces were entirely different. There was a roughened edge to Inuyasha's facial features, his mannerisms and voice. But the man sitting before her looked rather refined, sharp, intelligent, and a little effeminate, if she could say so. Still, he was quite a handsome creature and she damned herself for not scrubbing her grimy, white-washed face with the cold tap water.
Sesshoumaru was dragged out from his train of thoughts at her voice and when he caught her curious gaze, he thought that she looked a complete mess, even worse than the chubby nurse who tried to sneak in daisies for him every now and then. Or that sweet-looking yet pesky nurse who asked for his health every hour. Both nurses looked decent and manageable at least, but he definitely could not say so for the woman who was standing beside him.
She was not very tall, yet she had donned on a sweater that was too large for her petite frame and her skin looked horribly pasty and pale. Her too-long hair was messily bunched up into an equally messy pony-tail and Sesshoumaru thought that she looked to be the perfect haggled Japanese housewife.
What a sight to greet me early in the morning... he lamented to himself inwardly.
"What?" he snapped.
She got startled at his tone of voice, and drew herself back.
"I'm sorry, how do I address you?"
"Dr Yamada," Sesshoumaru answered as he handed the documents back to her.
Kagome bit on the insides of her cheek, Inuyasha's brother was not exactly a nice person to deal with. But Chaser needed his expertise and she decided that it was probably not a good choice to offend him.
"Dr Yamada, is there anything wrong with the documents?" she asked politely.
The exhausted vet looked away and out of the window, thinking to himself perhaps he would accost the sweet-looking nurse to accompany him for a stroll in the hospital gardens. The sun was not too strong today and he felt better today, even though the weariness continued to stay.
"No, there is nothing wrong," he frowned a little and wondered whether she would leave him alone to the lovely silent morning.
Kagome's nostrils flared a little at his impatient tone. She was a customer, was it not? And he was a service provider, so should he not be more polite? Damn vets and their high and mighty attitude, she cursed him inwardly while maintaining an expressionless face on the outside.
"Dr Yamada, I would like to know when you will begin the treatment for Chaser. And is his condition serious?"
Sesshoumaru told himself that this woman was not only unpleasant-looking; she was also irritating and very dense at picking up signals from other people.
"What is your name?" he decided that he could have some fun out of this.
Kagome's deep brown eyes rounded,"er... Kagome desu."
He arched his eyebrow at her plain name, but continued nevertheless, "Miss Kagome, I have only signed the documents and do not know of the exact, actual condition your friend's dog is in. I will personally access him once I am discharged but till then, I will not make any unnecessary futile comments."
She bit hard on her lower lip, and prayed that she would not scream her head off before him. What was he insinuating at anyway? At her lack of intelligence, or at his superiority as a white-collared professional?
You arrogant prick! She stared at him and hoped that if it was possible, a hole would appear in the middle of his smooth forehead.
She cleared her throat and replied, "sure, Dr Yamada. I hope that you will be discharged as soon as possible, although I doubt it from the pallor of your skin. Or are you just exceptionally pale? You so need to get some sun."
His lips curled a little at her defiant attitude, "Ah I understand that I have beautiful skin. Now if you don't mind, I would like to wait for my nurse who is dressed," he took a purposeful glance over her old, worn out sweater and continued nonchalantly, "more pleasantly to bring me out for a walk under the sun as you have suggested."
And this is war! Kagome declared to herself as she drove her nails into her palm and smiled as best as she could, "have a very good day tanning then, Dr Yamada. I shall see you at your clinic very soon." With that, she turned on her foot and slammed the door. Once the door was closed, Kagome flipped her middle finger at the frosted glass and cursed softly, "dickhead!"
Little did she knew that Sesshoumaru caught that vulgarity, who promptly promised himself that he would 'torture' her as much as he could the next time they meet.
"Sango!" Kagome slumped onto the chair and leaned back.
The dark-haired woman looked up from her desk as she tried to sort out the remaining paperwork for Kagome's dog farmhouse.
"What happened? You look so haggard and spent out. Is Chaser fine?"
Kagome closed her eyes and yawned out loudly, "Oh he's fine. Kouga was so worried about him though, and now I'm feeling so sleepy..."
Sango smiled at her best friend and thought that she really should bring her out for a manicure and facial soon, before Kagome really looked like a thirty-year old.
"Kagome, we should go shopping one day! Look at yourself! You are only twenty four, but you looked as if you are thirty!" Sango pressed a mirror to her friend's outstretched hand that was draped over the arm of the chair.
Kagome pried one eye open and looked at her cheerful friend, "Talking about appearances, I was insulted by the vet today!"
Sango cocked her head to one side, "Inuyasha?" She knew that the young handsome vet bordered on being irritating but to insult people was not something that he did...
She sat straight up and slapped her hand on the desk. "No! His brother who calls himself Dr Yamada!"
"Sesshoumaru?" Sango smiled. She had not mentioned anything about her employees to Kagome but now that she was getting a taste of the two brothers, she could not help but to giggle a little.
"What a weird name, 'Sesshoumaru'-sama!" Kagome mimicked the tone of her young whiny neighbor and rolled her eyes.
"What happened?" Sango asked.
Kagome stretched her legs and yawned again, "Nothing. Just that he was mocking me at my outfit and less-than-pleasant appearance right in front of me."
Sango laughed; Kagome frowned.
"Kagome! Sesshoumaru's like that. He's not that easy to get along, and can be quite cold with strangers... but he has a kind heart."
"Kind? I doubt so," Kagome snorted.
Sango shook her head at her stubborn friend. Throughout the ten years that she had been classmates, friends, then best pals with Kagome, she had always proved herself to be an intelligent, warm-hearted and caring woman, one who was loyal without a fault. Unfortunately, her stubbornness and strange sense of humor did not help her at all along the line of relationships. Although she had always declared that she did not need a man, Sango knew that deep down inside, that was not the truth at all.
"He's really kind, to the animals at least... He doesn't really speak much but when he looks at the poor animal, you can literally see the compassion in his eyes! Although that is most probably the only chance of seeing him not being so harsh and stiff..." Sango's voice trailed off as she recalled the first scolding that she got from Sesshoumaru on the first day of her job. She had mistaken the appointments and that had resulted in the near-death of a pregnant terrier that had a very difficult delivery. But she could remember the joy and pride in the vet's eyes as he passed the newborn pups to her shaking hands.
"Kagome, really. Trust me on this at least. Anyhow you don't have to see him that often isn't it?" Sango took a glance at her watch.
Kagome rubbed her tired eyes, "I hope so. But Kouga is so panicky about Chaser..." She put a finger to her temple and massaged it, hoping to drive away that headache before it made her day worse.
"Kagome, I have to go before Kikyou finishes her shift and Inuyasha screams again," Sango swept her purse, keys and cell phone into her large bag while she stood up and pinched her best friend's nose, "Chin up. The day is still early!"
Kagome groaned as Sango left the office. She took a quick glance at the wall clock and realized that it was already noon. This meant that she had to feed her precious dogs and start on the article that the magazine editor had been chasing her for weeks.
"Argh!" Kagome threw her hands up into the air and decided that if she ever meets Sesshoumaru again, she would not back down like this morning.
"Ah Sango!" Kikyou looked up gratefully from the counter and smiled.
"Sorry! Was held up with something... thanks for covering a little of my shift!" Sango thanked her back while she pulled her hair up into a pony-tail and returned the heart-felt smile. "How's today?"
Kikyou frowned a little as she took down her metal nametag, "Horrible. Inuyasha's already delivered two dogs and three cats, all in the morning! Thank God they were rather problematic-free too, but he's all tired and worn out."
Sango patted her back, knowing that Kikyou was always worrying about Inuyasha.
"Don't worry! Inuyasha's as strong as a bull, he'll be fine. Besides, he loves this job, didn't you say so?"
Kikyou could not withhold the pretty, proud smile on her face and nodded, "Yeah. Even though he's worked to death by Sesshoumaru... I've got to go and get the poor boy's lunch. Do you want some?"
Sango shook her head and shooed her away, "Go and get lunch for your handsome boyfriend! I need to get to work before you complain that Inuyasha is getting too thin for his own good!"
Kikyou laughed out and walked out of the clinic, inwardly feeling glad that her shift was over. Before she could get to her car, she saw someone familiar jogging to the clinic with a bento in his hands.
"Miroku!" she yelled out and waved her hands.
The man returned her smile and made his way to the clinic as Kikyou got into her car and started the engine. She wondered when Sango would cave in to Miroku's courting since he was quite a nice guy too.