Chapter five : Tough looks, good heart

Sango's POV

The young girl pushed the door and came in. Without a word, she went to sit beside the bed. "Bip... bip... bip... bip..." the heart monitor was doing. The first times, she had found that noise most annoying, but now she was use to it. It was relieving, in a way. A proof that Inu-Yasha was still alive.

Sango had come alone today. Miroku had an appointment to the dentist and Kagome was totally overloaded with homeworks. But Sango was free and so she had thought it a good idea to pay her hanyou friend a visit.

She didn't think it was a loss of her time. It was the total opposite. Like for Kagome and Miroku, making sure to come and see Inu-Yasha sometimes was one of her priorities. She had never abandoned a friend before, she would not start now. She spoke a bit to him, like she always did. They were all doing it, hoping that maybe, he could hear them and know that he wasn't alone...

- It's just me today, Inu-Yasha. Miroku is at the dentist. I practically had to drag him along all the way ! Can you believe he's still afraid to go to the dentist at his age ? As for Kagome, she has so much homeworks that I think she'll be on it 'til Christmas ! But don't worry, she'll come see you tomorrow. You know she wouldn't miss an occasion to be with you even if her life depended on it. Well, I happened to have some free time so I came. I would tell you about school but there's not really anything worth to say. There's nothing new, lately. It's boring. I wish you were awake, Inu-Yasha. You would surely find something to do ! Probably something illegal, but it's better than nothing, I suppose...

She laughed a little. She was kidding, but there was one part very serious in what she had just said. She wished Inu-Yasha would awaken. She was missing his voice, his smile... she was even missing his rude manners and his stubbornness. The hanyou had always been like a brother to her, since the day she had met him. She remembered that day...

It hadn't been one of her best days. Her alarm clock hadn't rung, she had arrived late at school, she couldn't find her history project (she had to return it that same day) and finally, her locker was blocked. And then Inu-Yasha had shown up...

o0 Flashback 0o

- Will you open you stupid locker ! Sango shouted.

A few students looked at her but she ignored them. She shook her locker's door again and only succeeded at dropping all the books she was holding. She resisted the urge to pull her hair out of her head. "Damn it's not my day !" she thought angrily.

- Hey, girl ? a voice suddenly said behind her.

She answered impatiently without even turning around :

- My name is not "girl", it's Sango.

She bent down to pick up her books. The person, who was obviously a boy, spoke again :

- Whoa, don't bite me, I didn't do anything to you. Why are you so angry anyway ?

And then she exploded, dropping all her books a second time :

- Why ? I'll tell you why ! My alarm clock didn't ring, I was late at school, I lost my history project and now this pain of a locker is blocked ! So as you can see, it's not my day and I don't want anybody to annoy me right now OK ?

Then she turned to look at him. No need to say what she saw surprised her : long white hair, golden eyes, fangs, claws and... puppy ears ! That guy was a hanyou... That last fact rung a bell in her head ; wasn't her best friend Kagome in love with a hanyou ? Curious, she forgot her anger for a while and asked :

- You wouldn't happen to be Inu-Yasha, by any chance ?

He frowned and answered :

- So what if I am ?

- Oh, nothing... she said with a little smile.

He looked at her for a moment. Finally, he retorted :

- Yeah, I'm Inu-Yasha.

So it was him. Sango had to admire Kagome's taste ; that guy... or hanyou, was pretty handsome. Just then, she realized how she had shouted to him and blushed... Reluctantly, she said :

- Hum... sorry for yelling at you.

She was startled when he just said :

- Feh... Don't bother with it.

- So... what did you want to ask me ?

- Hum... well... I just wanted to know... could you tell me where Kagome is ? I know you're her friend cause I saw you with her the other day.

He was avoiding her gaze, she noticed. Was he going to propose to Kagome ? Was that why he was acting so embarrassed ? Sango smiled. She knew that he had broke up with his girlfriend Kikyo a week ago because their relation was a mess. Kagome would be so happy ! She answered :

- Well, I think she's at the library at the moment.

- Okay... Thanks... Sango.

He made a move to leave but suddenly, he stopped and looked at her again. Then, he walked toward her locker. He took the handle and pulled ; with his hanyou strength, the locker easily opened. Then he told her :

- You know... for your history project... if it's upsetting you that much, you can tell your teacher I took it to tease you. Don't worry, he'll believe you ! And I'll confirm if he asks me. You'll surely have an extension. I really don't mind, just for this once...

He gave her an arrogant grin and dashed off.

Sango stood still for a while, unable to speak. Then, slowly, she smiled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all...

o0 End flashback 0o

Sango looked at the form lying on the bed and smiled. Inu-Yasha had asked Kagome to be his girlfriend that day. During their history class, she had told Sango with sparkling eyes that Inu-Yasha and her were together. Sango was very happy for her friend. She knew that Kagome had a crush on the hanyou since a very long time. Sango also knew that Inu-Yasha was the best friend of Miroku, her own boyfriend, but she had never met him before this day. She had thought that it was quite a personage !

She smiled again. Even on that first day, when she had yelled at him with no reasons, Inu-Yasha had helped her. He was even ready to take the blame for her lost project. But Sango hadn't accused him. Just knowing that he would've done it was enough to cheer her up. She had been in a very good mood for the rest of the day, and had told the truth to her history teacher. She would learn later that Inu-Yasha was always like this : acting as if he didn't care but willing to take everything upon his own shoulders if it could help his friends.

- You know what, Inu-Yasha ? she whispered. Deep down, you're just a big softie !

She took his hand. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like crying. She wished Miroku was there...

The door opened behind her and a beam of light coming from the hallway invaded the room. Sango turned to see who was there.

- Oh, hello Sesshomaru, she said.

He looked at her with empty eyes. She wasn't surprised to see that expression on his face. He was wearing it since the day they had learned that Inu-Yasha had fell in a coma. To many people Sesshomaru was just as strong, beautiful and cold as before, but to some persons like Sango and her friends, the changes in him were obvious... He was thinner, like if he wasn't eating enough, but it wasn't the true reason. Full demons like himself didn't lose weight from a lack of food, unless it was a very big one and during a long time. But Sesshomaru hadn't changed his eating patterns. What was making him thinner was his constant worry about his brother. His bearings were a bit less assured, his hair had lost the natural shiny glint it once had, and his eyes were missing that tiny sparkle of life it should've had.

If Sango was to choose which one of them had been hit the most severely by Inu-Yasha's condition, she would choose Sesshomaru. Sure he hadn't made a full depression like Kagome, and he hadn't followed any therapies like them. But the thing was that no therapy could help him. The young demon was dead inside. He was just going with the stream, day after day, repeating mechanically every actions, not even realizing himself his own condition. He was locked in his routine, locked in his waiting, and should he take only one step out of it, he would probably crash and shatter into millions of pieces... No one could do anything for him now. The only thing that could bring him back to life was if his brother could wake up from his coma. And that could take a long time...

He told her with an emotionless voice :

- Sango. I didn't mean to interrupt.

- Oh no, I was just leaving anyway. (She glanced at her friend.) See you later Inu-Yasha. (She looked up at his brother.) Bye Sesshomaru.

He didn't answer, and she didn't expect him to. He just sat beside his brother and took his hand. Sango exited the room, and while she was walking down the hall, she thought : "You really have to wake up Inu-Yasha. Cause it's only by seeing your eyes open that your loved ones will be able to come back to life... Only by hearing your voice that their soul will heal... It's all up to you, now."

In room 316, one of Inu-Yasha's ears twitched. But Sesshomaru, the only person who could've seen it, was lost in deep thought, his eyes closed. And so, that tiny sign of life that everyone was waiting for went unnoticed...