Flat Line

Inuyasha-tachi and others belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday – not me.

Sorry about the mean cliffy. Yes, poor Kagome wasn't allowed in the air-ambulance to grant moral support, not that Inu would have noticed since he was out-for-the-count. So, let the hospital continue with its mean schemes, shall we?

My Heart Beats Still

Kagome stood, panting, in front of the reception desk. The receptionist stared at her sceptically, noting her lack of dress and the bagginess of her nightshirt. She said nothing and kept staring at the teenage girl with her lips pursed.
Kagome placed her hands on the counter, sucking in deep breaths. "I'm looking for a boy about seventeen." She rushed, furiously looking around to see if she saw Inuyasha or any of the attending paramedics.

When she saw the woman didn't say anything, she began again. "He has long white hair down to his waist. His name's Inuyasha, he just came in a while ago from the Sunset Shrine in the air-ambulance. I think it was appendicitis," Kagome gasped out, feeling her heart pound in her chest furiously.

The woman kept staring at her, then looked away, uninterested. "Are you his sister or something?" she asked, chewing harshly on a piece of gum. Kagome shook her head, no. "I'm, uh, his… girlfriend," It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. She didn't know where she stood with Inuyasha – but she couldn't say 'friend' because the receptionist could turn her away.

The woman on duty sighed heavily and waved a hand. "Check Halley's ward – that's where the emergencies are sent before they're moved along. They'll tell you where he is,"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Arigato," she said, before running out of the reception and down the corridor that read 'Access to Halley's and Juniper via stairs'.
Just hang on, Inuyasha. Don't give up on me yet…

"I'm afraid he's already gone into surgery," the doctor waiting outside Inuyasha's room said. Kagome had been led here by the woman on Halley's reception, but then she had seen his bed empty and feared the worst… that had been when the doctor arrived to smooth things over.

Kagome sagged, feeling the emptiness engulf her. No… He's having surgery all alone, and I promised him… "Is there–?" Kagome began, feebly. "Is there any way I can see him? It's just that I promised to be there for him – to hold his hand. He's afraid of being vulnerable like this, he's normally such a strong person, I–"

The doctor smiled sympathetically and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but that just isn't possible. There are health and safety rules that prevent us from letting you in there."

Kagome opened her mouth to say something and found her throat dry. She fell down onto the row of chairs outside the room Inuyasha was going to be set in. She took a few shaky breaths and then bowed her head, defeated.
I failed him…

The doctor sat down beside her. "Never mind – you can help me. I need to contact his parents, tell them what's going on here. I'm not sure whether they know…"
"He doesn't have any parents. They died when he was little," Kagome said, covering her face with her hands.

Shock crossed across the man's face for a moment and then he looked agitated. "Is there any other member of the family I can call?"
Kagome thought briefly of Sesshoumaru. She didn't even know why. Sure, he and Inuyasha were brothers – but Sesshoumaru probably wouldn't care if Inuyasha dropped dead. He'd only be disappointed it wasn't him who brought about his demise. And she doubted the doctor could get hold of Sesshoumaru, who was in the Sengoku Jidai. Where Inuyasha should be…

"No. Inuyasha doesn't have any family. He lives with mine."
The doctor's eyes narrowed suddenly in suspicion. "Oh? And who are you to him? His foster-sister?" he asked.
For the second time that day, Kagome found herself spinning a lie. "I'm his girlfriend," she said, softly, scared that she was jinxing her hopes for the future.

The doctor's eyes widened and then he lost the suspicion in his eyes. He patted her hand. "So you're Kagome," he grinned.
Kagome turned to look at him, shocked. How does he know my name? The question must have been written all over her face, because the doctor started speaking again.

"That was all the boy said while he was going into surgery. He was unconscious – presumably – but he couldn't help repeating your name. The other attending surgeons got over cautious and gave him a large dose of anaesthetic, just in case he woke up during the operation. But he'll be fine – don't worry,"

Kagome didn't feel reassured. That was all the boy said while he was going into surgery… Kagome. Kagome felt ashamed. He had known. He had known she wasn't by his side. She really had failed him, and he would know when he woke up never to trust her again. She'd broken her promise.

Kagome felt a tear roll down her cheek and she wiped it away hastily, not wanting to cry in front of a stranger. She frowned. "When will the surgery be over?" she asked, clasping her hands in her lap.
The doctor stood up, signifying the end of the conversation. "You can't really tell on operations like these, but it should take around another hour – maybe slightly less. Do you want me to get you a drink?"

Kagome nodded wordlessly. She looked down into her lap, thinking only of the silver-haired hanyou who lay unconscious and begging for her to be at his side. She hid her face in her hands and wept.

Inuyasha caressed the side of Kagome's face and smiled. "Kagome, it's okay, really."
But it wasn't okay – not for a minute. Kagome had left him right when he'd needed her. Right when he'd needed her most.

"Inuyasha, I was so afraid. I was so worried about you…"
"It's all right, Kagome. I'm better now. Things can go back to the way they were,"
But Kagome didn't want things to go back to the way they were – she wanted more. She wanted him. Now that she had almost lost him, she was afraid of what would happen if she lost him for good.

She dug her face into his chest, sobbing. "Oh, Inuyasha. Don't you understand? Don't you–?" She stopped. Something was wrong. And Kagome saw what was wrong when she looked down. Why is Inuyasha dressed in his kimono? He wasn't wearing it when he went into surgery; he was only wearing his trousers. And… why is his kimono turning red?

Kagome stepped back away from Inuyasha, her lips wobbling in fright. When she looked back up, blood was dripping out of the corners of Inuyasha's mouth. His eyes were narrowed, but they were glazed and distant. His skin was paler than the shade his bloody kimono had once been.

He looked like a zombie.

For some reason, his kimono fluttered open and Kagome saw the long gash cutting across his body. It wasn't sewn shut; it was open and bleeding dangerously. Kagome felt like she was going to throw up.

"I-Inuyasha?"
"You left me, Kagome… You left me,"
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry."

But he was coming closer. His eyes were darkening and a smile was painting its way across his face. Kagome let out a squeal of fright, falling back away from the hanyou.

"I need you, Kagome. I need you now."
He grabbed her, his claws piercing her skin as his grip on her tightened. Kagome yelped in pain and tried to avert her eyes, but couldn't. She thought for a moment that her heart had stopped beating. "Inuyasha, please…"

It was too late. The hanyou was raining kisses down the side of her throat, fiercely. "I need you, Kagome…"

Kagome's heart was pounding so much that she thought she was going to throw up. Somewhere through the haze of confusion someone was calling her name – trying to drag her back to reality. The gentle touches on her throat slowly turning to harsh bites of lust were causing her to fall back away from the real world.

This is only a dream, Kagome realised. I've… I've gotta wake up.

Kagome didn't feel sane anymore.Her eyes flickered open and for a moment the world around her was blurry. Then she focused and saw the doctor in front of her, smiling from his spot on the floor. He was crouching, his hand on her shoulder revealing where he had attempted to wake her.

"Inuyasha's out of theatre now. He's in his room, resting."

Kagome blinked furiously. Inuyasha? She stood up, looking around and realising she had fallen asleep. She dusted herself off and nodded wordlessly, heading towards the door on her left.

Sure enough, Inuyasha was inside, lying on the bed with his silvery hair spread out about him like angel's wings. He looked so young and vulnerable when he slept, his top lip indenting his lower lip slightly. He was hooked up to a few machines with tubes coming in and out of him, making Kagome cringe.

She pulled a chair up beside his bed, just watching him. She'd already forgotten her dream. She placed her hand on his, going back to her original promise. "Inuyasha," she said softly, brushing his hair out of his face. The hanyou didn't stir.

Kagome sighed and looked down, hoping that he was able to hear her. The machine opposite her displaying his heart rate and beeping in time with his pulse was annoying, slightly, but she took it in her stride. Kagome felt like she had to confess everything, suddenly. Everything – all her feelings.

"Inuyasha, I– I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I tried to be, I really did, but it was like the whole world was against me! I wanted to be there – I really did. But I couldn't be. So I'm here now, Inuysaha. I'm here now, and I promise you – I'll make up for it," she rubbed his hand with her thumb, fresh tears shining in her eyes.

Kagome bowed her head, taking a steadying breath. "I – I love you, Inuyasha. I… I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," Her hand tightened on Inuyasha's and she half expected him to squeeze back. He didn't. Instead, he began to turn cold.

Kagome looked up suddenly and realised his lips were turning blue. "Inu…yasha?" She glanced up at the heart monitor and saw that his heart rate was picking up in speed. Kagome's head jerked back down to stare at Inuyasha, and she sucked in a deep breath, preparing to scream. And then the tears started to spill and she clutched onto him tightly, shaking him.

"INUYASHA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was useless. He was slipping away from her, falling into a void she couldn't follow. The machine's beeping was so close together now… and then the explosion came in Kagome's mind – meltdown – when the beep was just a continuous sound and the line on the monitor was flat.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Kagome yelled, pounding her hand against the emergency button on the wall. "HELP!"
She looked down at Inuyasha, tears blurring her vision. His chest was flat, he wasn't breathing. His lips were parted with a blue-purple tint and his face was so pale.

An unfamiliar doctor burst into the room, surveyed the situation and called out into the corridor for the resuscitation unit.
Kagome realised she was a little more than hysterical. She was clutching hold of Inuyasha, shaking him over and over to try and wake him up. A nurse somehow managed to come up behind her and tug her away – separating she and Inuyasha for around the fourth time that night.

Kagome sent a fleeting glance in Inuyasha's direction, screaming at the top of her lungs to be left alone. "Inuyasha, don't leave me! Don't leave me, please – I'm begging you!"

Two doctors came running through the open door, dragging the resuscitation unit behind them. Then they unloaded the two handheld instruments and stood over Inuyasha, glancing at the screen. He was flat-lining… and Kagome didn't know what to do.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, please, I– I love you!" Kagome sobbed, feeling the helplessness wash over her. Then she recoiled in horror as they placed the rounded instruments on Inuyasha's chest and sent a bolt of electricity through his body. Kagome let out a shriek as Inuyasha's upper body jumped into the air and then settled back down, before the doctors did the same again and again.

Kagome couldn't bear to watch. She looked away, biting her bottom lip to stop herself from squealing. She collapsed in the nurse's arms. What am I going to do without him? She wondered, clutching onto her chest and realising that her heart was pounding so much that it was beginning to hurt. She realised, distantly, that it was breaking. I… I can't live without him…

She glanced at Inuyasha's face, the tears still streaming now as his body leapt into the air with another shock of electricity. Inuyasha, she communicated with her mind, I can't live without you…