Chapter 6 - The Ambulance
Miroku was incredibly relieved. Finally he would get home – home to the world where he belonged to! He had carefully hid the pill pouch under the wrist warmer in his right arm. He never took it off, not even in the shower. That was because there was a black hole, which would suck anyone and everything inside it if revealed – also himself, unless he got out of this world as soon as possible.
The white-coats never believed this, and it was one of the reasons why he was in here.
But Miroku wouldn't take his death cocktail just yet. Just when it was bedtime. Now he would solemnise his final moments in this dimesion by joining the other patients in the activity room.
Again, the activity room was filled with people. The round table was crammed, even every windowsills were taken, let alone the couch. Kagura had apparently arranged a Singstar competition, and everyone wanted to sing.
I'm blue da-ba-dee-da-da-daa...
That's how Jakotsu sang, dancing in the beat. Miroku smiled and started looking for Inuyasha – and there he sat, on a windowsill, listening to the singing expressionlessly and quiet, like always. Miroku walked to him and leaned the wall.
"Inuyasha, I am here for the last day", he told. Inuyasha turned towards the man.
"What do you mean last day?!" shouted a wolf youkai named Koga, who sat on the couch. He was here because he had shot two men with a machine gun four years back.
"Exactly. I'm leaving tonight", Miroku nodded. The singing in the room stopped. Everyone turned towards Miroku.
"Tonight?" Kagura raised her eyebrow. "Believe me, you ain't going anywhere."
"Yes I am."
"Ha! Where did you get that shit in your head?!" Koga started laughing "If you're going somewhere, that's the adults' chronic ward!"
Miroku didn't mind the boy laughing; he knew he shouldn't take the creatures of this world that seriously.
"No, really..." mumbled Sango, who sat at the corner of the couch, next to Kagome. "Who told you that?"
"They. Those like me. I have told you that I don't belong it this world, haven't I?" Miroku explained. Kagome's expression was hard to describe. But almost everyone in the room nodded. Of course they had heard of Miroku's origin, and not just once.
"But Miroku! We will miss you! Can't leave us!" complained Jakotsu, who stood in front of the TV with the Singstar microphone in his hand.
"Don't you worry, you'll be fine."
Inuyasha had no idea what his friend was talking about. But he could smell something suspicious – chemicals – and that smell came from Miroku's right hand, under the wrist warmer.
Not that he really cared. He turned his face to the window and tweaked his ears.
Now it was Miroku's turn to sing. It felt wonderful to think this was his last song here. No more white walls, no isolation boxes, no bad food or strange statements about his mental health... Just freedom! He'd be out of here! Out of this dimension, and forever!
Miroku grabbed the microphone and started singing:
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
Kagura grinned.
"You know, you just couldn't have picked a better song!"
At the evening snack, Miroku ate like a king. He put lots of honey in his tea and shook everyone's hands as farewell – except the white-coats of course. Some patients did have their doubts of what he was about, but nobody said a thing.
As Miroku stirred his tea, he looked around to make sure no-one would see. Inuyasha, who sat opposite him and finally was able to eat by himself, followed the man's actions like a hawk, but Miroku knew the boy wouldn't say a word to anyone.
Slowly he took the pouch of tens of pills out of the wrist warmer into his fist. Fast he swallowed them and drank his tea after them. Inuyasha's ears lowered. This guy was not up to good.
The ward was about to get to sleep. The patients brushed their teeth and retreated to their rooms. Lights were put out.
Miroku had cleaned his side of his and Inuyasha's room. He didn't want to leave a mess after him. Pretty lightly dazed Inuyasha laid on his bed on his side and looked at Miroku – dazed, too. Clearly.
Miroku's sight had started getting blurry. He didn't really feel his legs anymore. He felt light as a feather.
With groggy steps Miroku walked to the door to turn off the room's lights.
"Farewell, Inuyasha", he said with a little smile. Everything turned dark.
About two hours had gone by; it was almost 12 PM. The whole ward was asleep, except Inuyasha. He laid on his bed, staring at Miroku. He knew something was wrong.
The nurses in night shift were just checking the rooms. One nurse opened Inuyasha's and Miroku's room's door – and saw Inuyasha's red eyes shining in the darkness.
"Can't you sleep?" the nurse asked from the door. Inuyasha sat up, looked at Miroku, and then turned at the nurse.
"What?" the nurse wondered and walked into the room. She stopped beside Miroku's bed, grabbed his shoulder, shaking him a bit.
"Miroku. Miroku!" she shouted. But nothing happened. Fast she ran out of the room and shouted to the corridor; "Call the ambulance!"
