Now, before we start the new chapter, I'd like to say a few words about one of the main characters of this story, Inuyasha's own nurse Mitsuhiro.
When I started thinking about this story in my head years ago (in Finnish. Originally I didn't even think about translating this in English), I wasn't actually even thinking of making Inuyasha a nurse who would be called more than "the nurse" like most of the nurses in this story. But when I did, I just picked a Japanese male name that first came in my mind, and Mitsuhiro was the first. But still, I thought he would barely show up at all. I had no idea how would he look like, and how was his nature. Only as the story goes on, he gets more and more a main character. I have really started to like him, and he is maybe my favorite character after Inuyasha.
Okay, now to the chapter.
Chapter 30 – What About the Present?
Silence.
The longer pointer reached the number 12...
* Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee-! * SLAM! Mitsuhiro slammed the alarm clock off, He rolled on his back, stretched a bit and sat up.
"How can it be so hard..." he mumbled by himself. Well, everyone knew the first minutes from waking up were the worst.
He changed his clothes and started making omelette. He didn't know what he would be facing today af the sweet ward K10-3. Was Inuyasha still strapped on bed? In a straightjacket? Medicated? Or maybe, for Christmas, just all on his own?
The man packed his backpack, turned around towards the guinea pig's cage and waved at it.
"Bye, Alvin", he grinned and walked out.
"Ah, finally yoe came!" sighed nurse Kaede as Mitsuhiro came in from the ward's main door.
"Actually, I'm just in time", Mitsuhiro said calm and walked towards to the nurses' break room to put his backpack in his own box.
"How is Inuyasha?" he asked.
"Well, the doctor came about an hour ago and and said Inuyasha can be freed from bed."
"That's nice", Mitsuhiro smiled and nodded. "And that's why you've been waiting for me – to get him free as easily as possible."
All the nurses in the room nodded. And so, Mitsuhiro, Kaede and two other nurses got on their way. But soon Ame joined them with a straightjacket and an injection needle.
"Are you kidding me?" Mitsuhiro raised his eyebrow. "If he's in such a bad condition he has to be strapped in a straightjacket and medicated at the same time, why don't just leave him on the bed."
"No, no, ye got it all wrong", Kaede waved her hand. "The doctor said that we nurses, now meaning Ye, have to decide which we do – straightjacket or medicine."
Silence.
"Well?"
Mitsuhiro got closer to Inuyasha. He seemed asleep. Mitsuhiro sighed.
"Wouldn't it be the best to just the lad sleep and we'll see about it when he wakes up. Hm?"
Kaede walked to the other side of the bed, snapped her fingers in front of the boy's face and pet his chest. His eyes shot open and he started looking around fast. He looked like scared animal.
"It's okay, Inuyasha", Mitsuhiro calmed him by petting his head. "Well, now my plan has failed, we must decide betweed those two."
Again, silence.
"Should we vote?" on nurse suggested.
Everyone agreeded. And the vote was unanimous – the injection. And so the bed's railings were put down, and alll the nurses started freeing Inuyasha from the straps.
Now the boy was free. He had sat up, and there he sat, staring at Mitsuhiro. For some reason he seemed all calm, when the nurses had been ready for a fight.
Mitsuhiro took the syringe from Kaede and showed it to Inuyasha.
"Now the nice doctor had decided to let you free from the bed and this room. But you still have to be sedated. So – easy or hard way?"
Inuyasha sat still. One of the nurses reached for the boy's right wrist, but Inuyasha ripped his hand off and started growling.
"One more chance, young man!" Kaede shouted. "One more slash or bite and we'll use force!"
Ame, also, tried to reach to the boy, just to see how he'd react.
And as he bared his fangs, Mitsuhiro sighed.
"Grab him."
And so the boy was grabbed from every limb, and they turned him on his stomach. One of the nurses pulled his pants down and did the injection.
"We could have done it so much easier, Inuyasha", Mitsuhiro said. "But now, let's go back to the ward. I'll be beside you all the time."
As dazed as the boy was, Mitsuhiro helped him sit in a wheelchair and took him out from the isolation room. Kaede walked beside them.
"He didn't have breakfast. Should I get some for 'im?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
So Mitsuhiro parked Inuyasha in his wheelchair at his place in the dining hall. It didn't take long before Kaede came to them with a tray of food – oatmeal, a banana and a glass of chocolate milk.
"Can you eat by yourself?" the man asked. Inuyasha held the spoon in his hand, but it was hard, since he was shaking.
"Want me to help?" Mitsuhiro volunteered. Inuyasha was like he hadn't even heard what he had said. Slowly he put the spoon in his mouth and swallowed.
Mitsuhiro smiled and pet the boy's back.
"Now I think you should get some rest", Mitsuhiro said after the meal was finished. And so he took Inuyasha to his room and helped him on his bed.
"Maybe after you wake up you will feel better."
As Christmas was getting closer and closer, almost everyone in the ward, both patients and nurses, were thinking about what to give each other for a present. Usually, patients gave something nice to their own nurses and vice versa. Sometimes also patients gave presents for other patients.
And Kagome was one of them.
'What should I give him...?' Kagome thought, sitting on her bed. 'Mountain Dew, yeah, but maybe something special...'
The mail had arrived about an hour ago. Mitsuhiro was one to leaf them through and go give them to the patients.
One letter was for Inuyasha. But on the letter there was written: don't give to Inuyasha before Christmas.
But Mitsuhiro could open it. And so he did. Carefully he ripped it open and saw what was is side – a sweet family photo. Inuyasha's dad and big brother Sesshomaru. And their autographs. Mitsuhiro put the photo back into the envelope. Then he took it with him and put it in his box in the nurses' break room.
Kagome was walking a corridor, still deep in her thoughts. What should she give him? Something that would mean him something. Not a silly bottle of soda. Maybe a Christmas card? No, that's just a piece of paper. But... if she made in by herself? Nah...
The girl leaned against a windowsil and looked out into the gentle blizzard. Mitsuhiro walked to her.
"Hey, Kagome", he smiled and joined beside her by the windowsil. "Thinking of something?"
"Yeah..." the girl nodded. "I want to give a present for Inuyasha. But I can't make up what. Something else than a Mountain Dew."
Mitsuhiro was quiet for a while. Even he couldn't make up anything else than the soda... Until suddenly!
"Just a minute", said. "I have an idea!"
And so the man walked to the office and picked up the phone, calling Inuyasha's father.
"Inutaisho Kita", the voice from the phone answered.
"Hello, it's Mitsuhiro from here, K10-3."
"Well, hello!" Inutaisho's cheerful voice called. "Has our photo appeared?"
"Oh yes, I just opened it. And there is a reason why I called you now. It's about the photo."
"I'm listening..."
"You remember the young girl Kagome?"
"Mmh..." Inutaisho nodded. "The girl who makes Inuyasha talk?"
"Yes. Now, she want's to give him a present, but can't make up what. But I have an idea. What would you say if you'd let her write her autograph in your family photo?"
For a while Inutaisho said nothing. That gave Mitsuhiro a feeling the answer is no, but then:
"Well, why not. I really appreciate the girl, and I would be glad to make her happy."
"Thank you so much!" Mitsuhiro cheered. "And merry Christmas!"
After the phonecall was over, Mitsuhiro took a deep breath and a shiny smile spread on his face. He took the letter from his box, and so he got on his way to look for Kagome.
That wasn't hard, since the girl was still standing at the same spot where Mitsuhiro had left her.
"Kagome", he said and pet her shoulder with his finger. "Here, take a look."
Kagome opened the letter and saw the sweet photo. She smiled.
"Why are you giving me this?" she asked.
"This is my suggestion as your present for Inuyasha", the man said. "See those autographs? I just called Inuyasha's dad and asked would it be okay if you'd write your name in it."
"...And he agreed?"
"Yes", he nodded.
And so Kagome was given a golden marker, and she wrote her name in the southeast corner.
'I wonder if Inuyasha will give me a present...'
