Thank you, wolfimus prime, for the idea for therapy animals! More ideas, more more more!
Some InuKag coming... ^^
Chapter 48 – Well They ARE Dogs...
It happened a while ago. Sango's pet, or like she said, a beloved friend, had been brought into the ward K10-3. But she had to be taken back to the animal shelter, because Jakotsu couldn't stop harassing her. But that was not actually the worst problem – the problem was that Kirara wasn't a little pussycat, but didn't put up with it, turned into her big form, and almost killed Jakotsu once. She was taken away. Sango of course blamed Jakotsu for that, but it couldn't be helped.
But then they called from the shelter. Kirara had finished therapy animal training. So today the staff of the ward wanted to try again.
"So, they are bringing us that kitty Kirara and... a therapy dog. A white shepherd. I don't know..." Mitsuhiro thought, grinning and sipping his morning coffee in the nurses' break room.
"I think this will be something we all want to see", Kaede winked with a little laugh.
This was one of those days when Inuyasha was just a harmless little thing, slouching the corridors non-stop, like a shadow. He took no contact with anyone or anything like he didn't even see or hear them, didn't look in the eyes or even growl. He had skipped breakfast. But the nurses didn't mind. Just let him be, it's not like he'd starve. He was in good shape after all.
"Inuyasha!" Mitsuhiro shouted as he saw Inuyasha walking towards the spot where the main and eastern corridors collide. He just turned and disappeared to the other corridor. Mitsuhiro sighed, but jogged after the boy. Now he saw him from behind, but knew it wouldn't be wise to run to him and touch his shoulder or something like that – the boy could maybe attack him.
"Inuyasha..." the man said quietly, walking to him slowly. "Inuyasha."
The boy turned around. He didn't look at Mitsuhiro, but walked past him, bumping his shoulder on the man's side. 'I really wonder what his react will be...'
"Kirara? Coming here?" Sango gasped eyes wide. Kaede nodded, smiling. "When? How long will she stay?"
"She will be here within half an hour. She, two trainers and a dog", the lady answered. Sango's eyes widened even more.
"I-is it wise to bring a dog in here? I mean, Inu and Koga..."
"Don't ye worry about it, child. Everything will work out just fine."
As everyone knew, it was always nobody else than Inuyasha to sit at the ward's main door, waiting for someone. But this time it was Sango. She was so excited to see her little friend again. Then she suddenly saw her roomie walk to her.
"Hi, Kagome-chan..." she greeted as the skeletal girl sat next to her on the floor, leaning against the glassy door.
"Are you waiting for your cat?" she asked.
"Well I don't think of her as my 'cat'..." Sango mumbled.
"Oh, sorry..." Kagome apologized. "I... I had a cat. Actually, I think he is still there, at my home... His name is Buyo."
"Do you ever miss him?"
"Oh yeah... He is such a cute chubby little furball", Kagome grinned for a few seconds.
Then Koga walked to the girls.
"I know who you are waitin' for", the wolf boy grinned.
"Of course. You heard us talk from far away", Sango said, quiet.
"Well, yea, that way too", Koga nodded. "But! I can smell the cat demon comin' closer!"
"Y-you do?" Sango's eyes widened.
"Yup. And she'll be here in maybe a minute", he said and turned away. "...There's also something else I can sense."
"What is it?" Sango wondered.
"You'll see."
As Koga had his super-keen sense of smell, he didn't really need to 'look for' Inuyasha. He just followed his friend's scent. Now the dog boy had wandered to the isolation room wing. There he stood, staring at nothing.
"Yo! Inu!" Koga shouted and jogged to him. "Excited? I know you can smell the dog coming, too!"
Inuyasha gave no answer.
"C'mon you lil' puppy", Koga said, grabbed Inuyasha's arm and dragged him with him. "It's a big one! Not a little Chiwawa!"
Inuyasha let the wolf boy drag him through the ward. And then they saw it – almost all of the ward's patients and nurses, standing in front of the main door – and at the door stood two women, one holding Kirara, the other holding a dog on a leash. And as Koga had known, it was a big one. The dog was wagging it's tail, and as Kagome knelt down, it licked her face, making the girl smile.
Koga and Inuyasha marched to them. Koga was grinning at Kagome.
"You wish Inuyasha would do that to you don't ya?"
Kagome blushed harshly.
Then Inuyasha slowly walked to them, knelt down on all fours in front of the dog, starting to sniff it's muzzle. The dog sniffed back, wagging his tail. Inuyasha sniffed it's ears as his own ears shot up. The dog licked him, but the boy didn't lick back. Everyone looking at this were chuckling, Mitsuhiro and Kaede maybe laughing quietly. Then they saw something they didn't expect – Koga's tail was wagging, too. Slowly but still wagging.
Then the dog boy did just what Koga had predicted – he turned at Kagome, getting closer, sniffing, and when their noses met, he licked her. Kagome blushed again.
"Heey, Inuyasha!" Mitushiro laughed, just about to go drag Inuyasha off the girl, but Kaede stopped him by putting her hand on his way. She shushed, wiggling her finger in front of her lips. Mitsuhiro smiled and took a step back.
Sango held Kirara in her arms, stroking her. Her purring made her so happy. She had missed her so much. Miroku joined her side, stroking the cat, too.
Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting together on the floor a few meters away from others, Inuyasha in his dog-pose. Kagome was shaking a bit. She had been thinking about asking him this one question. But she never had her chance. Would this be it?
"Inuyasha..." she said quietly. The boy didn't react. The girl gulped and put her hand on his head, between his ears, starting to rub another of them.
"Inuyasha, I have a question. Just... one question...", she mumbled. "Do... do you mean something by licking me? I mean, sometimes you act like... like you... like me?"
Now Inuyasha turned towards the girl and looked at her with those slightly glowing, red eyes of his. But she wasn't scared of them.
Neither teens said anything. They stared at each other's eyes for a long while. Kagome could feel her heart pound. She was shaking a bit. Then finally Inuyasha answered her – by slowly getting closer at her, now leaning his head against her bony shoulder. His ears went drooping, and he closed his eyes half. Kagome blushed (again) but slowly and gently placed her hand over the boy's shoulders.
"Kago-" Kaede, who had been concentrated with the therapy dog, said, but went quiet after seeing the teens sharing a sweet moment.
The dog and Kirara spent about half an hour in the ward. Parting with Kirara was of course tough for Sango. It even made her cry.
"Don't cry, Sango. It'll be okay. You will meet again", said Miroku, who put his arm around her. He pressed the woman against his chest and stroke her.
Inuyasha and Kagome were still sitting beside each-other, but had moved to the living room. They sat on the sofa. Inuyasha did seem to be mentally somewhere else, but Kagome didn't mind. Just leaning towards his warm, rigid chest made her feel so happy. She had never had anything like a boyfriend – vice versa, she had always been bullied at school, mostly by boys. They told her she would never get anyone by her side. That she's an ugly, fat bitch. But here she was, sitting against a boy – a handsome one! - and this wasn't the first love indication she had received from Inuyasha. How he had tried to make her eat, stop cutting herself... How he made her a Christmas card, how he once gave him daffodils... So wasn't it actually obvious he liked her?
If he'd only say it...If she only could hear the three words "I love you".
"What a sweet noon", Mitsuhiro smiled as he sat in the break room. "The therapy dog sure was therapeutic for Inuyasha. He was so lost in the morning, and there he sits, on the sofa with Kagome..."
Kaede smiled with a nod. "We should invite them here again. Not only because of Inuyasha, but Sango. Kirara is all that's left from her family..."
Mitsuhiro nodded with a sad face. He knew Sango's story, why she was here.
Suddenly Koga came to the door. He was grinning, leaning towards the doorframe.
"Feel it? Teen love around", he said.
"Yes."
"And I smelled it before you had any idea. I could sense it", he winked at the two nurses and left the door.
"Yea... If only every day was like this..." Mitsuhiro sighed.
