Disclaimer – just a reminder that I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters, but all others are my own.
Chapter 7:
Inuyasha and Kagome stared around the impressive lobby of TDN International. There was a three-storey waterfall to one side, surrounded by potted trees and other greenery. There were plenty of benches spread around for people to sit, but to enter the building proper, one had to pass Security.
Employees had pass cards that were scrutinized by a security guard, even after they had been through a monitor. There were six lines for the security check, and the guards manning these posts were marvelously efficient at getting people checked in. Visitors had to stop by the Security desk and sign in.
Jonathan and Kirsten took the two of them to the Security Desk and chatted with the three men and a woman who manned it. Inuyasha and Kagome were issued Visitor passes and told they would get regular passes in a day or so.
Kagome blushed as one of the young guards winked at her. Inuyasha bared his teeth at the guard and took Kagome firmly by the arm.
"What's with you? He was just being nice."
"I didn't like the look in his eyes."
"Oh – you're just being silly, Inuyasha."
"Keh. You're a sucker for a handsome face."
"Oh? Was he handsome? I didn't notice." Kagome wore a sly grin. There were times when it could be fun to provoke the half-demon's jealous nature. "At least I didn't snarl at that girl when she gave you the once-over."
"What girl?"
"At the security desk, Mr. Observant."
"She gave me the what?"
"The once-over. She thought you were pretty good-looking too, if I'm not mistaken."
"Really? She did make some kind of hand-sign." Inuyasha mimicked what he'd seen. "Hey, Kirsty – what does this mean?"
Kirsten and Jonathan took one look and began to laugh.
"It means 'call me'," Kirsten told him.
"What does she want me to call her?" Inuyasha wondered. He frowned as everyone began to laugh uproariously.
OoOoO
Inuyasha decided that he disliked the elevator intensely. It made him nervous to be in such a small box. And to be crowded in with other people whose scents bothered him was no picnic either.
He sneezed and shook his head vigourously when they left the elevator. Jonathan did the same.
"God!" Kirsten said. "That musk perfume stank like three-day-old road kill!"
Inuyasha did not know what road kill was, but he concurred with 'stank'. He looked at Kirsten curiously.
She laughed and patted his shoulder. "Jon and I sympathize, Inuyasha, because we also have very acute senses. Once we've processed the two of you, I'll fix it so Cerberus will respond to a command from you for an express elevator. That way, you can go up and down floors without having other passengers on the elevator with you."
"Who's Cerberus?" Inuyasha stumbled over the name.
"Cerberus is the computer who runs this entire building. Hey, Cerberus! Is Kerry ready for us?"
"Welcome back, Kirsten," said a disembodied voice. "Hello, Jon. Yes. Kerry is ready in Lab Fifteen."
Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin. He began to flick the Tetsusaiga free of its sheath, ready to draw. His eyes skimmed everywhere, looking for the source of the voice.
"Easy, Inuyasha," Kirsten said, placing a hand on his arm.
"Oh!" Kagome squealed. "That is so cool! Just like being in a science fiction movie! How come the computer hasn't said anything until now?"
"Cerberus will respond only when his name is spoken and if you happen to have the right clearance."
Kirsten led the way to the lab where a young blond-haired man awaited. It took a great deal of coaxing to get Inuyasha to lie down on a special couch and have a helmet fitted over his head. He had a deep suspicion of anything mechanical. He could not believe that he was about to be taught another language. He glanced over to another couch where Kagome lay with a similar helmet over her head.
"It won't hurt?" he asked Kirsten plaintively.
"No – not at all. Just close your eyes, Inuyasha. It will only take a few minutes."
Jonathan took up his hand and squeezed it, smiling down at him. Inuyasha closed his eyes…and promptly fell asleep.
It seemed only a few minutes later that someone was shaking his arm gently and calling his name.
"Huh? What? Did I fall asleep? Did it work?"
He opened his eyes to see Jonathan standing over him.
"You tell me if it worked."
Inuyasha gasped. "I…I understood you. Does this mean I can't speak my own language any more?"
"Of course not. If you're spoken to in English, you'll respond in English. If you're spoken to in Japanese, you'll respond in Japanese."
Jonathan helped him sit up. Inuyasha turned immediately to the other couch to find Kagome sitting up and regarding him with amusement.
"Are you okay, Kagome?"
"Perfectly fine. Feels funny, doesn't it?"
"A little."
"There's an adjustment period," Kerry told them. "The programming will settle in over the next couple of hours. Once it does, you'll never notice when you switch between languages."
"Well," Kagome said with a grin, "at least my grade in English will improve!"
OoOoO
After they left the lab, the group split up. Jonathan would take Kagome to visit Kelso's lab to see the robots, while Kirsten would take Inuyasha to her own lab to start the testing.
There was a woman seated at a desk outside of Kirsten's laboratory. She seemed to be part assistant, and part sentry. She looked up with a smile for Kirsten, but her jaw dropped when she spied Inuyasha standing behind the diminutive mutant. Inuyasha cringed, expecting screams at any moment.
"Hi, Sharon," Kirsten said to her. "I want you to meet my new protégé, Inuyasha. You did get my message he was coming?"
Sharon seemed incapable of speech for the moment. Her eyes were firmly glued on Inuyasha.
"Sharon? Shut your mouth, dear. You're drooling."
"Am I? Oh… sorry…" She rose from her chair and extended a hand to Inuyasha. "Hi there. Welcome to TDN. If there's anything I can help you with…"
Inuyasha shook her hand gingerly, careful of his claws. These people seemed to be big on shaking hands, and he didn't want to inadvertently scratch anyone. He blushed a little at the look in Sharon's eyes. It was apparent that she found him attractive and that confused him even more. Shouldn't she be running down the hall, screaming?
"Down, girl," Kirsten said. "He's too old for you."
"Huh?"
Inuyasha hid a smile at the confused look on Sharon's face.
"Come on in, Inuyasha," Kirsten said, opening the door to her lab. "Let's get you prepped for a physical."
"Do you need help?" Sharon sounded too hopeful.
Kirsten grinned at her as she pushed the reluctant half-demon into the room. "I think he can undress himself, Sharon – but thank you." She shut the door firmly in her secretary's face.
"Wait a minute!" Inuyasha stammered. "Undress?"
"Did I forget to mention I was a doctor? Yes, dear, you need to undress so Dr. Kelso and I can do some of those tests we were talking about earlier. But right now, I'm just going to run a general physical on you."
"I'm not getting naked in front of you! Or…or anyone else!"
Kirsten sighed. She went to a small room at the back of the lab and returned with cloth in her hand. "You won't be naked, Inuyasha. You'll put on this gown. The only time you'll be naked is when we put you under the mapping equipment. And I promise that it will be just Dr. Kelso and myself in the room. Trust me, you haven't got anything we haven't seen before – unless, of course, you've got a tail you've been hiding."
"I don't have a tail!"
Kirsten ignored his annoyed growl and demonstrated how the gown was to go on. Inuyasha blushed furiously.
"It…it's almost as bad as being naked!" he griped.
"Inuyasha – I'm surprised at you. I didn't think you were such a prude." Kirsten grinned at him. "If you give me trouble over this, I might just have to call in Sharon. I'm sure she'd be glad to assist in getting your clothes off."
"You people are all perverts!" Inuyasha snatched the gown from Kirsten and marched back to the small change room. He pulled the curtain across roughly. Kirsten could hear him cursing in Japanese as he changed. For a prude, he could certainly use pretty colourful language when he wanted to!
When he finally emerged, the gown was on… more or less correctly. He had not removed the beads from his neck, however, and Kirsten eyed them.
"Those have to come off too, dear," she said.
"They don't come off. I can't remove them."
"Why not?"
"Because," he ground out, "they're spelled. Only Kagome can remove them, or maybe Kaede."
"Well, why haven't they?"
"Don't know much about demons, do ya?" Inuyasha grinned ferally. "The beads have a binding spell on them. Kagome's the one who activated them and only she can use the spell. It keeps me under control when I lose it."
"I understood the Tetsusaiga helped keep your demon side under control."
"Yeah – that too." He glared at her. "How'd you find that out?"
"I had enough time for several very long talks with Kagome while we were still in Japan. She likes talking about you…for some strange reason." Kirsten grinned back at him as he blushed. She patted an examination table. "Now hop up here and sit."
Inuyasha cringed at the word 'sit', but of course nothing happened. He climbed up on the table and sat swinging his bare legs as Kirsten got her instruments ready.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he began asking questions as Kirsten proceeded with the physical. She patiently explained each instrument to him and allowed him to handle them. He liked the otoscope and was permitted to insert it into Kirsten's ear.
"Hey!" he chortled. "I can see right through to the other side of the room."
"Yeah, yeah. Gimme that, wise guy."
The stethoscope was also interesting – at least until he placed it on Kirsten's chest and found he was a little too close to touching some objects he'd rather not think about too much, thank you. Especially if he wanted to keep even a shred of dignity in the despicable gown.
Kirsten would not let him try the blood pressure cuff on her. She did not trust the look on his face, which promised retribution for the gown and the other indignities she had subjected him to during the course of the exam.
By the time they were finished, Inuyasha seemed much more relaxed. He had a playful side to him that he did not let many people see. And a quick mind, which even fewer would see. Kirsten guessed that much of his blustering was to cover up his vulnerabilities, presumably to keep other demons from challenging him too often.
Kirsten had Cerberus locate her colleague and ask him to join them in her lab, so she could introduce him to Inuyasha. When Dr. Kelso arrived, he found Kirsten explaining some of her equipment to an intrigued half-demon.
"Inuyasha, I'd like you to meet Dr. Kelso," Kirsten said.
Kelso came forward to shake hands. "Just call me Spider," he said.
Inuyasha jumped as if he'd been shocked and would not take Kelso's hand at first. He sniffed the air deeply before gingerly shaking hands.
"I guess you're okay. You don't smell of him."
Kelso looked puzzled. "Say what?"
"Naraku. We call him the demon spider because he and all his incarnations have a mark on their backs shaped like a spider. He's our mortal enemy."
"Oh. Well, you can check my back if you want, but I'm pretty sure there's no spider marks."
"Naw – don't need to. Most of the time, I can detect him by his stink alone."
"Spider is actually a nickname, Inuyasha," Kirsten said.
"If it will make you feel more comfortable, you can call me Henry. But I prefer Spider."
Inuyasha surveyed Kelso for a moment. Kirsten's colleague was dark-haired and dark-eyed, and not a tall man. He seemed to have a slight build, but Inuyasha could see that he held himself like a fighting man. He and Kirsten seemed to be perfectly comfortable together, and Inuyasha wondered if Jonathan ever objected to the presence of this man around his mate.
"Well – shall we get started?" Kelso said. "We'll use Kirsty's back door here to get to the mapping room, so you don't have to parade down the hall in that gown."
Inuyasha remembered the avid look on Sharon's face when she offered to help and shuddered. There was no way he wanted to try walking past her dressed as he was! "Thank you!" he said fervently.
