'Ugh! My head feels like it's pounding and my entire body aches. Buyo is a real jerk! I wonder where I am. It's dark. Maybe I'm still lying at bottom of the well? I hope it's not night, night in the feudal era is dangerous. That was my first lesson taught by the nearly forgotten Mistress Centipede taught me, there were a few more but they weren't important. I don't hear Buyo, but I do I hear voices. Whispering I think. Maybe I'm at Kaede's?' The voice grew louder and louder as the darkness in front of me began to lessen. Fluttering my eyes open I saw a wood ceiling. Turning my head I saw a bright fire, surrounding the fire was Sango, Shippo and Keade they were busy talking about me. In the corner stood Miroku and Inuyasha they too were talking about me. My throat was dry so dry it hurt, "Wa-Water?" This caused all their heads to snap in my direction, I probably would have blushed from embarrassment if I hadn't been so thirsty. Keade smiled as tears clung to her deep crows feet, she wiped them away as she poured me a cup of water. Sango ran to my side and helped me sit up. Raising the cup to my lips I downed the sweet cold sweet liquid rather greedily.
'You're all here.'
Keade smiled and questioned with heavy concern "Kagome, How do you feel?" I focused more on her voice rather than the words she spoke. 'That's not Keade's voice. Her voice is low toned and somewhat horse. This voice is sweet and somewhat high pitched.' It was feminine and familiar. Just as I was about to place a name to the familiar voice my vision changed. The people before me began to melt like candles. Kaede's long grey hair bled dark brown and rested on her shoulders, Sango's eyes changed from brown to blue, Inuyasha's ears melted of and his hair turned brown, Shippo's feet disappeared as his stature grew, while Miroku's stature shrank his hair turning from raven to snow. I watched in horror as they their clothes burned. The fire grew bigger and brighter. It flickered blowing in a wind that was not there. Then a sudden wind blew the flames out entirely, leaving only smoke. The smoke filled the room until I could see nothing else. Everything was completely dark again, silence was absolute as my ears began to ring, a heavy weight pressed firmly against my chest. The voices began to speak once more. They echoed loudly bouncing around in my head.
"Kagome?"
"Kagome!"
"KAGOME?!"
My eyes snapped open to reveal white, 'Heaven?' As my sight became more clear I noticed the white mimicked that of cottage cheese, a false ceiling. Turning my head to where I had seen my friends, to only be greeted by family. Mom stood talking with Yuka they were talking. Souta, Gramps and Hojo stood near the window talking about medical school and the rewards of being a doctor. The window was littered with bouquets in beautiful vases both ceramic and glass, each with its own tiny card. I looked at the ceiling and blinked as hard as I could, still a false white ceiling. Again I blink, this time longer. Taking a deep breath I decided to open my eyes. Still the ceiling a tear spilled from my left eye as I whispered "Is this real?" I thought my whisper had been quiet but it was loud enough to alert everyone in the room I was awake.
"She's awake again!" Hojo shouted.
'Again?' I wondered to myself.
My mother quickly left the room through a door and entered the hallway "Doctor," she cried again and again. I felt all my energy return to me and yet I still did not want to move, my body still aches all over. 'I'm safe in a hospital that's enough for now.' The doctor rushed to my side as my friends mumbled to one another before escaping into the hallway. Now only mom, gramps, Souta and the doctor were with me. The doctor was the first to speak "Do you know your name?" I nodded and confidently answered "Yes, Kagome Higurashi." The doctor nodded and wrote something down on her clipboard "Good, very good. Okay do you know where you are?"
Growing a little irritated with her slow happy tone I answered with unknowingly with a little attitude "Yes, Tokyo, Japan year two thousand and seventeen." Again the doctor repeated "Good, very good," in that same tone as before. I felt a little embarrassed realizing the tone I had given her as I couldn't help but notice my mother's warning glare. Knowing I was in trouble I began to fiddle with my fingers, picking the orange fingernail polish off. 'Quite recently I've been into fashion, an interest I guess I've had since middle school. But didn't have the time or money to invest in. But now I do. Focus. Your in a hospital talking to a doctor!' My doctor's smile did not fade as she asked another question, "You okay? Do you know how you got here?"
"Sorry I just zoned out for a moment."
"That's okay it's perfectly normal. Now do you remember how you got here?" The doctor repeated once more.
I sat there unsure what quote to tell her, 'Well I could tell her the truth I was looking for my cat and then fell down a well and went to another era and then somehow came back here right? That's everything I remember. But it doesn't make sense. If I fell down the well and was at Kaede's how did I get back here? Inuyasha is the only one besides me who can pass through the well and he wouldn't just leave me when I'm injured. He be here wearing a baseball cap and cursing beneath his breath trying to act angry when he is actually worried.'
"I think I was chasing my cat and hit my head or something like that?"
I looked at my family and raised my eyebrows silently asking if I was right. They gave me smiles and slight nods of approval. A wave of relief wash over me knowing that I had answered correctly, for some reason it make me feel at ease. Before the doctor was able to ask another question, I decided to ask one first. I rubbed my head and asked, "How long was I asleep?" Before she could answer another question popped out of my mouth " Did you give me anything that would cause me to have weird dreams?"
Clipping her blue pin to her coat and she smiled and rested her hands at her side. My eyes were drawn to the clipboard in her right hand. I could see scribbles and tried to make out the words but found it impossible. Looking back at her face I began to grow iratatted and started to internally judge her appearance. 'I wonder if she really needs those glasses or just has them to look smart, to look the part. Her skin is flawless without makeup, no fair. Her hair was a beautiful chestnut that one couldn't get from a bottle of dye. Her figure was beautiful, she had long legs, a small waist and a full chest. Oh… No wedding ring? Guess she can't be that perfect then.'
"You have been out of it for one week to be exact. We haven't given you anything besides liquids. Sometimes comatose patients do report having strange, vivid dreams or out of body experiences. Don't worry it's normal."
Listening to her I felt ashamed at my judgemental mind, her words played again in my mind. At the mention of the time I jumped sitting at a ninety degree angle "A WEEK?!" My hands flew to the side of my head as it pounded from my sudden movement. My head become heavy and fuzzy "I need to lay down." My mother ran to my side eager to help in anyway she could. Once mom had helped me settled back in bed my doctor took mom and gramps to the other side of the curtain and began to whisper. I looked at Souta with a sad smile "So am I fired?" He shrugged "We got a few calls asking why you were late and if you were coming in, mom explained the situation and they stopped calling. You know it's kinda funny."
"Okay I was out for a week, in that time did funny get a new definition or something?"
"No, miss attitude. Geez first with the doctor and now with me, I think you need to sleep a little more."
"Now that's funny Souta, ha ha ha."
We were joined by the true adults, mom, gramps and my doctor. The doctor approached my side and sweetly spoke "Your health has been at a constant and if it continues then you will be discharged in three days. In that time is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable? It's lunch time, you must be hungry right?" I gave a simple nod which was shortly followed by my stomach's loud growl. The doctor headed towards the door "I'll get your nurse to bring you something good to eat." I hoped that she was telling the truth. As much as gramps called my middle school, high school and friends telling them I was in the hospital this was the first time since I was a child that it was actually true. When the doctor was gone I looked at my family and whispered "So I stayed on our side of the well?" Gramps nodded "Of course. We placed sutra's on the door of the well house, but also on the inside and outside of the well itself."
'So it was a dream. I'm not sure if I should feel sad or relieved.'
"Three days will probably pass slowly. So would you like me to bring you anything from home? A book, your laptop or something else?" I nodded with a smile "Could you bring me my laptop, I'd like to watch Netflix?" She nodded with a smile and put her hand on my brother's shoulders, "Souta, Grandpa we should go check on the kittens." My puffy lips formed a frown "Did you already name them all?" Gramps crossed his arms and raised his head high in pride "But of course, I named one, your mother named one and Souta named one. I chose the fine name Osakabenomiko, but we call her Mi for short." My eyes nearly bulged out of my head at the mention of that long name, it didn't exactly roll off the tongue. Gramps continued ignoring my reaction "Your mother named one Aki and Souta named one cream puff, but we call her puff for short." I sighed, 'I really wanted to name one Koi.' I looked over at the door smiled up at my mom "Can my friends come back in?" Souta shook his head "They are down in the cafeteria right now, but they said they'd be back up."
A knock echoed from the door causing all our heads to turn. A nurse wearing pink hello kitty scrubs smiled holding a lavender tray of different foods "I heard that someone is hungry?" I felt myself practically drool as I watched her set it on my over bed table. My eyes were locked on the tray paying her no attention as she helped me sit up. Sliding over my over bed table to hover over my lap.
'Pork chop, garlic potatoes, green beans, applesauce, cup of chocolate pudding and a bottle of water.'
"Thank you," I said bowing my head. The nurse smiled, her face turned pink "My you're formal. I guess that happens when your are raised traditionally. It's really not problem, you just woke up on a good day. I'm not sure if you know, but it's Tuesday; and Tuesdays' are western cuisine." After that my nurse left my room and I was alone. Grabbing my spoon I began to eat, as hungry as I was, I was only able to have a few bites of my side dishes and a little pudding. I quickly washed it down with some water before moving my sliding table off to the side. My eyes grew heavy as did my head moving to lay comfortably under the covers I couldn't help but feel amused. 'Sleeping for a week was not enough rest to keep me awake for half and hour. I just I'll sleep another week so I can stay awake for a full hour.' With a smile on my lips I drifted back to a world of my own design.
Darkness.
I stood alone in the darkness, closing my eyes made no difference, darkness was darkness. I tried to rely on other senses to tell me where I was. My skin felt as cold as ice and my lungs did not feel free, they felt trapped by a boulder. Opening my eyes I found something new in front of me. A pair of strong almond shaped eyes that shone bright gold, like twin suns. They were framed by snow white silk dancing in the wind. Pain filled my entire body as I looked down and saw a sword protruding from my chest as dripping crimson slowly stained my purple yukata. The warmth of my body began to disappear. My lips moved against my wishes "I'll return my love, I promise." My legs buckled beneath me, I was not surprised that I did not meet the snow covered ground. My body instead me the embrace of two strong arms, that I had grown to love and trust. It took all my might to look up at the one who had caught me, I could not see his face. It was all a dark blur, 'My eyes are failing me.' My breathing began to slow as the pain in my body became numb. 'My body is failing me.'
"It's a promise you are not allowed break, understand."
I laid there a smile grew on my face as my eyelids grew heavy. "Yes."
Laughter emitted from the hall barely reaching my ears. Laughter soon became louder and louder until it woke me. Sitting up in my bed I noticed a small audience of four all wearing either shock or worry, 'My friends.' I smiled and welcomed them in with a wave"Hey guys." Hojo had one foot in the hall and another in the room, swaying from foot to foot. Yuka gave me an awkward grin and Eric looked at though she was in trouble. Ayame didn't look at me instead she looked at the ground. I internally wondered why they were all acting so odd, Ayame was the leader, being the furthest in the room.
"Sorry we didn't know you were sleeping, Should we leave?"
I lightly chuckled "I wasn't sleepy!"
Yuka and Eri gave each other a knowing look, the two pointed and in unison spoke "You have bed head and dried drool on your cheek." Touching my cheek I could feel the evidence of my dreaming. Again I laughed "I only rested my eyes, afterall how much sleep could I need? I've already slept for a week. Come in I'm bored to death here, Mom hasn't returned with my laptop yet." Moving like a herd of sheep they entered the room and each found a spot to call their's. Hojo leaning on the window, Yuka sitting on the love seat with Eri and Ayame sitting on a fold up chair in another corner. Hojo was the first to speak "You shouldn't joke like that." Ayame looked at Hojo and nodded before turning my way "Yes, as often as you are in the hospital you could… you coul-" I smiled and felt the air getting tense, so tense it made me squirm "No need to worry. I'm not going to die. I have had my share of hospital stays, but I have no long lasting or life threatening illnesses." After some small talk about college, work and current events my friends left and I was able to binge watch my favorite Korean dramas. My all time favorite was 'Fated to love you, the whole idea of fate being the divine matchmaker for all of us. Something was so unbelievably magical about that. But that only happens in movies and books, sure some people would argue how I met Inuyasha was fate. But heartbreak after heartbreak it's clear to see our fate was not meant to be romantic. Maybe just a friendship? Either way I needed some time to figure things out and try to live a normal life. Afterall I have spent majority of my middle school and high school years in the feudal era. I deserve a break a chance to be like everyone else.'
