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Chapter 5: Dear Prudence
'Beep…Beep…Beep…'. The heart monitor spiked and fell with each faint heart beat recorded from the slumbering girl it was attached to. A small clip was attached to Kagome's index finger on her left hand, which was resting limply by her side. The constant noise of the heart monitor was coupled with the sounds of Kagome's wheezing breathes. The line would jump, accompanied with the familiar 'beep', and her small chest would rise with a shuddering inhale. Then, another beep would go off as she exhaled. The room was white, as were sheets on the hospital bed, accented by the metallic luster of medical equipment that filled the small room. Kagome hadn't woken up since the accident, even after what the doctors and nurses had done. Her small body, fresh from a sponge bath and dressed in a paper thin, backless dress, lay motionless in that seemingly oversized bed. It seemed to engulf her in the billowing hills and valleys of sheets and pillows, encasing her in warm, soft fabric. Her hair had been scrubbed, but still fell across the pillow in dreads and knots, too unruly to be combed out. Yet, this allowed for her newly clean face to be seen clearly.
A ventilation mask was strapped to her head, fogging with each exhale through her small, parted lips. And in her tiny, up-turned nose a nasal tube was inserted, attached to her cheek by a strip of surgical tape. Each tool gave her clean oxygen and medication to breath in. Using clues to guess her origin and reason for being so unkempt, the doctors knew what she needed after living on the streets and inhaling noxious fumes. On the back of her hand, an I.V. was inserted and taped, it's long needle pushed into her small vein. With each tick of the clock's second hand, a drop of medicine traveled through the tube and went into her system, working its scientific magic. Then, on her chin, where the skin had been cut from the accident, was a piece of gauze and surgical tape, covering most her small jaw. And all over her body there were band-aids placed here-and-there, keeping the surface injuries risk-free of infection. Each time that heart monitor jumped, and her chest rose and fell, it was a step in the right direction. All in all, Kagome was a sad sight to see; certainly not the most desperate or depressing, as there were children at the hospital with far worse injuries and illnesses; but for the woman and man who stood outside her room, looking in with red, puffy eyes, they couldn't imagine a more dire image.
Izayoi had her arms crossed, one hand at her mouth as she chewed anxiously at the once finely manicured nail. Her gaze was fixed on Kagome's face, and yet she also seemed to be staring off into oblivion, at a different time and place. Tom was standing beside her, arms also folded and jacket tucked between them and his chest tightly. He didn't mind letting his mistress see him so informal now, not after what had happened that night. Both were at a loss for words, waiting for the doctor to come back with any news from their findings. As Izayoi stared at Kagome, she couldn't help but feel a bit of déjà vu. It hadn't been but four years ago since she was in the same position; staring at a sick child through a glass window, unable to do anything. Only, four years ago it was a much younger child, different room, and under much different circumstances. She tried to repress those dangerous thoughts. And when her phone went off, it went unnoticed. It was Tom who nudged her arm to get her to realize.
"Oh, thank you." Izayoi muttered, her throat dry as she quickly whipped it out and brought it to her ear. "H-hello," she said to her husband, voice broken and trembling.
"Izayoi, where are you? I just pulled into the parking garage." Inu-Taisho's naturally deep baritone was always enough to bring his wife comfort, especially when she was so stressed like now. And as she listened to that distinctive voice, a relieved smile tugged at her pink lips and tired eyes slid shut for a moment. God, that man affected her so easily. His calm, reserved manner always quelled her fiery spirit; even over the phone.
"We are in the pediatric wing," She began calmly, but it would not stay calm. "Tom hit a young girl as we were coming home. We followed the ambulance to the hospital...I don't know what to do." Inu-Taisho listened to his wife's voice escalate from calm and collected to panicked and afraid. His wife was in turmoil, his driver ran into a girl, the press would soon find out; but none of that bothered him as much as Izayoi's pained voice. He knew Izayoi would not be able to handle this on her own.
"I'll be up there soon, calm down Izayoi." And at that he hung up his phone and made his way through parking garage.