Disclaimer: I don't own diddly-squat.
Chapter fourteen: Because
It had been a little over a week since Kagome's arrival to the Taisho household. The morning had started off well enough, Kagome was still asleep in her new room when Izayoi and Inu-Taisho had left theirs, and the boys were already preparing to leave for school. Their routine hadn't changed, it was as if Kagome's presence in the house wasn't quite noticed yet, and probably wouldn't be until she wasn't bedridden. Inuyasha was glad though; he didn't want to have to interact with her until the last possible moment when it'd be necessary. He wasn't keen on the idea of her being 'part of the family', but he knew there was nothing to be done about it anymore. She was there and wouldn't leave. And though his mother insisted that he and Sesshoumaru treat her like a sister, he couldn't wrap his brain around the concept. His lingering guilt, pride, and jealousy fought with each other and wouldn't let him see her as anything except an intruder in his home and a stealer of mothers. He was already seeing Izayoi's attention shift from him to Kagome, and it would only intensify soon on, which caused more animosity from the emotional ten-year-old. Izayoi told him that he'd grow to love her as a sister, but that did little to sway him.
And as Inuyasha left his room, dressed in his uniform and with backpack slung over one shoulder, he stopped to look at the shut door across the hall from him. Behind it was Kagome's room, and her in it. He wondered what it would be like in the future with her living across the hall from him. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as that revelation began to take form, but then his mother's voice from downstairs beckoned him to join them for breakfast. Inuyasha decided he would ignore the reality of the situation and enjoy what little time he had left without her interfering presence. The family ate their breakfast in peace, choosing not to discuss Kagome to spare the awkwardness, and the men left the house soon after. Izayoi was left with one thing to do, and as daunting a task it was, she knew there was no way to ignore it. Today was the first day of nursing Kagome back to a health, all by herself. A kind nurse from the hospital had come the first week to help set up a routine for Kagome, showing Izayoi the ropes of caring for such a needy child. But, now, she was left to her own devises.
At nine o'clock Izayoi went up to Kagome's room with a tray of oatmeal and orange juice and the handful of pills she was required to take. When she entered the room, she could smell the humidity in the air from the small vaporizer lying beside the bed on the floor. Kagome was on her side, hunkered down in the covers so that only the top of her head was visible, and in a very deep sleep it seemed. The scene would have been endearing, but the loathsome oxygen tank was standing there, obnoxious and reminding Izayoi of Kagome's terrible sickness. It made the warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest crack into pieces. This wasn't going to be easy, she reminded herself and went about waking Kagome. She sat on the edge of the bed, tray placed neatly in her lap, and reached over to rouse Kagome's sleeping form.
"Kagooome~," She said in a sing-song voice while rocking her tiny shoulder. There was a moaning response as the small girl turned over to look up at Izayoi with bleary, sleepy eyes. She was obviously still exhausted, but eager to wake up for Izayoi. She licked her dry lips and rubbed her crusty eyes as Izayoi watched silently. "Did you sleep well?" She asked her softly. Kagome nodded lazily, letting out a great big yawn and smiling sheepishly.
"Yeah." She said with a quiet, morning voice. Izayoi chuckled softly and reached over to move the hair from Kagome's face. It was then Kagome saw the tray of food and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She instantly sat up in her bed, leaning towards the food and eyeing it like a stalker does its victim. "real food?" She asked eagerly and licking her lips hungrily. It'd been so long since she had such a substantial meal, and the hospital food could barely be considered that. This simple bowl of oatmeal was like offering a lavish feast to a starving man. Izayoi smiled at Kagome and placed the tray in Kagome's lap, extending the legs so it sat up by itself.
"Yes, all for you. I know it's not the most desirable food, but your tummy can't handle really complex meals right now. You gotta start off with this easy stuff first." She made a sympathetic look at Kagome as the small girl tried to work the spoon effectively in her clumsy hand. Her little fingers curled around the metal utensil awkwardly, and often times dropped it before she could lift the food to her mouth. She was quickly becoming frustrated and Izayoi could see it was time to intervene. "Here, let me help you Kagome." She took the spoon and dipped it into the goopy food then lifted it to Kagome's mouth. The little girl opened her mouth and curled her small lips around the concave tool. Izayoi pulled the spoon away and watched Kagome's face change from expression to expression, showing just how much she appreciated the simple oatmeal. It'd been so long since she had something warm to eat. As she swallowed Kagome realized how warm it actually was and desperately reached out for the glass of orange juice, chugging it down with delight. Some of the bright yellow liquid trickled down her chin, dripping over her shirt, but Izayoi let her enjoy the simple pleasure. She'd be getting a bath that morning anyway.
When Kagome had finished her juice and placed the glass carefully back onto the tray, the area around her smiling lips were stained with a faint yellow color. Izayoi laughed softly, a pretty humming kind of laugh that made Kagome start to giggle as well. She finished helping Kagome eat the rest of her oatmeal and gave her the prescribed pills resting innocently in a plastic cup, then had their maid come in and take the tray of empty bowls and glasses. Kagome was fully awake and smiling ear to ear, eager to enjoy her new things and play with Izayoi.
"What we gonna do Mrs. Izayoi?" She asked curiously, whipping her mouth with the back of her hand. Izayoi grinned at the cute gesture.
"Well, I was thinking of quite a few things we could do today actually. I thought we could play board games or read some books, maybe watch a movie. Does that sound like fun?" The prospect of doing just one of those things was exciting for Kagome and she instantly sat up in the bed, jumping in place and nodding enthusiastically. Her mass of unbrushed hair fell around her face in dreads, giving Izayoi another brilliant idea. Since she had laid eyes on the ugly mop on Kagome's head, Izayoi had been planning to cut off the useless hair. She rubbed her chin in deep thought, confusing the little girl sitting next to her. Kagome raised a dark brow and wondered what had Izayoi making that weird face.
"How would you like to have your hair cut? Get all those icky knots out and be able to run your fingers through it? Does that sound like a good plan?" She asked hopefully. Kagome, once again, nodded her head quickly and grasped at the ends of her hair.
"I hate my hair! It used to be all nice n' stuff but I never brushed it in years and it got gross. Can you fix it?" She pleaded desperately. Izayoi nodded animatedly and knew just who to call to do the job. With hands at her hips, determined chin, and playful smirk, Izayoi told Kagome's of her plan.
"I have a friend who does hair, and I know for sure she'd love to come over and give you a haircut. I just have to call her and she'll be over in half an hour!" Kagome clapped her hands and began to laugh, very much happy with the way things were going so far. But as she continued to laugh and squeal, her lungs began to ache and throat became painfully sore, making her cough and wheeze for air. Her little body hunched over and shuddered as she tried to breathe in, but it was futile. Izayoi sprung into action and readied the oxygen mask for Kagome. She placed it against her face, making sure it was comfortable, and encouraged Kagome to take deep breathes of the clean oxygen. The poor thing looked up at her pitifully, but eventually her breathing returned to normal. Izayoi knew it was a pain for her, but reminded Kagome that it would all be over soon.
"Just hang tight, keep this on your face, and I'm going to go make that call." Leaning in towards Kagome, Izayoi planted a sweet kiss on her forehead and left the room. All was quiet again, except for the subtle noise of Kagome's breath fogging the inside of the clear, plastic mask. She did as told and sat perfectly still with the breathing mask pressed to her face, but wondering who Izayoi might be friends with that would cut her hair.
Outside the room, Izayoi paced the hardwood hallway with the house phone pressed to her ear and anxious look in her eye. Finally after the third ring, a tired voice spoke up on the other end.
"What is your problem Izayoi…It's nine in the morning. You know I never wake up earlier than eleven when I don't have to be at the salon." The voice was very grumpy and irritated, but still held that fine sultry sound she was so well known for. Izayoi rolled her chocolate eyes and leaned against the wall, staring at the other wall across from her, imagining her friend standing there instead.
"Karin, you are so lazy. I've been up since six." She quipped, smirking a bit when her friend groaned louder into the receiver.
"Does that time of day even exist? What do you want Izayoi? It's my day off and I was hoping to go to the spa or something. Hey! You want to join me? It can be a girl's day out. Doesn't that sound like fun? Oh, we used to go on those kinds of adventures all the time. Come on, when was the last time you were at Goldman Sachs?" It was no surprise to Izayoi to hear Karin become animated when talking about shopping excursions and spa treatments. The woman did have a penchant for things like that and didn't understand why Izayoi was such a homebody sometimes. Izayoi chuckled to herself and found her endearment for the woman growing.
"No, Karin; not today. I have some big news and I need you to come over. Do you think you can be over here soon?" She asked hopefully.
"Sure," Karin replied, her voice was a bit wary though. "But what's this for? Is something wrong?" She asked.
"No, no. Nothing's wrong. I just have a…um…surprise is all. But when you come, bring your hair stuff, 'kay?" She heard the sounds of sheets rustling and feet padding against soft carpet from the other end.
"My hair stuff?" Karin asked confusedly. Izayoi ran a hand through her dark hair and sighed.
"The scissors and stuff you use to cut hair! Look, I gotta go now. When you get here, Claire will let you in. Goodbye Karin! See you when you get here." And with that, she flipped her cell phone shut and slid it neatly into her back pocket. Izayoi smiled and went back into Kagome's room to deliver the good news. When she stepped in, Kagome was still in the same place, breathing into the mask and looking as bored as ever. "So my friend is coming over now and she'll be here soon. But before she gets here, I think you need a bath so we can get you all squeaky clean. I know it's been a few days since you last bathed at the hospital and I think you're well enough for one right now. Does that sound alright with you?" Izayoi asked cheerfully, crouching down beside Kagome's bed to be at eye level with her. Kagome nodded quietly, agreeing that she did need a bath. She took the mask from her face.
"Yeah." She replied with a smile. Izayoi nodded enthusiastically, but then realized something. The only bathrooms on this floor were the master bathroom and the boy's shared bathroom, which resided between both of their bedrooms. Kagome would need her own.
"You'll have to use mine for a while Kagome, we don't have a bathroom ready for you yet." She said sheepishly. "The boys' bathroom is atrocious. Well, Inuyasha's side is." At the mere mention of his name, Kagome's face scrunched up in disgust. Izayoi sighed quietly at the response, but said nothing. The two would grow to like each other, she hoped. "Let me just go run the bathwater and get the bubbles ready. I'll be back in a few minutes." She turned to leave when Kagome's voice stopped her.
"Miss Izayoi, can I help?" She asked meekly, looking up at Izayoi with big, puppy dog eyes. Izayoi could barely contain her excitement at the cute display and happily allowed Kagome to join her.
"Of course! But let me carry you hun." Extending her arms out to Kagome, the little girl happily lifted hers to wrap them around Izayoi's graceful neck. Her small body was no task to lift and easily fit in the cradle of Izayoi's arm. And for a moment, Izayoi felt a motherly affection swell inside of her as Kagome rested her head against her shoulder and wrapped her legs around her. Izayoi gladly tightened her embrace around Kagome's body and left the girlish room to enter her own, where the master bathroom was.
When the door opened to Izayoi's room, Kagome was prepared to see some fancy décor, but her young mind hadn't imagined it to actually be much more luxurious and beautiful than previously expected. Her eyes went wide from how dazzling the furniture was. Everything was white, and pure, and looked to be made of the softest material embroidered with gold; even the lamps that came out of the walls and the humble ceiling fan too.
"Your room pretty Miss Izayoi," she said in awe. Izayoi's chest swelled with pride.
"Thank you! It took a while to get it the way I like, but I am very pleased with the end result. But this room, my bathroom, is my pride and joy." And then Kagome was faced with a magnificent room that seemed to almost be as big as the master bedroom. White marble was barely visible in the darkness, but shone brightly when Izayoi flipped the switch as lights came ablaze. Kagome looked around the room in pure awe. The bathtub was amazing, set up above the floor on a platform of two stairs and seemed to be big enough to fit at least three people. A shower head stuck out of the ceiling above it, a gleaming gold color of course. To the corner of the bathroom was the toilet, simple and refined in its own way, with a miniature shelf stacked with books and magazines. Finally there were the sinks; made up of a white granite counter with two individual sinks for Izayoi and her husband. There was a large mirror behind the counter, extending far up the wall and lined with pretty light bulbs. The walls were a soft gold color. Kagome almost couldn't control herself. Izayoi laughed softly at the amazement on her face. "Do you like it that much, Kagome?"
"Yeah! It's so pretty!" She said excitedly. Izayoi felt only more proud of her tastes in home décor, as the whole color scheme and furniture selection was her idea. She walked further into her bathroom, setting Kagome on the top step of her bathtubs platform and readied the water for her. Kagome watched curiously, crawling up next to Izayoi to look over the tubs edge. The white Whirlpool tub began to fill up, and once it was a little under half-full, Izayoi reached over to a small door connected to the wall on the other side of the tub. She opened it to reveal soaps and shampoos and similar things, grabbing a particular bottle that had bubbles on the front label. She popped open the top and tipped it over, letting the purple, viscous liquid to spill into the churning water. Kagome watched as bubbles began to form, stacking up on each other as Izayoi swirled her hand around in the luke warm water. By now the tub was easily over half-way full and then the water was stopped. Izayoi dried her hand off on her pants leg and turned her attention to Kagome.
"You ready?" She asked with a smile. Kagome all of a sudden became bashful and cast her eyes down. Izayoi took a few moments to realize why. "If you want, I'll turn around while you get out of your clothes and get in the tub. Do you think you can get over that high wall by yourself?" She asked softly, not wanted to embarrass the girl. Kagome glanced at the tub, suddenly noticing how high it actually was. She shook her head, but still remained stiff in front of Izayoi. "How about this, I'll close my eyes while you change, and then you let me help you in. I promise to keep my eyes shut." Kagome agreed, and once Izayoi's eyes were firmly shut, she began to shed her day old clothes. Once she was fully undressed, standing awkwardly with her arms wrapped around herself in front of Izayoi, she nervously tapped her shoulder.
"I'm ready." She said in a small voice. Izayoi nodded her head and reached her hands out to grasp Kagome's hand.
"Just take my hand and I'll help you in, okay?" She was glad to feel Kagome's hand slid into her own, and eventually she managed to get Kagome inside the tub without any injury. Once Kagome was fully submerged in the warm water and surrounded by mountains of bubbles, Izayoi opened her eyes. "How's it feel Kagome?" She asked happily and got into a comfortable kneeling position on the stairs, resting her elbow on the edge of the tub. Kagome smiled and nodded her head, her hands unwittingly beginning to play with the bubbles. Izayoi grinned right back. "Will you let me help you get all clean? See I have this loofah and you use it to scrub your skin. If you can take care of your front, I'll scrub your back for you. That sound okay?" Kagome nodded and watched as Izayoi went to the same small compartment where she got the bubble mix, but this time she took out a white fury thing and a bar of soap. Kagome watched as Izayoi dunked the fluffy thing into the water and then scrubbed it hard with the soap, lathering it up with small, clear bubbles. She handed it to Kagome and told her how to use it.
Kagome uncertainly began to scrub it against her body, starting at her neck and then her arms and finally her torso. Izayoi kept a watchful, motherly eye on her, but couldn't help but notice the emaciated appearance of the girl. Before, when she had clothes on, it had been clear as to how thin she was. But now she looked even more starved and sickly. As Kagome continued to clean herself, the rough surface of the loofah began to feel nice against her skin. She brought it back up from under the water and gave it to Izayoi. The woman gladly ran the loofah across Kagome's pale, boney back, biting her lip at the discomfort the sight caused. It was saddening to see how little fat she had to her body, and how it would take a long time to get Kagome back to a normal weight. Izayoi pushed those thoughts out of her mind and finished the job. But once she was done, Kagome was in such euphoria from the treatment that she was almost asleep against the edge of the tub. Izayoi laughed heartily and took out a bottle of shampoo, pouring a small amount into the palm of her hand.
"Can I scrub this into your hair Kagome? It makes all the yucky stuff come out. And my friend will need it washed so she can cut your hair." Kagome happily permitted Izayoi to do it and just relaxed, allowing Izayoi's wonderful hands to scrub the stuff in her messy hair. It felt so good against her scalp that it had her sighing in content. Kagome shut her eyes and almost drifted back to sleep when water was suddenly poured over her head. She began to sputter and wipe away the soap from her face, but started giggling when she realized Izayoi was only playing with her. "You were starting to fall asleep! Silly girl," Izayoi again poured more water over Kagome's head, washing out all the suds from her hair. Once Kagome's hair was thoroughly washed out, Izayoi pulled the plug from the tub. Kagome watched with a little sadness as the water level began to drop. Her hair hung in dark, dripping chunks around her face, clinging to her neck and shoulders. She watched as Izayoi stood up and walked over to a tall, narrow door beside the toilet. She opened it and took out a large, green towel. By the time she returned to Kagome, the water was pretty much gone, leaving the cold and naked girl shivering and blushing. Izayoi kept her eyes trained on the ceiling as she handed the towel to Kagome.
"Wrap it around yourself so I can get you out of there. She'll be over soon and you need to be dressed." As quickly as she could, Kagome managed to get the towel around her thin body and held it tightly shut as Izayoi hoisted her from the tub and carried her over to the sink. She spent a moment patting Kagome's soaking body down with the towel before leaving to fetch some clothes for her to wear. "I'll be right back, stay right there." Kagome watched as Izayoi left, fiddling with the edge of her towel. Izayoi returned not a minute later with a large, white T-shirt.
"I don't have many clothes for you to wear Kagome, I'm sorry. This old shirt will have to do." Kagome shrugged her shoulders and they quickly got her dressed in the comfortable garment, which appeared as more of a dress when on the girl's frail body. Once she was dressed Izayoi took the now damp towel and tossed it to the side, noting to herself to remember to take it to the laundry room later. And as she was about to say something, a doorbell echoed throughout the house. Both knew who it was, and Kagome began to giggle with anticipation. Izayoi shared her excitement. She shuffled out of the bathroom and over to the speaker box on the other side of the bedroom wall. It was small and white, barely noticeable if you didn't know it was already there; Kagome wondered if there was one in her room. Pressing the first in a row of grey buttons numbered from one to seven, Izayoi spoke into the box.
"Claire, please show Karin up to my room." From the other side came a kind and soft voice.
"Yes ma'am."
A minute later, there was a knocking on the door. Izayoi was just putting Kagome on the bed when the door opened and in came a very loud, very pretty, woman. She was a lovely woman of Asian descent with dark brown hair, dark eyes, and red lips. She and Izayoi embraced in a loud hug, both women laughing and patting each other on the back. And as they stood close together, Kagome saw a vague similarity between them. Izayoi was soft, fair, and regal while the other woman was also pretty, but had an exciting flare to her persona. She was dressed in a bright red leather jacket, black shirt, and tight fitting blue jeans. In her hands was a plastic box filled with god knew what. Kagome silently observed from the bed, eager to meet the lady but worried what she'd think of her. When the time finally came for the two to meet, Kagome became quiet.
"Kagome, this is my friend Karin. She's going to cut your hair. And Karin, this is Kagome. She's living with us now." Izayoi watched as Karin and Kagome summed each other up, neither talking first. Kagome seemed too shy to speak up, and Karin wasn't sure what to make of the girl. She looked back at Izayoi with a quirked eyebrow.
"I don't get it. Is she a relative or something? Why is her hair in dreads?" Karin asked bluntly, oblivious to Kagome's feelings. Izayoi smacked the woman's arm and mouthed to her 'I will tell you later'. Karin took a moment to understand, but eventually got it and played along with her friend. Turning back to Kagome, who now was down cast from the comment about her hair, and tried to be as friendly as possible. "Hi Kagome, I'm Karin. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to greet Kagome, and the two shared a quaint little handshake. Kagome looked back up at the woman.
"Miss Izayoi said you're gonna cut my hair." Karin nodded and straightened up, taking a good look at Kagome's hair. She messed with it a bit, feeling the damage and finding what could be saved, if any. She tapped her chin in thought, trying to come up with an idea of what she could do with Kagome.
"I will cut your hair, but there may not be much left after I finish. It's all knotty and damaged." Kagome began to whimper in shame and the two women scrambled to keep her in a good mood. Izayoi once again slapped her friend on the arm and Karin quickly backtracked. "But! But I can and will make it look good. I promise. Here, let's go into the bathroom. Izayoi, bring that stool from your vanity desk please. Kagome, if you'll follow me-" Karin was cut short when Izayoi went to pick Kagome up instead of the chair. "What are you carrying her for?" She asked in a confused tone.
As Izayoi brushed past Karin on the way into her bathroom, the two shared a look that clearly relayed the message, 'I'll tell you about it later'. Kagome was once again placed on the sink and Izayoi went back out to get the quaint stool she sat on daily to put on her makeup. Finally, once Kagome was sitting neatly in the middle of the bathroom, Karin got out her tools to start cutting. Izayoi leaned against the edge of her sink, watching nervously as her friend deliberated where to begin. Karin circled Kagome like a bird of prey did to its victim, scissors in hand. Kagome swallowed hard. She hadn't expected this to be so nerve wracking. Finally, Karin had made up her mind.
"I see no other way around this; I'm going to have to cut most of it off. All this knotty stuff," She reached out to lift one of the dreads hanging at the side of Kagome's face. "is dead. Once it's off, I'll try brushing through the hair and figure out a way to style it." Izayoi nodded in understanding and gave Kagome a supportive smile before Karin began to cut away. One by one, chunks of hair fell to the tiled ground around Kagome. The sound of metal cutting into the dead fiber was all that anyone heard, with an occasional sigh on Karin's part. Kagome was surprised to see just how much of her hair had been ruined, and as layer upon layer began to fall off, she felt the weight of it leave as well. But then, as Karin continued to find more unmanageable knots, Kagome became more and more nauseous feeling. Her eyes began to drift shut and lips became dry with thirst. After ten minutes of non-stop cutting, Karin stepped back to admire what she'd done so far.
"Can you do anything with it?" Izayoi asked curiously. She was glad to see Kagome without all those nasty dreads, but the hair was frayed and uneven now and it couldn't stay looking like that. It was short too; reaching just an inch or so above Kagome's chin. Karin was busy visualizing what style to give Kagome now.
"It will be short, that's for sure. I'm thinking a pixie cut would do. For her type of hair, it's the only thing that will look good. It'll grow out quickly though and we'll be able to style it differently soon." Karin approached Kagome again, crouching down to get at a better angle, and poised her scissors to begin cutting. Then, with one carefully calculated snip, the hair once again began falling. Like a sculptor creates a work of art through clay or stone, Karin turned Kagome's choppy, uneven hair into a neat and adorable style that suited her somewhat gaunt face. Finally, the bangs were the last to be worked on. Karin came round to Kagome's front and held her head still with a hand at her chin. She noticed how sick Kagome looked and quickly finished off the bangs with a few cuts and snips, leveling it and making it a side swooping style that went across her forehead. Brushing the excess hair from Kagome's shirt, Karin stepped back to fully admire her handiwork. She sent a proud smirk across the room to Izayoi, and in return got a silent applaud from the woman.
"Well Karin, you certainly outdid yourself. I didn't expect Kagome's hair could be turned into something so…chic. What do you think Kagome? Do you like it?" Izayoi lifted Kagome from the seat and carried her to the mirror so she could admire her new doo. And although the young girl was feeling sick to her stomach, she managed to focus her eyes on the image reflected in the mirror long enough to let out a startled gasp. Her blue eyes widened and mouth hung open in amazement. There wasn't even a trace of her old, gross hair. Sure, she didn't know that girls could wear such short haircuts, but it was really cute! Her hand tentatively came up to touch it, and what she felt was so wonderful that it almost made her cry. It was soft again. She never thought it would be possible to have normal hair again, and yet there it was; hanging from her head. She looked at Karin through the mirror and gave her a big, toothy smile, despite how uneasy she felt. Karin felt herself warm up to the kid, just a bit, and offered a lopsided smile in return.
Izayoi noticed the sickly pallor of Kagome's face and how her eyes were drifted shut and recognized it as one of the symptoms of her medication. Calmly, she balanced Kagome on her hip and took her from the bathroom, through the bedroom, and down the hall. Karin followed her friend, unsure of where they were going, but remained quiet behind them. She saw Izayoi stop at a door and watched as she took Kagome inside, shutting the door behind her. A little bemused and hurt, Karin stood outside the door with her arms folded and heeled foot tapping impatiently. She didn't come all this way just to be ignored and left in the dark.
But inside Kagome's room, Izayoi was tucking the girl into her bed and sliding the oxygen mask over her head, situating it comfortably on her pale face. Kagome was obviously becoming upset and feeling even more sick and Izayoi hopped the oxygen would help. She pulled the covers up to Kagome's shoulders, making sure she was comfortable, and smiled tenderly down at her. "Do you like your new haircut Kagome?" She whispered softly, brushing a few strands from her damp face. Kagome's unfocused eyes were shut, but she nodded her head stiffly in response. Suddenly her stomach lurched and a pitiful moan fogged up her breathing mask. Izayoi rubbed Kagome's back and waited out the wave of nausea with her until it was gone. "I know it's no fun being sick, but I promise it won't be forever. I have to go downstairs now. But I'll have Claire come up and read you a story, okay? She's really good at reading stories." With a small kiss to Kagome's forehead, Izayoi quietly left the room.
"Okay, SPILL! I want to know why and how that girl got to be living in your house. I mean, how did you get your husband to approve? Touga is such a hard ass about everything!" Karin took a sip of her water and kept a hard, unforgiving gaze on her sheepish friend. The two women were sitting together on the couch, Karin's feet resting in Izayoi's lap in a friendly manor. Izayoi searched for an easy explanation, but decided just to let the whole thing out rather than simplify.
"See, my driver was taking me home one night and apparently Kagome was running across the street and Tom just sorta-"
"He ran her over? Izayoi what kind of people are you employing?"
"No! He didn't run her over Karin. He was breaking hard when he saw her dash out in front and I swear it was barely a tap. She was not run over. Anyway, we took her to the hospital and it seems her mother died years ago and she's been living on the streets, in the subway actually, with her father. She was really sick and there was all this drama and stuff with Inuyasha."
"But WHY is she living with you now Izayoi?"
"The doctor said that Kagome was going to need a lot of time to heal after she was discharged from the hospital, and the social worker told us that it could take a while to find a nice home for her that could provide the kind of care she needed. She would have had to go to some terrible orphanage or something…and I was feeling really guilty about the whole thing…so we just sort of adopted her."
"Well, that is sad. But are you sure you want to take on another child? I thought that after Rin-"
"She has nothing to do with this Karin. God, you sound just like my husband."
"I'm sorry. I know you're still messed up about it. But I wouldn't want you to rush into something like this without thinking it through. It's a nice thing you're doing for her, but is it healthy for you to do it? She's not Rin and will never be. You understand that right?" There was a quiet moment between the two friends, and only the sound of ice melting and collapsing inside Karin's glass filled that silence. Izayoi looked up at her friend with her big, chocolate eyes and that's all Karin needed to see to understand her friends pain. They embraced, and instantly the awkwardness was gone and they were chit-chatting about other things.
"Say, how's Kagura? Is she still head of her class?" Karin's chest puffed out with motherly pride and she nodded.
"Of course, she knows we don't accept anything but the best. Besides, if she didn't get top marks I wouldn't allow her to spend all her free time texting a certain someone's step son…" And that little hint was all it took for Izayoi to gasp and laugh heartily.
"Your daughter has a crush on Sesshoumaru? Oh how cute! Maybe we should start planning their wedding Karin." The two friends shared a good laugh, which was something Izayoi desperately needed in her life; a good reality check, a shoulder to cry on, and someone to laugh with.
Hours later, it was early afternoon and time for the men to return home from a hard day's work. Kagome's bout of sickness had passed over and her energy had returned ten-fold. And for the past few hours, she and Izayoi had been playing every board game imaginable up in her room. There was Candy Land and Trouble playing pieces strewn across her bed carelessly and from a CD player came fun 90's music that added to the whole jovial mood they were in. Currently they were playing a rousing game of checkers, which Kagome was winning. And as she consecutively jumped over three of Izayoi's red pieces, winning the game, Kagome let out a high pitched victory cry. The two laughed, looking much like a loving daughter and doting mother, and thoroughly ticking off Inuyasha; who was standing outside Kagome's door with a red face and pouting lips.
"Mom! I'm home!" He shouted, rudely interrupting their bonding. It was as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked out and noises put on mute as soon as his presence was made known. Kagome whipped her head around to scowl at the intruder, and he glared right back. Inuyasha was too infuriated by what he had seen to notice how nice Kagome looked with her new hair and she was far too mad to care how he was affected by her. But Izayoi nonchalantly ignored the almost palpable tension in the room to greet her son with a warm welcome.
"Welcome home Inuyasha!" Rolling off of the bed, she danced her way towards him, humming lightly and smiling a pleasant smile. Inuyasha was a bit surprised to see her so happy, but he remembered why she was in such a mood and his disgust returned. "How was your day baby?" She asked sweetly, brushing his unmanageable bangs out of his eyes. Inuyasha pulled his head away from the motherly gesture, feeling too old to be subjected to such things. But then a wicked, jealousy fueled thought appeared in his mind. Turning watery, puppy-dog eyes onto his mother, Inuyasha threw out the bait.
"It was okay." He started slowly. "I have a lot of homework though. And its new stuff so it's gonna be really hard. I sure would appreciate some help with it." He said pitifully hoping she'd fall into his trap. Izayoi smiled at her son and patted his cheek softly.
"That sucks. If you need any help I'm sure Sesshoumaru would be glad to help you with it." She said obliviously, totally knocking the winds out of Inuyasha's sails. He quickly recovered though and reached out to take Izayoi's hand, tugging on it like a small child did to get its mother's attention.
"No, I need your help mom. Please?" And like a well oiled machine, Izayoi fell for the act and agreed. She looked back at Kagome, who now looked absolutely downtrodden, with a sympathetic smile. Inuyasha, on the other hand, looked past his mother to stick his tongue out at her. He had won this time, and the prize; Izayoi's attention. Kagome glowered at him, crossing her arms and tightening her jaw angrily. Izayoi apologized for having to leave and before she was pulled from the room promised Kagome they would do something before bedtime. Kagome watched with narrowed eyes as Izayoi was taken, planning to get Inuyasha back for that cruel little trick. If he was going to play dirty, she would too.
Out of jealousy, Kagome tossed the nearest stuffed animal across the room, but with her diminished strength it only hit the end of the bed before toppling over the edge and onto the floor. Kagome threw another, trying even harder to get it across the room. She felt so weak and alone and pissed for being stuck in a house with the boy who once tormented her relentlessly. Pretty soon there were no more toys to throw. She curled into a tight ball, hiding her face in her hands and weep quietly from all the emotions riling up inside her.
But not five minutes later did someone come up the stairs again. His footsteps fell into an even beat, that is, until he came to stop at her door. Kagome had heard the footsteps and expected them to continue until they disappeared into one of the rooms further down the hall. Curiosity got the better of her, and with tears still running down her face, Kagome sat up to look back at her open door to see who it was. But who she saw wasn't who she expected.
Sesshoumaru stood just outside her door, school bag slung over his shoulder and unreadable look in his eye. The two stared at each other, summing the other one up. Kagome didn't understand why he was just standing there though and decided to speak up.
"What?" Her tone wasn't agitated or harsh, but shy and demure. His hard gaze made it difficult to look him in the eye and Kagome found herself staring down at his shoes or the carpet. When Sesshoumaru didn't answer she began to feel even more self-conscious and nervously tucked her new hair behind her ear. In the instant that she blinked her eye and went to look back at Sesshoumaru, he was standing just a few feet from her, holding out a white piece of cloth. Kagome looked down at the fabric in confusion, then back up at him. She didn't understand what he was trying to give her. Sesshoumaru leaned forward and placed the folded cloth in her lap and briskly turned around to leave. But before he disappeared into the hallway, he stopped.
"Instead of crying over him when he makes you mad, get him back." And then he was gone. Kagome blinked her watery eyes, causing more tears to slip out, and then looked down at the fabric in her lap. She tentatively unfolded it. In subtle, white stitching were the initials 'S.T.'. Kagome picked it up and blotted away the tear stains from her red, puffy cheeks. The silk against her skin felt so nice, and despite her upset feelings, she smiled. And as she laid back down to sleep some more, Kagome held the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and didn't let go.
Two weeks later Kagome had regained much of her strength and was no longer on her meds. She was still bedridden, as the muscles in her legs were still weak, but she was in much better moods now. She and Izayoi had fallen into a wonderful routine; they spent all day together until everyone came home, where Kagome would take a nap until it was time to eat. Izayoi would come up and eat with Kagome, who now could consume more substantial foods, and then they'd read books until Kagome fell asleep. Izayoi had begun to introduce math and reading lessons during their time together, and Kagome begrudgingly complied. She remembered her alphabet and recognized a few small words, but she was hopeless with math and upper-levels of reading. But Izayoi had every faith Kagome would eventually come to grasp things and be able to attend school again.
Inuyasha was still reluctant to accept the changes in his home, but he hadn't messed with Kagome since that fateful day. Kagome still had Sesshoumaru's handkerchief and slept with it underneath her pillow each night. And every day when he'd come home from school she'd say hello as he passed her room on the way to his. Sesshoumaru never replied, but Kagome faithfully kept it up. Beside Izayoi, he was the only one who showed her any affection (if you could call their interaction affectionate). Kagome didn't know what to think of Izayoi's husband, as she hadn't seen him since her homecoming. He seemed to make a point of never coming into contact with her. Kagome didn't mind though. She was content with just being with Izayoi.
It was Saturday, nine in the morning. Inu-Taisho was at the office and the maid had requested the day off, leaving Izayoi with Sesshoumaru, her son, and Kagome. The day had started off well enough; Izayoi and Inu-Taisho had shared a quaint breakfast together before she wished him a good day at work. She went to wake the boys and then Kagome. Everything was in equilibrium it seemed; until she got the phone call.
Izayoi and Kagome were going over addition and subtraction problems when her cell phone began to vibrate inside her pocket.
"Kagome keep practicing your subtraction problems please while I take this call." She said before getting off the bed and pressing the phone against her ear. "Hello?" She asked the phone. Kagome watched from her bed, completely ignoring her math problems to listen to Izayoi's conversation. Izayoi made a show of sighing, putting her hand on her hip, and looking up at the ceiling for some reason. "Is this really necessary? I have three kids here and no nanny to watch them." She said curtly. The person on the other end must have made a good enough argument because Izayoi eventually agreed. When she turned around, there was an expression of complete frustration on her face. At first, Izayoi didn't speak, just stood there tapping her foot and chewing on her bottom lip. Eventually she came to some decision and left the room only to come back with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. All three of them seemed as confused as the next.
"I have to leave for a while. My friend needs me to go with her to her lemmas class. I won't be gone long, just an hour or so. Sesshoumaru, you are in charge. Can you handle it?" She looked at her stepson with begging eyes, praying he'd be civil and do this one favor. He rolled his eyes, but still agreed. Kagome instantly perked up while Inuyasha groaned his displeasure. "Wonderful! Inuyasha, while I'm gone it would be much appreciated if you could go over some reading with Kagome." Automatically the two youngest people in the room simultaneously whined and groaned in response.
"Mom, are you crazy? Why do I have to get stuck with her? Why can't Sesshoumaru do it?" He complained loudly. Kagome crossed her arms and glared at the back of his head, wishing she had heat vision to melt it with. Izayoi put her hands up in defense and left the room to get her things. Inuyasha followed though, unrelenting in his stubbornness. Sesshoumaru left the room too, but disappeared behind his own door five seconds later. Izayoi left her room with purse hanging from her arm and sunglasses perched atop her head. Inuyasha kept on bothering her until she finally snapped.
"Inuyasha! Just do as I say, please! I am only gone for an hour! Two tops! You can handle twenty minutes of reading with Kagome. I don't understand why you can't move on and just be nice to her!" She continued down the hallway, stopping at Kagome's door to poke her head in and blow a kiss Kagome's way. Inuyasha remained in the same spot he had been when Izayoi yelled at him, a shameful blush all over his face. He watched as his mother descended the stairs. He waited until he heard the garage door shut to move. Dragging his feet the whole way, Inuyasha entered Kagome's room with guns loaded and armor on. He wasn't expecting her to be just as prepared.
Kagome was sitting up on her bed, dressed another one of his mother's oversized shirts, and eyes blazing furiously. You could have cut the air with a knife it was so tense. Finally Inuyasha relented and trudged over to Kagome's bed and sat on it. Kagome tried to scoot away, but the covers on her bed were constricting her movement. He sent her a scalding glare before tossing some random book at her. She caught it clumsily and had to resist the urge to slap his smug face.
"Read this." He said gruffly. Kagome huffed and chucked the book back at him. The hard corner hit him in the shoulder, making him grasp the hurt spot and hiss. "What the hell!" He shouted.
"I hate that one. And you're supposed to help me. Remember?" She yelped suddenly when he threw another book at her. Eventually they were just using the books as weapons against each other than reading. But when Inuyasha grabbed a certain book, one that was dear to Kagome, she suddenly became serious and grabbed the book as well. It became a game of tug-of-war. "Give it back Inuyasha!" She yelled loudly, making her voice crack. Inuyasha kept a firm hold on the old, tattered book and gave it a hard yank, jerking Kagome's body roughly.
"No! Say please and I might give it!" He shouted back, using his greater strength against her. Kagome's tiny hands tried to keep hold of the book as best as she could, but they were slowly beginning to slip.
"It's mine!" She cried and with that slipped free the book and it went flying off the bed. It landed on the floor a few feet away.
The two kids stared at it for a moment before Inuyasha spat out, "Pick it up." Kagome sneered at him and without thinking, flung the covers from her body. In her hast to retrieve her book and to prove to Inuyasha she was capable, she had forgotten that her legs weren't entirely ready to hold all her weight yet. Her joints were stiff and numb, but one by one, Kagome got her legs over the edge and slowly pushed herself off of the mattress. For a moment she wobbled back and forth, but the determined little girl held her arms out some to balance herself and began to take timid steps towards the book. Inuyasha watched silently, praying the entire time for her to fall. But as she stooped down to pick the book up, it seemed as if she was going to succeed.
It turned out; Kagome was not totally prepared for such a strain on her body. As she stood back up, she went about it too quickly and the nausea that followed had her head spinning and vision swimming. Kagome dropped the book and covered her mouth, trying to stop the bile rising in her throat. Her legs began to buckle and her stomach lurched. Inuyasha saw how weird she was acting and began to panic. But of all the things he could have done to help her; he stayed frozen on the bed. Kagome fumbled to get out of room and head towards the master bathroom. It was the only bathroom she had been in, but was also the furthest away. Still, Kagome tried to hobble her way through the hardwood hallway, keeping a hand over her mouth the entire time. But she tripped over her own feet and went tumbling to the hard floor.
From inside his room, Sesshoumaru had been listening to the commotion caused by the two younger children. He was too wrapped up in his homework, however, to pay attention to the short moment of quietness that followed. It wasn't until he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor outside his room that he reacted. When he stepped out, Sesshoumaru was surprised to see Kagome sprawled across the floor. She looked sick and from the way she held her stomach he knew she was close to vomiting. Putting his frustrations and immaturities aside, Sesshoumaru rushed to Kagome's side and helped her up, supporting most of her weight as he walked her into his bathroom. Kagome was too nauseated to notice his arm around her waist or how close they were. But when she saw a second door open and then a toilet inside the new bathroom, she was smart enough to rush to it just as she began to vomit.
The smell was horrible, invading both Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's senses. Her small hands clutched at the side of the bowl as her body lurched and gagged. Out of kindness, Sesshoumaru rubbed her back, turning his head away from the scene. Inuyasha arrived just as Kagome finished. He covered his nose and made a disgusted face, but knew better than to say anything. Sesshoumaru sent his younger brother a dangerous glare and went to the sink to wet a rag. He handed it to Kagome, and as she cleaned her face off, he silently kicked Inuyasha out of the shared bathroom, shutting the door that connected Inuyasha's room. At the sound of the toilet flushing, Sesshoumaru turned around to see Kagome trying to stand back up. She was crying, but still determined to get up by herself. She wouldn't look at Sesshoumaru, and for that he was grateful. It was awkward enough without them having to look eye-to-eye. He waited for her to wash her mouth out at the sink before helping her back to her room.
And after pulling the covers over her body and turning on the humidifier beside the bed, Sesshoumaru shut the door on his way out. With a heavy sigh, he was glad the worst was over. And after spending fifteen minutes beating Inuyasha up, he returned to his homework and awaited Izayoi's return.