Night Rain

Chapter 3

She came awake quickly. Blue eyes flashed opened as she bolted upright. A wave a pain washed over her chest and hips, causing her to breath in sharply and fall back to the bed clutching at her chest.

"Calm down," a steely voice commanded from her left. Ignoring the pain, duller now than when she first woke, she half scooted half dragged her body into the corner of the bed. Her eyes darted over the room until, finally, her gaze swept over the speaker. Pulling her knees to her chest, she stared at the blond man sitting in a chair next to the bed, a newspaper casually lying across one cream clad knee as hard purple eyes glared at her from behind reading glasses.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, I'm not going to hurt you. You've been unconscious for 2 days. You think if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it by now." His gaze shifted to the door as he took the glasses off and set them on a small bedside table. His hand moved to grab at the package of Marlboros, tapped out a stick, and stuck it in his mouth. "Where the hell is Hakkai?" he mumbled around the cigarette before lighting it.

She watched as he took long drags, blowing the smoke toward the closed door. It drifted in spirals to the open window at the foot of the bed she was still crouched in the corner of. She leaned forward, breathing in the second hand nicotine.

"Do you…do you have another one of those? I mean…can I…um…can I have one?" Eyes flickered to her. A puff of smoke escaped his lips and drifted in her direction. Again, she breathed in deeply.

She watched as slim hands tapped out a white and tan stick from the red and white package. He reached across the small space, the cigarette stretched out toward her, just out of reach. She crawled forward, leaning over the edge of the bed, and plucked it from between his thumb and forefinger and jammed it in between pink lips. A flame appeared before the white tip, turning it bright red. She sucked on the tan flitter, blue eyes sliding closed as the first rush of nicotine filled her lungs and coursed through her veins.

She took in another long drag before opening her eyes again. Purple stared back at her, his eyes lingering on her lips.

"Been a long time since your last cigarette?" the man asked as he sat back and lit another cigarette for himself.

The question caught her off guard. She couldn't remember if she had even smoked before. It just smelled so good and it felt so good. But she couldn't remember. "I…guess," she replied hesitantly, drawing the stick from her lips and ashing in the tray that sat on the small bedside table. She looked at it for a moment, her mind trying to gasp for some time reference, but she couldn't remember. She took another long drag, more to calm her frazzled nerves than anything else. She couldn't remember a fucking thing. Who was she? What was she doing here? Where was here?

Silence and smoke settled over the small room as they both finished their smokes.

Her attention turned to the man sitting next to her on the only chair the room provided. She studied the man as she smoked. He was pale with blond hair and an athletic body that was accented by the tight, black, sleeveless turtleneck he wore. His lower half was covered by a cream colored robe, the sleeves tired around his waist. His black clad arms were crossed over his chest, one rising occasionally to briefly remove the cigarette and flick the ash into the ashtray.

"Thanks," she finally said as she snubbed out the spent butt. He nodded. "Um…where I am?"

He glanced up. "At an inn. You were being chased by a demon."

"And you saved me?"

"It wasn't my idea," he replied without looking at her. His attention was focused back on his newspaper, his glasses resting lightly over his sharp nose.

"Sanzo," a new voice from the doorway chided. The girl pushed herself further in the corner of the bed at the sight of the newcomer, ignoring another wave of sharp pain that stabbed into her chest and set her hips on fire. The new man glanced at her, his soft green eyes filling over with worry.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you," the newcomer explained as he entered the room and took slow steps toward her bed as if she were some wild animal who might bolt at any quick movements.

"I already explained that," the blond, Sanzo, replied. He stood, tucking his paper under his arm as he did, and glared at the brunette over his glasses.

"I'm done babysitting. Let me know when we're ready to leave." He didn't look back at her as he left, leaving the door creaked open behind him.

"Sanzo," she heard someone whine.

"Shut up."

"But I'm hungry."

"Lucky, you, Sanzo. Spending all that time with a beautiful chick like that."

"I said shut up!"

"Sanzo, can't we get something to eat."

"Is that all you think about, you stupid monkey?"

"At least I'm not some perverted water roach."

"I'll kill you both!"

The voices faded down the hall, leaving the girl alone with the strange man with the monocle. He smiled down at her as he sat on the edge of the bed. She returned his gaze, but she didn't move further into the corner of the bed. She didn't relax either.

"I'm Cho Hakkai," the man introduced himself. "What's your name?"

He spoke as if she was a child and she frowned although she knew it was justified by her skittish behavior. Still, she was – she couldn't remember exactly how old – but she wasn't a child.

"I'm…" but her name escaped her. It was there, on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't recall it. She stared up at Hakkai, helpless, panicking as she tried to recall something from before she woke up in a strange room with a strange man watching over her.

"I can't…I don't…"

"Shhh, it's okay. You hit your head when you fell. You should lie back down. You aren't fully healed yet. I'm sure it will come back to you soon." He helped her settle back down under the covers, pulling a thin blanket up to her chest.

"Hit my head?"

He chuckled nervously. "We kind of hit you with our jeep. You just ran out in front of us and I couldn't stop in time. You don't remember?"

She shook her head and closed her eye. Images starting forming, replaying in her mind. "I remember running…and that thing chasing me." She looked up at him, her helplessness reflected in a silver rimmed monocle. "I…there's nothing before that. I can't remember." Glacier blue eyes welled with tears that quickly spilled on to pale cheeks. She hastily brushed them away as she looked back down at the black sheets that were crumbled in her balled fists. A tender hand touched her forehead.

"I'm sure it will come back to you," Hakkai repeated. "You should rest. You're not fully healed yet and I'm sure this has tired you out."

She nodded and closed her eyes, but her mind continued to stir long after she heard the door to her room slide closed.