Caving In
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the characters. That privilege is reserved to the most honorable Rumiko Takehashi. I bow down to her awesomeness!
A/N- thoughts are in italics… hint hint. I will update as soon as I am able. Please review either at the end of chapters or when you are finished completely, either is fine w/ me. Thank you for choosing to read this fanfic! It is the first I've ever posted. I appreciate all types of feedback!
Chapter 6: Recommendations
"Do I l-look okay?" Kagome voiced as Aoshi walked out of a stall.
The doctor put a hand to her chin and the other rested on her hip. Slowly walking towards Kagome, she unclipped her hair letting it fall past her shoulders. Dr. Aoshi grabbed Kagome's ebony locks and twirled them up into the clip she now let Kagome borrow. Smiling, she backed away.
"Perfect." Aoshi winked.
Kagome looked down at her feet. Her hair had been put up into the same messy yet sophisticated bun like the doctor's had been a second ago. She turned to the mirror and saw a completely different person. The young woman wore black dress pants, stylish- partially open toed- white high heels, and an ivory button up blouse- sleeves billowing down from the elbow. She looked very professional.
Apparently, Doctor Aoshi was also called earlier that morning. Her caller told her to bring an extra change of clothes, not specified why or for whom. So she folded the extra clothes and stuffed them into a duffle bag, then off to the university she went. Her questions were answered when she met Kagome.
Snapping out of her reverie, Dr. Aoshi walked up beside Kagome and smiled. "Ready?"
Still looking at her feet, Kagome nodded meekly.
"You'll be fine." She added shaking Kagome's shoulders lightly. "Let's go."
Aoshi walked alongside Kagome, her arm around the young student's shoulders for support. The corridor leading to the conference room was long and gloomy pictures hung on the decorative walls.
The doctor sighed, 'They can't find any brighter pictures… can they?'
Kagome looked at her as if she had read the doctor's thoughts. They both giggled. A throat being cleared made them both jump, eyes wide. They turned to their left and found Professor Sesshoumaru looking down slightly annoyed with them. Dr. Aoshi shrugged and started to walk away. Kagome quickly grabbed her sleeve, surprising the young female doctor.
Aoshi winked and whispered, "I'll be right there with you when you come inside." She gave Kagome's hand a reassuring squeeze and walked into the conference room.
Kagome had told her everything that had happened in the elevator. Aoshi understood what the poor student was going through, but given the present circumstance she couldn't help her, no matter how much she wanted to. It was heartbreaking to leave her new friend outside in the hall with 'that monster'. But Aoshi had to prepare as well.
Out in the hall, the professor looked Kagome up and down. Inside his head, he was smirking with delight. Yet on the outside, he was still scowling that Doctor Aoshi had to be there as well.
"You look very professional, Higurashi." He commented.
Kagome glanced at him, "Thanks." She looked back at her feet.
'The audacity! He acts as if nothing happened! He really is what his name means. He's destructive.' Kagome thought wildly to herself.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, for Kagome, the conference room's door creaked open. Sesshoumaru stretched his arm out as a means for not saying "Ladies first". Kagome walked in, an anxious eye on her professor, hoping he wouldn't do anything more… or later.
Her eyes wandered around the darkened room. The walls were painted black with a very depictive painting of Tokyo. The black, she mused, must have been the night sky. Whereas the window that covered the wall in front of her contrasted to the room. Where the walls were Tokyo at night, the outside was the real, tangible Tokyo in the afternoon. She noticed that where the landscape outside the window ended, it began and ran together perfectly- like one even stroke of a painter's brush- with the scene on the conference room walls. There was a large table to her right, which- as she neared the window- she ran into, bruising her hipbone and knee. Looking at the polished cherry wood, she followed the long table to the end of the room, where a dark figure sat.
Squinting her russet eyes, she could make out that instead of one figure there were two. One sitting, the other standing. Dr. Aoshi was the one on her feet. Kagome about ran to her, when the doctor slightly put her palm towards Kagome. Lightly shaking her head, Dr. Aoshi had a stern yet professional look upon her face that portrayed "Not now".
Quietly and without warning, Dr. Okinu laid his hands on Kagome's shoulders. She tensed as he spoke.
"Aoshi-sama, Fujihara-sama, this is my most promising student, Miss Kagome Higurashi."
"Sit down young lady. We've been expecting you for some time now." A withered voice called out to her across the table.
Kagome took the seat in front of her. Her anxiety threatening to well up and spill over her already fragile state. Her heart skipping beats.
"You may take your lave now, Okinu-san." It called out again.
Wide eyed, Sesshoumaru bowed out of respect and made a beeline for the door. He couldn't hide his sinful actions from his 'superior'- as much as he loathed admitting that Fujihara was his superior in medicine. His clawed hand on the door nearly crushed the knob as he swung it open and slammed it shut, causing a couple pictures on the wall outside fall and break.
Kagome and Dr. Aoshi cringed at the breaking of glass, knowing full well that the professor was furious. Even though Professor Sesshoumaru was fuming outside in the hall, Kagome's tense shoulders relaxed a bit to have his hovering eyes off of her.
"Now, down to business. Miss Higurashi," the voiced called her to attention. "You have been called her for a… unique interview."
A chuckle from Dr. Aoshi.
"WE," the shadowed person nodded at Doctor Aoshi, who gently smiled. "Have looked over your transcripts, your background, and your resumes. They seem very insignificant for such an excelled student such as you."
Kagome gulped and wringed her hands.
"Fortunately, you received a couple recommendations. One from your professor, Doctor Okinu…" the withered voice mumbled on.
Her breath caught in her throat. She had no idea that this was the main reason her teacher called her. She felt a tiny, no, a no-bigger-than-the-dot-on-an-"I" bit of gratitude towards Sesshoumaru.
"… and the other, from the late Nanase Kikyo, Kami rest her soul."
As Kagome once again started to breathe easier, her breath hitched in her throat for a second time. Hearing Her name again brought back painful memories, ones almost as painful as the day of her father's death. Kikyo. The one person who was like a sister to her. Related by blood, looking almost identical, yet completely opposite in almost every way.
Kagome, fiery and a social butterfly by nature. Kikyo, calm and always keeping to herself. Kagome's mother and Kikyo's mother were identical twins, hence the minor resemblance between the two girls. Kikyo was older by two years. Kagome was as healthy as a horse, while Kikyo had multiple heart problems since birth. They were inseparable. Until late last year. Kikyo. Her friend, her 'soul' sister… her dead cousin.
Kagome's first recommendation… from a past long buried.
Kikyo was still watching out for her, even from the grave.
i
i Sesshoumaru means "destruction".
