Chapter 10: I'm With You
Chapter 10: I'm With You
White.
Everything…white…blinding white…
Can't move…. Where—where am I? Can't feel…urhg…. It hurts. My skin…burning. My throat…it—its enflamed…burning…
Burning…fire! There's a fire…the roof collapsed…the walls caved in…
I shrieked. Pain exploded all over my body. My eyelids flickered open, but they were forced shut by the pain. A door slammed open.
"Are you okay? I heard someone screaming, and I thought…."
I tuned out the nurse's voice and tried to figure out where I was. I shifted underneath the thin white covers. A tightly tucked corner fell loose. The nurse hurried over and quickly began tucking it back in, but I already saw my arm. The arm crushed beneath all the wood had been placed in a cast, while the other had been gently but firmly wrapped in gauze. But…my hand hadn't been wrapped. It was black…a nasty gray-black color. The skin was thin a wrinkled. I choked.
The nurse sighed, and her shoulders visibly sagged. "Burn marks," she explained. "I didn't want you to see yet…but…"
"Where…where am I?" My voice came out in a heavy rasp, and pain pulsed through my veins. "What happened?"
"Eh, uh, your house caught fire, dear. Apparently it collapsed on top of you," explained the nurse. "Your friend Inuyasha found you in the wreckage. Was anybody else in the house? The damage was incredible. It seemed like everything burned!"
"No…there wasn't anyone else in the house," I replied.
"What about your father?" she pressed. "Where is he?"
"I—I don't know."
She pursed her lips, but said nothing more about the subject. She got up, and left.
--
Several weeks later, the doctor was pacing at the foot of my bed. He hadn't allowed any visitors; the only thing he did allow was get well cards and flowers. Now I watched him as he paced from one corner of the room to another and back again. Finally he turned and faced me. "Do you have anywhere to stay?"
"…What…?"
"We couldn't track down your father"—I flinched—"and we couldn't find any relatives. Do you have a place to stay?"
I quickly ran through all the possibilities. If I said no, chances were I'd be stuck in a foster home. If I said yes they'd either call any numbers I might give them and turn up negative, or I might never get checked out of the hospital.
"Um…yeah," I lied.
"Oh? Give me the number and I'll call to have you picked up."
"No, that won't be necessary. They live extremely close. I could walk there form here."
The doctor's forehead creased in worry. "But you're unwell. Are you sure you could manage?"
"I'll be fine—"
"Doctor?" The nurse who'd answered my cry weeks earlier came in. "Doctor, some friends of Miss Taijiya just dropped this off."
"What is it?" he asked.
"An outfit for her to change into and jacket—it's cold outside."
She handed me the bundle of clothes.
"I guess that's it then," the doctor said. "You're free to leave once you're ready."
They left the room, and when they did, I stripped off the paper wrapping the clothes. Bundled up inside was a long sleeve black shirt with jeans, and a matching black jacket with a fake fur collar. A letter fell into my lap.
Sango,
I'm sorry we couldn't get there faster. It's my fault you were stuck in the hospital for weeks. I'd like to say more, but I don't know what to say. …Kagura and Ayame are freakishly worried. Kagome picked out the clothes. Do you like them? I have to go.
Take care,
Inuyasha
P.S. I owe you a new cell
--
About an hour later I left the hospital.
The streets were frozen in solid ice, and the sidewalk was layered in snow. I shivered despite the thick jacket. I hastily followed the sidewalk and street signs down to the lake. The sky had already begun to bleed a darkish blue color, and it was slowly spreading across the sky as the sun sank lower and lower. The sky was blessedly clear despite that, but there was no moon out. I stared at the sky. A new moon. Inuyasha would be human tonight.
I followed the path to the lake, but swerved away at the last moment, and headed toward the bridge. It was thin, narrow red bridge that arched over the river that carried water into the lake. The bridge was only wide enough for a single car, but it wasn't like many people ever crossed the bridge. It was ancient. Nobody trusted it to hold. The snow on the bridge was fresh, I the only footsteps there were mine. I leaned against the railings and stared into the glassy black water.
/I'm standin' on the bridge
I'm waitin' in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound/
I shivered again. The wind picked up, and my teeth began to chatter. The wind seemed to slice right through the jacket and shirt, biting painfully into my still-healing flesh.
/Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come and take me home?
It's a damn cold night
I'm tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you come and take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you
Hmm hmm hmm/
The sky was completely black now. I trembled. My breath came out in misty white puffs. Chills raced up my spine. An icy numbness spread through my body. A drop of rain hit my nose. Another hit my head, and then several more hit my shoulder. I winced at the cold, and trembled as the freshly-fallen raindrop froze into frost.
I had nowhere to go. I'd freeze.
/I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?
Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone/
He's made such a big mess… Burning down the house…why? Why? I never did anything. Was it because I survived? Was I maybe supposed to die? I don't have the answers to any of these questions. Only he does. And I wish I could stop asking them, but I know I can't until I know.
/Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
I try to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you
Yea yea/
A sharp wind snagged my hair and whipped it across my face. Both my hair and the gust stung my cheeks. What little energy I had left was being ripped away from me with each breath of cold air.
/Oh, why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yea eee yeah, yea eee yeah
Yea eee yea, yea eee yeah, yeah/
I heard the hum of an engine farther down to the right of the bridge, fast approaching. I tensed, but shuddered all the same. I prayed whoever it was would just ignore me and drive off. The guardrail rattled, growing steadily louder as the car approached. Headlights washed over me and I pulled myself closer to the guardrail. The car stopped. A second passed, and then a car door opened.
"You okay? Need a ride?"
/It's a damn cold night
Tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, yea
I'm with you, yea/
I stiffened.
"Are you frozen? Could you at least answer?"
Hate filled my veins. "Leave me alone."
"You could die out here."
"So?" I snapped. "What would you care?"
"A lot."
"Right, of course," I replied sarcastically. "Just leave me alone Miroku or your house will burn down next."
"Is that a threat or a promise?"
"Both if you don't leave."
"I just want to help."
"Inuyasha will make sure you won't help anyone tomorrow if you don't leave—now."
"And to think I drove all this way just for you," he whined in mock complaint. "I drove all the way to the hospital to pick you up and what do they tell me? That you left a few hours earlier. How long have you been standing here?"
"Long enough to not believe anything you just said. For all I know you could be heading over to a party or something and just happened my way."
"Big coincidence, huh?"
"Not funny."
"Not trying to be." Miroku sighed. "If you don't believe me, would you believe Kagura?"
"What do you mean?"
"I heard from Kagome that your house was burned down and you were trapped inside. When I found out you survived I started badgering Kagura until she listened to me. After that it was easy. I made arrangements for you to stay with Kagura until you find a place to stay."
I turned around to face him and narrowed my eyes suspiciously. He sighed. "If you don't believe me, talk to Kagura." He took out his cell phone, snapped it open and quickly tapped out a numbed. Putting the cell to his ear, he drummed the steering wheel and then: "Hey Kagura. Yeah, I found her, but she won't listen." Miroku paused, flinched—meaning Kagura had said something rather sharp and nasty—and then said, "I know she has a reason—just let me talk okay? She's standing outside my car and refuses to listen, and if you don't convince her, she'll be frozen within minutes." Miroku leaned outside the door and handed me the phone.
"Hello…?" I asked wearily.
"Sango? Are you okay? You had everyone so damn worried!"
"I'm…I'm fine—just tired."
"Then get into his car and come over! We already have the guest room ready. Kanna even helped me! She's usually plotting against me! I knew dad never should have gotten her that creepy mirror! Anyway, she's worried about you too…she just won't show it. But you know how she is—"
"You talk a lot," I interrupted.
"Sorry."
"So, Miroku isn't lying?"
"No. For once he's telling the truth. He arranged everything, though it took some time. The first time he called Inuyasha, Koga, and Ayame were over and he started yelling at him loud enough to be heard to America. Plus, he used so many cusses it's no wonder why we couldn't understand. Half of the phrases weren't even Japanese. Then he hung up on him. Miroku called back immediately and kept calling for days until Inuyasha finally listened."
"…All right then," I finally agreed. "I'll see you soon."
"Great. I'll make sure to have some hot tea ready."
I hung up and gave the cell back to Miroku. I gave him one last dark look, and then moved around the car to the passenger side. Miroku leaned across the seat and pushed the door open for me. I mumbled a soft "thanks" as I got in and closed the door. The heater was on high in the car, and Miroku pulled out a thick blanket from the backseat and handed it to me.
Several moments later the car eased off the bridge and onto the street.
/Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, yea
I'm with you, yea/
I began to feel drowsy, and soon I felt myself lean slightly to one side. I stifled a yawn, and heard myself murmur, "Thanks, Miroku" before drifting into my first peaceful sleep for a while.
Miroku's POV
I eased the car up Kagura's drive and turned off the ignition. "Hey Sango, we're—" I stopped as I glanced at her, and smiled. She was sound asleep, with her head resting lightly against the passenger window. I gently took her shoulder and shook her a little. "Hey," I murmured softly. "We're here."
She mumbled something, and opened her eyes. She blinked, yawned, and sat up straight. "What…? Oh, it's Kagura's house."
"Yeah, she's really worried, so we'd better not keep her waiting."
"No, I guess not," Sango agreed. She pushed the blanket away, opened the passenger door, and stepped outside. I followed and met her at the edge of the driveway. Thick snowflakes were tangled in her hair and melting into icy water. I rushed her up the front path on onto the porch. Kagura opened the front door before we were up the first step. "Were you just sitting on the stairs waiting for us?" Sango asked, a smile already forming on her face.
"Maybe," Kagura replied. "Now hurry up and get in here—both of you. You'll freeze out there."
Sango's POV
Kagura came out onto the porch, and shoved us roughly inside. Behind us, the door slammed shut and the lock clicked into place. Kagura grabbed my arm and pulled me into the living room, where she pushed me gently—as gently as she could—onto the couch and said, "Wait here. I'll go get your tea." She and Miroku disappeared into the kitchen.
I sighed, and relaxed against the back of the couch, and closed my eyes. Several minutes later I felt like someone was in the room with me, and opened my eyes, expecting Kagura or Miroku, or both. Instead, Kanna, Kagura's younger sister, was standing in front of me, staring with her big black eyes.
I blinked.
"Hi," she said, her voice so soft I barley heard. "Are you all right?"
"Um…yeah." It was a little odd—and kind of awkward. Kanna had never really spoken to me. Hi was the most, and even that was rare. Mostly she only stared until I blinked, then disappeared somewhere with that mirror of hers. But she was nice, I knew that much. …I still didn't trust the mirror.
A minute later, Kagura came into the room, and I glanced at her as she gave me a steaming mug of tea. "Thanks," I said, blowing away some of the steam. I turned back to Kanna, but she was gone. That still creeped me out. I should be used to it by now. But I'm not. …Don't judge me.
Miroku came out of the kitchen several minutes after that. Kagura glanced slightly at him, smiled, and then sat down beside me, blocking him from view.
When I finally did see him, he was holding a large cardboard box with circular air holes punched into the sides. A tag sealing it read: "HANDLE WITH CARE. DO NOT ANGER."
That didn't make me feel better.
He put the box on my lap and said, "Open it."
Nervously, I tore off the label and the box rattled. I jumped, and the flaps twitched. A split second later, a small, creamy head topped with sharp black ears popped out, mewing cutely. A small, creamy-furred she-cat jumped out of the box, kicking it away and landing neatly in my lap. She looked up me, seemed to smile, and mewed again. She had a thick mane, and two long cream tails. Her paws and tails were striped with black, like her ears, and a small black diamond completed it. Her eyes were large and bright red, but they weren't malevolent. They rounded off her cute little look.
"She's adorable," I cooed. "What's her name?"
"Kirara," Miroku replied. "She's a demon, and if your father ever comes back, she'll make sure he doesn't bother you. Inuyasha was able to find her, being the half-demon he is, and I paid for her. She's sweet, but when she senses danger, she's as savage as Inuyasha was a few weeks ago." Miroku flinched slightly at the memory.
"Aw, thanks Miroku." I stroked Kirara's forehead, and she purred.
"Well, if you two don't mind, Sango needs rest, so you need to get out, Miroku. And take that box with you. No one wants it now that Kirara's out of it."
"I'm so hated," Miroku whimpered, faking an upset tone. "Anyway, get better soon Sango. Okay? I'll talk to you someday."
I nodded shyly, and stood up with Kagura to escort him out. Kirara trotted along at our heels, bouncing around us, and yet always staying a step ahead. She stopped at the door, jumped onto the first stair leading to the second floor, and looked up at us, her head cocked, then flicked her small muzzle at the door.
Kagura undid the lock and held the door open. As Miroku was about to leave, I stammered, "Hey, Miroku. Sorry for not believing you earlier."
"It's okay. In all honesty, you didn't have a reason to believe me."
I nodded, and after a moment's pause, rushed up and hugged him. "Thanks for coming to get me."
He shrugged. "Don't mention it."
"Anyway, I'll see you later, then."
"Um, hurry up. It's getting cold, and bugs might get in," Kagura interrupted, her teeth chattering.
"What bugs? They're all frozen." All the same, I pulled away and Miroku left. The minute he was out the door, Kagura slammed it shut and slid the lock back in place.
"That was rude."
"So? I warned you, didn't I? I told you I was cold."
I smiled, and Kirara mewed loudly, making us laugh. I held out my arms and she jumped up lightly, purring. Kagura and I laughed harder as we raced upstairs.
/Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you, oh
I'm with you
I'm with you…/
Well, that's it. The end of "Saving Me." At long last. But I'm kinda sad it's over... :( But! I have new several new stories, all of which will have a least one chapter posted soon, and I'll update frequently, unless it comes to the co-written story with Ripuru. Then we decide when to update together. Otherwise, all will be updated soon. Anyway, to all the reveiwers of "Saving Me" thank you all! All the support and kind words have helped me through my first ever multi-chapter story, and I hope you'll keep supporting me.
And, to all the fans of "Saving Me" if you liked the drama here, you'll like my latest Inuyasha story revolving around Buyo and Kirara: "Choice of Loyalties." Takes place in the Feudal Era, has action, adventure, betrayal, and all that good stuff. However, this one will sureley be longer than "Saving Me", so updates might be slower, writer's block may occur, and such. So bear with me on that.
But, sincerely, thank you for reveiwing, and we all hope to see you again. Right?
Inuyasha- yeah, whatever
What was that? -holds up machine gun-
Inuyasha- -whimpers- I said, Yes! Thank you all! Heh heh...dont hurt me
Wouldn't dream of it -rolls eyes- -smiles at audience- thank you all! See you soon!