Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, anyone, or anything affiliated with it. That right is solely Rumiko Takahashi's.
My mother burst into the room and ran over to hug my neck with Sota and Jii-Chan following somewhat more calmly behind. They all had tears in their eyes and took turns hugging me.
"Oh! Thank Kami your awake!" my mother sobbed into my shoulder.
"Nee-Chan we were so worried about you. The doctors were beginning to think you would never wake up" Sota sniffled.
"Mama, How long was I asleep?" I asked hesitantly. My mother sat down beside me and took my hands in hers. "Honey, I don't know how to tell you this, but on your fifteenth birthday you fell into the bone-eaters well. Your eighteenth birthday will be next month. You have been in a coma for almost three years." She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Three years… from my fifteenth birthday… does that mean… does that mean I never went to the feudal era?" I asked stunned. "No baby, you've been right here in this room the whole time. Someone always came to check on you every few days, in fact, I actually had just left about an hour before the doctor called and told us you were awake." She wrapped me in a tight hug as the tears began to flow.
Finally, after three days of enduring several different test and scans I was deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital. My mother brought some of her clothes for me to wear until we could get to the store to buy some as all my old clothes were much too small. As we left the hospital I turned at the sound of squeals to find Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka running towards me. They quickly grabbed my arms and started half dragging, half pushing me in the direction of the mall laughing and babbling about how happy they were that I was finally awake so they could catch me up on everything that had happened in the last few years.
Once in the mall we purchased several new outfits, shoes, and accessories all courtesy of the MasterCard my mother handed me before we parted outside the hospital as she whispered with a smile "Don't overdo it but have fun".
After several hours we finally made our way to the food court and ordered a pizza. Sitting down to wait for our meal they began to chatter about the things I've missed. They told me about high school and the new uniforms and all the hottest guys. Eri, remembering that I still have not finished middle school yet suggested we get my mom to ask them if I could take a test or something to skip the rest of middle school and go straight to high school, or be home schooled. Cheered at the idea that I might not have to go back to middle school, we eagerly watched at the server carried out our pizza.
"Bye!" I waved to my friends as I turned up the walk that led to my house at the shrine. As I made my way past the well house I thought I felt a strange aura so I stopped and made a detour to see the Bone-eaters well. Once I was inside I could clearly see that there was nothing out of the ordinary, but I still felt a strong presence. With out thinking, I jumped into the well only to hit the dirt bottom seconds later and hurting my ankle in the process. For the second time in two days I began to weep for the friends I never really had.
When I finally regained my composure, I tested my ankle to find it was not badly injured just sore from landing on it wrong. I slowly, painfully made my way up and out of the well and into the house. Opening the door quietly I tried to sneak into my room only to meet my mother in the kitchen. Flinching as she began to speak I expected to be scolded and was surprised "Did you have fun dear?" she smiled reaching for the card I was handing her. I nodded as she wrapped me in a hug. "Here, have some dinner and I'll go run a hot bath for you" she smiled sitting me in a chair and placing a full plate on the table in front of me. "I love you baby. We are all so glad your back home." She said softly before turning to go up the stairs.
I ate everything she had put on my plate and was so sleepy after my exhausting day. Slipping further into the water I closed my eyes as the water helped relax my sore legs that were not used to walking after such a long time of disuse. I stretched and wiggled my toes thankful for the doctors that exercised every muscle in my body while I was in a coma so they wouldn't turn to jelly while I was asleep. I thought back to just this morning as they explained that I was not so much in a coma but simply in an unswayable sleep. The exercise didn't keep my muscles from weakening but did at least make it where it wouldn't take several months to be able to walk and use my arms again.
With a deep sigh I sat up and began to scrub my hair with the new bottle if floral smelling shampoo that I purchased earlier on the way home. As I rinsed my hair I thought about all of the adventures we had while in the feudal era. Could I really have simply imagined it all or did it some how really happen.
As I lay in my bed I pulled the cover over my head trying to get to sleep. I was exhausted but could not get used to the feel of the springy mattress under me. I had grown used to sleeping with soft grass under and bright stars above. Even if it was all just a dream I couldn't shake the feeling that it had really happened and had even changed me.