DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha or its characters. Nag.
The Twisted Hands of Fate:
Chapter 4
Kagome found herself almost eager to return home and find out more about Dr. Taisho; what she had seen of him thus far made him a complete enigma to her. So, without her knowledge, her foot pressed a little harder than necessary on the gas pedal as she pulled from the hospital parking lot, and during the drive home, she was always at least five miles over the speed limit.
As she opened the door to her house, it hit her how empty it was; silent. She hadn't had any pets, because InuYasha had always protested that 'he wanted her all to himself.' At the time, she had thought it was romantic, but in hindsight, it simply seemed silly. Shaking her head guiltily, Kagome padded her computer and jammed the power button with a little more force than intended. As the computer awoke with a groan, Kagome went to the kitchen to brew some coffee (Coffee, in the afternoon, Kagome?) and stirred absently as it cooled. Maybe she would get some pets. After all, she had always been a dog person….
Broken from her reverie by the pleasant jingle from her computer as it completed the last of its booting, Kagome zealously plopped down on the fold out chair and immediately double-clicked the internet icon. It popped up quickly (Thanks to the new high-speed internet browser she had tried out last week) and Kagome felt a surge of excitement. Quickly, she brushed it away, wondering vaguely why she was so interested. 'Dr. Taisho is an interesting person' she thought dismissively. So, she started with his website, looking for a biography or anything to tell her about his past.
There was nothing.
Frowning disappointedly, Kagome began to read a number of cases Dr. Taisho had solved in the past, and found herself more than slightly impressed with him. He always solved the case, and it seemed that he went above and beyond each time to make everything he did perfect.
"Anal, perfectionist prick." She muttered bitterly under her breath, annoyed, for some reason, that he was so accomplished. Still, she was so engrossed in her research that by the time she flicked a glance at the clock, it was past eleven. Kagome yawned widely and stood up.
'I'll find something tomorrow.' She assured herself as she stretched and lurched to bed. As she pulled the comforter over her body, she slid her eyes shut and had the first deep sleep in weeks.
She was awoken by a banshee.
No, wait, that was the phone as it split her resting eardrums and made her jump three feet in the air, giving a shrill yelp. Frantically, she stumbled to pick it up, and stubbed her big toe on the coffee table in the process. Hissing incoherent curses under her breath, Kagome jerked the phone from the receiver and answered darkly, through gritted teeth.
"Yes?" She snapped, though she immediately regretted her harsh tone.
"Higurashi." Kagome recognized the glossy, calm voice, and noted that he didn't use the honorific. "Do you know what time it is?" Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to glare at the clock. 12:30. She shrieked loudly into the phone with surprise.
"Oh my! I'm so sorry, Dr. Taisho, I forgot to set my alarm clock last night and I was up late doing things and-."
"Spare me the excuses, Higurashi. Just get over here. You have the address I gave you yesterday, I presume?" He interrupted impatiently. Kagome nodded and bit back another hurried apology.
"Yes, I do."
"Good. Then I expect you over here in five minutes." He informed her, his voice clipped. Promptly, he hung up.
Without bothering to comb her hair or apply her makeup, Kagome yanked her coat off the rack and hastily sprinted out the door and into her car. Her foot slammed on the gas, she pitched jerkily out of her lot, and sped out into the street.
Kagome rapped quietly on the large oak door of Ms. Nishimura's home, her head hung low and her gaze held shamefacedly at the ground.
It occurred to Kagome that, though she had been together with InuYasha for about a year, she had never actually met his mother. He had always put off the meeting, telling her that she was busy, or away on a cruise. Now, it seemed strange that she had never met the woman who brought the man she loved into the world, and she found herself both excited and dismaying. However, it was Sango who opened the door, and without a word, she pushed Kagome rudely into the living room, where she sat down on the couch.
As she surveyed the house interestedly, Kagome could tell where InuYasha had inherited his lack of decorating skills. His mother's house was bland, cheaply furnished, and there were still packing boxes piled in the far corner, as if she was only living here temporarily. Her brow furrowed, Kagome turned to face InuYasha's mother, who was sitting in a small fabric chair and whispering quietly to Dr. Taisho. She looked very young, to Kagome's surprise. She had wrinkles, yes, but they weren't defined, and she looked to be in her early fifties. InuYasha must have been born while she was in her late teens. Thin, inky hair, streaked with silver, was pulled up in a sloppy bun high on her head; her face was angular and sharp, only made more pointed by a pair of wiry half moon glasses resting on a long, sloping nose. Her eyes were a slate grey, narrowed and calculating.
Finally, Dr. Taisho seemed to finish his conversation with Ms. Nishimura, and he unbent before looking Kagome directly in the eyes.
"Shall we begin?"