(I do NOT own any of these characters. Except perhaps Chitose. I created her, she's my baby...and Shiruka, she's mine too. But all of the copywrited "Inuyasha" characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi and company.)
(When we last left our hero...she was being held off of Inuyasha by none other than Sesshoumaru)
[Me] Let me go! Let me go! I'll kill him for you! Let me go!!!
[Sesshoumaru] *sigh*
[Inuyasha] Let her go! I wanna kill her!
[Me] Kill me? I'll rip those damn dog-ears right off your head, DogBoy!
[Sesshoumaru] *sigh*
[Inuyasha] *flinches* Uh, nevermind Sesshoumaru, you can hold her all you like...
[Me] Hey!!! I want down!!! Let go of me!
[Sesshoumaru] Will you behave?
[Me] *Pulls a cute, tearsy face and nods* Takako will be a good girl...
[Inuyasha] You're not actually going to believe her, are you? GAK!!!
[Sesshoumaru] *sets me down and pats my hair*
[Me] *grins evilly at Inuyasha and bares her fangs* heh heh heh...
[Inuyasha] Eh?
(To Be Continued...)
Ch. 3
~Lost~
Inuyasha jumped back and stared up as his father walked into the lobby of the hospital. Catching sight of him he headed over, Inuyasha was backing into the wall as he neared him. Inu Taisho smiled at him through his faux concerned-parent act and brought his face close to Inuyasha's own.
"Where is he, boy?" Inuyasha could smell the liquor strongly on his breath and began choking on the stench. He couldn't breathe right, the man was too close. His scent was too thick, it was gagging him too thoroughly. After a few minutes Inu Taisho leaned back and through his choking Inuyasha could hear the voice of a nurse.
"Is he alright? He doesn't need treatment also, does he?" She sounded worried. Inu Taisho's voice echoed in his ears, causing his head to pound.
"No, some fresh air will do the trick, he gets like this in hospitals...mother died in one. Has a bit of a problem, mostly mental...nerves and such..." A sharp jerk to his arm caused Inuyasha to stand up as his father put the finishing touches on his lie. "He just needs a walk down the street, we'll be back in a minute." And he was being pulled along. Out the door and into the cool evening air. He could breathe again after a few minutes, but that stopped when he was slammed up against the wall of an alley.
"What did you tell them, brat?" Inuyasha was looking up into his fathers red-rimmed eyes. He looked like some kind of monster. A bull, charging at him with its horns pointed perfectly. "What did you tell them? Where is he?!" He was yelling to his face, his hand constricting around Inuyasha's neck.
"Nothing! Nothing!!!" Inuyasha said nervously. Suddenly his cheek was searing, he could feel his teeth come loose as his fathers fist came in contact with his cheek, hitting his head back against the wall of the concrete building.
"Where is he?" Inu Taisho barked again. When Inuyasha couldn't answer he kneed him hard into the stomach. Inuyasha fell forward into him, hurting in every way possible. His father pulled him upright and stalked him before him. The picture of Sesshoumaru stalking him to the car this afternoon came to Inuyasha's mind. It faded momentarilly, though, when the bright lights of the drug store across from the hospital hit his face. He could see the hospital in front of him. He could feel Inu Taisho behind him. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He had to take him to Sesshoumaru. He was stalked back into the hospital. He walked down the hall, ignoring his throbbing cheek as best he could. This was what his father wanted. He just wanted him to give in, just like he was. Turning he looked back at the man. He was walking a step or so behind him, waving and smiling at the nurses and doctors he knew. Again he could see that loving-parent mask he was protecting himself with.
Without thinking, Inuyasha picked up speed but his fathers voice spoke low and angry to him.
"Just try running, you won't be able to walk in the morning, boy." his voice was a low growl. Obediantly, Inuyasha slowed his pace again and reached Sesshoumaru's door a moment later. His hand stopped on the doorknob and he didn't move. He closed his eyes and tried to shut off everything. A hand on his wrist forced his eyes open as Inu Taisho's hand bent Inuyasha's wrist wrong. He heard a cruel snap before pain seeped into his right arm, and he gave a startled, painful cry. "Now, Open the door, boy." Inu Taisho said in a low snarl. Inuyasha obeyed with a nod, and with his left hand he turned thee doorknb and stepped into the room. He was shoved into the wall immediately once inside as Inu Taisho pushed around him.
"Gak!" Inuyasha gave a startled choke as his broken wrist slammed into the wall followed by his whole body. Sesshoumaru gave a half-jump as Inuyasha sank to his knees, cradling his arm tenderly.
"What did you do to him?!" Sesshoumaru growled. Inuyasha looked up to see his brother looking at him in a worried way. Inu Taisho didn't answer and Inuyasha layed his head on the wall. Kami, he wanted to go to sleep. Just go to sleep and forget what was happening. He would get up and go to school tomarrow and pretend his life wasn't this screwed up. Everything would be like every other day of his life, just now his wrist would be broken. Small hands touched his back gently and Inuyasha looked up into Shiruka's face before he fell into her. He couldn't feel her there anymore. She was floating away from him. Just as his own mother had when this happened. He was slipping from conciousness. His head throbbed, his wrist throbbed, his neck, his back, his cheek. everything hurt from either old wounds or fresh. He just wanted to curl up on the floor and die. He was sorry that he couldn't see Kagome again. He was sorry he was so weak and pitiful. He didn't want to be. He didn't want to be anything...He just wanted to sleep. Just sleep...He could hear Sesshoumaru's voice as he shut down all his senses.
"Inuyasha!!!" Was that what he was saying?He didn't know...He didn't know anything...He was just a kid. Laying there on the floor, hurting, crying. He was still just a kid wishing he could be held by his mother again. Wishing she was there to wipe away his tears. Wishing she was there to make it alright again. Like she had been before.
**
Sesshoumaru jerked up, ignoring his own pain. Inu Taisho was above him smiling at him cynically but he wasn't seeing it. All he saw was Inuyasha. Inuyasha lying on the floor in his mothers arms. Inuyasha losing his battle with death. Inuyasha! Wake up! Inuyasha, look at me! Inuyasha! Inuyasha!!
"Inuyasha!!!" he was screaming, reaching for him. Shiruka lifted the young hanyou up so his face was turned upwards. He was laying on her lap. He was unconcious, but could be seen breathing. Sesshoumaru was letting hysterics take over his senses. Help him! Someone, help him! Don't let him die there. Wake up Inuyasha! Please wake up for me?! He couldn't breath as he watched Inuyasha in silence. He wouldn't open his eyes. He wasn't waking up. Sesshomaru crashed to the floor beside hs mother and grabbed hold of Inuyasha. He shook him roughly staring at him in fixed terror. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha, wake up! Inu...wake up, please..." He could feel his own pain pulling strength from his muscles but he refused to give in. Shiruka gasped as she looked at the floor. Blood was pooling around Sesshoumaru. Getting to her feet she opened the door.
"Help! Someone, help us please!!!" Two men looked at her and hurried toward the room. Both of them wore uniforms that stated that they worked at the Hospital. One was a doctor, the other a male nurse. The taller one, the doctor, had long brown hair, waving and curling down his back. His red eyes stared at her from behind narrow specticles. The shorter man looked younger. His straight, brown hair was considerably shorter than the doctors and pulled into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. His indigo eyes were not those of a young man, but a man that had seen too much pain in his short lifetime. She stepped to the side as they reached the room. The doctor, Hitatsuke Naraku is what his nametag said, spoke to Shiruka as the nurse, Miroku Houshiyami, sat down beside Sesshoumaru. Inu Taisho was back against the wall, staring at his sons through wide eyes. Miroku layed a hand on Inuyasha's neck to feel for a pulse, then brought his head down to listen to the hanyou's breath. Sesshoumaru, who was still bleeding on the floor, held inuyasha tightly.
"Narkau-sensei, I need your help. His heart rate is way too slow...and his breathing. He's hardly breathing at all!" Miroku said sounding worried. Naraku turned and looked at the young hanyou now, his eyes widened a little. Pushing gently around Shiruka, Naraku knealt also.
**
Naraku stared in silence. He knew this face, He knew that hair and those features. He knew this boy. He'd seen him in this hospital for over 10 years. Putting his hand behind the hanyous head, he gently lifted him. Miroku helped him as carefully as he knew how. The boys body was so small in his arms. So small, as if he were still a small child.
**
Sesshoumaru reluctantly released Inuyasha and let the doctor take him from the room. He was about to stand to go back to his bed when he couldn't move his body anymore and fell backwards. Miroku caught him against his chest and spoke gently to Shiruka.
"Go to the front desk. Say that you need to see doctor Hasegawa. Say that Naraku sent you and that it's an emergency!" Sesshoumaru's eyes were shutting suddenly, he couldn't keep them open anymore. His pain wasn't there anymore. All he could feel was his heart. His heart throbbing and slowing. No! Inuyasha! He had to see Inuyasha again. They needed to live through this! They neded to see eachother alive in the end. He couldn't feel arms around him anymore as he fought off passing out. He refused to pass out! He was as strong as any other demon...So why had he taken this abuse all these years? He couldn't answer that. Because he remembered the day he stopped fighting. He remembered what kept him behind that door, giving in to anything and everything Inu Taisho did. He'd faced this torture all these years for his brother. He'd fought off revealing to anyone what went on behind those doors so he could protect the hanyou boy. He had done it all so that his brother didn't have to face this ordeal all alone. Because it was easier when someone was there facing it with you...wasn't it?
**
Inu Taisho stared at his eldest son as he was layed, a bloody mess on the hospital bed. He was backed up against the wall, as far from the bed as he could get. As far from Sesshoumaru as he could get. Miroku shoved needles into Sesshoumaru's arm and stuck things to his chest. In seconds there were things giving him a nerve stabalizer, monitoring his heart rate, measuring his oxygen intake, and about a thousand other things. A thousand other things that told him Sesshoumaru was in trouble. Who did this? You did this. Why did I do it? I don't know. Blood on the floor. What had he done? Where is Inuyasha? Dying. Why? Because you willed it so...Inu Taisho took another step back, pressing himself flush against the wall. Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha? Look at me. Tell me that I love you. Do I love you? I know I do...but...Please, open your eyes and look at me. Tell me you'll be alright. Tell me you won't die. You won't die? You won't die, right? Sesshoumaru...How old are you now? Are you seven or seventy? Are you a hundred or only one? You are my children. You are my sons, but I'm the child. I'm the one that needs to be taught right and wrong. Teach me. Won't you teach me? No. Why not? ...Why not?! ...Why?!
**
Shiruka ran as fast as she could down the hall. Luckilly they were on the first floor and she didn't have to deal with stairs or elevators that would be backed up. She reached the front desk fast and shoved to the front of the line. The clerk gave a jump as Shiruka startled her.
"What is it Ma'am?!" she stuttered. Shiruka leaned forward.
"I need Doctor Hasegawa! It's an emergency! Naraku sent me from the Taisho boy's room." The clerk nodded and picked up the phone.
"Please have a seat Ma'am, I'll call." Shiruka nodded to herself and pulled back away from the desk.
**
Hasegawa Moriko was walking slowly through the hallway checking in personally on her patients when her beeper gave a shrill sound telling her to look at it. She did and saw the number to the front desk. Above it were the words "Call Immediately'. Sighing, she hoped it wasn't another stupid note from the head of the department to clean her desk again. She'd just cleaned it. Her daughter had helped her! It wasn't her fault that the head surgeon kept dumping piles of forms on it for her to fill out. Was she a doctor or a secretary? Sighing she found a phone near the toilet and dialed from the third floor.
"Yes? What is it?" She was tired. The secritary from the front dest sounded flustered.
"Ma'am, there's some crazy lady up here asking for you.
"I'm not at work,then, Kigu...you know that..."
" She's saying it's and emergency and that Doctor Naraku sent her up front to ask your assistance." Moriko leaned on the wall.
"Oh yeah? Who's the patient in qusetion?" it took a few minutes before the secratary answered again.
"There are two. Brothers; Taisho, Sesshoumaru and Taisho, Inuyasha."
"Alright, I'll be right down." She hung up the phone again and walked to the express elevator that would take her to the ground floor. She walked up front calmly and was met by a demon woman. She seemed nervous. Kigu motioned to her.
"She is needing your assistance ma'am."
"Yes, how can I help you?" The woman looked her right in the eye.
"I was told to get you and return to the urgent care area." Moriko nodded and followed.
**
Miroku looked up from his clipboard as the door opened and Shiruka led in Mrs. Hasegawa. She stared at the man laying unconciously on the bed. Miroku sighed and scribbled something down on his clipboard before bowing and heading out the door.
"Forgive me Ma'am's, I need to go check on the other Taisho boy...I'll return in a moment." Moriko nodded and he turned, walking out of the room. He headed down the hall and up a flight of stairs, entering the room on the end of the hall. Opening the door he was startled to find the younger Taisho boy awake and Naraku sitting calmly in the corner. Inuyasha seemed to be arguing with Naraku over whether or not he was going home tonight.
"Yes I am! I'm fine, I said!!!" the hanyou shouted at the doctor. Naraku seemed to be enjoying the argument.
"You'll stay right there. There's quite a bump on your head as well as your arm to deal with-"
"It's got a sling 'round it, what the hell else does it need?!" Indeed Inuyasha had a bright red sling holding his arm in the proper healing position. Miroku sighed and closed the door as the two continued their private fight, not bothering to notice Miroku at all.
"Your history is arguing with you against that Inuyasha. In fact that arm, I understand, has been broken seven times. three of those times in that very wrist. You've had a number of concussions and internal injuries. I can't let you leave Inuyasha. I'm sorry!" Naraku insisted. Inuyasha glowered.
"You could if you wanted to, you bastard." Naraku looked at him angrilly now.
"I most certainly could not! Inuyasha, I've treated you your entire life, I'm worried that these repeated wounds are self-inflicted. I believe they're a cry for help! Now if you'll stay in bed, I'll send the hospital therapist up in the morning-"
"I didn't do this if you're thinkin' that! You're dumber than a box o' rocks if you think I do this to myself!!!"That caught Miroku's attention, and Naraku's too. Inuyasha paled as he realised what he had just said. Naraku stepped toward the bed.
"Who did this then, Inuyasha?" his voice was gentle. Inuyasha glared at the wall in silence. "Look at me, Inuyasha..." He didn't and Naraku touched his chin, tilting his face to head to face him. "Inuyasha, who did this to you?" Inuyasha jerked his head back and bit down hard on Naraku's hand. Naraku stared as he saw tears form in the hanyou's eyes as he bit him. A minute or two passed and Inuyasha released the mans hand slowly. Anger was welling in Naraku's chest but he didn't raise a hand to the boy. It was obvious that someone had done that for too long in his life. Too long and too hard.
**
Inuyasha turned to look out the window again once the doctor left. His head hurt, his arm hurt, his back and stomach hurt, but he was thinking perfectly. He would get out of here tonight. He would go home and sleep in his own bed, he would go to school in the morning. He would live his life as he always had. The door opened and he looked to see a tall woman walking in. Her long brown hair was tied back, her brown eyes looked at him kindly. She looked just like Sango. He glared at her for a few minutes as she came in and checked monitors, read charts, re-filled the U.V. and left again, not bothering to talk to him at all. He waited until the door closed and the hallway light was shut off before getting up and out of bed. He slid open the window and punched the screen out of its frame. Looking down he could see it was at least a twenty foot drop to the ground. He could make it easy. His legs weren't broken, just his arm. Climbing up onto the window sill he took a deep breath and jumped, landing like a cat on the grass below. He was on his feet again and running as fast as he could down the street.
**
Sesshoumaru eased awake. His room was dark, but he could make out the shape of his mother in a chair in the corner, Chitose on her lap. His father was not there. He hadn't expected him to be. Why would he stay to see something he'd caused play out before him? Inuyasha was who he really wanted to see. Just to know that his little brother was alright. He was probably not even in the hospital enymore, though, knowing him. The dog boy had hated hospitals all his life. It was an understandable fear too. After all, his mother had died in one. Right before his eyes. He'd been close enough to hold her hand as she left for the netherworld. Sitting up he sighed. No, Inuyasha was probably home, now. Or maybe not, knowing his fear of their father...He was probably planning to wander around the city until school started the next morning. If he had left, he probably should have gone home, though. Inu Taisho would be at the bar all night. He always was whenever either of them were stuck in a hospital.
As if to answer his fears the door opened just then and Miroku stepped into the room turning on the light. He shook Shiruka's arm gently, waking her. She blinked up at him and looked around the room quickly.
"Yes? What-what is it?" She asked rubbing her cheek below her eye. The man seemed worried over something.
"Ma'am. The other boy, Inuyasha, he's gone. We can't find him anywhere in the building." Sesshoumaru sighed. Stupid Inuyasha...very stupid... "We don't know where he may've gone, his records give his mothers address-"
"She's dead..." Sesshoumaru said looking out the window into the night. "She died in this hospital, on the third floor, when Inuyasha was only six. She had a special type of leukimia...He's hated hospitals ever since..." Miroku stared at him in shock.
"I suppose that's understandable. My father died downstairs from a heart virus...I went the other way, though...I decided to become a doctor-"
"But was you're life hell afterwards? Were you afraid to just leave your room because your father wasn't there anymore?" Miroku blinked and shook his head. Sesshoumaru grinned. "Then you wouldn't understand why he ran...You wouldn't understand why he is the way he is..." Sesshoumaru's voice was cold. It was time to tell on his father. It was time the man repented for all his sins. Even those protected by silence and locked doors.
End Chapter 3
(Yeah, this one was one of the shorter ones. I feel like you're all expecting something great from me and all I can give you is cheap wording TT-TT I feel pitiful...I must keep trying! Though, I'm running out of things to write. I lengthened the chapters and shortened the overall product...It probably won't even make 6 chapters at this rate. But if I do! One Mileston passed! This chapter was kind of deep, huh? I'm getting into my mentality theme...I hope I'm doing a good job. I originally dedicated this Fiction to my 'big brother' Scott! He was such an inspiration to me. You see, he's actually been in an abusive home. His mom divorced the creep and moved his 50 miles north of me...and now I can only talk to him on email...but it's better for him, right? My best friend is his cousin so I see him every once in a while...Wow, I'm rambling. You people don't want to hear an old lady's ramblings huh? [You're not even 16 yet, what are you saying 'old lady'?] I feel so old! The only human interacton I get lately is chatting it up with the kids on my street...who all happen to be below fourth grade...Yeah alright no more rambling....*ramble ramble* STOP THAT!!!! Until next time . Peace and Out)