(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 Moriko Hasegawa! She's also mine!!!)

(Our hero is about to malicioously destroy Inuyasha!!! Yayaya!!! ~Ranma1/2 line.~)

[Me] *grins* good puppy...good DEAD puppy...

[Inuyasha] I-I'm not dead yet

[Me] you will be soon!!! *pounces*

[Inuyasha] *runs* YOU LET HER GO! WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO LET HER GO, SESSHOUMARU?!

[Me] *lands on him* Now take back what you said!!!

[Inuyasha] Fine! Fine....

[Me] Was that so hard?

[Kagura] Do they know they're being broadcasted?

[Sesshoumaru] Shh...

[Me] *looks at Inuyasha*

[Inuyasha] *looks at me*

[both] *nod together* GET 'IM!!!

[Sesshoumaru] *sigh and runs* Thanks Kagura...

[Kagura] *waves as all three run past her* No problem...

Ch. 4

~Medication~

Inuyasha walked down the street toward the highschool, Kagome would be mad at him. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry, though. He didn't want to explain why he hadn't been able to go to the movie as he'd promised. His head was swimming, it had been since he'd woken up. His father hadn't been there when he'd left, he was probably at a bar, if he hadn't bothered to stay at the hospital all night. He wouldn't have stayed for him, but for Sesshoumaru. He'd always stay for him. Sesshoumaru just seemed perfect. He never got beat or scolded. It seemed he was always on Inu Taisho's good side. Of course, Sesshoumaru had also been born out of love. He had been born out of a one night fling that had never meant to be taken seriously. It had been serious, though. It had been serious until he'd been born. There weren't many pictures his mother had showed him of when he was a baby. Every one she had showed him seemed to be happy, but something about them had made him sad at the same time. Was that why Sesshoumaru wasn't treated badly? Was it because he was a full demon son that looked just like him instead of a mistake that looked like his mortal mother?

His head throbbed in tune with his cheek just then and it felt as if his already bruised gums were splitting at the seems too. He clamped his jaw together tightly and kept walking. He was going to school. Even if it killed him, he was going to school. He was walking through the school gates now. People looking at him and whispering. Teachers staring at his bruised face and slung arm. The group of girls he knew as Kagome's friends stared in silence in a horrified way. What, had they never seen a bruise before? Of course, these weren't your normal fell-off-my-bike bruises. These were large, dark purple patches that glared at them evilly. Not only was half his face bruised, but his wrist too. It had gone numb and turned about the shade of an eggplant just after he'd escaped the hospital last night. He hadn't been able to ice it back had helped it.

**

Kagome sat at the kitchen table angrilly. She didn't get up to look eargerly as she heard cars or motor-bikes pass by. She seemed to have no interest in looking for the man who had left her standing outside the theatre for four hours. He'd been teasing her, messing with her feelings. He was a complete jerk and she wanted nothing to do with him! Souta stared at her silently in something like shock, until she stood up and left the room. Grabbing her back she slung it over her shoulder and stomped ot the door. If he was in class today, she'd kill him! She'd kill him personally! And once he was dead and burried she'd dig him back up, resurrect him, and kill him all over again! Either way he ended up dead! Because if he was in class today it just proved that he stood her up just to be a jerk. She still hadn't calmed down by the time she reached the school yard. She spied Inuyasha in the far corner of the yard, sitting beneath the steps that lead up to the outside tennis courts. Her anger flared and she stomped towards him.

"Kagome!" Eri called. The raven-haired girl ignored her, continuing on her rampage towards the half-demon. Who did he think he was? His reputation as a fighter was bad enough, but now he was a playboy? That was just too much. She stopped, standing beside the stairs. His voice was thin.

"Hey, Kagome..." She glowered at him.

"You stood me up!" She half-screamed. He wouldn't look at her.

"I'm sorry..." He said in a whisper. She blushed. If he was so sorry, then why couldn't he look her in the eye?!

'Look at me and say it!!!" She shouted. The courtyard was silent now as everyone, student and staff, watched Kagome get angrier and angrier. Inuyasha continued to stare at the shadowed wall. Ayumi had her arm now, as well as Eri. Yuka had her friend around the waist

"Kagome, calm down-" They spoke timidly. Kagome shirked them off and knealt, grabbing hold of one of the hanyou's hair tassels.

"I said look at me and say that!" she yelled and jerked the hair hard. Inuyasha's face turned toward her and she froze, releasing the hanyou's hair in fear. His entire left cheek was purple. And the bruise reached up along his jaw and under his eye. She noticed his arm in a sling now. It was bruised also. She fell backwards onto her bottom and stared at him scared. He stared at her sadly then inched under the staircase again. She sat up and crawled under the stairs also. "I-Inuyasha...?" He looked back at the wall again as the bell rang.

"Kagome, class is about to start..." Yuka called under to her. Kagome looked from her friends to Inuyasha and back. It took her a minute but she finally reesponded.

"Go without me...I'll catch up later." The girls nodded and, saying their fast goodbyes, headed for the front doors. Kagome scooted over and leaned back against the wall of the building. Silence fell over them for a while until Kagome spoke gently. "you stood me up..." Inuyasha gave a nod, looking at the cement. She tilted her head at him. "What happened, Inuyasha?"

**

Inuyasha layed his head against the wall as kagome spoke.

"What happened, Inuyasha?" He looked at her now, cradling his arm against his knees. How could he tell her? Why should he tell her? It wasn't any of her buisness, it didn't concern her at all. But he needed to tell someone...he wanted to tell her...He chewed his lip until it bled and stared down at is knees. She leaned forward and touched his unbruised cheek gently. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." She said gently. "If it's something that has to be a secret, I won't tell anyone, I promise." She touched his hand comfortingly. He looked up at her. His head was hurting again, his face too, but it was easilly ignored. He stared at her silently. Could he trust her? Could he tell her and know she wouldn't tell? He looked away from her again. Off to the side, at the concrete wall.

**

"My Dad beats on me, Kagome...He always has and always will. My brother's been in the hospital all night...and when I wouldn't tell him where he was, he took me outside and hit me. I don't know why I didn't say anythin', I just didn't. Well, I finally took him to Sesshoumaru's room, but he broke my wrist when I wouldn't open the door. I passed out right after I got into the room. I was supposed to stay in the hospital all night too for a concussion, I think...but I didn't. I don't want anyone finding out, Kagome. I don't want to get taken away from everything I know." Kagome stared at Inuyasha wide-eyed. Hi-his father beat him? Her father had never raised a hand to her, let alone beat her. She wanted to hug him tightly and tell him he was alright but she was too afraid to hurt him now. She looked down at the pavement, tears weling in her eyes. She felt so guilty. She'd been so angry with him all night, and he'd been going through hell!.

"Th-that's terrible...H-how could someone..." She looked up at him through her tears and saw a pitiful look on his face. He was pitying Her? He was the one that deserved the worlds pity and he was giving it to her for crying? She sat up. "Wh-what about your mom? Is-does she get-?" Inuyasha shook his head when she didn't finish her sentence.

"She's been dead for years...She died in a hospital when I was a little kid. She had some kind of cancer or something...I don't remember it that well. Heh, I've had so many concussions, I barely remember what she looked like anymore..." He held his head now. Kagome touched it gently as his temple touched his palm.

"You have a concussion? Wh-why didn't you stay at the hospital, then? If you knew then-"

"I can't stand hospitals...I haven't been able to stay in one as a patient since my mother died. Seems like I'm always running away from them 'cause I get hurt..." He stopped now and looked up at her. She had turned to look at the cement. Tears were dripping off her chin as she pictured the man before her as a small child, crying as he watched his mother die right before him. Her face was reddening quickly, she could feel her cheeks heating as she choked on her sobs. She looked up again to see Inuyasha watching her in a sad, scared kind of way. Not being able to take it anymore, Kagome clamberred to her feet, scrambling out from under the school steps. She couldn't stand this. Him-hurting...Him-being beaten night after night...Him...him...She was out of the school yard and running down the street. Away from him, his hurt...and her feelings. Why was she running? It was a terrible, cruel thing to do to him...so why was she runnning? She was tripping up the steps to the shrine now. All of those steep steps leading up to the house. Souta was walking down to her, heading for school himself but she ran right past him.

"Sis-?" She ignored him, reaching the top of the steps. She had dropped her bag on the steps, not really caring that she did.

"Kagome? Sweety, what is it?" Kagome's mother was walking out of the house, wiping her hands on her apron. Kagome dropped to her knees right in front of her and sat staring at the pavement. Sitting also Kagome's mother touched her daughters cheek. Kagome looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. "Kagome, what happened?" Kagome shook her head. Kagome's mother pulled the crying girl close to her. Kagome clutched her shirt tightly as she began crying again.

"I shouldn't have-but how could he-It's awful-" Kagome sobbed. She was making no sense anymore but she hardly cared. She couldn't get him out of her head. She couldn't get the pictures of him out of her head. Why couldn't she get away from him?

**

Inuyasha watched in silence as Kagome ran out of the courtyard. He'd expected as much...he just had hoped it wouldn't be her that pitied him. Not her, anyone but her...Sighing he heaved himself out from beneath the staircase and he too headed out of the school yard. He didn't care that it was still only 9:00 in the morning. He couldn't think straight, he couldn't see straight. Shaking his head he continued walking until he found himself outside the "Speed and Paint". Today was...Wednesday? Did Sango work on Wednesday? He didn't work on Wednesday...but did Sango? His head gave a nasty throb and, deciding to visit the department store across the street to get asprin first, he turned away from the mechanics shop.

**

Sango chewed nervously on her fingernail. Her mom had just called her from the hospital. She wouldn't be home until dinner. That, though was to be expected, Sango really didn't mind that. It was why her mom was staying late that had her so worried. Her words were still echoing in Sango's head.

"I have a couple of 'special' patients tonight. Two demon kids. One's only a halfling, I think...almost beaten to death..." Sango hadn't been able to breath ever since. She was praying that the 'halfling' her mother was treating wasn't Inuyasha...Kami, she was terrified what she'd do if it were him. Something across the street caught her eye and she started to sigh out of relief. Inuyasha was walking toward the "Speed and Paint". Her relief caught in her throat when he was close enough to see clearly. Half his face was bruised, and his right arm was tied in a red sling. It too was purple. He looked terrible. He didn't come in, instead he started walking around in circles. It was like he couldn't remember what he was doing. Edging around the front of the counter she ran to the window, pressing her hands to it.

"Inu-yasha?" She asked in a whisper. Suddenly something seemed to catch his attention and he looked down the street wide-eyed. Sango looked too to see a man stumbling drunkly up the sidewalk. His long white hair was tied in a long ponytail, his goldenrod eyes were bleary and unfocussed, and he held a half bottle of malt beer in his hand. He-he looked just like that man from yesterday! A picture of Inuyasha being shoved out the door of the shop shot through her head. That wasn't the same man, though. The man from yesterday had been younger. No, that was a different man...

**

Inuyasha nearly choked as he eyed Inu Taisho wandering toward him. His eyes widened, causing his cheek to throb, and he backed up. In response to his movement the man raised his head and fixed him with red-rimmed, gold orbs. Gold orbs Inuyasha had hid from all his life. Gold orbs that scared the shit out of him. Inu Taisho stared at Inuyasha as if he were trying to figure out who he was for a moment. His glare hardened after that, though, and he smirked.

"There you are, boy..." he growled out. Inuyasha shook his head again as his vision doubled and took another step backwards. Inu Taisho changed course quickly and came at him now. Inuyasha looked around him wildly, looking for a miracle. Some way out. He spied his motorcycle in the far corner of the parkinglot, just where he'd left it yesterday. Glancing back at his father he ran for it, the demon lord barelling at his heals. "You get back here you little fuck!!!" he heard his father yell before leaping onto the machine and turning the key. The engine started like some noisy monster, ready and waiting for Inuyasha to let it run. Let it run far and fast with the hanyou boy riding on it's back. Kicking the gas hard Inuyasha skittered out of the parkinglot. He could still hear Inu Taisho behind him and turning he found the man right behind him. Running in tune with his bikes wheels. Of course, he could do such a feet. The man was a complete demon, no tainted blood slowed him like lead. That was Inuyasha's burden. Not enough demon blood in him to help him. He was jamming gears fast and turning the corner on Shiyou from Main. Halfway home and not bothering to stop. He could still hear his father behind him. He could still feel the danger behind him.

"C'mon, just go!" He begged the bike. "Don't stop...Don't ever stop..." Halfway down Shiyou, coming up on the intersection. Bicyclists and pedestrians crossed before him. When they saw him they darted out of the way, like ants when you wiped away their sand mound. It was clear and he saw he could make it through the intersection. Turning quickly he saw Inu Taisho lagging behind. He was slowing? Relief filled every inch of his being as he finally felt as if he'd won. The relief died away quickly as he turned back to see a truck crossing in front of him. His heart stopped as he instinctively jerked the handlebars sideways and skidded low to the ground. He could feel his leg under the bike, sliding as the concrete tore his jeans from him. His leg was hot now, pain increasing fast. He was beneath the truck then on the other side. No sound. He heard nothing, and he was afraid of that man no more. He jerked uprigth again and flipped over the handlebars only to be slammed into the windshield of a car. He couldn't breath at all as everything seeped back in. The pain in his leg increased ten-fold and he sat up as best he could to see muscle and bone, hardly any flesh was there. His jeans had been ripped right off. He fell back as people yelling and fussing around him came into perception. He couldn't hear what they were saying...something like "stupid kid" probably. That's all he was, wasn't it? Some crazy, stupid, kid...He jerked up and choked as some sort of fluid filled his mouth. Some of it came up and ran out of his mouth onto his chin. It was warm...what did it taste like? He couldn't smell it either so he didn't know what it was. Probably spit. Everything was fuzzy; everything even sounded fuzzy. Muffled down and going silent as darkness took hold of him. He could hear one thing clearly, though,. beyond the muffled noises and sirens screaming at him. Beyond the static that seemed to be building up in his head, he could hear a woman screaming. She seemed so scared as she did so. What was she afraid of? Was it him? Was he making the woman scream? He looked around, fighting passing out. He wanted to know. He wanted to find who was screaming.

"Please don't be afraid...not afraid anymore...don't-" he stuttered as he fell. Falling. Moving. Fading. Dying in his darkness with that womans voice matching his own fear.

**

Sesshoumaru sat in a chair across from Miroku and his mother. His mother held Chitose, still sleeping, in her lap. She wouldn't look at him, her eyes were focussed out the door, into the hall. Miroku's face had drained of color and he was gripping his clipboard wide-eyed. Giving a small sigh Sesshoumaru sat back in the chair. He'd finished telling them what had happened for so long. It took a moment for anyone to say anything. Miroku spoke first, his voice shocked and small.

"He-he...Inuyasha, he was-" He couldn't finish and Sesshoumaru nodded. The young man stood and walked around the back of his chair toward the door. Sesshoumaru watched him as he leaned on the wall. No one spoke again until a female nurse ran past.

"Here, bring him this way!" She shouted to a medical team coming down the hall. Intrigued at the commotion Sesshoumaru stood and walked toward the door. He could hear the wheels of the nearing table squeaking as they worked to bring the patient down the white-washed hallway. A familiar scent caught his attention and he shoved past Miroku and out into the hall as the team came to pass the door. Upon meeting the young demon a few of the doctors around the table stood up, stopping the table short.

"Please, Sir, return to your room..." One asked bravely. Sesshoumaru glared.

"I'll go back once I've seen who is on that cart!" he snapped and shoved the doctor aside.

'Sir!" another doctor called but Sesshoumaru had frozen on the spot. Inu Taisho lay on the table before him. Unconcious but clutching a bottle of beer in his hand. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he stepped back. He grabbed hold of the nearest doctor as the rest of them continued down the hall.

"What happened to him?!" he barked angrilly at the scared man whose shirt he held in his fist.

"I-I think he was found unconcious on the street...Honest! I don't know!" the doctor stammered. With a growl Sesshoumaru threw the man onto the ground and walked back into his own room.

That bastard. He'd either drank himself into that state, or had passed out trying to kill Inuyasha...probably the later of the two. Sesshoumaru had settled down on his bed before Mrs. Moriko Hasegawa opened the door.

"They found him." She said gently. forcing both Sesshoumaru and Shiruka on their feet.

"Is he alright?" Shiruka asked nervously as Moriko led her and Sesshoumaru down the hall. Sesshoumaru was growling as he followed the woman. She answered promptly.

"He's in pretty bad shape. He was in a motorcycle accident at the Shiyou intersection. Paramedics had to pick him up off of a windshield. On top of that there's his arm to worry about, and his concussion. Both of which occurred last night..." Her voice trailed off as Sesshoumaru tuned out. Inuyasha had been in a Motorcycle accident? That's it! That confounded contraption was being taken away first thing once they both were out of here! He wouldn't get that thing back for a thousand years! He caught another little bit of Moriko and Shiruka's conversation before they reached their destination. "He's going to need alot of treatment...some physical and mental therapy...he might just recover without any serious and longterm problems." She stopped once they reached the room. Sesshoumaru's breath was caught in his chest. "He's still unconcious so please be quiet. Once he's come to we'll move him into your room Master Taisho..." Sesshoumaru stepped forward and pushed open the door gently. He gagged as he looked into the room. His little brother lay unmoving on the bed. Blood was seeping slowly down a severly split lip. His leg was wrapped in bloody bandages. His head was wrapped in bandages, his arm, his ribs. Everything was covered in bandages. The hanyou was barely breathing and the monitor counting his heartbeat was slow. This-this wan't Inuyasha. Not his little brother. The battered and bruised boy laying on that table couldn't be Inuyasha. He couldn't be the spirited, sarcastic, lovable little thing he'd been watching over for so many years. That was Inuyasha?

**

Sango looked up from the kitchen table nervously as her mother wandered in the door at about noon. Sango had left work early, she hadn't been able to focus since she'd seen Inuyasha and that man. Her mother sighed and sank into the dining chair across from Sangi's.

"That boy from last night was brought in again today. He ran away last night when he was supposed to stay overnight...*Sigh* I hope he's alright...he's so young..." Her mother hadn't really been talking to her, more to herself, but Sango replied anyway.

"Mom...Who is he? Why did they bring him in again?" Moriko Hasegawa blinked at her daughter in confusion.

"He's a half-demon. I think he was brought in again for a motorcycle accident. He's one of the Taisho boys...Inuyasha, I think..." Sango almost fell out of her chair. Inuyasha? Inuyasha was...

"Can I see him?" She spoke quickly, standing so fast she nearly overturned the table.

"Wh-what?"

"Can I go see him, Mom? Please?!" Moriko Hasegawa blinked and stared up at her daughter. Sango could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Giving a nod her mother stood and grabbed her purse. Sango followed her out to the car as fast as she could go. Her legs had turned to jelly upon hearing Inuyasha's name. So...he was hurt. He'd been in a motorcycle accident, huh? Had the idiot worn his helmet as she'd always thrown a fit about? Or had he forgone it like every other time? Why the hell did she care? He was alive, in the hospital, unconcious, injurred beyond belief, but alive. Right? Who cared if he'd worn his helmet or not?! It couldn't have mattered less if she'd just won the lottery! She felt as if she had won the lottery. The lottery of hell that was sending her realing into a nightmare. Bringing her greatest fears to life.

(Off topic)

**

Souta sat with Kohaku on the curb with the rest of their soccer team. They were waiting for their parents to pick them up from their game. And when Kohaku's mother didn't show up even after most of the other mothers had, Souta knew something was up. Kohaku's mother was never late. Early alot of the time, but never late. As his own mother pulled up, Souta stood and looked at Kohaku carefully.

"Hey-uh-" He began, speaking slowly. Kohaku looked at him.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Your mom's not here yet."

"Yeah...I know..."

"You want to come to my house and call her from there?" Kohaku looked up at Souta at that and stared for a second. After a moment he gave him a smile and nodded.

"Sure."

End Ch.4

(I am on a roll!!! yeah, another short one, sorry. No hilarity, either. My friends always say "Soujin, why don't you write anything funny?" Well, you see, I try and try...but I'm not funny .;; I am a strong woman, I can accept that...It's when they say "Tell us a joke." that I run and hide under my covers ^-^;; )