A/N: Here's the next update! Thank you so much for reviewing, if you did. I failed to getting around to replying to them (which is something new I started a chapter or 2 ago) because I was out of town. Anyways, this chapter's another one, still slightl shorter than usual, but that's because it's written in a POV that's only going to be used for one chapter (this chapter). I guess it could be regarded as slight character development, though I see it more as a filler. Sorry guys; but at least it finishes with the cliff hanger and all that. So enjoy; I plan on updating again soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or anything else mentioned in this story; duh. XD
Rated: Mature For crude language, sexual references, and mature situations.

CHAPTER 19

I felt insanely weak as I looked down at her pale, lifeless face. Tears burned my eyes again and I choked back a sob. Just two days before, Sango had been pronounced dead as they were operating on her. Just two days before, I had lost the only thing that was left of Ran; I had lost her daughter. I hadn't seen those brilliant green eyes for four days, now.

Sango, however, had fought with everything to keep her heart from failing. Three minutes after it stopped beating and defibrillation was doing no good, her heart gave a small pulse. They ran electricity through her again and she came back. She wanted to live. Sango didn't want to give up. I was proud of her and more relieved than I had ever been.

It's cruelly funny how the best moment of your life can be a result of the worst moment of your life. Losing Sango had taken the number one place of my worst moment. I never imagined what losing her could do to me. I, in that exact moment, had felt as if there was no purpose in life anymore. Sango had oddly become my best friend and for a short while she was a lover. I loved Sango with everything I had. She was a brilliant and beautiful person; I realized her and her brother coming into my care was one of the best things that had ever happened to me. They were the family I never had. They were the warmth that I lost after losing their mom. When the medical team pushed me out of the ER and away from the operating table after hearing her heartbeat flat line, I felt as if I had lost everything in life.

Having her come back made me the happiest I've ever been. I was so grateful. I had been standing in the open door of the ER watching them decide at which moment her time of death would be. I was absolutely devastated, and then a faint, but noticeable single pulse ushered a beep from the oscillator machine. The doctors then rushed around her, despite the fact that another heartbeat hadn't followed. However, a long moment later, one did. Sango was alive. My spirit and heart soared!

Sango was alive! Sango would live! I wouldn't lose her! I wouldn't have to live in guilt!

That happiness had dwindled down some over the past few days. Sango had been in a mild coma for about four days. She hadn't moved, she hadn't twitched. Nothing but labored breathing because of the punctured lung she obtained from Naraku and the surgery to correct that lung. My heart ached at the sight of the usually strong girl lying fragile and helpless in her bed. Her skin was pale and she had an amazing amount of tubes attached to her.

I sat alone in the room, dozing off one afternoon. Sango had been asleep for almost a week. I was feeling very hopeless and cold. I suddenly wished I hadn't demanded that Kohaku be kept at the Higurashi household until Sango was well enough. That night, when Kohaku's school arrived back home, Mrs. Higurashi had called me and asked if everything was alright and if I needed her to drive Kohaku home because she was there to pick up Souta. I was crying so much, I could barely talk to her. I asked her to keep Kohaku at their home and explained the situation shortly. I asked her not to tell the boy what I told her. I asked her to tell him, if he asked, that I took Sango to go visit some colleges.

Mrs. Higurashi at first didn't agree with what I told her. She said the boy had a right to know what was going on. I argued that Sango was in terrible condition and that Kohaku would be devastated if he saw his sister anytime soon. She said, despite the fact that I had a good argument, it still was wrong to keep things away from Kohaku. She said she'd tell him that Sango was in the hospital but would be ok and home soon and that I was staying with her for a while. I told her I wasn't sure if she was going to make it.

Mrs. Higurashi said that she had faith in Sango and that she wished us both the best.

Just three days after Sango fell into her coma, I decided it was the best thing to call him and tell him what was going on.

"Hello?" he answered his cell phone.

"Hey," I spoke. My voice was strangely raspy and rough. I didn't sound like myself, but that made sense because I didn't feel like myself.

"Kagura?!" his voice was laced with concern. "What's going on? What happened to Sango? Why's she at the hospital? Did she try… Did she cut again?"

"Sango got hurt really bad, Kohaku."

"Got hurt doing what?! What happened?" he asked again. He sounded a bit frantic. I felt very bad for making him worry so much. It was better that way, though. I couldn't possibly tell him she pretty much died.

"We were attacked the other night," I decided to say.

"Attacked?! Are you ok? How bad was it?"

I held back the bile that was making its way up my throat at the thought of what happened to me that night.

"I'm fine. Just a little bruised," I pressed out, feeling tears burn my eyes. "Sango… Sango tried to save me. She broke her hand and a few of her ribs. They had to remove one to do surgery on her left lung."

"Oh god," Kohaku sounded devastated. "Is she ok? Can I talk to her?"

My heart ached for what I had to tell him next. His concern made me feel even guiltier.

"The doctors say she'll be alright… but you can't talk to her. She's been… in a coma for about three days now."

Kohaku was silent and I heard voices in the background. I think I heard Souta asking "What's going on?"

When Kohaku spoke his voice was choked, "Can I come see her?"

"I… I don't… Yeah, sure. Can you ask Mrs. Higurashi to come drop you off? I don't want to leave right now."

About half an hour later, Kohaku, Souta, and Mrs. Higurashi were all in the room with me. Kohaku's eyes leaked at the sight of his pale, weak sister. Souta and Mrs. Higurashi kept back as Kohaku gently touched Sango's arm. I felt bad; all of this was my fault.

Sango wouldn't be in this situation had I not asked Naraku to come over. After realizing that I couldn't be with Sango the way I used to, I decided to call my ex—the man that had broken me from the beginning. All in all, I was looking for a quick and easy way to get off. I hadn't meant for things to happen the way they did. I should've known he would've wanted it his way. I should've known… I should've known he wasn't who I really wanted. I was confused and I knew no better. He didn't rape me; no, that wasn't going to happen. He did force me to use my mouth in ways I didn't want to.

Sango came to save me; to rescue me from my own mistake. She almost didn't walk away alive. It was all my fault.

"Kagura," I heard someone whisper as warm arms wrapped around my form. I was sobbing and I hadn't known it. It was Mrs. Higurashi who held me in a supportive embrace.

"It's all my fault," I mumbled before reaching up to wipe tears from my eyes. "I'm so stupid."

"Don't worry about that," she replied as she gazed at Kohaku standing next to his inert sister. "Whatever happened has passed now. You just need to be strong for them both now. Being a single parent is hard, but you don't have to take this on alone."

I didn't reply and she soon pulled away.

"I have to take Souta home now; he has homework to finish. I can bring Kohaku back around after school tomorrow if you want me to," she said and I glanced at Kohaku who's lugubrious brown eyes were glued to the terrible bruise on his sister's face.

"Thank you," I managed to say as I nodded.

"Alright," Mrs. Higurashi said, pulling the boys out of the room. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Later that night, I sit awake in the chair across the dark room. The constancy of the machines hooked up to Sango kept me up. I didn't want to fall asleep only to wake up to find that she was gone. I hadn't gotten any real sleep over the past few days. All of my nights were filled with tears and my days were filled with worry. I wouldn't forgive myself if Sango died. I wouldn't be able to live. I realized I was sobbing again and hugged myself tightly. This hurt so badly.

"Hey," a voice called out to me. My body froze and my heart flew up into my throat.

"How the fuck am I supposed… to be getting any rest," the voice managed to whisper before coughing. "When you fucking cry all night?" it finished.

"Sango!" I screamed as I flung myself out of the chair. I flew over to settle on weak legs beside her bed. Her eyes were barely open; in fact, the eye where the bruising had occurred was swollen shut. One small slit of green shone out to me in the darkness. Her pale, chapped lips had parted ever so slightly so she could speak to me.

"Yo," she smirked slightly and my eyes leaked even more tears than before. My face crumpled up, so filled with emotion, and my legs gave out on me. I reached forward to touch Sango's cold hand and her fingers weakly grasped mine.

"I'm glad you're ok," she wheezed and I could only cry more. She didn't say anything and neither did I. I cried for a long time in the silence of the room before I began to worry she had fallen asleep again.

"Sango?" I called out to her. She didn't respond and I called out again, more urgent this time.

"Sango?"

"What?" she sighed, obviously irritated. Good old Sango.

"I'm sorry," I whispered and her fingers weakly squeezed mine.

"Call a nurse, please," she requested and I did just that.

I watched over her as the nurses came and checked on her. They were doing so much to her and taking down so many notes. I was afraid that something was seriously wrong with her, but they reassured me time and time again that she was fine and that they'd have a doctor come by tomorrow to check on her properly.

When the nurses left, I just stared at her. We were both very silent and Sango's tired face looked even more pathetic. The eye she could open was gazing at absolutely nothing in particular and I worried she had fallen asleep with her eyes open. I saw her lips part as she took in a very noticeable breath of air and I wondered how badly she was hurting. They said they were giving her medicine for pain already- would they give her more?

"It hurts," she whispered and I was leaning over her in an instant. Tears fell from my eyes and she sighed, wincing after she did it.

"Stop fucking crying," she complained and I brushed the tears from my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Sango," I cried with my legs feeling weaker and weaker by the second. "I'm so sorry!"

She didn't reply and I just fell to my knees, crying to myself.

The days that they kept her in the hospital blew by quickly. Sango was still bedridden, weak, and sore because of the surgery, so she was staying at home. I had written a letter to her school about her truancy and they seemed readily helpful. They said, since she already had enough credits and community hours to graduate in December that they'd just go ahead and give her her diploma, but she'd still have to take the AP tests for the classes she had been enrolled in. That was the last I had heard from them and her diploma arrived in the mail a few days later; I found the whole ordeal a bit unprofessional and questionable, but I kept quiet.

In addition to keeping Sango company at home and taking care of her, I was working on getting Naraku convicted of assault and attempted rape. My lawyers said we had all we needed to get him sent to jail and I was glad about that. He'd no longer be a part of my life. I wouldn't let this happen again.

InuYasha was at the house constantly and I often pestered him about him skipping his classes but, in reality, I was happy to have him there. He was amazing to have around. His warm personality melted away the tension that was often a permanent presence at home. Kohaku moped around and Sango was strangely quiet. When InuYasha was with her, he talked to her and made her laugh. I was so happy she had a friend like him. I pestered the two of them about "their wedding" often earning swear words from Sango and a bright smile from InuYasha. The two of them were absolutely cute and I wondered why Sango just kept saying "no."

It made me wonder, though…

Where was Kagome? Shouldn't she be here? What was going on between Sango and her? When I really thought about it, Sango hadn't said anything about her for a long time. After that trip they took, Sango had a major mood swing, and Kagome stopped coming around. Maybe they were having an argument—Sango seemed to provoke them easily.

"Kagura," I heard Sango say, quite irritably. I looked up from where I was sitting in the living room at the cot I had set up for Sango.

"The doorbell," she said in an amazed tone, as if irritated I hadn't noticed it ringing the whole time.

I looked up, and the doorbell rang. I really hadn't heard it ringing, so it surprised me for a moment. She had a right to be absolutely annoyed with me. I headed over to the door, feeling very tired, and pulled it open. A girl stood before me and it took me a moment to remember her. It was the girl from the mall… Ah, what was her name? Well, whatever the case, she was here, and probably to see Sango.

"Hi," she said in a soft and startlingly comforting voice.

"Hey," I said awkwardly, willing away the stinging of my eyes due to the sun.

"I…" a blush suddenly flew across her cheeks and she cleared her throat. "I've been trying to contact Sango for a while… she hasn't been answering her phone..."

I nodded, confirming that. Her cell phone was still in the bag that the hospital had put all of her things in. Maybe I should've checked it for her, or kept it with me. I didn't really think anyone other than InuYasha would call…

"Is she home?"

"Oh," I said, finally coming to my senses. Of course she'd be here to see Sango; that only made sense. "Um, well Sango… had to have lung surgery done a few days ago because of an accident," I said, purposefully leaving the incident ambiguous. The girl was probably thinking a car accident. I'd leave that to Sango to explain, though I'd rather she keep it quiet and allow the girl to think that it was a car accident. I didn't think I'd ever get over my guilt.

Her face seemed to pale and I figured if she lost any more color, she's be transparent. I reached forward to rest a steadying hand on her shoulder. Her dark eyes were very wide with worry and I quickly squelched the pale girl's concern.

"Come in and I'll see if she wants to have any visitors."

I made her stand next to the door, because Sango was lying right in the living room.

"Sango, that girl from the mall is here to see you."

"Asuka?" she asked gently, seemingly amazed.

"Yeah, that girl. She's really worried about you," I said and Sango chanced a half smile.

"Yeah?… Send her in," she replied softly.

I was surprised at Sango's smile. It seemed as if she really wanted to see this girl too; perhaps they became good friends without my knowing. All I knew was Sango appreciated her a lot more than I thought she would.

I peaked around the corner and nodded for the pale girl to come in. Her eyes were still wide with worry and I gave an encouraging smile. She found her way into the room slowly, taking in the scene of the living-room-turned-bedroom. Her dark, reflective eyes finally fell onto Sango's form in the cot and her mouth fell open slightly.

"Hey babe," Sango smiled slightly. Babe? What was that about?

"Hey Sango," she said, before clenching her mouth shut. She moved forward and sat in the seat InuYasha usually sat in. "I was really worried about you; and when you wouldn't return my calls…"

Her eyes watered and I blushed, feeling a bit invasive. These two were weird. I didn't really understand their relationship. Were they dating or something?

"Sorry," Sango replied softly. "I don't have my phone with me."

I watched as Sango tried to sit up before remembering that InuYasha wasn't here so I'd have to be the one to help her up. I moved over to her, using my arm to support her back until she was in a sitting position. She arched her back, ever so slightly, and I wondered if that would hurt her in any way. She winced while arching her back again and I had my question answered.

"Sango, what happened?" Asuka asked, messing with the edge of her jacket sleeve.

"Some psycho came here and tried to kill us," she said, before pushing away my arm. "Thanks," she said to me briefly before turning her attention back to Asuka.

"Oh," the younger girl whispered looking even more worried. I wasn't sure if she had taken that literally, because if I had been in her place, I wouldn't have. Her hand reached forward and rested gently on Sango's bruised cheek and Sango shut her eyes.

"It's ugly, isn't it?" she spoke gently before opening her eyes again. I saw the tears gather in her eyes and I had to wonder… Since when did Sango care so much about how she looked?

"Yes," Asuka admitted hesitantly, "but you're still beautiful."

Oh hell, that was really sweet. I think my heart exploded in my chest after hearing her say that. Sango only stared at her for a moment before her tears slipped down her cheeks.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you," Sango mumbled before leaning forward and burying her face in the small girl's neck. Asuka only kissed Sango on the head. I felt tears burn my eyes as well and quickly pulled out a fan from my shirt pocket. It was small and plain; just white with a few black and purple butterfly silhouettes speckling the backside. I quickly brushed breeze towards my face, hoping to dry my tears before they collected too much to fall from my eyes.

This girl… this girl was someone Sango needed. At that revelation, I realized that it wasn't about Asuka visiting; it was about Kagome not.

Thanks for reading and please review! Next chapter, we'll get to see what's going through Kagome's mind.
-Enigmatic Ethereality