As the first rays of daylight filtered into the dimly lit hospital room Kagome began to wake from her deep sleep. She blinked her sleep haze eyes open and looked around, trying to get her bearings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of silver and turned her head to see Sesshoumaru sitting in a small visitor chair next to her bed.
Kagome couldn't help but gasp quietly at the breathtaking sight he made. He was dressed in a loose gray sweater that sat low around his collarbone, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, revealing his muscular forearms. Those large arms were crossed over his chest and his head was tucked down as though he were asleep. However, something seemed off about his appearance. As she looked more closely, she noticed that his facial markings were missing, making him appear more human. Long silver hair, shimmering in the sunlight, was neatly braided down his back. He wore black pants that covered his thick and brawny thighs, and his legs were spread wide to keep his large body from falling over while he slept.
Kagome was stunned. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. As far as she knew, she had died, and this must be some sort of purgatory where the demons in her life were now human. She leaned back into her bed and let out a sigh, trying to make sense of the situation.
As she turned her head, dazed eyes landed on the table beside her bed. She noticed a pile of books and a laptop on it. Upon examining the titles on the book spines, she realized that they were all related to JSL and Japanese history. She guessed that Souta must have been responsible for bringing them into the room to keep Sesshoumaru occupied.
Then, a sudden thought occurred to her, and she lifted her hand to snap her fingers, expecting to hear a sound. However, nothing happened. She tried again, snapping her fingers a few more times, but there was still no sound. Frustrated, she kept at it until a large hand reached out and grabbed hers, stopping the noise she was making.
Kagome's eyes stared at the masculine hand holding her still. Nervously, she peered up at the demon, no wait, human? Familiar gold eyes held her gaze and Kagome let of out the breath she didn't know she was holding. As the he slowly released her and moved back, she felt the urge to reach out and hold his hand again, but she quickly dismissed the idea and placed her hands on her lap.
"How are you feeling?" Sesshoumaru had been woken by Kagome's relentless finger snapping. While it was a relief to see her moving around, the sound had quickly become irritating.
"I'm sleepy and…" A million questions were running through her mind, and she tried to figure out which one to ask first. "How are you here? How did I get here?"
Sesshoumaru sat back in his seat and surveyed Kagome's condition without responding. Now that she was awake, he could see more of her aura and how it was flowing throughout her body. During her sleep, he wondered why her spiritual powers were not helping to heal her wounds. From the explosion after Naraku's death to the attack by the centipede demon, she was not recovering as she should have. As Sesshoumaru's amber gaze followed the pink strands of Kagome's reiki, he noticed a blockage he hadn't seen before. Near the base of her skull, there was a dormant black space where her powers couldn't reach. Now that Sesshoumaru had located the problem he needed to figure out how to unblock the path.
The demon was lost in thought when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He blinked a few times and adjusted his vision, and instead of seeing Kagome's shimmering pink aura, he saw her staring back at him looking very annoyed. Sesshoumaru realized that he should probably answer her questions, but before he had the chance, another person entered the room.
As soon as Mrs. Higurashi saw her beloved daughter awake and moving, tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed forward to pull Kagome into a tight embrace. Overwhelmed with happiness and relief, both women cried together, holding on to each other tightly.
As this heartfelt reunion was taking place, Sesshoumaru stood a few steps back, giving them some much-needed space. He felt a sense of pride knowing that he had helped to protect Kagome during the night and was happy to see the two women together.
After a few moments, Mrs. Higurashi turned to Sesshoumaru and said, "Thank you for watching over Kagome. Could you please give us a moment to speak in private?"
Sesshoumaru, sensing that there was no danger or threat in the immediate area, nodded in agreement and quietly left the room. As he made his way out, he took one last lingering look at Kagome before closing the door behind him.
Mrs. Higurashi moved around the hospital bed and sat in the chair Sesshoumaru had occupied all night. She gave Kagome a teary smile and reached out to smooth her bed head and tangled hair. They bought sat together for a moment before the older woman pulled her hands away and said, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Just relax and let me explain how you got home."
The sterile halls of the hospital smelt of rubbing alcohol and soiled linen, burning Sesshoumaru's sensitive nose. It was not a smell he wanted to get used to but would endure it until Kagome was discharged. Pinching the bridge of his nose he tried to fight off the beginning of a migraine when a small object collided with his leg.
Looking down he found a small human girl clinging to his pants. She had messy brown hair, freckles covering her chubby face, and large black eyes that stared up at him in wonder. For a moment he could have sworn he was gazing at a younger version of Rin, wide eyed and fearless just like the day he met her. But instead of a dirty yellow and orange kimono, this child was wearing oversized blue pants and shirt that smelt of soap.
The sound of hurried footsteps from further down the hall startled the girl and she quickly hid behind Sesshoumaru's legs. Peeking out she watched as a group of nurses franticly searched empty rooms trying to find her. When the last of them turned around to look down another corridor, the girl let out a sigh of relief. Her solace was short lived when a large hand reached down and grabbed the back of her collar and lifted her up. Round ink black eyes met narrow gold ones.
"Girl, what are you running from?" Normally, Sesshoumaru did not involve himself with human affairs, but he couldn't unsee his own daughter in this child's face.
Crossing her small arms in defiance, the girl replied, "I don't want to get a shot! Needles are scary and they can't make me!" She wiggled in Sesshoumaru's grasp until he gently sat her back down on her bare feet.
"This… shot. Is it some sort of medicine?" He was not familiar with this era's technology and needed more information in order to determine if someone wished to cause this child harm.
Toeing the cold tile floor, the little girl looked down saying, "It's medicine. But I don't want it." She pushed up one of her long sleeves and pointed to her arm. "The mean nurse wants to stick a needle right here! She said it will help make me feel better, but the needle was so big!"
Ah, so the small human feared the pain this treatment may cause. Crouching down he lightly gripped onto her exposed arm and stared into the girl's eyes, "Tell me little one, does this hurt?" Sesshoumaru pushed out of one his claws and pricked the spot she pointed to.
Surprised, the girl shook her head and watched as the demon licked his thumb and smeared his saliva over the tiny wound. It sealed instantly leaving the child in awe.
"If you can withstand the pain inflicted by my lethal claws, then you can take on this pathetic needle." Sesshoumaru rolled her sleeve back down and stood to his full height. Extending his now clawless hand he said, "Now, show me which room you belong in, and I will watch you defeat your enemy."
Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the hallway and slowly closed the door to Kagome's room. She didn't get far before Hojo appeared in front of her holding a large gift basket full of fruit. Just as he opened his mouth to ask how her daughter was doing, the older woman placed a finger to her lips and motioned him to follow her.
When Mrs. Higurashi was satisfied they had gone a reasonable distance, she said, "Kagome is doing well and just fell back to sleep." She took in the basket filled with every kind of fruit imaginable and added, "You really don't need to bring her anything, I'm sure Sesshoumaru is taking good care of her."
The mention of Kagome's boyfriend had the young man pursing his lips. Hojo didn't trust this Sesshoumaru guy, it was like he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was trying to take Kagome away. With concern lacing his voice he asked, "Are you sure this Sesshoumaru is capable of caring for Kagome? I mean, how much do you even know about him? Have you seen the tattoos on his wrists? Only thugs and delinquents have tattoos!"
As Hojo's voice grew louder, the sterner Mrs. Higurashi's expression became. Holding her hand up to silence the boy, she then took a moment to calm herself before speaking. "I trust Sesshoumaru with Kagome's life. He has already proven himself by saving her more than once over the past month. There is no one else I would rather have by her side." Seeing the look of disbelief still on Hojo's face she sighed. "Look, I was just about to go find him so why don't you join me. You can't always judge a book by it's cover, Hojo."
The two walked in uncomfortable silence down the brightly lite halls. Unsure of where the demon lord could have gone off to, Mrs. Higurashi wandered aimlessly looking for any kind of sign. Fortunately, she did not have to search for long.
As they turned a corner leading to the pediatric ward, a small crowd of female nurses came into view. They seemed to be huddled around one of the doorways and as they approached the older woman saw a room number and under it read 'Playroom.' Pushing past the nurses who were oohing and awing at something, Hojo and Kagome's mother were not prepared for the scene they walked into.
Sitting in the middle of the playroom sat Sesshoumaru. In his lap sat a small boy reading out loud from a picture book to a small group of children seated in front of them. The child was frail and wore a knitted beanie over his hairless head and whenever he stumbled over a word Sesshoumaru would quietly correct him. Behind the powerful demon a band of girls were working tirelessly to braid ribbons and paper flowers into his long silver hair. It was a sight that Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but smile at.
One of the blushing nurses took notice of her and asked, "Do you know this man?"
While pulling out her cellphone to capture this unique moment she replied, "Yes, he has been taking care of my daughter who is a patient here."
That got the attention of the other nurses and another chimed in, "Your son-in-law is such a natural with children! He is so patient and caring!" A chorus of feminine voices echoed their agreement.
As the interaction continued, Hojo was pushed to the side and ignored. The anger he felt grew stronger when the nurses started referring to Sesshoumaru as Mrs. Higurashi's son-in-law. He was even more infuriated when she didn't refute their claims. Amidst all the fawning women, Hojo caught a glimpse of gloating golden eyes and a fanged grin directed at him. Without thinking, he squeezed the basket he was holding in his hands until it broke.