Kagome hadn’t slept in two days and was nodding in the chair next to Sesshomaru’s hospital bed. There had been a lot of questions asked and strange looks given. She had told the doctor and attendants that his ears were a birth defect when they had asked if he had them surgically altered, otherwise they’d be looking for his medical records somewhere to ensure he would have no reaction to the medications they were giving him. She couldn’t have that.
As far as his condition was concerned, she told him he was her cousin and they had been camping, but he took a fall and had been lost overnight. They seemed to accept her explanations, as unbelievable as they were, and fixed him up with IV drips and antibiotics. They had given him pain medication and he had slept through the entire thing, thankfully.
His temperature had been a whopping 105 degrees and she was glad she had made the decision to bring him to the hospital. She also felt guilty that he was suffering like this. She’d been so wrapped up in her own world that she hadn’t considered his side of things, though his pigheadedness hadn’t helped any.
It must be so hard for him to have to adjust to all the information she dumped in his lap. She had no clue how old he was, but InuYasha was near 150 and he had said his brother was centuries older. She couldn’t imagine having to try to wrap your brain around 500 years of human progression, the downfall of all demons, and the loss of one’s true self in the span of just a few days especially after hundreds of years of programming.
Kagome had watched over him, afraid to sleep just in case he woke up. She doubted he would feel fear, but confusion was a high probability. When he did wake, she would have to explain everything and it made her a little nervous. He was in a human facility and they had put needles in his arm. She didn’t know how he would react to that. Regardless of his bond with Rin, he was here because of his loathe of humans or maybe it was just his loathe for her.
Her head fell forward and she jerked it up blinking her eyes rapidly. She grabbed her coffee off of the side table next to the hospital bed and took a long drink. It didn’t revive her like it had the night before. Just as she set the cup back down, Sesshomaru’s eyes opened. He tried to sit up, his amber eyes darting about. His movements halted when he tried to bend the arm that held his IV’s.
“Don’t move too much, Sesshomaru.” She said laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.
He looked at her with wide eyes for a moment before his face went lax. She was surprised he didn’t jerk away from her and do as he pleased. He must have still felt bad.
“Where is this Sesshomaru?” He asked coolly.
“You’re in a hospital. It’s a medical facility that treats the injured and sick with advanced methods.” She explained, hoping that would be enough for the time being.
He looked around the room again and then his eyes settled back on the tube taped to his arm.
“You were running a very high fever and your knee had gotten infected. That tube is pumping medicine into your body to help you heal faster.” She explained further.
“Hn.” He said and Kagome rolled her eyes.
“I have to go get the doctor. Don’t do anything mean to him, okay? He’s just trying to help. By the way, if they ask, you were camping and fell. Oh, and you’re my cousin.” She flashed a nervous smile before ducking out the door.
Sesshomaru allowed the human healer to poke and prod him without a fight. He checked the
IV and said that he had been malnourished, almost starved. That didn’t surprise him. He’d been refusing the food Kagome brought him each day choosing to believe he didn’t need it. His hunger pains told him otherwise, but he refused to heed them as well. It seemed his resiliency hadn’t held up as long as he thought it would. However, it wasn’t as short lived as a human’s which gave him hope.
The healer went further to say that Kagome had saved his life, one more day and he would have died. It was surreal to hear those words, but he could not argue. He had little memory of getting sick, just flashes of being so very cold and then Kagome’s blue eyes looking at him, telling him she’d get him better. He had found himself in her debt once again.
The most terrible part of the healer’s inspection had been the removal of a thing called a
catheter which was shoved in a place that nothing should ever enter. He almost punched the man in face, but he heeded Kagome’s warning and kept his hands to himself. This was her world as monstrous as it was. The process was embarrassing and painful, but she had the decency to turn her back saving him from further degradation.
After the man left, he turned his attention back to his surroundings. The bed he was in was uncomfortable and he felt exposed without his normal attire. He could feel his entire posterior against the covers beneath him. He would have to ask that his affects be returned to him immediately.
There was a box next to his bed with glowing colored lights on it. His eyes narrowed when it made a very annoying chirping sound. There were lines being displayed on it that peaked and fell like some invisible person was writing on it.
“That’s a monitor. It’s monitoring your heartbeat. That clip on your finger sends pulses to the machine and it prints out the rhythm of your heart so the doctor can see that you’re doing okay.” Kagome explained though it wasn’t helpful.
He was confused as to how something could monitor his heart from his fingertip and he had no idea what a
machine was nor did he understand how the rhythm of his heart could be printed without a scribe standing beside the bed. Perhaps it was magic.
He rested his head against the pillow noticing that the ceiling held some form of candles he had never seen before, but he didn’t bother to ask. It was astonishing that humans had created all of this. His eyes drifted to a vase full of flowers next to his bed. He reached out his hand and trailed his fingers down an orange petal.
“Mom bought them for you as a get well present. They’re lilies. I hope you like them.” Kagome said quietly and he heard her yawn.
He took in her appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was knotted on top of her head with wispy tendrils falling out of place, but what caught his attention were the dark circles under her eyes.
“You are tired.” He stated and she smiled lazily.
He felt his heartbeat speed up at the sight. The chirping machine twittered in unison proving that it really did keep up with his heart’s pace.
“I am, but you’re awake now, so…” She yawned again.
“Sleep, Miko. This Sesshomaru will behave.” He said turning to face the ceiling again thinking of everything the healer had told him.
“Thank you.” He added as an afterthought, but when he glanced over at Kagome, he found her fast asleep.
He had never noticed before, but she was quite small and not unpleasant to look at. He pushed himself up amazed at how weak he felt and threw back his many blankets. His knee was throbbing, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. They had wrapped it differently than Kagome had and he wasn’t able to move it at all. He could feel the chill in the room on his skin and turned his attention back to Kagome who was now curled up in the chair.
He threw his legs over the side and grabbed a blanket off of his bed. The tube in his arm prevented him from going too far, but he managed to put it over the slumbering girl. She fisted her hands in the knitted material and sighed.
“Mom, can I have some more pie…” She mumbled and he quirked an eyebrow.
Sesshomaru scrambled back into bed and covered himself back up trying to get as comfortable as possible with his new locale. He sniffed the air finding that it had no smell outside of the flowers at his bedside and something else, something sweet. It was the same scent he’d smelt when he first woke up in the well. He glanced over to Kagome. Was it her?
He scoffed at himself. It didn’t matter if it was her or not. He wouldn’t lower himself to sniffing humans. It was bad enough that he was going to have to eat the food they cooked for him and take them up on the offer of staying inside the house. He looked to the lilies and felt the velvety petals again. Rin would love these.
He let his head fall back onto the pillow and closed his eyes conjuring her face in his mind. She’d grown so much since the day he’d first met her. She’d been beaten and bruised, a small thing that was very intent on taking care of him though he didn’t need her assistance. Just like Kagome. He shook his head. He was not going to compare the hanyou’s mate to his ward. They weren’t the same.
Sesshomaru was worried about Rin. He wasn’t able to be there to protect her and it was excruciating. Anything could happen to her. He took little solace in the fact that InuYasha was there. He might be worthy to wield Tetsusaiga, but that didn’t mean he could be trusted to care for Rin. Jaken was no better. He was a dense toad, though loyal, but no real protection.
The monk and slayer were formidable warriors, but their humanity limited their abilities drastically. He had to figure out a way to get back through the well. His youki was something that the witch herself would have to fix and he needed to be there for Rin, not to mention his lands which would surely fall into chaos without him. His eyelids were becoming heavy and before he knew it, he’d drifted into a fitful slumber
“Look, ya old bastard. You got to know something.” InuYasha said his patience with the bug eyed sword smith growing very thin.
“Hmm…know what?” Totosai asked feigning confusion.
THUNK!
“You ain’t foolin’ anyone with the act. Spit out what you know about Noriko.” InuYasha growled with his fist still cocked back just in case.
Totosai righted himself and prodded the tender knot on his head.
“Since you put it that way…You better sit. It’s a long story.” The old demon said.
InuYasha plopped down in front of him and lifted his eyebrows expectantly.
“Noriko was one of your grandfather’s most trusted advisors. They worked hand in hand towards a peaceful future between demons and humans.” Totosai began.
“Yeah, I know that already. What does all this have to do with her attacking me and Sesshomaru?” InuYasha asked impatiently.
“Noriko was in love with your father. He cared about her. They were friends for many years, even throughout his mating with Sesshomaru’s mother. Something changed after the war with the Northern Lands was over, though. The bridges that had been built between worlds had burned. Noriko was rarely seen, but after your father had Tetsusaiga commissioned, she disappeared completely.” Totosai explained with a sigh.
“You mean she had a thing for my old man and that’s why she attacked us.” InuYasha asked incredulously.
Totosai nodded.
“But how did she survive for centuries. She’s human.” InuYasha asked.
“I do not know.” Totosai replied with a heavy sigh.
“This didn’t help at all. Is there anything else you can tell me that’s actually useful?” InuYasha groused rising to his feet.
Totosai stroked his scraggly beard, his large eyes closing in deep thought.
“That’s not exactly the whole story.” All eyes turned to Totosai’s shoulder where Myoga now stood.
“Oh, Myoga, when did you get here?” Totosai asked scratching his head then winced when he touched the sore spot.
“It is said Lord Masahiro granted the priestess a part of himself as a final gift. Lord InuTaishio told me that it prolonged her life and made her very powerful.” Myoga declared.
“A part of himself? What the hell does that mean?” InuYasha asked crustily.
“Your father never explained that part.” Myoga squeaked in response to InuYasha’s forceful tone.
“Is there any of my father’s faithful servants who actually know anything?” The irritated hanyou asked.
“Bokuseno might know what your grandfather did. He knows many ancient secrets.” Myoga offered and Totosai nodded his head in agreement.
“Bokuseno, the old tree demon that Tetsusaiga’s sheath is made from? What would a tree know?” InuYasha asked folding his arms.
“Perhaps you should travel there and find out, InuYasha.” Totosai dismissed with annoyance.
InuYasha didn’t say anything else. He didn’t have time to sit and argue. He had to hurry. Every moment away from Kagome was one moment too long. Bokuseno was in the middle of the Western lands and a considerable distance away. He’d have to make arrangements for Rin and Shippo before going on such a long trip.
He was sure Miroku and Sango would be able to keep them while he was gone, but actually convincing Shippo to stay behind was going to be a tuffy. He could always just knock him out and then run. By the time the fuzz ball woke up, he’d be long gone. Yeah, that sounded like a solid plan.
“Tomika said you were injured. How do you fair?” Lord InuTaishio asked from the doorway of Noriko’s sleeping chambers. Noriko straightened herself in bed and tried to keep the pain off of her face, but was unsuccessful in her efforts. “I am fine, My Lord.” She replied and his eyes narrowed. He walked further into her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She stared at his profile thinking how incredibly handsome he was then chastised herself for such thoughts. Even after all this time, she was still in love with him. “I came the moment I heard you fell in battle. I do not know what I would have done if…” Noriko felt her heart sore into the heavens. He had been worried about her. When he turned to look at her, his golden eyes sparkling in the firelight, it was as if he was seeing her, actually seeing her, for the first time since that stolen moment so many years ago. “I’ve missed you, Noriko, the way it was. We used to be so close. I don’t feel like I’m close to anyone anymore.” He said softly giving her a reason to hope, but she held herself in check. “My Lord, you have the Lady.” Noriko offered. “Avaka and I are on an amicable terms, but since Sesshomaru’s birth, we don’t seem to see eye to eye on matters of state. I will rule my lands as I see fit. I refuse to see yours and my father’s efforts wasted because of petty discrimination, but I did not come here to bore you with my troubles. I just wanted to see that you were doing well.” Noriko blushed and hid her face behind her hair. “There’s no need to worry, My Lord. The gift your father bestowed upon me is helping me mend quickly. I should be back at court in a few days.” He pushed her hair behind her ear and ducked his head until their eyes met. “I look forward to it.” Noriko smiled in her sleep and rolled onto her side tucking her hand under the same cheek InuTaishio had brushed with his fingertips in her dream.
Kaede watched the woman from her own bedroll and pondered their time together. Miroku came in every day and would sit for hours at a time hoping to hear something useful, but Noriko remained silent. She could see the strain in put on the monk and his wife. They loved Kagome as their sister and had just gotten her back only to lose her shortly after. InuYasha was worse than them all. It was no secret to anyone, but Kagome how he truly felt about her. Even Shippo was doing better than she had expected, but that was probably Rin’s confident influence.
In truth, Kaede was nowhere near as worried about Kagome’s safety as the others were. She’d had many dealings with Lord Sesshomaru over the past few years and found him to be a hard, but fair demon. He was respectful enough in his own way, but what had ultimately changed her opinion about him had been the way he doted on Rin.
The young girl looked at the Taiyoukai as her father and Sesshomaru had taught her many things. Her manners were impeccable and her knowledge of demon lore was outstanding. She had a steep learning curve and picked up her general studies quickly. Herbalism was one of her strong suits and she had excelled in her medical training like no other Kaede had ever seen, except for her sister Kikyou.
At first, the girl’s learning capabilities had astounded Kaede, but after several months of visits, it became an expected phenomenon. Rin would bounce around Sesshomaru when he would return to take her back to the West and tell him everything she had learned. He would listen to her until she had completed her entire diatribe before telling her to pack her things.
When Rin would stay longer than a couple of weeks, Sesshomaru would visit and bring her gifts. Most of the time it was a new yukata or a doll, but as Rin began to grow, Sesshomaru brought her hair pins and fine silks. Her presents were always age appropriate and showed that he cared. Rin was ever loyal to her Lord and it was a heartwarming sight to see them together if not a little humorous. A stoic Taiyoukai being bombarded with a multitude of questions and flowers from an overactive human child.
It was obvious that both Lord Masahiro and Lord InuTaishio had a soft spot for at least one human girl in their lives. The apple did not fall far from the tree it seemed. Kagome could handle herself against the toughest enemy, but the only thing she had to fear from Sesshomaru was his inconsiderate words, if he spoke at all. Rin was particularly fond of Kagome and Sesshomaru would do nothing to upset his ward.
Kagome was a smart girl and Sesshomaru had the experience gained from several centuries of life. They would find a way home.
A/N: Thank you to Luminari_Lilium & Miss Undo for their reviews.
Also thanks to everyone reading and voting. Sorry about the late update. I got a little behind today^_^
Enjoy
~scattered-dimensions~
