Modern Love

The antiseptic smell of the Tokyo General Emergency Room stung Sesshoumaru’s nose. He had no clue how InuYasha had gotten used to it. He wrinkled his nose delicately and turned his eyes to the half demon. InuYasha was clearly in charge. He had rushed him through triage, and straight to a curtained exam area. A nurse in pale pink scrubs was all but courteous.

“I’m sorry, but your friend isn’t injured enough to have a room.” She turned to walk away when InuYasha stepped in front of her.

“I don’t care, Rose. I can go over your head, you know.”

The nurse glared at him then stepped around him.

“Try it, you have no pull in the emergency department”

“Oh, Yeah? Who got you transferred here?”

Those words stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned and glared at InuYasha. She stepped closer, their faces almost touching. Anger radiated off her every inch.

“HOW DARE YOU ” Her voice shook. “You seriously think anyone down here cares that you want your fucking brother moved to a more private exam area? Oh Yes, I know about you two, and it makes me sick ”

“And just what do you think you know?”

InuYasha had backed her against the wall outside the curtain area. Her face went pale as she tried to stand her ground.

“That you two... you two... live together.....” Rose seemed to try to find fuel to keep her anger going. “And you..... yeah.. How did he get those marks on his neck?”

She pointed to the purple marks gracing neck. InuYasha shook his head. Rose only knew what she thought to be truth. She’d spread ugly rumors around the hospital about how he and his brother were secret lovers, and that’s why InuYasha refused to date women. Fact of the matter was, yeah they were secret lovers. That knowledge was wide known fact. No one knew that Sesshoumaru was his half brother.

“Rose, just how do you know he’s my brother?”

Her face took an even paler shade.

“Brooke. Brooke told me.”

“Brooke also told you to mind you own business.”

“Inu Stop it I’m fine here.” Sesshoumaru cut in. “And you, you nasty whore. You watch who you try to destroy around here. InuYasha has done nothing but help you. Who paid for your nursing classes? Who paid so you could re-take your exams when you failed the first time. I just happen to know it was Sapphire Electronics. If you wish to keep your job, I suggest you make yourself scarce and find someone to tend to me.”

Rose shot off down the hall like a scalded dog. Her fists were clenched at her side. She was heard screaming at a elderly nurse who kindly patted her shoulder then came down the hall. Her shoulders shook with laughter. A second nurse came from around a desk and fell in time with her steps.

The second nurse was younger. She had waist length black hair and deep violet eyes. She resembled InuYasha on the new moon. However, she was more so the exact image of Stephanie, Sesshoumaru’s secretary.

She held out her hand to Sesshoumaru.

“I’m Brooke. InuYasha has told me a lot about you.” Sesshoumaru held up his uninjured hand and shook hers. “I know what Rose said, she lied.”

She moved her hand and began to take Sesshoumaru’s pulse. Writing a few things down, she moved to take his blood pressure.

“That was done in triage.”

“Yes, I know, but I want to make sure he’s still alright after she came in here. There’s something strange about that woman. She claims to have known you two for a very long time.”

“I’d remember her if she did.”

“She does look very familiar,” Sesshoumaru shook his head. “I don’t know how, but she does seem to know about us.”

“Hey, she came on to me like three years ago.” InuYasha warned.

The nurse in the pink scrubs came back. She held a small tray of something covered by a blue towel. Sesshoumaru got a good look at her profile as she set it down. She had twin piercing in each ear. The earrings closest to her face were a strand of green beads with a small black tassel on the end. In the outer holes, a pair of silver feathers dangled. Her hair was held up in an almost invisible black band, tucked neatly into the band, nearly hidden in her hair was a small flash of white.

“KAGURA!”

Rose stopped as if she’d been stung. She wheeled on Sesshoumaru and glared at him.
“You must think you are quite intelligent, son of the dog general!”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I might ask you the same, but seeing as you have glass in your hand, I won’t!”

“No...I thought.....after....OH FUCK!”

“No... you thought right. He’s dead.”

Sesshoumaru shook his head as if to clear it. Brook and InuYasha stared at them for a moment. Brook turned on heel and walked from the exam area. InuYasha followed her.

“Brooke, hey... wait.” InuYasha caught up with her.

“No... the whole story makes sense now.” She smiled softly. “I read a legend about two sons of this demon general named InuTasho. The two sons fought over a pair of enchanted swords left to them. The elder had a sword that healed named, Tenseiga. The younger had the sword of destruction, Tetsaiga. They somehow fell in love...”

“You mean you knew?”

Brooke nodded. She walked into the lounge, motioning for InuYasha to follow. She went to a locker and opened it. She pulled out a book and opened it to a page. There was two drawings of what some artist called work. Sesshoumaru looked more like InuYasha in full demon state without the dog ears. InuYasha... well lets just say the photos were both less than flattering.

“Sad thing is the legend never named the sons. It did say that they survived the fall of another demon named Naraku. His only survivor was Kagura. I knew she was Rose the moment I saw her.” She flipped a few pages and showed InuYasha a picture. It was an exact image of Kagura. “Stephanie gave me this book when we were nine. I treasured the stories in it. We always used our allowances to buy each other’s gifts. Twins know a lot about each other.”

“So why didn’t you say something to me?”

“Demons aren’t really too common place in these times.” She flipped a few more pages. “I traced our family tree and realized that this legend has much truth to it. Sesshoumaru apparently had one child. A human he adopted, so to speak. His attitude at that time was not very kindly to humans, but one girl. She is a very distant relative of mine... on my mother’s side.”

“Which enplanes why he likes you and Stephanie.”

Brooke turned to walk out, and InuYasha followed. They walked back to the exam area where Sesshoumaru was in silence. Kagura came out and faced them.

“We are going to give him a shot of antibiotics. I know his body will fight any infections, but he does have signs of one forming. I want you to know that I understand. I’m sorry about my comments earlier.” She started to walk to the medicine room then turned back. “I honestly thought you knew I was still alive.”

“Kagura, we didn’t.”

She smiled sadly and walked away. She disappeared into the med room. InuYasha went back into the exam area. Sesshoumaru’s hand was bandaged and a four inch sliver of glass lay on the table.

“She thinks it might have a little infection. What’s that?” Sesshoumaru’s face held a puzzled look.

“It’s just the body’s way of fighting dirt and germs. Did you see the wound?”

“Yeah.. She took the dressing you put on it off, the area was real red, and hot to the touch.”

InuYasha turned as the curtain fluttered. Kagura stepped through holding a syringe. She laid it down, making sure the cap was secure, then put on gloves. She opened a alchol prep wipe and motioned for Sesshoumaru to stand and turn around. She lowered the waistband of his pants a few inches and wiped the skin there.

InuYasha smiled and grabbed Sesshoumaru, planting a kiss on his lips. The next thing Sesshoumaru knew, Kagura was leaving. She paused, turning back to the others.

“I’ll get the release paperwork ready. We need to monitor him for about 45 minutes to make sure he doesn’t have a reaction to the antibiotic. I’ll be back then.” With that, she disappeared from view.

Sesshoumaru sat down on the bed. He pulled InuYasha down next to him. Brooke left the two, setting the book on the foot of the bed.

“She knew, so did Stephanie.”

“I think I knew about Rose all along. The antiseptic smell is killing my nose. She doesn’t smell like him now anyhow.” Sesshoumaru delicately wrinkled his nose.

“She only slightly did anyway.”

“She as a different scent now...I still am over my liking of her.”

“I know.”


InuYasha settled into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. They had a while to wait, so they both slept lightly.

Kagura paused outside the curtain. Peeking slightly through the small opening, she watched Sesshoumaru sleep. InuYasha’s head was resting on his shoulder. She walked over to the blanket warmer and took out a blanket. She quietly eased the curtain open, and stepped in. She opened the blanket and laid it over the sleeping brothers. Their embrace at this moment wasn’t that of lovers. Just a tender hold, like a elder brother holding a frightened younger brother. Neither she knew was frightened. InuYasha was a RN, but wanted to further himself.

She smiled at how nether stirred as she covered them, or left the room