The Lucky Ones
Chapter F-Fou-Four
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The Lucky Ones
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don’t own
Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I’m poor so don’t
sue.
Rating: R for later chapters.
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome,
Miroku/Sango
Summary: Sometimes Fate hands
you a gift you never thought you’d ever get, and it’s up to you to accept it
for what it is.
Feedback to:
tci100@psu.edu
Website: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta
Chapter Forty-Four
It was
still dark and relatively cold where they were, but Inuyasha was secure in his
belief that Kagome was safe in the circle of his arms. She was silent and
still, unresponsive and limp in his embrace as she worked on healing what was
wrong with her physical body. He could feel her life energy through the cord
that joined them, and knew she was deep within herself.
They were
drifting now, floating like jellyfish in the inky blackness of an endless sea
that had no light source other than the slowly swirling vortex in the distance
and the blue glow of Tenseiga. The sword continued to create an eddy of safety
against the pull of the vortex so that he could concentrate on supporting his
mate, and he devoted all of his energy toward helping her heal, but it was
taking a great deal out of him and he was growing weary. His power was slowly
waning and he had begun to weaken.
Valiantly
he was trying to hold on and give her the time she needed, even as he felt his
own life energy fading and slipping from him like grains of sand through his
fingers. He would give her every last drop of his strength if he had to if it
meant that she would survive, and he knew that he was the only thing standing
in the way of her Crossing Over. The knowledge was more than enough to make him
reach deeper into himself and find untapped reserves of power he never knew
were there.
He didn’t
know how much time had passed when he suddenly had the distinct impression that
they were no longer alone, and he opened his eyes to see what it was. He could
still see thetex,tex, although it was even further away now, and the blackness
stilletchetched in all directions. But around them had clustered a number of
brightly glowing spheres, six of them in all: round balls of light that floated
close by.
from the time when Kikyou had needed their energy to survive.
Were they
using the protection of Tenseiga as a bulwark against the pull of the vortex?
souls of the truly dead,’ he answered himself although he did not know
exactly how he knew that.
As he tried
to puzzle it out, one of the spheres approached him and touched him lightly on
the shoulder. Immediately he felt a shock of cold and shivered, but then an
image coalesced in his mind of a brightly smiling green-eyed kitsune-hanyou
with a bushy red tail.
voice.
Between.’
He looked
at the other glowing souls around them and suddenly knew that each one
represented someone who had been connected to him in some way.
him and he held Kagome more tightly.
supposed to die?’
He ‘sighed’
with relief. ‘Oh good. I didn’t think it
was.’
Akihiro’s
laughter, so long unheard, echoed in his mind. ‘And you would have taken exception to me if I had said that it was,
wouldn’t you, Father?’
‘
what you thought of me?’
eyeing the remaining five souls warily as they floated around them. One tried
to touch Kagome but he pulled her away.
More
laughter rolled lightly through his mind. ‘You
would have. I know you would. But there is no need for that. We aren’t here to
take you with us.’
‘
then the soul who had once been Akihiro replied, ‘Because none of us got to say good-bye.’
Emotions he
had long suppressed rose up in him and he felt the crushing grief of that
horrible day so long ago when his son took a fatal blow that was meant for
Kagome.
I failed you, my son.’
made my choice. Better me than Mother or the littles. My only regret was that I
died before I had a chance to tell you that I love you. I love you, Father.
Thank you for everything you did for me.’
cheeks. It was okay to cry here, wasn’t it? There wasn’t anyone alive to see.
by that I don’t wish I had done things differently.’
everything you could. I don’t blame you for my death. Please tell Yukio that I
miss him and love him, and that I’m all right and waiting for him, for you.’
don’t forget that when you go.’
Akihiro
moved away and another soul moved close. This one touched him on the arm and an
image of Hiei, his eighth son who had been murdered on his way home with a caravan
of traders that had gone to Kōtsuke, formed in his mind. Some villagers
had seen the snake-hanyou and attacked him, and because he had been trying so
hard not to seriously hurt or kill any of his attackers, he’d gotten cornered
and eventually killed. At least, that was what the traders who saw the whole
thing told him had happened and he had no reason to disbelieve them.
He reached
out to touch the soul but his hand slipped right through it.
filling his mind.
happen. I had gone with the traders many times before. But there is something
you need to know about that day.’
wagons. They hadn’t really intended to kill me. They knew in the end that
they’d brought their own deaths on their heads.’
blurted, his heart twisting in his chest. How could this disembodied form still
feel so real?
the traders to fight back and chase them off, and in doing so the supplies the
age age needed were saved.’
ago and I’ve forgiven them.’
Hiei
laughed softly. ‘You will. When you die
everything becomes clearer.’
murdered you for a few bolts of cloth and some baubles!’
of that now. But I didn’t get the chance to say good-bye. To tell you how much
I loved you and how grateful I am to have been your son. You gave me everything
you had to give. Thank you.’
The soul
moved away and a third came up to him. This one floated right in front of his
face, just above Kagome but not touching her. Then he felt its coldness seep
into his forehead and he shivered as a face he had seen but once in his life
appeared in his mind’s eye.
watched you. You have surpassed my greatest expectations, Inuyasha. I am proud
to call you son.’
A lump
formed in his throat. ‘Oyaji...’
again. That is all I have to say.’
for Tessaiga.’
have used it well. Be strong. Live with honor until we see each other again.’
The fourth
soul came up to him as his father’s pulled away and touched him on the shoulder
opposite to the one Akihiro had touched. The last face in the world he had
expected to see flashed before his eyes and he trembled.
had always been in life, whispered.
‘
what you did. I don’t blame you for killing me. I know it was hard for you to
make the choice, but you made the right one. I would have killed Mother and
everyone else who crossed my path. The fire in me had taken over and I couldn’t
control it anymore. If you hadn’t stopped me when you did, nothing would have.’
you a sealing sword to curb your youkai blood...’ he admitted.
what was going to happen.’
I’ve ever had to do.’
father I could ever have asked for. Thank you.’
still do. Thank you for saving me from myself.’
again when you come to the Other Side.’
Hiro
receded and the fifth soul came forward to touch his cheek. He hadn’t really
stopped crying since Akihiro had touched him, but the sweet face of his mother
made a fresh batch spill over.
so much. I’m sorry I had to leave you when you were so little and left you all
alone.’
am so proud of you. You overcame so much and were so strong and brave.’
He looked
down at Kagome who was still quiet and motionless in his arms.
know what would have become of me. She saved me, not only from Kikyou’s Seal,
but from myself. She gave me back my soul.’
son. Her love and pure heart were exactly what you needed. Please tell her I
could not have wished for a better mate for my beloved boy.’
again.’
He felt her
kiss him just as she floated away. There was only one soul left who hadn’t
touched him and instinctively he knew who it was. His suspicions were confirmed
when he felt a cold shiver run up his back, right between his shoulder blades.
again Father. I remember all the days you carried me on your back. You’d go
slow so I could hold on and wouldn’t fall.’
The image
of his sixteenth son appeared in his mind, his twisted limbs and scaled skin,
and a sob worked its way out of his throat as even more tears fell.
‘
point.’
anything we could do for you. Your mother and I tried and tried but nothing
helped. We couldn’t stand to see you lying there, gasping for breath...’
explained, brokenly.
right.’
did it. I was grateful. You refused to let me suffer.’
My life was short and full of hardship, but you loved me all the more. I
couldn’t have asked for better parents, Father. I knew I was loved every day of
my life. Thank you.’
waiting. We’ll all be together again someday.’
and he looked to see all six souls floating in front of him.
told him.
They began
to rotate in a clockwise spinning ring, their light all blurring together.
in your task,’ his mother added.
Hiei urged.
‘
There was a
surge of light from the spinning ring and he felt new strength pour into him.
It flooded through his tired, grieving soul and suffused him with the power of
their love.
gift and put it into his bond with Kagome.
One by one
the spinning souls veered off and sped towards the vortex, blinking out as
en
entered its center.
Left alone
with his mate, Inuyasha drew her even closer and felt for her through the cord.
The strength the souls had given him had passed through the bond and rushed
into her, spreading throughout her body and filling her with renewed energy. A
moment later she stirred in his arms and opened her eyes.
hold you forever if I have to.’
She smiled
tiredly at him. ‘That won’t be
necessary.’
he asked hopefully.
She nodded.
‘Soon.’
She closed
her eyes again and slipped away, but he knew it was almost time for them to
return. The spirits of his loved ones had given him the extra bit of strength
he had needed to complete his task and keep Kagome with him. A moment later, he
felt her pull on the bond and knew she was telling him that it was time to go
back. Gladly he tightly gripped Tenseiga and followed her back to the land of
the living.
It wouldn’t
be until much later that Inuyasha would realize that all six souls, regardless
of whether they had been youkai, human or hanyou had all looked the same.
888888888
The hours
passed in tense silence. No one left in the group wanted to leave long enough
to get something to eat so Uncle ordered a catered meal to be brought to the
waiting room. Yukio, Eri, Miroku, and Mama-baachan all sat together to keep
vigil over Inuyasha while Uncle and Aunt Rin sat together to work on ‘The Case
of the Switched Doctors’ and Midorikyou sat pretty much by herself with Mariko
set up as a self-proclaimed attendant. The immortal miko had decided to stay
until Inuyasha awakened, although it was also decided that telling Inuyasha
that they had been considering separating him from Kagome was a very bad idea.
Midorikyou agreed that all that would be said of her presence was that she had
been called to see what help she could offer.
Izayoi was
also grateful for her presence after she and Tetsu returned around 5pm because,
between Mariko and the immortal miko, they were able to set up strong enough
barriers around Tetsu so that nothing got through to trigger his Sight. The
young dragon-hanyou was so exhausted and worn-out from the stress that not even
his sword was able to shield him completely anymore, and even though she had
taken him back to the house to rest, he hadn’t slept for more than two fitful
hours. Midorikyou had a calming effect on him as well, and Izayoi saw her
brother relax and some of the tension lines leave his face. He was asleep,
truly asleep, within minutes and that was exactly what he needed.
The sun set
and the shifts changed, giving them an entirely new set of medical personnel to
deal with when they went up to visit Kagome or in to see the newborn. Yukio had
been up to see his mother once with his sister Eri and that had been enough for
him. It was difficult for him to see his father motionless and unresponsive on
the waiting room couch. It was impossible for him to look at his mother, half
buried under a multitude of tubes and wires, with the respirator tube shoved
down her throat. She didn’t even look like the woman he knew and adored, and
seeing her like that was more than he could bear. In addition, his mother’s
night nurse had taken a shine to him, and had expressed deep sympathy when he
told her of their situation. She had promised to let him know the moment his
mother’s condition changed. He knew that she was trying to gain his favor, and
while she was attractive and very nice, he didn’t have the heart to tell her he
wasn’t interested.
More police
came in to speak with Mama-baachan and a detective even interviewed him about
Dr. Hattori and his mother’s care, although Miroku knew better than he about
Hattori’s first visit. It looked like the investigation was going rather well,
even if things looked pretty grim for the young doctor. It didn’t help any that
he was quoted to as having said that he never knew humans were ‘so fragile as
to die from something as insignificant as high blood pressure’ in his statement
to police.
Things calmed
down after the officers left and they settled in to wait some more. The long
hours were maddening, and they’d taken to playing card games to pass the time
and get their minds off of what was happening. So far the staff up in the ICU
had said there had been no change in their mother’s condition and from what
they could tell from their father that was true. By now Kagome had been in the
coma for just under sixteen hours.
The newborn
was doing fine although they worried about him being all by himself in the
nursery. Inu-youkai pups needed contact with their pack members, especially
their mother, for proper bonding and emotional support. Mama-baachan went in as
often as they would let her and held the new pup just so he would have a pack
member with him as much as possible. She wouldn’t replace the pup’s need to be
with his mother, but she was better than nothing.
Yukio, Eri
and Miroku were involved in a game of Five Card Stud when they heard Inuyasha
draw a deep breath. Game immediately forgotten they all rushed to his side; all
of them except Uncle that is, who remained impassive and silent against a
nearby wall. As they watched, their hearts pounding, Inuyasha took another deep
breath, then coughed and choked a bit. Yukio put himself in the fore and spread
out his arms to keep the others back as Inuyasha began to struggle feebly, his
head moving and his legs kicking out. Then he suddenly groaned and rolled,
pitching himself right off the couch and onto the floor face-first with a
crunching thud. Both swords clattered to the hard tile and landed right next to
him.
“Otou!”
Yukio cried, and knelt down next to him. “Otou-san can you hear me?”
A low moan
was his answer, then his father slid his hands underneath himself and pushed
up. It took him a couple of tries but he finally rose to all fours, his head
hanging down as if it was too heavy for him to lift.
“Otou-san?”
he called again.
His father
moaned, then growled, then choked loudly and began to cough. The coughing
escalated into gagging which culminated in his vomiting what little there was
in his stomach after 16 hours of unconsciousness all over the white tile floor.
When he was finished, he slumped back down, avoiding the mess he had made and
rolled to his back, panting heavily. One hand clutched at his chest and his
eyes stared at the ceiling, darting back and forth in confusion.
“Otou-san,”
Yukio tried a third time.
“Kagome,”
Inuyasha rasped hoarsely. “Where... where is Kagome?”
Yukio was
so relieved to hear his father’s voice that he almost started bawling right
then and there, but he managed to hold his emotions in check as he looked down
into the still dilated golden eyes.
“Okaa-san
is in Intensive Care. She wento a o a coma after she had the seizures. But if
you’re awake...” ‘If Otou-san is awake,
then Okaa-san must be alright. If he’s conscious, then she must be out of the
coma.’
“Seizures?”
his father repeated, as if tasting the word. He didn’t seem to be all there
just yet.
“Yes.
Okaa-san was in labor and something went wrong...” He trailed off. He didn’t
know how much he should tell his father so soon after his awakening.
There was a
moment of silence, then Inuyasha whispered, “I remember. We... we were in the
room, and... and Kagome’s blood pressure went too high. The damn doctor was an
asshole and then...” His eyes flared wide open as he gasped and struggled to
sit up. “The pup! Where’s the pup?! What happened to the pup??!!”
Yukio put a
hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder to calm him.
“He’s
alive. He’s in the nursery.”
Inuyasha
reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out the scrap of blue cloth.
“A boy. We
had a boy,” his father choked, bringing the cloth close to his nose. “Where is
he now?”
“In the
nursery,” Yukio repeated. “I can take you to him if you want. Or... or do you want
to see Okaa-san first? If you’re awake, then she must be out of the coma.”
“Coma?
Kagome was in a coma?”
time...’
“Yes,
Otou-san. Okaa-san was in a coma. Do you want me to take you to her?”
Yukio could
see the indecision marring his father’s face. On one hand, it was obvious that
he was concerned about his mate, but on the other hand, he was worried for his
newborn son as well.
Inuyasha
looked around him and spied Tessaiga and Tenseiga lying beside him on the floor.
Slowly he reached for them and picked up both swords by their sheaths, holding
one in each hand as he looked dazedly at them.
“Tenseiga...”
Yukio heard his father murmur, then Inuyasha raised glassy eyes to him. “How
long?”
“Sixteen
hours.”
He could
see higher brain function returning to his father and had to smile.
“Who’s been
caring for the pup?”
“The
hospital staff. But Mama-baachan has gone in several times to feed him, and we
wrapped him in a pillowcase from your and Okaa-san’s bed so he would imprint on
your scents.”
“They
didn’t take him to his mother?”
Yukio shook
his head. “They couldn’t. Okaa-san was on a respirator. It was no place for a
newborn pup.”
Inuyasha
fell silent again, his breathing slightly elevated, and he looked once more at
the swords in his hands.
“This
Sesshoumaru will take his sword,” Uncle’s voice announced.
Yukio
turned his head to see the taiyoukai standing directly behind them, his face
expressionless as he looked down at his half-brother. Inuyasha stilled and met
the cold gaze, his face also uncharacteristically unreadable. In that moment,
Yukio realized how very much the two brothers looked alike. His father’s face
was always animated with emotion, his eyes bright and flashing, but when he was
calm and his features smooth it was easy to see that the two were related.
There was
obviously some form of silent communication passing between the two siblings
that no one else was privy to. They weren’t even speaking inu-youkai but it was
very apparent that messages were being passed and received. Finally, after
several long moments, Yukio saw Inuyasha scowl then haphazardly toss Tenseiga
to its rightful owner. Uncle caught it without hesitation.
“Thanks,”
Inuyasha said.
Uncle
nodded once then turned on his heel and walked away. He did not stop as he
strode right out of the waiting room and presumably out of the hospital. His
aunt gave them a little shrug and a sweet smile, then hurried after her mate.
“We’ll be
in touch,” she promised.
“Keh.
Typical,” his father barked, but there was no heat in it, then he put out a
hand. “Take me to the pup.”
Yukio
immediately took the offered hand and helped him rise to his feet. Inuyasha’s
legs were weak and he stumbled several times before he got his balance. Still,
once he was up he managed to look at the handful of his children who had
gathered and offer them a tiny smile. Then his eyes fell on Midorikyou and they
flared open with surprise for just a moment.
breathe.
The
immortal miko approached and his father struggled to stand on his own, roughly
pulling his arm from his son’s grasp. He straightened and met her calm gaze
with one of his own.
“We are
glad you have awakened,” she said with a little bow. “We were called to see if
we could help.”
“Well,
ummm. Thank you for coming,” Inuyasha said, his voice confused and tentative.
It’s like he doesn’t know what to say,
“How’ve you
been?” his father asked timidly, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
“We are
well, thank you.”
“That’s...
good.”
Midorikyou
smiled a soft and secret smile as if she knew that Inuyasha was tongue-tied and
found it amusing. “We are pleased to have been of some small help and comfort.”
She turned to Shippou. “We are ready to leave now.”
Shippou
nodded and bowed, then approached Inuyasha.
“I’m glad
you’re going to be alright. We’ll take Midorikyou back to Zenko-ji, go home to
get some rest, and then we’ll be back to check on you,” he said.
Inuyasha
put out a hand and the kitsune grasped him by the forearm.
“Thank
you,” his father whispered.
Shippou
smiled and winked. “I knew you were too stubborn to let her die.”
“Oi. If I
had the strength, I’d pound you right now.”
“Save it
for the doctor who did this,” Shippou warned.
Inuyasha’s
face darkened. “Yeah.”
Shippou
smiled and released Inuyasha’s arm. “We’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
Mitsiyomi
gave them a little smile and a bow, then the three left quietly, leaving Yukio
behind with just his father, grandmother and siblings. Tetsu, having slept a
good four hours, looked much better, but he noticed that both Izayoi and Mariko
were staying close to him.
Inuyasha looked at all of them and
smiled again. “Let’s go get the pup.”
Yukio
stopped him for a moment.
“Here.
Kitarou brought fresh clothes for you. Why don’t you change your shirt before
you go in to see the pup? Yours has blood on it.”
His father
looked down at the blood splatt t-s t-shirt and gave a slight nod.
“Yeah,” he
agreed, and took the cloth by the collar, ripping it cleanly off without any
trouble.
Yukio
fished a clean shirt out of the bag Kitarou had brought, snickering at the
image of Homer Simpson and the line “I See Stupid People” winking back at him
from the dark fabric, and helped his father slip it on. Then he helped fasten
Tessaiga to his father’s waistband.
“Okay, am I
ready now?” Inuyasha asked, slightly annoyed.
Yukio
tugged on one unruly lock of his father’s hair and smirked. “Well, you could
use a wash and trim, but I don’t think there’s enough time for that.”
:Insolent
pup,: Inuyasha barked in inu-youkai.
:Impatient
Leader-male,: he barked back. ‘That’s
right. I’m not Alpha anymore.’ He grinned, suppressing the urge to throw
his arms around his father and weep with relief, and straightened out a wrinkle
in his father’s shirt. “
“About
fucking time.”
Yukio gave
his father another grin and motioned for him to go through the maternity ward
doors. Inuyasha snorted and took a step forward, but he stumbled and Yukio
immediately caught him.
Inuyasha
recovered quickly, rolled his shoulders back and straightened up.
“You okay?”
he asked.
“I’m fine,”
Inuyasha insisted and took another step, this one steady.
Two steps
more and he was walking fine on his own, so they all fell in behind him as he
threw open the ward doors with both hands, strode up to the side door of the
nursery and pounded on it with his fist.
“Oi! Open
up!”
A shaky
voice tremored over the intercom next to the door. “Yes?”
“I’m
Fushikenwa Inuyasha. I’ve come for my son.”
There was a
moment of silence, then the voice replied, “Only parents and grandparents may
come in.”
“That’s
fine. I’m his father. Now open up.”
There was
another moment of silence and Inuyasha started growling under his breath. Yukio
saw him finger Tessaiga’s hilt and gasped.
“Otou-san,
there are pups in there!” he hissed.
His
father’s growl grew a little louder, but the hand dropped away from the sword.
“Fushikenwa-san!
Fushikenwa-san!” came a new voice, and Yukio turned to see who it was.
Making her
way through the seven of them to get to him was the night nurse from the ICU.
moment something happened,’ he thought.
“I came to
tell you, Fushikenwa-san, that your mother has regained consciousness,” she
told him breathlessly.
she had.’
He smiled
at the young youkai female making her sigh. “Thank you.” ‘Love-struck already? Oh how I hate breaking hearts.’
“Great,”
his father snarled. “Now tell these idiots to open this door before I knock it
down.”
The nurse
blinked at Inuyasha then back at him. He gave her a little shrug. “Our baby
brother is in there and my father wants him.”
Reaching
past him, she buzzed the nursery.
“Yes?” came
the same nervous voice.
“Open the
door. Fushikenwa-san wants his son.”
“The infant
hasn’t been cleared to leave the nursery yet,” the disembodied voice replied.
“Oi! Open
the fucking door before I fucking kick it down! I want my son!”
The ICU
nurse cast Inuyasha frightened glance. “You’d better do as he says and just
open the door.”
“We’ll call
security,” the voice threatened.
“More
bull-youkais?” Inuyasha sneered. “Bring ‘em on. I’m in the mood for steak!”
“Just open
the door!” the nurse pleaded.
There was a
loud buzz and a click. The ICU nurse grabbed the door handle and turned it
quickly, pushing the door open. Inuyasha shoved his way past her and entered
the nursery, casting his eyes about for the owner of the voice. Finally, he
looked down to see a diminutive tanuki youkai cowering by the intercom. She’d
needed a stool just to reach the buzzer.
“Keh,” he
sniffed and blew past her, making a b-line for the bassinet that held the new
pup.
“This is
highly irregular!” the tanuki nurse squeaked as they all came in behind him.
“Only parents and grandparents are allowed in!!”
“Don’t
worry,” Eri assured her. “We’re not staying.”
Yukio
followed at Inuyasha’s heels until he stopped at the blue wrapped bundle at the
end of the room. He paused and let his father have a moment with his newborn
son, watching the older hanyou as he looked upon his pup for the first time.
Inuyasha’s
face was a portrait of stunned wonder as he gazed at the sleeping pup, his eyes
wide and his mouth slack-jawed, but then the pup squirmed and opened his big
golden eyes, and Yukio swore he saw his father fighting tears. With shaking
hands, he reached into the bassinet and picked up its precious contents. He
brought the pup close to his face, nuzzling him lovingly and licking him gently
to get his taste. The pup responded to the scent and presence of his father by
burbling and letting out a soft cry.
:Pup. My
pup,: Inuyasha barked softly, then crinkled his nose. “Pup needs changed.”
Nine sets
of eyes looked to the tanuki nurse who turned three shades whiter.
“I’ll do
it,” the ICU nurse offered, lifting a clean diaper from the stack of diapers on
a nearby shelf.
They parted
to let her pass and she changed the newborn with amazing efficiency, then gave
him back to his grateful father.
“Thank
you,” Inuyasha said, all of his anger and upset forgotten now that the pup was
in his arms.
Yukio mused.
Arms
wrapped around his newborn son, Inuyasha smiled at the tiny face, his eyes soft
and loving.
“What do
you say we go see your mother, hm? You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
“I’ll take
you up,” the ICU nurse offered, smiling at Yukio as she passed him.
He rolled
his eyes and shook his head. ‘She can try
all she wants but she isn’t going to get anywhere.’
His father
nodded and they all followed her out of the maternity ward and up to the ICU.
Once they were on the floor, most of them stayed behind in the ICU waiting
room, leaving only Yukio to go in with his father and the pup.
“We don’t
want to overwhelm her all at once and you know she’ll feel she has to pay
attention to all of us if we’re there,” Mariko explained. “Besides, she should
have a few moments alone with you and the new pup before we descend upon her.”
Inuyasha
gave her a grateful smile and nodded. “Thanks.”
The ICU
nurse buzzed them through and Yukio directed his father to his mother’s
cubicle.
“She’s in
cubicle six,” he said, taking a right and heading down the short hallway.
The rooms
in ICU weren’t so much rooms as they were three-sided compartments with open
fronts so that the ICU nurses could observe each patient from the central
station. Each cubicle had a curtain that could be drawn across the open side
for privacy while doctors and nurses were treating or examining a patient. They
stopped short of cubicle six when they saw that the curtain had been drawn.
“They must
be working on her,” the ICU nurse told them sadly.
Yukio saw
his father’s ears go up and knew he was listening to the goings on behind the
curtain. He put his own ears up to listen as well, ignoring the nurse’s giggle
when she saw him perem uem up.
very helpful, but she’s starting to get on my nerves,’ he thought dourly.
“...
kenwa-san,” he heard a male voice saying. “Can you hear us? Fushikenwa-san, if
you understand what we are saying, please squeeze my hand.”
“Nu...yash...”
his mother’s soft, almost strangled voice replied.
Beside him,
he saw his father tense and put out a hand to stop him from going in.
“Wait until
they’re done,” he admonished.
Inuyasha
growled but backed down, his ears flattening then shooting right back up when
his mother spoke again.
“Did the
patient recently give birth?” the male voice asked.
“Yes. The
patient was admitted to the ICU for an eclamptic coma,” a female voice
answered.
“Did the
child live?”
“Yes, he is
in the nursery.”
“Where is
the husband? Is there a husband?”
He heard
his father growl again, his face drawn into a scowl. The pup, somewhat aware of
his surroundings, fussed a little at the angry sound and Inuyasha hurried to
shush him. It was so amusing to see his normally gruff father lightly bouncing
the pup in his arms and soothing the newborn so he’d be quiet.
empty for too long just like Okaa-san’s’
“Has the
husband been notified of the change in his wife’s condition?”
“A nurse
dispdispatched to tell the family. Most hem hem have been waiting down in the
maternity ward.”
“Did you
hear that Fushikenwa-san? A nurse went down to tell your husband that you’ve
awakened. I think he will be very happy to hear that. He’ll be even happier to
hear that you’ll be moved to the Stable ward just as soon as your blood work
comes back and we confirm that everything is how it’s supposed to be,” the male
said.
“Yash...
b...by,” Kagome whispered brokenly, then whined very clearly in inu-youkai,
:Mate? Pup. Where pup?:
That was
it. Not even a dozen bull-youkai’s could have stopped his father from going to
her at that point. Inuyasha strode ahead, pulled aside the curtain, ripping it
down halfway off of its sliding rings and moved to Kagome’s side.
“Kagome!”
he blurted, then stopped when he saw her surrounded by machines and tubes, his
eyes opened wide in surprise.
Two youkai
were standing next to the bed, a male and a female, both in white lab coats.
“Ah, you
must be the husband,” the male said then spied the infant. “Sir, this ward is
no place for an infant. We have patients up here with infecs dis diseases...”
He looked at the now cowering ICU nurse. “How could you let him bring a newborn
up here?”
The ICU
nurse bit her lip and looked chagrined. “I...”
“It’s all
right. My pup’s a hanyou. And my mate’s a doctor. The pup’ll be fine. I won’t
let him get close to anyone here,” Inuyasha insisted, overcoming his initial
shock and muscling his way to Kagome’s side.
Yukio saw
his mother turn her head wearily in Inuyasha’s direction.
“Kagome?”
he breathed softly.
“Yahhh...ssshhhaa.”
His father
held the pup in one arm and took Kagome’s hand with the other. “I’m here, koi.
I’m right here.”
“Baaahhhyyybbeeee?”
He tilted
the bundle in his arms so Kagome could see the newborn. “He’s here too, We
We
had a boy. See? He’s perfect. He looks lik like you.”
Yukio saw
tears well up in his mother’s eyes and she lifted one tube-riddled arm to reach
for her son, lightly brushing the edge of the blue blanket with her fingertips.
“Boy,” she
choked, wetness rolling down her cheeks as the pup looked at her and she saw
her infant’s face for the first time.
“When will
you move her?” Yukio asked, commanding the doctor’s attention.
“As soon as
her blood work comes back, which could be in as little as another hour.”
He tugged
at his father’s sleeve. “Otou-san, we should take the pup out of here. The
doctor is right. This place isn’t safe for a newborn.”
His father
seemed reluctant to go and looked to Kagome.
“Kagome?”
She gave
him a tired nod and squeezed his hand. “Go,” she whispered. “No... saaaffe.”
:Protect pup.:
Kagome gave
his hand another squeeze then released it and made a slight shooing gesture.
Then Yukio took his father by the shoulders and urged him out.
“We’ll know
when they move her. They won’t be able to sneak past us, I promise,” he assured
his father then looked to the doctor. “Tell us the moment you move her.”
The doctor
nodded. “We will.”
It was on
that promise alone that he was able to get Inuyasha to leave his mother and go
back to the ICU waiting room. Once in the waitioom,oom, his father chose the
seat closest to the ward doors so he would be certain not to miss when they
moved Kagome. Yukio didn’t hthe the heart to tell him that they’d probably use
a patient elevator in the ward and not come through the waiting room at all.
Still, they’d be sure to smell her the moment they moved her from the cubicle.
While
things were still tense, the mood had changed and thwas was an air of relief
around them. Now that they knew Kagome was going to recover, the pressure was
off and they could relax. His fr crr cradled the pup close and they all
gathered around him in a tight group. Yukio sat in the chair to his right and
Mama-baachan sat in the one on his left while the others clustered nearby,
bringing chairs around to make a tight circle. Up until now the pup had been
relatively quiet, but now that the “pack” had stopped moving and his natural
instinct to freeze had subsided, he let them know he was there, loudly.
Inuyasha shushed him and rocked him, hushing his plaintive cries as
Mama-baachan went back down to the nursery to get a bottle of formula.
“What?” his
father said to the pup. “You got a problem? You got some complaint?”
His words
were harsh but his tone was completely neutral, if not on the le sle side.
“Look, I know
you want your mother, but you can’t have her right now. You’re stuck with Oyaji
so get used to it and quit the caterwauling, eh?”
The pup
snuffled and hiccupped, but stopped wailing. That was when Yukio noticed that
his father had very discretely placed one hand on the scruff of the pup’s neck
and was applying light pressure.
“There.
That’s better,” his father praised. “Now Oyaji can hear and you’re not making
his head ache. Oyaji’s had a bitch of a day, pup, and he feels like he just
smashed a motorcycle into the side of a barn at 110km an hour. And believe me,
he’d know coz he’s done it- twice. Remind me to tell you about it later, when
you’re old enough to drive.”
Mama-baachan
returned with the bottle and Inuyasha sniffed at it and frowned, but brought
the nipple to the pup’s mouth and held the bottle for him while he fed. Yukio
watched the display with mild amusement. He, being the oldest, had vivid
memories of his father with pups and knew quite well how Inuyasha behaved
around them. With the sole exception of Eri, however, all of the others
gathered had either been too little themselves or had already left their
parents’ house when a new pup had arrived, and they had never seen the change
come over their father when he became paternal. He looked over and saw what he
thought was a hint of jealousy in Miroku’s eyes.
“If you
think he didn’t act that way with you when you were that size, you’re dead
wrong,” he whispered, nudging his brother.
Miroku
looked at him and flattened his ears.
“He barely
put you down. Okaa-san sat him more often because of you than any other pup I’d
ever seen them raise. Then again, we were living with Uncle and he was worried
that one of the courtiers who supported
any moment. So other than when you were nursing, being changed, or Okaa-san was
holding you, he was the one who wore the baby sling. I’ll pause a moment to
let you digest that image.”
He saw
Miroku considering his words and he knew his brother was conjuring a picture of
their father, dressed in the Fire-Rat clothes he wore pretty much exclusively
until the turn of the 20th century, holding Tessaiga in one hand and
looking very intimidating, but with a baby sling hooked over one shoulder and
an infant version of himself peeping out of it. Miroku licked his lower lip,
then pursed his mouth but it was too late. A strangled snicker escaped and
Inuyasha’s radar-ears came up immediately.
“Oi! What
are you two laughing about?” their father complained, trying to look menacing
which was very hard to do considering he had the pup in one hand and the bottle
the infant was nursing from in the other.
Miroku
looked at him and they both started giggling. “Nothing,” they both said in
unison.
Inuyasha
growled but that only increased their mirth, and Miroku dropped his head to
Yukio’s shoulder, still snickering.
“Thanks. I
needed that,” his brother admitted.
Yukio gave
him a soft smile. “Anytime.”
The pup
finished eating and the two snickered some more as they watched Inuyasha burp
him and pat his bottom.
later,’ Yukio thought, but there was no fear in him. In fact, the idea of
his father going into one of his ‘I’m not going soft’ tirades sou lik like pure
bliss to him right now because it meant both of his parents were alive and
well.
“Okay, now
it’s my turn. I haven’t held this little scamp,” Eri insisted, opening her
arms.
Yukio
watched his father size Eri up, almost as if deciding if she was capable of
holding the newborn, then slowly handed him over.
“Watch his
head!” Inuyasha scolded when she took him a little faster than he liked.
Eri scowled
and gave her father a dour look before bouncing the pup lightly.
“Hey there,
little man,” she said tenderly.
The pup
responded with a little whine.
“Yeah, I
know. So far this whole ‘life’ thing’s kinda sucked hasn’t it? First you get
pushed out of your warm home, then all these strange people poke and prod you
and leave you all by yourself. Then more strange people come and they pick you
up and move you this way and that, and cart you all over and you have no idea
where you are or w Mom Mom and Dad are. And they feed you from a bottle and
stick plastic on your butt. Then to top it all off, you find out your dad is a
dog. It’s enough to make anyone want to crawl back into the womb and never come
out, huh?”
“Oi! Will
you quit it with the dog jokes!” Inuyasha complained.
Erick
ck
out her tongue and cuddled her baby brother close to her chest.
“Don’t
worry, baby. He’s all bark and no bite,” she cooed at the infant who snuffled
into her shoulder.
Inuyasha
growled but that only made them smile wider. Finally, he lifted his nose,
closed his eyes and snorted.
“Keh,”
Yukio whispered to Miroku, a smile tugging at his lips just as his father let out
a loud “KEH!,” crossed his arms and turned his shoulder to them.
“I can too
bite. I just don’t do it in public anymore,” Inuyasha sniffed indignantly.
“Ohhhh!
Poor Otou-san!” Izayoi comforted, hugging him and fuzzling his ears.
“Oi. You’re
just humoring me, aren’t you?”
Izayoi
giggled and kissed him on the cheek, then turned to her sister and opened her
arms.
“My turn.”
Inuyasha
scowled and watched them like a hawk as Eri passed the pup over to her sister.
Izayoi’s eyes brimmed with happy tears as she looked at her baby brother’s
face.
“Hi,” she
whispered, stroking one round cheek.
They spent
the next forty minutes acquainting themselves with the new pup, and aside from
a few American football references wherein Miroku encouraged Izayoi to “go deep”
and toss the pup to him, everything went well. Tetsu even took a short turn
holding the pup in his lap where he could put one hand on his little brother
and keep one hand on his sword.
“I’m not
the baby anymore,” was all he really managed to say.
Almost
exactly one hour to the minute later, a nurse came out of the ICU to inform
them that Kagome was being moved to the Stable ward. While her blood pressure
was still rather high, she was no longer in need of intensive care and would be
relocated to a different floor. The doctors predicted that she would remain
hospitalized for at least another twenty-four hours or until her blood pressure
went down far enough that they were satisfied she was at no risk of a relapse.
En masse
the family relocated to a third waiting room, this one on the same floor where
Kagome had been hospitalized for observation after her false labor. Tetsu, a
huge Star Trek fan, jokingly dubbed the floor The Observation Deck, and they
took over the small room and called for pizza and salads to be brought in for
supper- even managing to sneak in a couple of servings of ramen for Inuyasha.
Then they began making calls to everyone in order to spread the good news. By
now it was close to eleven at night and visiting hours were over, but none of
them were going anywhere until they’d seen Kagome, and of course, nothing short
of the End of the World as they knew it was going to pry Inuyasha from her side
(and probably not even that would do it.)
Finally, at
almost a quarter to midnight, a nurse came to tell them they could go in to see
her, but to keep it quick and stay quiet in the corridors because other
patients were sleeping. Yukio motioned for his father to lead the way, although
he needed no encouragement, and they quietly filed behind him as he carried the
pup down to Kagome’s room.
Kagome
looked exhausted and her arms were riddled with bruises from where the IV lines
had been connected to her, but she smiled at them from her hospital bed and
Yukio thought his heart might burst right then and there because he was so
happy. Still, he stopped himself from running over to her and hugging her
breathless, and even managed to stand back at a respectable distance, which was
hard with so many of them in a relatively small room, in order to allow his
father to be the first to stand beside her.
:Mate,:
Inuyasha said in inu-youkai.
:Mate,:
Kagome answered.
Inuyasha
leaned down and nuzzled her lovingly, and Yukio didn’t miss the lick he gave
her on her chin right before he kissed her sweetly. One hand came up to stroke
her hair and tenderly hook a stray tendril behind her ear.
“Kagome,”
he breathed.
“Inuyasha,”
she replied.
Yukio saw
his father turn the sleeping pup in his arms and present him to his mother.
Kagome put one hand to her mouth as she saw him turn the pup to face her and
started to cry.
“We have
ano son son,” he told her.
Kagome
looked upon the newborn and smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks as she nodded
silently. Then she opened her arms and Inuyasha gently placed the pup in them,
tucking the blue wrapped bundle close to his mother. The pup immediately woke
and began to fuss.
“He’s got
your eyes,” she whispered.
“Yeah, but
he looks just like you.”
“No he
doesn’t. He’s got your chin too,” she disagreed as she lowered her hospital
gown.
“Kagome?”
Inuyasha asked. “Kagome, are you sure you’re up to that?”
She nodded.
“I told the staff I’d be nursing so they didn’t give me anything that could
hurt the baby through the milk.”
“That’s not
what I meant. You just came out of a coma...”
His mother
smiled. “It’s fine Inuyasha. Besides, all I have to do is hold him. He’s going
to do all the work.”
“They had
to bottle feed him a couple of times,” Inuyasha admitted.
“I guessed
as much. It’ll be okay. I know some babies get confused switching between
bottle and breast, but almost all of them get it eventually.”
A moment
later the newborn proved that confusion would not be an issue.
Yukio
watched as his parents went into their own little world that consisted of only
each other and the new pup for several minutes as the pup fed. His father was
standing as close as physically possible to her without being in the bed, and
they were looking at each other lovingly. The expression on his father’s face
was one of adoration and quiet pride. Seeing them, he felt his pan pang of
jealously at being excluded from such a profound and tender moment, but then
his mother looked his way and smiled and all his resentment disappeared.
pan>pan>“Yukio.
Eri. Tetsu. Miroku. Izayoi. Mariko. Mama,” she called softly and that was their
invitation to gather around the bed.
“Okaa-san,”
he whispered, standing next to his father beside the bed.
“Mom.”
“Mama.” “Kagome.” The others greeted as they clustered close.
“We’re so
glad you’re all right, Okaa-san,” Izayoi said, reaching to hold her mother’s
hand.
“Me too,”
Kagome replied tiredly. “I love you all. I’m so happy to see you.”
“Mama,”
Tetsu choked. “I’m sorry, Mama. I Saw it but I couldn’t change it. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhh. You
shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened. I know you did all that you could,”
Kagome comforted as Tetsu started to cry.
“But I
should have tried harder. I...”
“There
wasn’t anything you could have done differently,” she reassured him, releasing
Izayoi’s hand and squeezing his.
“I was so
scared,” the dragon-hanyou admitted.
“I know. It
must have been terrible for you. I’m sorry to have worried you so much.”
Yukio thought.
“Okaa-san.
As always, thinking of others before yourself,” Mariko commented gently.
A soft
knock interrupted them and a nurse peered into the room.
“You ought
to let her rest. It’s almost midnight and visiting hours have been over for two
hours. Why don’t you go home and come back in the morning?” she said.
“I’m
staying right here,” Inuyasha insisted.
The nurse
squinted at him and furrowed her brow. “Oh. It’s you. I remember you from the
last time you were here.” She sighed heavily. “I’ll bring a chair and
blankets.”
“And we’ll
need a bassinet as well,” Kagome added. “I want my baby to stay close to me.”
“I’ll see
what I can do,” the nurse replied and left the room, closing the door behind
her.
“We should
go. We’ve been here almost eighteen hours,” Izayoi commented.
“And
tomorrow will be insane because everyone will be coming in to see Okaa-san and
the new pup,” Mariko agreed.
“You should
rest, Mama,” Tetsu said.
Yukio
leaned over and kissed his mother on the brow. “I love you, Okaa-san.”
“I love you
too, sweetheart.”
“I... I
don’t have words...” he tried.
She stopped
him with a tender kiss to his cheek. “I know. I understand.”
“I’ll be
back first thing in the morning,” he promised.
“Okay.”
He stepped
back and let Miroku take his place.
“I put your
overnight bag on the floor near the window,” Miroku told her as he leaned over
to give her a kiss on the cheek.
1'> “Thank you,
sweetheart.”
“I’ll be
back with Yukio,” his brother pledged.
“Okay.”
“I’ll be
here around noon,” Eri stated, coming over to kiss her mother on the cheek as
well as Miroku yielded to her.
“Always the
late riser,” Kagome teased lightly.
“Hey, at
least one of your kids had to let you sleep in,” the neko-youkai
quipped back.
Kagome
chuckled. “I’ll have to get used to sleep depravation again.”
“Kagome,
what have you decided to name the child?” Mama asked innocently.
“Oh, ummm.
Well, we haven’t decided, Mama. After the second miscarriage... we stopped
naming them beforehand,” his mother admitted.
“Oh.”
“We’ll
start talking about a name tomorroshe she added.
Yukio
approached his father. “Is there anything you want me to bring with me
tomorrow?”
His father
thought for a moment. “Some clothes. And my portfolio from my office. That has
some of the plans I’m working on now. And some ramen.”
He giggled.
“Okay.”
The nurse
returned with two orderlies. One was carrying a chair and blankets and the
other was wheeling a bassinet from the nursery.
“I think
that’s our cue,” Eri said.
“We’ll be
back tomorrow, Mama,” Tetsu assured her.
“I’ll see
you all then. I love you very much.”
One by one
they kissed her and said goodnight to their father, then they filed out slowly.kio kio let out the breath he was holding and felt the tension drain out of his
shoulders.
horrible place full of sickness and death for 18 hours. God I need a drink. I
know Otou-san wouldn’t really approve, but there is something to be said about
the virtues of a good quality liquor.’
“So? Where
to? Back to Tokyo House?” Miroku asked him as they walked down the hall.
“No. I am
feeling a desperate need for a drink... or two... or ten. How about you?” he
replied. ‘We haven’t gotten drunk
together since the Winter Olympics were in Calgary in 1988. ’
“Lead the
way.”
“Count me
in,” Eri added, stepping up to join them.
“Ooo, can I
come too?” Tetsu asked.
“I don’t
think that’s a good idea, Tetsu. Remember the last time you drank too much, you
grabbed a woman’s wrist and told her she’d be giving birth to twins in 9 months
from the one night stand she’d had two nights before,” Izayoi reminded.
“Oh, yeah.
I remember. She slapped me. Hard.”
“Exactly.
So I think it would be best if we passed this time. I’m sure there’s a stocked
bar at the house if you want a drink.”
“Okay. That
sounds fine.”
“Mama-baachan,
would you like to go with Izayoi? She can take you back to the shrine,” Yukio
offered.
“Actually,
a large quantity of alcohol sounds surprisingly good right about now. I’ll go
with you if you don’t mind.”
He
shrugged. “The more the merrier.”
“I can go
along and be the designated driver,” Mariko offered.
“Why don’t
we just go to that bar down the street from the house? That way we can just
stagger our way home after Last Call and not have to worry about driving at
all?” Miroku suggested.
Yukio slung
his arm around his brother’s shoulder.
“Miroku, my
brother, that’s the best idea you’ve had all night,” he answered as they exited
the hospital and headed into the parking garage to get their cars.