A Glass Half Full

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi……
Surgery
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I was ecstatic, over the moon, dancing in the rain! No cancer! NO CANCER!

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating…..But yes, I was delighted on the outcome on my tests, and this feeling overcame my nerves on the operation I would undergo in less than a week. I was probably acting paranoid, but I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, I wouldn’t feel very comfortable knowing I had a little timebomb ticking away in my breast.

I began to see the world around me with fresh eyes…Okay, I was probably never in danger of dying anyway, but I wanted to use this as a wakeup call, to try and make the most of my life and appreciate the little things more.

Aunt Kumiko almost fainted with relief of course, once she heard my good news. She invited me to our favourite café, Nee-Chan’s, for a slice of yummy Blackforest Gateau for me and lemon cheesecake for her.

After that, I phoned my superiors at work to let them know all was well and notifying them of my operation in advance. Lastly I called my friends Reika-chan and Yue-chan who both positively squealed with a mixture of shock, worry and relief as I relayed the entire course of events to them. I promised a wild night out as soon as my operation was over and done with. I oddly omitted the Dr Saotome bit, though I’m unsure why. I always tell them everything, yet this particular occurrence I chose to keep to myself, perhaps out of a feeling of foolishness, thinking my friends would look too deeply into the matter….But that was stupid because there wasn’t even ANY depth in the matter. God, Dr. Saotome had made me so jittery and silly!

So, after all those things were done I turned my mind to more important issues. I moved to my lovely, messy desk and began organizing my abandoned papers and prints, untouched since the day I found the lump. I was so full of positive energy that I tidied everything and got down to my research on a new image I was supposed to create for a branch of restaurants.

I continued working straight on until midnight, when my body practically begged me to shut down. Tomorrow I had to show my face at work and update my boss so sleep was highly necessary. I undressed and put on my colourful pajamas and snuggled up in my den of duvets, at peace, delightfully tired and optimistic about the days to come.

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For the most part, the week floated by without major happenings and I found myself getting ready for surgery. The night before, I could barely sleep, and my eyes ached and burned from the lack of it.

Aunt Kumiko noticed how terrible I looked as she accompanied me to the hospital at eight in the morning. EIGHT IN THE MORNING!!!! Tooooooo early for Rin, especially when she hasn’t slept a wink all night.

I positively dragged my feet on the way there in silence, which was really uncharacteristic of me. Aunt Kumiko knew I was nervous so all she did was give my soothing pats and squeezes occasionally.

My heart was beating a mile a minute, yet strangely my lips remained stuck together which I believe scared my aunt more.

Arriving at the hospital, I was then separated from her and taken to Dr. Saotome’s surgery. I suddenly panicked, having lost the comfort of my aunt’s presence and feeling the operation looming ever closer. I glanced down at my boobies, promising them nice and expensive bras and tops for after the ordeal.

A wave of nerves overtook me as I entered Room 9, the oh so familiar Room 9, Dr. Saotome’s lair. I then realized how near I was to having my breast sliced open. I was handed a pale clinical blue hospital gown and was told to remove all my clothes and jewellery by a tired looking nurse, who after about fifteen minutes, received my stuff and placed it in a locker.

She left the room and I hugged myself, feeling a little shivery due to the air-conditioning and the flimsy material of the gown that did little to grant me warmth or indeed decency. It reached just above the knee and was parted right at the front with nothing but a couple of strings to tie it together. I held it together additionally with my hands, trying to calm the twisting of my stomach.

Despite it all, I took the time to delicately sniff the cool air, appreciating the slight fragrance of what I assumed was Dr. Saotome’s aftershave that lingered about the room.
Aaaaah…it smelt so MANLY. But what was I doing!? No time for that, no time for that!

Dr. Saotome strode into the room and immediately began prepping me for the surgery. I clutched the front of my gown nervously, so hard my knuckled turned white.

His face was blank and professional when he asked me to open the gown in order to inspect me. I swallowed and nodded, pulling apart the garment with trembling hands. I was sooooo glad I’d left my panties on because he would have officially seen me naked…and that would have killed me. He ran over my left breast with a blue marker, indicating the spot that had caused me so much stress. He explained the entire procedure in his wonderful baritone and gestured with his flat palm the incisions he would make, lightly touching my skin as he did so, sending shivers throughout my entire body. He finally put some distance between us and settled his cool gaze upon me. I unconsciously covered myself with the gown and held it together firmly.

Then he left the room. Just like that! Leaving me simply standing there gawping after him!

And God, he smelt HEAVENLY! I savoured the fading wafts of scented air like a lovesick teenager and giggled foolishly as I caught myself. At least it was distracting me from my nerves!

I waited only a few moments, humming to myself and thinking nice, happy things (or tried to anyway), before someone came to fetch me. This time it was a male nurse, who would have looked really cute had it not been for the dark circles under his eyes and the shadow of whiskers dusting his jaw.

I was laid on a wheelie bed and then left alone. I experimented a while with it, wiggling my butt and moving the whole thing from side to side until the squeaks from the wheels got too noisy, making me stop.

“Full of energy today, are we?” Came a cheerful voice from…somewhere.
A male doctor approached my bed, grinning and introducing himself as my anesthesiologist. He was middle-aged and had funny looking grey hair that stuck up naturally in every direction, and kind brown eyes. I felt very much at ease and managed a grin myself, feeling the chatter start bubbling up inside me.

He began fumbling with his implements and introduced a small needle that in turn was attached to a drip, into my pale arm. He chatted to me all the while to help take my mind off what he was doing.

“Are you still in college?”

“No, I’m working for Sekai Incorporated. It’s a large company and I’m currently creating an image for a big chain of restaurants opening in the city, I haven’t met the owner yet because he always sends his agents but I hope I’ll speak to him personally very soon-”

“That’s great! And any boyfriends?” He asked, adding a liquid to the drip using a syringe.

“Nope! No boyfriends! Well not yet anyway, I haven’t had time for those, hahaha! With all this work I’m doing it’s hard enough finding time to sleep let alone date…”
“Aw, that’s a shame”

“It isn’t really, I prefer seeing the positive side of things, I dedicate my time to work and myself, go out whenever I feel like it and not worry about calling anyone…”

As I continued to natter incessantly on, under this doctor’s warm gaze, I felt myself getting droopier and droopier, an incredibly strange feeling, since I was unable to control anything, I just wanted to give in to the warm, fuzzy sleepiness that washed over me, like a journey through a fluffy tunnel…or resting in someone’s…embrace…or…something…like…

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Sesshoumaru scrubbed in and approached the operating table, hands raised before him to avoid any contact with a possibly contaminated surface. His team was waiting for his first command, which was the way he wanted it, preferring to be respected and even feared a little, rather than liked. His calculating gaze swept over the room to confirm that everything was in order, that his team was complete and his patient stable.

He pulled back the square of clinical material covering the area of incision, and one of the other surgeons gave a low whistle.

“Sheesh, taking this morning shift actually paid off.”

Sesshoumaru shot him an cold, reproving glare. “Be a professional or get out of my O.R”

The man who had spoken lowered his head and nodded submissively and the tension in the room was suddenly palpable. Someone gave a nervous cough.

Sesshoumaru maintained his eyes on him for a moment longer and then slowly lowered towards the young woman asleep on the cold, hard table.
“Scalpel.”

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Silver hair….so much silver hair…smouldering amber eyes, sensual lips, warm hands and light caresses that quicken heartbeats…that soft mouth opens, a gleam of white teeth, the fingers constantly touching skin…a voice, a sound…!
‘Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!’

I opened my eyes gradually…only to find that they closed soon after…

Breaths come in pants, skin upon skin…those intense eyes…beautiful eyes..so much silver hair…and the voice!

‘Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!’

I put more effort into this time, making my eyes open all the way… feeling unnaturally groggy…and…so…SORE!

Owwwwwwwwwwww! Hurts! And that annoying beeping sound! My boob hurts, and my nose hurts for some reason and now my head hurts from the stupid beeping…what the hell….?

And then I remember. I’m in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines! One that measured my heartbeat and blood pressure and another feeding me oxygen through my nose. I slowly looked down and checked myself, finding I couldn’t see anything because I was covered by a blanket, but I sure as hell could FEEL IT!

Owwwwwww!

I had to blink several times because my vision was a little cloudy, before finally adjusting to my surroundings. A nurse bustled in and smiled asking me how I was feeling, but all I managed was an eloquent gurgle. She nodded sympathetically and checked my chart, hurrying out as quick as she had come in.

My head pounded brutally, and my chest was so sore it made breathing painful, but I tried to take calming breaths and to think positive. At that moment aunt Kumiko came in clutching a cup of coffee and looking a little paler than normal. She rushed to my side as soon as she noticed I was away and hugged me, releasing me immediately as I gasped with pain.

“Oh Rin, I’m sorry! I was just so worried is all!” she exclaimed, her eyebrows knitted in concern.

“S’okay…” I slurred, not having shaken off the effects of the anesthetic in its entirety.

Aunt Kumiko pulled up a chair and sat beside me, taking a sip from her cup.

“It…hurts…a lot” I whispered, grimacing. My aunt sighed and was about to say something comforting when someone familiar strode in.

“Miss Ayase, your operation was a success. I was able to remove the mass completely.”

Aaaah, beautiful Dr. Saotome! Instead of a white coat he was wearing pale blue scrubs, and his hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. Red hot!

I croaked my thanks, to my embarrassment, not having fully recuperated my voice. Dr Sexy Saotome said nothing, only flipping through my chart.

“You will be discharged later today. This is your prescription for antibiotics. One with every meal. No alcohol, no heavy lifting and no sports.”

He handed a small slip of paper to my aunt and he left. Wow, what a man. I’d always fancied the strong and silent type. But enough of that nonsense, I had some serious recovering to do!

His presence had jolted something in my memory though, preventing me from pushing him out of my mind. Did I dream about him!? No, impossible…AN EROTIC DREAM!? Oh God it was coming back to me now, and I felt my face go tomato red with shame. Aunt Kumiko stood up in alarm, convinced I was choking and I was forced to calm her down with a smile in order to not get my back violently thumped.

I closed my eyes in order to rest for the few hours that remained of my stay. I heard my Aunt rustle in her chair, and felt her hand pat my head. I felt relief. It was all over now!