Dissident Hope

Warning - Rape mention, but does not occur on screen as it were, no description of the act, but mention of injuries.

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Kagome stared at the phone. She hadn’t heard from InuYasha since the day before when he had left her bed in the wee hours of the morning with the promise to call soon to set up another day to work together. It had been easy not to think about what had happened and about him while she was seeing to her appointments or settling disputes and even when attending to any paperwork that Miroku couldn’t sign off on himself, but in spite of that she had really been hoping he would call her today. 



She had spent the morning with the family of Nakamura Jiro, a monk that had died in the attempt to subdue InuYasha. Thankfully his family had been understanding and took comfort in the fact that his sacrifice led to the truce, and to her surprise had no problem believing that Tsubaki had orchestrated the confrontation.



Unfortunately, the afternoon was spent with that of Suzuki Emiko and her family was having a far more difficult time with her loss, and so she had sat across from them and let them vent their grief on her. They also absolutely refused to believe that miko would ever turn on her own kind and aid youkai, and she felt like there was something off about the vehemence of their protestations. 



She made a note to call Miroku and see what he thought about the possibility that there might be others who were working for the same person as Tsubaki. She also wanted him to see what he could find out about how divided they really were and who she really needed to watch out for when it came to the politics and backstabbing that came with being the Great Miko.



She started a list of people that openly disliked her and realized that she now had a legitimate reason to call InuYasha. She picked up the phone and dialed.



Yo, be quick, kind of busy at the moment,” he answered.



“Um, InuYasha, it’s Kagome,” she said, hating how hesitant she sounded. She was the Great Miko calling about business, not a nagging girlfriend. 



“Shit, what time is it?” he asked.She frowned and looked at the clock. “Almost five.”



She heard shouting and InuYasha snarled. “Hold on.”



For several minutes all she heard was what sounded like fighting and InuYasha shouting all manner of obscenities. She wondered if she shouldn’t just hang up and call him back a little later. Her heart clenched as she heard make a pained grunt. He roared and the sounds of battle increased and then finally silence.



“You still there?” he asked.



“Yes,” she replied.



“Shut up, asshole,” he shouted. “Can you see I’m on the fucking phone? Save it for Sesshomaru. Get that piece of shit out of here already.” He sighed. “Sorry about that.”



“It’s okay,” she told him. “Would it be better if I called you back later?”



“Nah, it’s good,” he replied. “I meant to call you earlier but I’ve been on this damn rogue hunt all fucking day. Bastard’s been breaking into human houses and robbing them, which wasn’t a high priority until he raped a woman last night. I couldn’t give him the chance to do it again. I hope you don’t mind, but I gave her your number. I figured you might know someone who can help her or give her a talisman or something to help her feel safer from youkai. He messed her up pretty bad.”



“Of course I don’t mind,” she told him. “Do you know where they took her? I can go to her right now.”



“I think she’s at the University hospital,” he replied. “Her name is Sato Michiko. She’s probably in the critical care ward.”



“Hmmm, it shouldn’t take me more than twenty minutes to get over there,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m going to go now.”



“Call me after and let me know how she’s doing,” he said. “Oh, hey, what did you call for anyway?”



“It’s nothing that can’t wait,” she told him. “I’ll talk to you soon.”



Kagome hung up the phone and went and put her robes back on. She couldn’t imagine what that poor girl must be going through, and she would do whatever she could to help. She went down to the bus stop and checked the schedule to make sure she took the right bus.



As usual she was greeted warmly at the hospital and as usual as soon as word got out that she was here she would be surrounded all night by people wanting her help. It wasn’t what she didn’t want to help, but that she could only do so much, and it hurt her to have to try and explain that she couldn’t help everyone. She had long ago accepted that she could only do as much as she was able, but she still didn’t like having to disappoint sad and desperate people.



“I was hoping I could see Sato Michiko,” she said.



The nurse entered her name into the computer. “Of course Miko-sama, she is in critical care, the poor thing. I assume you know what happened?”



Kagome nodded. “A friend of mine is the one who apprehended the youkai that did this to her and he called me.”



“Come with me and I will show you to her,” the nurse offered.



Kagome followed the woman down through the hospital corridors and into the elevator. They headed up to the second floor and then down another series of hallways until they reached critical care. Kagome hoped that she would be able to slip in relatively unnoticed or she would end up exhausting herself trying to help people. They stopped outside the last door at the end of the hall. The nurse opened the door for her and she stepped inside.



A man and a woman were sitting by the bed and they looked up as she entered. They were both clearly distraught and her heart ached for them and the heavily bandaged young woman on the bed. She hoped that they weren’t among the growing group of humans who were so put off by the war between her people and the youkai that they shunned both sides and refused to have anything to do with either.



“I’m the Great Miko Higurashi Kagome and I came to see if I could help her,” she said quietly. “I am afraid I will be able to do little to heal the pain in her head and in her heart, but I can heal the pain in her body, if you would permit me.”



“The Great Miko,” the woman gasped. “How? We are no one, our daughter is no one and we cannot afford to pay you.”



Kagome held up her hand. “The monster who did this was captured by a friend of mine and he will pay for his crime. It was my friend who told me about her. I am here to help, and I don’t need anything from you except your permission.”



“They caught him?” the man asked.



She smiled gently and nodded. “He will never hurt anyone again, I assure you. The Inu no Taishou himself ordered him hunted down and justice will be swift.”



“Please, miko-sama, help her,” the woman said.



Kagome went over to the bed and held her hands about the unconscious woman. She closed her eyes and touched her power, letting it fill her until it overflowed and blanketed her patient. She clenched her jaw as she felt the extent of her injuries. There were so many deep gashes and he had even destroyed her ability to have children. No wonder InuYasha had been so determined. She started with her internal injuries, and working her way out. Once she was done, she opened her eyes and placed a hand on the bed rail to steady herself.



On the bed the woman stirred. She started kicking and waving her arms as if she was still being attacked and Kagome let her reiki wash over the terrified woman, calming her and giving her a chance to see that she was safe. She sat up blinking as she looked around the room.



“Kaa-san? Tou-san?” she said in a small voice.



Her parents embraced her and she sobbed against them. Her mother looked up at Kagome with tears in her eyes. “Thank you Miko-sama.”



Kagome dragged her sleeve across her cheeks and smiled. “I am just happy to have helped.” She pulled out a card and a rosary and set them on the table. “This is the number of the best counselor I know, and I blessed that rosary myself. I hope it will be a comfort.”



She bowed and excused herself out into the hall only to be met with the family members of what appeared to be most if not all the patients on the ward. She took a deep steadying breath as they all tried to talk to her at the same time. When a nurse hurried over to quiet them she was relieved, but they were still standing before her looking to her for help.



“I’ll help as much as I can, but you have to know there are some things even I can’t fix,” she said quietly. “I also promise to stay until I’ve done what I can for all of you. I’ll start at the room across from this one and then make my way down the hall.”



 



By the time Kagome was leaving the last room she was nearly dead on her feet. Her reiki was all but gone and all she wanted to do was go home and get in the bath and cry. It would be a long time before she would forget the look on that boy’s mother’s face when she told her that there was nothing she could do, that his spirit had long since departed from his body. At least though the woman found comfort in knowing that he wasn’t suffering and that she wouldn’t be killing him if he was removed from life support.



She headed for the elevators and bumped into someone. “I’m sorry."



“You should be miko bitch.”



She lifted her head. The man was glaring at her and she could feel his anger. She took a step back as she glanced towards the empty nurses’ station. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be one my way.”



“I won’t excuse you or none of you kind,” he spat. “You’re all as bad as the damn demons. You should all just kill each other and be done with it.”



She took several more steps back and bumped into the wall. He stood so close to her that they were touching and she forced herself not to panic. “I’m sorry for whatever was done that caused you such pain, but you don’t want to do anything you might regret.”



She flinched as he wrapped a hand around her throat. 



“Believe me I won’t regret wringing your neck. There will be plenty of people out there tired of your kind that will call me a hero. You think you’re so special. Let’s see if you still feel that way when you’re dead.”



She grabbed his wrist and tried to pull his hand away as he squeezed. She dug her nails into his skin but he ignored it, and she struggled to breathe. Her vision started to go dark and that was why she was certain that she imagined it when she heard his voice.



“Oi, get your fucking hands off her,” InuYasha snarled.



He grabbed the bastard that was choking her, snapping his wrist and then flinging him across the hall. He didn’t even bother to look to see if he was still breathing. He went to Kagome who was sitting on the floor coughing and sucking in gasping breaths. She was dazed and didn’t seem to realize that he was there until her lifted her into his arms.



“InuYasha?” she rasped.



“Keh, you all right?” he asked.



She swallowed and put a hand to her sore throat. “I think so. What are you doing here?”



“I went by the shrine with some dinner for you since I figured you’d be worn out after coming here,” he told her. “When you never showed I came to make sure you weren’t wearing yourself out trying to heal everyone here. Good thing I did too.”



“Oh my, what happened here?” as nurse asked taking in the unconscious man and Kagome in the arms of what appeared to be a youkai. “Miko-sama… is everything okay?”



“Keh, that bastard tried to kill her,” InuYasha said. 



The nurse’s eyes widened as she saw the bruises starting to form around Kagome’s neck. “Do you need a doctor, Miko-sama?”



Kagome shook her head. “I’ll be okay. I just need to go home and rest. InuYasha will see to it that I get home safely. He is a friend.”


InuYasha carried her to the elevator and to her surprise up to the roof. He set her on her feet. “How’d you get here?”


“I took a bus,” she replied.


“Keh, perfect,” he said. “Climb on my back and hold on and I’ll take you home.” Her eyebrows disappeared into her bangs and he laughed at her expression. She was too damn cute. “Come on already.”


She stepped towards him and put her hands on his shoulders. “You really want me to ride you?”


He chuckled. “You have a way with words woman.”


Kagome felt her face heat and giggled, but pressed herself against his back and let him lift her onto his back. She squealed a little as he took a flying leap into the air and tightened her grip on his shoulders, but before long there was no room for fear, only pure joy. It was beyond words, the feeling of the wind in her hair, and against her cheeks. She was more than a little disappointed as the shrine came into view. He landed lightly in front of the sacred tree and she slipped off his back.


“That was amazing,” Kagome breathed. 


He looked at her, all windswept and breathless and he couldn’t help himself. He wrapped his arms around her his mouth fell over hers roughly. She whimpered and leaned into him as she devoured her. He swung her up into his arms and carried her into the house. She rested her head against his chest as he carried her up to her room.


Once she was on her feet he gave her one last kiss and then stepped away from her. “You need to rest. The adrenaline from that bastard attacking you and from running through the city won’t last long and then you’re going to crash hard.”


She bit her lower lip. “I know you’re right, but I was hoping for that ride I mentioned earlier.”


Her growled and pulled her against him. “Damn it woman, you are making it hard for me to be a gentleman about this.” He cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips across hers. “Soon. Fuck definitely soon, but not tonight. Get ready for bed and I’ll bring you up something to eat before I go.”


He left her and already she could feel her energy waning. She skipped the shower and put on a pair of pajamas and then slipped into bed. She could barely keep her eyes open as InuYasha returned with a tray and set it across her lap. He pulled up the stool from her vanity and sat beside the bed frowning as he looked at her throat. 


“You sure you don’t need someone to look at that?” he asked.


She rubbed her neck. “If it’s still too sore tomorrow I’ll have Miroku take care of it. Thank you for saving me earlier and for this.”


“Someone has to keep an eye on you,” he replied. “Might as well be me, since I enjoy the view so much.”


She blushed and took a bite of her dinner so that she didn’t have to say anything. She winced as she swallowed. She was definitely going to have to call Miroku or else get used to a liquid diet for the next few days. She forced herself to keep eating knowing that she was going to need to food to help restore her reiki. Her brow furrowed as InuYasha got up and went to the bathroom. He returned and put two small white pills on the tray and two more on her bedside table.


“Two now and two for when you wake up,” he said.


She smiled and took the pain relievers on the tray, swallowing them with a mouthful of water. He lifted the tray off the bed so that she could lie down. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then brushed back her hair.



“I’ll call tomorrow,” he told her. “We can set up a time to work on the scrolls and a time for that other thing too.”


Kagome smiled without opening her eyes. That was definitely something to look forward too. She let herself drift off to sleep and hoped that she would dream of him.





InuYasha put of the left overs of the dinner he had hoped to share with her and then washed the dishes. He couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t disappointed that he hadn’t been able to be with her tonight, but for some reason it didn’t bother him as much as he might have expected. He turned off the water and then headed outside.


A part of him wanted to go back to the hospital and kick the shit out of the bastard who had tried to kill her, but he knew that both Kagome and Sesshomaru would have his ass for doing something that stupid. He would just have to be satisfied with letting human justice handle it. 


As he was running his phone rang and he stopped on a rooftop to answer it. “Yeah.”


“You should have been back by now,” Sesshomaru said.


“Keh, I’m on my way,” he replied. “The Great Miko called while I was taking down that bastard. I told her about the girl and she went to see what she could do to help and I stopped by to get an update and see when she wanted to get back to working on the scrolls.”


“And?” his brother prompted.


“And she was worn out from the healing, but I am calling tomorrow to set up our next session,” InuYasha said. “Damn I still didn’t find out what she had been calling me for. So did you deal with that piece of shit?”


“He had the nerve to claim she was willing,” Sesshomaru replied. “I would have killed him anyway, but that he dared to lie to this Sesshomaru sealed his fate, though it did help see to it that my decision to execute him could not be called into question.”


“Oh, um you might be getting a call from the University hospital or the human police,” InuYasha said, figuring he had better say something before his brother got the calls that were sure to be coming. 


Sesshomaru sighed. “What have you done this time?”


“The Great Miko was taking too long to get back to the shrine so I went to the hospital and found some asshole trying to strangle her,” InuYasha told him. “I think I broke his wrist, and then I threw him across the room. Kagome will back me up, but I thought I should let you know before you heard it from someone else.”


“Indeed,” Sesshomaru said. “I will see it taken care of. Just try not to cause any more trouble on the way home.”


InuYasha snorted. “I’m not making any promises.”