InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 28 Days ❯ The Wake Up Call ( Chapter 9 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: RozeFire 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.11.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 3.2K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.11.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 3.2K | Status: Completed
AN: Yep, I've finally gotten round to writing a new chapter and there's a nice little plot twist at the end (which will probably be a god send to people who don't like Kikyo).
Anyway - since someone asked in their review for the pairing - it's definitely Inu/Kag, I don't usually do much else, with a little Miroku/Sango on the side ^_^
There's probably some Kikyo/Delivery man as well somewhere... just kidding! ^_^
Enjoy!
< br>
28 Days
The Wake Up Call
< br>
It was probably the traffic noise from outside that had woken her up. Before she opened her eyes she became vaguely aware of a weight on up left leg and a faint puff of air against her cheek. Wondering what it could be she opened her eyes and found her nose was literally an inch or less from Inuyasha's nose. He seemed to still be asleep as his breathing was deep and heavy and his face was completely relaxed of the usual worried frowns and irritated scowls.
Carefully she inched her gaze down and noticed her hand was resting lighting at his waist - a hand which she retracted rather quickly. She froze as he shifted and murmured something in his sleep, turning his head slightly.
When she was sure he wasn't waking up she lifted her own head and looked further down. His leg... was the weight that was pinning her leg to the settee.
"Oh boy..." she muttered to herself and cringed as she slowly tried to pry her other hand out from under Inuyasha's body. She stopped every time she thought he was going to wake up and tried to lean back as far as possible.
The leg part was tricky... and she had a lot more difficulty trying to slide out of this one. Then he started to wake up...
"Kikyo..." he murmured in his sleep as he began to stir.
A fleeting thought ran through Kagome's head at the chief nurse's name, one which made her feel strangely dismayed.
"B goes after A..." he sighed. "... moron..."
With a great yank she pulled her leg out from under his and gasped as she toppled off the settee. The thud caused Inuyasha to come awake at once. "I swear it was Miroku! I didn't touch your files!"
"Good morning." Kagome groaned from the floor.
Inuyasha blinked and looked down as reality slowly returned to him. "What are you doing on the floor?"
"Looking for Africa, what does it look like I'm doing?" she said sarcastically as she sat up, careful to keep her head bowed so her hair could cover her flushed cheeks.
"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his head and ruffling up his hair.
"About eight o'clock I think." Kagome started to stand and began to brush herself down.
"Shit - I'm late!" he jumped up and ran off into the kitchen, before running back. "That's not the bedroom!"
Kagome yawned widely as he disappeared into another room and bundled herself off to the bathroom. It wasn't long before Inuyasha came banging at the door. "Get out of there! It's MY bathroom!"
"Yeah, but I ain't done yet!" she yelled back, using a finger to 'brush' her teeth with toothpaste. No way was she using her doctor's toothbrush, no matter how healthy it was about to be.
"I'm late already - if you make me any later then I'll be taking my bad mood out on you all day!"
"Jeez... I feel like we're married or something!" she yelled back and rinsed her mouth. "I could be naked in here for all you know!"
the door suddenly opened and she jumped around.
"You're not naked." He stated the obvious, barging past her to the sink.
"Don't sound too disappointed." She retorted, heading back into the main room to fetch her shoes. Just as she'd slipped into them the phone rang.
"It's for you!" she called.
"How do you know?"
"Or it could be for the corpse or hamster that shares with you." Kagome grinned. "I'm just wild guessing here."
"Pick it up."
She was just about to say that she wasn't his slave or house maid, but the ringing was getting on her nerves. Kagome went to the table the phone was sat on and put it to her ear. "Hello, you're through to Doctor Inu's refrigerator box, how may I help you?"
"Who is this?" said the young sounding woman on the other end, a woman with a familiar voice.
Was it Kikyo?
"I'm Inuyasha's rampant sex monkey, and who are you?"
"His mother."
Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth and stared in horror at Inuyasha who just came in. "Who is it?" he frowned.
"It's for you." She repeated and shoved the phone into his hands.
"Hello?" he asked curiously, before his expression faded slowly into realisation, and finally, irritation. He covered the speaking end with his hand and glared at her. "You - keys - car - now!"
Kagome didn't need to be told twice and quickly picked her way across the room, grabbed the car keys that she'd stolen the day before, and ran down the stairs. She dived into the car when she reached it and finally allowed herself to grimace. She'd left Inuyasha to face the music, but it wouldn't be long before he would be down to give the music to Kagome.
The temptation to just drive away without him was amazingly strong, and she had to sit on her hands to keep from reaching over to take the wheel.
Only moments after she had actually gotten herself seated in the car, Inuyasha appeared at the entrance of the building, not looking at all like a particularly happy bunny.
He yanked the door open rather harshly plonked down in the drivers seat and slammed the door after him - Kagome wincing at each loud noise. After a moment he released his clenched fists and turned a low glare on her. "I swear... I think I might have to kill you before I find a cure for you..." he ground out before snatching the keys and ramming them into the ignition.
As soon as the engine turned on, so did the radio - the broken radio. The broken radio that emitted a loud screeching noise now that it was broken. They both gasped and covered their eyes before Inuyasha had to punch the mangled thing to kill it completely.
Kagome remembered to just shut up and keep quiet for the rest of the journey before she met the same fate.
^_^
"And if you move from that spot - I will here it - and I will know that you moved. So no more running away or I will make the nurses give you more sedatives and ten point restraints. Got that?"
Inuyasha didn't wait for Kagome's answer as he slammed the door shut to her room and turned around to head up to reception... only to see his mother coming up the opposite direction, apparently too distracted to notice him because she seemed to be talking on the phone.
"I was talking to Mochiko the other day - HER son managed to get into a Lawyer firm last week." His mother was saying into the phone. "No stress - no wild parties for those lawyers you know - and HER son still calls her 'mom'! And NO strange girls are answering his phone in the morning when he's late for work! I can't believe you! No - I want you to listen to me before you start explaining your reasons - I won't believe it! It was Kikyo wasn't it! Wasn't it? No need to say anything - I know it was her - it sounded like her! And aren't you late for work - you're wasting my time Inuyasha, I have busy matters to attend to."
She disconnected the call and looked up to see him coming towards her. She blinked. "That was quick."
"Just trying to impress you, Fei." He smirked.
She realised what had happened, since he managed to do this little trick on her nearly every time she called. Maybe once in a while she should check to make sure he was still on the line now and then to make sure she wasn't wasting her phone bill. She'd known him to go out for a coffee once when she'd called him, and he'd been back in time to say goodbye and put the phone down. Maybe she talked too much...
"Don't trick an old woman." She snapped and put her phone away. "I was worried sick about you! I have half a mind to move in with you just to make sure you're ok. Strange girls... who was she?"
"You're just worried you're little boy might not be a virgin any more." He said rather carelessly and she gasped, clearly outraged.
"Don't use that word around me, young man!" she huffed before leaning forward. "I mean... you are a V aren't you...?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to quickly mooch away. "Could you just run some more tests on the Xycrophobin for me? Thanks!"
"I haven't said 'yes' yet!" she yelled after him.
"Please, Ma." He looked around sincerely with the most inspiring look he could manage. "I'm very busy today."
The word 'Ma' had had it's affect though and she gave instantly. "Oh alright..."
He found Miroku in reception again, seeing as Kikyo still wasn't turning up. "Beat it Miroku - I've got nothing all morning, you might as well leave it to me."
"You sure?" Miroku put down the magazine he was reading and looked up at him. "I ain't busy."
"Sango's coming in, don't you want to see her?" Inuyasha asked absently as he pulled down a little Christmas star that was hanging above his head.
"Ok, Scrooge, you convinced me." Miroku was on his feet at once. "Now let me just get my lunch."
He pulled open a drawer... obviously the wrong one because when they both looked down to see the contents they froze and stared. It was like they had just stumbled across a hidden trough of gold or something.
"I think Sister Kikyo has been holding out on us..." Miroku stared at all the pens brimming in the drawer.
"Look - there's that one that I got in the mail!" Inuyasha grabbed it and held it up. Noticing Miroku's strange look he jumped to his own defence. "Hey - I just liked the colour of the ink!"
"No need... look... red... blue... black... is that pink?" Miroku rummaged around.
"That's purple." They both grabbed it at the same time and glared at each others, having a minor tug of war.
"Shouldn't you be going now Miroku?" Inuyasha asked tightly, gripping the purple pen tightly.
"Yes." Miroku answered in the same tone, but not moving an inch.
Suddenly Inuyasha looked past Miroku into the waiting area. "Oh hi, Sango!"
Miroku let go of the pen at once and spun... to find no one there. He glowered around at Inuyasha who was happily kicking back his feet on the desk and writing something down on a prescription pad with his new pen, an evil smirk on his face.
"You can't hold it forever." Miroku said warningly. "And when you put it down... I'll be right there to pick it up after you."
He let the warning hang in the air as he stalked off while Inuyasha watched him stonily. Nope... he'd never leave such a cool pen hanging around...
^_^
"Do gtor - ain't you supposed to be seeing me now?" An anonymous man called across the waiting room.
"I'm busy!" Inuyasha called back angrily, fighting the giant yawn that nearly made it's presence known.
"Bull! You're just reading!" the delivery man shouted back. "Here I am crippled and in agony and you're reading a book!"
"I am not!" he quickly stuffed his book inside a magazine and held it up so the moron could see the front cover. "I happen to be reading about the latest medical equipment - I could save someone's life from this stuff!"
"I didn't know Playboy had gone into medical science." The man answered.
Inuyasha frowned before looking at the cover of the magazine... it was one of Miroku's. He clapped it down at once and made a mental note to throttle that surgeon until all his spare change fell out... all of Inuyasha's spare change fell out that was.
He took his feet off the front desk and stuffed his book into a spare drawer. With a resigned sigh he got up and gestured to the delivery man. "Let's go then..." he grumbled, sincerely wishing that he could be somewhere else.
Suddenly his pager went off and he looked down happily. "Yes! He's having a heart attack - I gotta go!"
Aki quickly dodged out of the way as Inuyasha shot past. "Aren't you supposed to be looking after Mr Delivery man?!"
"I got a page!"
She gave him a stern look.
"No seriously - isn't that great?" Inuyasha grinned and turned to run away again. "Look after reception and if Kikyo drops by tell her to go screw herself - she's fired."
Kikyo was the hospital Sister... Aki wasn't going to tell her to go do anything, but then again she wasn't going to tell Inuyasha that either. Besides, Kikyo didn't seem to remember that she had a job, she hadn't been in for a three days now.
With a sigh she sat down at the front desk and looked around for something to do... read perhaps - but not that magazine over there belonging to Miroku. She found a book that had been stashed hastily in one of the drawers and looked at the cover. "Little Women...?" she nodded appreciatively and wondered off with the book in her hand, totally forgetting the job she'd been assigned to.
^_^
Kagome was bored again, and she didn't want to hang around in her room for much longer. The best thing she could do was play cards with herself. Apparently the doctors had thought it best to remove all kinds of expensive equipment from her room - including the TV... for some strange reason. And now that she couldn't watch the wonders of daylight TV she was bored out of her skull.
After cheating at solitaire for the eighth time, she realised she had to get out of there before she lost her entire will to live. So she rolled out of bed and carefully began to get changed. She had to be quick though, otherwise the nurses would come in and tell her to get straight back onto the bed with that rather embarrassing backless gown.
She slipped out of her room quietly and tugged her sleeve down over her hand to hide the IV needle so no one would recognise her as a patient. She wasn't planning on running away, she'd learnt her lesson by now. Somehow Doctor Inu ended up finding her no matter where she went. It could have been because she usually ended up in places she knew he would head for...
She wouldn't admit it, but he was a nice breath of fresh air to have around. Well... at least he didn't burst into tears when he was talking to her... unlike a certain grandfather.
Before long she found her way to reception, totally by fault of getting lost, not that she'd been aiming that way. The front desk was completely vacant, and there were a few rather annoyed people hanging around reception, stamping their feet since they'd just come out the cold.
Someone spotted her. "Hey you - you a nurse here, sweet-cheeks?" a guy in a wheelchair asked.
Kagome resented being called 'sweet-cheeks'. "No... but I'm an assistant, may I help you?"
"Yeah - where can I find Dogtor Inu - he's supposed to be treating me."
'And me' Kagome thought privately, but didn't voice so. "He's busy right now."
"But my leg is killing me and this shackle fell on my head from no where the other day, and that needs bandaging - where's the service around here?!"
"At the pub - you should try looking down there." Kagome said shortly. "Next please!"
A woman with a young boy came forward. "Hello, I need to see Doctor Inu, he's my son's psychiatrist."
"Really?" Kagome blinked in surprise at the boy - and suddenly recognised him as the one that had been sitting on her bed a long time ago. "What's the problem." Not that she thought she could help, she was just nosy and interested.
"Well, it seems that the treatment worked... Shippo began talking for a while... but now he seems to have had a relapse, and he won't say a word to me... will you?" she looked at her son who refused to meet her gaze.
Something about the boy's expression troubled Kagome, the last time she'd seen him he'd seemed fairly bouncy and talkative... now he seemed a bit dull...
"Um... Doctor Inu's busy, I think..."
"But I really have to go to work now - can't he see him again?" the mother asked.
"I don't think so..." Kagome answered, her eyes on the boy.
"Ok..." the mother sighed with resign. "I suppose I better drop you off with your father back home then..."
Suddenly Shippo shot alert. "I wanna stay here!" he said quickly.
"Shippo?" his mother turned to him in surprise. "Are you ok, sweetie?"
She didn't get any more words out of him.
"If you want, I can baby-sit him for a while until Inuyasha comes back." she offered. The kid didn't seem too much trouble, and she'd be glad for company.
"If it's not too much trouble." The woman looked relieved. "I'll come by in a few hours to pick him up, I'll talk to the doctor then."
"Ok." Kagome nodded with a smile as the woman lifted her adoptive son onto the desk and waved with a sad sort of smile of her own.
When she was gone Kagome lifted Shippo down onto the swivel chair behind the desk. "So, what's up with the end of the world expression?"
Shippo just looked flatly down at the ground.
"You know, because it's not the end of the world." She pursed her lips. "Unless someone forget to send me the memo."
Shippo smiled slightly but quickly suppressed it, though Kagome saw it and smiled in return. "You wanna do something interesting? Cause I'm bored."
Shippo nodded meekly.
"How about... reading a magazine?" she lifted the one she'd spotted on the desk, before dropping it as though it had bitten her. Shippo was leaning over to see what it was she'd just dropped, but Kagome quickly called his attention away. "How about we go check out those vending machines on the top floor - they have Yorkie bars in there, you know."
Chocolate seemed the right thing to prescribe right now, and Shippo managed a weak smile and a nod. "Ok."
^_^
"How strong are you, Miako?" Inuyasha asked the ten year old girl casually as he tied the strings of his mask behind his head.
"Very strong." She answered, watching him diligently from where she was lying on her back in her hospital gown.
"Stronger than me?"
"Yes." She said without hesitation.
"Prove it." He stuck out his gloved hand to her. "Squeeze my fingers in your fist as tight as you can."
She took the challenge and squeezed as hard as she could as one of the assistant nurses tapped her wrist, trying to bring the vein up. Miroku was stood on the opposite side of the table, watching and waiting for when the girl would be anaesthetised so he could operate.
The grip on Inuyasha's fingers was beginning to weaken and he smirked at the girl. "Getting tired?"
"Yes..."
"Tough. Keep squeezing." He said shortly and she renewed her efforts.
"Got it," the nurse said and picked up an IV needle from the tray behind her. She handed it to Inuyasha who ripped open the sterile plastic wrapper.
"Ok, Miako, this won't hurt one bit." He prepared the needle. "Ok... maybe it will hurt a lot... like a bee sting..."
That got him off thinking about Kagome again... but he had to concentrate at the task at hand. He stuck the needle in and waited for the scream... but it never came. He glanced up and noticed that the girl hadn't even winced.
"Good girl." He patted her arm.
"I don't think it's working." Miako suddenly said.
"You what?" Inuyasha looked at her.
"I don't feel sleepy."
He rolled his eyes plainly. "That's because I haven't given you the sleepy drug yet."
"But-"
"Who's the doctor here? Me or you?"
"I guess that would be you." She said dully.
"Right." He finished injecting the anaesthetic. "So when I say it's time to go to sleep, you will go to sleep. Right?"
She didn't answer because she was asleep.
"How rude." He sighed and pulled his mask off and glanced up at Miroku. "She's all yours."
"Come on Aki." Miroku gestured to the nurse and they both started to wheel her off to theatre.
Inuyasha finished packing away some of the equipment with the nurse before returning to the sink to wash his hands and brush the lint off his light blue smocks.
His next destination would be to go check on his mother, to see how she was doing with the Xycrophobin, and then go check on Kagome... to see if she was still there and to give her a dose of the drug.
But no sooner had he left the practise room did he spot someone rather unexpected sitting in one of the waiting chairs in the corridor. She didn't look good.
"Kikyo...?" he frowned as she darted a look up at him. She wasn't wearing her uniform and it looked like she'd been crying. Did she know she was fired yet? "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be at reception... or the unemployed office?"
she stood up slowly and clasped her shaking hands together. "I came to see you... because you're my doctor."
"Ok..." he said slowly.
"I... I think I have Breast Cancer," her voice shook as she spoke and a cold feeling ran through Inuyasha, like maybe he'd shot himself with the anaesthetic instead.
"Oh..." was all he could say, no more scathing remarks ready to fire.
AN: I swear I'm not being mean to Kikyo - it's vital to the plot. Those of you who actually bother reviewing, please press the blue button ^_^
Anyway - since someone asked in their review for the pairing - it's definitely Inu/Kag, I don't usually do much else, with a little Miroku/Sango on the side ^_^
There's probably some Kikyo/Delivery man as well somewhere... just kidding! ^_^
Enjoy!
< br>
28 Days
The Wake Up Call
< br>
It was probably the traffic noise from outside that had woken her up. Before she opened her eyes she became vaguely aware of a weight on up left leg and a faint puff of air against her cheek. Wondering what it could be she opened her eyes and found her nose was literally an inch or less from Inuyasha's nose. He seemed to still be asleep as his breathing was deep and heavy and his face was completely relaxed of the usual worried frowns and irritated scowls.
Carefully she inched her gaze down and noticed her hand was resting lighting at his waist - a hand which she retracted rather quickly. She froze as he shifted and murmured something in his sleep, turning his head slightly.
When she was sure he wasn't waking up she lifted her own head and looked further down. His leg... was the weight that was pinning her leg to the settee.
"Oh boy..." she muttered to herself and cringed as she slowly tried to pry her other hand out from under Inuyasha's body. She stopped every time she thought he was going to wake up and tried to lean back as far as possible.
The leg part was tricky... and she had a lot more difficulty trying to slide out of this one. Then he started to wake up...
"Kikyo..." he murmured in his sleep as he began to stir.
A fleeting thought ran through Kagome's head at the chief nurse's name, one which made her feel strangely dismayed.
"B goes after A..." he sighed. "... moron..."
With a great yank she pulled her leg out from under his and gasped as she toppled off the settee. The thud caused Inuyasha to come awake at once. "I swear it was Miroku! I didn't touch your files!"
"Good morning." Kagome groaned from the floor.
Inuyasha blinked and looked down as reality slowly returned to him. "What are you doing on the floor?"
"Looking for Africa, what does it look like I'm doing?" she said sarcastically as she sat up, careful to keep her head bowed so her hair could cover her flushed cheeks.
"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his head and ruffling up his hair.
"About eight o'clock I think." Kagome started to stand and began to brush herself down.
"Shit - I'm late!" he jumped up and ran off into the kitchen, before running back. "That's not the bedroom!"
Kagome yawned widely as he disappeared into another room and bundled herself off to the bathroom. It wasn't long before Inuyasha came banging at the door. "Get out of there! It's MY bathroom!"
"Yeah, but I ain't done yet!" she yelled back, using a finger to 'brush' her teeth with toothpaste. No way was she using her doctor's toothbrush, no matter how healthy it was about to be.
"I'm late already - if you make me any later then I'll be taking my bad mood out on you all day!"
"Jeez... I feel like we're married or something!" she yelled back and rinsed her mouth. "I could be naked in here for all you know!"
the door suddenly opened and she jumped around.
"You're not naked." He stated the obvious, barging past her to the sink.
"Don't sound too disappointed." She retorted, heading back into the main room to fetch her shoes. Just as she'd slipped into them the phone rang.
"It's for you!" she called.
"How do you know?"
"Or it could be for the corpse or hamster that shares with you." Kagome grinned. "I'm just wild guessing here."
"Pick it up."
She was just about to say that she wasn't his slave or house maid, but the ringing was getting on her nerves. Kagome went to the table the phone was sat on and put it to her ear. "Hello, you're through to Doctor Inu's refrigerator box, how may I help you?"
"Who is this?" said the young sounding woman on the other end, a woman with a familiar voice.
Was it Kikyo?
"I'm Inuyasha's rampant sex monkey, and who are you?"
"His mother."
Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth and stared in horror at Inuyasha who just came in. "Who is it?" he frowned.
"It's for you." She repeated and shoved the phone into his hands.
"Hello?" he asked curiously, before his expression faded slowly into realisation, and finally, irritation. He covered the speaking end with his hand and glared at her. "You - keys - car - now!"
Kagome didn't need to be told twice and quickly picked her way across the room, grabbed the car keys that she'd stolen the day before, and ran down the stairs. She dived into the car when she reached it and finally allowed herself to grimace. She'd left Inuyasha to face the music, but it wouldn't be long before he would be down to give the music to Kagome.
The temptation to just drive away without him was amazingly strong, and she had to sit on her hands to keep from reaching over to take the wheel.
Only moments after she had actually gotten herself seated in the car, Inuyasha appeared at the entrance of the building, not looking at all like a particularly happy bunny.
He yanked the door open rather harshly plonked down in the drivers seat and slammed the door after him - Kagome wincing at each loud noise. After a moment he released his clenched fists and turned a low glare on her. "I swear... I think I might have to kill you before I find a cure for you..." he ground out before snatching the keys and ramming them into the ignition.
As soon as the engine turned on, so did the radio - the broken radio. The broken radio that emitted a loud screeching noise now that it was broken. They both gasped and covered their eyes before Inuyasha had to punch the mangled thing to kill it completely.
Kagome remembered to just shut up and keep quiet for the rest of the journey before she met the same fate.
^_^
"And if you move from that spot - I will here it - and I will know that you moved. So no more running away or I will make the nurses give you more sedatives and ten point restraints. Got that?"
Inuyasha didn't wait for Kagome's answer as he slammed the door shut to her room and turned around to head up to reception... only to see his mother coming up the opposite direction, apparently too distracted to notice him because she seemed to be talking on the phone.
"I was talking to Mochiko the other day - HER son managed to get into a Lawyer firm last week." His mother was saying into the phone. "No stress - no wild parties for those lawyers you know - and HER son still calls her 'mom'! And NO strange girls are answering his phone in the morning when he's late for work! I can't believe you! No - I want you to listen to me before you start explaining your reasons - I won't believe it! It was Kikyo wasn't it! Wasn't it? No need to say anything - I know it was her - it sounded like her! And aren't you late for work - you're wasting my time Inuyasha, I have busy matters to attend to."
She disconnected the call and looked up to see him coming towards her. She blinked. "That was quick."
"Just trying to impress you, Fei." He smirked.
She realised what had happened, since he managed to do this little trick on her nearly every time she called. Maybe once in a while she should check to make sure he was still on the line now and then to make sure she wasn't wasting her phone bill. She'd known him to go out for a coffee once when she'd called him, and he'd been back in time to say goodbye and put the phone down. Maybe she talked too much...
"Don't trick an old woman." She snapped and put her phone away. "I was worried sick about you! I have half a mind to move in with you just to make sure you're ok. Strange girls... who was she?"
"You're just worried you're little boy might not be a virgin any more." He said rather carelessly and she gasped, clearly outraged.
"Don't use that word around me, young man!" she huffed before leaning forward. "I mean... you are a V aren't you...?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to quickly mooch away. "Could you just run some more tests on the Xycrophobin for me? Thanks!"
"I haven't said 'yes' yet!" she yelled after him.
"Please, Ma." He looked around sincerely with the most inspiring look he could manage. "I'm very busy today."
The word 'Ma' had had it's affect though and she gave instantly. "Oh alright..."
He found Miroku in reception again, seeing as Kikyo still wasn't turning up. "Beat it Miroku - I've got nothing all morning, you might as well leave it to me."
"You sure?" Miroku put down the magazine he was reading and looked up at him. "I ain't busy."
"Sango's coming in, don't you want to see her?" Inuyasha asked absently as he pulled down a little Christmas star that was hanging above his head.
"Ok, Scrooge, you convinced me." Miroku was on his feet at once. "Now let me just get my lunch."
He pulled open a drawer... obviously the wrong one because when they both looked down to see the contents they froze and stared. It was like they had just stumbled across a hidden trough of gold or something.
"I think Sister Kikyo has been holding out on us..." Miroku stared at all the pens brimming in the drawer.
"Look - there's that one that I got in the mail!" Inuyasha grabbed it and held it up. Noticing Miroku's strange look he jumped to his own defence. "Hey - I just liked the colour of the ink!"
"No need... look... red... blue... black... is that pink?" Miroku rummaged around.
"That's purple." They both grabbed it at the same time and glared at each others, having a minor tug of war.
"Shouldn't you be going now Miroku?" Inuyasha asked tightly, gripping the purple pen tightly.
"Yes." Miroku answered in the same tone, but not moving an inch.
Suddenly Inuyasha looked past Miroku into the waiting area. "Oh hi, Sango!"
Miroku let go of the pen at once and spun... to find no one there. He glowered around at Inuyasha who was happily kicking back his feet on the desk and writing something down on a prescription pad with his new pen, an evil smirk on his face.
"You can't hold it forever." Miroku said warningly. "And when you put it down... I'll be right there to pick it up after you."
He let the warning hang in the air as he stalked off while Inuyasha watched him stonily. Nope... he'd never leave such a cool pen hanging around...
^_^
"Do gtor - ain't you supposed to be seeing me now?" An anonymous man called across the waiting room.
"I'm busy!" Inuyasha called back angrily, fighting the giant yawn that nearly made it's presence known.
"Bull! You're just reading!" the delivery man shouted back. "Here I am crippled and in agony and you're reading a book!"
"I am not!" he quickly stuffed his book inside a magazine and held it up so the moron could see the front cover. "I happen to be reading about the latest medical equipment - I could save someone's life from this stuff!"
"I didn't know Playboy had gone into medical science." The man answered.
Inuyasha frowned before looking at the cover of the magazine... it was one of Miroku's. He clapped it down at once and made a mental note to throttle that surgeon until all his spare change fell out... all of Inuyasha's spare change fell out that was.
He took his feet off the front desk and stuffed his book into a spare drawer. With a resigned sigh he got up and gestured to the delivery man. "Let's go then..." he grumbled, sincerely wishing that he could be somewhere else.
Suddenly his pager went off and he looked down happily. "Yes! He's having a heart attack - I gotta go!"
Aki quickly dodged out of the way as Inuyasha shot past. "Aren't you supposed to be looking after Mr Delivery man?!"
"I got a page!"
She gave him a stern look.
"No seriously - isn't that great?" Inuyasha grinned and turned to run away again. "Look after reception and if Kikyo drops by tell her to go screw herself - she's fired."
Kikyo was the hospital Sister... Aki wasn't going to tell her to go do anything, but then again she wasn't going to tell Inuyasha that either. Besides, Kikyo didn't seem to remember that she had a job, she hadn't been in for a three days now.
With a sigh she sat down at the front desk and looked around for something to do... read perhaps - but not that magazine over there belonging to Miroku. She found a book that had been stashed hastily in one of the drawers and looked at the cover. "Little Women...?" she nodded appreciatively and wondered off with the book in her hand, totally forgetting the job she'd been assigned to.
^_^
Kagome was bored again, and she didn't want to hang around in her room for much longer. The best thing she could do was play cards with herself. Apparently the doctors had thought it best to remove all kinds of expensive equipment from her room - including the TV... for some strange reason. And now that she couldn't watch the wonders of daylight TV she was bored out of her skull.
After cheating at solitaire for the eighth time, she realised she had to get out of there before she lost her entire will to live. So she rolled out of bed and carefully began to get changed. She had to be quick though, otherwise the nurses would come in and tell her to get straight back onto the bed with that rather embarrassing backless gown.
She slipped out of her room quietly and tugged her sleeve down over her hand to hide the IV needle so no one would recognise her as a patient. She wasn't planning on running away, she'd learnt her lesson by now. Somehow Doctor Inu ended up finding her no matter where she went. It could have been because she usually ended up in places she knew he would head for...
She wouldn't admit it, but he was a nice breath of fresh air to have around. Well... at least he didn't burst into tears when he was talking to her... unlike a certain grandfather.
Before long she found her way to reception, totally by fault of getting lost, not that she'd been aiming that way. The front desk was completely vacant, and there were a few rather annoyed people hanging around reception, stamping their feet since they'd just come out the cold.
Someone spotted her. "Hey you - you a nurse here, sweet-cheeks?" a guy in a wheelchair asked.
Kagome resented being called 'sweet-cheeks'. "No... but I'm an assistant, may I help you?"
"Yeah - where can I find Dogtor Inu - he's supposed to be treating me."
'And me' Kagome thought privately, but didn't voice so. "He's busy right now."
"But my leg is killing me and this shackle fell on my head from no where the other day, and that needs bandaging - where's the service around here?!"
"At the pub - you should try looking down there." Kagome said shortly. "Next please!"
A woman with a young boy came forward. "Hello, I need to see Doctor Inu, he's my son's psychiatrist."
"Really?" Kagome blinked in surprise at the boy - and suddenly recognised him as the one that had been sitting on her bed a long time ago. "What's the problem." Not that she thought she could help, she was just nosy and interested.
"Well, it seems that the treatment worked... Shippo began talking for a while... but now he seems to have had a relapse, and he won't say a word to me... will you?" she looked at her son who refused to meet her gaze.
Something about the boy's expression troubled Kagome, the last time she'd seen him he'd seemed fairly bouncy and talkative... now he seemed a bit dull...
"Um... Doctor Inu's busy, I think..."
"But I really have to go to work now - can't he see him again?" the mother asked.
"I don't think so..." Kagome answered, her eyes on the boy.
"Ok..." the mother sighed with resign. "I suppose I better drop you off with your father back home then..."
Suddenly Shippo shot alert. "I wanna stay here!" he said quickly.
"Shippo?" his mother turned to him in surprise. "Are you ok, sweetie?"
She didn't get any more words out of him.
"If you want, I can baby-sit him for a while until Inuyasha comes back." she offered. The kid didn't seem too much trouble, and she'd be glad for company.
"If it's not too much trouble." The woman looked relieved. "I'll come by in a few hours to pick him up, I'll talk to the doctor then."
"Ok." Kagome nodded with a smile as the woman lifted her adoptive son onto the desk and waved with a sad sort of smile of her own.
When she was gone Kagome lifted Shippo down onto the swivel chair behind the desk. "So, what's up with the end of the world expression?"
Shippo just looked flatly down at the ground.
"You know, because it's not the end of the world." She pursed her lips. "Unless someone forget to send me the memo."
Shippo smiled slightly but quickly suppressed it, though Kagome saw it and smiled in return. "You wanna do something interesting? Cause I'm bored."
Shippo nodded meekly.
"How about... reading a magazine?" she lifted the one she'd spotted on the desk, before dropping it as though it had bitten her. Shippo was leaning over to see what it was she'd just dropped, but Kagome quickly called his attention away. "How about we go check out those vending machines on the top floor - they have Yorkie bars in there, you know."
Chocolate seemed the right thing to prescribe right now, and Shippo managed a weak smile and a nod. "Ok."
^_^
"How strong are you, Miako?" Inuyasha asked the ten year old girl casually as he tied the strings of his mask behind his head.
"Very strong." She answered, watching him diligently from where she was lying on her back in her hospital gown.
"Stronger than me?"
"Yes." She said without hesitation.
"Prove it." He stuck out his gloved hand to her. "Squeeze my fingers in your fist as tight as you can."
She took the challenge and squeezed as hard as she could as one of the assistant nurses tapped her wrist, trying to bring the vein up. Miroku was stood on the opposite side of the table, watching and waiting for when the girl would be anaesthetised so he could operate.
The grip on Inuyasha's fingers was beginning to weaken and he smirked at the girl. "Getting tired?"
"Yes..."
"Tough. Keep squeezing." He said shortly and she renewed her efforts.
"Got it," the nurse said and picked up an IV needle from the tray behind her. She handed it to Inuyasha who ripped open the sterile plastic wrapper.
"Ok, Miako, this won't hurt one bit." He prepared the needle. "Ok... maybe it will hurt a lot... like a bee sting..."
That got him off thinking about Kagome again... but he had to concentrate at the task at hand. He stuck the needle in and waited for the scream... but it never came. He glanced up and noticed that the girl hadn't even winced.
"Good girl." He patted her arm.
"I don't think it's working." Miako suddenly said.
"You what?" Inuyasha looked at her.
"I don't feel sleepy."
He rolled his eyes plainly. "That's because I haven't given you the sleepy drug yet."
"But-"
"Who's the doctor here? Me or you?"
"I guess that would be you." She said dully.
"Right." He finished injecting the anaesthetic. "So when I say it's time to go to sleep, you will go to sleep. Right?"
She didn't answer because she was asleep.
"How rude." He sighed and pulled his mask off and glanced up at Miroku. "She's all yours."
"Come on Aki." Miroku gestured to the nurse and they both started to wheel her off to theatre.
Inuyasha finished packing away some of the equipment with the nurse before returning to the sink to wash his hands and brush the lint off his light blue smocks.
His next destination would be to go check on his mother, to see how she was doing with the Xycrophobin, and then go check on Kagome... to see if she was still there and to give her a dose of the drug.
But no sooner had he left the practise room did he spot someone rather unexpected sitting in one of the waiting chairs in the corridor. She didn't look good.
"Kikyo...?" he frowned as she darted a look up at him. She wasn't wearing her uniform and it looked like she'd been crying. Did she know she was fired yet? "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be at reception... or the unemployed office?"
she stood up slowly and clasped her shaking hands together. "I came to see you... because you're my doctor."
"Ok..." he said slowly.
"I... I think I have Breast Cancer," her voice shook as she spoke and a cold feeling ran through Inuyasha, like maybe he'd shot himself with the anaesthetic instead.
"Oh..." was all he could say, no more scathing remarks ready to fire.
AN: I swear I'm not being mean to Kikyo - it's vital to the plot. Those of you who actually bother reviewing, please press the blue button ^_^