InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angels Are Made From Ink And Pencils ❯ The Second Time ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: alakeshadow 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.20.2008 | Updated On: 06.20.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 257 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.20.2008 | Updated On: 06.20.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 257 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Notes - Wow…can't believe all the stories I have out now. This is in response to a challenge like I said in the first chapter by “Howling_Shewolf” and so the plot and story are originally hers. But oh well. I added in a few things of my own.
Chapter 2: The Second Time
Art is a way of expression that has to be understood by everyone, everywhere.
~Rufino Tamayo, artist
She came again today…but with that woman from yesterday that took her away from me. She was frosted over with snow like a Christmas angel, powdery white crystals gleaming in her raven hair and all over her clothes. They both ordered drinks - latte's again I'm pretty sure. I remember because the other woman said something about extra foam to the waitress. I cursed myself. My sketchbook was at home…on my desk beside my drawing utensils. I ended up using a napkin, snatching the pen used for signing the receipt to draw with. Once again I found myself scanning the delicate profile of her face…the curve of her cheek and the place where her lips slid softly into her skin and space beneath her nose. She laughed - the image burned into my mind as I hurriedly tried to sketch down the image. The napkin ripped, and I wanted to weep almost with the loss of that wondrous profile, because as I irritatedly called a nearby waitress for another, she and the other women rose, and exited the coffee house.
*****
“So, want to go to the coffee house?”
Kagome nodded.
“Sure Sango-chan, just let me call Kaeda-san down the hall.” And in minutes she had called, grabbed her purse, kissed her animals (minus Buyo who she gave a stomach rub instead while taking out a can of tuna to hold him over), and closed off any doors that could lead to them getting into anything like the trash or chemicals, ect.
“Kaeda is coming by later to check on them, so they should be fine.” Kagome said as she locked her door, making sure it was secure and followed the other friend down the stairway and out into the street. Immediately as she stepped through the doorway she felt the chilly wind begin to tug at her legs and jacket. Pulling her clothes tighter around herself, Kagome followed Sango to her car and quickly got into the passenger seat.
“Kagome, where's your car?” Kagome blushed slightly at the question and put the heat on full blast, chattering when she was hit in the face with cold air instead.
“Inuyasha has it.”
“Inuyasha? The grieving boyfriend?” Kagome nodded, playing with her hands embarrassedly.
“What happened to his?” Kagome played a little faster with her fingers as Sango started the car and pulled out into the street.
“He…well he uh…sorta totaled it...” Sango glanced at her in surprise, nearly hitting a pedestrian in her distraction.
Kagome grabbed onto the door and armrest to hold on as Sango careened to the side, narrowly missing them.
“Anyway, stupid old lady! She's supposed to walk on the 'sidewalk'…!” Sango grumbled on but it was too low to hear and Kagome was somewhat glad for it.
“So where's Miroku-san?”
Sango glanced at her quickly and shrugged, looking back at the road.
“Work…he had to leave at five for a photo shoot opportunity at Tokyo Tower. Some new reconstruction meant to bring in more tourists.” Sango rolled her eyes, and turned left onto a busy street.
“Not like we don't have enough of those…” She said with a huff. Kagome smiled and patted her friends arm.
“Well…remember Sango that you were a tourist in America, and Paris, and Greece, and Zimbabwe…” Sango glared at a car in front of them as it cut in front of her. She slammed her hand against the horn.
“Yeah, well I didn't walk into the middle of streets or maul people in broad daylight!”
Kagome flinched slightly, a drop of sweat forming on her brow. When Sango and Miroku had gone to Cairo a few months ago, they had gone into one of the market places and Miroku had seen some pretty girl trying to sell clay pots to passer-bys. So he being Miroku, ended up groping the young woman, and of course she had a husband who was about equal in size and weight as Muhammad Ali. So after a brief commotion of raised fists and yelling from both women at each appropriate male, Ali took after Miroku with one of the clay pots and knocked him out cold with it. Then Sango had to pay for the pot.
Then there was that time in Georgia, America when Sango had had a misunderstanding with drunken man in a bar and ended up being carried over his shoulder out of the place. That was where she had met Miroku. He was visiting friends there and had coincidentally come to the same bar that night. He saved her, (got a black eye in the process) but saved her, and they had been together ever since. That had been a year ago.
“Yes, Sango-chan.”
They turned into the coffee house parking lot and got out of the car.
“So when's Miroku-san getting home?”
“Dunno. He said something about it being a possible overnighter.” Sango said as she opened the door and let them both inside. Warm air instantly assaulted them and the two women sighed in bliss. Hurriedly taking off their heavy coats and gloves, they sat down at a small table for two next to a window overlooking the street. Almost immediately, a waitress came over and asked for their drinks.
“Um…I'll have whatever you get Sango-chan.” Kagome said with a blush as the waitress waited expectantly for her order. Sango grinned.
“Two choco latte's, extra foam no sugar. And make mine a double with a shot of espresso.” The waitress nodded politely and went off to get their orders.
Settling back, Kagome sighed and put her kid gloves on the polished table.
“Why do we always get latte's whenever we come here?”
Sango shrugged and fiddled with a paper napkin the waitress had given her.
“Um, I don't know…they're good?”
Kagome laughed and they waited in comfortable silence until the drinks came.
“Thanks. So when do I meet him?”
Kagome chocked into her hot drink, her nose catching some of the head from it.
“Meet him? What are you, my mother?”
Sango gave her a serious look.
“No, your mother might let you date him. I wont.” Kagome laughed and rolled her eyes, swirling the creamy liquid around in her mouth.
“I don't know, to tell you the truth. He called last night but I was with you guys, so he had to leave a message. He says he's coming back to work in four days.”
Sango wiggled her eyebrows at her friend.
“Any idea's on how to…welcome him back?” Kagome blushed and chocked once more on her beverage, beginning to laugh.
“Sango!”
“What? I didn't say anything!”
“You did the eyebrow thing!”
Sango laughed herself and took a long sip from her latte.
“`Eyebrow thing?' Whatever are you talking about, Kagome-chan?” Sango asked with an innocent wave of her hand.
“Very funny, you know what I mean!”
“Someone must have spiked your coffee, because you're hallucinating!”
Kagome pouted and crossed her hands over her chest stubbornly.
“NO. I am not going to welcome him like that. Maybe a nice dinner instead.” Sango snorted and finished off her latte, ordering another which came a few minutes later.
“Wuss.”
“Wow, look at the time! It's already been over an hour!” She said with an overlarge grin.
Sango laughed and let the subject slide. Kagome finished her own latte and paid for them.
“I'll bug you later then.”
Kagome smiled thankfully at her friend.
“Thanks Sango-chan…right now, I'm kinda stressed.” And with that they went out into the snowy outdoors.
*****
“Okay, that was a close shave…”
Someone laughed from beside her.
“My dear Kagura, the art show went perfectly. Don't think so negatively about it!”
Kagura sighed and poured herself something strong from her husband's liquor cabinet. She didn't even know what it was, but she needed it. After shows she was always on end. Not to mention a complete mess until the next one.
“Honestly darling, nothing exploded, fell, or burst into flames, so it was fine!”
“I know, I know…” She flopped down into a cushy western chair and stared around at her husband's and her self's private office.
“Kagura, I am your husband, and trust me when I say that when you have the next symposium, that it will be fine.”
Kagura nodded and downed the small wine glass, breathing somewhat heavily at its dry taste. It was brandy…she hated brandy. But the damn stuff worked. Sure enough a trail of fire began to pool down her throat and she coughed gently before putting it down and staring out of the office window outside.
“We need some new artists…new paintings, to put in the galleries.” Naraku said as he poured himself a glass of imported wine.
“Yes, but whose?” Kagura sounded somewhat desperate and Naraku rolled his eyes as he sat down himself and followed her gaze.
“Look around. You're good at that, darling. Besides, you have Koga. He is an expert at hunting down fresh meat, so to speak. Send him out with a few flyers. There will be a response soon enough.”
His wife sighed, the brandy finally calming her nerves.
“Yes…yes of course. Your right as always, Naraku. I'll do that, and have Kanna send out the thank you cards to all of the guests who could make it, especially the Haru's. Rin-san and Kohaku-san is just a match made in heaven! Not to mention our most influential patrons.”
Naraku ignored her, and finished his wine. Unperturbed, Kagura began pacing.
“The New Years convention is coming up in a couple months. So I'll have everyone get their butts into gear.”
Naraku raised a brow at her but this time it was she who ignored him.
“Humm…yes, last night was very well done, so that means that the wine and food list should be left as it is…of but what about the-”
“Kagura…you're doing it again.”
“What?” she turned to look at him and he poured himself more wine.
“You are losing your mind.”
“Oh shut up and let me work!” Kagura said grouchily as she downed another glass of brandy and marched off to start giving orders once again. No rest for the weary, she always said!
*****
“Kagome, get that anesthetic from the cabinet, she's starting to wake up.”
Nodding, Kagome quickly retrieved the needed material and brought it back to the Technician. He took it without a word and injected it into the skin of the dog on the table before him. The animal - a mixed breed that had gotten into a fight against another much larger dog, trembled in its awakening and then stilled as it was quickly brought to unconsciousness once more. Unperturbed, the Veterinarian gave the needle back to her and moved aside the healthy skin to cut away the “hamburger meat” or, destroyed skin and tissue left from the attack. He placed it into a sterilized bowl, making sure to check for infection and take off anything that could spread bacteria. Sewing the healthy skin back together over the lower stomach, the senior vet calmly held out his hand and immediately had a roll of surgical bandages put into it by Kagome. After that, it took only seconds to finish wrapping the animal up, and allowed Kagome to do the rest, going into the connecting room to wash his hands and remove his surgical clothing.
Picking the dog up gently, Kagome brought the completely limp dog to a row of empty cages in a backroom that connected to the outside. A few dogs greeted her as she came in and she smiled and placed the injured animal into a padded cage, closing the door gently.
“There…now we'll wait for you to get better and you'll go back to your owner.” Kagome said with a sigh as she left and went to change her own clothing, removing her mask on her way there. When she arrived, the technician, an older man named Myoga looked up at her and nodded.
“Good work. We have a patient arriving in five minutes for a checkup if you can manage it.”
Kagome smiled cheerfully and nodded.
“Good. I'm going on, to another surgery so if you need anything you will have to tell Eri or Yuka.” She nodded again and he left, allowing her to clean up and quickly sterilize and put away the surgical equipment. Sure enough, in five minutes, she was in one of the examination rooms and a few minutes later a young foreign woman and a small girl came in, each holding a small kitten in their arms. She nodded politely in greeting and stepped forward to close the door, clipboard in hand.
“Mrs. Belvidere, and is this Maria? Hello, and what seems to be wrong with…” She looked down at her clipboard and grinned good-naturedly.
“Yajiru and Tsuba?” The mother nodded and gently placed her cat, a black Japanese bobtail onto the inspection table. The little girl however held on tightly to her cat and Kagome smiled when the mother told her to let the veterinarian see it. The little girl shook her head, and Kagome leaned down to look her in the eye.
“Is this Tsuba?”
The little girl shook her head and hugged the somewhat sickly looking kitten. She spoke in English, with a very thick accent that was hard to understand but she managed.
“No…this is Yajiru.” Kagome smiled again and gently ran her fingers across the small animals head. The feline, a spotted brown Manx, purred softly in response.
“He doesn't feel well…” The little girl said softly, her large blue eyes innocent but guarded. She was afraid for her cat.
Kagome continued to pet Yajiru gently, discovered a large scaly bump on the side of his face under and around, part of its left ear. Kagome frowned inwardly but remained smiling for the sake of the little girl.
“I want to help him get better…but I have to look at him first. You want Yajiru better right?” the little girl nodded but didn't make a move to release the cat. Then, after a few patient moments, she hesitantly handed Yajiru to Kagome who took him just as gently.
“So why did you name him Yajiru?” She asked as she put him on the table wit the other cat and looked him over, flashing a light into each eye to check them, and checking out its gums for tarter or plaque.
The little girl rubbed her toe into the polished floor.
“We wanted to let them fit in with the other kitties…because they might make fun of him if he had a name like mine.” Kagome smiled and began checking the small lump around his ear. It wasn't looking good.
“What's wrong with your name?”
“It doesn't sound like everyone else's.”
Kagome finished up and looked at Maria with a smile.
“Isn't that what makes it special then?” The little girl paused and looked up at her, watching on as she began doing the same procedure to Tsuba, who was a little more feisty then his compatriot.
“What Maria means, is that because we are foreign, things are very different from what we are both used to.” Maria's mother said softly as she held Tsuba so that Kagome could check his heart rate. Kagome nodded in understanding.
“I felt like that when I went o America to see my dad before he died. It isn't fun.”
The other woman nodded sadly.
“I'm sorry…”
Kagome waved it away.
“Don't be…it was a long time ago, and besides I was a lot younger. Anyway, this guy seems fine-” Tsuba bit onto her thumb making her laugh.
“As you can see. However, you might want to look into Yajiru. He had a growth forming in his ear which doesn't look too comfortable. Any signs of sickness? Vomiting, dizziness, loss of weight or appetite?”
Mrs. Belvidere nodded.
“Yes…he doesn't move around much, and seems to get dizzy a lot when he does...” Kagome smiled graciously and checked off a few things on her clipboard.
“Okey-dokey, well if you can put him on some of this and get back to me in a few days, then that would be good.” She wrote down a liquid prescription for her and handed her the receipt, saving the copy to go with the records.
“If his condition stabilizes, then just keep giving him regular dosages, two tablespoons a night in his food. If the growth on his ear becomes pussy or infected, bring him back immediately.”
They both nodded and picked up the animals, Maria once again clinging tightly to Yajiru. With a polite goodbye, they both left and Kagome looked at the time to see her shift ending in six minutes. Sighing in relief, she brought the files back to the frontal secretary and then went into the staff room to take off her uniform and put it in the laundry. She heard someone at their locker on the other side of hers but didn't think anything off it and changed her shoes, putting them away into her storage locker and putting on one of her sandals.
“Hey, aren't you even glad to see me?”
She jumped in surprise, screeching slightly as she whipped around to see a man in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise at who it was.
“Inuyasha! Oh my god, you're back!” Flinging herself into his arms, she hugged him tightly, making him gasp and almost topple over onto the ground, with a laugh. She laughed herself, her left sandal still held in her hand as she finally leaned back to look up at his face.
“I thought you weren't getting back `till much later!”
He shrugged and kissed her gently on the mouth in response making her giggle.
“Well…I was, but then I decided that I had missed work enough, and knew how worried you were about me…” He hugged her again and she sighed happily.
“I'm so glad you're back! My friends Sango and Miroku just got back from Paris and want to meet you!”
He stared at her.
“Paris?” She began bouncing up and down in her happiness, like a child just given a new pogo stick.
“Yeah - work, you know? Anyway, are you coming back to work tomorrow? I have the first shift at seven, morning time.” He continued to stare at her and she grinned and hurried back to finish getting ready to leave.
“Oh well, who cares! Let's go out for pizza to celebrate your return!”
“Kagome…”
She put a hand up in protest.
“No really! My treat! I know you haven't had much of an income because you've been gone!”
“Kagome wait. It's not that, I'm just tired.”
She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth in embarrassed realization. How foolish of her!
“Oh yeah, of course you are! It was all the way in Otaru, so you would be tired! Well let me drive you home - oh wait, you still have my car…!” He laughed, placing a hand on her frazzled shoulder.
“After your shift tomorrow, we'll go out to eat but until then let me drive you back to your apartment.” She blushed and stood, playing with her fingers in mortification at her lack of common sense. She turned even more red as she uttered a small yes, and he rolled his eyes playfully at her and walked her out.
“I'll be in work on Tuesday - so tomorrow, yes.” She smiled excitedly and got into the passenger seat of the car and together they drove to her apartment, Kagome holding his hand the entire way.
Translations - Yajiru and Tsuba : Snarl and Spit
Chapter 2: The Second Time
Art is a way of expression that has to be understood by everyone, everywhere.
~Rufino Tamayo, artist
She came again today…but with that woman from yesterday that took her away from me. She was frosted over with snow like a Christmas angel, powdery white crystals gleaming in her raven hair and all over her clothes. They both ordered drinks - latte's again I'm pretty sure. I remember because the other woman said something about extra foam to the waitress. I cursed myself. My sketchbook was at home…on my desk beside my drawing utensils. I ended up using a napkin, snatching the pen used for signing the receipt to draw with. Once again I found myself scanning the delicate profile of her face…the curve of her cheek and the place where her lips slid softly into her skin and space beneath her nose. She laughed - the image burned into my mind as I hurriedly tried to sketch down the image. The napkin ripped, and I wanted to weep almost with the loss of that wondrous profile, because as I irritatedly called a nearby waitress for another, she and the other women rose, and exited the coffee house.
*****
“So, want to go to the coffee house?”
Kagome nodded.
“Sure Sango-chan, just let me call Kaeda-san down the hall.” And in minutes she had called, grabbed her purse, kissed her animals (minus Buyo who she gave a stomach rub instead while taking out a can of tuna to hold him over), and closed off any doors that could lead to them getting into anything like the trash or chemicals, ect.
“Kaeda is coming by later to check on them, so they should be fine.” Kagome said as she locked her door, making sure it was secure and followed the other friend down the stairway and out into the street. Immediately as she stepped through the doorway she felt the chilly wind begin to tug at her legs and jacket. Pulling her clothes tighter around herself, Kagome followed Sango to her car and quickly got into the passenger seat.
“Kagome, where's your car?” Kagome blushed slightly at the question and put the heat on full blast, chattering when she was hit in the face with cold air instead.
“Inuyasha has it.”
“Inuyasha? The grieving boyfriend?” Kagome nodded, playing with her hands embarrassedly.
“What happened to his?” Kagome played a little faster with her fingers as Sango started the car and pulled out into the street.
“He…well he uh…sorta totaled it...” Sango glanced at her in surprise, nearly hitting a pedestrian in her distraction.
Kagome grabbed onto the door and armrest to hold on as Sango careened to the side, narrowly missing them.
“Anyway, stupid old lady! She's supposed to walk on the 'sidewalk'…!” Sango grumbled on but it was too low to hear and Kagome was somewhat glad for it.
“So where's Miroku-san?”
Sango glanced at her quickly and shrugged, looking back at the road.
“Work…he had to leave at five for a photo shoot opportunity at Tokyo Tower. Some new reconstruction meant to bring in more tourists.” Sango rolled her eyes, and turned left onto a busy street.
“Not like we don't have enough of those…” She said with a huff. Kagome smiled and patted her friends arm.
“Well…remember Sango that you were a tourist in America, and Paris, and Greece, and Zimbabwe…” Sango glared at a car in front of them as it cut in front of her. She slammed her hand against the horn.
“Yeah, well I didn't walk into the middle of streets or maul people in broad daylight!”
Kagome flinched slightly, a drop of sweat forming on her brow. When Sango and Miroku had gone to Cairo a few months ago, they had gone into one of the market places and Miroku had seen some pretty girl trying to sell clay pots to passer-bys. So he being Miroku, ended up groping the young woman, and of course she had a husband who was about equal in size and weight as Muhammad Ali. So after a brief commotion of raised fists and yelling from both women at each appropriate male, Ali took after Miroku with one of the clay pots and knocked him out cold with it. Then Sango had to pay for the pot.
Then there was that time in Georgia, America when Sango had had a misunderstanding with drunken man in a bar and ended up being carried over his shoulder out of the place. That was where she had met Miroku. He was visiting friends there and had coincidentally come to the same bar that night. He saved her, (got a black eye in the process) but saved her, and they had been together ever since. That had been a year ago.
“Yes, Sango-chan.”
They turned into the coffee house parking lot and got out of the car.
“So when's Miroku-san getting home?”
“Dunno. He said something about it being a possible overnighter.” Sango said as she opened the door and let them both inside. Warm air instantly assaulted them and the two women sighed in bliss. Hurriedly taking off their heavy coats and gloves, they sat down at a small table for two next to a window overlooking the street. Almost immediately, a waitress came over and asked for their drinks.
“Um…I'll have whatever you get Sango-chan.” Kagome said with a blush as the waitress waited expectantly for her order. Sango grinned.
“Two choco latte's, extra foam no sugar. And make mine a double with a shot of espresso.” The waitress nodded politely and went off to get their orders.
Settling back, Kagome sighed and put her kid gloves on the polished table.
“Why do we always get latte's whenever we come here?”
Sango shrugged and fiddled with a paper napkin the waitress had given her.
“Um, I don't know…they're good?”
Kagome laughed and they waited in comfortable silence until the drinks came.
“Thanks. So when do I meet him?”
Kagome chocked into her hot drink, her nose catching some of the head from it.
“Meet him? What are you, my mother?”
Sango gave her a serious look.
“No, your mother might let you date him. I wont.” Kagome laughed and rolled her eyes, swirling the creamy liquid around in her mouth.
“I don't know, to tell you the truth. He called last night but I was with you guys, so he had to leave a message. He says he's coming back to work in four days.”
Sango wiggled her eyebrows at her friend.
“Any idea's on how to…welcome him back?” Kagome blushed and chocked once more on her beverage, beginning to laugh.
“Sango!”
“What? I didn't say anything!”
“You did the eyebrow thing!”
Sango laughed herself and took a long sip from her latte.
“`Eyebrow thing?' Whatever are you talking about, Kagome-chan?” Sango asked with an innocent wave of her hand.
“Very funny, you know what I mean!”
“Someone must have spiked your coffee, because you're hallucinating!”
Kagome pouted and crossed her hands over her chest stubbornly.
“NO. I am not going to welcome him like that. Maybe a nice dinner instead.” Sango snorted and finished off her latte, ordering another which came a few minutes later.
“Wuss.”
“Wow, look at the time! It's already been over an hour!” She said with an overlarge grin.
Sango laughed and let the subject slide. Kagome finished her own latte and paid for them.
“I'll bug you later then.”
Kagome smiled thankfully at her friend.
“Thanks Sango-chan…right now, I'm kinda stressed.” And with that they went out into the snowy outdoors.
*****
“Okay, that was a close shave…”
Someone laughed from beside her.
“My dear Kagura, the art show went perfectly. Don't think so negatively about it!”
Kagura sighed and poured herself something strong from her husband's liquor cabinet. She didn't even know what it was, but she needed it. After shows she was always on end. Not to mention a complete mess until the next one.
“Honestly darling, nothing exploded, fell, or burst into flames, so it was fine!”
“I know, I know…” She flopped down into a cushy western chair and stared around at her husband's and her self's private office.
“Kagura, I am your husband, and trust me when I say that when you have the next symposium, that it will be fine.”
Kagura nodded and downed the small wine glass, breathing somewhat heavily at its dry taste. It was brandy…she hated brandy. But the damn stuff worked. Sure enough a trail of fire began to pool down her throat and she coughed gently before putting it down and staring out of the office window outside.
“We need some new artists…new paintings, to put in the galleries.” Naraku said as he poured himself a glass of imported wine.
“Yes, but whose?” Kagura sounded somewhat desperate and Naraku rolled his eyes as he sat down himself and followed her gaze.
“Look around. You're good at that, darling. Besides, you have Koga. He is an expert at hunting down fresh meat, so to speak. Send him out with a few flyers. There will be a response soon enough.”
His wife sighed, the brandy finally calming her nerves.
“Yes…yes of course. Your right as always, Naraku. I'll do that, and have Kanna send out the thank you cards to all of the guests who could make it, especially the Haru's. Rin-san and Kohaku-san is just a match made in heaven! Not to mention our most influential patrons.”
Naraku ignored her, and finished his wine. Unperturbed, Kagura began pacing.
“The New Years convention is coming up in a couple months. So I'll have everyone get their butts into gear.”
Naraku raised a brow at her but this time it was she who ignored him.
“Humm…yes, last night was very well done, so that means that the wine and food list should be left as it is…of but what about the-”
“Kagura…you're doing it again.”
“What?” she turned to look at him and he poured himself more wine.
“You are losing your mind.”
“Oh shut up and let me work!” Kagura said grouchily as she downed another glass of brandy and marched off to start giving orders once again. No rest for the weary, she always said!
*****
“Kagome, get that anesthetic from the cabinet, she's starting to wake up.”
Nodding, Kagome quickly retrieved the needed material and brought it back to the Technician. He took it without a word and injected it into the skin of the dog on the table before him. The animal - a mixed breed that had gotten into a fight against another much larger dog, trembled in its awakening and then stilled as it was quickly brought to unconsciousness once more. Unperturbed, the Veterinarian gave the needle back to her and moved aside the healthy skin to cut away the “hamburger meat” or, destroyed skin and tissue left from the attack. He placed it into a sterilized bowl, making sure to check for infection and take off anything that could spread bacteria. Sewing the healthy skin back together over the lower stomach, the senior vet calmly held out his hand and immediately had a roll of surgical bandages put into it by Kagome. After that, it took only seconds to finish wrapping the animal up, and allowed Kagome to do the rest, going into the connecting room to wash his hands and remove his surgical clothing.
Picking the dog up gently, Kagome brought the completely limp dog to a row of empty cages in a backroom that connected to the outside. A few dogs greeted her as she came in and she smiled and placed the injured animal into a padded cage, closing the door gently.
“There…now we'll wait for you to get better and you'll go back to your owner.” Kagome said with a sigh as she left and went to change her own clothing, removing her mask on her way there. When she arrived, the technician, an older man named Myoga looked up at her and nodded.
“Good work. We have a patient arriving in five minutes for a checkup if you can manage it.”
Kagome smiled cheerfully and nodded.
“Good. I'm going on, to another surgery so if you need anything you will have to tell Eri or Yuka.” She nodded again and he left, allowing her to clean up and quickly sterilize and put away the surgical equipment. Sure enough, in five minutes, she was in one of the examination rooms and a few minutes later a young foreign woman and a small girl came in, each holding a small kitten in their arms. She nodded politely in greeting and stepped forward to close the door, clipboard in hand.
“Mrs. Belvidere, and is this Maria? Hello, and what seems to be wrong with…” She looked down at her clipboard and grinned good-naturedly.
“Yajiru and Tsuba?” The mother nodded and gently placed her cat, a black Japanese bobtail onto the inspection table. The little girl however held on tightly to her cat and Kagome smiled when the mother told her to let the veterinarian see it. The little girl shook her head, and Kagome leaned down to look her in the eye.
“Is this Tsuba?”
The little girl shook her head and hugged the somewhat sickly looking kitten. She spoke in English, with a very thick accent that was hard to understand but she managed.
“No…this is Yajiru.” Kagome smiled again and gently ran her fingers across the small animals head. The feline, a spotted brown Manx, purred softly in response.
“He doesn't feel well…” The little girl said softly, her large blue eyes innocent but guarded. She was afraid for her cat.
Kagome continued to pet Yajiru gently, discovered a large scaly bump on the side of his face under and around, part of its left ear. Kagome frowned inwardly but remained smiling for the sake of the little girl.
“I want to help him get better…but I have to look at him first. You want Yajiru better right?” the little girl nodded but didn't make a move to release the cat. Then, after a few patient moments, she hesitantly handed Yajiru to Kagome who took him just as gently.
“So why did you name him Yajiru?” She asked as she put him on the table wit the other cat and looked him over, flashing a light into each eye to check them, and checking out its gums for tarter or plaque.
The little girl rubbed her toe into the polished floor.
“We wanted to let them fit in with the other kitties…because they might make fun of him if he had a name like mine.” Kagome smiled and began checking the small lump around his ear. It wasn't looking good.
“What's wrong with your name?”
“It doesn't sound like everyone else's.”
Kagome finished up and looked at Maria with a smile.
“Isn't that what makes it special then?” The little girl paused and looked up at her, watching on as she began doing the same procedure to Tsuba, who was a little more feisty then his compatriot.
“What Maria means, is that because we are foreign, things are very different from what we are both used to.” Maria's mother said softly as she held Tsuba so that Kagome could check his heart rate. Kagome nodded in understanding.
“I felt like that when I went o America to see my dad before he died. It isn't fun.”
The other woman nodded sadly.
“I'm sorry…”
Kagome waved it away.
“Don't be…it was a long time ago, and besides I was a lot younger. Anyway, this guy seems fine-” Tsuba bit onto her thumb making her laugh.
“As you can see. However, you might want to look into Yajiru. He had a growth forming in his ear which doesn't look too comfortable. Any signs of sickness? Vomiting, dizziness, loss of weight or appetite?”
Mrs. Belvidere nodded.
“Yes…he doesn't move around much, and seems to get dizzy a lot when he does...” Kagome smiled graciously and checked off a few things on her clipboard.
“Okey-dokey, well if you can put him on some of this and get back to me in a few days, then that would be good.” She wrote down a liquid prescription for her and handed her the receipt, saving the copy to go with the records.
“If his condition stabilizes, then just keep giving him regular dosages, two tablespoons a night in his food. If the growth on his ear becomes pussy or infected, bring him back immediately.”
They both nodded and picked up the animals, Maria once again clinging tightly to Yajiru. With a polite goodbye, they both left and Kagome looked at the time to see her shift ending in six minutes. Sighing in relief, she brought the files back to the frontal secretary and then went into the staff room to take off her uniform and put it in the laundry. She heard someone at their locker on the other side of hers but didn't think anything off it and changed her shoes, putting them away into her storage locker and putting on one of her sandals.
“Hey, aren't you even glad to see me?”
She jumped in surprise, screeching slightly as she whipped around to see a man in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise at who it was.
“Inuyasha! Oh my god, you're back!” Flinging herself into his arms, she hugged him tightly, making him gasp and almost topple over onto the ground, with a laugh. She laughed herself, her left sandal still held in her hand as she finally leaned back to look up at his face.
“I thought you weren't getting back `till much later!”
He shrugged and kissed her gently on the mouth in response making her giggle.
“Well…I was, but then I decided that I had missed work enough, and knew how worried you were about me…” He hugged her again and she sighed happily.
“I'm so glad you're back! My friends Sango and Miroku just got back from Paris and want to meet you!”
He stared at her.
“Paris?” She began bouncing up and down in her happiness, like a child just given a new pogo stick.
“Yeah - work, you know? Anyway, are you coming back to work tomorrow? I have the first shift at seven, morning time.” He continued to stare at her and she grinned and hurried back to finish getting ready to leave.
“Oh well, who cares! Let's go out for pizza to celebrate your return!”
“Kagome…”
She put a hand up in protest.
“No really! My treat! I know you haven't had much of an income because you've been gone!”
“Kagome wait. It's not that, I'm just tired.”
She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth in embarrassed realization. How foolish of her!
“Oh yeah, of course you are! It was all the way in Otaru, so you would be tired! Well let me drive you home - oh wait, you still have my car…!” He laughed, placing a hand on her frazzled shoulder.
“After your shift tomorrow, we'll go out to eat but until then let me drive you back to your apartment.” She blushed and stood, playing with her fingers in mortification at her lack of common sense. She turned even more red as she uttered a small yes, and he rolled his eyes playfully at her and walked her out.
“I'll be in work on Tuesday - so tomorrow, yes.” She smiled excitedly and got into the passenger seat of the car and together they drove to her apartment, Kagome holding his hand the entire way.
Translations - Yajiru and Tsuba : Snarl and Spit