InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Code of Conduct ❯ We'd Only Just Begun ( Chapter 11 )

Hey there! So, I was reading through this story and realized not only did I give Kagome's mother two names, but there are also a few typos. But I'd rather concentrate on updating than fixing the errors. I'm sure you guys would agree!

 

Chapter 11: We'd Only Just Begun

 

Inuyasha woke groggy and disoriented, his nose burning as the putrid smell of smoke invaded his senses. Blinking open his eyes, they stung and watered from the effort. He placed a hand on the ground and supported himself as he sat up. Feeling damp grass beneath his fingers, he stood up in a panic. His balance swayed from the sudden movement and a high pitched ringing sounded in his ears. Dropping to his knees, he shut his eyes tight and waited for the dizziness to pass. “What the hell is going on?” He felt his head for any evidence of foul play and found none. Whoever dragged him from the cabin must have drugged him somehow. `The cabin… my god,' Inuyasha looked up to see the cabin in flames. “Kagome,” he spoke to himself. Standing back up, he fought against the wearing effects of the drugs and ran to the building. “KAGOME!” He screamed her name, hoping upon hope that she wasn't in there.

 

The moment his fingers wrapped around the doorknob, he jerked them back. It was too hot to touch, and so opening the door could mean death for himself and Kagome, if she were indeed inside. He could see nothing but black swirling smoke and flames through the front windows. Running along the back, he found the same with the back door. Finally, he was relieved to find the bathroom window still opened and the small room free of fire. Remembering he had gotten stuck in the window the first time he tried to enter through it, he knew he'd have to make the opening bigger. On a tree stump near the woods was an axe he used for cutting firewood. Sprinting to it, he was back at the window in a flash, swinging the blade with all his might. The glass smashed with the force, but the wood merely splintered. It seemed like it took longer, but within a couple minutes, he'd made an opening big enough to crawl through. But all seemed for naught as the door was hissing with the pressure of the blaze behind it. “Damn it! Kagome!” No response, but that didn't necessarily mean that she wasn't in there. He tried to keep his thoughts from such a dark path. Pounding his fists against the wall, he swore again, trying to figure out what to do. “To hell with this!”

 

Inuyasha picked up the axe from outside the window and swung it into the door. The wood cracked and splintered to the floor. Smoke filtered in through the cracks, but he was mad with worry over his girl. He swung it again, with enough force to push it through the door and out from his hands. “Shit!” Getting down on his knees, he tried to look through large hole he'd made. Mostly everything was hazy and black, and even close to the floor, he could see nothing. The flames weren't directly in front of the door, but they had fully engulfed the entire cottage. Over the roar, he managed to make out a strangled cough and he felt his heart stop.

 

“KAGOME! Damn it, Kagome!” He kicked and punched at the weakened door until it burst backwards towards him. The flare was minor in comparison as it would've been if he'd opened one of the outside doors. Flinging the broken door from him, he ran into the room, but he was pushed back from the heat and smoke. Cursing, he removed his shirt and put it over his face. Crawling on his hands and knees, he headed to the bed, which is where Kagome should've been. When he was a few feet from it, his heartbeat quickened as he realized that there was barely a bed left. Thankfully, Kagome was nowhere near it. Backing away, he figured the fire originated from the fireplace, as that was where the worst of the beast raged. The couch and everything was nearly unidentifiable.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha turned around, shouting her name again, “Kagome! Answer me, Kagome!” No answer and no coughing answered his pleading calls. Making his way towards the kitchen, he saw one bare foot sticking out from behind the island. To his despair, the kitchen was being swallowed just as quickly. He couldn't make out the rest of her form, and the closer he got to her, the more the flames reached for him, too.

 

“You can't have her damn it!” He stood, running to where she was and picking her up in his arms, not caring as the fire singed his hair and set his pants alight. The blaze bellowed and raged against its confines, the outside walls hissing against the pressure. Inuyasha hurriedly ran towards the bathroom, and gently pushed her out the window. Following quickly, he dropped to the ground and put out his lower garments. The burns were nothing to him as he picked her back up and ran to the lake. As he surveyed her body laying limply in his hold, he felt his blood run cold.

 

He didn't even make it to the lake before the cabin blew. Inuyasha braced himself, but the rush of heat and debris hit him squarely, and he was swept completely off his feet. Shifting his weight, he managed to land on his back, cradling Kagome to his chest protectively. Half crawling, half running he made it finally to the bank and was able to set her down. Checking quickly for a pulse, he was only momentarily appeased at the faint heartbeat before it stopped under his fingertips.

 

“No! Kagome! You are not going to die! You hear me?” He placed his hands over her breastbone and started resuscitation. After ten pumps, he lifted her chin and proceeded to breath into her twice. Resuming his compressions, he felt his chest tightening with every second that passed. When he positioned himself to ventilate, his tears dropped upon her dirty cheeks. Two more breaths then he felt for a pulse but found none. He repeated the steps again, his hopes dying as she was. “Kagome, please, don't leave me,” he begged, kissing her with the very life from his lungs. An unsteady heartbeat whispered in his ears, and his eyes widened. “My god, Kagome, hold on for me baby.” Inuyasha continued to breathe for her, until she wheezed and he could see her chest move slightly.

 

“Don't give up,” Inuyasha demanded to the unconscious girl. Running to his car, he picked up his car phone, dialing 9-1-1. He spoke quickly to the operator and hung up to rush back to her.

 

Kneeling down beside Kagome, he felt her neck again, satisfied to find her heart was still beating poorly. He wanted to remove her scorched clothes, but he wasn't sure how badly she was burnt and didn't want to cause more damage by doing so. Taking her to the water's edge, he held her tightly to him submerged them both partially, in attempt to cool her skin. The shock must have been too much, as he strove to hear her heart beating but nothing reached his sensitive ears. Pressing two fingers to her neck confirmed it, so he lifted her to the grass in a hurry and started CPR again.

 

The fire engines and ambulance showed up as he was trying to bring life to her again. The paramedics urged him to give them space as they continued his efforts. They were successful in returning her weakened pulse before strapping her to the gurney. In less than a minute she was packed up in the ambulance and they were ready to go.

 

“Mr. Taisho, would you like to accompany her, or would you like to follow behind?”

 

“My keys are in the cabin, not much good they are there.” He jumped in the back with her and let the doors be shut behind him. His hands immediately grasped one of hers, as he watched his paradise burn, its screams lost to the sky. As they left the drive, his attention returned to the men working diligently over Kagome. IV's with fluid and pain medication were fixed to her wrists, and an oxygen mask covered her face. The heart monitor beeped slowly, and he found his eyes fixed on it.

 

They arrived at the hospital in less than ten minutes. Kagome was rushed to the Emergency Room, but he was restricted from following. Now all he could do was pace and wait, and he was sure he was going to go mad.

 

~*~

 

An hour and a half later in the ICU, Inuyasha sat next to Kagome's bed. She couldn't stabilize on her own, so they had to hook her up to a ventilation machine to breath for her. She had second degree burns covering both her arms, right leg, and the right side of her face. Her torso only suffered first degree burns because her t-shirt had been tight. They said that she was lucky when it came to the burns, considering the apparent state of the cabin. With the proper treatment, her scarring should be minimal. He wished that was the most of their worries.

 

Inuyasha squeezed her hand within his own, his other fisted in front of him. “I swear, when I find out who did this… I'll kill them.” The authorities were investigating the fire, but he knew someone started it purposefully. And whoever it was had drugged him and removed him from the premises before leaving Kagome to burn to death. They would pay.

 

Touching her uninjured cheek, he gently traced her face. She still looked so angelic, even with all the white bandages. Running a finger between hers, he was startled to find that her engagement ring was missing. `She wouldn't have taken it off.' Getting up, he went to the small armoire they provide for patient belongings. Considering her clothes were damaged beyond repair, and she had nothing else on her person, the locker was empty. Inuyasha hurried to the nurse's desk, not even waiting for the woman sitting there to look up before he asked, “What happened to my fiancée's ring?”

 

“Excuse me?” The nurse looked up from her computer screen and immediately forced a small smile. “Oh, Mr. Taisho, my apologies, I missed your question.”

 

“Kagome's ring, where is it? Did the doctor's remove it?”

 

“If they did, it would be in with her personal possessions.”

 

“She didn't have any possessions.”

 

“Then they would have handed an item that small to you personally, sir. I'm very sorry. I can look into it, but I can assure you that if they had removed it, you would have it.”

 

“Thanks,” he muttered, turning and heading back to the room. The nurse watched him go, the saddened smile dropping from her lips.

 

Who would take her ring? If they planned on killing her, why take the engagement ring? He sat back down, his eyes morose as he gazed at her naked finger. Their life was supposed to begin today. It would be their first day as mates. Last night's memory was etched in his mind in vivid clarity. How had things gone so awry? He fell asleep with her in his arms and woke to this tragedy.

 

A gasp startled Inuyasha out of his thoughts. Kagome's mother finally arrived, but she only stood in the doorway.

 

“Do you want me to leave you alone with her?” He asked, getting up from the chair.

“No, I just… when they called me,” Aemi took a couple steps into the room, “you never can really imagine what to expect when you get a call like that.” A few more steps and she was standing shakily at Kagome's bedside. “Oh, my sweet little girl.” A sob broke through, even though she tried to muffle it with her fist.

 

Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she cried. “I didn't get her out in time.” He nearly choked on his own words.

 

“That you got her out at all was a miracle! If it weren't for you, Kagome wouldn't have this chance.” Aemi argued. She sat in the chair and held her daughter's hand. “She looks so broken,” she whispered.

 

Inuyasha was going to repeat to her what the doctors told him, but he was beat to the punch as Kagome's doctor entered.

 

“Hello, Mrs. Higurashi, I'm Dr. Yumai.” He shook her hand stiffly. “I was with Kagome in the ER, and I plan to oversee her care the entire time she's in the ICU. She suffered second and first degree burns on most of her body. However, it isn't the burns which put her at risk. Kagome is suffering from respiratory failure due to smoke inhalation. The bronchoscope showed there was some damage done to her lungs, and we're treating her to eliminate or lessen her chances of any permanent conditions. Because her air ways are swelling shut, we have to keep her on the ventilator. Unfortunately, her lungs are beginning to fill with fluid, which is normal in this sort of injury. We will be watching those levels, in case we need to remove the access amount to prevent pulmonary edema. On a good note, there didn't seem to be any significant poisoning from toxins in the smoke. I assure you, we are doing our best to make sure she pulls through this.”

 

“Is there any chance she will die?” Aemi asked the question Inuyasha couldn't.

 

“With proper treatment, Kagome can do well. While I cannot promise you anything, as only time will tell, and her body's reaction to the treatment, I want to you to keep your hopes up.”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Yumai.” Kagome's mother stared at her daughter, who looked so much like she was sleeping peacefully. `If only.'

 

The doctor left the room after shaking both their hands. Inuyasha stared dumbly at the beeping monitors. “I'm going to step out for a few minutes. I need to make a phone call.”

 

Aemi nodded, but asked, “Could you do me a favor? Souta is out in the waiting room. To be honest, I think he was afraid to see what happened to his sister. Would you send him in?”

 

“Yeah, I can do that.” He left the room with one more look back at Kagome. Leaving the secured doors, he spotted Souta slouched in a chair flipping through a magazine.

 

“Hey squirt.”

 

Kagome's brother looked up and for once, his eyes didn't light up. “How's Kagome? Is she going to be okay?”

 

Inuyasha sighed. “We'll have to see with time. Do me a favor?” Souta looked up at him expectantly. “Don't stop believing in her.”

 

“I won't, I couldn't.”

 

“Good, now you can go in and see her. Your mom asked for you. I'll be back in a bit.”

 

“Okay.” Souta turned to walk into the ICU, but he turned around and called to him, “Hey, Yash?”

 

“What's up, kid?”

 

“How did this happen? Why did Kagome get hurt so badly?”

 

Inuyasha felt a pang of guilt and it took him a moment to answer. “I'm not quite sure yet, but trust me, we're going to figure it out. I promise, whoever did this will be brought to justice.”

 

“Someone did this to Kagome on purpose?”

 

“I would bet my life on it. I woke up outside the cabin and it was already ablaze. There's no way I would've slept through a fire or left without your sister.”

 

Souta nodded glumly and turned back towards the doors. Inuyasha headed to the elevator, reaching in his pocket for his cell. Once he was outside, he turned it on and immediately called the police station. He slammed his phone shut when the detective told him that they hadn't heard anything from the fire martial yet. Sitting on the concrete, he dialed another number, putting his head back against the brick wall.

 

“Hey, Dad, I need you to do me a favor.”

 

<^.^>

 

It had been three days, and Inuyasha hadn't left the hospital. Kagome's family had come and gone throughout the days, having to return to work and school. Her grandfather had spent most of his visits kneeling at her bedside, mumbling ancient prayers. No one interrupted his seemingly senile chants and rituals. At this point, they'd take any help they could get.

 

Miroku and Sango had been by a couple times. Sango seemed pretty broken up, and she needed the bar to keep her mind off of things. Miroku stopped by Inuyasha's apartment and brought him a bag of clothes and toiletries. They had a family room with beds and a shower, which is where Inuyasha lived for a couple hours out of the day. Sleep didn't come to him easily, and most of his dozing was done at Kagome's side.

 

Kagome's progress had gone downhill. Her respiratory failure had gotten worse as the fluid in her lungs increased. They removed what they could be inserting a large needle in her back. A day ago, her body had started swelling with air, until they had put in a chest tube to expel it. An infection had started in her lungs, so the doctor was administering an antibiotic, as well as breathing treatments. The only time he'd seen her move was when the sedation would start to wear, and she'd thrash around in a subconscious panic. The nurses informed him that it is a natural reaction to the ventilator. Once they administered the sedative, she would calm back down. Every day they would attempt to reduce the use of the respiratory machine, but Kagome hadn't been able to keep up as her body needed. So they would turn it back up.

 

It was now well after midnight, as Inuyasha sat with his head lying next to her stomach. The sounds of the machines became a sort of comfort, and it was to those that he would drift in and out of sleep. Lifting his head, he leaned forward, gripping her tiny hand in his two larger ones. Her fingers were slightly chilled against his skin, so he rubbed it for warmth.

 

“It's been three days, Kitten. I've watched you lie here helplessly, with death lingering so close that it's choking me. I'm so damn scared. You've shown me a fear that I never could've imagined. I don't want to go one day without you by my side. I can't lose you, Kagome.” Inuyasha cried freely. Even when he buried his mother, he couldn't remember feeling this torn. Such a strong half demon diminished to weeping like a boy, but he didn't care. The ache in his chest hadn't let up for a moment.

 

Her doctor came in, surprising Inuyasha. “I thought your shift ended a couple hours ago.”

 

“Well, when I have patients that I feel need around the clock care, I stay here at the hospital.”

 

Inuyasha respected this man and felt immense gratitude for everything he had done for her. “Have you seen people come out of this?”

 

“Yes, however, Kagome seems to be struggling.” He pulled a stool up so he could sit at Inuyasha's level. “Her blood oxygen level has dropped below 90 and has stayed there consistently for the last few hours. Perhaps you should call her family in?”

 

Inuyasha felt like someone just landed a heavy blow to his gut. He stared at the doctor for a short while before nodding hesitantly. Dr. Yumai left the room, and Inuyasha used the room telephone to call Kagome's family and Sango. Hanging up the receiver, he stood over Kagome, staring numbly at all the cords and tubes attached to her. Bending down, he kissed her on the forehead. His saw her mating mark just under the gown. Pulling down the fabric, he ran his finger over it softly. `Maybe if I were a full youkai, I could've lent more strength to her. If only I were stronger, then she could make it through this.' Leaning over slightly, he pressed his lips to the kanji.

 

“I love you, Kitten, more than anything in the world. Fight for me, baby. Rely on our bond to help you. Feel it within yourself, hold on to it, and never let go. Don't give up. I'm not going to lose hope. I have faith in you, Kagome.”

 

<^.^>

 

Yeah, I know, I'm horrible. It's a chapter!!!!! Yay!