InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Neither Forgive Nor Forget ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

Kagome's eyes fluttered as she tried to focus them; her body shaking and a cold sweat washed over her. She heard the soft, soothing voice of her husband telling her to that everything will be ok. Her heart rate slowed back down to normal; the heart rate-monitor to her side stopped beeping. He stroked her hand with his thumb, its repetitive motions calming her rattled nerves. Finally getting the strength to speak, Kagome answered the question that was never asked. “I had another dream, err nightmare. This time I was driving down this secluded road, and I came across this abandoned building. When I got out, I went to look for this kid - my brother - I found him, but it wasn't him. Before my eyes, he morphed into another person…” Kagome stopped by the sudden rise from the seat next to her. “Sesshomaru, I know everyone is hiding something. What happened all those years ago?”

 “Kagome, it is not in your best interest for you-”

“Sesshomaru, do not tell me what is in my best interest. There is a secret everyone is keeping from me and I demand to know what it is!”

“Kagome, we aren't telling you for your own good. The lot of us swore we would never mention what happened.”

“Sesshomaru, I don't remember anything about me, you, my family, or our friends. For all I know, everything could be a lie. I want to believe you and everything you say, but it feels like I can't. There's this huge mystery that is looming over me. Every time I go and reach for it someone snatches it away from me.” Her delicate hands cover her face in frustration. Kagome sighs before continuing. “I'm trying so hard to trust everything you say.  I feel like we have this connection to each other that I can't explain. Yet, I have these … doubts. And until you tell me what are you trying to `protect' me from, those doubts won't leave.”

 “Kagome, what do you want me to do?”

“Tell me the truth.”

It took Sesshomaru a while before he answered. He knew she was right, and he knew sooner or later she would find out the truth. Today was not the day; she couldn't know the truth, not everything anyway. Sesshomaru told her that she dated a guy back in college, that they were going to get married. But, when she broke it off with him weeks before the wedding, he didn't take it well. He became depressed and tried everything he could to get her back. Sesshomaru refused to get into the gory details. He told her the man tried to ruin her life and the lives of those around her. There were people who were able to stop him before it went too far and that he will never bother anyone ever again. Sort of satisfied with his answer, Kagome gave him a soft smile and thanked him for telling her. Sesshomaru walked over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Get some rest now.”  He waited until she was asleep before tip-toing out of the door.

~*~*~*~*~

The grip Sesshomaru had on his steering wheel turned his knuckles white. He endeavored for hours to calm the seething rage inside him, but he could no longer contain himself. His work was not enough to placate him. Trees, buildings, cars and pedestrians all blurred together, a combination of haste and ire. Many thoughts raced through his head; every other was a fleeting thought was how he had not yet been pulled over. So many negative emotions bubbled and burst within him. Sooner than he anticipated, he arrived at his destination, a dance studio. There were parents and their little girls leaving the studio on this Saturday afternoon. After parking and getting out of his car, Sesshomaru strode inside the building.

He spots his target. Dressed like the children she's surrounded by, wearing a black leotard and tights. Her arms covered by a light pink wrap, shielding her caramel colored skin from the chill of early winter. Her hair, dark auburn, is in a tight bun. She sat in a nearby chair putting on legwarmers while discussing something with parents. Their girls stroll over to them beaming with confidence at their praise.  The young woman was unaware of the set of molten gold eyes staring at her. Before she could finish her sentence, the name “Honda!” bellowed out along with a sudden jerk of her person to another direction. His hand firm around her arm, the parents she was speaking to coming to her aid. Removing herself from his grip, she dismissed the rest of the parents and students. She watched and waited until all the families left and she was alone reassuring them of her safety as they left. Her eyes that only a few moments before held warmth and gentleness, turned cold and threatening. “If you ever get the inclination to burst in here like that again, I'll make sure you regret it. Now what on earth is so important, you had to come in here and act like a fool?” She asked walking around the studio, picking up trash and looking for things to place in the lost and found.

“You lied to me Harumi.”

“Excuse me?”

“You lied to me about erasing her memories.” His accusation made Harumi stop and think about what he was talking about. When it came to her, she just scoffed and told him he was acting ludicrous, and he needed to leave. Trying to walk away from him, he grabs her by her arm again. “Don't try and walk away from me. You did not do what you said you did!”

Harumi removed herself from his grip again. “I did exactly what I said I was going to do. You didn't listen. I will tell you the same thing I said years ago: The mind doesn't work that way you think it does. Memories cannot be erased, only altered or repressed.”

“Whatever the case, you did not do it right! They are coming back … in her dreams.”

Harumi stood stock-still, her mind flashing back to what happened to Kagome. The paranoia would creep up on her while she was alone. Her body would flood with adrenaline, stuck on high alert as if she were about to have the fight of her life. She wasn't surprised that most of the people that involved had post-traumatic stress disorder, but no one worse than her. And it was Kagome who asked to have her memories repressed. The pain made it hard for her to have any semblance of happiness with Sesshomaru. How many times she was so terrified of her own shadow, to the point she thought death was the only way out of this hell. A month or so after the incident was over, Harumi found a way to repress Kagome's memories. This was the last they saw each other.

 “I did what I she asked me to do. If her memories are coming back, then that is not my problem. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get ready for my next class.” She jumped at the slamming of her door.

~*~*~*~*~

It has been a total of two weeks since Harumi looked Sesshomaru dead in his eyes and told him that  Kagome's memories was not her's to deal with. With great effort, Sesshomaru worked hard to ignore her words and focus on the information the doctor was telling him. Two days before, Kagome and Sesshomaru were informed that Kagome would be authorized to start physical therapy in a day. If she seems fine enough to be discharged from the hospital, she'll have stay at home nurse, Kagura. She'll be there until Kagome could regain mobility of her legs. Until then, she was wheelchair bound.

Within hours, her family was able to pull together an impromptu “Welcome Home” party at their home. The family room was filled to bursting point with the people. Everyone was there; her family - Mrs. Higurashi, Souta, and her grandfather. Other guests included Sango and Miroku, some other friends that visited her in the hospital including Rin, Jakotsu, and Shippou. Even some of her former coworkers and neighbors decided to attend. Sesshomaru's family was there as well, everyone but Inuyasha. He was running late, as usual.

The guests greeted Kagome with fervor. Bombarding her with gratefulness that she is alive and well and walking soon. A small smile etched her face as her guests greeted her, when suddenly the aura in the room grew uneasy as Inuyasha walked through the door with none other than Harumi. As they approached the group, Sango blocked their way to Kagome. “What are you doing here Harumi?” Sango asked with as much malice she could muster.

“Inuyasha invited me. He told me that Kagome was back at home, that there was a party.”

Sango rolled her eyes and scoffed, “You haven't seen her in years, why now do you suddenly care about her well-being?”

Harumi was taken aback from the sudden implication from the woman she thought was one of her closets if not best friends. “I've always cared -”

“Says the girl who never even showed up to visit her in the hospital,” she said cutting her off.

“Well, the thing about owning a hospital is you don't have to follow all the rules; including the one that says guests must sign in and at what times I could visit her. I was there a few weeks ago; I was reading Alice in Wonderland to her while she was still in her coma. I usually left before anyone saw me.”

“You know it's just like you to show up when it is the most convenient for you.”

“Why are you so upset with me? You know what no; I don't need your shit. I came to say `hello', and now that I have, I'm leaving.” Scoffing, Harumi looked over Sango's shoulder and told Kagome that she was glad that she was looking well and that she hoped she'd get well soon so that they may go out together. Turning to walk out the door Inuyasha followed after her trying to get her to calm down, but before he could Harumi turned to him, “I knew this was a bad idea. I told you I shouldn't have come!” Inuyasha grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks and as her how she was going to get home. “I'm taking an Uber.” Harumi removed herself from his grip and walked out the door. Walking down the driveway while digging for her phone, she heard it ring. Checking the caller ID “Unknown” and “Blocked number” showed up on her screen. Canceling the call she dialed for a ride and waited in the chilly winter air.

~*~*~*~*~

Red eyes gazed upon the image of the woman as she wade the cold for a ride home. His large hands delicately grasped the glass of scotch while placing the phone down on the table. He smirked sinisterly as he took a sip. His plan was slowly being put in to place.

~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha walked back into the room and shot Sango a look that asked silently, `What was that for?'

“What? Are we just going to forget she practically abandoned her so-called best friend when she needed her the most?”

It was Mrs. Higurashi who spoke up then, “Sango, my dear, you have to remember that was a difficult time for a lot of people and everyone heals in their own way…”

“Oh and we are just going to continue to coddle her?!”

“No one is coddling her!” Inuyasha spoke up next.

The bickering amongst her guests became more than Kagome could handle, taking it upon herself she started to wheel herself out of the room. When asked where she was going, she stopped allowing Kagura to wheel her away, and simply said `bed'.