InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Swimmer's Heart ❯ Oneshot ( One-Shot )

A/N: I know I should be working on WTML, but this idea popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. I'm still working on the new chapter, and I think I'll have it up on Friday.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha nor do I profit from this story.

Swimmer's Heart

Oneshot

Sango looked around the chlorine smelling room and sighed. This was at one time her home, her everything. When life was wrong, her parents were mad at her, or she just needed to get away this is where she came. But not anymore. She was no longer a swimmer, and for that she wasn't sure if she should be relieved or frustrated. When her shoulder injury put her out of commission last year she was so angry at life it wasn't funny. It was like the one thing that had kept her grounded and sane had been taken away and there was nothing left to live for.

Flashback:

She dived into the pool with a natural grace, that of a girl that had been raised in the sport. She quickly moved into a freestyle stroke and spent the first half of her lap completely underwater. As she came to the end of her lane she moved into position to do her first flap turn of the race, but she miscalculated and accidentally hit her shoulder. Thinking nothing of it or the pain she was in, she finished the race. Even though she had come in third of the twenty competitors she still felt that she could have done better.

Her father came walking up to her. “Sango, you did good,” he said as he patted her on her injured shoulder. She gasped in pain. Her brother, Kohaku was walking behind up from behind her and caught her as she fell to the ground.

1111111111111111111111

When she woke up, all she could see was white walls, and the only smell in her nostrils was the scent of disinfectant. It was so overpowering that she tried to pull her arm up and hold it closed. But, when she tried to lift her arm, it wouldn't move. She looked down trying to figure out what the problem was and saw that her arm was in a sling.

Suddenly she remembered. Her arm was hurting and her father had bought her to the emergency room. That's where she was now, the hospital.

She was bought out of her thoughts when the door opened to reveal her father and younger brother. Her father walked in and then over to her bed. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

“How are you feeling?” He asked gently.

“Like I got hit by a semi,” she replied bluntly. Her father chuckled.

“Well, apparently you did a lot of damage to that shoulder of yours. The doctor said he'll be in here in a minute to talk things over with us.” Sango nodded.

They looked up when the door opened to see a short man with buggy looking eyes.

“Ah, hello I am doctor Myouga Flea, and I'm guessing that you are Ms. Sango, correct?” Sango nodded, feeling very tired. “Well I'm afraid that you did some pretty severe damage to your shoulder there. I was looking at your chart and I noticed that you've had a few past injuries to that same shoulder, is that correct?”

She looked over to him, “yes it is, is that a problem?”

“Well, it's just that considering that nature of some of these injuries there's quite a bit of scar tissue and it may be hard to repair.”

“But it can be repaired, right?”

“I can't make any promises. We may be able to repair the shoulder enough for everyday use, but you may never be able to swim competitively again.”

Sango felt the world crash around her.

222222222222222222222222

Sango had been released from the hospital nearly two weeks ago. She had spent almost three weeks in that wretched place, missing her Olympic try outs. They had had to do three reconstructive surgeries on her shoulder, and no one could tell her if she'd be able to swim again.

She had spent the past two weeks in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her father and Kohaku bought her her meals, and she didn't bother with bathing. There was no point, the world was over anyways.

She had had a few friends come to visit, but she didn't speak to anyone. Eventually they all left.

She didn't even look up as the door opened, it was almost dark so it was probably her dad coming to spoon feed her her supper.

She gasped as she was lifted off the bed. She looked up to see her best friend, Inuyasha. He had come by a few times but always left after 30 minutes of the silent treatment.

“What the hell Inuyasha!” She asked, speaking the first words to come out of her mouth in nearly two weeks.

“Oh, so you can talk?” He asked as he carried her to the bathroom. She was surprised to see that the bathtub was already full with water.

Inuyasha didn't say anything else as he dumped her in the bathtub. He stood up and walked out the door, yelling “call me when your done,” on his way out.

Sango sat in the lukewarm water and soaked. How dare he? She decided not to call out for help, as she knew he was waiting outside the door. Almost a half hour later the door opened and someone threw a set of clothes into the room and then closed the door again.

She set in that tub for another three hours before realizing two things. One, that Inuyasha wasn't leaving, he'd been on the outside of that door the whole time. And two, that the water was getting really cold and her skin was getting pruned. She sighed and reached up and started to undress.

When she was finished bathing, she had to admit that she felt better. She got up and tried to dress herself, but it was really hard with her arm in the sling. She gritted her teeth as she realized what she was going to have to do.

“Um, Inuyasha I need some help getting dressed, can you get someone?”

Suddenly the door started to open. Sango looked up to see a girl that she had never seen before.

“Um, hi I'm Kagome, a friend of Inuyasha's.” Sango nodded, remembering that he had said something about meeting some girl when he came to visit her a few days ago.

Kagome looked over to her, “do you need some help?”

Sango nodded.

“So you're a swimmer?”

“Yeah,” she answered simply.

“That's cool, I always wanted to do something athletic, but I was never that good at it.”

Sango just looked at her with a blank expression.

“So not much a talker huh? Inuyasha said you wouldn't be.”

Sango looked her over suspiciously. This girl was too nice for her best friend.

“Well, it's ok I can talk enough for the both of us.”

Sango let herself laugh at that one.

After Kagome had finished helping Sango dress the two girls went back out into the hall.

“Finally,” Inuyasha grumbled as they walked out the door.

Kagome smiled to him and Sango could have sworn she saw her best friend soften a little bit.

“Come on,” Inuyasha said as he snapped back into his usual gruff exterior.

Sango followed him and Kagome.

4444444444444444444444444

Sango was surprised when they ended up at IHOP. Of all the places she expected them to take her, this wasn't it.

They got an extra table and Kagome sat next to Inuyasha on the right side while Sango sat on the left alone.

The waitress walked over to the table, “so what can I get you all to drink?”

Inuyasha looked up, “I'll have a Coke.”

The waitress looked to Kagome next, “I'll have an Ice Tea with extra lemon and sugar.” The elderly woman nodded and then turned to Sango, who looked down and didn't answer.

Inuyasha had had enough of this. “She'll have a Dr. Pepper.” Sango jumped up, “no I'll have an orange soda.”

The waitress nodded. As she was walking away Inuyasha laughed, “I knew that would get you talking.”

Sango just sat there.

“Well, if you aren't going to talk then we are.” Sango just sat there.

“Ok, well Kagome and I are getting married.” Sango jumped up.

“What?”

“I'm get shittin' you we aren't getting married just yet.”

Sango gave him the most evil look she could muster.

“Look, Kagome's a therapist. I think she might be able to help you.”

That was enough for Sango, “what? I do not need therapy.”

This time it was Kagome who spoke, “look it doesn't hurt anything, a lot of people do it and no one ever has to know. It isn't a weakness to admit a need to talk your feelings out.”

Sango just glared at Inuyasha, who moved close to Kagome.

“Look, Sango I'm asking you to do this as a personal favor to me.”

“Damn why do you have to be you!” Sango yelled, but then quieted down, “fine I'll try it. But I'm not promising anything.”

Inuyasha nodded.

55555555555555555555555555555

Kagome had worked with Sango everyday for an hour for almost two weeks before she was even able to get her to say anything. But, once she had started talking the two had become pretty good friends.

Kagome helped Sango work out a lot of the issues she was dealing with and even got her talking again. The real trouble came when she bought up going to physical therapy. Sango was completely against the idea, but somehow Kagome talked her into it.

“Ok, Sango why don't you want to go to physical therapy? It could really help the range to motion you have on that arm?” Kagome asked, looking directly into Sango's eyes.

Sango was trying to calm, calm and collected, but somehow that question just set her off. “Why don't I want to go? How about because even if I do this I'll never be able to make my Olympic trials next week or because I'll never be able to get the same use out of it as I should.”

Kagome gave her a tolerant look and then asked, “so is that it, you think that there is no reason trying?”

Sango glared at her, “isn't that what I just said?”

“Look, Sango, there have been people who have had worse injuries than yours and made full recoveries. You are a strong woman you could do this, if you wanted to. You may even be able to swim again.”

Sango looked up at her with hopeful eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Now, I'm not going to give you false hope, you may never be as good as you were before, but you'll at least be able to swim again, you just have to want it.”

Sango looked down, ashamed of her tears. Kagome walked over to her and hugged her.

77777777777777777777777

Sango set nervously in the waiting room of the office of the physical therapist that Kagome had recommended. Apparently Kagome and this Miroku were really good friends.

She looked up when her name was called to see the most perfect man she had ever seen. He had dark brown hair that was cut just below his shoulders and he had it pulled into a small ponytail. But the really amazing thing about him was his eyes, they were deep and she thought she might just be able to look into them forever.

She was brought out of her musing by someone groping her. She instinctively reached around and smacked him. The cute guy fell to the ground with a smile on his face. He stood up slowly, and said, “when I'm finished with you you'll be able to smack me even harder with the other arm.”

8888888888888888888888888888

Sango fell into her bed. She didn't think she had had that hard of a workout in years. Miroku had really been pushing her for the past month and the results were incredible. She could now move her arm in a full circle. It wasn't much, be it was more than she had hoped for.

The first two weeks had been hell. He pushed and pushed and pushed and finally she decided to push back. But what had really been hell was watching him grope the other woman who came in. The least he could do was not grope them on the time she had paid for.

She admitted to herself that she was a little jealous of the attention he gave the other women. She liked him and she wanted him to see that.

99999999999999999999999999999

“I am not afraid!” Sango yelled at Miroku.

 

“Oh really? Well then prove it. Because I really think that you are scared.”

 

“Just tell me when and where and I'll prove it to you.”

 

“Ok then how about tonight at around nine at the high school.”

 

“Tonight?” She asked trying no to sound scared.

 

“Yes, tonight.” Miroku whispered as he leaned in close to Sango, his breath trickling down her spine and nearly making her blush.

 

“Ok then, tonight.”

 

End Flashback.

 

So here she was, alone and scared at the high near her home's pool waiting on her physical therapist to show up so she could prove to him that she wasn't scared of swimming, or for that matter of living. She always hated it when people accused her of being scared and most of the time it ignited a fire in her to prove them wrong, but this time she wondered if she should have just admitted her fear.

 

She set down on the edge of the pool and put her feet in the water. She had already changed into her swimsuit. She kicked her feet back and forth enjoying the feel if the water between her toes. She was so lost in the feeling that she didn't notice Miroku had arrived until he sat down next to her.

 

“You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I mean, if it's too hard I'll let you off the hook.”

 

Sango moved her head up to look into his eyes. She wasn't surprised to find sincerity, he wasn't mocking her. But she knew that even if he wasn't mocking her, if she backed down he would lose a lot of respect for her.

 

She shook her head, “no I'm ready.”

 

“Ok then, I'll go get changed and then we'll see what you can do.”

 

“Wait, you're getting in too?”

 

“Of course, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you.”

 

She blushed and looked away.

 

When Miroku returned Sango was already doing her stretches. He sat down next to her and started doing the same.

 

After Sango felt that she was ready, at least physically, she got up and waited for Miroku.

 

He walked over, “ok so let's see you start with a 50 yard freestyle for now.” Sango nodded and moved to the diving block.

 

She moved her arms above her head and behind her ears in streamline position and bent her body over the pool. She dove in the water with an uneasy grace and made a small splash as she and the water made contact. She started kicking her legs the moment she could, but only moved her right, uninjured arm. Miroku looked on as she stopped at the other end of the pool, turned around and swam back, once again with one arm.

 

When she reached him she looked up, hoping that the water on her face would hide her tears, but she should have known better. Miroku jumped in the minute he saw them and wrapped his arms around her body.

 

“My dear Sango, what's wrong? Does your arm hurt?”

 

Sango turned her head away from him in shame and said, “I can't do this, I just can't. When I hit the water I felt good and then when I went to move that arm I just couldn't. It was like I didn't have any control over it. And then when I got down there and went to do a flip turn I just couldn't I was so afraid.” She cried into his chest.

 

Miroku just stood there and held her as she cried. He patted her hair and rubbed her upper back. When her crying had subsided he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “it's ok, we all get scared. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Now we'll just keep trying until you can do it. Ok?” At Sango's nod he continued, “I think you're made quite an achievement in just getting back in a pool at all.”

 

Sango looked up, “so you don't think I'm weak or stupid?”

 

Miroku looked at her in shock, was this what she thought of herself? “God no Sango. You are one of the strongest and smartest people I know. I just wish you'd let me help you more, like you are now.”

 

Sango stared into his eyes. “What?”

 

“Sango I am in love with you. I wish you could see that. I know you can't love me back, but at least let me help you.”

 

“Oh Miroku!”

 

Miroku was in shock as she buried her head in his chest, already being in his arms, and let a new set of tears start flowing.

 

“Sango please it's nothing to get upset about, if you want me too, I'll leave.”

 

Sango looked up at him, “please don't leave, I love you too, please don't leave me.”

 

“Oh Sango, I was bluffing, I could never leave you.” He said, as he ran his hands through her hair, down her back and to her backside.

 

Sango pulled back and slapped him with her left hand and then started laughing. “You were right I can hit you harder with this hand now.”