InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Boyfriend ❯ Hospital Room ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: InuYasha, Kagome and anyone else you saw in the manga or anime does not belong to me. Yukio does. If I saw so much as a shiny penny for this story, you think I'd be writing fanfiction still? Okay, I would… Damn other authors and their more interesting universes…

 

Genre: Angst, Romance

Rating: M
Codes: Inu/Kag
Feedback: Keeps my muse talking and the stories coming! Do tell. But if you have a flame, use it for something more productive, like setting your clothes on fire.

 

 

The Boyfriend
Chapter 15

 

InuYasha looked down at the tiny baby in the incubator. There were tubes running from the flat nose, taped in place with white bands that looked too big for the miniature head. She only weighed three and a half pounds, her skin was translucent and she couldn't breathe on her own. It amazed him that they were able to keep her alive at all. Kagome was recovering in her room with her mother. Souta was standing next to him, looking through the glass at his new niece. InuYasha didn't know how to react. All he had thought about was that bastard having a son with his Kagome who would probably grow up just like him.

 

But it was a girl. The moment he heard her tiny voice, he couldn't hate her. He was doing his best, but she looked so fragile and helpless. And when she opened her heavily lidded eyes, she looked right at him. Some doctor had said she couldn't see him yet, that babies were `nearsighted', but he didn't believe it. She had followed his movements as he anxiously peered at the nurses cleaning her off and getting her prepared for all the machines that were now keeping her alive.

 

“InuYasha, she's asking for you,” Mrs. Higurashi said as she walked up to the glass to stand with them. InuYasha shot one last confused glare at the baby, then walked back to Kagome's room. She had been cleaned up and no longer smelled of blood and amniotic fluid. There was a strong scent of unpleasant things like alcohol, but he had been in this room through most of her labor and was used to it now. He wasn't used to the sunken, bruised look of Kagome's face, though. He never wanted to be.

 

“InuYasha,” she whispered, taking his hand. He sat in the chair next to the bed and met her eyes tentatively. He still expected to see the same condemnation in hers that was in his and had been in her mother's. And when it wasn't there, he felt even worse. Her eyes were tired, but they hadn't changed as much as they should. “How is she?”

 

“Alive.” He pushed away the irritation that she was worried about the baby when she was in such bad shape. He was much more worried about her.

 

“Don't … be angry,” she said softly.

 

“I'm not,” he said quickly. “I'm just worried. I've been looking for you for almost a year.”

 

“I'm sorry,” she said. “I tried to escape…”

 

“Don't you ever apologize to me for something like that again,” he growled. “I'm sorry that I didn't find you sooner.” She smiled at him and his breath caught. It had been so long since he had seen it. She made a sound of pain and he let go of her hand, realizing that he was crushing it.

 

“Kiss me,” she whispered and his eyes grew wide. It was the last thing he expected, but he didn't hesitate, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, breathing in her scent and taste and feeling all the shit his life had been lately evaporate. He broke the kiss and leaned back; so happy when he saw she was smiling again. He was so grateful that that one thing hadn't been taken away from him and he leaned his head onto the pillow next to hers, tossing his arm across her ribs. They were quiet for a long time, staring into each other's eyes, just happy to have one another back again. After a while, InuYasha fell asleep.

 

He woke to a nurse shaking his shoulder and leapt to his feet, forgetting where he was for a moment. The nurse jumped back, clutching her heart and apologized for disturbing him. He looked down to see that Kagome was sound asleep, then looked back at the nurse, who told him that visiting hours were over and he needed to leave. He told her exactly what he thought of `visiting hours' and explained, colorfully, what the hospital could do with them. She paled and fled, not willing to confront him further.

 

“I think we need to call security,” she said out in the hall. InuYasha's ears twitched. “That boy refused to leave and said some awful things!”

 

“The one with the silver hair?” another nurse asked. InuYasha recognized her voice from earlier.

 

“Yes.”

 

“I don't suppose he would. He hasn't left her with anyone but her mother since they got here.”

 

“I've seen a lot of protective new fathers, but—”

 

“Oh, he's not even the father!” the other nurse said.

 

“What?”

 

“Look, I don't think that it'll be a problem if he stays. In fact, I think it will be more of a problem if he leaves. She's been through a lot more than just childbirth recently and I think he makes her feel safe. I know I'd feel safe with someone that tenacious watching over me. So leave them be.”

 

“If you say so…” InuYasha breathed a sigh of relief when the woman gave in. At this point, someone would have to kill him to get him away from Kagome. Every time he left her, she was hurt, badly. So, he never planned to leave her again, no matter what. Then his mind drifted to what the first nurse had said, about him being a new father, and the second one denying it. He wasn't sure who was right. Technically, the baby wasn't his, but… If Kagome stayed with him, then he would be responsible for protecting the child as well. And he didn't ever want the baby's real father near her or Kagome ever again, so that meant that she wouldn't have one unless he assumed the responsibility. In the end, it would be Kagome's choice, of course, but he wanted her to choose him as her daughter's father.

 

“Kagome,” he whispered. “Do you still want to stay with me?”

 

“Yes,” she answered, opening her eyes. He jumped, startled. He thought she was asleep! “Do you still want me to stay?”

 

“Yes,” he answered, trying to keep his voice down, despite the adrenaline now rushing through his system.

 

“What about the baby?” she asked. “She's not yours…”

 

“Are you going to give her to… that asshole?” InuYasha asked, refusing to speak his name.

 

“No, of course not!” she said, a flush of color finally starting in her cheeks.

 

“Then she's mine,” he said. “I don't care what that paper you signed earlier says, she's mine if you're mine.”

 

“Do… do you really mean that?” Kagome asked.

 

“Yes,” he answered. Kagome sat up and reached for him and he quickly leaned in to keep her from ripping off the tubes and monitor wires attached to her. She hugged him tightly and he was relieved to feel a little more strength in her.

 

“I love you,” she whispered. He kissed her again to show her that he felt the same. She leaned back into the bed and he sat back down. “Now, I just have to figure out what to name her.”

 

“What do you mean?” he asked. “I told you that she's mine. That means I name her.”

 

“Oh, really?” Kagome said, looking a little like her old self again. “And just what do you plan to name her?”

 

“Oniko,” he answered as a joke. Her mouth dropped open and she started sputtering. It was too much and he laughed.

 

“Demon child is not an appropriate name for a little girl!” she chastised, but when he started laughing, she realized that he was teasing her.

 

“I'm calling her Torako,” he said seriously. Kagome turned her head to the side and thought about it. He wondered if she would argue.

 

“He was a lot like a tiger,” she said softly. “But do you have to name her for her real father? If she's yours, then why remind everyone about him?”

 

“Mika?”

 

“New moon?” Kagome frowned at him. “You hate the new moon.” He sighed.

 

“Tama,” he decided. He looked at Kagome and she smiled this time. Relieved, he relaxed in his seat and tried out the new name. “Our daughter's name is Tama.”

 

“Our daughter's name is Tama,” she repeated. Another new nurse had just walked in the door and she smiled at them.

 

“So you've decided on a name?” She glanced down at the clipboard, and then held it out with a pen to Kagome. “Please write your daughter's full name here.” Kagome picked up the pen and wrote it carefully. “Higurashi Tama,” the nurse read. “A lovely name. Now, for the reason I came. Tama is doing as well as can be expected and you should be able to take her home in about six weeks.”

 

“Six weeks?” InuYasha repeated, having had Kagome explain weeks and months to him long before.

 

“Yes,” the nurse said. “She needs to grow to the physical maturity of at least a newborn before we can release her.” Kagome sighed.

 

“That gives me time to get ready for her, I suppose,” she said. The nurse nodded, then turned and walked out of the room. “InuYasha?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Should I keep her?” Kagome asked softly.

 

“What?”

 

“Tama. I mean, I didn't even get to go to high school for very long. What kind of life can I give her?” Tears started rolling down Kagome's cheeks and InuYasha panicked. He didn't know what to say and he was afraid the wrong thing would make her cry harder.

 

“Don't be stupid!” he said, trying to make her angry. At least if she was angry, she probably wouldn't be crying. “We'll give her a good life. You don't need school back in my time.” Kagome turned to him and sniffled.

 

“I never thought about that,” she said. “I mean, I thought about staying in your time, but… my life is here. There are things about the sengoku jidai that I love, but this is my time. This is when I belong.”

 

“But… if you planned to stay with me, then did you expect me to live in this time?” InuYasha asked. Kagome nodded. “And how will it be different for me, having had no school at all, then it is for you, having a…”

 

“Chugakkou,” she supplied.

 

“Having a chugakkou education?” InuYasha finished, a little frustrated. Kagome was quiet for a long time.

 

“Are you saying you won't stay in my time with me?”

 

“No!” InuYasha said, sighing. Was she being deliberately difficult? “I'm saying that… you won't be alone,” he concluded lamely. But it seemed to be enough for her, because she relaxed and smiled again.

 

“Thank you, InuYasha,” she said, sniffling.

 

“Just stop crying,” he said, looking away. Kagome nodded and turned her own head away. InuYasha peeked at her and when he saw she seemed to be trying, he laid his head on her shoulder again. “Are you okay now?”

 

“I don't know,” Kagome answered, honestly. “I've had a lot of time to get over what happened to me, but I've had this constant reminder, with Tama growing inside me. There are nights… when I still dream about it.” InuYasha reached out and gently brushed her hair back from her face. “But I'm not scared of you anymore. I've been… I've been praying every night that you would come,” she whispered, “and save me before I had the baby. I tried to run away… so many times…” Her eyes were closing and InuYasha knew she was tired, so he let her drift off to sleep, relaxing and letting himself fall asleep beside her.

 

 

To be continued…

 

A/N: Chugakkou is the Japanese word for middle school or junior high. Tama means “a jewel” (specifically from the kun-reading of the kanji of her name… I spent way too much time researching Japanese names and naming practices). It's an uncommon name, but I don't think InuYasha would choose a common one, especially considering his own and Kagome's. Yes, I spent too much time thinking about it. I decided on Tama after looking through dozens of names and decided to play on shikon no tama (jewel of four souls), which brought them together in the first place. And in Japan, particularly InuYasha's time, men named babies and women usually had no say in it at all, at least, not in an obvious way. Usually, a woman would have to lead her husband to the name she wanted if she was determined about one.