InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Gods' Opinion ❯ The Psychologist is In ( Chapter 3 )

The Gods' Opinion

 

Disclaimer: Almost all characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko.

 

Warning: This is a mature story and I mean that in more than this story only containing sexual situations and bad language. It contains adult themes.

 

Summary: Kagome is trying hard to have a baby. But when things don't work out, she visits the best fertility doctor in the world. She finds her feelings and beliefs challenged as she struggles to hold onto her dreams.

 

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Chapter Three The Psychologist is In

 

The psychologist spun around in her soft brown leather chair to look out the blind covered windows. She sighed at the view. The sky was cloudless, a pale blue color filled with the white glow of the mid-afternoon sun. The water sparkled with tiny flecks of bright white that beckoned visitors to its cool liquid. It looked like today was a warm day. And by the time she left her office, it wouldn't be there for her.

 

It was Friday. Her last appointment of the day had yet to show up, teasing her with the possibility of getting off work earlier than normal. But what did it mean to get home early? A jump start on delivered pizza, pints of ice-cream and an endless series of action movies? Actually, that's exactly what it would be.

 

Glancing at the grandiose grandfather clock snuggly placed between a bookshelf and a tall, leafy plant, she sighed at the time; 3:25. Her appointment was very late. And there wasn't any word on whether the patient had canceled or not. So, until she heard something, she was stuck in her office until at least five.

 

The loud buzz of her phone dragged her from her thoughts. Reaching for the receiver, she brushed her long silky hair off her shoulders so she could comfortably access her ear.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Your three o'clock is here if you still want to meet with her.”

 

She puffed out a small bit of air. If she said no, she could go home, but it wasn't late enough yet. “Yes, uh, please, send her in.”

 

She put the receiver down. Looking at the patient's file on her desk, she opened it up. The file came through yesterday. Dr. Takahashi was right. Just by his notes alone, this case was not typical. A non-married couple seeking fertility treatments. And the woman was only 25 years old.

 

The door opened and a timid female carefully slipped inside, closing the door without as much as a sound. The psychologist stood up, motioning for her patient to have a seat.

 

“I'm so sorry. I forgot how hectic traffic is on Fridays.”

 

The psychologist smiled. “It's okay. I actually know what traffic can be like on a Friday. I'm surprised you were able to find parking.” She took a seat in the chair across from her patient. Having the desk between them wouldn't allow proper discourse to flow freely.

 

“Actually, I don't own a car. I took the bus.”

 

“Oh, well, it's a hassle anyways. Gas, insurance, oil, maintenance.”

 

The patient shook her head, her smile dropping. “And they are dangerous.”

 

“I guess they can be.”

 

“No, they are. Hojo insists on having one, for work. Though he could just as easily carpool.”

 

“But they are handy to have around when you need them. For those times when you just need to get away from it all. Or emergencies”

 

Kagome frowned some more. “Even then . . . “her voice trailed off as her eyes dulled. “I'm sorry, we should probably discuss something else. Cars are not the reason why I'm here.”

 

“We can talk cars. It might not be the girly thing to do, but to hell with stereotypes. What kind of car does Hojo have?”

 

Kagome decided to just go along with it. “He owns a BMW Convertible. I'm not sure of the series. It's black. Leather seats.”

 

“That's a nice car. A bit speedy for my tastes, but I do believe that guys and women have differing tastes when it comes to vehicles.”

 

“I hate it. I hate being in it. Sometimes, when he turns, I . . . I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach . . . “

 

“The nauseous, stomach flipping, rollercoaster feel?”

 

“Eh, kind of . . . but . . . not enjoyable. Rollercoasters, now they are fun. Cars . . . cars aren't.”

 

“Why aren't they fun?”

“My grandfather, father and little brother . . . they . . . their deaths were a result of car accidents. Not all at the same time . . . but . . . “

 

“Here.”

 

Kagome took the tissue her psychologist had offered her. She wiped the tears away. It had been a long time since she cried over this issue. She thought she'd healed from it. She had moved on with her life. This was in the past; she was now living in her present, preparing for her future.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“When did it happen? The accidents?”

 

“Oh, um, well, my father died when I was like seven, eight years old. My grandmother had died before that. My grandfather offered his place for us. Me, my mom, my little brother and my grandfather, we lived together in a shrine. A little more than two years ago, my little brother, Souta is, uh, was his name, he was taking my grandfather to see the Dali Lama, who was giving a speech. But, they never made it.” Kagome wiped more of the tears away.

 

“It was a head-on collision. The other guy's fault. My grandfather died instantly, but Souta, he . . . he died a few days later once the doctors . . . they said there was nothing more they could do. My mom and I, we made the decision to terminate life support.”

 

“I can see why you wouldn't want Hojo to drive.”

 

“Any man who I love has died in car accidents. I don't know what I would do if it happened again.”

 

“Sounds like you really love Hojo.”

 

Kagome didn't answer right away. Her fingers crumbled and stretched the dampened tissue. She was trying really hard to contain her emotions. It wouldn't do her any good to have some kind of emotional breakdown now. She had accepted their deaths a long time ago.

 

“Oh yeah. I do.”

 

“How'd you meet him?” the psychologist giggled. “Sorry, I'm a hopeless romantic.”

 

Kagome giggled back, temporarily putting the depressing thoughts away. “Well, it was high school. I was the naïve little freshman and he was the confident all-knowing senior. He asked me out a couple of times, but I thought he was the typical senior, trying to get an easy lay from a freshman girl, so I turned him down. But he never gave up. Prom came around and he asked me to go with him. No one else did, so I said yes. He was the perfect gentlemen. Limo, flowers, fancy reservation-only restaurant, tuxedo, the works.”

 

“Well, he graduated and left for college. I didn't think much of him until college. I was enrolled in one of those intro science courses and he was the TA. He said hi, that he missed me and invited me out to coffee a few times, then dinner and then we were dating as a couple.”

 

“How long of you two been together?”

 

“Uh, almost six years.”

 

“Wow, that's impressive.” The psychologist glanced at Kagome's hand, but found no rings. “Any plans for marriage?”

 

“Well,” Kagome nervously chuckled, her stormy eyes darting around the room as she racked her brain for a logical answer, “perhaps one day, but for now . . . what Hojo and I have . . . we don't need a wedding. If nothing's wrong, why fix it, ne?”

 

“I guess. It's just so unusual for a couple that's not married to work so hard on having a child.”

 

“Short of legal documentation and inviting a bunch of people to watch us vocalize vows that Hojo and I share on a daily basis, we are married spiritually.”

 

“Spiritually?”

 

“My grandfather was a priest. He blessed us, our partnership. He was going to do the more formal thing, with friends and family present, but . . . “

 

“I see. Sorry.”

 

“It's okay. I get asked it a lot, so I'm used to explaining it.”

 

“Do you ever think about it?”

 

“About what? Marriage?” The psychologist nodded. “Uh, sometimes.”

 

“Traditional, western . . . remember, hopeless romantic here.”

 

“I had thought of the more traditional one. But some of my friends are getting married following the western styles, so . . . I guess I haven't put that much thought into it.”

 

“What keeps you so busy then?”

 

Uh, school, work, you know . . . life.”

 

“Yeah, life does get in the way of living. So, work, school . . . what are you studying?”

 

“Uh, well, I have a degree in nutrition. Hojo and I went to the same school. After graduating, I took a job at a school of culinary arts teaching nutrition basics. I also attend that school studying the culinary arts.”

 

“I like food. I don't have time to cook much.”

 

“I actually don't cook as much as often as you'd think. I work during the day and my classes are in the evening, so dinner is normally grab n' go.”

 

“So, how does your school/work schedule mesh with Hojo's schedule?”

 

“Night classes are only twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. And Hojo likes to cook, so we take turns with that.”

 

“Do you go out on the weekends? Go to the theater, dancing . . . ?”

 

“Mmm . . . sometimes. We like to hang out at home. He is a bookworm. So, sometimes we'll walk to the bookstore. We can both spend hours in those places. He likes his science and I lose myself in the cooking and the crafts.”

 

“That's it?”

“Pretty much. I do go visit my mother. We like to get together, do some shopping, get lunch. Then I'll go to the shrine with her, and we'll cook a meal together, watch an old movie.”

 

The psychologist noticed Kagome's face during the time she talked about Hojo and compared it with her expressions when she talked about her mother. Talking about her mother brought nothing but smiles, ones that reached her eyes. Hojo, though she smiled, there was something else there, something that held her back. It could just be the stress of not being to conceive, or perhaps an issue that even Kagome wasn't fully aware of.

 

“You and your mother are close I take it.”

 

“I love my mom. She's a mother and a friend. She's just . . . she's always there, good, bad, sad, or whatever. She doesn't have to say a word, just a hug. That's all it takes from her.”

 

“Have you talked to her about you and Hojo wanting a child?”

 

Kagome sucked in a good portion of her bottom lip, her foot fluttering against the carpeted floor. “Kinda. She knows we're trying, but . . . I don't know, it's weird.”

 

“What's weird about it?”

“She's a typical mother. She's been hinting at grandchildren since I turned sixteen. So I know she's okay with it, but . . . I think she's afraid that she won't get any now that I'm having this . . . problem. I don't know if she doesn't talk about it much because she doesn't want to pressure me. Or get excited over false hopes.”

 

“Do you feel pressure from your mother?”

 

“Oh no. Not at all. I know she wants them, but I also know that it'll happen when I'm ready. She's been . . . supportive.”

 

“And are you ready?”

 

“Ready?” Kagome scratched her head. “Yeah, I believe that I am. I believe that we are.”

 

“What about school? Your job?”

“I'm done with school in two months. I've already told them that I'm working on a family.”

 

“Sounds like you've really thought this through.”

 

“I've had time to. We've been working on creating a family for a good year now. A little more than that. I feel like our lives have stalled because of this problem I have.”

 

“What plans, other than this child, do you have?”

 

“Well, Hojo is working his way up at his job. He's thinking he might get promoted if his project gets approved. But with his job, money isn't much of an issue.”

 

“So, stay at home mom? Those are rare these days.”

 

Kagome didn't answer right away. She quickly closed her mouth. As she opened her mouth to comment, she was interrupted by a soft buzzing sound. “What's that?” she asked as it slowly increased in volume.

 

The psychologist stood up and walked to her desk, picking up a small white device that Kagome recognized as a timer. “Session's over with,” she said as she turned off the annoying sound.

 

Kagome spun her head around until she found the grandfather clock. Yep, it was four o'clock. Time went by so fast. But she felt like she hadn't accomplished anything. She looked back at the psychologist.

 

“That's . . . it?”

 

“For this week.”

 

“Oh. Uh, okay. So . . . same time next week?”

“If that works best for you. Talk to Saori if you need to make a change.”

“Sure. Thanks uh . . . “

 

“Oh my. I forgot to introduce myself. How silly of me. Way to build that doctor/patient trust. Not fair that I know your name from your file. I'm Dr. Taijiya, but if you wish, you can call me by my first name, Sango.”

 

“Sango. That's a pretty name.”

 

“Thanks. I have one suggestion for you this week. I want you and Hojo to go out, a nice little restaurant and talk about anything but this or babies. Talk about politics, his work, your work, celebrity gossip, anything. But no fertility issues understand?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Also, what you say here doesn't leave this office. However, I do share my professional opinions with Dr. Takahashi as it relates to helping you conceive. So if you talk about the conflicts in the Middle East, I won't report your words unless I sense that it's affecting your ability to conceive, okay?”

 

“Yes. So, I'll see you next week then.”

 

“Have a good weekend Kagome.”

 

You too. Sango.”

 

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

 

In Sango's apartment, her TV quietly played the movie of the moment, flashing through its action sequences. Her apartment was dimmed, with the only light not coming from the TV coming from some scented candles she had lit when she finally made it home from work. After the candles were lit, she ordered take-out pizza, took a quick shower, slipped into some sweats and found her way onto her couch.

 

It was now nearing midnight. The channel she had chosen had gone through several cheesy Kung-Fu movies. Her pizza was gone as well as several cans of soda. She was curled up on her large, plush couch, wrapped up in a blanket her mother had sewn for her when she was a child. Her dark brown eyes were shut, but her ears and mind were wide open.

 

Her ears weren't tired of the voice she had been listening to for the last several hours. This was her fourth time listing to her session with Kagome earlier that day. While Kagome talked about cars, Sango heard something else being said. There was a lot to hear in words not spoken.

 

The first two times Sango studied Kagome's session, it was the recorded film version she watched. A lot of what a person says isn't spoken through the mouth, but with body language and facial expressions. Sango would analyze the body, the words, and then put the two together.

 

As soon as the voices had said their goodbyes, Sango shut the ipod down and slipped the headphones off her red ears. She stretched her stiff muscles out before prying her tired body off her couch. Stumbling down the hall, she fell softly onto her bed. Once covered in her cool white blankets, she closed her eyes as her mind organized her thoughts about Higurashi Kagome.

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

Sango tapped her fingers against of glass of iced white coffee. Her laptop stared back at her as her mind worked on getting her thoughts onto the machine so she would have something for Kagome's file come Monday. There were other files to work on, but Sango couldn't deny that something about Kagome was drawing her in.

 

“Sango.”

 

Sango looked up, recognizing Inuyasha instantly. She moved her files off half of the table and out of the chair so he had room. Once everything was safely packed away, Inuyasha sat down.

 

A waitress approached and slipped a menu and glass of water towards Inuyasha. He picked it up and glanced over it a few times. Sango tried to work on her laptop. She knew what she wanted to say, she just didn't know how to phrase it the way she wanted to sound.

 

Inuyasha didn't say anything until the waitress returned. He ordered a double-bacon-cheeseburger with extra crispy fries. Sango settled for a BLT sandwich with the soup of the day: cream of potato. Once the waitress left with the menus and orders, Inuyasha glanced over at Sango.

 

“So . . . “he started like he normally did when they got together like this.

 

Sango frowned as she saved her work so she could close her laptop up. Talking about her thoughts might make it easier for her to write out her analysis. Already, she wanted to help this girl, feeling sympathetic towards her. Yet . . .

 

“So . . . “Sango muttered as she clopped up her laptop, sticking it in its leather case before giving it time to cool down. “Who's first?”

 

Inuyasha pulled out his files. He read the name of the first file. “Suzuki.”

 

“They are doing fine. My only concern is that if the procedure doesn't take, she'll need extra counseling for the depression. Perhaps him as well.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. “So far, things are fine. The fetus is sex weeks into development.”

 

“Well, we'll just keep the extra counseling as an option. Next.”

 

Inuyasha slipped the Suzuki file back into his leather bag. “Next is Tanaka.”

 

“They have the normal fears for a couple who've experienced problems with conceiving a child. I do feel that she'll have difficult with post-partum depression and I've already started to talk to both of them about it as we come into the final month.”

 

Inuyasha put that file away. They went through a few more files before coming to the last one. The one both were anxious to talk about. The Higurashi-Akitoki file. Kagome's name first because she was the one trying to get pregnant.

 

“You talked to them yesterday?”

 

Hojo came in for an hour at nine. Kagome come in later in the afternoon. Sango pulled out the stuff she did on Hojo. This was Inuyasha's copy. She slid it over to him and just slid it into his file on them. Inuyasha would read it later as it sometime helped him on how to deal with patients.

 

“And Kagome's?” he asked noticing only the one file. He eyed Sango suspiciously. She was never one to be late with her work.

 

“I'm still working on it,” she quickly mumbled before taking a sip of her iced drink. Sango set her drink down at looked directly at Inuyasha. “I want to talk to you about her.”

 

Inuyasha was reaching for his glass of water when Sango said that to him. His hand slipped, causing the iced liquid to spill away from him. “Shit,” he muttered, causing the silverware to spill as he whipped up a napkin to dry the table.

 

“Let me,” the waitress announced as she showed up with their food. She wiped the table down before serving them their meals. She stole some napkins from the nearby empty tables to replace the one Inuyasha had used.

 

Sango dipped her soup spoon into the thick liquid, watching as it slowly filled up. “She arrived a half-hour late to the appointment,” Sango started before taking the first bite of soup. Inuyasha wasn't going to interrupt, not yet. “That was how the session started. Her faith in public transit.”

 

“Sango, I don't fuckin' pay you to discuss politics.”

 

“Well just wait. It was . . . interesting. If we didn't, I would've learned that three generations of the males in her family all died in car accidents.”

 

“Three generations?” he asked before munching down on his cheeseburger.

 

“Her father first, when she was younger. Then her grandfather and younger brother about two years ago. These three deaths have had a tremendous impact on her life.”

 

“Hobo . . . “

 

“Hojo . . . “Sango corrected him.

 

“Homo mentioned her grandfather marrying them.”

 

Sango nodded, noticing that he was still unable to grasp the simple name. “Yeah. Kagome mentioned that as well. It's one reason why they haven't married. I'll get to that in a bit. It's this family thing that's got me. I'm wondering if her desperate want for a family stems from these three deaths.”

 

She stirred her soup up some before taking a few bites. “You know, she's the last one in her family. She's probably pressuring herself to have a child to continue the family, and she might not be aware of that.”

 

“Is that a reason to deny her fertility treatments?”

 

“No. It's more like a reason to make sure she does get a child.” Sango pushed her half-eaten soup away so she could work on her sandwich. “But, it'll be hard with that kind of pressure.”

 

“Sango, this is all great and fuckin' fascinating, but my concern is the fact that these two aren't married. I don't need to tell you how much of a liability this is. Unmarried couples, in this business, it's unstable, not safe.”

 

“And they'll both argue with you on that issue. I think Kagome is passionate enough to go through with this. But that might take a few more sessions.”

 

“So, you're sayin' I should treat them?”

 

“I'm saying do the test on Tuesday, let me talk to them again on Friday and I'll give you my professional opinion next week.”

 

“Next week?” Inuyasha questioned. His cheeseburger was gone, as were most of his fries. He grabbed Sango's bowl of soup and started to dig his way into that.

 

“I've never been so unsure about a couple before. They are devoted to each other, so in love and yet . . . they won't get married. It's my topic for the next session.”

 

Inuyasha frowned as he pushed the empty bowl of soup away. “I don't like this.”

 

“Why? We've seen couples who hated each other come into the clinic. You've created miracles for those who were completely undeserving to commit a fraction of their thoughts to another being other than themselves. What matter does marriage really play?”

 

“The legal one.” Inuyasha slid the file away from him as he carefully thought out what he needed to say. “It's not me. It's the damn board of directors. They're fuckin' pussies when it comes to shit like this. Lawsuits take money away from the clinic, from research.”

 

Sango leaned back in her chair, raising her crumb covered fingers in the air. “That's for you to tell them. When's your next meeting with the board of directors?” She brought her hand down and brushed the crumbs off with her napkin.

 

“Wednesday, I think.”

 

“And you're next appointment with Kagome?”

 

“Tuesday.”

 

“I'd recommend that you continue with the appointment, and then bring the case up on Wednesday. Let me know their decision and I'll spend Friday talking to her about marriage.”

 

“So, you're saying to hold off telling them if the clinic turns them down or not?” He didn't like that. It made him uncomfortable. It was like lying to them. Milking money out of them, giving them hope only to turn around and say that even though they are committed to each other, without a legal marriage, they can't have children.

 

“Basically. Since you don't know how the board will rule, just continue to treat them as any other couple.” Sango thought this would be easier on the couple. Inuyasha wasn't one to play nice. If the board said no, he'd say no too instead of finding a way to ease the decision.

 

“Fine,” he snapped. “But . . . “he started to say, pointing a clawed finger at her.

 

“I know. I know. I'll be sure to put something in their files about this so you don't get in trouble.”

 

Inuyasha seemed satisfied with that. He didn't want to get in trouble with the board of directors. And if Sango used her professional opinion to sway them in the direction away from trouble, then he'd let her.

 

“What about the marriage thing?”

 

“It's . . . weird. It's like she wants to marry, but doesn't at the same time. Her excuse is . . . cute.”

 

“Excuse me?” he shot out; unsure of the word she had really spoken.

 

“Yeah, the one where she only dreamed of having her grandfather marry her, but now that he's dead, she can't go through with it. It's morbidly cute.”

 

“Damn Sango. I hate that word.”

 

“Well, it'll get her sympathy. So, since her grandfather isn't there to marry her, she doesn't think about it. In fact, both of them avoid the topic all together. Hojo doesn't want to upset Kagome and Kagome believes that she'd be betraying her grandfather if any other priest married them. She doesn't want to upset him as he rests in his grave. That would be like cursing herself.”

 

“Sounds fucked up. The board won't buy it.”

 

“There is a loophole. The grandfather's blessing. If there's a record of it, then it might be enough.”

 

“Another reason to continue with it. Fuck,” he whispered his favorite versatile word.

 

Sango folded her hands on the table as she learned forward in Inuyasha's direction. Feeling threatened, Inuyasha leaned away from her, to the point of moving his chair back. He didn't like that look on her face. He'd seen it before.

 

“You've been hanging out with Miroku too much.”

 

Sango smiled, but failed to deny that accusation. “He called me last night.”

 

“Fuck,” Inuyasha softly muttered, turning his blushing face away from her.

 

“He did mention this incredibly, what did he say, ah, yes, this incredibly do-able patient that arrived earlier this week that made your job difficult.”

 

“Are you going to analyze my mind?”

 

“No. Not formally. But I have to ask . . . was Kagome that patient?”

 

Inuyasha sighed. He tightened and loosened his grip on the arms of the chair he was sitting in as he used silence to avoid answering Sango. Damn Miroku. Damn Sango. Damn Hojo. Damn Kagome.

 

Miroku was a bastard for teasing him about it and then going to Sango. Sango had no place to pull this psycho-babble bullshit on him. Hojo shouldn't even exist. Because then he might have a chance with Kagome. Yet, his path would've never crossed hers if it wasn't for Hojo. Damn Miroku. And damn Sango. Twice.

 

Sango didn't wait for Inuyasha to reply knowing that he was doing his best to ignore the topic of conversation. “Far be it from me to tell you what kind of trouble you'd get yourself into.”

 

“I fuckin' know that. Sheesh Sango. I am a professional. I've had hot twenty-year olds with their eighty-year old sugar daddies in my office, on my examination table, legs spread wide . . . “

 

“I get the picture.” She got too much of it actually. He didn't have to be so . . . descriptive. Those twenty-year olds had passed through her office as well. Robots were what she thought of them. They did only as the rich man told them to do. Be pretty, have my baby and my money will take care of you.

 

“Then you know that Kagome is no different. Just some hot chick passing through on the way to the rest of her life,” he voiced back to Sango louder than he should've been. “I don't care what that asshole Miroku tells you.”

 

“Okay, granted Miroku is a liar when it comes to his exploits and practices. But, when it comes to his friends, he doesn't. Not once. And not about you.”

 

“What did he say?”

 

“He said that you looked rattled.”

 

The next time he saw Miroku, he was going to rattle that scrawny neck of his. So what if he hadn't dated a girl in . . . when was the last time he went on a date? He couldn't remember. And sex? He just hadn't had a good lay for a while. That was why he was rattled. It wasn't Kagome. She just reminded him that he had no sex life other than the one he provided himself.

 

“I just . . . I need . . . well . . . “Inuyasha found himself unable to vocalize what he'd known for a while now. Maybe if he actually said it, it would make it that much more of the truth. He wasn't the type to admit that his life was far from being decent.

 

Sango placed a hand on Inuyasha's arm, causing him to look right into her eyes. He was afraid to. Afraid of seeing pity or sympathy or crap along those lines. Being pitied wasn't going to help him. But he didn't know what could.

 

What he saw though was Sango looking like Sango. They had known each other for along time, and she was his friend. He wasn't attracted to her at all, and he knew the same was true for her. She was someone he could trust. That was hard to come by for a hanyou, so he valued their companionship greatly.

 

“Whatever you decide to do, just be careful.”

 

With that said, Sango removed her hand from Inuyasha, knowing that the action was intrusive, but that action had gained his complete attention. He heard her words clearly and she knew it.

 

Sango knew the trouble he was having. And she had seen and talked to Kagome. Kagome seemed to be a nice girl. And she was a natural beauty, someone that Inuyasha could easily be attracted to because of his demon heritage.

 

However, Kagome was in a long-term relationship with a guy that so far was decent and very much in love with her. Also, Kagome was a patient. The clinic had an un-written rule that employees and patients were a no-no. There was too much gray-area to navigate through and it was best to just avoid it.

 

Sango was tempted to tell Inuyasha to switch Kagome to another doctor in the clinic. It would allow him to avoid the problems he was heading into. But, Inuyasha had a strict personal rule that once he started with a patient, he wouldn't switch unless the patient requested it. It was a rule he made for himself because it kept him motivated. And because of that rule, Inuyasha quickly became the best in the field. A doctor who would never give up and a doctor who gave hope to those desperate for the miracle of life.

 

“If there's nothing else, then I'm going to head back home to finish this up. I'll email you a copy if you want,” Sango said as she organized her stuff. Picking up her purse, she set the medium sized black leather bag onto table and fished around for her wallet.

 

“I got it.”

 

“Are you sure?” Sango asked as she now held her wallet firmly in her right hand, her left ready to snap open the button.

 

“Yeah, I'm sure.”

 

Sango chuckled as she returned her wallet back into the confines of her purse. “You're only doing this to tease Miroku.”

 

“What?” Inuyasha cried out innocently.

 

Sango slung her purse over her shoulder. “You're going to tell him you had lunch with me. Then he'll whine to you about it, and then he'll nag to me about how I won't go out on a date with him.”

 

Inuyasha smirked. Sango knew him and Miroku too well. “Ah, you can thank me later for it.”

 

“Before or after I kill the both of you?”

 

“Keh, you could certainly try.”

 

Sango laughed as she waved goodbye before exiting the tiny café they frequented often. Inuyasha waved back at her, watching her as she left. Since Inuyasha accepted her as someone more than just a friend, his instincts kicked in to watch over and protect her. He used to grumble about it, but if anything were to happen to Sango, or even Miroku, he knew he would lose those that had value to him.

 

Inuyasha sighed. His life, or his lack of one, was creeping into his work, affecting his ability to think straight about a patient. He knew he was bordering on a knife's edge. One wrong move and what he had worked so hard on would be gone in an instant. That he couldn't let happen.

 

But . . . damn . . . there was something about her that tugged at him. He didn't know if it was because of the lack of intimate female companionship in is life or what, yet, it was there and he had no clue as to how to deal with it.

 

Pulling out his wallet, he threw down enough cash to cover lunch and tip. Standing up, he left the café towards his truck, unsure of where to go. With the roar of gas combusting, he headed down the street, first stop, the grocery store, then home. He had a few nights to fix the problem he had with his new patient.

 

 

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