InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Forty-Three ( Chapter 43 )

The Lucky Ones

By Terri Botta

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I'm poor so don't sue.

Rating: R for later chapters.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango

Summary: Sometimes Fate hands you a gift you never thought you'd ever get, and it's up to you to accept it for what it is.

Email feedback to: tci100@psu.edu

Webpage: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta

A/N: This one is kinda short because there was so much happening that I decided to split it into 2 chapters.

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Chapter Forty-Three

All was quiet in the waiting room when he and Eri returned. While he was gone, Jii-chan and Souta had arrived as well as Ryoukan. Thankfully this time the wolf-hanyou had come alone. He didn't know what he would have done if Kouga had come with him. He also noted that Mama-baachan was missing.

`Did she go in to see the pup?'

"Has there been any news?" he asked, hoping it was nothing. He'd only been gone for twenty minutes.

"Nothing. Miroku filled us in on what is going on. We are currently trying to piece together what happened with the doctors," Aunt Rin explained, nodding to where Uncle stood on the far side of the room, speaking into his cell phone.

"I know Okaa-san has Dr. Maggiano's number in her address book. I was going to send someone to get Tessaiga. I can have whoever it is pick that up too," he offered.

"Tessaiga is a good idea, but we already have Dr. Maggiano's number. Sessho got it from global directory assistance. He's on the phone with the lawyers right now. They're going to pull both Hattoris' medical files and see if anything like this has ever happened before. We're also petitioning the Medical Board to suspend Hattori Taro's license to practice medicine pending further investigation. The hospital has already suspended him, and may suspend his father if it's discovered that he had anything to do with this," she told him.

He shook his head. "I don't think he knew anything about it. I smelled fear and embarrassment on him when he was talking to us."

Aunt Rin nodded. "The police have been called and they have Hattori Taro under arrest. As far as I know, they are interviewing and taking statements from the staff members who were in the delivery room. That's where your grandmother is right now."

"You've been busy," he commented with a nod.

Aunt Rin shrugged. "You know your uncle. He threatens and postures, but when push comes to shove, no one endangers the Family." She put a hand on his arm. "We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."

"Just let me know who I have to shred," Ryoukan said, coming over to them. He brandished his claws and growled.

`Hates humans, but loves Okaa-san. I don't think that baboon-youkai has a prayer.'

"I don't think it's come to that quite yet," Aunt Rin replied. "Besides, Sesshou has already claimed him as his prey. You won't be able to touch him."

Ryoukan scowled. "All I would have to do is tell the Pack and he wouldn't live to see another sunrise. Kouga is waiting for me to call back once I have more details. They'd capture him and save the killing blow for us."

"I would relish the chance to cause him pain. I hated him the moment he came into Okaa-san's hospital room," Miroku added, joining them.

They both looked at him expectantly as if waiting for him to say something. After a moment, he realized why.

`You're the Alpha, idiot. They're waiting for you to tell them what to do!'

He cleared his throat and tried to gather intelligent thoughts together.

"It's too soon to spill blood," he said. "We don't know what happened. There could be others involved. If we kill him, we'll never know if this was a plot to kill Okaa-san and Otou-san or if he's just incompetent. However if they die, he dies."

His brothers nodded gravely, accepting his decision.

"He may die regardless," Ryoukan amended, cracking his knuckles.

"At the very least, he will lose his license to practice medicine," Aunt Rin interrupted, halting their conversation.

Uncle snapped his cell phone shut and strode over to them. "None shall touch him. He is my prey. This Sesshoumaru will deal with him," he announced coldly, making them all shiver.

He bowed and nodded. "As you wish Uncle."

`Never, never, never, never get on Uncle's bad side.'

Ryoukan scowled but eventually lowered his eyes under Uncle's intense, cold gaze.

`Even he knows when not to push it.'

"I should send someone to get Tessaiga," he said.

"I'll get it!" Kitarou offered.

`I should have known...'

"Okay, Kitarou, go back to Tokyo House and get Tessaiga. Also bring some clothes for Otou-san and... and..." `Something that smells strongly of them...' "And bring a pillowcase from their bed. We'll put it in with the new pup for the scent."

The tanuki-hanyou bobbed his head. "I'll go now! I'll be back right away!"

In a flurry of brown and white he was gone.

"I swear hotel management is perfect for him," Eri commented, watching him go. "I was so glad when Otou-san bought that resort in Paris and put him in charge."

Yukio chuckled. "You were just happy to have a place to stay for free when you went for the fashion shows."

"That too."

Just then Mama-baachan came back into the waiting room escorted by a youkai member of the police force.

"Thank you for your time and cooperation, Higurashi-san," the officer said with a bow. "We will keep you informed as to the progress of the investigation."

Mama-baachan bowed back. "Thank you, Officer. If there is anything more I can do to help, please call me."

"We will. Thank you again."

"What have you discovered?" Uncle demanded, making the officer pale.

"Nishitaishou-san," the officer stammered, bowing deeply. "We have learned that the younger Hattori intercepted a phone call from Dr. Teresa Maggiano for Hattori the elder. He purposefully did not inform his father of the message and took Fushikenwa-san's case for himself. He even took the medical records sent from Dr. Maggiano for Hattori senior."

"Do we know why he did this?" Aunt Rin questioned.

"It appears he wanted the prestige of delivering the Fushikenwa infant. However, he has no experience with human births. Since his graduation from medical school four years ago, his practice has been restricted to youkai patients."

"Four years!" Miroku sputtered. "That bastard told us he'd been delivering babies for over a hundred! Fucking son-of-a-bitch lied to us!"

Yukio had to smile in spite of the news because Miroku sounded just like their father.

"So to the best of your knowledge, Hattori junior was acting on his own?" he asked.

"Yes, Fushikenwa-san. That is how it appears at this time," the officer replied, bowing to him.

He heard the cracking of knuckles nearby and saw Ryoukan wiggling his claws.

`That boy is itching for blood.'

"Keep us informed. You may go now," Uncle said, dismissing the officer.

"Yes, Nishitaishou-san. Of course."

With a final bow, the officer left. At the same time, a young nurse came through the ward doors.

"Fushikenwa?"

They all turned to face her and she visibly paled.

"We are the family," Yukio answered.

"The infant is ready for visitation from immediate relatives," she stammered.

Mama-baachan stepped up. "I am the baby's grandmother."

"You can go in. Where are the parents?"

"My mother is comatose in Intensive Care. My father has been sedated and lies there," he replied, motioning to the still figure on the couch who was still clutching Tenseiga like a lifeline.

The nurse looked over at Inuyasha and blushed. "I'm... I'm sorry. Only parents and grandparents may go into the nursery at this time. The rest of you may view the child from the observation window."

"I'd like to go in," Mama-baachan said.

The nurse nodded. "If you will follow me please."

"Mama-baachan," Izayoi interrupted, handing her one of Kagome's shirts. "Here, put this in with the pup. It has Okaa-san's scent."

Mama-baachan accepted the clothing with a small smile. "Thank you."

"Anyone who wants to see the infant through the window can come as well. I'll bring him into the observation room and set her up in a rocker so all of you can see him."

Several faces looked at him. "All of you go. I will stay and watch Otou-san and go once you get back," he said. `It's the right thing for a leader to do. Although I have no doubt that Otou-san would be muscling his way in first.'

There was a mass exodus behind the nurse and the poor thing looked traumatized. The only ones left in the waiting room were himself, Uncle, Aunt Rin, Ryoukan, Souta, and his father.

"Yukio?" Souta said softly.

He went over to his young uncle and knelt by him. "Yes?"

"Is Nee-chan gonna die?" the boy asked, looking up at him with tears in his eyes.

He dropped his ears and gulped. "I don't know."

Souta sniffled. "But I don't want Nee-chan to die!"

"I don't either."

"This is horrible. How could this happen?"

"That's what we're trying to find out. There was a mistake and the wrong doctor was treating her."

The boy started to cry. "I want Nee-chan to be okay!"

Yukio reached out and hugged him tight. "Me too, Ojisan."

He held Souta while he cried, trying hard not to cry himself, until the boy pulled away and wiped his face roughly.

"I wanna see Nee-chan."

"I think they'll let us in to see her soon. The doctor said we could go up to see her for ten minutes at a time."

"Have you been to see her yet?"

"Not yet."

"If you want, I'll take him up," Aunt Rin offered.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

Souta hopped off the chair and Aunt Rin took his hand. "Do you know where Nee-chan is?" he asked.

"Yes, I know the way to the ICU. Come with me and I'll take you to her."

Once they were gone, Yukio made his way over to his father's side and sat beside him. Inuyasha looked uncomfortable, his brow furrowed and his body tense. At some point he had either closed his eyes himself or someone had shut them for him, because they were now squeezed shut. Blood had dried on his clothes and hair, leaving dark red stains. He reached over and gently brushed the hair from his father's brow. The skin was cold and clammy.

`Please don't leave me.'

Ryoukan came to stand next to him.

"Why didn't you go to see the pup?" he asked.

The wolf-hanyou shrugged. "I'll see him later. I'll let the crowd thin a bit before I go in."

Yukio nodded and looked across the room to where Uncle stood. He was on his cell phone again, barking orders, ruling his empire from wherever he happened to be at the time.

`He'll have that doctor's head on a platter by nightfall.'

Izayoi and Tetsu were the first to come back. Both had moist eyes and Tetsu was leaning heavily on his sister.

"He's beautiful," Izayoi said, wiping her eyes.

Tetsu nodded, sniffling. Then he reached down and touched Inuyasha's forehead while his other hand tightly clutched Jyu-shi-Kenshuga.

"Papa. Can you hear me Papa? You have a baby boy, Papa. You both need to come back soon because he needs you. He's so small and helpless. He needs his mama and papa."

"I need to get him out of here. Can we go back to Tokyo House?" Izayoi asked.

"Of course. Do you need a car?" he replied.

"Do you have one?"

"Miroku's BMW is in the garage."

"That would be perfect. He needs to rest. We'll come back once he's slept some. You'll call if anything happens?"

"Absolutely."

He fished the keys out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Tetsu. C'mon. Let's go back to the house. There's nothing we can do here and all of these people are making your Sight go crazy," she said softly to the dragon-hanyou, taking him by the arm.

"But Mama..."

"There's nothing we can do for Mama and Papa right now. Mama is in the hands of the doctors. The right ones this time."

"But..."

"You need to rest, Tetsu. You know how you get when you're overtired. I promise that we'll come back after you've slept for a few hours and eaten something," she pressed.

He saw his brother consider arguing more but then give in. "Okay."

"I promise I'll call the moment anything happens," Yukio vowed.

"And I'll keep the phone by my head so I'll be sure to hear it if it rings."

"Okay," Tetsu agreed.

"I predict that we'll be back early this evening," Izayoi told him.

He nodded and waved as she escorted Tetsu out of the room.

"I will go as soon as I have seen the new pup. Kouga and Ayame will skin me alive if I cannot tell them what the newborn looks like," Ryoukan announced.

He laughed softly and nodded. "Can't have that."

"You will call me if anything changes here."

"I will. I promise."

Ryoukan nodded once then turned to walk through the ward doors, leaving him alone with Uncle and his father until Rumiko, Tomo, Shippou's mate Mitsiyomi, Mariko and Eri came back from seeing the pup. There wasn't a dry eye among them.

"He's got Otou-san's eyes," Rumiko sniffled.

"And his hair," Tomo added.

"But he's got Okaa-san's nose," Mariko said.

"Miroku's still there. Ryoukan looked at the pup then left," Eri told him. "Jii-chan and Mama-baachan were allowed in. He looks just like Mom except he has Dad's hair and eyes."

"And his ears?" he asked, wiggling his own.

Eri smiled. "Almost human. They're on the sides of his head but they're pointed and might have a tuft or two of fur."

"You should go see him. They won't let Mama-baachan and Jii-chan sit with him for much longer," Tomo said.

"We'll watch Dad," Eri promised.

He nodded and stood up.

"Where's Aunt Rin?" Eri asked.

"She took Souta up to see Okaa-san in ICU."

Eri's face darkened. "I should go up to see her too."

"Wait for me and we'll go up together."

"Okay."

"I'll be back soon."

"Take your time. I'm in no big rush to see her like that," Eri admitted, casting a glance at their father. "It's hard enough to look at him."

He nodded, knowing what she meant, then gave her a small smile before heading towards the ward doors. Once through, he asked the duty nurse where the observation window was and she directed him down a hallway to a room full of warmed bassinets. Both Jii-chan and Mama-baachan were sitting near the window, and his grandmother was holding a blue-wrapped bundle. Miroku was there in the hall, tapping lightly on the glass as the pup looked at him. He came to stand right next to his brother and got a good look at his youngest sibling.

`Oh god. Eri was right. He looks just like Okaa-san.'

The pup was tiny, much smaller than Yukio had expected him to be, but everything about him was just about perfect. He had short shockingly white hair atop a round, pudgy face and two golden eyes that looked just like his father's. The eyes were huge for such a small face but he knew all pups looked like that in the beginning. He did have Kagome's nose, but he had Inuyasha's chin and of course the two little pointed ears.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Miroku whispered. "I know he's just a newborn, but I think he can see us."

Yukio put one hand on the glass and Mama-baachan held the pup up close to the window. He was pleased to see that she had done as Izayoi instructed and tucked Okaa-san's shirt in close to the pup's skin for the scent. The pup turned his head and looked at him. Yukio bit his lip and gave the pup a strained smile.

`He can see. He wasn't born blind.'

"Hi," he whispered, then barked a greeting in inu-youkai. :Pup. Welcome pup.:

The pup's mouth opened but he couldn't hear if he made any answering noise. He tapped on the glass and the pup lifted one tiny hand. Five perfect little fingers grasped at nothing as the pup reached toward the glass. The tears began to roll unbidden down his face as he looked at all he might have left of his beloved parents, and his knees went out from underneath him as he slumped to the floor, his head still above the edge of the window so he reamined able the pup through the glass. He blinked away the tears because they made his vision blurry and he couldn't see the precious bundle clearly anymore. Miroku knelt next to him and put an arm around him, and they both started to cry. A pair of turquoise scrub-clad legs interrupted their weeping, and they looked up to see a red-haired youkai woman looking down at them.

"Are you family of Fushikenwa?" she asked gently.

Yukio nodded, wiping his face. "We're her sons."

"I'm Botan. I was the midwife in the delivery room."

"You were the one who called for the surgical team and the new doctor," Miroku said, as both he and Yukio stood up.

"Yes. I only wish that I'd been able to get a team in there sooner. The whole situation could have been avoided if she had been sedated before she went into full eclampsia," she replied with regret.

"You did what you could. In the end, you probably saved my mother's life. And the pup's," Yukio told her.

"Your father told me this was her first birth."

"It was. We're adopted," he replied.

"Ah." She looked at the pup then to the nurse who stood on the other side of the room. Something seemed to pass between the two before she turned to look at them again. "Do you want to see him?" she asked suddenly.

He blinked. "We... we were told that only parents and grandparents were allowed in," Yukio answered.

"I know the nurse on duty. I can probably sneak you in for a minute or two."

"Could you?" Miroku questioned hopefully.

She nodded. "Yes. Come with me."

They eagerly followed as she led them around the corner to the nursery room door. She knocked lightly and the nurse who had been in the room with Mama-baachan opened it.

"Come in quickly," she whispered, motioning them into the first room of the nursery. More pups were in here but there was no observation window. "Don't leave this room."

She zipped out and a moment later Mama-baachan came in carrying the pup in her arms.

"No one will see you in here and you have about ten minutes before the floor supervisor comes in," the nurse told them.

"Thank you," he replied, holding back tears.

Miroku took a small step forward and looked down at the pup.

"He's so tiny."

"Do you want to hold him?" Mama-baachan asked.

Miroku wrung his hands. "Could I? Can I? Is it... is it okay?"

His grandmother offered him up and placed him very gently in Miroku's arms. His brother immediately brought the pup close to his body to cradle him safely. The pup turned his big golden eyes on Miroku and Yukio saw new tears form in Miroku's eyes.

"Aniki... Aniki he's so little. Was I ever this little?"

"Yes, you were. You fit in both of my hands put together."

The pup moved and looked towards him as he came close and offered a finger. The pup reached up and grasped his finger tightly.

"Hi. We're your brothers," Yukio told the pup. "And we love you very much. We're so happy that you're with us."

"He's just been fed," Mama-baachan told them.

"Fed? From a bottle?" he asked.

His grandmother nodded. "I know it's not optimal but Kagome is in no condition to feed him right now."

He indicated that he understood even though he wasn't happy about it.

"What about her milk now? If the pup doesn't nurse, won't her milk dry up?"

"If it looks like she will be in a coma for an extended period of time, there are some options we can explore," Botan answered. "But for now, I suggest you wait the prerequisite 24 hours before you start making decisions."

"Botan, do women who suffer this condition like my mother come out okay?" Miroku questioned.

The midwife nodded. "Yes. They do tend to make full recoveries, although their bodies are never the same and any subsequent pregnancies are even higher risk. If your mother were to get pregnant again, it is highly likely that she would undergo a Cesarean in order to reduce the risk of this happening again."

"So you think our mother will be alright," Yukio prompted.

"We'll know more within the next few hours, but I think there's a good chance. Your mother is definitely a fighter so I predict that she will wake up soon."

He gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Aniki, do you want to hold him? We shouldn't stay much longer. I don't want to get anyone in trouble," Miroku interrupted.

He turned and opened his arms. "Yes, please."

Miroku gave the pup to him and he cradled the tiny bundle close, one hand securely under the pup's head. Bringing his baby brother up to his face, he inhaled deeply to imprint the scent on his memory. He was an odd melding of both his mother's and father's scents. He snickered when the pup sniffed him too and made a little burble noise.

:Pup. Welcome, pup,: he barked back softly, knowing the pup would instinctively understand him, even if he could not speak.

The pup looked at him with his big golden eyes then cracked a huge toothless smile. Yukio felt warm all over at the sight of the pup's grin, and he could not help but smile back. He nuzzled the pup lovingly with his nose and giggled when the newborn grasped at his hair.

"You are going to be so spoiled and fussed over that you're not going to know what to do with yourself, but that's okay because Otou-san and Okaa-san are the best parents any pup could have, and you are so lucky to have been born into this family. I promise you that no matter what happens, I will be here for you, and I will take care of you if Okaa-san and Otou-san cannot. I give you my word and I always keep my word," he vowed, then kissed the pup gently on his forehead.

With a final cuddle and nuzzle, he gave the pup back to his grandmother. "Here, we should get back to the waiting room before there's any trouble."

Mama-baachan accepted the pup back into her arms and gave him a little nod.

"I sent Kitarou back to Tokyo House to get Tessaiga because Otou-san left it when he ran out of the house this morning, and also to get a pillowcase from their bed. Once he is back, I will have the pillowcase sent in so that you can wrap the pup in their scents."

Mama-baachan nodded. "I'll stay here until we have it. It is very important that he get used to Kagome and Inuyasha's scents."

He nodded in agreement, glad that his grandmother had such a strong grasp of what it meant to be inu-youkai and how important scent was to them.

Both he and Miroku turned to the midwife and the nurse in the room and bowed to them.

"Thank you," he said with genuine gratitude.

"Thank you very much," Miroku said as well.

Botan smiled then her face grew serious. She reached into the pup's blanket and ripped off a small piece of it, handing it to him.

"Now you can bring the scent of the newborn to his parents. I know your mother is human but your father is not. He at least should recognize the pup-scent. Maybe it will help trigger a recovery," she told him.

His eyes grew wide as he realized what the midwife had done. Here they were worried about the pup getting his parents' scents but they'd never thought about it working the other way. He held the small bit of blue cloth in his palm. It smelled strongly of the new pup.

`What an ingenious idea.'

"Thank you, Botan-san. That is an excellent idea," he complimented.

She nodded then motioned to the door. "Now go before the supervisor sees you and gives us all an ear-full."

Giving her twin conspiratorial smiles, they slipped out of the nursery and headed back to the waiting room. Miroku couldn't stop talking about holding the pup the entire way back.

"He was so little and he looked at me! Aniki, he has Otou-san's eyes..."

He put a hand on his brother's arm to still him. "Let's not advertise that the nurse broke the rules for us, okay? I don't want anyone to get jealous."

Miroku raised an eyebrow at him and pointed out the obvious. "They're going to smell him on us."

"I know, I know, but I don't want us to go in there bragging about how we got to hold him. Eri is going to have a fit as it is."

Miroku flattened his ears and paled. "I forgot about her..."

He nodded. "Yeah. So let's not make it out to be such a big deal, okay?"

"Right. And if she starts to hiss, I'll hide behind you."

"Coward."

"Against her? You bet. That's why you're Alpha and I'm Beta. That means you get to deal with her."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled as they returned to the waiting room. Aunt Rin and Souta had returned from seeing Okaa-san up in ICU, and his aunt was sitting close to the visibly distressed teen. Mariko, Mitsiyomi and Eri were there as well as Uncle, but there was no sign of Rumiko or Tomo.

"They went up to see Okaa-san," Mariko told him, answering his unspoken question. "They're only letting visitors in for ten minutes every half hour."

Before he could reply, he heard Uncle sniff then the taiyoukai was in his face, nostrils flaring. He shivered inwardly under the intense gaze but stood his ground. Finally, Uncle stepped back, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Hmph," was all he said as he stalked away again and made another call on his cell phone.

`Whew,' he thought, letting out the breath he was holding.

"What was that all about?" Aunt Rin asked curiously.

"Ummm..." he stammered.

"The nurse gave us a bit of cloth from the pup's blanket so we could bring it to Otou-san," Miroku explained.

"Ah."

Yukio smiled to himself. Miroku was excellent at dancing around the truth from so many years of dealing with often inept administrations.

`Well, he didn't lie. He just didn't tell the whole truth.'

"What an excellent idea," Mariko commented.

Yukio nodded and approached the still form of his father. Both Eri and Mitsiyomi sniffed as he walked by and Eri's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He gulped but she didn't say anything so he kept walking until he had reached Inuyasha's side.

Kneeling down, he ran one hand over his father's cheek and nuzzled him gently.

"Otou-san, I brought you something from the new pup. I have it here with me."

He took the scrap of cloth and tucked it into the collar of his father's shirt. They had long since ripped off the paper scrubs that had been stained with his blood and thrown them away. There was no reaction from older hanyou except for a slight furrowing of his brow and movement under the tightly closed eyes.

`He's still partially aware...'

"That's your newborn son, Otou-san. If you're where Okaa-san is, please tell her you need to come back. We've seen him and he's beautiful."

His father's answer was a faint sigh.

`Please come back to us.'

Eri's boots appeared in his line of sight and he looked up to see her standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" she asked coldly.

He flattened his ears and bit his lip. She hissed softly, baring one fang.

"Don't lie to me, Yukio."

"I'm not! We didn't," he insisted.

"Then why do you smell of the new pup and not just that piece of cloth? And why does Miroku smell of him too?"
"Hmm, I noticed that," Mitsiyomi commented.

He sighed. `I should have known better...'

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to get all pissy and bent out of shape."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll be the judge of whether or not my being pissy is justified."

"We were looking at the pup through the observation window when the midwife who was in with Okaa-san came up to us. She said she knew the nurse on duty in the nursery and she snuck us in to see the pup for a few minutes."

Eri gasped. "She let you in? You got to see him?"

He gave her a sheepish look. "And hold him too."

"You held him?!!"

She stamped her foot and he knew she was two seconds away from a full-blown sulk.

"It wasn't like we planned it. We were both there and then she showed up and she asked us if we were family of Fushikenwa and we said yes, and the next thing I knew we were getting snuck in the side door," he blurted, hoping to cut her off.

She pouted and huffed, but he could see her calming down from her tirade.

"In any case it isn't like you won't have plenty of opportunities to snuggle him once he comes home."

"But still, it's the principle of the thing. You got to break the rules and I missed it."

He chuckled and stood up, offering her a hug. "It's okay," he comforted.

"It's not," she complained. "He may be all we have left of Mom and Dad and a stupid dog got to hold him while I didn't."

He chuckled again and held her close, letting her hold him because he knew she wasn't so much upset about his holding the pup as she was at the whole situation.

"You're going to go up with me to see Okaa-san, right?" he asked her when she pulled back.

She nodded. "But it'll be a while before we can see her. Souta and Aunt Rin just came back, and Tomo and Rumiko went up. They're only letting two visitors in at a time for only ten minutes."

"Every half hour. So the earliest we could see her is 40 minutes from now," he added. "And I'm sure Miroku and Mariko will want to see her too."

"Yeah," Eri agreed.

"Why don't we let them go first and we'll see her last."

"Okay."

Just then Kitarou returned with Tessaiga, some of his father's clothes and the pillowcase.

"Here, here," the tanuki-hanyou said, dropping the bad of clothes and handing him the famed sword in its sheath.

"Thank you, Kitarou. Please take the pillowcase to Mama-baachan. She's in the nursery with the new pup," he said, accepting the sword.

"They're letting us in to see him?!"

"Just through the observation window," he clarified.

Kitarou wilted a bit, his raccoon ears drooping. "Oh."

Mariko came up to them and smiled down at the smaller hanyou; he was only about 1.5 meters high. Tanuki didn't get very tall and his human mother had been small as well.

"I'll go with you. I'd like to see him again," she said.

"Oh, okay," Kitarou agreed and went with her through the ward doors.

Yukio took Tessaiga and leaned down to place the sword across his father's chest. Tenseiga flared for a moment then recognized its brother-blade and settled down. Inuyasha didn't move to grasp Tessaiga's hilt, but somehow he knew his father knew it was there.

`Anything we can do to help you, Otou-san...'

He took a seat next to the motionless body of his father and Eri sat next to him. All they could do now was wait to see what happened.

Two hours after he left, Shippou returned with Midorikyou in tow. Yukio could not even hazard a guess as to how the kitsune had traveled the distance from Tokyo to Zenko-ji and back in such a short time, but he figured the fox had used some of his magic. Later he would learn that Uncle had called Shippou on his cell phone and ordered him to re-route to a heli-port where Midorikyou was already waiting for him in a company helicopter. Apparently one of the reasons they hadn't been able to get in touch with the taiyoukai was because he was already two steps ahead of them, the way he usually was.

Exactly how the revered immortal miko arrived so quickly was of no concern to him however, only that she was there and that she could hopefully do something to help. He knew from experience that Midorikyou had great knowledge and power. Being the fusion of two very powerful mikos in one body, she possessed the memories and abilities from both Midoriko and Kikyou equally, and she was willing to share her knowledge with those who sought it honestly. His sister Mariko had studied under the great miko for a number of years, and he himself had met her numerous times. His father always became slightly unstable around her because she bore the face of his first love, but she had always been kind and pleasant to him. Talking to her was always an interesting experience, provided one could get past the fact that she continually referred to herself in the plural.

When they were children, Eri had delighted in trying to make him laugh in Midorikyou's presence by whispering remarks into his ear. She would ask innocent questions like: "If she talks and then answers herself, what does that mean?" and "I wonder if when she gets bored does she play Go? Would she need a second player? If one wins, does the other get jealous?" Often he would have to clench his fists and bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing inappropriately. Eri, on the other hand, always saw her as a source of curiosity and amusement.

Today, however, his sister bowed as deeply as the rest of them did when the miko entered the waiting room. At this point, they were down to a scant eight left in the waiting room with Rumiko, Tomo and Kitarou all leaving after having seen their mother in the ICU. He didn't blame them for needing to get away. He hadn't been up to see her yet, and he was already wishing he could be anywhere else but in the hospital. Still, he was committed to waiting it out and he would not leave his father's side. Jii-chan and Souta were gone as well. The stress was too much for the teen, and his grandfather felt he could better serve them by making prayers and offerings in the shrine.

"We are here," Midorikyou said.

"Miko-sama..." Yukio began.

"The fool lies there," Uncle interrupted, pointing to the still figure of Inuyasha on the couch.

Midorikyou looked at Inuyasha, then back to Uncle. "And our reincarnation?"

"Okaa-san is in Intensive Care. She is in a coma," Yukio replied.

The miko went over to the motionless body of his father and put a hand over his heart without actually touching him.

"What happened here?"

"Okaa-san's blood pressure went too high and she..."

"Eclampsia," the miko finished. "Why wasn't it diagnosed prior to the birth?"

Eri crossed her arms and growled. "That's what we'd like to know."

Midorikyou turned to Inuyasha again. "Hmmm, it matters not now does it? There will be time for explanations later no doubt."

Mariko approached her and bowed. "Sensei, I have looked and seen that their souls are still anchored to themselves and to each other."

The miko nodded. "This we see as well."

Yukio stepped forward, his heart in his throat. "Miko-sama... if it is necessary, is it possible to... to separate them?"

Midorikyou raised an eyebrow at him, her face calm and stony as always.

"You would have us try to cut the cord that ties them together."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Only... only if there was no hope. Only if it was sure that both would die."

She gave him a soft, tender look. "There is always hope. But we will look and see what is to be seen, and do what is to be done."

He bowed deeply. "Thank you, Miko-sama."

The miko nodded and placed her hand upon Inuyasha's chest.

Tessaiga did not react to her touch but Tenseiga responded by flaring and letting out a burst of protective energy that whipped around Midorikyou and made her hair fly up. They watched as the miko instantly put up a barrier to deflect the blast and a moment later the sword settled down. Midorikyou closed her eyes and her face went slack as she slipped into a trance.

They waited. Yukio noticed that he was holding his breath when his brain suddenly started screaming for air, and he had punctured his palms with his claws when he clenched his fists. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as they watched the miko working, and no one spoke until she drew a deep breath and her eyes snapped open. Yukio gasped and swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Midorikyou take a step back, one hand on her head as she shook off the disorientation.

"He has found her," she told them.

Yukio took a step forward. "Found her?" he repeated.

"Yes. He holds her now. He has used his own life to support hers. To separate them now would mean certain death for both, so tightly has he wound their souls together."

Midorikyou looked weary and Mariko immediately brought her a chair to sit in, which she did with a grateful sigh.

"Your sword, taiyoukai, is a magnificent thing," she said to Uncle. "It made it possible for him to find her in the gap between the worlds, and even now it creates a barrier that prevents them from being sucked to the Other Side. And it had power enough to attack us when it thought we were an enemy. You did right in giving it to him. You saved their lives."

"Hmmph. Tenseiga chooses its own path," Uncle replied stoically.

"Your father's love lives in both blades. We knew him when we were alive. He was a proud and fearsome creature, but his heart was good. Never did he attack the weak or feed upon death and destruction. His sons have inherited this heart and for that we are glad," she admitted.

Uncle snorted and turned away. "My father was a fool. I strive not to repeat his mistakes."

"Hmph," Aunt Rin breathed softly and Yukio looked at her in askance. "Don't worry. I'll make him pay for that later," she whispered to him.

He blinked and thought he saw Uncle flick his eyes to his aunt and flinch just a tiny bit. He shivered. He knew his mother's wrath was terrible. He had no doubt that Aunt Rin would make Uncle cower, although never where watching eyes could see.

"So you are telling us that Dad has found Mom and is now holding her," Eri asked, voicing the question they were all thinking but were afraid to ask.

Midorikyou nodded. "He holds her close and tightly. He will not let her fail. He has given her the time she needs to heal herself."

"So... they're going to live," he pressed. He had heard it before from the doctor and the midwife, but he trusted the miko's judgment over any of the medical professionals in the building. Midorikyou knew his parents well, and she knew what the Shikon no Tama had done to them. If she said his parents were going to live, then they would live.

"Barring any unforeseen catastrophes, yes, they will live."

The relief that flooded through him made his legs go weak, and he slumped to the floor as tears threatened to fall from his misty eyes.

"Thank you," he choked.

"Do not thank us. We did nothing."

"When can we expect Okaa-san to wake from the coma?" Miroku asked.

"With eclampsia the body often suffers a terrible imbalance of electrolytes. Once our reincarnation's system is balanced, her return to consciousness hinges solely upon her ability to recuperate and recover on her own," the miko replied.

"And I am sure that Otou-san is helping her as much as he can," Yukio added. He had the utmost confidence in his father's ability to keep his mother alive. He'd been doing it for over 450 years.

Midorikyou looked at him and nodded.

"So it's just a waiting game then," Eri commented.

"Yes. At this point, there is nothing else to be done," the miko confirmed.

"Several of us have been to see Okaa-san up in ICU. I have heard that some comatose patients can hear. We've been talking to her and telling her about the new pup. Do you think we should keep doing that? Would it help her come back to us?" Miroku asked.

"Anything that will help her return to herself would be worthwhile."

Miroku looked at his watch. "It's been forty minutes. They'll let two of us in to see her now. Aniki, do you want to go? You haven't been yet."

He looked at Shippou. "Shippou, did you want to see her?"

The kitsune nodded. "Yes. I'd like to see her."

"Why don't you and Miroku go up then? Eri and I have resolved to go last so we don't mind if the two of you go up before us," he said.

Shippou nodded again and he and Miroku left to go visit Kagome in ICU. Yukio went over to where Midorikyou was standing and bowed to her.

"Thank you for coming, Miko-sama. Your reassurances have brought me great comfort."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. "We are glad to have eased your pain."

"I... we were very worried and frightened that we would lose both of our parents today. These last few hours have been very stressful."

"We have no doubt. What happened to the infant? We are guessing that it lived."

"Yes. It's a boy. We've been to see him several times and Mama-baachan has held him and fed him. Would you like to see him. They'll put him into the observation room for us if we ask," he offered.

"We would like that."

"I'll take her, Yukio, if you don't want to leave Otou-san," Mariko said.

He looked at his sister. "Thank you, Mariko. Why don't you do that."

"Sensei, please come with me. I will take you to see the new pup," Mariko requested and the two mikos headed out of the room.

With Miroku, Shippou, Mariko and Midorikyou gone, the waiting room seemed almost empty with just him, Eri, Uncle, Aunt Rin, Mitsiyomi and Mama-baachan left behind. Yukio took his place beside his father again, brushing another stray tendril of hair away from the furrowed brow and noting that the once cold and clammy skin was now warmer.

`Otou-san, please help Okaa-san get better. I don't think any of us will rest until we know that you're going to be all right.'