InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ There I Was ❯ The Sneeze ( Chapter 1 )

There I Was

Chapter One: The Sneeze

{Disclaimer: I do NOTown Inuyasha! That is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and related enterprises. So don't sue me! I'm just borrowing her wonderfully thought up characters for a bit.}

Author's note: Hi readers! I just want to thank you now for your time and effort for reading my little fic. I hope you like it. If not, flame me I don't care. I think it's an okay fic, and that's all that matters…unless you think it's good too…but really! All of my readers' opinions matter to me! Okay, I'm rambling now; I'll shut up and let you read. Ja!

-Flame

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"See ya later Kagome!" My friend's voice rang out as I walked down the halls of the hospital.

"See ya Sarah!" I yelled back from behind the counter at the front door. The blonde nurse waved at me one last time before she walked out of the automatic glass doors.

"Shouldn't you be getting home too?" I turn to my red haired nurse and looked at her like she's crazy.

"Come on, Christine. Do I ever go home?"

"You know what I mean." She said shaking her head at me. "That monster truck rally's coming to town tomorrow, and you know we're going to need you well rested and quick on your feet tomorrow."

"Yeah I know. I promised I'd check up on Shippou when he wakes up. His mom's really worried about him, you know."

"I know, Kagome. Well, just go home once you're done with that then."

"I will. I have to feed Buyo anyway. You know what'll happen if I don't."

"Yeah, you won't have a home to go back to." We giggled for a bit before I grabbed my stethoscope off the counter and put it around my neck again.

"Okay, well I'm gonna go check up on my little trooper."

"Good luck." Christine said as I walked down the blue and green halls of the hospital. I sure hope he's feeling better today. The poor kid was only five and he only has a few more weeks left to live. God I hope they find a cure for cancer soon. Too many people have already died from it. It even takes the lives of children.

I walked into room 27 with a smile. Shippou had specifically asked for room 27. It's kinda sad and sweet. His real mother died when she was twenty-seven, a year before his father. As I entered the room I saw the boys' foster mother sitting next to his small and frail body with a tear stained face. Her hand was stroking his sweat damped red hair.

Walking up to the curly haired blonde, I put a hand on her shoulder. "How's he doing?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"He hasn't woken up yet." She said whipping fresh tears from her face. "This isn't fair. He doesn't deserve this." No he doesn't. I meet Shippou before he came in a few days ago when he got really sick. He was such a happy go lucky child. He didn't have a care in the world. He still shouldn't. It wasn't fair.

"I know, but this is the way life goes. Not everything's fair in life. We have to learn to accept it."

"I don't want to though." She said as fresh tears rolled down her face. "He's only five; he still has his whole life ahead of him."

"That's true." I really didn't know what to say. Here was this woman crying because her child was dying before her eyes. "Shippou's a tough boy, I'm sure he can beat this." The woman shook her head and stood up.

"I need to go get something to eat. You'll tell me if anything changes, won't you?"

"Of course." I smiled as the woman nodded and left the room. I took her place in the chair next to the bed and look down at my patient. Slowly a pair of bright green eyes opened and froze upon my body.

"Where's mommy?"

"She stepped out to eat, want me to call her?"

"No."

"Natasha." I called to the passing nurse in the hall.

"Yes?" She asked sticking her head in the room.

"Will you tell Mrs. Takashi that her son's awake, but he wants her to finish eating before she returns?"

"Of course." Natasha nodded and walked off to relay my message.

"Okay little man. How are we feeling today?" I asked putting my stethoscope in my ear.

"Tired." He replied as I listened to his breathing. It still sounds raspy, poor kid.

"Anything else?" I asked jotting down a few notes on my clipboard and taking my stethoscope out of my ears. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No…"

"Do you need anything at all?"

"…Do you think that maybe you could read me a story before you go?"

"Of course." I smiled and walked over to the stack of books his mother brought for him. "What would you like to hear?"

"I wanna hear the one about the miko who fell in love with the taiyoukai."

"Good choice." I took the book and sat next to him. "This is one of my favorites as well."

"My mamma use to tell it to me every night. Her version was different though…" Shippou looked down with a sad look on his face and I nudged him a bit.

"Hey, you remember the story, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's all you need to remember her." He looked up at me with a half smile. "It's true. Now it's a special story that only you and your mom know." He smiled after that and got comfortable.

"Okay, read, please."

"Alright." I opened the book and began reading. "Once upon a time long, long ago lived a cold hearted taiyoukai. Now this taiyoukai was one of the strongest in all the land. He feared nothing. Then one day while traveling through his lands, he came across a miko being attacked by a group of wolf youkai." I showed Shippou the pictures on the pages as his mom came back in.

"Oh Shippou!" She ran over to the bed and hugged the little boy.

"Hi mommy." I smiled at the little seen and handed Mrs. Takashi the book.

"Here, he wanted a story."

"Thanks Ms. Higarashi." She said taking the book and replacing my seat next to Shippou. "Now, usually the taiyoukai would ignore the miko and move on, but something stopped him." I walked out of the room as she began reading and leaned against the hallway wall.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked back at the scene inside the room. I would never have that. That closeness they have. The closeness to a child that I've always wanted. To read them stories at night. To stay by their bedside when they're sick. Never.

I whipped the tears away and walked down the hall to the employee break room. Opening my locker I put away my stethoscope and white jacket and put on my black leather one. I closed my locker and walked back down the hall towards the exit. "See ya Kagome." Christine said as I walked toward the automatic glass doors.

"Ja Christine." I said as I left and began walking the block to my apartment. It was a cold night, just the way I liked it. There was snow on the ground and it was beginning to turn into slush. It was only October and yet it felt like mid-December. I walked up a flight of steps once I reached my apartment and unlocked the door.

As soon as I entered the threshold, my orange and white cat a medially attacked me. "I'm home." I told him and placed my keys in the bowl next to the door. I walked into the kitchen and pulled out a can of cat food from the cabinet. I quickly opened it and placed it on a dish for Buyo to scarf down.

I walked into my bedroom and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a sports bra. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and turned on the stereo. As the music filled the small apartment I rolled my neck back and forth to get all the stress knots out. I pulled out my standing punching bag once I had stretched enough and began doing my kickboxing exercises.

I kicked and punched to the beats of the music releasing my stress. I continued for about an hour and put away the bag. Pressing the power button I walked back into my bedroom. I walked over to the alarm on my dresser and set it for six in the morning. That gave me eight hours of sleep. Turning off the light I crawled under the covers.

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How long has it been? I feel as if I've been lying here for hours. I got up and walked over to my clock. Okay, maybe I have been lying here for hours. At this rate I'll never get to sleep. I walked back over to my bed and lay down.

I sighed flopping over on my other side. Turning my head I looked at Buyo sleeping by my head. At least someone will be well rested in the morning. I brought my hand up and scratched his belly, earning a purr in return. I turned onto my back once again and looked at the ceiling.

Is this really the life I wanted for myself? No husband, no boyfriend, no children, even the connections with my family and old friends severed. I hardly ever come home anymore. I come to sleep and feed Buyo, which I'm sure without him; I would have gone crazy when I first moved here.

Okay…now I'm getting emotional. This is what I've had to do to stay sane. To get away. God! I have to get to sleep! Wait…I can use my miko powers…I smirked as I sat cross-legged on my bed. Maybe living in that shrine for all those years really did pay off in the end. Besides, as long as I don't sneeze, everything will be perfectly fine!

Relaxing my mind and body I could feel the surge of my power rising from my veins. Concentrating all my will into that power to help me fall asleep, I didn't notice the tingling sensation in my nose before it was too late. I sneezed, breaking any hold I had on my power.

God no! I can't believe I just did that! This is just great. Now, that concentrated power's gonna backfire on me! This was bad… I yawned and leaned back against my pillows. Okay, maybe it's won't be so bad after all. I mean what's the worst that can happen?

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I rolled over in the bed and my brows fused together. I felt a presence next to me. A strong, domineering, ominous presence. This wasn't good. When I sneezed did it open a portal to the world of the spirits? Oh dear God no! I can't deal with anymore unsettled spirits! And here I thought it couldn't be so bad…

I kept my eyes shut; not wanting to find out what was radiating that aura. Was it really a specter? Was it here to hurt me? Oh God! Work! Am I late for work? I didn't hear the alarm go off. What if the specter turned it off? It's happened before. Oh God…Okay, Kagome, calm down…it can't be a specter. You've placed wards and charms all over so they can come in.

I opened my eyes and sat upright in bed. I wasn't lying in a bed though. It was a futon. Was I in Japan? Oh God no! That's worse than a specter! I can't believe that stupid sneeze transported me into someone else's house…their bed even! Wait…since when did Japan have houses with stone walls…like a castle…

I was snapped out of my musings once I heard a very frustrated cough. I turned to look at the creature that had cause the disturbance and gasped. More in shock than in horror. I couldn't believe it. There stood a very tall man with a blue crescent moon on his forehead and magenta stripes on each cheek. He stood above me looking like some one out of a romance novel. Long silver hair blowing in the breeze from most likely an open window in the room and deep amber, almost golden eyes. He was the definition of sexy.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my bed?" The man asked coldly. Oh dear God…I was in his bed…I blushed as he looked me over. "Well?" He was growing impatient; I could feel in it the air.

"I…uh…I…I…don't know?" Oh that was smooth. He's probably going to kill me now. I'm pretty sure those are claws on his hands…and they look pretty sharp too. His eyes narrowed at my stupidity and I winced. Yep, my life was going to end tonight, or is it early morning?

"Who are you?" I blinked and thought about that. Maybe it's my lucky day after all.

"M-my name is Kagome. Kagome Higarashi."

"What are you doing here?"

"I…um…don't know actually. I kinda guess I accidentally sneezed myself here." Yeah, nice Kagome. Now he thinks I'm crazy. "Okay…I'm here to help with anything you may need then?"

"Why not go to the front doors? Why lie in my bed?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." He snorted and walked over to a wardrobe kinda thing. Opening the doors he tossed me an old haori and hakama and walked to the door.

"You will change into suitable clothes and meet me in the study." He ordered more than said as he left. I quickly did as I was told and left the room. I began walking down a random hall and turned right. Whistling merrily to myself I turned right again and stopped. I can't believe I didn't realize sooner. I had no clue where I was going. Now, I was lost.