InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wake Me Up Inside ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Wake Me Up Inside

Chapter 7

----------------------------------------------------------------

Kagome took in a deep breath an slowly released it as she got out of her car and shut the door. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she straightened her posture and stepped up to the front door of the hospice. Too lazy to open the door herself, she pushed the automatic opener button then strode through as the door slowly swung open for her.

"Good evening," the front desk secretary greeted with a smile. Kagome took note that this was a different person than she'd seen earlier.

"Good evening," Kagome returned with a polite bow of her head. Spurring strength into her step, Kagome breezed past as she really wasn't in the mood for socializing right now.

As she wandered through the halls, Kagome oddly imagined herself as the mouse in a maze. Excepting what she sought after was her other half rather than a mere piece of cheese. Blinking, she stopped in the middle of the hallway when her mind showed her images of Sesshomaru sitting down having fine wine and cheese with Inuyasha as Miroku popped out of nowhere saying, "Behold, the power of cheese."

Kagome smacked a hand over her face as a small giggle turned into a slight groan. Fingers gently took to massaging her temples as she thought to herself, 'There you go, Kagome. You've lost your bloody mind.' Shaking her head, the miko dropped her hand back to her side and continued walking.

As she neared the room she sought, Kagome tilted her head in confusion as she heard what sounded like the voice of a child coming from within. Drawing closer, she stopped just before the door and listened further. What she heard was indeed the voice of a child. The voice was decidedly female as it seemed to be reading passages from a Harry Potter novel aloud.

Curiosity swiftly got the better of the young miko as she finally poked her head in the door to see who was there. Imagine her surprise when she found a young grade school girl sitting beside Inuyasha on the bed, kindly reading to the sleeping man. Questions plagued Kagome's mind as she watched the girl read on with a soft smile; entranced by the story she read, and oblivious to her watcher. It was cute and compassionate what she was doing, but who the heck was she?

Kagome waited till the child seemed to come to the end of a chapter and turn the page in preparation for the next. The miko then too that moment to step into the room, and make herself known. Placing a warm smile on her face, she spoke as the girl snapped her gaze to the new comer, "Hi. You read very well. What's your name?"

The girl regarded her nervously, and spoke with profound shyness, "Th-thanks. Umm… I'm Sherry. Who are you? I've never seen you here before."

"Oh? You've been here before?" Kagome blinked, with a puzzled expression. "My name is Kagome. I'm someone your friend there knew back in Japan."

Sherry gasped in sudden amazement the way Souta had often done when Kagome spoke of his hero, "Cool!" Then her face darkened with confusion. "But, how come you waited till now to come? He's been here a long time," she asked.

"I.. didn't know he was here. We had gotten separated, and lost the ability to talk to each other. Like I told Beth, it's complicated," Kagome frowned.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry," Sherry said, frowning along with the miko.

"I take it you've been coming here for a while. How come?" Kagome asked, tilting her head.

"I…" Sherry started then paused as emotions suddenly welled up inside her at the memories. She took a deep breath and shook her head clear. "My mom used to be in the room two doors down. Beth took care of her too. One day when I was really upset, she took me in here to meet Romeo. She told me about his car wreck and his friends not coming around anymore. I felt bad for him. So every day, when I would come with my Uncle to see Mom, I would leave him with Mom for a while and come hang with Romeo," Sherry explained. Kagome blinked in awe.

"Wow. That was very kind of you. I'm sure he appreciates it," Kagome smiled. To her amazement, Sherry hung her head in sorrow.

"I use to come every day for a long time. But, a month ago, Mommie finally got to go be with Daddie. This is my first time back since then," the little girl said softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Kagome said in a voice thick with sympathy. She could hear the girl sniffing and trying to fight against her tears. Her heart aching for the girl, Kagome walked over to sit at her feet, "What made you come back?"

"Guilt. Sorrow. Sympathy. Just because I'm sad doesn't mean I should leave Romeo alone. That's just mean. I feel bad for taking this long to come back when my school and Uncle's house are just a bike ride away," Sherry said bitterly.

"Don't beat yourself up for it. I think you're incredibly strong and kind for coming back here at all let alone so soon. I know.. 'Romeo' would say the same thing," Kagome said, being careful what she called Inuyasha in front of this girl.

"But-" Sherry protested, only to be interrupted.

"No buts. There are very few grown ups in the world that would do something like this for someone they barely know. Your so young, it amazes me that you would go so out of your way to do this for Romeo. He's not one that gives gratitude easily. But for something like this, I'm sure he'll be thanking you in some way when he does finally wake up," Kagome smiled again, trying her best to lift the little girl's spirits.

"You think so?" Sherry asked shakily.

"Hai," Kagome nodded. "I do."

Sherry thought for a moment, then sat up with a better mood apparent on her face, "So how did you find out he was here?"

"It's strange really. I go to school at the University here. One of my classes took a field trip here. To my surprise, here he was," Kagome said, her own bafflement at the turn of events evident in her voice.

"Oh my. That's spooky. One of those meant to be things," Sherry said wryly. Kagome blinked at her.

"I guess.. you could say that, couldn't you?" the miko responded.

"Oh my gosh! You two were a thing weren't you?!" Sherry blurted, gawking. Kagome jolted.

"What makes you think that?"

"'Cause yer blushing!" Sherry gently giggled.

"Darn. Dead giveaway, huh?" Kagome smirked.

"Yup," Sherry grinned. Then she frowned as her young mind thought about the implications that brought about Kagome's feelings. She bit her lip and tilted her head slightly, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"That this happened. That you had to find out like this. It's got to be really hard," Sherry said, earmarking her place in her book and closing it. Kagome blinked then nodded.

"Hai, it is. But, I'll be all right. I've made some new friends because of it," Kagome said as she put on a smile.

"Me included?"

"Of course. You and Beth."

"Wow. Thanks," the girl grinned. "So are you gonna come here a lot?"

"As much as I can," Kagome nodded.

"Maybe now that you're here, he'll wake up soon."

"I hope so."

"He's gotta wake up for you. You're his girlfriend he hasn't seen in forever. That's gotta be something worth waking up for, if nothing else. Right?"

"I'm hoping that's the way it goes," Kagome said with a nod. "I hate seeing him like this. It's so strange seeing him so still. When he was back in Japan, he drove me nuts being as active as he was."

"Boys are like that," Sherry giggled.

"This guy is the extreme," Kagome said wryly. Sherry giggled. Then, looking at the one they spoke of, a new question came to mind.

"Kagome, I have a question about him. It might be a strange one," Sherry said with a self-conscious frown, hoping she wouldn't be taken for a fool. Kagome blinked.

"What would that be?" she replied curiously. Sherry looked back at Romeo, more specifically the necklace he wore.

"The necklace is magic, isn't it?" the girl asked. Kagome gasped in surprise.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Is it? I don't want to sound crazy."

"Hai, it is. But don't tell anyone. How did you figure it out?"

"It feels weird to touch. What's even stranger is the feeling is stronger now. It's not just the necklace that feels weird anymore. He's got a… an aura, as they say, too. I started feeling it early this year. I noticed the aura on him is a lot stronger today than the last time I was here," the girl said.

"Wow. That's.. amazing," Kagome said. Her mind filled with more questions. Was this girl a potential miko? She had to be if she could sense such things from Inuyasha. And what about Inuyasha? Did the girl's words mean that the girl's senses were getting stronger, or was it Inuyasha? And she said he had an aura! Could that mean that he still has some of his powers some how?

Kagome groaned softly as she felt a confusion headache coming on. Sherry gave her a questioning look. Kagome swiftly smiled, "It's okay. I just have way too many questions for my brain to handle right now."

"Like?" Sherry asked in extreme interest.

"Like how you're able to sense him. And why is all of this happening now? I know the things you've noticed mean something important. I just have to figure out what."

"What do you mean? I thought you knew him. Wouldn't you know why he feels different?"

Kagome blinked at the straight forward question, "I do know him. I know where the magic came from originally. But, what I can't figure out is why it vanished, and what's making it come back."

"Oh! Okay. That makes sense."

"You are a very bright little girl, you know that?" Kagome grinned.

"Not really. My grades stink," Sherry debunked flatly.

"So? Grades don't necessarily show how smart someone is. In fact, it was my dealings with Romeo, here, that taught me that one."

"Really?" Sherry grinned ecstatically.

"Hai," Kagome nodded. "I promised Beth that someday I would find a way to tell her my story with Romeo. When I do, I'll be sure to tell you too. I know now that you'll probably understand it better than she will."

"Wow. I'd like that."

"How far is your house from here? I could walk you home if you'd like."

"I'll let you on one condition," the girl schemed.

"What's that?"

"That you promise to teach me some Japanese!" Sherry grinned.

"All right. You have a deal, Sherry-chan," Kagome laughed as she stood up. Sherry glanced at the clock on the night stand which read 4:17 in the afternoon.

"Umm, Uncle won't be home till 5:30. Can I stay and read a little longer?"

"Of course," Kagome smiled. She walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down, mirroring Sherry's pose. Blinking at how the situation now looked, she couldn't help a small giggle, "Romeo sandwich."

"Funny," Sherry giggled. "You gotta like it, don't ya, Romeo? Smooshed between two girls!" she said, giggling harder.

'You have no idea what you say, Sherry-chan,' Kagome thought with a blush.

Opening her book, Sherry began to read where she left off. Kagome smiled. This was nice. Though she was sad to see Inuyasha here like this, she was happy that he had at least had a couple of good friends here to give him pep. She had to wonder what he would say to them when he finally had the chance to. Cradling his left hand in her lap, clasped in both of her hands, Kagome allowed herself to relax and become lost in the story Sherry read.

--------------------------------------------------------

In the depths of the darkness which imprisoned his soul, Inuyasha's spirit awoke from a doze to become aware of a voice he hadn't heard in a while. It was the young girl Sherry. He'd figured that the mother she'd often spoke of had finally departed to the realm of the dead, and thus, was why she hadn't been around for so long. He was surprised when he found her returning at all, let alone so soon. He also had to admit, it touched a tender cord in him that she cared so much to return.

As Sherry talked to him, Inuyasha found his hypothesis confirmed. Her mother had indeed passed away. He felt for the child as he knew exactly how it felt to have lost both of one's parents by such an early age. In his past life, he had gone through the same thing. To find her here, claiming guilt for taking so long to come back to visit him astounded Inuyasha. For her to take such strong responsibility for a promise to someone she barely knew grew in Inuyasha a new great respect for the girl. Though Sherry was human, she was incredibly strong. At that age, even Inuyasha himself hadn't given that much of a damn for anyone but the mother he had, by then, already lost.

'Most humans are fools. But every once in a while, you meet one that surprises you with their strength. Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them, they still push with all they've got to find a way to persevere. Sherry is definitely one of them,' he thought to himself.

He was happy when she'd decided to sit down and read to him. More than entertaining him, it would alleviate her sorrows for a while. He made a mental note to later tell her exactly what he thought about her guilt over her absence. Her return caused him to think of her in greater detail. The more he thought about all that he knew about her, the more he wondered if he didn't perhaps know Sherry from sometime in the past.

The girl exhibited extraordinary strength. That thought did not stop with her compassion. The fact that she could sense the magic in him spoke to him as well. She was obviously an unrealized miko. That much, he had figured for a while. The fact that she cared so much for others spoke of that too. It was a natural thing for mikos to have such a great deal of compassion. But this girl was so young. For her to start exhibiting such signs of her potential at this age told him there was much more to her yet to be learned. Oh well. He would have more time to think on the matter later. For now, he let himself follow the story the girl so kindly read to him.

A little while later, Inuyasha's attention again strayed from the story as his senses detected the arrival of another person dear to him. Kagome. As always, upon noticing her arrival, his heart skipped a beat. Her smell was as sweet and ever entrancing as it had always been. As she spoke her greeting to the young girl, her voice filled Inuyasha's spirit with blissful warmth. It brought him to imagine such things as a spring mountain meadow full of blooming flowers while a stream trickled nearby, and lazy cotton clouds rolled by overhead. Of course, he could not imagine that meadow without him and his beloved miko lying in the grasses, enjoying each other's company.

Inuyasha was drawn from his reverie as he felt an extra weight gently perch at his bedside. He listened to Kagome converse then console the young girl who spoke of her woes and the bond she had formed with this sleeping man she barely knew. Inuyasha couldn't help an inner smile as he listened to Kagome's efforts to cheer Sherry up, 'Kagome, you always know just exactly what to say to warm someone's heart. Even to a half breed dog demon who's life had robbed from him the ability to trust anyone at all.'

The hanyou reincarnate became so lost in the precious memories of the past with Kagome that he missed her conversation with Sherry about magic entirely. Times of when Kagome had cheered him up from plaguing dark moods filled his mind. The first time Kagome had seen him as a human. The aftermath of the fight with that moth that had caused him to completely lose his mind for the first time. Times when he was wounded. Times when he was overwhelmed by memories from his harsh past. Times when he doubted himself. Always during those hard times, she was the medicine that slowly healed his wounds; both internal, and external. 'And now she's back to do it all over again,' he mused.

The conversation between Kagome and Sherry flooded back to him, and he heard Sherry's hopes that Kagome's presence would be what woke the enigmatic slumbering boy everyone at the hospice called Romeo. In his heart, Inuyasha smiled, for he knew what Sherry said was true. No one else had power to heal him quite like Kagome did. 'Soon,' he thought to himself. 'I'll be free someday soon. And when that day comes, Kagome, I'll hold you in my arms and never let go.'

Inuyasha paid closer attention to the two girls as he felt Kagome move to 'sandwich' him in between Sherry in herself. 'Kagome, you vixen,' he laughed within his internal confines. The friendly jokes tossed amongst the two girls made him feel good. Their laughter eased his pains over their prior ill moods. These two girls, Inuyasha knew, would get along well. Correction, three. Beth would most certainly be included in this sacred circle of women. It made Inuyasha's spirit feel giddy that the strand that connected the three girls was none other than their affection for him.

So as the two women flanking him settled, and Sherry picked back up in her reading, Inuyasha decided today was indeed a good day. Today, he felt better than he had since the Shikon no Tama had been completed. Though he was still imprisoned within himself, he had acquired both friends and his soul mate. Now, they surrounded him with their unique forms of love, and he felt good.

'Soon,' he thought. 'Soon, I will be free.'

-------------------------------------------------------------

Penguine: Well, finally another chapter complete. I admit I procrastinated on this one for a bit. But then again, with life being as chaotic as it has been lately, I've also been kind of tired lately and in the mood to vegetate. -lol- Have no worries though. I will do my best to keep updating. :)

As you noticed, I gave Inuyasha some more time to give his perspective in this chapter. I got such a great response from chapter 5 that I thought, 'Why not do a little bit of that each time someone comes to visit?' It gives Yash the limelight he and everyone else wants, and it gives an added touch of fluff. :) So, that's what I'll do. Expect to hear more from him in the future. -grins brightly-