Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Transit Umbra, Lux Permanet	By : ChaoticReverie Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 3749 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All OCs belong to me. I am not making any profit from writing this, it is for enjoyment only.

Chapter List
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Kagome grimaced as she pulled herself into a sitting position, the IV in her arm pinching uncomfortably. Her mother stood next to her, fluffing her pillow as she adjusted the angle of the bed. She sighed as the doctor looked over her vitals, fingers rapping soundlessly against her knees. He was watching her heartrate on the monitor, glancing occasionally at his clipboard as he flipped through her file.
"Well," he said after a moment, "all of your vitals have returned to normal. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she lied with a shrug, the back of her head still throbbing. If the cause of her condition wasn't stress related, her assumptions about it being connected to the Shikon had been correct. There was nothing they could do for her in this time, but if she wanted to get out of this hospital and back to her journey, they needed to believe she was well enough to discharge.
The doctor jotted something down and tucked the pen into the pocket of his coat. Reaching up, he gave the bag of solution hanging next to her bed a little tap. "I'll have a nurse come to take this out, and I'll start up the paperwork for your dismissal."
He made for the door, stopping just in the frame and glancing back at her from over the rim of his glasses. "This… episode of yours was baffling, to be honest. I've never seen anything quite like it. Are you certain you're feeling well enough to go home?"
"Fit as a fiddle."
"Alright, but be certain to come back immediately should you experience anything that might suggest a repeat."
"Will do."
"I'll be back shortly with those papers."
The two women watched him go, listening as his footsteps grew softer. Kagome nodded to her mother, who slid the window open further and stepped back to allow Inuyasha entrance. He leapt into the room in a flourish of silver and red, pulling a sleeve across his face as he was accosted by a multitude of heavy scents.
Having heard their conversation from his position on the ground below, he asked, "How long do you think it will take before we can get you outta here?" He hated this place. Apart from the pungent, unfamiliar smell of chemicals, it reeked of death, along with a menagerie of other unpleasant excrements and bodily fluids.
"It will depend on how quickly the doctor fills out her papers. It may only take a few minutes, or he might be doing another round and come back up later. Which could take… hours," Sayuri replied with a sigh, glancing at her daughter.
Inuyasha growled impatiently, frustrated that the advanced medicine of Kagome's time had not been able to cure her and – knowing this – feeling anxious to get her back. If these doctors couldn't fix her, they would have to find someone else who could.
"The nurse will be coming in to remove my IV soon," Kagome told him. "You should probably head back down."
He nodded, locking eyes with her. "You sure you're alright to go?"
"I'm still in a bit of pain, but I can manage."
Eager to get away from the awful stink he turned with a nod and jumped back out the window.
Sayuri approached her with a soft smile, reaching out to caress the back of her hand. The priestess could see she was distressed. "I'm sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Don't be sorry. I'm glad he brought you back."
Kagome could see the tightening of her mouth and the small furrow between her brows, her mother's trademark fretful expression. "What is it?"
Sighing, the elder Higurashi admitted, "I'd be much more at ease if they could do something to help your condition."
Kagome chewed the inside of her cheek. "It's hard to get help when you don't know what's wrong."
Her mind was a whirl of emotions and questions. Coming home had solved nothing. Apart from the mild dehydration the doctors had been unable to detect anything out of the ordinary. From what she'd heard, the 'episode' - as they called it - had ended rather suddenly, and they hadn't been able to pinpoint what triggered it. There was no definite cause for the pain she'd been experiencing, well… at least not one that could be detected with modern medicine. So what was next? Who could they possibly seek out for answers? She didn't really know, but she could feel something happening to her body, and if they were unable to find a solution soon… she didn't know how much time she had left before she reached her breaking point. What was worse, she would have to leave her family like this. They had enough to fret over as it was; she hated burdening them with more reasons for concern.
Squeezing her mother's hand, she said, "I'm going to be alright, Mama. We'll find the answers we need and I'll come back as soon as I know something."
Sayuri smiled at her eldest child, brushing the bangs from her forehead. She was such a brave soul. "I know you will, you've always been so strong."
There was a gentle knock on the doorframe, the nurse smiling as she entered the room. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Kagome told the woman, watching her as she flitted around the room, cleaning her hands and pulling a few supplies from the drawer next to the sink.
She took a quick glance at the monitor. "You're heartrate seems to be back to normal, and the doctor mentioned that your blood pressure had gone back down. That's good. We were all pretty concerned for a while there."
Kagome frowned; she remembered very little of the ordeal, but what she could recall was far from pleasant. She had flitted in and out of consciousness for most of it, though the times she did regain cognizance the only thing she could focus on was the pain, pounding in her head, squeezing the breath from her lungs, seizing her muscles with uncontrollable spasms, and setting her flesh on fire. She'd only been able to withstand it for a few minutes at a time before she would slip back under, welcoming the reprieve.
When she'd finally been stabilized, her mother's face was the first thing she saw upon waking, and – judging by the expression she'd been wearing – Kagome could only imagine how horrific an experience it had been for her.
"Let's get this out of you," the nurse hummed, motioning to the intravenous. She moved next to Kagome's bed, gently taking her by the wrist and straightening her arm. Slowly and gently she removed the IV from the joint of her elbow, pressing a disinfected cotton ball to the puncture. "Hold that for a moment. Put some pressure on it."
Glad to have the cumbersome thing out of her, Kagome did as she was told, watching as the young nurse went about her work and returned to her bedside a short while later. "It should be good now," she said, placing a bandage over the swab.
Smiling she told them, "It shouldn't be much longer. Just hang tight. If you feel well enough you can get out of bed and stretch your legs."
Then they were alone again, and Kagome heard her mother mutter something about being relieved, though she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to be certain. Something inside of her throbbed, and a warmth spread through her chest and into her arm. Curiously, she pushed the bandage aside, picking away the tiny scab of blood that had formed. Beneath it… her skin was without a mark. Her brows furrowed. Even such a tiny puncture should have taken a day or two to heal, and it would have undoubtedly left a small scar. Something was happening to her, and with every day that passed she could feel her hold on whatever it was slipping away.
Deciding not to tell her mother she tugged the bandage back into place, plastering on a smile as Sayuri's hand settled gently on her shoulder.
"Did you want me to head down to the canteen and grab you a bite to eat?"
"That sounds great," Kagome admitted. She had been here for a few days now, and had been unconscious for much of that time. Her stomach was empty and – despite the pounding in her head – she was actually hungry for once.
Her mother nodded and swept quietly from the room, leaving the young priestess alone with her startling new ruminations.
'This makes no sense at all,' Kagome pondered as she cast another fleeting glance at her arm. 'One day I'm getting crippled by this damned anomaly, and the next it's healing my wounds. How is any of this possible?'
Deciding that she needed to get moving – since she would be trekking across feudal Japan again soon enough – she pulled her blanket aside, turning to dangle her legs off the bed. The tile was cool beneath her toes, and slowly she slid from the mattress, grimacing when her legs began to tremble as she tried to stand. Days of bed rest and muscle spasms had left her feeling particularly weak, and it took a great deal of effort to bring herself to her full height and remain upright. She stood still for only a moment, regaining her balance, and then slowly made her way to the window. Peering down to the ground below, she could see no trace of Inuyasha, though she could sense him nearby, his aura flickering anxiously.
"Just a little while longer," she said softly, knowing he would hear. She felt him calm minutely, and turned to seat herself in the chair next to the window, enjoying the breeze on her face and the feeling of his presence.
Her mother returned, tray in hand, food piled high atop it. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "That isn't all for me, is it? That looks like a small feast!"
Sayuri grinned. "I wasn't sure what you would be in the mood for, and I'm rather hungry myself. Anything we don't eat I'm sure Inuyasha will be more than happy to finish off for us."
Kagome giggled again when she felt a little sliver of anticipation creep into her hanyou friend's aura. Her eyes scoured the tray of goodies with hungry delight, and after deciding on a sandwich and a cup of Jell-O, she settled back into her chair and promptly began stuffing her face. A comfortable silence settled over the pair as they ate, and the miko smiled. She cherished her time with her mother, moments like these being few and far between. She wondered to herself – not for the first time – if the well would remain open once her quest was completed, or if it would close, leaving her in the past… or possibly pulling her back to her rightful time. Thinking on either of the latter possibilities made her heart clench painfully, and she willed the thoughts away, knowing she had a duty to fulfill and a future to secure. So, for now, she would sit and eat sandwiches with her Mama, and burn this memory into her mind, just in case she needed it one day.
They were just finishing when the doctor finally returned, doing one final check on her before handing over the discharge papers. He left her to change afterward, insisting again that she return if anything seemed out of the ordinary. She was glad to be back into her own clothing, hating how starchy the hospital gowns felt. She prayed that she wouldn't see the inside of a hospital again for a long time, feeling far more at ease as she exited the lobby. Waving at her mother as she pulled up to the front doors, Kagome thanked the young nurse who assisted her out of her wheelchair and into the car. She saw a brief flash of red from the corner of her eye as they exited the parking lot, and knew Inuyasha would be following close behind.
The drive home was silent, and she could feel her mother's tension mounting as they neared the shrine, concern over Kagome's inevitable departure hanging like a black cloud over her head. Her brother and grandfather were both waiting outside when they pulled up along the curb, Souta offering her a hand as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.
"Thanks," she told him as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, amazed by just how tall he'd grown. He would likely be taller than her within the next couple of years… though she knew she would likely not be present for much of that time. She felt guilt curl through her gut and squeezed him briefly, causing him to glance questioningly at her. "I'm sorry I'm not around much. I just want you to know I love you and I'm really proud of you."
He scrunched up his face in embarrassment, his cheeks flaming red. "Geez, sis, don't get all teary-eyed on me. I know you have an important job to do. And… I love you, too."
The last part of his sentence was muttered, and Kagome gave him a teasing jab in the ribs.
"Hey! Knock it off, or I'll let you go right here on the stairs!"
It was a bluff, she knew, but relented anyway. Climbing the remainder of the incline with her brother's assistance, she flashed a brief smile at Inuyasha, who was already at the top. He scooped her up into his arms easily, bounding to the house. They all settled in the kitchen – save the half-demon, who had parked himself just outside the window - her mother fussing over her as mother's do.
"Did you want a blanket, dear? Or some tea?"
"Tea would be awesome."
"Are you going to be alright, sis?" Souta asked, fingers tracing absent patterns along the tabletop.
"I'll be okay," she told him, her eyes slinking toward her grandfather. "If I can pull through gout, shingles, cholera, and the plethora of other ailments I've been plagued with these past few years, I'm sure I can get through this."
They all shared a little laugh at that, and Kagome wondered just how many other ridiculous stories her grandfather had managed to come up with to excuse her absences.
The tea was delightful, and she savoured it slowly, knowing that once she finished it would be time to go. She swirled the contents around in her cup, glancing around the table at her wonderful family. She hoped – beyond all things – that the well would always remain open, and that she would never have to say goodbye to any of her loved ones.
'First things first,' she reminded herself, 'we need to figure out what is happening to me.'
She noticed her drink was starting to get cold, and swallowed the last of it down. Sighing, she stood and made her way to the counter, her cup clinking lightly as she placed it by the sink. Turning to look at them again, she felt tears prick her eyes as she gazed upon each of their faces, the expressions knowing, their smiles laced with sadness.
Souta stood and retreated briefly into the living room, returning with her bag in hand. "We restocked it for you."
She gave him a pat on the head. He hated that, she knew, but he tolerated it anyway, just for her. "You're a great kid, Souta. Take care of Mama for me?"
"Always."
Her hanyou friend stood at the door when they exited, taking the pack from her brother's hand and slinging it up over his shoulder. They all walked to the Bone-Eater's Well together, the priestess glad to find much of her strength had returned.
"Are you certain it's wise to go back so soon? What if something else happens?" her mother asked, her voice tight with concern.
Kagome chewed the inside of her cheek, choosing her words carefully. "Whatever is afflicting me… isn't something that can be cured here, I'm sure of that now. My best hope is in the past."
Sayuri sighed, nodding in understanding. She pulled her daughter into a gentle but firm hug, kissing her brow.
"I'll protect her," Inuyasha said suddenly, his ears tucked back as a light blush touched his cheeks.
The elder Higurashi smiled at him, and – much to his embarrassment – gifted him with a hug as well. "I know you will, dear. You always do."
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he stepped up to Kagome and lifted her against him, pushing the door to the well house aside. "You ready?"
"Yeah," she replied with a grin, loving how adorably grouchy he got when he was flustered. She glanced back at her family and waved to them one last time. "I'll come back as soon as I can."
Inuyasha sprung over the stairs, landing momentarily on the lip of the well before dropping into it. Kagome held tightly to his robe as the magic engulfed them, closing her eyes as they swam through the time rift, weightless as they descended. When they finally landed she could hear the birds chittering overhead.
"So… what do we do now?" she wondered aloud.
Inuyasha gripped her a little tighter as he propelled them out of the well. He set her down carefully and turned his gaze westward. "I don't know… but I think I know someone who might."
Geez I hate this chapter. It took far too long to finish. Ugh.
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