InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 28 Days ❯ Repercussions ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: RozeFire 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.11.2004 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 3.0K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.11.2004 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 3.0K | Status: Completed
AN: Sorry about the lack of updates - been really busy and I just learned that I completely failed my Maths exam T_T What a great week it's been for me.
Anyway, here's the latest chapter - enjoy!
28 Days
Repercussion
For once, Inuyasha seemed to be having a good day - and not the usual good day (like the ones that lasted two hours and then turned into rotten days) but the good type that stayed good all day and everything went without a hitch.
Sango was recovering in her room from surgery (at last), Shippo wasn't back yet - meaning he was probably talking again. Kikyo was doing well since the cancer had been caught at a rather early stage - and Doctor Fei seemed pretty sure she would be in the clear soon enough. This was enough to put Inuyasha in a good mood - which made him less likely to snap, bitch, or traumatise patients - making sure that he didn't lose any more money to Miroku, and could afford a coffee for once at lunch (one that basically sedated him to make the day after lunch pleasant too).
The only downside to the day was that the world outside was covered in snow and the roads coated in ice. People kept slipping up and coming into the hospital with broken god knows what and there had already been a few emergency arrivals from car accidents that morning. But THAT wasn't going to put a hold on Inuyasha's spirit.
"Good morning, Kikyo." Inuyasha greeted happily as he reached reception, genuinely glad to see her there for once.
She just glared at him. "Oh right... 'great' morning." She rolled her eyes sarcastically and blew her nose into a tissue.
"What's up with you? Aren't you in the clear?" he asked, tapping his beloved purple pen on his clipboard.
"Not for the cold I ain't." she sniffed through her thoroughly stuffy nose.
"Well seeing as you're back at work - have I got any messages?" I asked as he began scribbling stuff down on his clipboard.
"A few." She held them up to read. "The parking attendant says you have to stop parking in the disabled spot - they don't believe being an asshole is a handicap - you have to park somewhere else."
"Tell them to bite me."
"I did." She sniffed and continued. "Then there's one that came with a letter bomb this morning."
"Sounds interesting. What did it say?"
"'Scixelsyd eht taert'," Kikyo read carefully.
Inuyasha stopped writing and looked up at her, "Do I need my ears syringing?"
"Nope... you just have to read it backwards."
"Oh..." Inuyasha nodded in realisation. "Well tell them to 'em etib' too."
"Then there's this anonymous one... it says they're gonna kill you." Kikyo look up. "A former patient maybe?"
"That would be Sess..." He shrugged indifferently and shoved the prescription papers towards her. "Tell that smoker woman... Mrs... Mrs... whatshername..."
"Gin?"
"Yeah - that's her. Tell her to come see me in the examination room after lunch." Inuyasha leaned against the front desk. "And tell the drinker woman that she has to stay up in the recovery ward until I say so."
"She wants more drink."
"Well don't give it to her!" Inuyasha scoffed. "No point drinking to drown her sorrows... by the looks of things, sorrow knows how to swim."
Kikyo nodded and carried on with her filing.
"Hey... you ok?" he asked over a short pause.
Kikyo looked up suddenly, a small frightened look in her eyes before she covered it with a quick flash of a smile... that lasted a fraction of a second. "Yeah, fine. You're mom's a good doctor. She took good care of me."
"But there's still a chance that the surgery hasn't completely removed the problem." Inuyasha frowned. "You know that right?"
"Of course I know that." she had tried to sound spiteful there. She was a nurse after all, and she knew all about these things. But she'd just come off as sounding worried.
"If you get any more problems don't hesitate to come see me, ok?" he said unusually gently.
Kikyo stared at him a moment before ducking her head away and nodding quickly. She didn't want him to see her blush.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku called as he arrived. "You wanna grab that coffee you've been on about all morning?"
"Ok." Inuyasha grinned. "But after I give Kagome her shot."
Miroku nodded in agreement and followed Inuyasha as he grabbed his black box with the Xycrophobin injections, and headed off towards Kagome's room.
"So where were you last night anyway." Miroku wanted to know as they walked. "You took off all of a sudden."
"Felt sick."
"Wow... and I just saw a pig in the waiting room that had broken it's wing flying into Godzilla."
"I hope it's not one of my patients." Inuyasha ignored his sarcastic jab. "For your information, I really was sick."
"Yeah right... the day you get sick is the day the aliens invade." Miroku smirked. "And how come the nurses came to me and said that one of your patients was missing... Kagome I think it was..."
"Probably ran away again." Inuyasha shrugged. His expression betraying nothing. "But she's back now."
"And so are you." Miroku said evenly without a smile.
Inuyasha flashed him a brief quizzical look before arriving at Kagome's door and pushing it open. "Morning."
"Midday actually." Kagome tapped her watch from where she was sat up in bed (in her hospital gown for once). "What took you so long?"
"Busy." Inuyasha smiled with a shrug and went to stand beside her bed while he prepare the dosage.
Miroku stood back to let them continue.
"Arm." Inuyasha ordered and Kagome stuck it out without question.
"At least you're better than my patient." Miroku commented. "She refuses to take her medicine."
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"She thinks it's been tested on animals." Miroku answered.
Kagome shuddered, half because Inuyasha was rubbing her arm as he administered the drug. "Animal testing is an awful idea... they get all nervous and start giving the wrong answers. Everyone knows that."
Inuyasha laughed and finished up with the syringe. He continued to rub her arm for a few moments before dropping his hand to rest on her thigh. Neither of them seemed to notice the action... but Miroku's smile suddenly disappeared...
"You feeling ok today?" Inuyasha asked, just to check.
"Great. I feel like I could jump off tall buildings and live to tell."
"Great - but don't really try it." He smirked. "Or is parachuting on your list?"
"Nah... I'm never really good at things the first time around... and you know the saying..." Kagome shrugged. "If at first you don't succeed then parachuting really isn't for you."
"You have to act on your dreams before the end of the month - except the ones where you're falling or walking to school naked... they aren't good dreams to act on." Inuyasha told her.
Miroku shifted uneasily by the door as Kagome laughed.
"Oh - by the way - since I'm forecasted to die on the 23rd of December... can I get my Christmas presents early?" Kagome asked sweetly.
"Anything for you." Inuyasha grinned. "I gotta go to lunch now, but I'll be back in a few hours."
"Oh... ok." Kagome looked a little put out, but held a brave smile. "I'll see you later then."
"See ya." Inuyasha waved as he turned and left with Miroku who was remaining deceptively quiet. "What's up with you Miroku?"
"You were flirting." Was the blunt reply.
"Miroku... to you, any form of communication between a male and a female is flirting." Inuyasha snapped, his good mood beginning to evaporate.
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm shocked that you're capable of flirting... it's just... you're doing it with a patient." Miroku said carefully.
"So?" Inuyasha scowled. "It's not against the law. Plenty of doctors and patients date..."
"But she'll be dead in less than two weeks."
It looked like his day was turning into his usual good day that turned bad halfway through. It looked like this was as close as he was ever going to get to a good day.
"That's IF I don't find a cure!" Inuyasha snapped in response.
"And IF you don't?" Miroku stopped and turned to him, forcing Inuyasha to stop as well. "What would you do then?"
"I'd live with it!" he growled back.
"And if she does live? You'll do what? Sure doctors date their patients, but you do know that it's illegal, right?"
"Bite me Miroku."
"Her family won't like it."
"And what about you? You date Sango!"
"What?!" Miroku gaped at him. "How did you know?!"
"Oh for pity's sake..." Inuyasha groaned. "I knew before you did!"
"But this is different! She isn't going to die!"
"But you performed surgery on her - and a relationship could really have impaired your judgement!" Inuyasha berated him. "And you're going on at me for looking at Kagome the wrong way!"
Miroku backed off. "Ok... ok... I guess... it isn't so bad. I don't think it'll effect your judgement in this case... so at least I don't have to report you - er - not that I was ever going to anyway!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"But you have a problem. Your mom has been checking out Xycrophobin for ages and she's found nothing... you have to work on a cure yourself to if you don't want to lose her."
It hit Inuyasha then that it hadn't been striking him recently that Kagome WAS dying. He kept forgetting that important factor when she was so happy, normal and healthy. But that wouldn't last long... and even though he'd been talking about it, treating it and helping Kagome through it... it hadn't really hit him.
Now it had... just like the restraint had clonked the delivery guy on the head... But he tried hard to not let Miroku see that it had.
"I know... I'm going to work on it tonight."
"I hope you find something..." Miroku trailed off as his beeper chirped at his waist. "Oh Sango... um... a patient... needs me."
He beat it hastily, leaving Inuyasha to get his coffee alone. But suddenly he didn't feel like coffee, as he doubted it would calm him for the rest of the day by now.
So he just went back down to reception to get on with patients.
"The smoking guy is in examination room six... your drink patient is in room twelve and Shippo and Mrs Kitsune are in room three..." Kikyo told him as he arrive. He didn't break stride as he passed her and headed for the three rooms.
He arrived at the smoking patient first and immediately began coughing as he walked into a room full of smoke. "What the hell...? Can't you read?! No smoking in the hospital!"
"Shh! I'm on the phone!" the woman hissed.
Not a good way to speak to a ticked off doctor. Before she knew what was happening, the phone was snatched out of her hand, away from her ear, crunched into a flat phone and tossed into the disinfectant bin behind Inuyasha. She gasped and stared at him in shock. "What the hell are you doing!"
"Stopping you from getting brain cancer... and stopping other people who are getting treatment for brain cancer in the other rooms from having their surgery interrupted by the signals from a mobile phone!" Inuyasha snatched the fag out of her mouth and stomped it on the floor. "How stupid are you anyways?!"
"Hey! You can't come in here and talk to me like that! I'm not a nurse you know - I'm a patient! And one who's going to sue if you don't start being a little more well mannered!" the woman shouted.
"You think I care?!" Inuyasha snapped back. "You know smoking is bad for you - just like everyone else. It's your fault if you've been doing it for so long and now you've got chest problems and heart conditions - my bedside fucking manner isn't going to save or kill you now!"
The woman fumed... which was difficult to really see through all the smoke.
"You want me to help you get better?" Inuyasha asked angrily. "Stop smoking! Stop pushing your life over the edge of the cliff deliberately! Stop wasting it while there are hundreds of people out there who wish they had a choice like you!"
"Well that's it! I'm going to the public hospital. If I wanted to get treated like an idiot I would have gone to work. Good bye."
Inuyasha wasn't sorry to see her go. And they both stomped off in different directions - the woman heading for the exit and Inuyasha heading for the drinking woman. He entered the room to see her crying.
"He's left me!" she wailed as he stopped short at the sight of her. "He's left with that twenty year old fake blonde with the tan - he isn't ever coming back!"
"Maybe he ain't coming back because you're an alcoholic." Inuyasha said shortly, and rather unkindly.
The woman burst out into louder tears. Inuyasha remained unmoved.
"You don't know what it's like for us women who get left by their men!"
"Do you know what it's like for us men to be left by our women?" Inuyasha shot back.
"It's the same thing!" she cried hoarsely. "I should just end my miserable existence now!"
"Don't bother..." Inuyasha pulled a face. "You can live for as long as you want, it won't matter in the end. You'll still be dead for the same amount of time."
"What?" She stopped crying to frown at him.
"I ain't a psychiatrist - I don't deal with alcoholics - go talk to someone who cares!" He pointed out the door. "Or better yet - to someone who's having a good day!"
The woman walked out in a huff. But at least she wasn't crying anymore.
When Inuyasha planned on moving onto the next room he suddenly bumped into Miroku. "What?" he barked.
Miroku held up his money filled pen pot with a smirk and jangled the contents loudly. "That'll be two hundred yen, thanks."
"Oh - go and screw a flying pig!" Inuyasha snapped and went on to the third patient. He was on a roll today. Two patients dealt with in two minutes... that had to be some kind of record. (It doesn't matter that they went away uncured and unsatisfied).
But now it was Shippo's turn... and if the brat was back then Inuyasha's mood really couldn't get any better. He shoved the door open and glared at the two people inside. Only when he actually realised what he was seeing did all those violent urges to kill and maim disappear.
Mainly because someone else had already acted those urges upon Shippo it seemed.
"Sorry for troubling you doctor..." Mrs Kitsune clasped one of her sons hands gently... it was obvious that she'd been crying. "But I had no other place to bring him..."
Inuyasha barely heard her speak. He was too busy staring at Shippo. A horrible mangled cut streaked across his brow and it looked like his jaw bone had been crushed on the right. His right arm also looked badly damaged... bloody and bruised.
Shippo didn't say a word... he didn't even raise his gaze from the floor.
^_^
"Hey Kikyo - have you seen a purple pen lying around here anywhere?" Miroku asked hopefully as he reached reception.
Kikyo didn't seem to be answering. She was hovering at the edge of the counter as though ready to take flight, chewing her lip worriedly. Miroku looked around and frowned back at her. "Something up?"
"Mm." Kikyo hummed absently.
"Am I intruding?" Miroku asked. "Cause I'll happily go screw myself if that's ok with you?"
Kikyo didn't answer... mostly because she looked like she was concentrating hard. Now there was something Miroku didn't see every day. "Trying to remember what comes after seven?"
"Eight..."
Miroku had a strange feeling that Kikyo was on another plane of reality. "How's it hanging Kikyo?"
"Low..." she shuffled away from the desk, before seemingly changing her mind and hurrying back before slapping her hands on the counter and looking determined. "This is ridiculous! I have to go tell the medical department!"
"About what?" Miroku called after her as she marched off. "I mean - I swear we didn't PLAN to use those elves in slave labour."
Kikyo didn't pay attention to his joke and hurried on. Forced labour on elves was one thing... but dating a patient was another... she had to do this for Inuyasha's own good, as well as Kagome's.
She thought briefly that she may have only been doing it for her own personal good... but that was unacceptable.
^_^
"How did this happen, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked seriously as she pulled his chair closer to the examination table. He carefully brushed Shippo's hair out of the way to examine the extent of the damage. It should have hurt because the wounds extended above his hairline... but Shippo didn't even wince. Inuyasha glanced slightly accusingly up at Mrs Kitsune instead.
"I..." she struggled to speak normally. "I had no idea... I thought... the nurse... when she said my husband might have... I didn't believe it... and then..."
Inuyasha stared at her, still no less angry. "Are you leaving him?"
The woman nodded without hesitation. "I just worry... being a single parent to an adoptive child... the agency might want him back..."
Inuyasha snorted. "Like that matters right now." He dropped his hands away from Shippo and sighed. "You'll need stitching and I suggest he stays in over night. And he should get a consultation with the PROPER psychiatrist."
"But I thought you were the psychiatrist...?" Mrs Kitsune frowned.
"Uh..." Inuyasha dodged that question... he didn't want to be sued just yet. "Part time..."
There was a knock at the door and it opened without any invitation. Inuyasha turned, about to tell whoever it was to piss off... until he recognised it was Doctor Fei... who looked very solemn indeed. Perhaps she was still annoyed about the whole girl in the flat in the morning thing.
"What is it now?" Inuyasha asked bluntly.
"Step out Inuyasha," his mother beckoned gently.
"I'm in the middle of-"
"It's ok... it'll only take a minute." She said with a false smile.
It worried Inuyasha slightly, but he excused himself anyway and stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He was about to demand what the problem was when he noticed three other medical seniors standing around looking grave with their hands clasped tightly.
The only time four officials ever appeared in one place was at the board meetings... outside board meetings was strange, and it usually spelt trouble (something Kikyo couldn't quite spell ^_^).
"Is this about dropping the anthrax?" Inuyasha asked quickly. "Because if it is - I swear it was only sugar!"
"It's not about that Inuyasha." His mother shook her head slowly.
"We're relieving you of one of your patients." The man behind her stated.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Which one?"
"Kagome Higurashi."
For some reason he felt half thankful. A weight had suddenly been lifted off his conscience. "Why?"
"We heard tell of a little dallying..." the man said again, looking stern. Inuyasha mentally cursed Miroku. "Plus, we all agree that maybe giving you this particular patient was a bit of a mistake... a bit out of your expertise."
"But I'm an expert in all fields." Inuyasha ground out.
"Not in death you are not."
His mother jumped in. "We're giving her to another doctor. He'll take over the search for the cure... it's off your shoulders. You don't have any reason t0 speak with her anymore."
"Is that understood?" the second man raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah..." Inuyasha sighed and looked down. "I was going to come to you anyway and request for another doctor to handle her..."
Doctor Fei's expression softened. "I know it's hard, son... I think this is best."
"I think so too..." he pulled a little frown before looking up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to go back to now."
That was all there was to it. There was no reason he should see Kagome again unless they bumped into each other by chance. But then his mother had to go say the worst possible thing as he started back towards the door.
"Doctor Kouga will be taking over."
Inuyasha nearly put a fist through the door. His mother suddenly remember the not-so-friendly rivalry between the two young doctors and winced. "Sorry..."
Inuyasha clenched his fists and forced himself to remain calm. "S'ok. He can have her... I don't care."
Now if Kouga managed to find a cure after all the sleepless nights Inuyasha had spent awake in the lab trying to find it... Inuyasha might just pull a lemming and jump off the building after all.
He shut the door in a controlled manner, making sure he didn't slam it and alarm the two victims in the room. He smiled tightly as he sat back down on his wheely chair and pulled a tray on a stand forward. He clicked his fingers before Shippo's face to get his attention and pretended to smile comfortingly. "I'm just going to give you local anaesthetic... and then I'll stitch that wound on your head, ok? You'll have to go see Miroku to have your jaw fixed. So don't try and talk between now until after your surgery."
Shippo nodded meekly while Inuyasha set to work, trying very hard not to think about Kagome.
^_^
Kagom e sighed dimly as she leant back to check how even her toe nail polish was. She wrinkled her nose critically and moved onto the other foot. When she was finished she wriggled her toes... or she would have... except she couldn't...
She tried to wiggle them again, but she could only move her foot. It felt like her toes were numb... and when she pinched them she didn't feel much, only a slight whisper of tingles.
There was a knock at the door, diverting her panic momentarily and she looked up with a relieved smile to see Inuyasha had arrived at last. He'd been gone for hours. But her smile abruptly vanished when she saw a dark haired doctor enter instead. He smiled placidly and walked over to stick his hand out.
"Hello Kagome, I'm Doctor Kouga," he smiled as she hesitantly took his hand and shook it.
"Uh... hi...
"I'm your new doctor."
"What happened to Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quickly, almost dropping her polish.
"He's handed you to me for the duration of your illness." He nodded. "I'll be treating you from now on."
Kagome couldn't find the words to describe how she felt. But afterwards, the nurses who attended her could only describe it as 'a careening trip down the hill of health'.
AN: Now what does that mean??? Tune in next month to find out! (actually... I'll probably update sooner than that...)
Anyway, here's the latest chapter - enjoy!
28 Days
Repercussion
For once, Inuyasha seemed to be having a good day - and not the usual good day (like the ones that lasted two hours and then turned into rotten days) but the good type that stayed good all day and everything went without a hitch.
Sango was recovering in her room from surgery (at last), Shippo wasn't back yet - meaning he was probably talking again. Kikyo was doing well since the cancer had been caught at a rather early stage - and Doctor Fei seemed pretty sure she would be in the clear soon enough. This was enough to put Inuyasha in a good mood - which made him less likely to snap, bitch, or traumatise patients - making sure that he didn't lose any more money to Miroku, and could afford a coffee for once at lunch (one that basically sedated him to make the day after lunch pleasant too).
The only downside to the day was that the world outside was covered in snow and the roads coated in ice. People kept slipping up and coming into the hospital with broken god knows what and there had already been a few emergency arrivals from car accidents that morning. But THAT wasn't going to put a hold on Inuyasha's spirit.
"Good morning, Kikyo." Inuyasha greeted happily as he reached reception, genuinely glad to see her there for once.
She just glared at him. "Oh right... 'great' morning." She rolled her eyes sarcastically and blew her nose into a tissue.
"What's up with you? Aren't you in the clear?" he asked, tapping his beloved purple pen on his clipboard.
"Not for the cold I ain't." she sniffed through her thoroughly stuffy nose.
"Well seeing as you're back at work - have I got any messages?" I asked as he began scribbling stuff down on his clipboard.
"A few." She held them up to read. "The parking attendant says you have to stop parking in the disabled spot - they don't believe being an asshole is a handicap - you have to park somewhere else."
"Tell them to bite me."
"I did." She sniffed and continued. "Then there's one that came with a letter bomb this morning."
"Sounds interesting. What did it say?"
"'Scixelsyd eht taert'," Kikyo read carefully.
Inuyasha stopped writing and looked up at her, "Do I need my ears syringing?"
"Nope... you just have to read it backwards."
"Oh..." Inuyasha nodded in realisation. "Well tell them to 'em etib' too."
"Then there's this anonymous one... it says they're gonna kill you." Kikyo look up. "A former patient maybe?"
"That would be Sess..." He shrugged indifferently and shoved the prescription papers towards her. "Tell that smoker woman... Mrs... Mrs... whatshername..."
"Gin?"
"Yeah - that's her. Tell her to come see me in the examination room after lunch." Inuyasha leaned against the front desk. "And tell the drinker woman that she has to stay up in the recovery ward until I say so."
"She wants more drink."
"Well don't give it to her!" Inuyasha scoffed. "No point drinking to drown her sorrows... by the looks of things, sorrow knows how to swim."
Kikyo nodded and carried on with her filing.
"Hey... you ok?" he asked over a short pause.
Kikyo looked up suddenly, a small frightened look in her eyes before she covered it with a quick flash of a smile... that lasted a fraction of a second. "Yeah, fine. You're mom's a good doctor. She took good care of me."
"But there's still a chance that the surgery hasn't completely removed the problem." Inuyasha frowned. "You know that right?"
"Of course I know that." she had tried to sound spiteful there. She was a nurse after all, and she knew all about these things. But she'd just come off as sounding worried.
"If you get any more problems don't hesitate to come see me, ok?" he said unusually gently.
Kikyo stared at him a moment before ducking her head away and nodding quickly. She didn't want him to see her blush.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku called as he arrived. "You wanna grab that coffee you've been on about all morning?"
"Ok." Inuyasha grinned. "But after I give Kagome her shot."
Miroku nodded in agreement and followed Inuyasha as he grabbed his black box with the Xycrophobin injections, and headed off towards Kagome's room.
"So where were you last night anyway." Miroku wanted to know as they walked. "You took off all of a sudden."
"Felt sick."
"Wow... and I just saw a pig in the waiting room that had broken it's wing flying into Godzilla."
"I hope it's not one of my patients." Inuyasha ignored his sarcastic jab. "For your information, I really was sick."
"Yeah right... the day you get sick is the day the aliens invade." Miroku smirked. "And how come the nurses came to me and said that one of your patients was missing... Kagome I think it was..."
"Probably ran away again." Inuyasha shrugged. His expression betraying nothing. "But she's back now."
"And so are you." Miroku said evenly without a smile.
Inuyasha flashed him a brief quizzical look before arriving at Kagome's door and pushing it open. "Morning."
"Midday actually." Kagome tapped her watch from where she was sat up in bed (in her hospital gown for once). "What took you so long?"
"Busy." Inuyasha smiled with a shrug and went to stand beside her bed while he prepare the dosage.
Miroku stood back to let them continue.
"Arm." Inuyasha ordered and Kagome stuck it out without question.
"At least you're better than my patient." Miroku commented. "She refuses to take her medicine."
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"She thinks it's been tested on animals." Miroku answered.
Kagome shuddered, half because Inuyasha was rubbing her arm as he administered the drug. "Animal testing is an awful idea... they get all nervous and start giving the wrong answers. Everyone knows that."
Inuyasha laughed and finished up with the syringe. He continued to rub her arm for a few moments before dropping his hand to rest on her thigh. Neither of them seemed to notice the action... but Miroku's smile suddenly disappeared...
"You feeling ok today?" Inuyasha asked, just to check.
"Great. I feel like I could jump off tall buildings and live to tell."
"Great - but don't really try it." He smirked. "Or is parachuting on your list?"
"Nah... I'm never really good at things the first time around... and you know the saying..." Kagome shrugged. "If at first you don't succeed then parachuting really isn't for you."
"You have to act on your dreams before the end of the month - except the ones where you're falling or walking to school naked... they aren't good dreams to act on." Inuyasha told her.
Miroku shifted uneasily by the door as Kagome laughed.
"Oh - by the way - since I'm forecasted to die on the 23rd of December... can I get my Christmas presents early?" Kagome asked sweetly.
"Anything for you." Inuyasha grinned. "I gotta go to lunch now, but I'll be back in a few hours."
"Oh... ok." Kagome looked a little put out, but held a brave smile. "I'll see you later then."
"See ya." Inuyasha waved as he turned and left with Miroku who was remaining deceptively quiet. "What's up with you Miroku?"
"You were flirting." Was the blunt reply.
"Miroku... to you, any form of communication between a male and a female is flirting." Inuyasha snapped, his good mood beginning to evaporate.
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm shocked that you're capable of flirting... it's just... you're doing it with a patient." Miroku said carefully.
"So?" Inuyasha scowled. "It's not against the law. Plenty of doctors and patients date..."
"But she'll be dead in less than two weeks."
It looked like his day was turning into his usual good day that turned bad halfway through. It looked like this was as close as he was ever going to get to a good day.
"That's IF I don't find a cure!" Inuyasha snapped in response.
"And IF you don't?" Miroku stopped and turned to him, forcing Inuyasha to stop as well. "What would you do then?"
"I'd live with it!" he growled back.
"And if she does live? You'll do what? Sure doctors date their patients, but you do know that it's illegal, right?"
"Bite me Miroku."
"Her family won't like it."
"And what about you? You date Sango!"
"What?!" Miroku gaped at him. "How did you know?!"
"Oh for pity's sake..." Inuyasha groaned. "I knew before you did!"
"But this is different! She isn't going to die!"
"But you performed surgery on her - and a relationship could really have impaired your judgement!" Inuyasha berated him. "And you're going on at me for looking at Kagome the wrong way!"
Miroku backed off. "Ok... ok... I guess... it isn't so bad. I don't think it'll effect your judgement in this case... so at least I don't have to report you - er - not that I was ever going to anyway!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"But you have a problem. Your mom has been checking out Xycrophobin for ages and she's found nothing... you have to work on a cure yourself to if you don't want to lose her."
It hit Inuyasha then that it hadn't been striking him recently that Kagome WAS dying. He kept forgetting that important factor when she was so happy, normal and healthy. But that wouldn't last long... and even though he'd been talking about it, treating it and helping Kagome through it... it hadn't really hit him.
Now it had... just like the restraint had clonked the delivery guy on the head... But he tried hard to not let Miroku see that it had.
"I know... I'm going to work on it tonight."
"I hope you find something..." Miroku trailed off as his beeper chirped at his waist. "Oh Sango... um... a patient... needs me."
He beat it hastily, leaving Inuyasha to get his coffee alone. But suddenly he didn't feel like coffee, as he doubted it would calm him for the rest of the day by now.
So he just went back down to reception to get on with patients.
"The smoking guy is in examination room six... your drink patient is in room twelve and Shippo and Mrs Kitsune are in room three..." Kikyo told him as he arrive. He didn't break stride as he passed her and headed for the three rooms.
He arrived at the smoking patient first and immediately began coughing as he walked into a room full of smoke. "What the hell...? Can't you read?! No smoking in the hospital!"
"Shh! I'm on the phone!" the woman hissed.
Not a good way to speak to a ticked off doctor. Before she knew what was happening, the phone was snatched out of her hand, away from her ear, crunched into a flat phone and tossed into the disinfectant bin behind Inuyasha. She gasped and stared at him in shock. "What the hell are you doing!"
"Stopping you from getting brain cancer... and stopping other people who are getting treatment for brain cancer in the other rooms from having their surgery interrupted by the signals from a mobile phone!" Inuyasha snatched the fag out of her mouth and stomped it on the floor. "How stupid are you anyways?!"
"Hey! You can't come in here and talk to me like that! I'm not a nurse you know - I'm a patient! And one who's going to sue if you don't start being a little more well mannered!" the woman shouted.
"You think I care?!" Inuyasha snapped back. "You know smoking is bad for you - just like everyone else. It's your fault if you've been doing it for so long and now you've got chest problems and heart conditions - my bedside fucking manner isn't going to save or kill you now!"
The woman fumed... which was difficult to really see through all the smoke.
"You want me to help you get better?" Inuyasha asked angrily. "Stop smoking! Stop pushing your life over the edge of the cliff deliberately! Stop wasting it while there are hundreds of people out there who wish they had a choice like you!"
"Well that's it! I'm going to the public hospital. If I wanted to get treated like an idiot I would have gone to work. Good bye."
Inuyasha wasn't sorry to see her go. And they both stomped off in different directions - the woman heading for the exit and Inuyasha heading for the drinking woman. He entered the room to see her crying.
"He's left me!" she wailed as he stopped short at the sight of her. "He's left with that twenty year old fake blonde with the tan - he isn't ever coming back!"
"Maybe he ain't coming back because you're an alcoholic." Inuyasha said shortly, and rather unkindly.
The woman burst out into louder tears. Inuyasha remained unmoved.
"You don't know what it's like for us women who get left by their men!"
"Do you know what it's like for us men to be left by our women?" Inuyasha shot back.
"It's the same thing!" she cried hoarsely. "I should just end my miserable existence now!"
"Don't bother..." Inuyasha pulled a face. "You can live for as long as you want, it won't matter in the end. You'll still be dead for the same amount of time."
"What?" She stopped crying to frown at him.
"I ain't a psychiatrist - I don't deal with alcoholics - go talk to someone who cares!" He pointed out the door. "Or better yet - to someone who's having a good day!"
The woman walked out in a huff. But at least she wasn't crying anymore.
When Inuyasha planned on moving onto the next room he suddenly bumped into Miroku. "What?" he barked.
Miroku held up his money filled pen pot with a smirk and jangled the contents loudly. "That'll be two hundred yen, thanks."
"Oh - go and screw a flying pig!" Inuyasha snapped and went on to the third patient. He was on a roll today. Two patients dealt with in two minutes... that had to be some kind of record. (It doesn't matter that they went away uncured and unsatisfied).
But now it was Shippo's turn... and if the brat was back then Inuyasha's mood really couldn't get any better. He shoved the door open and glared at the two people inside. Only when he actually realised what he was seeing did all those violent urges to kill and maim disappear.
Mainly because someone else had already acted those urges upon Shippo it seemed.
"Sorry for troubling you doctor..." Mrs Kitsune clasped one of her sons hands gently... it was obvious that she'd been crying. "But I had no other place to bring him..."
Inuyasha barely heard her speak. He was too busy staring at Shippo. A horrible mangled cut streaked across his brow and it looked like his jaw bone had been crushed on the right. His right arm also looked badly damaged... bloody and bruised.
Shippo didn't say a word... he didn't even raise his gaze from the floor.
^_^
"Hey Kikyo - have you seen a purple pen lying around here anywhere?" Miroku asked hopefully as he reached reception.
Kikyo didn't seem to be answering. She was hovering at the edge of the counter as though ready to take flight, chewing her lip worriedly. Miroku looked around and frowned back at her. "Something up?"
"Mm." Kikyo hummed absently.
"Am I intruding?" Miroku asked. "Cause I'll happily go screw myself if that's ok with you?"
Kikyo didn't answer... mostly because she looked like she was concentrating hard. Now there was something Miroku didn't see every day. "Trying to remember what comes after seven?"
"Eight..."
Miroku had a strange feeling that Kikyo was on another plane of reality. "How's it hanging Kikyo?"
"Low..." she shuffled away from the desk, before seemingly changing her mind and hurrying back before slapping her hands on the counter and looking determined. "This is ridiculous! I have to go tell the medical department!"
"About what?" Miroku called after her as she marched off. "I mean - I swear we didn't PLAN to use those elves in slave labour."
Kikyo didn't pay attention to his joke and hurried on. Forced labour on elves was one thing... but dating a patient was another... she had to do this for Inuyasha's own good, as well as Kagome's.
She thought briefly that she may have only been doing it for her own personal good... but that was unacceptable.
^_^
"How did this happen, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked seriously as she pulled his chair closer to the examination table. He carefully brushed Shippo's hair out of the way to examine the extent of the damage. It should have hurt because the wounds extended above his hairline... but Shippo didn't even wince. Inuyasha glanced slightly accusingly up at Mrs Kitsune instead.
"I..." she struggled to speak normally. "I had no idea... I thought... the nurse... when she said my husband might have... I didn't believe it... and then..."
Inuyasha stared at her, still no less angry. "Are you leaving him?"
The woman nodded without hesitation. "I just worry... being a single parent to an adoptive child... the agency might want him back..."
Inuyasha snorted. "Like that matters right now." He dropped his hands away from Shippo and sighed. "You'll need stitching and I suggest he stays in over night. And he should get a consultation with the PROPER psychiatrist."
"But I thought you were the psychiatrist...?" Mrs Kitsune frowned.
"Uh..." Inuyasha dodged that question... he didn't want to be sued just yet. "Part time..."
There was a knock at the door and it opened without any invitation. Inuyasha turned, about to tell whoever it was to piss off... until he recognised it was Doctor Fei... who looked very solemn indeed. Perhaps she was still annoyed about the whole girl in the flat in the morning thing.
"What is it now?" Inuyasha asked bluntly.
"Step out Inuyasha," his mother beckoned gently.
"I'm in the middle of-"
"It's ok... it'll only take a minute." She said with a false smile.
It worried Inuyasha slightly, but he excused himself anyway and stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He was about to demand what the problem was when he noticed three other medical seniors standing around looking grave with their hands clasped tightly.
The only time four officials ever appeared in one place was at the board meetings... outside board meetings was strange, and it usually spelt trouble (something Kikyo couldn't quite spell ^_^).
"Is this about dropping the anthrax?" Inuyasha asked quickly. "Because if it is - I swear it was only sugar!"
"It's not about that Inuyasha." His mother shook her head slowly.
"We're relieving you of one of your patients." The man behind her stated.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Which one?"
"Kagome Higurashi."
For some reason he felt half thankful. A weight had suddenly been lifted off his conscience. "Why?"
"We heard tell of a little dallying..." the man said again, looking stern. Inuyasha mentally cursed Miroku. "Plus, we all agree that maybe giving you this particular patient was a bit of a mistake... a bit out of your expertise."
"But I'm an expert in all fields." Inuyasha ground out.
"Not in death you are not."
His mother jumped in. "We're giving her to another doctor. He'll take over the search for the cure... it's off your shoulders. You don't have any reason t0 speak with her anymore."
"Is that understood?" the second man raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah..." Inuyasha sighed and looked down. "I was going to come to you anyway and request for another doctor to handle her..."
Doctor Fei's expression softened. "I know it's hard, son... I think this is best."
"I think so too..." he pulled a little frown before looking up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to go back to now."
That was all there was to it. There was no reason he should see Kagome again unless they bumped into each other by chance. But then his mother had to go say the worst possible thing as he started back towards the door.
"Doctor Kouga will be taking over."
Inuyasha nearly put a fist through the door. His mother suddenly remember the not-so-friendly rivalry between the two young doctors and winced. "Sorry..."
Inuyasha clenched his fists and forced himself to remain calm. "S'ok. He can have her... I don't care."
Now if Kouga managed to find a cure after all the sleepless nights Inuyasha had spent awake in the lab trying to find it... Inuyasha might just pull a lemming and jump off the building after all.
He shut the door in a controlled manner, making sure he didn't slam it and alarm the two victims in the room. He smiled tightly as he sat back down on his wheely chair and pulled a tray on a stand forward. He clicked his fingers before Shippo's face to get his attention and pretended to smile comfortingly. "I'm just going to give you local anaesthetic... and then I'll stitch that wound on your head, ok? You'll have to go see Miroku to have your jaw fixed. So don't try and talk between now until after your surgery."
Shippo nodded meekly while Inuyasha set to work, trying very hard not to think about Kagome.
^_^
Kagom e sighed dimly as she leant back to check how even her toe nail polish was. She wrinkled her nose critically and moved onto the other foot. When she was finished she wriggled her toes... or she would have... except she couldn't...
She tried to wiggle them again, but she could only move her foot. It felt like her toes were numb... and when she pinched them she didn't feel much, only a slight whisper of tingles.
There was a knock at the door, diverting her panic momentarily and she looked up with a relieved smile to see Inuyasha had arrived at last. He'd been gone for hours. But her smile abruptly vanished when she saw a dark haired doctor enter instead. He smiled placidly and walked over to stick his hand out.
"Hello Kagome, I'm Doctor Kouga," he smiled as she hesitantly took his hand and shook it.
"Uh... hi...
"I'm your new doctor."
"What happened to Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quickly, almost dropping her polish.
"He's handed you to me for the duration of your illness." He nodded. "I'll be treating you from now on."
Kagome couldn't find the words to describe how she felt. But afterwards, the nurses who attended her could only describe it as 'a careening trip down the hill of health'.
AN: Now what does that mean??? Tune in next month to find out! (actually... I'll probably update sooner than that...)