InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 72 Hours ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

72 Hours
By: DarkCrystalis

Disclaimer: I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with.

XxXx

Chapter Three

Day One-
Second Half (Continued)

When she came downstairs about half an hour later, Kagome looked like a mess.

Her eyes were rimmed with dark red circles, proof of her earlier tears. Her normally black, raven hair looked less shiny and alive, missing its regular gloss. Kagome's face looked deathly pale, missing the golden vitality it normally held. No smirk or smile adorned her lips, instead leaving a gravely serious frown in its wake.

Holding out her arms to him, he ran to her side and pulled her against his chest in a tight embrace. He could feel her crying quietly once again, but decided not to say anything about it.

After she pulled away, Kagome meekly rubbed the wetness from her eyes.

Forcing a smile, Kagome grabbed the phone book from underneath the table near the phone.

“I'd better call them, and ask for a funeral service…I'd like to go tomorrow, actually…” Stopping mid sentence, she began searching while Inuyasha stood watching her, awestruck.

Her mother had just died, and she was already making funeral plans?

Kagome's voice floated through his thoughts, her voice surprisingly calm as she spoke into the receiver.

“Yes, she's upstairs in her bedroom…no, I haven't moved her anywhere, and don't plan on doing so. I don't know how long it's been—a few hours, maybe? I just want a simple service, no pictures or a huge gathering of people; there'll only be two of us there.”

Pausing, she bit her lip when she was asked for a date, and continued.

“Tomorrow, if possible. I know it's rather sudden, but I'd like to get this done as soon as possible. I don't want to plan anything, or have anything fancy; make everything as cheap as it can be, no extras. Right—well, of course. 23 Cougar street, near Lamnon and Germind. Great, so you'll come by in an hour? Thank you, so much; it means a lot. Goodbye! ”

Hanging up the phone, Kagome smiled weakly.

“They'll be by in an hour, the woman told me. Isn't that convenient?”

Staring at her as if she'd lost her mind, Inuyasha approached her cautiously.

“Kagome, you should still be taking it easy…”

Shaking her head, she put on her best smile.

“No, I'd like this done right away—I don't want to wait.”

As if you have a choice about waiting—you'll be dead soon, too! In fact, you should ask them to pick youup in three days, too.Maybe they'll give you a discount—a two in one deal!

Rolling her eyes at her thoughts, Kagome patted Inuyasha on the shoulder again in reassurance.

“I'm just fine, really…” Feeling tears well up in her eyes once more, Kagome strongly fought them off, determined not to cry in front of him again.

After a deep sigh, Kagome wiped off the fake smile from her face.

“Okay, so maybe I'm not…but I will be, eventually.”

Hugging her again, Inuyasha made circles on her back with the palms of his hands. He would be there for her through this, especially since no one else was.

XxXx

An hour came and went, the funeral employees taking away Kaede's body as quickly as possible.

Kagome cried again when they carried her second mother's lifeless form and placed her in a body bag, looking away when a sudden sick feeling rocked her body. Silently, she thanked god that she hadn't seen this happen with her original mother fifteen years ago.

Turning to the side of the house, Kagome puked up her uneasiness in their green lawn. Her body shook with anxiousness, the shudders wrapping themselves around her.

Inuyasha hugged her after the people had left, doing his best to keep her calm. Words were not going to comfort her at this point in time, so he kept his loose hold on her shaking body.

When she was ready to go back inside, stomach probably empty, Kagome collapsed on the couch and closed her eyes. Uncaring of whether Inuyasha was there or not, she cried harder, hating her weakness.

The tears fell steadily as her throat and nasal passage filled up with phlegm. Coughing, she did her best to clear her throat, and reached for a tissue to empty her watery nose. As she extended her hand, she rocked her body forwards, in an effort to grasp the box. However, she found herself toppling to the floor instead.

Sobbing even more into the carpet, Kagome cursed her weakness. She couldn't have hated herself anymore, even if she'd wanted to.

“This is so pointless—I might as well die today, instead. Who do I have to live for now?” Mumbling the words into the floor, she sniffled.

You're worthless, which is why you're dying in the first place. Don't worry, it'll all be over soon, I promise.

Inuyasha could hear her talking, but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

“You were right,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut even more tightly. “I'm worthless, and don't deserve to live.”

He managed to catch those lines, which was why she was immediately pulled from off the floor.

“Don't you dare talk like that—you are not worthless!” Hating her sudden self-disgust, Inuyasha gripped her shoulders tighter.

“You're not worthless to me—you mean something to me, damnit!”

Crushing his lips against hers, Inuyasha was unprepared for her reaction. At first, he'd expected her to push him away with hatred. Instead, her mouth opened wider, allowing him dominance.

“Inuyasha,” she moaned into his lips, feeling her legs weaken.

A bolt of shock ran through their bodies, strong and pulsing. Their meeting lips tingled with anticipation, wanting to do so much more than just kiss.

However, now was definitely not the appropriate time for that, and the last thing Inuyasha needed was having Kagome regret a choice made in the heat of the moment.

Gently laying her on the couch, he stroked his free hand through her hair, while the other held her body against him.

“Did that feel useless and pointless to you?”

A quiet “No” pierced through the silence, making him smile slightly.

“Good; it wasn't supposed to.”

Exhaustion overwhelmed them, their bodies suddenly very, very tired from all the stress which was pent up inside them. Kagome was tired more so than Inuyasha, but it didn't really matter at that point.

Closing her eyes, Kagome mumbled “I'm so tired—let me sleep, just for a little while…” into his chest, before passing out.

XxXx

Time flew by as the two slept peacefully in the safety of Kagome's home, neither one wanting to leave the other's side.

As Kagome woke, she was disappointed to see that Inuyasha was no longer beside her. However, when the strong scent of food cooking in the kitchen wafted to her nose, her mouth watered.

When was the last time I ate something? At 6:00 a.m.?

It was already past 2:00 p.m. now, meaning she hadn't eaten in over seven hours.

“Inu—yasha?” Kagome called weakly, hoping he'd respond.

He walked over to her from inside the kitchen, a pink apron hanging around his neck, and tied into a neat bow at the back.

Giggling at his appearance, Kagome lifted a hand to her mouth to hide the smile.

“What? Am I suddenly not manly enough for you now?” Flipping his hair, Inuyasha made a “cha!” noise, making her laugh.

“If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to act like a gay man. Or perhaps there's something you haven't told me?”

Assessing the sparkle in her eyes, Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders in defiance.

“Last I checked, straight men don't passionately kiss women.”

Blushing at the vivid memory, Kagome pulled herself from off the couch.

“What are you cooking? It smells really good; or maybe I'm just really hungry?”

Poking him with her index finger, she inspected the food in the pot. Spaghetti sauce with chunks of beef was in one pot, alongside water boiling in a second pot, with a pack of noodles on the counter.

It looked quite delicious, actually.

Listening to the rumbling of her stomach, Kagome made a face.

“I guess I'm hungrier than I'd thought,” she mumbled.

Beaming, Inuyasha replied. “Oh good—I was afraid for a moment that you don't eat spaghetti.”

Shaking her head, Kagome watched as he emptied the pack of spaghetti noodles into the second boiling pot of water.

“It's almost done,” he announced.

“Well, aren't you the smart one?”

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

“Kagome?”

After a brief pause, she replied, “Yeah?”

“What's the real reason behind your wanting to have the funeral tomorrow? I don't buy your other story.”

For the first time she hadn't lied about wanting to get it over with, and he questioned her honesty!

“No, really! I want to get it done…I hate this sort of stuff. Putting it off makes me feel worse and worse with each passing moment.”

Her eyes watered, but she quickly squashed the idea of crying.

Aren't I out of tears yet?

Nodding solemnly, Inuyasha thought it'd be best not to press the issue anymore.

Soon enough, Inuyasha was serving her a bowl of spaghetti with just the right amount of parmesan sprinkled on top.

They sat at the table and ate in silence, both afraid to speak.

When she'd finished, Kagome broke the uneasy tension between them.

“Thank you for cooking dinner—it was wonderful!” Then, as an afterthought, “I wish I could cook like that!”

He laughed a little, bowing his head in reply.

“I try my best; especially around you.”

Kagome found herself blushing again, and couldn't keep it from appearing on her face.

“I—ah…Well…”

Inuyasha leant over from in the chair beside her, lightly pressing his lips over hers to keep her quiet.

“Don't talk, or you'll ruin the moment.”

Smiling against his lips, Kagome gave into the temptation to close her eyes.

Ever since she'd started talking to Inuyasha that morning, she'd felt so much more alive, as if her life truly had a meaning behind it. Her body didn't hurt as much anymore, and she found his calming aura addictive.

It's only temporary—he isn't going to save you from your destined fate.

Ignoring the voice again, she found herself giving into Inuyasha's kisses and embraces.

Maybe he feels the same about me, too.

XxXx

For the rest of the night, the two stayed up watching movies Kagome owned at home.

The first movie on the line-up was Sleepy Hollow, which made Kagome nervous. She'd seen the movie years back, and remembered being terrified of it. However, this time, Inuyasha was there to hold her hand, and cover her eyes during the scary parts.

When the horror flick finally finished, Kagome was filled with a sense of emptiness. The movie had disturbed her last time she'd seen it, and she felt just as disturbed now as she did then.

Needing a distraction to those depressing thoughts, Kagome begged him to watch a chick flick. The first movie that came to mind was “10 Things I Hate About You”, which made Inuyasha cringe. He wasn't much of a feminine-male, so he'd never really been into these romance/humour movies.

However, after much pleading and promising of a sweet kiss afterwards, he had to give in. Besides, the way her eyes sparkled with delight once he'd okayed it was enough reason to sit through the next hour and a half of torture.

In all actuality, the movie wasn't as bad as he'd thought it'd be. It wasn't superbly romantic, which was what he'd first expected, and there were some parts where he almost laughed; but he'd never let Kagome know that.

After the third movie started, Kagome did her best to stay awake.

Despite her overwhelming happiness to be with Inuyasha, her body defied her. It constantly screamed “Sleep!” in her ear, eventually using more soothing tones to allow her eyes to droop closed.

Turning her face into his chest, Kagome sighed deeply.

“Tired…” she whispered, closing her eyes.

“I know, sleep.”

Inuyasha lay beside her, adjusting the hold he had around her body while she lay against him on the couch.

It was only past 6:00 p.m.; why was she so tired? Had they done anything to really tire her out?

This couldn't be normal behaviour, no matter what argument she tried to throw at him.

However, before she would tell him what was truly wrong with her, she'd have to fully trust him.

She has to know that I'll never leave her, no matter what.

With that thought in mind, he became even more determined to unravel the mystery known as Kagome Higurashi; and unconsciously, the unknown feelings his heart was harbouring.

XxXx

Day Two-
First Half

Feeling his cell phone ring, Inuyasha reluctantly answered it, fumbling in the darkness.

Unhappily, he realized it was his secretary.

“What?! Why is he calling you at…” Pausing to check the time, he continued. “At 4:33 a.m.? I'm not available for all-hours! If it's an emergency, then he doesn't need to speak with me—it should be with a hospital!”

Apparently, one of Inuyasha's delusional patients had called Kikyou, his secretary, minutes beforehand, demanding to have a session with Inuyasha in his office.

“But Inuyasha,” Kikyou's voice floated through the phone and into his ear, “He's threatening to kill himself.”

Feeling his face fall, Inuyasha silently hated his job. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Kagome's side now; she needed him, and probably a lot more than one of his patients.

Not realizing he was holding his breath, Inuyasha forced himself to breathe.

“Alright, Kikyou. Tell him I'll be at my office in fifteen minutes, and that if he doesn't show up, I'll withdraw him from our records.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hanging up the phone, Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a frown marring his face.

“I don't want to leave you—but I have to,” he whispered in her ear.

Pressing his lips to hers briefly, Inuyasha attempted to pull his body away from hers.

At first, she gripped her hands tighter on his shirt, not wanting to let go.

However, after somehow managing to grab his sweater from on the couch's armrest, Inuyasha removed her hands from his chest. Placing it in her hands, he watched as she held the material and buried her face into it, inhaling his scent.

Thank god she's still asleep.

Gently rolling off the couch onto his two feet, Inuyasha blindly groped for the pen he knew was on the coffee table from earlier.

Yanking out a wrinkled piece of paper from in his pocket, he quickly jotted down what he needed to say.

Kagome,

Sorry for leaving you in the middle of the night, but one of my patients needs me. I'll be back right after; I'm not leaving you, I promise.

-Inuyasha

Choosing his words carefully, such as “I'm not leaving you, I promise”, he exited her home, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Jumping into his car, he drove off, heading back to his office.

XxXx

“Mommy, tell me you won't leave me; I don't want you to.”

“I'll never leave you, baby. I might not be there with you, but I promise I'll never leave you.”

“Baby, I'm so tired—let me sleep, just for a little while…”

“No 230;no, no, no! Mommy! Please, mommy! Youpromised me you wouldn't leave me! Youpromised, mommy!”

XxXx

“Kago me, you've got AIDS, and you're going to die within the next 72 hours.”

It…it hurts…so much…to breathe…

XxXx

“Baba-chan !”

No response.

“This…this is impossible…”

“No̷ 0;no, she's not dead—she's alive, just like me.”

Tears seeped out from her tightly closed eyes, unconsciously tuning out the world around her.

“Don't leave me like mommy did,” Kagome whispered, holding the woman in her arms with conviction.

“No, no, no…”

XxXx

Waking up in a pool of sweat, Kagome's heart pounded strongly against her chest, as if trying to free itself from her body.

Flashbacks of ugly memories hit her like a tidal wave, completely overwhelming her broken emotions.

Kagome sobbed, the sound making anyone want to cry along with her.

During her breakdown, she didn't notice Inuyasha's form which was now absent from her side, or the note he left her on the coffee table.

Rolling onto her stomach, she allowed the sobs to reign her weak body.

When will this stop? When will these memories leave me alone?

Not wanting to hear the answer, but knowing she would, Kagome cried harder.

Once you die, you will lose everything—I promise.

Yanking the pillow out from under her head, Kagome flung it against the wall.

“I hate you!” She screamed, pounding the couch beneath her.

Oh well—I don't remember telling you I liked you in the first place.

Kagome continued thrashing on the couch, as if it were the person tormenting her almost every waking moment.

Her arms hurt, her legs hurt, her chest burned, and suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

Ah yes, you're suffering, but I promise you that you won't die yet. Feel the burning pain—accept it, wallow in it. Doesn't it feel nice, knowing that it'll all end soon?

Tears streaming down her face, Kagome dropped her arms, tilting her head to the ceiling.

“Why did you leave me? Why? I loved you, I needed you—and you left me! You promised me, swore you would never leave me, and yet, you did…”

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes snapped open, remembering what her mother said.

“I'll never leave you, baby. I might not be there with you, but I promise I'll never leave you.”

Wait a minute…

“She didn't leave me…she…she…”

Pausing, Kagome smiled the biggest smile she could manage.

“She knew she was dying, and even though I can't see her right now, she's here for me! That's what she meant! She might not be here physically, but she's watching me; she's still loving me…”

For some odd reason, Kagome got the feeling that the voice was scowling at her, but then it spoke.

Your mother loved you no more than she'd love the dirt under her feet. Don't think so foolishly—it's a waste of your minimal energy.

Smiling even brighter, Kagome lay down and closed her eyes, finally understanding.

“She loves me…she always has…”

With that thought, Kagome fell asleep once more, her energy drained.

XxXx

Inuyasha sighed, listening to his patient ramble about having some sort of vision.

“It's a prophecy,” Naraku told Inuyasha, staring at him with utter seriousness. “If I don't kill myself, they will get me!”

After a moment's pause, he continued. “See? I came prepared to kill myself with this switchblade! It's so shiny and pretty—I just bought it yesterday. Isn't it nice?”

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Inuyasha's patient is schizophrenic.

Furrowing his eyebrow, Inuyasha stared into the frightened man's eyes. “Do you trust me?”

Naraku looked at him as if he had two chickens on his head, but after a moment, replied with “I think so.”

“Good. Now, no one is out to get you. Do you know how I know this?”

Naraku shook his head, leaning unconsciously closer in curiosity.

“Because if anyone goes after you, I'm going to kick their ass. Do you know why I'd do that, Naraku?”

Once again, he shook his head, slightly surprised at the vocabulary he had just used.

“Because you and many others pay me a lot of money during these sessions, and the money I receive is what pays my bills for my food, home, and entertainment. Without this money, I'd be on the street.”

Naraku's eyes widened, not expecting this sort of response from his Psychologist—of all people.

“Now, if it makes you feel any better, I'll hire a bodyguard for you. He'll sit in your house, outside your bedroom window, and protect you. Is that what you want for a week? Will it make you feel more safe?”

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Inuyasha smiled slightly when his patient seemed a million times more relieved.

“Go home and get some sleep; the bodyguard will be there in a few hours. Until then, I promise you'll be safe.”

Shaking Inuyasha's hand, Naraku was almost tempted to hug him.

“Thank you so much, thank you!”

Pulling the switchblade back out of his pocket, Naraku began to play with between his fingers.

A cold look suddenly entered his eyes, a disturbing gleam replacing his previous thanks.

“Inuyasha—what would you do if I stabbed you with my pretty, shiny, expensive switchblade?”

Turning around calmly, he glared at his patient.

“I'd kick your ass,” Inuyasha stated seriously.

“Oh, just checking.” Grinning happily once again, Naraku was about to leave when Inuyasha's voice pierced through the air.

“Oh, and Naraku? Do me a favour; take your meds tonight.”

XxXx

After having slept for a few more hours, Kagome roused herself from the couch.

Yawning, she sighed at the sudden feeling of being freed from chains.

The realization that her mother didn't leave her made Kagome feel more alive than she'd ever been—aside from when she was with Inuyasha.

Speaking of the devil, where is he?

Craning her neck around the room, Kagome didn't see him anywhere.

“Inuyasha!” She yelled, knowing he'd head her if he was upstairs.

He's not here—he's left you, too.

About to stretch her arms, Kagome noticed something fall out of her lap.

It was a dark green sweater, slightly crumpled from being held unconsciously in her hands.

It's Inuyasha's!

Grinning, she brought it up to her face to smell.

Nearly moaning at the arousing yet calming scent, Kagome folded it neatly and put it back on the armrest.

Get over it—I told you he's gone already! He leftyou!

Leaning forwards, she reached for the glass of water she'd left on the coffee table last night. However, a small piece of wrinkled paper caught her attention, making her leave the glass where it was.

Reading it, her eyes widened, seeing that it was from Inuyasha.

“So that's where he's run off to…but he'll be back! He's promised to come back!” Kagome stated gaily, defying the voice in her head.

No he won't.

Laughing, Kagome merely shook her head.

“You try too hard to depress me—I should ignore you from now on.

Damnit.

Skipping over to the kitchen, Kagome picked up a banana from in the fruit bowl, suddenly feeling the urge for a snack.

Unpeeling it, she ate it rather quickly, while filling a new glass with some orange juice.

Scrunching her nose, Kagome noticed with disgust that it'd been ages since she'd last showered.

I wonder how Inuyasha's dealt with my stench for the past couple days—it's so gross!

He hasn't dealt with it—he's cursing you foryourstinky body every moment of his waking!

That's possible—but at least he's too nice to say anything about it!

Hmph.

Grinning, Kagome walked gingerly up the stairs, being sure not to tire herself out this time.

Once in her room, she rummaged around for some clean clothes. Finding what she wanted, Kagome moved to the bathroom, dropping the clothes on the floor.

Making sure there was a clean towel for afterwards, she stepped in behind the shower curtain once free of clothes, and turned on the dial.

Water shot out of the showerhead, spraying her body lovingly.

Enjoy the feelingwhile it lasts, wench.

Humming as loudly as she could, Kagome began to massage her scalp with a handful of shampoo. It was floral scented, which made her giggle.

I bet Inuyasha will justdie when he has to put up with the smell!

Her smile faded when the annoying voice countered her original thought.

I bet you'll just diewhenyour body fails to fight the cold it currently has, due to not having any T-cells.

Shivering, Kagome decided it was probably best to get out of the shower as soon as possible.

As she reached for the bar of soap, her footing slipped from underneath her, knocking her down onto the tub's hard bottom.

“Oh…shit…help…” she was able to cry before blacking out.

XxXx