CHAPTER 05: THE BROTHER (PART I)

TWO YEARS AGO

SEVEN HILLS HOSPITAL

"I asked for a stretcher, dammit! Not a freaking trolley!"

"I am sorry, Dr. Takahashi!"

"Sorry's not gonna cut it...come on! Does my father pay you for lounging about?"

"Alright, Doctor!"

Sesshomaru looked positively livid at the moment, the nurses and the other interns maintaining a healthy radius of safety around him. But the senior-most doctor of the facility and one of the best eye-surgeons in the country was entitled to a bit of tantrums though. Especially when he was never bothered about himself—in his case, the patient always came first.

Today was a little girl, who looked around twelve. She was rescued from a burning house and the fumes had singed her eyes pretty badly. If not treated immediately, she was in the danger of losing her eyesight. He called up the surgeon on duty and almost barked out the orders to get the OT prepared. Operations legally required the signature of a guardian in case of a minor but Sesshomaru had never let tiny matters like illegible scribbles come in his way of saving lives. He was eccentric, but well, he knew his work.

He marched up the stairs, mentally forming a plan as to how to carry out the operation. He tied his long hair into a ponytail, all ready to tuck it under the surgeon's cap when another man with similar white hair almost barrelled into him.

"What the—watch it, Inuyasha! This is not a freaking playground!" Sesshomaru barked again, his dark red eyes narrowed with disdain. Inuyasha skipped out of his reach and continued his mad dash downstairs to God knows where. Sesshomaru sighed...what would he do with his brother?

At thirty-five, Sesshomaru still looked the lady-killer he was thirteen years back. Back when he was still a bachelor, the relationship between the brothers were strained—Sesshomaru hated the fact that Inuyasha seemed more close to their mother while Inuyasha hated it when their parents put up Sesshomaru's achievements on a pedestal and wanted him to follow his older brother's footsteps. Inuyasha might be twenty-five, but he behaved like a spoilt five-year-old child. And the fact that irked Sesshomaru was the thing that Inuyasha knew his job. He scored at the top of his class and was steadily on the path of becoming the best orthopaedic around. He just wished he could get some common sense knocked into his head.

He realised suddenly that his feet had carried him to the OT. He breathed out slowly before opening the door.

Yes, he was ready to win yet another battle.

N.A.Z.R.A.T.H.

"Dr. Takahashi? Inspector Saegusa is here to speak with you."

Sesshomaru gave the secretary a non-committal grunt as he continued with the perusal of the patient's file. The operation had taken a good part of the afternoon but the five hours spent in the OT were fruitful. The girl was on road to recovery.

After reading through the entire file, he allowed a small sigh to escape his lips and called the intercom to let the Inspector in.

Jidan Saegusa was a burly man with a scrunched up face and beady eyes. Sesshomaru disliked the man instantly.

"That burning house was reported to be a result of Yuichiro Miyagi going berserk," said Saegusa calmly, plopping his bulk on the chair across Sesshomaru's desk.

The doctor pressed his fingertips together, his eyes narrowed in deep thought.

"I am afraid I don't see how can I help you with the situation," he said finally.

Saegusa gave a toothy, slightly malicious grin.

"Miyagi wants you to say that the house burnt because of some accident, domestic stuff. Not sabotage," he said, a slimy edge evident in his nasal voice.

"But I cannot help you with that," Sesshomaru reiterated. "I only treated the victim, just like any other patient. My testimony can't even matter."

But he knew Saegusa's thoughts from that smirk on his face. He could feel his hands clam up—oh Gods! If this man was thinking that...

"That girl is an eye-witness. If her testimony stands in court, Miyagi is out for good. Kill her, maim her...I don't know. But ensure she cannot testify."

Sesshomaru was usually a calm man. Unlike his hot-tempered brother, he was usually the voice of reason, the man who thought logically, the man who did not succumb to emotions. But today, he was in the grips of the rare raging fury that threatened to throttle the man sitting opposite him with his bare hands.

How dare he suggest such...such...such insanity?

"And if you refuse to do so," Saegusa continued, apparently enjoying the shaking Sesshomaru's failed attempts to calm his anger. "Your wife and daughter, both are very beautiful, right? And your brother? He seems a nice one to send overseas...what say?"

Sesshomaru finally lost it.

"LEAVE. MY. CABIN. NOW!" He roared.

Saegusa laughed.

"Don't forget doc! Miyagi and I will watch over you!"

N.A.Z.R.A.T.H.

Kagura noticed her husband seemed a bit off at dinner time. When he actually proceeded to add salt into his coffee instead of sugar, she finally decided to get him talking.

"Care to converse?" she asked, placing a hand on his forearm. His eyes softened at the touch as he turned to face her. Kagura was startled to see the emotional turmoil swim in vengeance within those fiery depths.

"Did something bad happen today?" she pressed on, looking at Rin from the corner of the eye. The child was too deep in her imaginary world of teddy bears to pay any attention to her parents' discussion.

She felt him stiffen under her hand and instantly knew that she had hit the nail right on the mark.

"The operation was a tough one," he croaked, suddenly engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. She knew he wasn't telling the whole story but she didn't press for details at the present—he needed her warmth and love at the moment and she was too happy to comply. They stayed like that for some time before he loosed his grip around her, an apologetic smile on his face. Kagura pouted.

"Hey, no need to apologise! It's not like you are hugging the neighbour's wife or something!" she said, punching his shoulder playfully. Sesshomaru gave a sad chuckle, kissing her cheek lightly before getting up from the couch.

"It's already late and we both have work tomorrow," he sighed, as if going to work tomorrow seemed like a pain in the neck. Kagura frowned. Sesshomaru loved his work. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he was obsessed with it. But, maybe it was time they needed a break and had a vacation. She looked at the calender hanging on the wall. Tomorrow was Friday, if they took the day off, they could have an extended weekend. Her mind began to mull over options...how about that beach house of his family's? True it was in need of repair but it was isolated and the beach was spendid. Three people could live there for a couple of days, she mused.

She said the same to Sesshomaru. At first, he looked torn between the prospect of going to work and vacation but Rin, who snapped out of her sleepy daze on the mention of "beach" and "vacation" in the same sentence, managed to win him over by the most adorable set of puppy-eyes.

He sighed, finally relenting. Rin danced a victory jig, delighted at the idea of missing school for an unexpected vacation while Kagura gave an understanding smile, glad to see her husband's face light up for the first time that evening.

N.A.Z.R.A.T.H.

A/N: I know the chapter is short but it's a two part thing and I promise the second part will come up within this week. Exams are just round the corner and my Post-grad entrance exams are literally dancing a jig on my poor head...cut the poor girl some slack...ne?

And I am on DeviantArt! My ID's NazrathFFN...though I am still in the process of setting up my profile, you guys can take a peek on the couple of stories I have posted (some are fanfics, some are original) and leave comments as to how you think they are. I will be waiting!.

And again, love you guys for supporting and staying faithful to "ONE SMALL STEP". It means a lot when I see the alert of someone reviewing my story...seriously flips up my frown.

The next chappie promises more of SessXInu brotherly fluff and some new sides to the story known till now.

Till next time, folks!

Anime Daisuki!