Back To Life

Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait- starting a second job and planning a wedding (OMG!). Anyway, this will be the last chapter for this story as it's intended to be only a two-shot. Thank you so much for the reviews, it really makes me feel encouraged! I'm new to writing so i an open to all feedback!

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Chapter 2

The morning whizzed by in a blur of nurses, forms, room changes, and tests. Rin had blood drawn, was asked for her medical history yet again, and barely got a chance to use the restroom through it all. Her heart painfully constricted all morning, clearly responding to her stress level.

She had never felt so anxious before. Rin prided herself on her inner strength- growing up bouncing from foster to foster will surely toughen a girl up. She had experienced more of the good, the bad, and the ugly than most teenagers. More recently, she had turned 18... something she thought she was ready for. Her birthday came and went and Rin found herself truly on her own for the first time.

None of her school friends knew she was homeless now... had been for about two weeks. She didn't know how to tell them, to be honest. She felt so embarrassed about the unrelenting catastrophe that had been her existence so far.

First thing she was going to do when she got out of this hospital –if she got out of this hospital- was find a job, then an apartment. She used to have a part-time gig as a barista, but Rin had showed up late one too many times and got the boot. The girl definitely had had a rough go at finding her niche in life. Her friends often spoke about university, and what their big plans were after high school. Rin always fell silent during those conversations, totally unsure what she would be doing. She had taken a painting course in high school and found that activity to be incredibly therapeutic. Her teachers even told her she had an eye for color. But, university? That seemed completely out of the realm of possibility for the homeless, now critically injured, Rin.

As she laid in wait in her hospital bed staring up at the blank white ceiling, she considered Doctor Taishou. He had everything figured out in life, didn't he? So strong, so smart (clearly), and so sure of himself. Rin had felt an unwavering sense of safety in his presence, even if it had only been for a few minutes. She remembered her comment to him about getting breakfast together.

'Geez, Rin! Could you think of anything more lame? Of course he isn't going to eat with you... or go on a date as he put it,' The thought made her face burn up.

She almost laughed to herself at the thought of them on a breakfast date. Her, in her ridiculous hospital gown, bandaged wounds, black eye and broken heart. And him, in his scrubs, crisp lab coat, perfectly brushed and styled hair, golden irises swirling as they looked lovingly into hers, not a scratch or blemish to his milky smooth skin, beautifully muscular neck...

'Erm, what was I thinking about again...?' The teen thought to herself, scratching her head innocently. Apparently, her hormones were raging today.

She had her arm draped lazily over her stomach, fingers drumming impatiently as she stared at the clock. It was just about time.

Her door clicked open, and in strode Sesshomaru. She couldn't help but think he really did look like an angel.

'Perhaps he's my angel of death,' The teen thought darkly to herself, thinking again about the 'risks' of her upcoming surgery. Her heart twisted aggressively.

'No! I have not endured everything I have just to wind up dying at 18 years old alone in a hospital bed! I will get out of here and start my life. My REAL life.'

"Rin-san. Are you ready?" He asked her. He let his eyes roam over her figure briefly, noting she seemed better today. He could tell even with her hospital gown on that she had a very small frame, clearly quite short at well. He wondered to himself if she had any curves at all, then realized how totally inappropriate it was to be thinking such things about his patient. Not to mention out of character for one such as him.

The nurses had clearly helped her bathe. Without the blood and grime, the doctor could see she had beautiful skin, small plump pink lips, and soft black hair. Today a part of her hair was tied up in a quirky side pony-tail. It seemed immature for an 18-year-old, but something about her innocent sense of style seemed fitting to him.

"Yeah," The girl said, now looking down at her hands. He could see she was nervous.

"This is the right thing to do. I am the head of this department, and I have done this type of procedure many times. Trust me, it will be alright," He almost couldn't believe he was comforting her like this. What was this tiny woman doing to him?

Rin's good eye met his. The eye was glazed over in unshed tears. She was terribly frightened, and had no one here to support her through this process. She could have invited her friends but being the independent girl she was, Rin hated to cause others trouble. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Now, she couldn't help but think that was a huge mistake. She wanted her friends here with her... the only real family she had ever known. Rin just wanted someone.

"You promise?" She asked, almost at a whisper. Sesshomaru regarded her quietly for a moment.

"I promise," He stated. How could he not?

She flashed him a smile that made his heart flutter. As nurses entered the room, they began wheeling her cart away.

The team headed down the long hallways towards the OR. Rin lied on her back, watching the long rectangular florescent lights fly by on the ceiling.

She glanced back and saw Doctor Taishou's upside-down face. He stared straight ahead as they walked. She smiled to herself- it would seem she did have someone routing for her after all. She couldn't help but notice the way her heart seemed to stop hurting whenever she looked at him. It was as if just his being could heal her.

He stole a glance at her and noticed she was staring back at him with an adoring gaze. He tried not to let his pride swell too much. In fact, he should not feel proud at all at the moment.

What was he thinking, making a promise like that?

The first rule of surgery; NEVER promise anything. How completely unprofessional. He inwardly kicked himself. He was never one to act so foolishly. But when the girl, Rin, had looked into his eyes with such lonely desperation he found he could not overcome the desire to make her feel safe. He wanted to give her security.

They entered the OR and Sesshomaru broke off from the group to scrub in. He placed a mask over his nose and mouth, and washed his hands as he had done a million times before. A nurse slipped rubber gloves over his hands after patting them dry. As she did so, he watched through the glass window as his team hooked up the monitors and adjusted the lighting around Rin's tiny frame. The raven haired girl looked nervous.

He pushed the door open with the back of his shoulder and strode toward her operating table. Rin gave him a little smile that was clearly fake.

"It's time for the anesthesia, Rin-san," He told her. She gulped and nodded.

He sent a look to the anesthesiologist, who began getting everything he needed ready to sedate the patient.

Rin had a burst of adrenalin, and realized since she may die here, what the hell?

"Sesshomaru-san?" The girl asked quietly. It was unusual for a patient to call him by his first name but he did not feel the need to correct her.

"Hm?"

"Y-you said you wouldn't go on a date with a patient..."

He stared at her blankly.

"When this is over... I won't be your patient anymore. Let's get dinner sometime!" She beemed up at him with a smile that could win awards, small tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as she did.

Sesshomaru gasped behind his mask. He stared down at her with wide eyes. The nurses and doctors all exchanged glances, none having known the infamous Doctor Taishou to show any romantic interest in anyone or anything ever- especially not a patient. Especially not a teenage patient he was about to perform open-heart surgery on.

Sessomaru wasn't stupid- far from it. He could tell this was the girl's 'hail mary'. She clearly didn't think she was coming out of this alive.

"Don't say such silly things," He told her. She noticed small creases forming around his eyes as he said it, hinting that he was smiling behind his mask. She decided she definitely could not die until she saw that smile.

The anesthesiologist injected the sleeping liquid into her IV, and the girl quickly lost consciousness.

"Alright. Scalpel #20, please... Let's open her up."

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Several hours later and Sesshomaru was wrist deep inside Rin's open chest cavity. Her ribs had been cracked to allow him access to her heart. She was flayed open in front of him, not unlike his office display cadaver. He found himself suddenly wondering about the person inside that display case.

The doctor stitched the walls of her heart together carefully, trained hands knowing exactly what to do without him really needed to think about it. So far things were going smoothly, but with heart surgery there was no way of knowing how it could turn out until the patient woke up. Even then, there was infection and re-tearing to worry about.

When the last stitched was in place, Sesshomaru let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Heart rate," He said.

"BPM 79, sir!" Someone chirped.

"Blood pressure is 101 over 70!" Another chimed in.

'Good,' Sesshomaru thought to himself, 'She's doing good.'

"Let's close her up, then," He said.

Once Rin's body parts were in place to Sesshomaru's satisfaction, they began the process of glueing her up, from the top of chest to below her sternum. As the wound was almost shut, and frantic beeping noise rang out from her heart monitor.

"BPM 135! Something's happened!" A nurse shouted.

"Shit!" Sesshomaru cursed under his breath. Rin was convulsing on the table, drool dripping from her mouth under her breathing mask.

"BPM is dropping! We're losing her!" The same nurse called, fear evident in her voice.

Sesshomaru knew there was no time to re-open the girl. He pushed aside an intern who was doing a piss-poor job at chest compressions and began them himself.

"Come on," He muttered desperately under his breath, "Come on!"

Beep... beep... beep

Rin's heart was slowing down, her face grew grossly pale. Her jaw was slacked up.

Within a few moments, the monitor let out its long, sad wail. The dreaded prolonged 'beep' that meant the fight was over. Rin's heart had stopped... she was dead.

Before he knew what he had done, Sesshomaru found his arm was nearly elbow deep inside of her.

He had shoved his hand in through the opening under her ribs.

The nurses and doctors all slowly stepped away from the table, mouths agape behind their masks. What on earth was Doctor Taishou doing?

Blood gushed around his hand inside of her. He felt for the hole, desperately trying to close it with his finger.

"Rin... please," He said to her, looking down at her sleeping face, "you know, I was starting to look forward to our date."

He squeezed her heart several times, trying to get the blood moving again. There was no telling if this would work. Honestly, it was madness to try.

Beep... beep... beep... beep... beep

Like a miracle, Rin's heart-beat steadily increased as Sesshomaru physically pumped it for her while blocking the little hole with his forefinger. The tiny organ fit perfectly in his hand as if it belonged to him... as if it were made for him. He stared unblinkingly up at the monitor, face set in stone as he waited for the girl to stabilize.

Finally, he glanced around the room at his shell-shocked subordinates.

"Well? Do I have to do everything around here myself? Open her up!" He demanded.

A young man quickly shook his head in disbelief and stepped up to the plate, re-opening the glued chest wound.

"My God," The man said almost to himself, "I think you just brought this girl back from the dead, Doctor Taishou."

Once opened, Sesshomaru got back to work repairing the tear that had re-opened. He hoped no one noticed his shaking hands or the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow.

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Rin's eyes opened slowly, again blinded by bright florescent lighting. How familiar.

She felt terribly groggy. Her room was empty, as she expected it would be.

Rin sat up. Sunlight streamed through the window. A vase of flowers sat peacefully on a table to her left, along with a glass of water and some graham crackers.

At the sight, her stomach made an angry gurgling sound. She was starving!

"Don't move too much," A deep voice rumbled on her right. She swiveled her head around to see Doctor Taishou standing in the doorway.

Rin looked back at the flowers and to him again.

"Are these... from you?"

"Hnn."

She took that for a yes and smiled sweetly. Sesshomaru noted the way the warm sunlight shimmered off her tousled hair and glittered in her eyes. Yes, eyes! The second one was beginning to open, though still swollen. Two gorgeous black irises. So deep, you could get lost in them and so dark you might never find your way out.

The girl's face suddenly paled.

"This is Heaven, isn't it?" She said.

The doctor stifled a chuckle. Laughing really was not in his nature, but the girl's reaction to him giving her flowers was quite funny.

"No. Is it not customary to bring flowers to the woman you are taking on a date?"

Rin's face burned like fire. Sesshomaru found he quite enjoyed the way she blushed from her cheek bones all the way down her neck.

'That means her heart is doing well,' He noted. Blood was clearly circulating properly.

He found himself exited at the prospect of making her blush more often.

The end!

BTW I'm not a medical professional, so if there's anything in here that really makes no sense please forgive me!

I was debating going into the details of their first date but you know what? Some stories are better if you leave those parts unsaid. I'm sure it was magical AF.

-InuColey