Crash, Bang, Ting
I walked into her room with a hospital tray in hand. Kagome Higurashi was her name; found out through her mother. She laid motionless on the bed. The poor girl had been in a car crash, sending her into a coma. She was the only survivor of the crash.
I seated myself in a chair next to her bed, placing the tray on my lap. I truly felt sorry for the girl. She was lost in an endless dream, not a soul able to wake her from it. Fed only by someone else, never seeing the sun shine or the friends and family that visited. All she saw was the dream or blackness. I should know; I was once in her position, but not as long as her.
"Hello, Kagome," I greeted. I usually talked to her when I came in to feed or sit with her. Her mother did it with not a hesitation, so I decided to do as well. It recently became a habit. "We have some crackers today. Your mother said you like only the salty kind, so I got some for you."
I never expected an answer. I never needed one. I just knew she could hear me whenever I talked to her. Plus, she was the only who was stay to listen. My parents ignored me to no end and my brother was deaf, and I really didn't wish to have to sign to him for him to understand, since he still didn't have enough experience to read lips. And I rarely saw him, since I worked here all the time.
Kagome was the only one I took care of, so she was technically my life. I would go straight to her room when my shift started. It became a habit, feeding her and talking to her. I even sometimes brushed her hair, since she always had visitors, whether friends or family.
As I fed her, a machine next to me read her heartbeat. I didn't mind the constant sound. It was actually relaxing to me, knowing she was still alive and breaking the silence between us.
Once I was finished feeding her, I picked the book up next to her head and opened it to the page we had left off. The Series of Unfortunate Events, it was called. Once again, her mother told me about it. So, when her mother wasn't around or anyone else and it was only us, I read to her. Slowly and with accuracy. Actually, as I read to her, I slowly became to like the series as well. But, of course, I never would hear a sound from her. Only the machine next to me as I read word for word to her. I knew she was taking it in, all of it.
Halfway through, there was a knock on the door. I turned my head swiftly, placing the cat bookmark in our place. We would continue it later, I decided.
Standing there, with flowers in his hands, was my brother. He placed the flowers at the foot of her bed where a table was placed. The rest of the "Get Well" gifts were there as well. I also took care of those, watering the flowers that came in daily.
He took a glance at the woman I read to. "Is that her?" He signed. I nodded. "So innocent..."
I nodded, looking at her myself. Then I turned to my brother. "So, what brings you here?" I signed.
"Came for my check-up, that's all," he told me. I nodded.
"Mum and Dad coming to get you soon?" I asked. He nodded. "You better get downstairs then. Thanks for the flowers."
He smiled. "Well, you always complained about the chores with the flowers, so I bought one more for you," he signed with a smile. I rolled my eyes.
"Idiot," I signed.
"Ass," he signed back with a wave. He then left us two alone. I turned to Kagome as I placed the book next to her head. Yes, she was innocent.
Another knock was on the door and I turned to see three girls standing, one holding a teddy bear, another a book from the series I read to her, and the last holding a card.
"Hey," one said. I really hadn't gotten their names straight yet, so I just nodded my greeting. "Brought some gifts for Kagome. We'll just placed them here."
They all placed them and each patted Kagome's arm before leaving. I nodded my farewells to them as well. Before I did anything else, Kagome's mother and brother walked in. Sota was his name, and quite an adorable one at that.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, which his mother tsked at. "Any improvement?"
I smiled at the kid. Only in grade 3 and having to deal with his sister's condition. "Well, she's still breathing," I said back.
"She really is a beautiful one, isn't she?" Her mother stated, pulling a chair up on the other side of Kagome. I nodded. We tended to talk to each other. Sometimes, while she retold Kagome's life, she would burst into tears, and I would consolidate her. "She was even more adorable while she was a little girl. Kind of like Sota now."
"Mom!" Sota complained, crossing his arms. He remained at the doorway. "I'm older now. I don't sleep with my thumb in my mouth anymore, if that's what you mean."
"No, I guess not," the woman laughed, but a tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes fell upon Kagome. "She did, though. Until about grade 1. Innocent to no end, her father always said..."
She closed her eyes, choking up on sobs. I nodded my head and stood, walking over to the woman to rub her shoulder. She had been in this situation once before, with Mr. Higurashi. Didn't last, though. They had to take him of the machine, and it killed him.
"Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome will be all right, I promise you this," I said with a rub of her shoulder as she calmed down. She nodded, a hand to her mouth as she stared at Kagome.
"I ran into the doctor on our way here," she sobbed. "He told me he might have to take her off of the machine soon if she doesn't improve or go into surgery. And I don't want either to happen to my daughter... My only daughter..."
Sota had become highly quiet, so I looked at the young boy. His head was bowed, his eyes away from all living beings.
"Sota," I called, fishing in my pockets for some lose change, "there's a vending machine down the hall." I threw him a coin. "Get yourself something to snack on."
The child caught my coin and hurried out of the room, leaving us to be alone. I knelt next to Mrs. Higurashi.
"Listen, she'll improve. I promise. If she doesn't," the woman sobbed at that, "which I highly doubt, I will pursue the doctor to at least postpone it. Kagome will improve. I promise, Mrs. Higurashi."
She nodded. She didn't exactly believe me, but some more confidence was helpful. And I would uphold that promise. Or I would quit. Kagome was my life, so far. If she died, I don't think I could go on... Perhaps I was in love, or just infatuated. Either, I would not let the woman die.
"Excuse me," she said, quickly raising. I did as well. Her head remained bowed. "I need to get Sota back to school."
She hurried out of the room as I glanced at my watch. Yep, it was roughly around time for lunch. I took a glance at Kagome before patting her arm.
"You will get better. I know it," I told her, and, without a hesitation, I kissed her forehead. I then exited the room, going to lunch. Someone else took care of Kagome's lunch.
The next day, a miracle happened. As I was reading to Kagome, a moan was heard. It was slight, but enough for me to be pried from my reading. I looked at the woman, but there was nothing that proved that she had made a sound on her own. I placed the bookmark in and leaned closer to Kagome, droning out the sound of the machine reading her heartbeat. If she could just moan one more time, perhaps I wouldn't think I was going crazy.
But she didn't moan again. Instead, her eyes fluttered open. Big, beautiful, sapphire eyes were shown to me for the first time. I stared into them, keeping a gaze with her. I only hoped her eyes would not close, shielding those treasures again.
She moaned again and I jerked away. I wasn't going crazy! Her eyes closed, though and I quickly stood up.
"No, wait. Open your eyes again. Please!" I begged. Her eyes snapped open, staring into mine. Before I knew it, I had run out of the room, yelling my head off for her doctor, or any for that matter. Many other nurses stared at me, probably wondering if I had gone crazy or not, but I didn't care. One doctor was all I needed.
One finally shown, and it was hers, surprisingly.
"What is all this ruckus about?" He demanded.
"Kagome! She's awoken!" I exclaimed. He looked at me like I was crazy, but followed me to her room. And there, in the middle of the room, sitting straight up, her eyes wide with question. I think he went a little crazy, cheering either in his mind or under his breath as he did little jumps.
"I'll go call her mother. Or, this is great!" He cheered, and hurried out of the room. He quickly returned. "Oh, and stay with her."
He was gone in a flash as I looked at her. She blinked a few times at me, tilting her head ever so slightly.
"Hi, Kagome. I'm Sesshomaru. I've been taking care of you for the last couple of months," I said, pointing to myself. She made no acknowledgement of hearing or understanding me.
"Hi," she finally said. The doctor soon returned with Kagome's mother in front of him. She quickly ran to Kagome's side, tears of joy running down her face. "Mother."
"Oh, Kagome... I am so happy!" She cried, holding Kagome's hand. The girl tilted her head the slightest.
"Where am I?" She asked with such an innocent look. I smiled. I probably looked exactly like that as well. "What happened?"
"Dear, you were in a car crash! You're in the hospital!" Kagome's mother cried. The doctor smiled with me. Kagome looked at me.
"You... You have the voice of the angel," Kagome said. I blush, or think I did. All I felt was heat to my cheeks. "You guided me to health."
"I guess I did..." I laughed nervously as I felt the stares of her mother and doctor on me. How I hated talking in public.
"Mother, he is an angel. Look at his hair. Silver, like angels' wings. And his eyes; amber like the sun," Kagome stated. I blushed even redder as more heat escaped through my cheeks.
"Uh, it's kind of hard to explain, but miss, please... I'm not an angel. It's just the way I like to dress. Amber contacts and dyed my hair accidentally permanent last Halloween silver," I explained. My brother, being like any other brother, had also followed my look. Father inspired me. Mother was actually the only one who looked normal.
She didn't seem to get what I said for she continued to stare at me. The doctor laughed and guided Mrs. Higurashi out to talk, leaving her and me alone. Why the hell did she have to make me feel shy all of a sudden!
"Sesshomaru, right?" She asked, still staring at me. I nodded. "Nice name."
"You have a nice name as well, Kagome," I stated. She smiled and it was brilliant. I smiled back. It was also contagious.
"Please, will you keep in touch when I leave? Without you, I might have been dead," Kagome begged. How could I have refused?
"Sure," I said with a smile, taking a pen and pad of paper out of a pocket of my jeans. "Here's my number. I need to get home, but call me whenever you want to." I placed a sheet of the pad, with the number of my cell on it, on the table with all the gifts. I smiled as I left. My shift was over, but I would still come the next day, even though it was my day off.
In the end, she did call me. And many times at that. Now, we live in a house at the end of town, with three children. Of course, we never did get into another coma, but we still don't know about our children... :)