The Sickness by Trouble In Shangri-La

Chapter One

Another little one-shot that came to mind.

Warning: Some gore that might bother squeamish people.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin's tummy hurts," said a small, plaintive voice.

Sesshoumaru's low tone replied, "Perhaps you should not have eaten those

unripe berries, then."

They continued walking, Ah-Un's claws thudding on the dirt path.

"Where did Master Jaken go?"

"I sent him to attend my affairs at home."

Rin nodded once, laid across Ah-Un's saddle and tried to ignore the

cramping pain twining her stomach into knots. Sesshoumaru noticed the little

girl's discomfort. Unconsciously, he slowed his pace to keep a closer eye

on her. As long as he knew the girl, she had never been this un-energetic.

"Rin."

She looked up into his beautiful golden eyes. "Yes, my Lord?"

"How long have you had this pain?" and, as an afterthought, he tacked

on, "I am...curious."

"Rin's tummy started hurting right after Rin took a bath." The little

girl winced. "It didn't hurt a lot so Rin didn't say anything. Rin feels

sick now."

Sesshoumaru settled a graceful hand across his Rin's forehead. He then

touched his own. Her raised body heat clung to his palm, telling him she

did indeed have a fever. Leaning over, he sniffed once, seeking out any

infected wounds that may have escaped his notice.

Nothing. She smelled of wildflowers and grass.

"I don't know what ails you, Rin. This does not follow the typical illnesses

you humans fall under every year." Sesshoumaru turned his head, his long

hair swishing like satin. "Perhaps that odd human wench of the future can

help."

The demon lord hated lowering himself to ask for human aid. But

he couldn't bear the pain in the Rin's eyes. Something was seriously wrong

and he needed to find a cure, fast.

"Ah-Un, stay here and guard Rin."

The dragon nodded both heads.

Sesshoumaru shed his heirloom pelt and wrapped it around Rin's shivering

body. It was not an easy task with only one useful hand. "This Sesshoumaru

will return soon."

With that, he formed his magical cloud and flew away.

Every time I say I'm going home, he freaks! Kagome thought to

herself as she walked towards the wooden Bone Eater's Well. Her black hair

was mussed slightly because of a low branch that almost took her head off

in the dark. She heard a swish and looked up. Oh!

There stood Sesshoumaru, the tall, proud, insanely beautiful brother

of Inuyasha. The full moon rose at his back to outline his silver hair.

He looked deceptively angelic.

Kagome immediately took a defensive posture, her heart thudding in her

ears. Something about Sesshoumaru seemed off. He appeared oddly small.

That's when she realized he lacked his pelt. It was strange to see two

spiked shoulder-guards instead of one.

"What do you want?"

"Your assistance."

She blinked. Did her ears deceive her? "My...assistance? Why?"

Gilded eyes framed in long eyelashes fixed on hers. His voice gained

a slight pinch of ice. "Don't ask foolish questions. You will come with

me."

Backing up a step, Kagome glared up, "And what if I don't?"

Sesshoumaru's hair flew. In the blink of an eye he was standing directly

in front of the human female. "I'll kill you where you stand. But if you

assist me, I will let you live."

"O-okay..." She felt the prick of his manicured claws against her throat.

His arm wrapped around her waist. The next thing Kagome saw was the

ground retreating.

The cold night air bit into Kagome's skin. Sesshoumaru had just finished

explaining Rin's odd ailment when they came in for a landing.

"So she has pain in her stomach?"

"Yes, and Rin rarely complains of pain."

Nodding once, Kagome pulled free of Sesshoumaru's strong arm and walked

up to the large two-headed dragon. Four slitted eyes followed her approach.

An order from Sesshoumaru calmed the beast.

Rin sat atop Ah-Un with Sesshoumaru's pelt swallowing her tiny body

like a furry boa constrictor. Her face was flushed with fever. She blinked

sleepily up at Kagome.

"Hello."

"Hi, Rin. My name's Kagome." Kagome said gently, "I hear you have a

tummy ache. Can you come down from there and lay down so I can look at

you?"

The girl looked over Kagome's head at Sesshoumaru. He nodded once. She

slid out of the pelt and obediently settled in the grass at the miko's

feet.

"So, why does your tummy hurt?"

"Rin doesn't know." She shivered. "It hurt a little right after Rin's

bath at sunset and hurts more now."

Kagome patted Rin's head, hyper conscious of Sesshoumaru's eyes boring

into her back. "Show me where?"

"Here." Rin placed her hand just below her belly button.

She's way too young for it to be those kinds of cramps, thought

Kagome to herself. She reached down and lightly pressed on the girl's lower

left quadrant, which was near her hip-bone. "Does this hurt?"

"Uh-uh."

Kagome's hand prodded Rin's belly button. Rin didn't bat an eyelash.

She finally applied slight pressure to Rin's lower right quadrant. Rin

screamed in pain.

Sesshoumaru's claws were at Kagome's throat. "You are hurting her."

"I'm sorry! I had to prod to find out!" Kagome pushed Sesshoumaru's

claws away and stood up, glancing down at Rin. "I think she has appendicitis."

"Ap-pen-di-ci-tis?" Sesshoumaru sounded the word out. A foreign term

he never heard before. His eyes bore into Kagome's. "Explain."

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome forgot the honorifics. "Do you know what intestines

are?"

"Of course, I have seen disembowelment."

"Right, okay." She drew loops of small intestine in the dirt and traced

a curving line around them to symbolize a colon. On the lower right side

she added an extra line. "This is the appendix. It really doesn't have

a use anymore. But when it gets infected, it blows up like a balloon. And

if it ruptures, Rin will get very sick and die. It has to be surgically

removed right away."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered to Rin and back. His demeanor frosted over.

"Surgery..."

"I can't do it." Kagome admitted slowly. Shivers ran down her spine,

"But I can take her to healers, called doctors, in my time. They can help

her. But you have to trust me."

"It seems I have no choice." This admission burned the demon lord's

blood like acid. He silently cursed and praised the day he let Rin follow

him.

"Take me back to the well." Kagome knelt to lift Rin into her arms,

surprised to find her of a healthy weight. Rin whimpered slightly, but

didn't complain.

She heard a swish, blinked once and found herself staring at the Bone

Eater's well. Wow, I guess he's worried if he's doing it lightspeed.

"Before we go in," Kagome leveled her eyes with Sesshoumaru's, "You

need to take off your armor, your outer kimono and your swords. My world

is full of humans who wouldn't understand who or what you are. If they

find out you're a demon, they won't help Rin."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. The corners of his mouth inched downwards

in a sneer. She wanted him to leave his weapons here?

"You can take them off on the other side. I'll seal the well so Inuyasha

won't come chasing after us. But come on, we can't fool around!"

Any other day, he would've killed the girl for giving orders. For Rin's

sake he let it slide and nodded once. "Let us go."

Together, they climbed into the well. Sesshoumaru gasped as the magic

surrounded him. Immediately upon emerging he untied his obi and let his

armor and swords plunk on the ground at his feet. Foreign smells mixed

with human stench nearly knocked him unconscious. His outer kimono shirt

joined the armor and obi at his feet, leaving him just in his white undershirt

and baggy hakama.

Sesshoumaru didn't take time to look around. He just followed the human

into her odd castle.

Kagome reached into the closet and thrust a black trench coat at him.

"Here, put this on over your clothes."

He did so without question. The foreign material felt odd and heavy.

The next thing Sesshoumaru knew, he was perched in the back of a motorized

vehicle called a "taxi". It gave off disgusting fumes and the driver smelled

as if he spent his life under garbage. All around him were flashing signs,

lights and moving pictures that seemed controlled by magic.

They soon arrived at the hospital. Kagome paid the driver, patted Sesshoumaru's

arm to get his attention and climbed out. Sesshoumaru uncurled gracefully

from his seat and followed the human through doors that opened by themselves.

He immediately covered his nose. The entire place smelled of disease!

"It's okay..." Kagome gently soothed Rin. She ran up to the front desk.

"Please help me. This girl has appendicitis and needs attention!"

The older lady behind the counter blinked. "All right. Your name?"

"Kagome Higurashi."

"And the girl's?"

"Rin - "

"Toga. Rin Toga," Sesshoumaru's low voice cut in.

"And yours?"

"Sesshoumaru Toga."

"You're the father?"

He glanced at Kagome. "Yes."

"Go through that door," the woman pointed to the right, "and someone

will get her a bed."

Kagome didn't have a chance to act surprised at Sesshoumaru's quick

thinking. She hurried through the white door and a nurse in a pink apron

led them behind a curtain.

Rin, who was quiet the entire time, started to cry out when the nurse

undressed her and took a blood sample. Sounds from the bright healing place,

the weird metal thing taking out her blood and the smells frightened her.

She twisted her head around to look up at Sesshoumaru, who stood at her

bedside like a vigilant white shadow.

Kagome's eyes stayed fixed on the demon lord's claws. Every time the

nurse made Rin whimper, they twitched and sparkled.

Suddenly the curtain was thrust aside. There stood a heavy-set man wearing

green scrubs and papery slippers.

"Fujisawa. Hot appy?" he said to the nurse.

"Looks like it, Doctor Ogata. Major ceiling sign."

The doctor checked Rin over, nodding when she wailed again. "Very hot

appy. Okey-dokey. OR number three should be open in ten. We'll take her

there."

"Gotcha." And the nurse hurried off.

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched at the sounds in the curtain next to him.

Beeps, tones, alarms and clicks wafted through the cloth. He kept hearing

phrases like "she's bradying down!" and "V-fib! C'mon, gimme an amp of

epi, stat!" and once he heard "clear!" right before a strange thump. Then

he overheard "she's in asystole! Charge to two-fifty. Clear!" just before

another thump. Right after that, someone asked for a 'thoracotomy tray',

followed by the wet squish of metal slicing skin. Something clinked and

whirred. Voices blended together.

Curiously, he peeked around the curtain. He could see right over a doctor's

shoulder. They had a woman's chest cut wide open, her ribs spread with

a strange metal device that made her look like slaughtered game. Her blackish-pink

lungs just kind of popped out. The doctor shaped his hands like a dragon's

mouth, thrust them into the open chest cavity and squeezed the glistening

wet redness of the woman's heart.

The intoxicating smell of blood curled in his nose. He watched the blackened

lungs quiver uselessly like two slimy bags full of water.

"She's bleeding out!"

Another nurse thrust an odd instrument into the exposed gore. The blood

stopped pooling.

Someone caught Sesshoumaru watching and yanked the curtain further around,

hiding the gruesome sight from view. He curled his lip and turned his attention

forward.

Right across the way was a little boy about Rin's age. Severe burns

marred his entire body, turning his skin shades of yellow and brown. He

had strange tubes taped into his mouth, the two ribbed coils leading to

a machine filled with dials and numbers. It hissed to make the boy's chest

rise and fall. There were also machines displaying wavy green lines and

bags of liquid hanging on a metal rack above the bed. Tubes ran from the

bags to needles in the boy's wrist.

"Shh, Rin, it's okay sweetie." Kagome's soft voice cooed. "Here, the

nurse got you a friend."

Rin blinked over at the object in Kagome's hand. A fluffy, white stuffed

dog with floppy ears. She gasped in delight, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Can Rin

keep it?"

His eyes smiled, though his lips remained a firm line. "Yes."

She squealed and hugged the toy. He noticed she had one of those suspended

bags attached to her arm. Whatever it was, it seemed to be easing Rin's

pain.

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched. Nurses walked by the curtain behind him,

talking to each other. One of them muttered something about having to "glove

up and dig in". The other replied with strange words like "enema" and "code

brown".

Kagome raised her eyes to meet Sesshoumaru's impassive face. "It won't

be long before they take her in."

He looked back at her. "Will this not cause her more pain?"

"Nah," she smiled at his concern for the girl, "they have something

called anesthesia. They put you into a deep sleep so you don't feel the

operation. I had to have my appendix out when I was little...it wasn't

so bad. She'll need rest for a long time afterward, but she'll be okay."

His eyes burned into hers. "For your sake, you had better speak the

truth."

Shivers ran down Kagome's spine. His eyes always made her feel like

she didn't exist. She turned her gaze back to Rin.

Rin was a little drowsy from the IV. She smiled sleepily up at Sesshoumaru,

her arms wrapped firmly around her new toy. "Lord Sesshoumaru looks sad.

Maybe Fluffy will make you feel better?"

"Fluffy....?"

She smiled again. "Because he's fluffy like your fluffy!"

"My pelt, you mean?" Amusement added a new overtone to Sesshoumaru's

deep voice.

"Mmhmm!" Rin handed the stuffed dog up.

Sesshoumaru's hand reluctantly accepted it. It is rather soft,

he thought to himself. "Very well, I will hold 'Fluffy' for you."

The curtain moved before Kagome could comment. Doctor Ogata appeared

and gently lifted Rin onto a gurney.

"Excuse me," Sesshoumaru said coldly, "Will I be allowed inside with

her?"

"Sorry, you can't. The waiting room's right down the hall though. I'll

come out and update you when I'm done." Ogata turned Rin's gurney so her

head faced where her feet were a second ago. He smiled down at Rin's sleepy

form. "You'll have to say bye to your daddy for awhile, sweetie."

Rin, having no understanding of what she was about to undergo, grinned

at Kagome and Sesshoumaru. "Bye, bye..." she giggled, "...daddy! Rin will

be back soon!"

Something odd happened to Sesshoumaru's heart. He nodded slowly to Rin,

but didn't notice if Kagome said anything or not. He watched as the moving

bed disappeared down the hall.

"C'mon," Kagome said, "We can't do any more for her now. Let's go to

the waiting room."

The tall demon lord glanced around the curtain at the "slaughtered"

woman. She was covered by a bloodstained white sheet. He heard the slap

of gloves as they were discarded in a black bag.

People in healer uniforms continued their rounds. Words like "cephalosporin",

"atropine", "lasix", "succinylcholine" and "compazine" were tossed about

like a coded language. He continued to listen, hearing other terms like

"tension pneumothorax", "subdural hematoma", "cardiac tamponade", "coag

panel", "tox screen", "hypovolemia" and "central line". Someone ordered

"a CBC, chem-seven and a blood gas" and then a "type and crossmatch" followed

by "two units of O-neg".

Amidst the voices were moans and cries. Scents of various diseases and

blood. His mouth tightened in disgust when he smelled waste and noticed

a bedpan full of bloody feces sitting unattended on a gurney.

Shaking his head, he followed Kagome down the clean white corridor.

Two hours passed.

Sesshoumaru never moved from his post by the door. He stood like a white

sentinel, his intact arm gently cradling Rin's new toy. His silver hair,

his markings and his amber eyes looked utterly out of place next to the

black trench coat wrapped around his body and the crisp white wall behind

him. By Kagome's advice he'd recently let his hair fall over his ears,

hiding their pointed tips

The black coat turned his skin a translucent shade of ivory. He appeared

made entirely of porcelain, his small lips and markings painted on by a

talented hand.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Kagome heard herself ask.

"No."

"Oh...well...magazine?"

"No."

"Is 'no' the only word in your vocabulary?"

A pause.

"No."

The doors swung open. Not Doctor Ogata. Sesshoumaru sighed to himself.

He heard the doors move again and looked up. It was Doctor Ogata, smiling

as he pulled his surgical mask down.

"She did beautifully. It hadn't ruptured so there's no sign of infection

anywhere else in her abdomen." the doctor wrote something on a notepad

and tore off a sheet. "Here's a prescription for pain medicine. Give her

six weeks and then the sutures can come out. I'm keeping her overnight

for observation."

All the medical babble went right over Sesshoumaru's head. Thankfully

Kagome took over, "Thanks a lot! Can we see her?"

"Sure, just take the elevator to the second floor and turn right. She's

in room eight of the pediatric wing. Don't be surprised if she's a bit

sleepy."

Sesshoumaru was already heading where the doctor pointed. Kagome watched

in amusement as he stared at the elevator like it might eat him alive.

She guided him inside and pressed the button. He startled when the elevator

jolted into motion.

He hated it. Even after he stepped off, he still felt like he was rising!

This new corridor was cleaner, quieter and painted in garish colors

that made his head ache. He fixed his stare straight ahead and followed

Kagome to the proper room.

Rin lay sound asleep on a bed with silver rails. A few machines beeped

around her and she had white gauze taped to the right side of her belly.

Her hair was mussed slightly. She stirred when a shadow fell over her face.

Her eyes opened to Sesshoumaru's calm expression.

"Hello," Rin whispered.

Sesshoumaru nodded in reply. He lowered Fluffy onto the bed beside her.

"Are you in pain?"

"Rin is sleepy." the girl sighed.

Kagome just kind of hung back, watching them. She'd never seen Sesshoumaru

so....gentle. He didn't know it, but an inch of the ice surrounding his

demeanor melted every time he looked at Rin. The melting reached its climax

when he let her take his hand, even closing his fingers around hers.

Turning away to give them their moment, she said, "I think I'll get

something to eat. Will you be okay?"

"We will be fine."

She smiled and headed for the cafeteria.

When Kagome returned thirty minutes later, she found Rin and Sesshoumaru

asleep. Rin still on her back and Sesshoumaru with his head on the mattress,

his silver hair falling around him like an elegant veil. A few rogue strands

lay across his alabaster cheek.

Kagome paused a moment to stare at the black crescents of his eyelashes

and blue moon adorning his brow. He didn't look dangerous at all while

asleep.

I guess all the worry wore him out. she mused, wow, he's so

strange. He claims to hate humans and yet he risked himself to help this

little girl...and she's such a sweet kid, too. Little Rin, maybe you're

the key to melting his cold heart.

One gold eye cracked open. She only saw the light hitting it, not his

iris itself.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No," he whispered, sitting up straight. His eyelids drooped.

"If you want, we can go to my place and - "

He pinned her with a sleepy glare, "I will not leave her side until

she is well again."

No point in forcing him. He's not moving. she thought, amused

by his struggles to stay awake.

Eventually, Sesshoumaru put his head down again and went back to sleep.

Rin woke up at the movement, smiled and lightly touched his hair. It wasn't

often that she saw her dear Lord Sesshoumaru sleep. Little did she know

that he felt and enjoyed every pass of her tiny hand.

Kagome carried Rin down the wooden steps leading into the well house.

Behind her, Sesshoumaru shed the trench coat and began the task of donning

his kimono and armor. She watched in amazement as Rin climbed down to tie

his obi for him. Even more surprising - he let her.

"Tie it tightly, like I showed you."

"Rin remembers," said Rin happily. Her tiny fingers formed the obi into

a perfect bow.

Sesshoumaru knelt to pick up his swords, placing them at his side. Then

he eyed the little orange bottle the doctor gave him. He was surprised

that the ingredients for the pills were the same ones he found in many

herbal painkillers. Someone compacted them all together in a chewable pellet.

How amazing!

Kagome checked the label one more time, blushing when her fingers brushed

his. "She needs to take one when she wakes up, one at noon and another

when she goes to sleep. It'll probably make her sleepy. And don't forget,

she's only supposed to eat soup for the first week."

"Yes, I know." He popped a tablet into Rin's mouth and watched her chew

it. Turning back to Kagome, he offered a faint nod. "You saved Rin's life."

A smile curled Kagome's lips. "It was worth it."

"Thank you very much, Lady Kagome! Rin's tummy feels much better!"

"You're very welcome, Rin!" she winked, "You take good care of

Sesshoumaru, okay?"

He shot them both a haughty glare. "This Sesshoumaru can take care of

himself."

"Rin always takes good care of Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin whispered a little

too loudly, picking her toy dog up. Sesshoumaru pretended not to hear as

he curled his one arm gently under her butt and lowered his head so she'd

grab ahold of his neck. She was very careful to reach up under his hair

when she grasped him. He glanced once more at Kagome, smirked in silent

gratitude and hopped gracefully down the well.

Kagome waited five minutes and hopped in herself, knowing she'd have

to deal with a cranky Inuyasha's grousing.

The trip was worth it.