Sneak Preview by Trouble In Shangri-La

Chapter One

Note: This fic is still a long way from being done.

Warnings for this tidbit include nudity and strong language.

***Sneak Preview***

Rounds were done at last.

Kagome sank to sit in the cafeteria and stared dejectedly at her bowl

of rice and steaming cup of tea. Two of the comatose patients she was in

charge of decided to crash and die within an hour of each other. No time

for goodbyes. One was terminally ill and death was sudden, but expected.

The other suffered a stroke after an undetected blood clot from emergency

open-heart surgery migrated to her brain. No warning at all. Both were

still young and had once been strong, active people.

Today felt more like an ER shift than a nursing home.

She let out another sigh, chewed some tasteless rice and flipped through

the brand new chart she found in her tray.

"Name, 'Dorimingu Tenshi', real name unknown. Sex, male. Age, approximately twenty-five. Height, six foot five inches. Weight, two-fifty-eight."

Her dark eyes squinted at the text. "Presents with a coma of unknown

origin and no sign of brain trauma or drug use. Found in a construction

dig....huh, weird. Transported to the home after the original caregiver,

Tetsura Kurosawa, became too ill to continue his care."

Underneath the page were photographs of a horribly emaciated figure

lying in an intensive care unit. He was bald and looked utterly fragile.

Features were hard to determine with the poor quality of the photos.

"Ah, I see you got Dori, the latest gork." A light female voice cut

in, "Ick, those are the crappy pictures. His notebooks have better, more

recent ones. Trust me, he doesn't look like that anymore."

"Mm." Lifting her paper cup, Kagome allowed herself a long sip to wash

the rice down her throat. She glanced over at the young nurse piling sukiyaki

onto her tray and waved, "Hi, Hana."

Hana's long braid swung as she perched herself across from Kagome. Hana

Hoji, a tiny, plain woman with pale skin and narrow eyes set behind fashionable

wire-rimmed glasses, was Kagome's age, but four years Kagome's senior in

the nursing department. "Have you seen Dori?"

"Not yet." said Kagome, taking another mouthful of rice.

"Too bad. He is P-H-A-T...there should be a law against men that gorgeous

being allowed in this place." Hana shoved a chunk of fish into her mouth.

"Oh, even better-looking than doctor Yakamoto?"

"Hell yes!" Hana swallowed and licked her lips. "It's such a shame for

him. He's a vegetable, but he barely needs any maintanance. Just feed him,

water him and bathe him. They've got him cathed so there's no diaper messes

and his bowel movements are so small they're practically nonexistant. It's

weird, nobody knows what exactly is wrong with him other than he's been

unconscious for the past couple decades or so. There's a rumor he was wearing

fine silk and fur when he was found. Must've been a rich nut who got robbed

and left for dead." She finished her salad, "Good eye-candy, though."

Silk and fur? Images of a tall figure clad in red and white silk

with a pelt on his shoulder flashed across Kagome's mind, quickly shaken

off. Probably a coincidence.

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "A pretty face doesn't matter

if you're practically brain dead."

"Guess you're right. But you get to do his exam, I'm so jealous! So

make sure to tell me all about - " the sound of a beeper cut Hana off.

She checked it. "Damn, Miki's getting tachy again. I gotta go."

"Later, Hana."

"Yeah, but I'll bet five hundred yen he's cut with DPS."

"You're on."

As Hana rushed out, Kagome realized she'd lost her appetite. She stood

up to toss her food in the garbage, picked up her chart and headed out

to examine her newest patient.

Akemi passed her on the way, her (at the moment) blonde hair in utter

disarray and her flower-printed scrubs shirt smeared with multicolored

puke. She shot Kagome a poisonous glare, pushing past her to reach the

restroom. Again, Kagome caught herself smirking.

She must've met Vomiting Vicki.

Ah, Victoria "Vicki" Honda, a.k.a. "Vomiting Vicki" or "Icky Vicki",

a middle-aged woman with cerebral palsy who painted gorgeous art by attaching

a paintbrush to her headstick. Her regurgitation talents were known throughout

the home. If she didn't like how someone picked her up, she let them know

by throwing up all over them. You could always tell a nurse was new by

observing the puke on the shirt of their uniforms.

Kagome opened the door to room ten and stepped inside, flipping on the

light to give the chart another once-over. Finally she walked over to examine

the figure stretched out on the mattress.

The man lying supine in bed had flowing silver hair that shone in the

vertical lines of light coming through the blinds. Someone recently styled

it into a graceful topknot braid, which was coiled on the pillow next to

his head. His parted bangs were too long and needed a trim soon. Dark eyelashes

formed fringes on his cheeks and his small lips were a delicate shade of

pink. A dimpled scar just below his Adam's apple indicated a past tracheostomy.

Kagome moved closer, trying not to gasp when she noticed he had pointed

ears.

It can't be him...he doesn't have stripes or a moon! Kagome bent

closer to discover the powdery scent of foundation. His complexion looked

completely matte, unnatural. She snagged a washrag from above the sink,

wet it and wiped vigorously at the man's forehead. The cheap foundation

rubbed right off. Please, just let it be makeup applied to protect him

from sunburn.

A blue-violet crescent moon appeared. Kagome swept the rag down his

cheeks and uncovered twin purple stripes on each side. She finished by

wiping off his eyelids, bringing out the red coloring just above his long

eyelashes.

Damn.

Sesshoumaru's familiar, angelic face came fully into view. He looked

exactly like Kagome remembered him. Calm, composed, unfeeling, the only

difference being his eyes were closed and a rash was breaking out wherever

the foundation touched his skin.

Reality sank in.

She gawked, slack-jawed. It really is Sesshoumaru! But how the hell

did he survive like this and not age a second? How long has he really been

unconscious? Judging by how horribly thin he was when that woman found

him, his body must've been digesting itself to stay alive.

Too much to ponder at once. The whole thing felt like a weird dream.

Mm, he certainly isn't gonna examine himself...okay Kagome, toughen

up, he's been in a coma for a long time...he's not going to just wake up

because you touched him. The sooner you examine him, the sooner you can

get away from him.

Kagome moved the blanket off Sesshoumaru's left side first, since it

was closest. His arm still ended just above the elbow. The empty sleeve

of his white yukata was folded up and pinned to itself with a large safety

pin. A check on his remaining arm showed his nails were in perfect condition,

the stripes around his hand unchanged. He had a glowing red pulse cuff

taped to his thumb. The wire running from the cuff connected to a pulse

monitor with a red line that bounced up and down - beside the line was

a number measuring pulse beats per minute and his oxygen saturation.

She unclasped the plastic splints bracing his hand and feet to keep

them from curling in on themselves. She lifted his arm first, bending his

elbow and rotating his wrist. Same went for his knees and ankles. With

manipulation, his joints moved smoothly. Clearly his previous caregiver

gave him therapy to keep him limber.

Turning to her chart, she lifted his legs again and squeezed his calf

muscles. Her fingers dented his pajama pants when she probed around for

signs of atrophy. All clear so far. Well, if he laid there for a few

centuries, I think a DVT would've killed him already, so that rules that

out.

"Hmm." Kagome untied Sesshoumaru's white yukata and spread it open to

expose his upper body. Milky skin and perfect pectorals greeted her. Her

cheeks flushed as she reached for the stethoscope draped around her neck.

Tucking the earpieces into her ears, she touched the metal disk to various

areas on his chest. Nice, clear lungs. No fluid in the wrong places. Finally

she laid the chest piece over his breastbone, ears straining to hear his

slow heartbeat.

Lubksshdub. Long pause. Lubksshdub. Long pause. Lubksshdub.

Sesshoumaru had a heart murmur. Kagome tilted her head and listened

closer. There was no mistaking the faint click and swish coming between

the first and second beat. She opened her eyes to look over at Sesshoumaru's

inert face in disbelief. Part of her always believed he never had a heart,

yet the sounds resonating through the stethescope proved otherwise.

Huh...it's a grade two systolic murmur. Sounds like a mitral valve

prolapse. She leafed through her chart to find the results of an echocardiogram.

Some fumbling ensued because a few papers were out of order.

Where did I - aha!

Her eyes beheld two ultrasound images of Sesshoumaru's heart. One with

the heart contracted and another showing it relaxed. The strand of chordae

tendinea in his left ventricle was too long and didn't pull the mitral

valve all the way shut. As a result one of the twin cusps bulged backwards

like an open parachute every time his heart squeezed, which permitted a

small backwash of blood from the left ventricle into the atrium. Yup,

floppy MV. Interesting...you're just full of surprises aren't you?

The lines of sunlight coming through the blinds stretched across Sesshoumaru's

cheek now, following the two stripes swooping out from in front of his

ears. He looked a little strange with his hair all gathered up instead

of down behind his neck where it belonged. His braid resembled a silver

snake waiting to strike.

On impulse Kagome reached out and lifted the braid up where she could

see it, amazed to find his silken tresses could be compacted into such

a thin rope that fit in her fist. It had a texture like long fur and felt

lighter than human hair. So utterly and completely opposite to Inuyasha's

thick, very human-feeling locks.

Well, this Tetsura lady must've taken good care of him to keep his

hair looking this nice for so long. She even named him 'dreaming angel'.

She smirked wryly, oddly, that name fits him right now, but I doubt

he's dreaming or thinking...the engine's running and nobody's behind the

wheel.

Two good mental slaps got Kagome back on task. Grasping Sesshoumaru's

shoulder, she pushed him up a bit to prod his back. His skin felt oddly

rough. She rolled him fully onto his side, pulled his yukata down and gasped.

Sesshoumaru's entire back was covered in old, angry-looking scars. Scars

on top of scars criss-crossed all over his flawless skin like a road map.

The only way he could have received such horrible wounds was if someone

tied him down and lashed him repeatedly with a whip.

Oh God...what happened to him?

She choked back a sob and did what she intended to - listen to heart

and lungs from behind. No fluids in the wrong areas. Her hands shook when

she returned him to his back. Part of her expected to find his face drawn

up in pain at having his scars prodded. His expression remained unchanged.

Kagome continued her examination, blushing furiously when she had to

undo the first set of ties holding the waistband of his pants up. She folded

the material back far enough that she could see his washboard stomach.

He had not a single hair on his chest, armpits, arms or legs, but his pubic

area was...she'd describe it as fluffy. The fine silver hairs grew in a

thin line from his belly button down where they most likely splayed out

around his manhood like a cloud. Its lack of curl made it seem more like

a tuft of fur than body hair.

She had his leggings pulled down well below the point where the hairs

began to spread out. Just a quarter inch more and he'd be flashing the

world.

God, Hana was right, there should be a law against men that gorgeous

being put here.

Sesshoumaru was in shape and then some. Then again Kagome had always

seen him covered from his neck down in heavy silk and armor, neither of

which offered a clue to the physique hidden underneath.

Her hands were shaking when she placed her fingertips just above his

fuzzy fringe to check for signs of a distended bladder or bowel impactions.

The demon lord's abdomen was muscular, but relaxed and had just the proper

give to indicate perfect health. A mushy hardness under his abdominal muscles

told her he'd probably pass solid waste in the next day or so.

She pressed a hand to his middle left quadrant and lifted the corrosponding

leg, checking his kidney. The procedure was repeated on the other side.

Kidneys

are the right size, good. Tapping his upper quardrants produced the

sounds of a healthy liver. Her fingers moved to the plastic G-tube button

protruding from his stomach, checking for signs of infection. None. All

seemed well so far.

Beads of sweat formed on Kagome's brow. She purposely saved the next

examination for last, but couldn't put it off any more. Okay, grow up,

Kagome, you've seen a million of these things. Every man has one.

The next ties came undone and the pajama pants went down more, exposing

Sesshoumaru completely. Kagome bit her lip and stared at the limp thing

between his legs. A catheter tube protruded out the end, pulling it to

the side a little. He was uncircumsized and showed no signs of retraction

from the foley at all.

Hah, easiest money I ever made.

A giggle almost worked its way up her throat. Funny, his looks so

small. He must be a grower instead of a shower... She gritted her teeth.

SHUT

UP! Don't get immature now. He's a man, he has a penis and you have to

examine it. Oh, God...I really have to touch him there. This isn't happening...this

isn't happening!

Handling the private parts of someone who tried to kill her countless

times was NOT something Kagome felt comfortable doing. No fire could burn

hotter than the one behind her face as she reached down to pick it up.

He was warm in her hand and had good coloring. She kept the exam as brief

as possible, retracting his foreskin to check the glans for signs of redness

or discharge. No pungent odors. No swelling. She squeezed gently down the

length of his shaft and found no kinks inside his urethra. A careful tug

proved the balloon holding the tube in place was still inflated. She probed

the underside for ulcers, lumps and swelling, but found none.

Throughout the procedure he remained limp as a noodle. It made handling

him a lot easier than she first thought.

So far so good. Almost done, almost done. Chanting 'almost done'

helped Kagome continue her task. She retracted Sesshoumaru's foreskin one

more time and used a Q-tip to apply ointment around the opening where the

catheter entered, then let the skin fall back into place. Her face blanched

when she remembered she had to do this to him twice a day.

Just don't start peeing in that tube until I take my hands away.

Kagome closed her eyes and put Sesshoumaru's male organ back the way she

found it. She tried not to think about the fact that Sesshoumaru was NAKED

in front of her and she just felt up his penis. At least he didn't get

an erection.

Kagome tied Sesshouamaru's leggings back together, changed her gloves

and moved on to hook his feeding tube up to the bag of formula hanging

from the IV rack. The white fluid oozed down and around, disappearing into

the G-tube button. She caught herself wondering how so much went in and

almost none came back out. Didn't demons go to the bathroom?

Inuyasha did...sometimes with disgusting frequency, she mused.

It

was particularly gross when I realized he had a fricken tapeworm. God,

I hated that, but it was his own fault for eating that undercooked meat

-

A crash of equipment in the hall snapped Kagome back to the present.

She forced herself back on task and set the head of the bed at a slight

angle so Sesshoumaru wouldn't regurgitate his 'food'.

His body probably uses up every drop of nutrition so there's almost

no waste left over, judging by how he must've looked when he was first

discovered.

There was a little swish and Kagome looked down. Okay, so he pees.

She bent to measure how much he voided, recorded the amount on the chart

and emptied the bag in another container, which she dumped in the bathroom

sink. Kagome's mind shuddered at the thought of Sesshoumaru being discovered

dirty and smelling like his own urine. Even if he was a jerk, he was still

extremely dignified. He would've been utterly mortified to be found in

such a state.

Relax, his kidneys were probably shut down when someone found him.

If he did go on himself before then, it would've been dry for quite awhile.

Again she struggled to think of something else. It was easier to perform

her duties if she pretended she didn't know him.

Sesshoumaru never responded throughout his treatment. He had no reflexes,

no sign of any higher brain functions, nothing. His chart noted untreatable

bradycardia and hypotension that failed to respond to any medications.

But his pulse-ox was good, so nobody seemed panicked about his low blood

pressure or slow pulse. He took very long, silent breaths, fifteen per

minute at regular intervals.

I'd almost speculate that demons must have strong hearts that easily

pump massive volumes of blood per beat, but he'd have a high systolic pressure

if that were true, and he doesn't. Hell, I don't know what to make of this!

Another frustrated sigh filtered through Kagome's parted lips. Her vision

blurred a little at the memories flooding back. It was the first time in

almost ten years that she'd been slapped with memories from her adventures

in the past. Over ten years since the completion of the Shikon no Tama,

which ripped her back to modern times before she could say goodbye to her

friends. She didn't even know what became of them.

Kagome bit her tongue against a string of mental curses. Why did Sesshoumaru

appear as one of her comatose patients? Why not Inuyasha, or even Shippou?

Anybody other than Sesshoumaru!

"I know you probably can't hear me, Sesshoumaru," Kagome's hissed through

clenched teeth, "but you're an asshole for showing up like this."

She couldn't even feel his aura.

God...what happened to him?