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Authors Note – Well…I keep starting these new stories since all of mine were deleted somehow. So whoo! Remember, more reviews means more updates!

Chapter One – Awakening

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There was an earsplitting sound, one that made Kagome's ears feel as if they were about to explode. She heard her mother scream, her father curse. Suddenly the world was spinning and spinning. She collided against her brother in the back seat of their small black car, his fingers dug into her arms and she held him tight – trying to shield him. There was a popping sound, the car refused to stop in its endless circuits. How long was the world going to spin? Had time stopped? Suddenly they were jolted and started spinning the opposite direction.

Glass shattered around them and Kagome used her long, thick black hair to shield her and her brother's faces from the deadly shards. Metal pressed against them and suddenly – they were still. The whole event lasted longer than eternity and less than a second all at the same time. Her thin body was slumped over her brother, her fingers falling open – no longer holding him. He too was limp under her arms. She smelt the thick smell of gasoline and it, coupled with the turning of the car, made bile rise in her throat.

Swallowing it down she heard screams, and distantly she heard sirens. "Somebody get them out of there! It's on fire!" The voice was loud, close – but she was so close to the welcoming darkness that it was also distant and echoing. 'Fire?' She thought, suddenly realizing that yes, she could feel the heat against her back. It wasn't burning though, more like an enjoyable warmth. It reminded her of the camping trips that her family used to go on when she was younger. She recalled standing with her back to the fire, her thin hands clasped at the base of her back to gather as much warmth as she could. This almost felt like that. Almost. Except the pain that was flaring into her body was different.

She lifted her head once, the dancing flames behind her lighting up the front of the car. She was confused, where was her father? He had been driving…was he trying to get her mother from the front seat? Relief washed over her, he was alright then. With him out there…they would all be fine. She wrapped her fingers around Souta's wrist "Souta…" She whispered "We're gonna be ok…" She heard a painfully loud grinding noise and saw sparks fly up next to her.

The firefighters were cutting her out of the car, her brother too. "We got the other two right here!" A familiar voice yelled, familiar…maybe it was her father's voice? She felt her head spinning as she was lifted into someone's arms – she had no strength to retain her grip on her little brother.

She went limp in the man's arms and smiled, her last words before she fell into darkness were "Daddy…you saved me…"

ooo

Kagome felt nothing but pain as she first came into the real world, she had been dreaming she now realized. It had been a wonderfully simple dream. Her family was sitting on a white sandy beach; her parents were sitting side by side on a soft looking blanket. Kagome remembered that she couldn't feel it under her fingers, just like she couldn't feel the coarse sand under her body or the light wind that plucked at her hair. Souta was playing in the shallows of the ocean, chasing the uncatchable seagulls that fluttered around him. Kagome walked towards him, feeling like she was floating rather than walking.

She left no footprints on the wet earth as she passed over it. Once her feet hit the warmth of the water she giggled, but no sound came from her lips. No sound came from the crashing waves, or the crying gulls either. She felt dizzy – was she deaf? Souta waved her over and she stumbled towards him, feeling like if she didn't get to him now he would be pulled away by the sea. As her fingers closed around his arm, she tried to tug him closer to the shore – closer to the paradise where their parents were waiting.

But the current, it had an equally strong grip on the boy. He didn't seem to notice though; he was laughing silently thinking his big sister had come to play with him. He didn't feel the insistent pull of the water, or of his sister. Looking back, trying to call to her parents who looked so peaceful – not even noticing the danger their children were in. Still, no sound came. She screamed and as Souta was almost ripped from her grasp she turned and realized they were both in deeper water. She grabbed the boy with both hands, refusing to let him go. She pulled him to her chest and closed her eyes tight – feeling nothing but somehow knowing they were being drug farther and farther away from the island their parents were experiencing.

She gasped and opened her eyes, bright lights flashed over her and she cringed closing them again and tossing her hands up to further block the light. That movement made her scream in pain and she heard a door swing open and a curtain clank as it was slid open "Oh! Can I get some help in here?" She heard an unfamiliar voice holler out and then a set of hands grabbed her shoulders gently and the same voice, soft and female said "Easy honey, calm down. No need to pop any of the stitches."

'Stitches?' Kagome thought as she opened her eyes a crack "The light." She croaked her voice little more than a whisper from lack of use.

The woman flipped a switch and the lights swapped to a dimmer set somewhere else in the room "There you go dear." Kagome opened blurry eyes all the way and her dark brown orbs swiveled back and forth – taking in the room.

Her head was pounding and her body ached "Wh-what happened? Where am I?" She asked softly as a man in a white coat walked in, he was obviously a doctor.

He smiled softly "Kagome?" He said as he sat on a rolling stool next to her bed "I want you to take a few deep breaths and calm down ok? Getting yourself worked up won't help you any." He smiled at her, he had a kind face and she instantly liked him – but nobody answer her question.

"What happened?" She said, clearer now. She cleared her throat and a nurse walked forward with a small plastic jug of water, a straw sticking out of the top. Kagome smiled and sipped the water, it felt like heaven on her throat.

Handing the woman the water she watched as the nurse, Yuka her name tag said, set it down on a wheeled table. Kagome tried to sit up and winced. The doctor touched her shoulder "Just lay down Kagome, your body took quite the beating. No need to push yourself when you first wake up." He drew a pen-light from his front pocket and held a finger up in front of her eyes "Can you follow my finger please?" Kagome looked at the finger in front of her face and followed it, wincing slightly as the light was shined into her eyes.

"You are responding well, and the EKGs showed no brain trauma."

Kagome frowned, confusion coloring her face "What happened?" She repeated for what felt like the millionth time and looked around. She was in a bed, alone in the room. She had an IV in her left arm, the one farthest from the doctors. There were monitors around her – beeping softly in the background. She realized something with a jolt, her family would never leave her alone like this "Where are my parents? My brother?" Her eyes returned to the doctor who frowned.

"Kagome, you were in a car accident." He said, finally answering her first question, but she didn't care about that one anymore.

Her newest question had her heart racing, the monitors even sped up "My family, where are they?" She said, hysteria edging her voice as she sat up – wincing as she felt a pain in her side. The doctor gently tried to push her back down but she fought it "No!" She hollered "Where are they! My little brother, Souta! He was next to me in the car," She said this quickly as the memories came back in painful flashes.

"A-And my dad! He had been out of the car, trying to get my mother out! Where are they?" She heard one of the nurses gasp and the doctor sighed, mumbling something under his breath that sounded something like

"I hate this part." He gently touched her shoulder and she slumped back as her adrenaline fled her system, leaving her feeling numb and tingly "Kagome, your parents didn't make it…" His voice was soft, his eyes sad. But he seemed like he had done this before "Your father didn't get out of the car…his seat-belt failed and he was ejected from the car, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Your mother made it to the hospital, but her injuries were too great."

Kagome's head was spinning with this news, dead? What? No. "That is not possible." She whispered, her eyes wide "They can't be…they aren't." Her breathing quickened and she felt as if she were stumbling, even though she was lying in bed "They are fine, they are just fine…" She realized just as quickly that he had not mentioned her brother. Wouldn't he have said 'Your family is dead' if that were the case? She grasped the man's arm tightly and said, trying to focus "Souta…" Her voice was choke "My brother, where is he?"

Removing her hand and laying it back on the bed he said "Your brother is in a coma."

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Kagome's wounds were more superficial than anything, to which the doctors were surprised seeing how when they found her she was all but shielding the young boy with her entire body. The worst wounds were a gash up her side from where the metal of the vehicle split open, becoming a razors edge and a cut to her forehead, which made them worry about brain damage. Other than that she was covered in cuts and bruises and had a sprained collar-bone, but she was more or less fine.

As soon as her mild panic attack was over she demanded she see her brother, which given her physical state they allowed. They even removed the IV from her arm, since now that she was awake she didn't need the nutrients. She walked down the hall, wearing her gown and a pair of scrub-pants that they had loaned to her to protect her modesty. She was being escorted slowly to her brother's floor, the coma ward. She was trembling as she leaned against the wall in the elevator. The nurse from earlier, a middle-aged Chinese woman with a soft smile and bright green eyes said "Are you ok? We can go back if you aren't feeling up to it."

Kagome just shook her head "No, I want…I need to see my brother. He needs to know that I am here for him. No matter what." She wiped her eyes she had yet to cry and wasn't going to start now. Not in the small space with the overly-friendly nurse. When the elevator stopped, Kagome pushed off from the wall and walked out. Waiting for the woman she followed her down the hall before they came to a room. '45.' Kagome mentally recalled how to get here, she would never forget.

She put her hand on the door and hesitated, she had seen herself in the mirror in her bathroom and she looked terrible. How would he look? This might be her breaking point. Turning to her nurse she said "Can I do this alone?" Her voice was soft and she avoided the woman's eyes "I know my way back, I won't overdo it I promise…I just, want to be alone with him."

Yuka hesitated but nodded "Not too long now. I'll see you downstairs." She touched her shoulder softly and then walked back to the elevator.

Kagome took another deep breath and waited until the woman was gone from her sight before she pushed the door open. Her brother was laying on a bed similar to hers, surrounded by monitors. She felt herself gag at the image of him. His skin was more black and purple than white, and he was wrapped in gauze in multiple places. He had an IV similar to the one they had removed from her, she rubbed her arm where it had been at the thought. Souta though, also had a tube going into his mouth…keeping him alive.

She rushed to his side and dropped to her knees, taking his hand in hers "Oh Souta…" She cried, letting her tears fall now "I am so sorry…I should have protected you better." She kissed his fingers and looked up at him "Souta, baby boy you have to wake up for me." She stood on trembling legs and sat in a chair, her fingers still holding his "its Kagome…your big sister. Souta you are all I have, you can't leave me alone too…" She dropped her head down onto the mattress next to their hands and sobbed.

Souta never once moved.

Had it not been for the ever constant monitor beeping away in the background and the very shallow rise and fall of his chest, Kagome would have sworn her brother was dead. He was pale, in a sick kinda way, and he didn't move, didn't twitch like people normally do in their sleep. He was an active sleeper too, constantly grumbling and twitching. He had been his entire 10 years of life. She cried harder at the though, he was only 10…and in a coma and an orphan? She chuckled bitterly. She was only 16 and an orphan as well, not much better.

The though made her own heart pound, where would they go? Once Kagome was better they would kick her out. She had friends she could stay with, but for how long? She had no living relatives, her grandfather had passed away just a few years prior – and he was really the only relative that Kagome and Souta knew. His late wife had died before either of them were born, Kagome couldn't recall any of her other relatives.

She shook her head, she would figure that out when it came to it. She had money, her family had money. She would hire an attorney, file for guardianship of her brother. They would live in the family Shrine like they always had. Together, they would still be the Higurashi family….just a little bit different. She closed her eyes and prayed 'Please God…give me my brother back.'

All she wanted now was for her brother to wake up.

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Wow, the first chapter was 2500 words and I had it done in one night! Yay for inspiration! Thank you my muse for sticking by me tonight! Shall we go churn out a chapter two? Yes? Alright!

Please review people! If nobody is reading this…why would I continue?

-PEACE OUT!