I Can Hear You by LadyDaniTar

Chapter 2

Kagome sat between her mother and younger brother in the hospital waiting room. Looking around the lobby she saw people conversing and interacting, but she heard none of it. After she had come down from a panic attack, Inuyasha brought her back home to her mother. She didn’t know what he had told her but after a shower and change of clothes she was whisked off to the family doctor.

Feeling a soft tap on her right shoulder, Kagome glanced over to Souta. She couldn’t stop herself from looking at the blinking light on his hearing aid. It would need a new battery soon.

Lifting his arms and gaining her attention again he asked, “Are you nervous?”

She gave him a weak smile and replied, “No, just feeling overwhelmed.” Her arms felt heavier than usual as she signed back. Souta nodded in understanding and reached out to hold her hand.

When Souta was still a baby, he contracted meningitis. By the time the doctors had realized what he had it was too late and the damage was done. Since then, JSL has become the main language used in the Higurashi household. Grandpa had been the exception over the years as old age and arthritis prevented him from using his hands.

A hand on Kagome’s left shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts. Her mom was standing and motioning her to follow, it must be her turn to see Dr. Yoshida.

Sitting on the exam room table, the doctor entered holding a clipboard. He greeted Mrs. Higurashi and Souta before turning to her.

“Your test results show ruptured eardrums and massive nerve damage to the inner ear,” Dr. Yoshida’s movements were confident and precise. “Tell me again how this happened.”

“Concert.” Was Kagome’s short reply. The doctor obviously didn’t believe her but didn’t push the matter.

“It is still not clear whether the loss of hearing will be permanent.” Dr. Yoshida’s then looked to her mother. “We will know more once the ears begin to heal. I advise you to bring your daughter in every two weeks for follow up.”

Kagome glared at the doctor. She was nineteen years old, an adult, so why was he acting like she was a child. Frustrated, she could no longer stand being in the tiny room so got up and headed back to the lobby.

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The drive back home was tense and the atmosphere at home stayed that way until dinner. Kagome’s mother had told her it would be best if she stayed home until her hearing returned, if it ever did. Souta kept shooting her sympathetic looks through the meal until she couldn’t take it anymore. Forgoing dinner and ignoring her mom’s attempt to get her attention, Kagome stormed upstairs to her room.

Hearing or no hearing, Kagome had a job to do, and nothing was going to stop her. Even with Naraku gone there were still a few jewel shards left to find. Grabbing clothes, books on JSL, a small chalkboard, and anything else she deemed useful, Kagome threw them into her spare backpack. Inuyasha hadn’t bothered to bring her yellow bag back with them so a smaller blue one would have to do.

Moving to her desk she pulled open a drawer and found an old tablet and portable hard drive. On them were old video tutorials on JSL that could help if any of her friends needed visual aids.

Kagome waited until just past midnight and snuck downstairs to add ramen and other food to her backpack. She headed to the foyer and stopped, looking around one last time at her family home.

Then she left.

 

INUYASHA © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan • Yomiuri TV • Sunrise 2000
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