It was 9:00 in the morning when Sesshomaru first knocked on the door of one of his many investments. It was 9:05 when he knocked again.
9:15 when he knocked for a third time and again, no answer.
At 9:20 he knocked for the final time and was at last met with footsteps, a shuffle and the sound of a lock turning. The door hastily opened and the violet eyes gazed at him in surprise.
"Can I help you?"
He was out of breath as if he had run full speed to the door. Sesshomaru simply raised an eyebrow at the man. Recognition immediately lit his face, "OH! You must be Dr. Taisho. My apologies, Sir, do come in." He opened the door wider as Sesshoumaru glided past him into the building.
The man closed the door and passed him smoothly, beginning to walk, "My name is Miroku, I am the head caretaker here." Sesshomaru picked up the hint of pride in his voice as he shared this information. He did not know why this 'Miroku', or anyone for that matter, would be proud to work in a place such as this. He took everything in as they walked: the faded curtains and chipped paint, the chunks of plaster missing from the ceiling, the scurrying rodents within the walls.
As they walked further, the two men came to a notably narrower hallway.
A plaque that hung at the end of the hallway caught Sesshoumaru's eye. It read: The Taisho Wing /In honor of Dr. Sesshomaru Taisho /Dated- 1895.
Sesshomaru harrumphed. Ten years ago ... he thought. How could this place be laid to such waste without his knowledge? How on earth had they been able to squander the amount of money he had given.
Noticing his eyes on the plaque, Miroku addressed him, "We thank you again for your patronage, Dr. Taisho."
"Do not misunderstand;" Sesshomaru replied smoothly, "I am here only because my reputation will not allow anything under my name to fall to ruin."
Miroku didn't break stride, "Nevertheless," he continued amiably, "your donation was more than generous, and all of us here owe you a great deal of thanks." Sesshomaru was nonplussed at the man's sincere and fearless display of gratitude. There was a personal tone to it for a simple employee, he thought passingly. All of us here? his mind replayed the words as Miroku led him into the main activity room.
But there is no one here.
Sunlight streamed through the bars across the windows and reflected brightly off of the white paint on the walls. Furniture was scarce and threadbare, the single couch giving off an atrocious odor.
"Where are the patients?" Sesshomaru asked with narrowing eyes. Miroku quickened his pace, sensing the doctor's impatience, "They are here." he said gesturing ahead of them, which drew Sesshoumaru's attention to the extremely large, cast iron door they were walking towards. It loomed before them ominously.
When they reached the door, Miroku pulled the deadbolt back, filling the silent room with racket. Sliding it into place on the wall, he pushed all of his weight against the door, slowly easing it open. He disappeared behind it to secure it and when he reappeared, his chest was slowly heaving from the effort.
Sesshomaru passed him smoothly and his nostrils flared, taking in the dusty and stagnant air. Ahead of him was only a dimly lit hallway filled with smaller versions of the iron door they had just walked through. The doctor envisioned this as how the Chateau d’If might have looked in its infancy.
Miroku led him to the first door on the left side. Sesshoumaru suddenly noticed the name plates hung near the doors. This one looked fairly new, reading K.Higurashi.
“This is our newest arrival.” Miroku said as he unbolted the door and pushed it open. Sesshomaru was again greeted with the glare of white walls. The room was quite large but sparsely furnished, with nothing save for a table in the center of the room and a cot-like bed against the far corner. The walls were covered in large pages of exquisite calligraphy. The only amount of color in the room came from an eclectic quilt that lay rumpled in a heap on the bed.
A young woman sat writing at the table.
Miroku latched the door open and addressed her familiarly, “Good morning, Kagome-chan.”
She looked up at the doorway and smiled. Sesshomaru was offset by the brilliance of her smile and her clear blue eyes. She was a pleasing image in the colorless room. He remained silent as she came towards them and embraced his guide affectionately. Then she turned her bright face to him.
Miroku introduced him, “Dr. Sesshoumaru Taisho, our benefactor.” Kagome’s mouth made a small ‘o’ in comprehension and she held out a friendly hand to him.
“I'm Kagome, it’s very nice to meet you.”
She had all the unassuming friendliness of a child. He took her hand and lightly shook it, finding her innocence both refreshing and confusing, as an asylum was her home. All too soon, Miroku started for the door. "Sorry for cutting this visit short, Kagome, but the doctor still needs to meet everyone else."
"Ah." she said, "That's all right. Come back soon!" They quit the room and Kagome reseated herself. Before the door was closed, Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes. She smiled brightly at him before the door shut loudly in his face. He turned and swiftly followed Miroku, who had already begun unlatching the next door. This nameplate read S.Houshi.
“This is one of our veterans.” Miroku informed him humorously. Strangely, he blocked Dr. Taisho’s entrance into this room. His hand never left the door as Sesshomaru’s eyes fell on a young woman slumped against the wall as if she had collapsed there, a tired look on her face.
Looking up at the intrusion, her face immediately twisted with malice and rage. She sounded a battle cry and charged the door. Sesshomaru’s eyes widened fractionally at the volume of her scream and speed. But the door was shut in the nick of time. Miroku winced at the thud of her body colliding with the door.
“She’s a bit unsociable.” Miroku stated with raised eyebrows.
“Indeed.” Dr. Taisho agreed. Soft sobs emanated from behind the door as they moved on to the next. This nameplate simply read O. After latching the door open, Miroku looked around confusedly; never a good sign in a mental ward. Suddenly, at the same time, both men met a pair of eyes staring at them from under the bed.
“Hello.” the man said cordially. Miroku's brows drew together in confusion, “Good morning, Onigumo, why are you-“
“I told you my name is Naraku!” he was loudly cut off. Miroku paused and tried again, “Naraku, why are you under your bed?”
"The spiders are back." he said.
“Ah.” Miroku walked to the table against the wall and retrieved an aerosol can of some unknown spray. He walked over to the bed and doused it.
Sesshoumaru released the careful breath he had been holding and was surprised when no chemical scents attacked his nose. Seeing that the bed was now safe, ‘Naraku’ left his hiding place and sat on the mattress as if nothing had ever bothered him. As the two men left his room and the door was closed, he hollered a jovial “Goodbye!”
“What was in that can?” Sesshoumaru asked.
“Water.” he replied, “It makes Onigumo think that the ‘spiders’ have been killed."
“Hn.”
"He was in a good mood today." Miroku added off-handedly. As they walked down the hallway back to the door they had come through, he stopped at every door he had opened to check the locks. Once satisfied, he began unlatching what was holding the entrance door open.
Miroku stopped though, as he caught sight of Dr. Taisho who had stopped in front of the first room they had visited.
"Why .…?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Miroku answered as they both exited the metal hallway and shut the door behind them.
The lock echoed in the empty hall.