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Rin sighed as she threw down that days paper. ‘Sesshomaru Taishō, the Bigger They are the Harder They Fall’ scrawled across the page in a poor excuse for a headline, She was sick of this. He started using when they went to college and he started dating Kagura Onigumo. Everyone knew Kagura was only with him for his money. He was sent to University of Tokyo to set him up for the world of corporations that he was to inherit when Tōga retired.
She knew that all the pressure had gotten to him, and while he did graduate with top marks, he also graduated in what he was using. His habit became more frequent, spending his father’s money in a less than ideal way. She stopped keeping tabs on whatever drug, designer or otherwise, had caught his attention.
And she will never forget the anger on Tōga’s face, or the pain in Izayoi’s eyes when they found out Sesshomaru fell back into old habits again. Inukimi had long since left her son to his own devices. He wasn’t the perfect son she groomed him to be.
But out of everyone, Inuyasha had been the one hurt the most. He thought his older brother could do no wrong, even after being treated terribly by Sesshomaru growing up.
Looking at the clock, she realized she had to hurry. Sesshomaru had called her on her way home from work. He was a mess, Kagura broke up with him. She was sure that his using was at an all time record again. Rin wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take, he was her best friend. She loved him.
Apparently now that the money has run out Kagura needed to get some space. Rin knew Kagura never loved him. The woman sat by watching Sesshomaru destroy himself and she said nothing.
Tōga shelled out a fair amount of money to send him to rehab a year before. Sesshomaru made everyone think that he was back on track, he was even successful in his role in his fathers company. That all came crashing down the minute he did not show up to work earlier that week.
All Rin knew was that his family had cut him off, both his parents turned their backs on him. She had this feeling of dread the entire way over to his apartment. Tōga had taken away the penthouse. She kept glancing at her watch, knowing that it was getting later and later as she continued her commute.
Finally she reached Sesshomaru’s door, knocking before trying the knob. It was locked. He never kept it locked if he knew she was on her way. When he didn’t open the door, she tried again. No answer. She tried a third time but louder. Still, no answer. She frantically started looking in her purse for his spare key.
Only Rin knew where he lived, though she doubted that there was no way that Tōga would not keep an eye on Sesshomaru.
Her hands shaking as she tried to get the key in the lock. Her heart was racing, with no end in sight. She took a deep breath before trying again. She got the key in the lock, and as soon as she got the door open she noticed him.
Rin’s blood ran cold. His body lay on the floor, his skin was translucent and blue. She slammed the door shut, as everything in her hands clanked to the ground.
“Sesshomaru!” Her voice panicked, he didn’t even stir.
She shook him; he wasn’t waking up. Her fingers pressed on his pulse point under his jaw. There was no thump of his heart pumping blood through his veins, there was no warmth.
Her first call was to emergency services. She answered as many questions as she could while fighting back tears. Once they have arrived, paramedics told her he would be taken to Tokyo General. She got a ride with them in the ambulance, despite not being family. She managed to get Inuyasha to pick up the phone.
“Inuyasha, please, I need your help.”
“Rin? What is it?”
“It’s Sesshomaru. He overdosed and I found him.”
She heard his sigh from the other end of the phone. She knew as well as anyone the pain Sesshomaru had caused them.
“Rin, you’ve got to let him go. He’s just doing to keep dragging you down this road over and over again.”
She let her tears fall. It pained her that Inuyasha, the boy who once idolized his brother is now turning his back on him. She was angry over the lack of support. Her mind was reeling at the prospect that she just found her best friend unconscious.
“I’m really sorry, I can’t go through this again,” Regret heavy in his voice. He mumbled out a goodbye before hanging up the phone.
The paramedics looked at her with pity. She knew how she looked. Her face was red from her sadness with tear tracks down her cheeks.
She loved an addict and anyone with a brain could have told her she couldn’t save him. The paramedics yelling that they were losing him brought her out of her thoughts. Her ears were ringing as she tried to keep her grasp on reality.
Having been hung up on by the one person she thought would help her, Rin felt lost. As soon as the ambulance arrived, they were rushing Sesshomaru to an operating room.
Her best friend might not even make it through the night and she had no one to turn to.
She followed along, numb. The waiting room was empty. And she was left alone with her phone and her thoughts. In a moment of weakness, she was dialing the only other number who might help.
“Hello?” The deep voice traveled through the phone. He sounded tired. Rin hadn’t spoken to the Taishō’s since Sesshomaru went to rehab this last time.
“Mr. Taishō, it’s me… Rin..”
“Oh, Rin, how are you, my dear?”
“I need your help and I have no one else to turn to.”
“Are you in trouble? What’s wrong?”
“It’s not me, I’m at the hospital… Sesshomaru…” She broke down in tears, not being able to get her sentences out.
Tōga remained silent waiting for her to continue.
“I found him and he wasn’t breathing. I’m so sorry I didn’t know who else to call.”
Rin had been Sesshomaru’s best friend since they were ten. She was the only one who was able to get through his bad attitude to form a relationship with him. For that, Tōga was grateful to her, but he wished she’d stop wasting her time on his son.
“I’ll be there.”
It had been 30 minutes before Tōga found her, she looked so broken. He pulled her into his arms, trying to soothe the girl who had become like a daughter to him.
She cried into his chest. Mumbling about how scared she was and they might not be able to save him.
The hours ticked by, Rin had cried herself to sleep. Tōga just held her. He knew she had no family left, Sesshomaru was all she had and when she chose him, his family had pulled away.
“Ms. Nakamura?”
Rin was still asleep, and he didn’t have the heart to wake her.
“Yes. This is her. I’m Tōga Taishō, the patients father.”
Tōga held out his hand to shake. The name alone is enough to turn heads.
“Ah, yes, Mr. Taishō. I am Dr. Sato. You can follow me to his room if you wish.”
He nudged Rin awake, she slowly blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She vaguely heard the doctor tell them to follow him.
When they reached Sesshomaru’s room, she felt a fresh round of tears flow. He looked so fragile. His silver hair was matted from sweat. He was asleep, but she knew if he looked at her his Amber eyes would hold the same dull look he always got when he was using.
Meekly, she asked, “Can I sit with him?”
The doctor nodded opting to talk to Tōga instead. The two men watched her take his hand. She held no malice in her actions, just sadness, she cried for her friend.
“He’s very lucky to have a partner who cares like her. Addicts often are not successful without a good support system.”
“They aren’t together. She’s been a friend of the family since they were children.”
“Still, he’s lucky to have her,” Dr. Sato opened Sesshomaru’s chart, “If she arrived just a little later, he would not have made it. Anyways, I can’t be certain what was in his system before the Toxicity screening comes back. My guess is it was a litany of drugs.”
Tōga nodded his head, wondering how his son even go to this point. Sesshomaru was his pride and joy, his first born.
“I’ll leave you two to sit with him for a bit, but she’s not family so unfortunately they won’t let her in if she’s by herself.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying make sure a member of the family is always with her so she can visit him. If he wakes up alone, it could be detrimental. As is, he’s going to be in a lot of pain from withdrawal when he awakes.”
The two said their goodbyes, and Tōga said his thank you’s for helping his son.
When Sesshomaru woke up, he groaned. Everything hurt. Rin gripped his hand tighter, she only let go when he let out a pained hiss.
“Oh, Sesshomaru! You’re alive. Do you remember what happened?”
“Hnn.” Of course he remembered.
Sesshomaru’s eye drifted behind Rin to his father standing in the corner.
“What is he doing here, Rin?”
Rin went to talk but Tōga cut her off.
“I’m bailing my son out of his [games once again].”
“Actually, Sessh, I called him..”
He ripped his hand out of Rin’s with what little strength he had left. Worry etched itself onto face as she watched him subtly struggle to catch his breath after such a quick movement.
“You shouldn’t have called anyone.”
“Sessh, I think you should come live with me for a little bit, my roommate just moved out and I haven’t found anyone to replace her.”
“Is he paying you to pity me?”
She knew why he was asking. In the past Tōga has had to spend a lot of money to keep Sesshomaru’s name out of tabloids.
“What? No! I just want to help.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Before she could speak Tōga interjected, “Rin give us the room please.”
She wordlessly got up and nodded. She saw the look Tōga had in his eyes, he pitied her. She was fighting a losing battle.
She shut the door behind her and went to find a chair to sit on.
“What do you want, Father?”
Sesshomaru avoided his father’s eyes. He knows what he’ll find. The same look everyone gives him: pity, anger, mild disgust.
“You’re going to listen to me, carefully, Sesshomaru, because this is the last time I ever help you. You will be going to an inpatient rehab facility, you will have no phone, no funds, nothing. You will be lucky to have Rin. After that you will be attending therapy regularly and you are to move in with her, and she will update me on your progress.”
“Stop treating me like a child.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
When he moved to leave, he looked at his son one more time, “You should be thankful to her. Without her, you’d be dead.”
Sesshomaru almost wished he was. As soon as he woke up the memories from earlier in the week came flooding back.
[Kagura. She left him for the final time.]
When Tōga caught up to Rin, he informed her they were leaving. He brought her to the manor, intending on including her in their family meeting.
She shyly walked behind him. Izayoi and Inuyasha were home, as well as a girl Rin didn’t recognize but assumed she was Inuyasha’s girlfriend.
In the midst of Tōga explaining what happened and how they were going to proceed. Inuyasha pipped in.
“You’re not going to help that bastard again, are you?”
The girl, who Rin had learned her name was Kagome, was quick to try to quiet him.
“Inuyasha, that’s your brother,” Izayoi was stern in her retort. But she remained the pinnacle of softness to Rin, who she had wrapped into her side. Like a mother with their young child.
“Settle down Inuyasha. Sesshomaru needs a support system and we have not been there for him. Rin, has done everything in her power to help him.
She clung to Izayoi’s arms. She couldn’t believe the malice Inuyasha held in his heart.
“Rin, you and I will go to Sesshomaru’s apartment and clean it out. We will move any clothing and bedroom furniture to your apartment. If you find any drugs get rid of them.”
Tōga pinched the bridge of his nose trying to fight off an oncoming migraine.
“When the hospital discharges him, he will be admitted to an inpatient rehab facility. And will stay until he’s proven himself capable.”
“Hang on a second. Where’s Kagura?” Inuyasha was the only one genuinely surprised she wasn’t there.
“Kagura won’t be coming around anymore.”
Rin didn’t like the idea of outing Sesshomaru’s personal business to his family, however she knew that it most likely would set him off if one of them were to say it in front of him.
“Good riddance to that gold digger..”
“Kagome!”
Kagome had the nerve to at least look guilty for her comment. But it remained unspoken that she was right. Kagura never cared about Sesshomaru, his money was the only reason she was able to look past his bad attitude. In truth though, no of them knew how their relationship functioned. Sesshomaru refused to bring her to family gatherings.