by Star Mirage
The standard disclaimer - YYH belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and etc.
Author's note: Spetial thanks to Bianka Lanon for correcting my fic! Any comments are welcome!
Part 1
It was Kurama's birthday... Well, more exacly, it was Minamino Shuichi's 18th birthday. The celebratory party was held at home. Present were Kurama's ningen family (mother, stepfather and stepbrother) and his close friends (Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko,Yukina, Shizuru, Botan and Koenma). Kurama even managed to drag Hiei on his party. Shiori and her husband soon left, needing to sleep sometime, with Hatanaka Shuichi. The other company remained late until midnight. Though some people (like Hiei and Yuusuke) got drunk before then.
When the time has came to part ways, Kurama lowered himself to Hiei's ear and whispered.
"Will you stay with me tonight, Hiei?"
"Hn, I have one business to do first." Te youkai looked significantly at the koorime-girl.
"But Kuwabara will take Yukina home. You don't have to follow her."
"Hn, I don't trust that jerk."
"Ok, Hiei. I understand. Go, just come back fast. I'll be waiting for you. I want to tell you something."The youkai cast a suspicious look at the youko and flitted out. The visitors said goodbye to Kurama and left. Keiko had to drag the drunk Yuusuke. Kuwabara has went with Yukina.
It was dark and late. They went slowly, talking, Kuwabara leading to Genkai's temple, where Yukina lived.
Outside of their visibility range, they were followed by Hiei.
For some reason Hiei was dizzy. The legs acted strangely: his knees aspired to double up under him. He didn't dare risk flitting about the trees in such condition because the youkai wasn't sure whether he'd be able to grab each branch. Besides, when he tried to use his light-speed quickness, right away he began to feel sick; spasmes were tightening up his stomach and a lump rose in his throat. So the fire demon decided to follow his sister on foot, skilfully masked behind the trees that grew on both parties of the path.
'I'm drunk', thought a small youkai crossly. 'I'm soooo drunk! And it's all your... hic... your fault, fox. You are the one... hic... who made me feel so fuddled... Uuuuh, stupid baka...'
While Hiei was cursing all the sake that he drank throughout the whole party, Yukina and Kuwabara went ahead, not suspecting anything about his presence. They began to cross a highway; or rather Kuwabara crossed the road, but the girl, pulling her hand out from his hold, has stopped on the other side of the road.
The highway was wide, and Yukina still was afraid to cross large, noisy, human roads. They are so unpredictable!
"Go! Yukina-san!" Kuwabara waved by his hand from the other side of the road. "Come here, Yukina-san!"
With much fear, she stepped on the roadway and quickly followed Kazuma's call. But, frightened, the koorime-girl forgot to look on the oncoming traffic. There was a car driving with tremendous speed in the girl's direction.
"NO! YUKINA-SAAAAAN!!!" Kuwabara shouted desperately. He rushed towards to the girl, but the machine was faster...
Hiei cast up his head sharply as he heard Kuwabara's shout and his eyes became wide with horror. Not deliberating, he rushed forward and was just in time to push Yukina away from the road and directly into the embrace of Kuwabara, who had rushed to aid her.
In the following instant, the impact was audible. The youkai was lifted up like a feather, thrown over the car's bumper and was knocked heavily against the surface of the moving car. Then with a indistinct sound as his body fell to the ground...
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Yukina-san, are you all right?" A bit frightened, Kuwabara turned pale.
The girl was moved and noded silently.At that moment, the mad screech of brakes was audible, and the car, which threatened to bring the girl down, stopped, leaving traces of burning tires on the asphalt. Yukina and Kuwabara simultaneously cast a glance at the car and then to the opposite side. There, outstretched on the asphalt, laid a small figure in black. With a shout, Yukina escaped from Kuwabara's arms and rushed to the motionless body.
"HIEI-SAAAN!!!"
The fire demon laid on a one side. His clothes were torn up in some places. Scratches were easily seen on the fire demon's deathly pale face and hands. And from a corner of his thin lips, the blood trickled down. Crying, Yukina knelt down beside him, quickly collecting her you-ki for inspection of the youkai.
Hiei looked terrible. Within seconds, she knew all about the fire demon's condition. The prognosis was dark: two broken ribs, broken ankle, a wound on his chest, plus a lot of excoriations and scratchs. But the worse of all was the concussion of his brain. Even if Yukina could treat different wounds, than she had no concept how to cure a concussion.
Sobbing, she tried to heal his broken ribs. Right then, Kuwabara and the
driver that had hit Hiei came running up to her."Oh, no..! Oh, my God..! I didn't want to... I didn't want to hurt him..!" the distracted driver shouted. "He needs to be taken in hospital urgently!"
"No, to the Genkai Shihan's Temple," Yukina said, barely audible.Despite of all his short-sightedness Kuwabara immediately understood what Yukina meant. Yes, she was right. Hiei could not be carried to the hospital. Their doctors would know in a second that Hiei wasn't human if they took a blood sample. And that his third eye...
"Would you help us to carry our friend to the temple?" Kuwabara asked the driver. "They will take care of him."
"But... It is better to bring him to a hospital," the man objected.
"No. It's better to go to the temple," insisted the carrot-top boy. "And please, without disputes. Let's not throw away precious time."The driver agreed. With communal efforts, they placed Hiei on a forward seat, which the driver providently spread out. The youkai was quickly tied down to the seat with various belts to keep him immobile. Yukina and Kuwabara were placed on the back passenger seat of the car. The koorime-girl carefully straightened a bandage on Hiei's chest, which she made, tearing the bottom of her kimono.
The car raced on the address, specified by Kuwabara.
"Do you have a telephone in your car?" Kuwabara asked the driver. He silently gave the cell-phone to the boy and Kuwabara quickly dialed to Kurama.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Kurama had just finished washing up all the utensils, when the telephone rung out.
"Moshi-moshi?.. Kuwabara-san?.. Yes... WHAT?!.. Yes, I'll come now!"
The pale boy rushed into his room for money.
"Everyone's already left. So, how... Shuuichi, what happened?" Shiori looked at her son worriedly.
Kurama flung himself out of his room and rushed downwards.
"Sorry, kaasan. I have to go. Hiei's been hit by a car. I'm going to him..."Quickly, Kurama stopped, kissed kaasan on the cheek, and run out from house. Within two minutes, he managed to take a taxi to Genkai's temple, where, according to Kuwabara's message, Hiei would be brought...
End of part 1
© Star Mirage, December 19th, 1999