I don't own anything!

Uozumi

Guilt

Case #11

"I never would have suspected Sango to want to be cremated."

Miroku jumped slightly, then nodded, "Kikyô, when did you come?"

"Just now, I snuck out," she brushed if off lightly as he, she, the nurses, and all the other patients including Kagome and Inu-Yasha stood around a small grave plot.

Miroku would have reprimanded her, but it was Kikyô and Kikyô did what Kikyô thought was best regardless of what she would suffer later. He knew that Sango would appreciate Kikyô's presence - actually, she would appreciate everyone's presence at her funeral.

If only the day wasn't so sunny…

Closing his eyes, Miroku wiped his eyes. It wasn't fair at all, but somehow everything had worked out. Somehow, everyone had won in a sense. In that weird sense…

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he went to say something to the young woman beside him, but only a shuddered gasp came out. Before he could manage words, Kikyô had wrapped him into a hug.

"Hey, doctor, it's okay. You can cry. I'd cry too, but I just don't cry," she murmured. "You'll be fine, we'll all be fine. Everyone will move on, and we'll always remember her, and the pain will ebb."

He nodded, pulling away, "I - I want to say something to her, but I can't."

Kikyô's eyes softened for the first time in his presence, her face displaying her emotions, making her look more human. "That's right, she's not here, but when you see her again, you can tell her that I miss her, and that I hope she's happy."

He stared.

She just returned to her indifference, "Now, if you excuse me, they'll be after me soon," and then she walked away back towards the hospital.

"Can we do anything?"

"No," Miroku shook his head as Kagome pursed her lips. "There's nothing you can do."

"Dr. Miroku, I - I hope you'll move on," she offered awkwardly. "I mean, you and Sango could never admit what Rin kept saying, but it was true, wasn't it? You and she loved each other, right?"

Miroku paused, then nodded, "Yeah, I suppose we did." Kagome's presence stuck out to him, he shut his eyes, standing before the grave, hands clasped in front of him.

"Can you leave me alone?"

Kagome paused, then nodded, "Inu-Yasha and I have to go back home anyway.

"Perhaps we'll see each other under better circumstances."

Miroku nodded, but didn't look up, or make a motion after their car pulled away, leaving him alone in the graveyard, facing a grave, trying to make up for all the pain and the fact that none of Sango's family had shown.

"Goddammit, Sango, I'm sorry. I - I wish that I could do something for you. I wish that this had never happened, I -"

"I'm sorry."

Miroku looked over his shoulder, tears streaming. Wiping them, he straightened slightly, turning towards the owner of the voice. "It's - it's not your fault."

The young woman with mid-neck length hair studied him, her piercing blue eyes taking him in, "You're crying!"

"Of course!"

She held his gaze, then rushed forward to embrace him, "I'm - I'm so sorry, doctor, I - I -" and then she too was crying.

"It's okay, Sango, it all worked out, didn't it?"

The young woman looked up at him, the face he knew changed by the hair and the contacts. Her expression was pained, but then it morphed into reproach, "I'm Naoko, fool."

Miroku smiled, then kissed her forehead, "Yes, I know you are now, but in my heart you will always be Sango."

THE END