On the Outside by SunsetMiko

Consequences

Chapter 38 - Consequences

*Torn Apart* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

"I can't very well suspend half the school, Mr. Taisho" the principal exclaimed.

"Suspend? They should be expelled! Do you know what they did to my son?" the inu taiyoukai practically screamed. "He has a broken arm and a shattered hip. He has seven broken ribs and a punctured lung! They broke his orbital bones. He was nearly blinded on one side. They had to remove half his liver and his spleen to keep him from bleeding to death!"

"Won't they grow back?" the principal asked on reflex, instantly regretting his question as he saw the rage on the father's face.

"That is not the point!"

"I understand, Mr. Taisho, and I apologize, but I cannot prove who participated in the assault."

"I can! Sesshoumaru and Kagome made a list of everyone they saw. The police have all of the students' cell phones and are reviewing the video. They took video while they brutalized my boy." Mr. Taisho handed over the list and the principal sighed at the length of it. "If these students are not dealt with appropriately, I promise you, I will own this school by the time my lawyers are finished with you."

The principal didn't doubt the truth of that statement. Already, the ringleaders had been arrested and charged with assault. The school was being decimated in the media and already many parents had pulled their children from the bad press alone.

"I am sorry for what happened, but did you not think that something like this might occur when you enrolled your son here?"

"Did I think he would be beaten within an inch of his life? No, I didn't consider that a possibility. Are you saying I should have?!" The outrage in the father's voice was palpable, and the principal leaned back slightly, nervous about this situation escalating.

"No, of course not, but are there not special schools for hanyou?"

"I should not have to ship my boy off to boarding school because of the bigotry and hatred of others. I was assured of his safety when he was enrolled here, by you!"

*Infectious Void* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

It was true. The principal had promised that Inuyasha would be safe there. He had expected bullying, but a serious assault? He'd never thought his students would be so vicious. He was shocked by the severity of the hanyou's injuries and knew he was lucky it wasn't worse. If Kagome and Sesshoumaru hadn't stopped it when they did, he might have had a murder on his campus. The school would never recover from this. They were supposed to be the best in the area, the best in academics, in sports, and in extracurricular activities, but from now on they would be known only for this.

"I promise you, these students will be dealt with," he said while looking over the list, mentally wincing as he recognized the names of a few of his star students and athletes. He couldn't understand why some of them would have participated in such a thing, except that hatred was infectious. The ringleaders of the situation had started a gang mentality that the others had gone along with. It was easy for the group to go too far, as each individual saw themselves as only doing something small, something excusable.

"They had better be or my lawyer will be contacting you. He probably will anyway," Mr. Taisho said before leaving the office, opening the door with such force that it bounced off the wall and slammed behind him.

Once he was sure the angry taiyoukai was gone, the principal held down the button for his intercom. "Akemi, I have a list for you. I need the records pulled for all of the students on the list and I'll need to see them with their parents one by one."

He was not looking forward to this, but he knew he had to do it. If the students went unpunished, not only would they never learn that what they'd done was unacceptable, but also the media would never let go of it. This was going to be a long, tedious, and torturous process because he knew the parents of these students would defend their actions, no matter how wrong they were. Hanyou were not well liked by anyone and the parents would not allow their children to be suspended or expelled over this without a fight.

He couldn't believe this had happened on school grounds. Why had the chaperones not noticed what was happening when it was happening? Why had they not seen the hanyou being dragged out of the gymnasium? This entire situation could have been avoided, if only someone was paying attention, if only someone had cared.