Chapter 24 - Chapter 20

“Congratulation!” Hatori stood up and walked over and hugged me. I was too shocked to say anything. H stood and looked at me for a moment, “Ku? Did you hear me? Are you ok?”



“No.” I whispered.



“No, what?”



“No, I can't be pregnant. I don't want to be. I don't want it. I'm not ok. I'm not happy. And I don't want this child. It's not mine. I don't want it. Please, take it away.”



“Ummmmm, Ku, you can't just decide like that.”



“Yes, I can. I just did, so I can.”



“Well, you shouldn't. You need to talk to Shigure about this. It's a big decision. You can't just say no, just like that. This is something you and Shigure need to discuss, as a couple.”



I blinked back tears, yet they still rolled down my face, splashing onto my lap. Hatori sat next to me, and put his arm around me. “It's because of Akito, and what he would say, isn't it?”



I nodded.



***



“Kuroumo? Kuroumo, where are you?” Called a woman, not much more than 30. She had short dark hair, and was dressed in a smart suit. She sat and waited until a young girl entered the room. The girl was only 7, and had long dark hair, and big brown eyes. She wore a pretty pink dress, and looked at the woman.



“Yes, mother, you called me?” she said in a small voice. She was scared of the mother whom she felt held no love for her.



Her mother smiled, “I have some excellent news, child.”



Kuroumo looked at her, wide-eyed.



“I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mother, and this time he'll be a boy, and he'll be perfect, and I will love him.”





Kuroumo just stood there, fully aware that her mother would now not need her again. She turned, and walked out of the room, not looking back. When she was out of earshot, she said to herself, in a small voice, “You already have a child, mother. You already have a child, and you do not love her.” She walked down the corridor, tears dripping down her face.



***



I left Hatori's house, declining his offer of a lift home. I hurriedly walked through the estate, and into the woods. It was dark, the sun having long ago set, and I let my feet guide me, as I was preoccupied by other thoughts. My world was spiralling out of control, and I couldn't stop it.



As I was thinking, I tripped on a root, and fell to the ground. Failing to stop myself, I fell, and landed with a crash, with nothing protecting my belly. My first thoughts were of it, and I knew that what had just happened was a bad thing, especially for a developing foetus.



I sat for a moment, trying to regain my balance, and stood once more, holding onto a tree. The fall had knocked the wind out of me, and made me feel quite ill. I grabbed my stomach, as if to steady myself, and continued through the forest, gladdened when I could finally see the lights of the house in the distance. As I got closer to the house, I felt convulsions running through my stomach, and I was nearly doubling over in pain. It was all I could do to heave myself up the stairs, and it was just as I reached the front door that I could no longer move. I sat on the floor, and screamed as the pain racked through my body.



Yuki came running out and I quickly ordered him to phone Hatori at once. God knows where Shigure was.



I sat outside for what felt like hours, with Yuki sitting beside me, soothing me, and Tohru bringing me water, and the occasional damp cloth. Kyo stood to one side, looking awkward. I heard the car pull up, and waited as I heard Hatori running over to us. He took one look at me, and I knew what he was about to say, so I stopped him.



“I fell, on the way home…landed…” I indicated my stomach, “Hurts here, really hurts.” He took a quick look at me, and gently touched my stomach, before turning to Yuki.



“She's bleeding internally, so I need to get her inside and lie her down. I'm going to need things to keep her warm; I'm going to need a bowl of warm water, and a few clean clothes and towels. I also need some bowels. Get this sorted out you three. And where's that damn Shigure when you need him.”



We heard him before we saw him, he seemed to be singing. Hatori called out to him, “Shigure?”



“Ah, yes, dear friend, it is I. What a pleasure it is to see you. What are you doing here?”



“For once in your life, I need you to shut up, and not be squeamish. Help me lift Kuro into the house.”



I could tell that Shigure was about to ask why, but when he saw me lying on the floor, and sweating like a horse, he immediately did as he was told. Together they carried me into the house, and laid me beside the stuff that the kids had prepared for us. “What are you going to do?” Shigure asked Hatori.



“Operate.”



“What? Here?”



“Yes.”



“Oh, ok then.”



“Ku, I am going to give you an anaesthetic. Ok? Just close your eyes, and get ready to sleep.”



I did as he said, and the last thing I heard before I shut down was Shigure, asking Hatori if he always carried such things around with him. I smiled, and then was out of it.



*



Ku lay on the floor in the lounge, looking pale and small. As Hatori quickly began to work around her, doing his best, Shigure flitted around in the background. Hatori finally said what was going on, and told Shigure that Ku was in fact pregnant, and at current moment bleeding internally from a fall, that had probably killed the developing foetus.



Shigure listened to all this, with shock registering on his face. “Who was the father?”



“Who do you think?” Hatori said sarcastically.



He worked well into the night, doing his best for his cousin. When he at last sat up, he was utterly exhausted, and he yawned deeply, before turning to Shigure. “I've done all I can. The foetus is dead. It was less than a month old.”



Shigure nodded his understanding.



“Can I borrow your couch for the night?”



Shigure nodded again, and as Hatori settled onto the couch for the night, Shigure crept closer to Kuro, and stroked her cheek gently, before stretching himself out beside her, his arms around her. He then closed his eyes, and felt into an emotionally exhausted sleep.

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