Maybe it's Not a Place...
Part: 1
By: Jean Lyons
Hello! Bet you didn't think I'd have my sequel up so soon!!! I'm very excited and hope I have just as many faithful reviewers as Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. If you haven't read my story, Where the Broken Heart Still Beats, I suggest you do so or there will be things you don't understand. Some things will not be explained very thoroughly because they were in Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. So, without further ado, Maybe it's Not a Place.
************************************************************************
"Katai," Kenshin whispered to his sleeping wife, "Wake up. It's late."
Katai woke with a start. She hurriedly got dressed, kissed Kenshin, hugged her children, and went outside and ran up the street to the home of her brothers. Only three of them lived there now. Tetsuya hadn't lived there in a little more than twenty years, as he had married Sayoko a long time ago. Rei, the one she'd gotten a lot closer to over the years, had died horribly from consumption. (A/n: I know they don't call it that now but this was a long time ago...Now it's Tuberculosis) She couldn't help but remember him sitting up all night coughing blood. He was in so much pain, it was a horrible sight, but there was nothing to be done to save him. Manatsu had died the same way. This was Katai's only sister. Toshiyuki, Morisato, and Tamiya had all gotten married and moved away with their families as Tetsuya had. There were only Keiichi, Akitaka, and Ryo. And Ryo was sick.
Kenshin watched Katai run up the street in wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how she never let her blindness get in her way. He remembered the accident. Or, rather, what he was told about the accident. He had been out of town at the time. Sano had insisted that he and Aoshi spent too much time at home and that they needed a break from their wives. Katai had agreed and insisted that Kenshin go with them. Kenshin was reluctant to leave her. She had finally gotten over her fears, and Kenshin was hoping he could stay home with her now because she was pregnant with their first child together at the time. Kenshin knew that unless he was there, she wouldn't hesitate to try to live as normal, and while normally Katai could fight well, climb well, etc., these things became more dangerous when one was pregnant, making them all the more appealing. Katai was a weird woman. In the end, however, she convinced him to go. He had been gone three days when Katai had gotten a notion to climb up on the roof to watch the stars one night. She was fine until she stood to get down. She tripped and fell hard on the ground. The child was killed and when she hit her head, permanent damage was done to her eyes and she couldn't see. Kenshin remembered coming back home and stopping to rest from the long journey in a sakura field. He was sitting under a tree alone when he saw Katai coming. He saw that she was having trouble walking and her foot was turned strangely and that her eyes were blank and staring. She stopped a few feet away from him. Her hair was a mess. Not at all the neat bun it was normally in. She was crying too. She was sobbing uncontrollably. "I sensed you were home." She choked out between sobs. After getting these words out, she had sobbed harder, making further speech impossible. "I'm sorry!" she managed to cry out. Kenshin remembered getting up from the ground and rushing to hold his sobbing wife. "What happened?" he whispered. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't get the words out. She just led him to their house, where there was a somber looking crowd. This included Misao, Megumi the doctor, Kenji, and Katai's brothers. Kenshin wondered why everyone was looking at them looking so sad. Megumi spoke up. "Has she said anything? We haven't heard a word from her since I told her." "Told her what?" Kenshin had said. "Well, there was an accident. She'll never be able to see again. And, Kenshin... the baby was killed." Kenshin remembered Katai's anguished sobs growing louder and his own joining them. Kenji, who was barely old enough to understand, had hugged them and said exactly what Katai would have said if it weren't her in that situation. "It's okay, Daddy and Katai." Maybe she wouldn't have called him daddy, but it's Kenji that actually said it, so...
Anywho, back to Katai running up the street to her brothers' house. Katai arrived there. She sensed that Ryo was still asleep. She went to his bedroom, where she often found herself these days. Ryo was sick, and until Megumi came back from visiting Sano, who'd gone back to China, there was no doctor. Kenshin had written to Megumi pleading with her to please come and help, but in her reply, she had said that she would see what she could do when she returned, but it would be awhile before she would have transportation to get there and that she was very sorry, Ken-san. Ryo slept most of the day, as usual. Katai stayed by his side all day and well into the night. She finally went home to find her three children asleep. Kenshin, however, was awake. She could sense him moving around the house. "Kenshin, what are you doing awake?"
"Waiting for you. You've been gone all day."
"I'm sorry, but Ryo's my brother. It's my job, as his sister, to make sure he gets well."
"What about your job as a wife? Or as a mother?"
"Well apparently I'm not too good at that."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I've let you all down so much; I don't know why you're still here..."
"You haven't let me down. Except that you haven't been here much lately."
"Kenshin, don't tell me you don't remember."
"How could I not remember? But that wasn't a let down, it was an accident. A very tragic accident. I was only glad I didn't lose you."
"But I've failed as a mother. Three times, I've failed."
"Three? Other than our three children we have now, you've only had two others, right? And I knew about them."
"There were three. You never knew about the first. Haven't you ever wondered about this?" she asked, showing him the familiar long scar across her stomach, which he had indeed wondered about a lot. "When I was twelve... It was just weeks after the first time. All I could feel was shame. I didn't want to live. So I..." Kenshin knew what she was trying to say. She had tried to kill herself unsuccessfully. His eyes widened in shock. "My brother found me. Ryo. He took me to a doctor and I was alright. But the doctor told me I'd killed my baby. I didn't even know I was pregnant. I didn't mean to, really I didn't." She was trying to convince herself, more than anything. Kenshin held her close. He understood, now, why she would feel she had failed. She had three of her six children die and she had been unable to do anything as she watched her brother and sister slowly deteriorate. She had felt helpless, Kenshin knew. He had been there with her, and while it truly was sad what was happening to her family, it pained him more to see what it was doing to Katai. He remembered how when he found that she was pregnant yet again, a year after the accident; he had refused to leave her side until their oldest son, Sei, was a year old. He couldn't bear to see Katai so upset and he loved his son more than anything just because he had made her so happy. Sei and Kenji and Katai were all his life revolved around. Their family grew. They had two other children. A boy named Akira and a girl named Harumi. The swell in his heart that came from seeing Katai so happy was punctured when Rei had become sick. Katai was an emotional wreck. They both felt so helpless. Katai because she could save him and Kenshin because he couldn't help her at all. She had become so depressed when Rei had finally died and then it was worse after Manatsu had died. He eventually pulled her out of her depression, but now Ryo was sick. It wasn't consumption, but something else. It was what Kaoru had had. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew in his heart that Ryo couldn't be helped. And Megumi would be there soon- tomorrow- to confirm it.
"Come, Katai. Let's go to sleep now. Megumi will be here tomorrow. Maybe she can help Ryo."
************************************************************************
*~*TBC*~*
Do you like it? I do. I think it might even be better than the other one.
Kaoru: It's not better. I'm still dead. And still here with this loon.
Mike: I'm not a loon! Come on! You love me!
Kaoru: **cries** No!!!!! I WANT MY KENSHIN!!!!!! Not stupid ol' Mike.
PS. babybluegoddess, (Is that right) I have to thank you for the most encouraging review I have ever received at the end of Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. I liked that a lot. Take notes, ppl! I like when you tell me specifically what you like... What do you think is funny or sweet or sad, etc?
Thank you to all of the reviewers from Where the Broken Heart Still Beats and I hope you all enjoy this!
Hello! Bet you didn't think I'd have my sequel up so soon!!! I'm very excited and hope I have just as many faithful reviewers as Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. If you haven't read my story, Where the Broken Heart Still Beats, I suggest you do so or there will be things you don't understand. Some things will not be explained very thoroughly because they were in Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. So, without further ado, Maybe it's Not a Place.
************************************************************************
"Katai," Kenshin whispered to his sleeping wife, "Wake up. It's late."
Katai woke with a start. She hurriedly got dressed, kissed Kenshin, hugged her children, and went outside and ran up the street to the home of her brothers. Only three of them lived there now. Tetsuya hadn't lived there in a little more than twenty years, as he had married Sayoko a long time ago. Rei, the one she'd gotten a lot closer to over the years, had died horribly from consumption. (A/n: I know they don't call it that now but this was a long time ago...Now it's Tuberculosis) She couldn't help but remember him sitting up all night coughing blood. He was in so much pain, it was a horrible sight, but there was nothing to be done to save him. Manatsu had died the same way. This was Katai's only sister. Toshiyuki, Morisato, and Tamiya had all gotten married and moved away with their families as Tetsuya had. There were only Keiichi, Akitaka, and Ryo. And Ryo was sick.
Kenshin watched Katai run up the street in wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how she never let her blindness get in her way. He remembered the accident. Or, rather, what he was told about the accident. He had been out of town at the time. Sano had insisted that he and Aoshi spent too much time at home and that they needed a break from their wives. Katai had agreed and insisted that Kenshin go with them. Kenshin was reluctant to leave her. She had finally gotten over her fears, and Kenshin was hoping he could stay home with her now because she was pregnant with their first child together at the time. Kenshin knew that unless he was there, she wouldn't hesitate to try to live as normal, and while normally Katai could fight well, climb well, etc., these things became more dangerous when one was pregnant, making them all the more appealing. Katai was a weird woman. In the end, however, she convinced him to go. He had been gone three days when Katai had gotten a notion to climb up on the roof to watch the stars one night. She was fine until she stood to get down. She tripped and fell hard on the ground. The child was killed and when she hit her head, permanent damage was done to her eyes and she couldn't see. Kenshin remembered coming back home and stopping to rest from the long journey in a sakura field. He was sitting under a tree alone when he saw Katai coming. He saw that she was having trouble walking and her foot was turned strangely and that her eyes were blank and staring. She stopped a few feet away from him. Her hair was a mess. Not at all the neat bun it was normally in. She was crying too. She was sobbing uncontrollably. "I sensed you were home." She choked out between sobs. After getting these words out, she had sobbed harder, making further speech impossible. "I'm sorry!" she managed to cry out. Kenshin remembered getting up from the ground and rushing to hold his sobbing wife. "What happened?" he whispered. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't get the words out. She just led him to their house, where there was a somber looking crowd. This included Misao, Megumi the doctor, Kenji, and Katai's brothers. Kenshin wondered why everyone was looking at them looking so sad. Megumi spoke up. "Has she said anything? We haven't heard a word from her since I told her." "Told her what?" Kenshin had said. "Well, there was an accident. She'll never be able to see again. And, Kenshin... the baby was killed." Kenshin remembered Katai's anguished sobs growing louder and his own joining them. Kenji, who was barely old enough to understand, had hugged them and said exactly what Katai would have said if it weren't her in that situation. "It's okay, Daddy and Katai." Maybe she wouldn't have called him daddy, but it's Kenji that actually said it, so...
Anywho, back to Katai running up the street to her brothers' house. Katai arrived there. She sensed that Ryo was still asleep. She went to his bedroom, where she often found herself these days. Ryo was sick, and until Megumi came back from visiting Sano, who'd gone back to China, there was no doctor. Kenshin had written to Megumi pleading with her to please come and help, but in her reply, she had said that she would see what she could do when she returned, but it would be awhile before she would have transportation to get there and that she was very sorry, Ken-san. Ryo slept most of the day, as usual. Katai stayed by his side all day and well into the night. She finally went home to find her three children asleep. Kenshin, however, was awake. She could sense him moving around the house. "Kenshin, what are you doing awake?"
"Waiting for you. You've been gone all day."
"I'm sorry, but Ryo's my brother. It's my job, as his sister, to make sure he gets well."
"What about your job as a wife? Or as a mother?"
"Well apparently I'm not too good at that."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I've let you all down so much; I don't know why you're still here..."
"You haven't let me down. Except that you haven't been here much lately."
"Kenshin, don't tell me you don't remember."
"How could I not remember? But that wasn't a let down, it was an accident. A very tragic accident. I was only glad I didn't lose you."
"But I've failed as a mother. Three times, I've failed."
"Three? Other than our three children we have now, you've only had two others, right? And I knew about them."
"There were three. You never knew about the first. Haven't you ever wondered about this?" she asked, showing him the familiar long scar across her stomach, which he had indeed wondered about a lot. "When I was twelve... It was just weeks after the first time. All I could feel was shame. I didn't want to live. So I..." Kenshin knew what she was trying to say. She had tried to kill herself unsuccessfully. His eyes widened in shock. "My brother found me. Ryo. He took me to a doctor and I was alright. But the doctor told me I'd killed my baby. I didn't even know I was pregnant. I didn't mean to, really I didn't." She was trying to convince herself, more than anything. Kenshin held her close. He understood, now, why she would feel she had failed. She had three of her six children die and she had been unable to do anything as she watched her brother and sister slowly deteriorate. She had felt helpless, Kenshin knew. He had been there with her, and while it truly was sad what was happening to her family, it pained him more to see what it was doing to Katai. He remembered how when he found that she was pregnant yet again, a year after the accident; he had refused to leave her side until their oldest son, Sei, was a year old. He couldn't bear to see Katai so upset and he loved his son more than anything just because he had made her so happy. Sei and Kenji and Katai were all his life revolved around. Their family grew. They had two other children. A boy named Akira and a girl named Harumi. The swell in his heart that came from seeing Katai so happy was punctured when Rei had become sick. Katai was an emotional wreck. They both felt so helpless. Katai because she could save him and Kenshin because he couldn't help her at all. She had become so depressed when Rei had finally died and then it was worse after Manatsu had died. He eventually pulled her out of her depression, but now Ryo was sick. It wasn't consumption, but something else. It was what Kaoru had had. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew in his heart that Ryo couldn't be helped. And Megumi would be there soon- tomorrow- to confirm it.
"Come, Katai. Let's go to sleep now. Megumi will be here tomorrow. Maybe she can help Ryo."
************************************************************************
*~*TBC*~*
Do you like it? I do. I think it might even be better than the other one.
Kaoru: It's not better. I'm still dead. And still here with this loon.
Mike: I'm not a loon! Come on! You love me!
Kaoru: **cries** No!!!!! I WANT MY KENSHIN!!!!!! Not stupid ol' Mike.
PS. babybluegoddess, (Is that right) I have to thank you for the most encouraging review I have ever received at the end of Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. I liked that a lot. Take notes, ppl! I like when you tell me specifically what you like... What do you think is funny or sweet or sad, etc?
Thank you to all of the reviewers from Where the Broken Heart Still Beats and I hope you all enjoy this!