"Oh what is this?" Keiko asked, as she observed Megumi's brown teddy
bear floating down the hallway, from Megumi's room to her playpen in the
living room. As she watched, the stuffed toy glided gently into her
daughter's waiting arms. "Megumi did you do that?" The little girl looked
at her mama, a great big smile drew across her face, and she started
laughing. "Wait until daddy gets home, we tell him the news." Just as
Keiko said that, she heard a key turning the lock on the front door. "Hey,
Yusuke, I got something to show you." He walks into the living room,
giving Keiko a hug and a kiss. "What's up?" "I'll show you." Keiko
walked up to the playpen and picked up the teddy bear. She walked to the
end of the hallway with the bear, and stood before the door to Megumi's
bedroom. "Watch." Holding the bear loosely in her hands, she grabbed
Megumi's attention. Megumi looked her mother's way and held out her arms.
She watched as the bear left her arms; floating its way down the hallway,
back into the child's arms. "How did she do that?" "I think she has some
telekinesis. I think she got it from you." "How about that, well," Yusuke
chuckled, picking up his daughter, "I guess you are becoming more like your
old man, Miss." "So how was your first day?" "It was good, feels weird,
working for Saranaski Junior High. Our principal is now my boss. I used
to hate the teachers there. Who would have guessed 8 years later, I would
be one." "You teach gym though, right?" asked Keiko. "Martial Arts
actually. Since I have learned what I know from Master Genkai, I did offer
to teach these kids how to fight and protect themselves." "That's
outstanding, I am glad you found your calling. You know what, I may have a
position." Yusuke's eyes widened, "Really, where at?" "The library, I
applied over there last week, and got a call for an interview today.
Wednesday at noon, I am supposed to meet with them." "What is the
position?" "Shelving, stacking, cataloging, check-out." "You mean like a
librarian?" "Something like that." "I hope you get it. I." Yusuke's
voice became interrupted by a strange knock at the front door. He handed
Megumi over to Keiko quickly opened the door. To his surprise, Atsuko was
standing there with a blank look on her face. "Mom, why are you here?"
She said nothing, but just collapsed into his arms. "Mom, what's wrong?"
Yusuke questioned, a startled look in his eyes. "I.I didn't know where
else to turn. I was so scared, I." Atsuko started hugging her son tight,
began sobbing. "What happened, did somebody hurt you? Where you mugged,
raped, what?" She shook her head. "I have just come from the doctor's. I
thought I was just going for my yearly physical. I.is Kurama home? I want
him to hear this, he being a med student." "I am sure he is, Atsuko, do
you want me to call him?"
Shizuru had just put her key in the lock of their apartment, when she began hearing the phone ring. She opened the door and ran from the living room into the kitchen. "Hello, oh Keiko its you. No, he not here yet, I just walk in the door myself. What? What's the matter with her? She wants us over there. Your place, right? He should be pulling in anytime now. I'll give him the message as soon as he arrives. Later." As she hung up the phone, she walked to the window of the apartment and looked out. Sure enough, she spotted Kurama's black Mazda truck pull into the lot. She opened the door, as she saw him park and start running to the complex. "Kurama, how was your." "Sorry can't talk now." He raced inside the apartment, slamming the bathroom door. "You okay?" Shizuru asked standing out in the hallway, upon hearing the sound of quick flowing urine pouring into the water in the toilet, she backed away, returning to the living room. After a bit he opened the door, flushing the toilet, and washing his hands in the sink. "I'm sorry, it's just I had tea earlier, and that stuff really passes through you. So what did you ask me?" "Well first I wanted to ask about your day, then tell you Yusuke wants you over at his house right now, said it was urgent." "How come?" "Well apparently Atsuko's over there, sounding desperate. Keiko didn't say why she was there." A puzzled look appeared in Kurama's eyes, as he and Shizuru walked out of the apartment together. "Should we take the car or the truck?" asked Shizuru. "The truck's low on fuel, I didn't have time to refuel, I about wet myself coming home." So Shizuru pulled out her keys, and the two got into her little red Honda. As she pulled out of parking lot, she asked again how Kurama's day was. "Well, it went smoothly, I am a freshman right now at Tokyo U. I started three of the five courses today. I go back tomorrow. All my courses are morning classes, so there is time to study in the afternoon. Also that time in the afternoon will allow me to work in the medical facility there on campus. So what about you?" "I had this couple in the office today. I kept counting my blessing we have this good marriage. I am wondering if their marriage would be even worth saving, these two would argue every five minutes. Worse yet, you know he's cheating on her. He will flat-out deny it, but." Shizuru sighed deeply, her voice trailing. "Geez, think I liked my day better. Well it looks like you have a tough case on your hands." He looked out his window, spotting the front of Yusuke's house. Shizuru pulled up to the curb beside the house. Kurama popped out his side door, then opened her door for her. "Thank you, Sir," she chimed, standing up and giving him a kiss. The couple walked up the sidewalk and Shizuru knocked on the front door. The door opened, and Keiko stood in the doorway looking nervous. At first, upon entering they didn't see Atsuko. "Where is she?" "She's in the Megumi's room. She asked to put Megumi to sleep. She will be out here shortly. Come on in." Keiko led the two into the living room. They found Yusuke hunched over on the floor, twiddling his thumbs. "It's been a long time since I have seen her this upset. The last time was 8 years ago when I died." "You mean Atsuko." "Yes, she comes over here, the first thing she does is cry, but I don't know the reason." Atsuko wandered back into the room and sat in the center of the room. "Okay, I am glad you are gathered here," Atsuko said, looking at all four of them. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I went to the doctor's today for my annual physical. Everything was going fine, until he checked over my breasts. He told me he felt lumps. They were about the size of peas, but they were there. So the doctor asked to run a mammogram and a biopsy on me. After the tests, he had me wait in the lounge. What seemed like a couple of hours, felt like forever. Then he calls me back in the office. I see this frown on his face. He tells me the tests came back positive. I have c.c." She began sobbing again, unable to complete her sentence. Kurama nodded his head, understanding her situation. "How did this happen?" questioned Yusuke in a sullen voice. "I must have inherited it." "But from whom. Grandma doesn't have it?" "Not your grandma no, but my grandmother did. I was hoping I wouldn't get it. It must have skipped a generation." "What happened to her?" "She died from it, and it happened on the same night I gave birth to you."
Shizuru had just put her key in the lock of their apartment, when she began hearing the phone ring. She opened the door and ran from the living room into the kitchen. "Hello, oh Keiko its you. No, he not here yet, I just walk in the door myself. What? What's the matter with her? She wants us over there. Your place, right? He should be pulling in anytime now. I'll give him the message as soon as he arrives. Later." As she hung up the phone, she walked to the window of the apartment and looked out. Sure enough, she spotted Kurama's black Mazda truck pull into the lot. She opened the door, as she saw him park and start running to the complex. "Kurama, how was your." "Sorry can't talk now." He raced inside the apartment, slamming the bathroom door. "You okay?" Shizuru asked standing out in the hallway, upon hearing the sound of quick flowing urine pouring into the water in the toilet, she backed away, returning to the living room. After a bit he opened the door, flushing the toilet, and washing his hands in the sink. "I'm sorry, it's just I had tea earlier, and that stuff really passes through you. So what did you ask me?" "Well first I wanted to ask about your day, then tell you Yusuke wants you over at his house right now, said it was urgent." "How come?" "Well apparently Atsuko's over there, sounding desperate. Keiko didn't say why she was there." A puzzled look appeared in Kurama's eyes, as he and Shizuru walked out of the apartment together. "Should we take the car or the truck?" asked Shizuru. "The truck's low on fuel, I didn't have time to refuel, I about wet myself coming home." So Shizuru pulled out her keys, and the two got into her little red Honda. As she pulled out of parking lot, she asked again how Kurama's day was. "Well, it went smoothly, I am a freshman right now at Tokyo U. I started three of the five courses today. I go back tomorrow. All my courses are morning classes, so there is time to study in the afternoon. Also that time in the afternoon will allow me to work in the medical facility there on campus. So what about you?" "I had this couple in the office today. I kept counting my blessing we have this good marriage. I am wondering if their marriage would be even worth saving, these two would argue every five minutes. Worse yet, you know he's cheating on her. He will flat-out deny it, but." Shizuru sighed deeply, her voice trailing. "Geez, think I liked my day better. Well it looks like you have a tough case on your hands." He looked out his window, spotting the front of Yusuke's house. Shizuru pulled up to the curb beside the house. Kurama popped out his side door, then opened her door for her. "Thank you, Sir," she chimed, standing up and giving him a kiss. The couple walked up the sidewalk and Shizuru knocked on the front door. The door opened, and Keiko stood in the doorway looking nervous. At first, upon entering they didn't see Atsuko. "Where is she?" "She's in the Megumi's room. She asked to put Megumi to sleep. She will be out here shortly. Come on in." Keiko led the two into the living room. They found Yusuke hunched over on the floor, twiddling his thumbs. "It's been a long time since I have seen her this upset. The last time was 8 years ago when I died." "You mean Atsuko." "Yes, she comes over here, the first thing she does is cry, but I don't know the reason." Atsuko wandered back into the room and sat in the center of the room. "Okay, I am glad you are gathered here," Atsuko said, looking at all four of them. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I went to the doctor's today for my annual physical. Everything was going fine, until he checked over my breasts. He told me he felt lumps. They were about the size of peas, but they were there. So the doctor asked to run a mammogram and a biopsy on me. After the tests, he had me wait in the lounge. What seemed like a couple of hours, felt like forever. Then he calls me back in the office. I see this frown on his face. He tells me the tests came back positive. I have c.c." She began sobbing again, unable to complete her sentence. Kurama nodded his head, understanding her situation. "How did this happen?" questioned Yusuke in a sullen voice. "I must have inherited it." "But from whom. Grandma doesn't have it?" "Not your grandma no, but my grandmother did. I was hoping I wouldn't get it. It must have skipped a generation." "What happened to her?" "She died from it, and it happened on the same night I gave birth to you."