Truth? 10

The glass doors slid swiftly on their tracks, making an entrance to the sterile room on the other side. A sudden cold, dry breeze hit his face. He took a deep breath of oxygen and antiseptic air mixture. The air was all-too-clean just like all the equipments, furniture and even the people working in the ward. Everything must be clean. He stepped inside. Behind him, the doors hissed as they automatically shut together.

Silence was another significant state at the ward, other than extreme cleanliness and thick air smelled of medicines. The only thing that produced sound in that certain ward was a heartbeat monitor. It was connected to the only patient in the ward. Faint. The crest of the heartbeat barely reached its point. The patient's heart was weak.

Ichigo sighed. His life was filled with sighs lately, he noticed it. It all started on one particular day and now, almost two months already. Rukia, Ryan, and Miu; all three that were important to him was taken away. One by one. He knew, he was the one to blame. If and only if he had told Rukia, things would definitely be different. How he wished that he could turn back the time.

The orange-haired doctor took a seat beside the coma haired woman. Miu had been in her deep slumber for a couple of days. Her cancer was spreading fast and now, it had taken control of her weak body. Doctor Nakashima already discussed with him to operate Miu to save the baby and she had asked Ichigo about Mr. Ishikawa. Ichigo knew, he could never escape with 'I'll-call-him' reason again. This time, he just shook his head while saying that Miu and her baby were under his custody. Dr. Nakashima seemed sceptical, but in order to save the baby and, hopefully, the mom too, she gave him the necessary documents.

Now, Miu was schedule to be operated in few hours. The carrot-top man felt useless. First it was Rukia, now Miu. Sometimes, Ichigo did wondered, why he was a doctor when he couldn't do anything for the ones he loved. Rukia, Ryuu and Miu. All three were hospitalised because of him. Things that he had done. The only thing that he could do now was prayed.

The automatic door hissed. It broke Ichigo's train of thought. He turned. Dr Nakashima and a handful of nurses entered. Ichigo stood as the doctor came by his side.

"Dr Kurosaki, did you contact Mr. Ishikawa yet?" for the hundredth time she asked. She knew that the orange-top male beside her will shook his head. No. The answer never changed from the first time she asked him that particular question.

"Why?"

The Kurosaki just shook his head, trying to avoid that question. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to speak about it, not now. Dr. Nakashima felt slightly irritated but she shrugged it off. He can answer that question some other time. What are important right now are Miu's health and her baby. The woman must get ready for her major operation.

Both doctors watched nurses changed Miu's clothe to necessary garments. Checking her intravenous lines, her pulse and preparing her for the operation before reporting back to Dr Nakashima. They were ready to operate and save both mummy and baby.

Dr. Nakashima nodded. The nurses began pushing Miu out of the ICU and to the Operating Theatre on level six. Ichigo followed from behind, still shutting his mouth.

"Doctor, save her and the baby. They all I got now," he muttered.

"How about your wife and son? They are your family, Kurosaki. Did you forget that?" she asked quizzically.

"They left..." Dr. Nakashima was taken aback from his statement. "Just save them please," he added. His face suddenly turned sorrowful.

Dr. Nakashima let out a deep breath. "I'll try, doctor. Let's all hope for the best." Then, the midwife doctor entered the Operation Theatre, leaving Ichigo Kurosaki on the other side of the door.

Ichigo's gaze followed the doctor's figure. Inside his mind, he didn't stop praying for Miu, his best friend. When the doctor's frame finally vanished inside the operation room, Ichigo went to rows of blue waiting chairs. He slumped into one of the chair. He tried to focus his mind to what was happening right now. But, only God knows how in mess his mind was right now. Right now, he just wanted everything turned to normal. His life was a mess. Not a life that he had imagined once upon a time. Rukia left and Ryuu was taken away from him yesterday.

Flashback

Ichigo sat on blue colour plastic chair. Rukia was in front of him. Both of them were in the baby's ward, waiting for their son. Ryuu Ichiro Kurosaki finally discharged from the hospital since his health was improving really fast and he was exceptionally healthy for a premature baby.

"Rukia..." Ichigo broke the silence. Involuntarily, her head shot up. Midnight blue met amber. Quickly, she turned her gaze away.

She used to love his amber eyes, because they used to tell her what was in his mind. But now, she couldn't trust them. They had betrayed her.

"Rukia," he called again. Silence. Not a word muttered by the heir of Kuchiki.

"Rukia, please think about this again. At least about Ryuu's health," and he touched her palm.

It felt like an electric shock had been through her body by his gentle touch. It felt good, too. She really missed his touch, she couldn't deny it.

It was hard to keep her composure with her heart beating furiously inside her ribcage. She took a deep breath. "No, Ichigo," finally she muttered, trying as hard as she could not to let her voice cracked. "I don't want us to be together. Not after what you did. And, don't worry about Ryuu's health. We got the best doctor back in Soul Society. I don't want him to be hurt like you did to me, Ichigo."

"I promised I wouldn't do that again. I never meant for things to go this way, Rukia. I loved you and always will. Please stay. I can't live without you and our baby. Please… Just give me one more chance, and I'll prove it to you that I love you and only you."

"No, Ichigo. What I said is final. I don't want us to be together anymore. I don't care about us any longer! Please, just let me live my life peacefully with my son. You did this to me Ichigo. YOU!" her welled up tears finally rolled down, like tiny droplets of pearls.

"I know that and I'm truly sorry. Tell me what should I do? I'll make this up. I don't care if I have to battle with Aizen once again, but please, I need you!" It hurt him to see her cry. He made her cried; he was the one to be blame because he had broken her heart.

"No…" before she could go even further, a nurse entered, holding Ryuu in her arms.

"Er… Ma'am, Sir… Is everything alright?" asked the nurse as she witnessed the 'drama'.

Ichigo nodded, "Everything's fine. So, how's my son?" he asked. Rukia tried to pretend that everything was okay as she wiped away her tears.

"Ryuu, come to mommy, dear," she called and held out her arms for the baby. The nurse, named Toyoda, smiled as she handed the cloth-clad infant to his mother's hands. A smile replaced her tears as Rukia cradled little Ryuu Ichiro Kurosaki in her arms.

"He's doing really great, Sir, Ma'am. His health is improving very quickly. Oh, the doctor will be with you in few minutes. Excuse me," Toyoda went out of the room as her job was done, leaving the Kurosakis alone.

Kuchiki Rukia felt proud, too proud as she gave her son kisses on his fluffy cheeks. Ichigo also felt prideful. Now he had a son, he is the father of Kuchiki Rukia's baby.

"He's beautiful, right?" Ichigo muttered as he gently stroked their kid hair. Rukia nodded absent-mindedly; totally lost in her own world. Ichigo kissed the tiny hand as Rukia gently patted Ryuu on his buttocks. They were closed to each other, but it seemed that only the adult male realised it; and he wanted this to last forever...

A minute or two later, a slight knock was on the thick wooden door. Then, came Dr. Nakashima and Dr. Nakamura came in.

"So, how's the baby doing?" Dr. Nakashima, the mid-wife, asked friendly as her co-worker had his stethoscope in and was checking on the little Kurosaki's breathing.

"His breathing and heartbeats are normal. I guess, it's time for this little boy to back home," the paediatrician said with a heart-warming smile on his face.

Both Ichigo and Rukia smiled; what a relief.

"But there are things that both of you might take precautions on handling him. A premature baby isn't like normal ones, and I think you already knew this, Dr. Kurosaki," said Dr. Yuichi Nakamura.

Rukia glanced at Ichigo, and yup, he was nodding to their son's doctor statement.

"Just make sure that this boy has his medicines everyday to improve his lungs capacity. If it's possible, don't let him bath regularly. Maybe once every two days. We don't want this boy to get too close with cold. Make sure that he has his full clothes on whenever you wanted to bring him out. Cold and dust can be extremely dangerous for him since his lungs aren't so good yet. But don't worry, he'll be a strong boy in no time," explained the handsome-looking doctor.

"Alright," Ichigo muttered.

"Dr. Kurosaki, here are the list of his medicines and your wife's too. Take them at the pharmacy; I already informed them. And the bills are ready for you to sign," said Dr. Nakashima as she handed a small stack of documents to him.

Ichigo signed at several places in the documents before handing them back to the doctor. It was time to go home.

"Thank you for everything, Dr. Nakashima, Dr Nakamura," all of them stood up. Ichigo shook hands with both doctors, so did Rukia. Then, the three Kurosakis walked towards the door.

"Oh, Dr. Kurosaki, before I forget, if Ryuu's got any difficulties or complication in breathing, make sure you bring him to the hospital as quickly as possible," advice the paediatrician.

"Thanks," and they both disappeared behind the door.

Both of them walked to a certain office in the huge, twisted hospital walkways. Ichigo tried to start a conversation, but Rukia was too immersed in their baby's world. She was smiling and happy. Emotion that he had never saw for almost a couple of months. If she's happy, then he's happy too, even if he will be left alone after this.

Ichigo turned the knob to his office. "Get some rest first. I'll be back with your and his medicines, okay?" "Okay," she replied. She entered Ichigo's office as the man closed the door.

The medium sized office was neat and tidy. It was just like Ichigo and it had his smell too. Soothing and calming. Rukia went to the couch as she placed the sleeping Ryuu on it. The baby stirred but continued his slumber. Then, she went roaming around the office. Maybe, she could find anything about this Miu Ishikawa woman. But, there was none, yet. Everything in his office was related to his work. Volumes of thick reference books, his certificates and some patients' files. Nothing much that helped her.

Rukia went to his desk and sat on the comfy black chair. The fragrance of his cologne, her favourite's, was slightly intense on the chair. He must have spent quite sometime behind his desk. Rukia turned her gaze on the desktop. There was a single unit of computer, a notebook, pens and some post-it notes covering a small desk calendar. The post-it notes mostly were work-related. Only a few that was family-related like 'Pop's Birthday', 'Twins homecoming' and 'Wedding Anniversary.' But, there was small note- handwritten note, on a certain date. 'Miu's check-up appointment'. The check-up appointment was the exact same day when Rukia first met Miu Ishikawa at the park.

Rukia took a deep breathe, trying to control her jumbled-up emotions. If this woman was his patient, than maybe she was too special for him to remember her check-up appointment, right? Quickly, she tore off her sight from calendar to the photo-frames on the desktop.

One of the pictures was from their wedding day. Ichigo did looked stunningly handsome that day in his white tuxedo and she was in a stark white dress. It was one of the best days in her life. Marrying the love of her life. But what about Ichigo? Was he happy? Was the smile was truly genuine for her? Or was it a fake one? She sighed. She put the picture back to its original place. She took the next one. There were three people in the picture and only two persons she knew; Ichigo and Miu Ishikawa. The other one, well, she never sees this guy before. Not once in her life. The picture somehow bothers her. Ichigo and Miu. Both of them looked happy. Ichigo had one arms on her waist, hers on his while another. This picture was taken when Ichigo was still studying; the date at the bottom right of it told her when it was taken. She put it back. The ache in her heart was growing. It was very painful, even for a Kuchiki.

A sudden small cry brought Rukia back to her own world. She hurriedly got on her feet and went to the couch. Little Ryuu was crying. Rukia took the baby in her arms and patted his buttocks. At the same time, Ichigo entered his office.

"Need any help?" he asked as he put a couple of white plastic bags of Rukia and Ryuu's medicines on his desk.

Without waiting for an answer from Rukia, he took his son. He patted his son as he cuddled Ryuu closed to his chest. Slowly, Ryuu's cry ceased. "There, there Ryuu. Nothing to worry about. Mommy and daddy's here," he whispered. 'He was such a good father,' she thought. Even from behind, Rukia could see a good father was standing up in front of her, trying to soothe their son.

A minute later, the cry ceased to sobs. Ichigo gave his baby a kiss on his cheek as he put him on his shoulder.

"Ichigo, I need to go…" the voice of jet-black haired woman broke the silence.

"Hmm? Where to?"

"I need to go back… to Soul Society,"

"Why?" he turned to her.

"Ichigo, I can't stay here anymore. You know the reasons…" and she could see the pain in his eyes.

"Please… I know you're mad at me. But please Rukia. Think 'bout our baby… His health! His health needs to be under constant observation. Think about him please…"

"No Ichigo. Like I said before, this is my final decision. I'll be leaving for Soul Society this evening… with Ryuu. Whether you liked it or not, that's my decision! No one can change it, not even you, Ichigo. And don't worry about Ryuu's health. He will get the best medical care there is in Soul Society…"

Ichigo seemed to be out of idea to convince her to stay. He walked close to her. Put one hand on her shoulder and kissed her lips. Rukia was slightly shocked but even if she still loves him, she couldn't possibly return his kiss. Not after what he had done to her.

"I love you Rukia. More than anything else," he muttered after he broke the kiss. He looked deep into her eyes, but all he could see behind those two beautiful midnight blue eyes were determination to leave him and pain.

"I'm sorry, but you did this to me," she muttered. Rukia took Ryuu from Ichigo. She took the medicines and some other Ryuu's belongings.

"Thank you for the happiest time in my life, Ichigo. I'll remember these beautiful and joyful memories," Rukia said as she made her way out of this office.

The only thing Ichigo could do was look. Hell, he couldn't do or think of anything.

"And Ichigo, I don't want our son to grow up, without knowing who his father is. So, you can visit him whenever your want. I wouldn't want to be such a heartless woman," and she was out from the office, closing to door behind her; closing the doors to his heart.

'RUKIA!' his heart screamed.

"Sir!" a woman voice called as a hand shook him.

Ichigo opened his eyes. For a moment or so, he dazed. Finally, his brain managed to interpret his whereabouts. Ichigo looked up front. A nurse, Shinoda-san, if he wasn't mistaken, was standing right in front of him. She looked exhausted.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Ishikawa gave birth to a baby girl, sir." She showed Ichigo an incubator. Inside, Miu Ishikawa's daughter was laid, half-asleep in the concentrated oxygen filled box. She looked perfectly fine. And healthy.

Ichigo felt relieved. The baby's safe.

"How about the mother? Is she alright?" Ichigo asked.

"Dr. Tanaka is doing his best to save her, sir. He's one of the best surgeons," explained the nurse.

"Okay, thanks, Ms. Shinoda-san."

Ichigo gazed at the nurse and the infant inside the incubator as both of them made their way to the ward. Then he turned his sight back to the OT door in front of him.

'Please, save her!'

A/N: the longest chapter of Truth? 3152 words (excluding the A/N). I know, some of you readers out there are disappointed with the story progress. I'll try my best to finish this story during March. A few more chapters to go. For you guys who have been wondering about Miu's letter, it will be reveal probably in chapter 12.

P/s: I'm slightly disappointed with chapter9's reviews, but maybe I don't deserve one for that chapter huh? Please review this one because it will really help my day and kick the laziness in me from updating. Thank you!