For a moment both were just staring at each other. Utter shock was still visible on Rentaro's face. He didn't want to offend the doctor but he didn't know the appropriate etiquette for suddenly finding out you were related to someone you knew.
"aren't you going to say anything?" asked the doctor unable to handle the silence.
"is this one of your jokes?" asked Rentaro knowing the doctor has a weird sense of humour and though he assumed the doctor wouldn't pull something like this.
"no. for once I'm deadly serious." Responded the doctor understanding exactly why he had was doubting her. She did have a history with this.
"ok then I have some questions." Stated Rentaro as he was still shocked and hoping some clarification would make things easier for him. Suddenly discovering a lost relative was not exactly something he had prepared for today. Even once he knew the plan he had assumed it would fail or if it did not he would get a name and time to prepare for it.
"get the obvious one out the way." She said still with a hint of tears in her eyes but not quite crying. She was not a woman prone to emotional outbursts but at this moment it took all her strength not to just give in.
"why didn't you tell me?" asked Rentaro knowing she must have a reason that meant a lot. He could see the raw emotion from.
The doctor sighed having known this would be first. "the fact is after I abandoned you as a child and then when given the chance to meet you turned you into a living weapon and those are only what I did to just, how could I taint you?" she responded earnestly. She had always felt guilty but never been able to tell him why,
"I told you I never once hated you for that. I meant it." answered Rentaro honestly. He never considered her to have done wrong for the surgery.
"that's awfully kind of you." Responded the doctor unsure if she deserved it.
Retaro considered the situation for a moment "so did Lady Seitenchi know?" Rentaro asked knowing that from what he had heard because of Kisara the lady Seitenchi had arranged this he doubted this wasn't in the know. Had he asked anyone else the people who implemented the empire protocol would have had it fail. It was designed he needed to find out from the parent.
Sumire nodded knowing how clever the girl is. "she must have given her rank. Probably found out when doing a background check before you became her bodyguard. The empire protocol meant she couldn't tell you but she knew I'd be able to. In truth I imagine she planned this whole thing out."
"so how long have you known?" asked Rentaro knowing it was possible she might not have found out until recently.
"always. That's why when I heard about your injuries I couldn't let you die. I don't deserve to call you my son but…. I always wanted to be in your life." She explained honestly. From the moment she had found Rentaro again she had wanted to be part of her life but even if the rules had let her tell him she couldn't bear to.
Rentaro though for a moment. "tell me what does a mother do?" asked Rentaro to make a point.
Sumire felt nervous but tried to respond "well she…"
"she teaches you, she helps you when you're ill, she helps you through your difficult moments. Let's be honest for a long time I considered you to be a close to a mother as I'd ever have. Looks like I was right to" interrupted Rentaro to make a point wanting her to know in many ways she really had been his mother even without a known blood link.
"I wish I deserved that" she answered sadly feeling her sins were too much.
"what else could you have possibly done?" asked Rentaro unsure of what he was missing. It seemed like she was holding back.
"you are not my only child…. you have a sister." Answered Sumire regrettably with the pain visibly clear on her face.
"what happened to her?" asked Rentaro reluctantly needing to know the answer feeling that the answer would be the source of her sadness.
"when I gave birth to her I suffered with Postpartum depression. Unfortunately, she was born a cursed child and when I suggested horrible things they supported me." Answered the doctor even sadder. Tears began falling slowly on her face.
"is she alive?" asked Rentaro a little bit horrified but knowing that depression like that could even hit the greatest amongst them.
The doctor wiped her tears away for a moment "I hope so. Your father did stop me from abandoning her to the wilds but where she is right now I don't know. I didn't even name her." She felt she didn't deserve the right to cry for them.
"and my father?" asked Rentaro knowing Sumire would know his identity, but given that he was not still around something must have happened especially given he had a sister.
Sumire looked distraught at the memory but held it together as much as she could. She may have had tears but Rentaro could tell she was holding back many more. "he was furious when the woman he loved became a monster. He made me swear to never look for him. The empire protocol was already in place by then and activated once your father escaped with your sister."
"what is the empire protocol?" asked Rentaro needing to know what rules could possibly keep children from their parents especially to someone like Sumire Muroto.
"it basic terms it's an agreement that certain individuals had to agree to give up their children as hostages so they would never turn on the government after the gastrea war. They must never tell the children who their real parents are and other people can only be told once the child has been informed. The rule is absolute without government approval I couldn't tell you what I told you earlier and I can't even tell you about your father's identity" explained the doctor. It was a simplification but enough that Rentaro needed.
"why not?" asked Rentaro still confused over the rules of the Empire protocol.
"the rule is only the parent can tell them directly and only with permission." Explained the doctor. Clearly there was more but even Rentaro could see she seemed cagey.
"what if one of them dies?" asked Rentaro prompting for more information knowing she seemed to be deliberately avoiding the mention of him whoever he was.
Sumire sighed knowing she was about to disappoint her child but she felt he had to know "death must be confirmed and agreed by the government. Then the government may choose someone as a representative to inform them. Probably something Seitenchi planned for. The confirmation of the right to tell would fall to him before."
Rentaro understood the implication. His father if alive could tell him and if dead he'd find out once formal confirmation was allowed. "so that means you couldn't tell me about my father even if I asked. Even to confirm if he's alive." Asked Rentaro for confirmation.
"correct." Answered the doctor abruptly so as to cut off any further questions towards this end.
Rentaro decided to change the subject as he knew that was a dead end. "why's it called the empire protocol?" asked Rentaro feeling the name sounded too weird to be government idea.
"a joke from one of my fellow geniuses" explained Sumire thinking back to happier times where they had been allowed to may suggestions like this.
"what's the joke?" asked Rentaro not understanding but hoping an inference of the joke would give things away.
"I can't say. It's part of the agreement. Also it's such a terrible joke" explained Sumire still smiling at the memory of the awful joke.
Rentaro conceded knowing that the doctor was already probably at her limit of information that she could give away. "fair enough. So what do we do from here?"
"that's up to you. I'd hope at least you would still let me be yours and Enju's doctor." Responded Sumire Muroto knowing this would keep her son at least willing to see her.
"that's not going to change" answered Rentaro understanding how important the doctor valued being able to be a doctor and help to save a life.
"as for us…that's up to you." Explained the doctor taking a moment to recompose herself. "if you only want to think of me as sensei that's ok." Offered Sumire to the boy knowing he might not ever want to have a maternal relationship with him despite what he said before.
Rentaro was getting a little bit frustrated reiterating the point but he knew she didn't believe him "I do think of you as that…. but now I accept you are my mother and I am happy with that and one day I will find my sister."
"that's more than I deserve." Stated Sumire Muroto still not truly feeling like she was worth it but knowing Rentaro would look after his sister if it he could find her.
Rentaro still didn't know how to interact with her beyond this. He needed to truly understand the position this put them in. "just give me some time and I will get used to it. It's just quite a shock." Rentaro would process this and work things out.
"of course." Nodded the doctor understanding his need for time. He'd handled it a lot better than he'd expected. She even allowed herself a small smile.
"one thing… can you not tell Kisara?" he asked reluctantly. He had wanted to say he was ok with everyone knowing but firstly he wasn't even sure what was really allowed.
"why?" asked the doctor unsure as to why he would make such a request given that he didn't seem ashamed.
"you're the only leverage I have to get her to have the surgery." Explained Rentaro making his point clear. It was what he needed her to do in the short term to achieve what he needed. Sumire was pleased he had a certain amount of her deviousness.
"I'm afraid that's pointless." Answered the doctor smiling properly for the first time since Rentaro had found out.
"what do you mean?" asked Rentaro. She hadn't been disagreeable before and didn't seem to be overly concerned with Kisara before even when she threatened.
Before opening her door which sent Kisara flying into the room. Clearly she had been eavesdropping.
"I take it you know then." Sighed Rentaro frustrated that he had lost his leverage.
"kind of." Answered Kisara embarrassingly. She'd tried really hard not to listen in but eventually her curiosity got the better of her. She heard enough of the conversation to understand that Rentaro was in the room with his mother.
"you did promise." Reminded Rentaro to Kisara.
Kisara wanted to protest but knew the futility of it. She had promised him.
"and now you know I have found some of my family. You have save me. Please let me save you." Begged Rentaro to his oldest friend.
"ok." Promised Kisara knowing she had to keep her word. The doctor had assured she had to. Given that she had not told him his father's identity. That was leverage. Kisara would get the surgery as she could not let her grandfather win and given that Sumire had confirmed Rentaro had a sister she needed to find her as well even of it proved an unfortunate family link. She couldn't deny that Rentaro being a blood child of her grandfather would save the Tendo line if it was true but if he never found he had truly won.
For just a moment Rentaro's life was ok…. but it would not last.