In the Blink of an Eye – Chapter 12
As far as Unohana could tell, Rukia had gone into labor during the night, and probably the shock of the dream was what triggered it. The gush of fluid she thought was blood was her water breaking. Rukia had been in labor for five hours now...
Right now, Rukia was fighting the contractions, trying with all her might not to make a sound. She couldn't of course, and her pained groans filled the silent night.
Unohana and Isane immediately wheeled Rukia into the delivery room. Both Ichigo and Byakuya were behind them every step of the way...
They finally got Rukia to the delivery room, and she was still in immense pain.
'We'll have to perform a C-Section Isane, there's no way she'll survive a natural delivery...' Unohana stated as she injected some pain-killing drugs into Rukia's arm.
Rukia instantly drew her arm back and painfully shook her head.
'No...' She panted weakly.
'Rukia, I understand that you want to have it naturally, but you will have at least a better chance if we operate...' Unohana tried to convince her, but Rukia was steadfast in her decision.
'If I die, I want to die feeling like I gave birth to my child, not like it was taken out of me...' Rukia bit back a moan as another contraction wracked her small frame.
'Rukia, as your doctor, I cannot let you... If-'
'Unohana...' Byakuya interrupted. 'Let her have her way, if this is indeed her dying wish, we must honor it...'
Rukia looked to her brother, for once, he didn't look as emotional. She felt Ichigo grasp her hand tightly.
'I'm with you all the way...' He said, his protective brown eyes piercing her frightened violet ones.
Rukia grasped his hand tightly.
'Are you sure this is what you want, Rukia?' Byakuya asked, concerned.
Rukia looked back to Byakuya, and then to Unohana. Rukia nodded shakily as she felt another contraction.
Unohana and Isane immediately began bustling about the room making the preparations.
Byakuya knelt down beside his sister and looked deep into her eyes, letting his express all of his thoughts.
'I love you brother...' Rukia whispered.
Byakuya lovingly pushed a strand of hair out of Rukia's face before he stood back up.
Ichigo reclaimed his spot beside Rukia and held her hand, ready to help her if need be.
'Rukia, before you begin, I want you to know I love you...'
Rukia saw her brother raise an eyebrow, and she smiled painfully.
'I love you too, Ichigo...' she answered shakily.
Unohana interrupted. 'Rukia, I need you to push, now!'
And so it began...
Rukia's thoughts escaped her as the pain continued to course through her body. Had Unohana not been screaming 'Push!' Rukia would've forgotten she was having a baby.
Rukia pushed with all her might, but she felt herself begin to grow weak. Her head was swimming, and she felt her eyelids become heavy. She was slowly slipping out of consciousness, and she knew it. But she had to hold out for a little longer.
Ichigo was continually giving her support; Rukia couldn't feel her hand he was squeezing so hard. Byakuya was constantly hovering around, watching with concern.
Rukia groaned in pain as she put the last of her energy into one final push, and presently a piercing cry filled the room.
Rukia heaved a sigh of relief as she continued to hear her baby cry, embracing the long-awaited sound. She had never been more welcome to hear it.
'Cut the cord, Isane!' She heard Unohana say, even though her hearing was beginning to distort... Rukia felt her eyes close.
Isane had cleaned the baby and laid it in Ichigo's waiting arms.
'It's a girl, Rukia...' he smiled proudly.
'Congratulations.' Unohana added.
'Let me see her...' Rukia said weakly as she motioned to Ichigo. She was beginning to feel herself fade...
Ichigo walked over and knelt down beside Rukia so she could see. Rukia reached out weakly and stroked the tiny baby's bright orange hair.
Rukia felt a warm tear run down her cheek. 'She's beautiful...' She whispered breathlessly.
'Do you have a name picked out?' Byakuya interrupted from the background.
Rukia looked to Ichigo, they never once spoke anything of names...
'Homura?' He asked her. Rukia responded with a weak nod.
'Homura Inoue...' She concluded with a smile... 'For Orihime.'
'It's wonderful...' Ichigo couldn't contain his emotions as the newborn squirmed in his arms.
'Can I hold her?' Rukia asked Unohana.
Unohana replied with a nod and helped Rukia sit up. Rukia winced and felt her head spin, but she wanted to hold her daughter at least once.
When Rukia was ready, Ichigo laid the tiny baby in her arms. Rukia lost her breath when the child opened her eyes. They were deep violet with flecks of brown, which was absolutely stunning.
Rukia began to cry harder as she began to feed. Rukia was a mess of emotions as she sat there with her newborn daughter, Homura. Rukia couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, and when she closed them, she knew she might not open them again...
Ichigo anxiously rocked the squirming Homura in his arms. Rukia had passed out hours ago, and hadn't shown any hope of recovery. Her heart rate was 55 BPM and slowing, and she had lost too much blood during delivery. Ichigo could barely see the rise and fall of her chest that indicated she was breathing.
The slow BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... was gnawing at Ichigo's soul, helpless to help the girl he loved.
The small girl known as Rukia lying in the hospital bed was barely recognizable. Her dull hair was a matted mess, and she also had an oxygen tube in her nose, so along with the beeping of the heart monitor, there was the whir of the oxygen. Unohana had so many wires in Rukia's pale skin, that Ichigo had to wonder what they were all for.
Rukia was so still, it would've been easy for someone to mistake her for being dead.
Ichigo was torn from his dismal thoughts as Homura began to squawk. She was probably hungry, he reasoned. Since Rukia was literally comatose, possibly never to wake up, Ichigo wondered what he should do.
Ichigo stood up, still holding his daughter, and paced around, trying to hush her. Unbeknownst to him, Byakuya had silently entered the room, a warm, filled, baby bottle in his hand.
Byakuya cleared his throat and Ichigo jumped at his closeness. Without a word, Byakuya offered the bottle. Ichigo slowly took the bottle, grateful for Byakuya's help.
Homura instantly quieted down once Ichigo stuck the bottle in her mouth. As the little girl began to drink, Ichigo let his mind wander again. He couldn't help but think about Rukia, who was slowly dying in front of him. Unohana hadn't predicted a positive outcome, but she said there was always hope for Rukia. Ichigo wanted to hope there was hope for her, too.
The sudden appearance of Unohana interrupted his thoughts, again.
'I have good news and bad news, Ichigo, which would you like to hear first?'
Ichigo felt his heart sink. He knew this was coming... He nodded as he swallowed the lump in his throat, but kept his attention at Homura, who was still drinking contentedly and on the verge of falling asleep.
Unohana continued. 'She held up better than we expected during her pregnancy, and...' She paused as she studied her clipboard. 'She may be like this for a few weeks, but she should be able to make a complete recovery... Unless some unforeseen trauma occurs.'
Ichigo hoisted the now-asleep Homura over his shoulder. 'And is that the good news or the bad news?'
Unohana hated to tell him this... 'Rukia will probably not be able to have any more children...' She stated. It was better to tell him straight out, than beat-around-the-bush...
Ichigo felt his heart sink even lower. Rukia not having any more children? Ichigo felt even more thankful for the sleeping baby on his shoulder. Ichigo looked back to Rukia's pale, wired, figure in the hospital bed mournfully.
'She is strong, and she will not let herself die... Not without a fight...' Byakuya, who was staying close to Rukia as well, confided.
Ichigo nodded his agreement, but couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness at Rukia's barrenness as he rocked their child.
Byakuya walked to a nearby sink and washed his hands. He held his arms out open to Ichigo. 'May I?' He asked simply.
Ichigo nodded with a slight smile and gently handed Homura to Byakuya. The second the baby was nestled in Byakuya's arms, his normally indifferent eyes lit up, and Ichigo saw what he thought was a smile spreading across the noble's usually unemotional face.
Ichigo tried in vain to hold back an amused snort, and Byakuya instantly glared at him.
'What? Am I not permitted to be glad, also?' He asked.
Ichigo tried to find words to answer him, but instead he found a series of unintelligent noises. Ichigo waved him off and left the room.
As Ichigo walked the hallways of the Squad Four Health Center, he couldn't help but wonder if it was smart to leave his day-old daughter with Byakuya. He quickly dismissed the thought when he remembered that legally, Byakuya was her uncle.
Ichigo thought about all that had changed in the past eight months. It started by teaching Rukia how to ride a bicycle, and from there, it had all gone downhill. He, as usual, had gone and done something stupid, for which there were serious consequences. In this case, a baby...
His conscience couldn't help but think that he owed Rukia some form of apology. Ichigo vowed that if-... When she woke up, he would be certain that that would be the first thing she heard from him...
Today, Ichigo's thoughts were being constantly interrupted. Now it was a worried-looking Byakuya, who had come bustling down the hall, still holding Homura. Ichigo was grateful for that...
'Byakuya? What's the matter?' Ichigo asked, picking up on Byakuya's concern.
'It's Rukia...'
'Rukia?'
'Just come, Ichigo...'
Ichigo nodded and followed Byakuya back down the hall to Rukia's room.
Unohana, Isane, and other members of Squad Four were crowded around the still unconscious Rukia's bedside when Ichigo and Byakuya entered. The heart monitor beeped madly in the background.
'What's the matter?' Ichigo shouted.
'Isane, how did we overlook this?' A worried Unohana asked, completely ignoring Ichigo.
'I don't know Captain...' An equally worried sounding Isane said.
'We'll have to operate Isane... Get her out of here.' Unohana concluded as the members of Squad Four wheeled Rukia's bed away, leaving Ichigo, Byakuya, and the now-awake Homura alone in the empty room.
'What?' Ichigo exclaimed. 'She was doing fine, and now she needs an operation?' Ichigo couldn't believe it and was utterly confused.
By then, Homura began to squirm, and Byakuya quickly offered her back. Ichigo took her with a sigh.
'What happened to her?' He asked Byakuya.
'Her heart started beating rapidly, and she was beginning to sweat. I alerted Captain Unohana and she was here in seconds.' Byakuya paused for what Ichigo thought was a suspense-filled second. 'It would appear you're having another child, Ichigo...'
Ichigo fainted.
AN: Oh wow! Who doesn't love an unexpected plot twist? Raise your hand if you saw that coming! *counts hands* Ah-hah! Nobody! Unless you saw it and I can't tell, leave it in a Review... Thanks for reading and reviewing! Feedback Please! :D