Chapter 21
Hope you guys enjoy. Remember I own nothing unless it was marked OC. :D Enjoy the next installment of PS. Please leave comments and questions in the reviews.
LVA.
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Renji lay in the hospital chair in all its' hard, uncomfortable glory as he watched the doctors look over his son.
In the last half an hour they'd started him on a round of antibiotics after discovering Hitomi had been infected with Streptococcus. This infection was not lethal to her in anyway. But to Naoki… Since he had been a traditional vaginal delivery there was a chance he had become infected during the birth process.
Renji listened as Naoki screamed as they stuck yet another IV into him. He quieted down after a moment but still it was hard to listen to. It was obvious the little baby did not like being poked or prodded. Renji understood the doctor's want to put him on antibiotics. They had explained to Renji that if they waited Naoki might die.
Naoki lay crying in his incubator once the doctors finished
"It's alright Naoki." Renji said rubbing the side of the incubator. "Your mommy will be here soon and then everything will be fine." He promised.
The baby grunted and gurgled after he quieted down.
Renji had not been allowed to hold him again because he was linked to a respirator. Naoki had started to have trouble breathing about an hour before. Renji thought how tiny and small the boy seemed even though he was a healthy weight he was very sick.
Hanataro walked into the neonatal unit and gave Renji a comforting smile.
"Evening Hanataro." Renji said waving.
"Good evening Renji." He said with a smile. "I've come to take Naoki's vitals if that's alright?" He said kindly. Renji nodded as he watched the nurse.
"Does the doctor have the results for Naoki?" He asked, as Naoki seemed to be getting weaker.
"No, Renji it takes about 48 hours for the cultures to grow then for them to be tested." He replied. "You'll know in a few days." He offered as he continued taking vitals. "His blood pressure is a little low and his heart rates a bit fast. Temperature a little higher then usual." He informed Renji, "I'll have Unohana come in and have a look at him."
Naoki gurgled quietly under the oxygen mask.
Renji placed his hand next to the boy and watched as he weakly wrapped his hand around Renji's finger. "It's alright Naoki. Daddy's here."
Meanwhile on the other side of the hospital Shuuhei sat in a visitor's chair. He blinked sadly looking at the patient in the bed.
Hiromi walked into the room and sat next to him. "Don't feel sorry for her. It's what she deserves."
Hitomi lay in the bed crying. She'd come out a surgery about an hour before and since coming out of her daze she'd been inconsolable.
"Stop crying. It's not like you take care of your babies anyway." Hiromi snapped coldly. She really did not care much for her lying leech of a sister.
"You don't need to be so cruel to her." Shuuhei countered. Sure he did not like Hitomi. She gave him much suffering and pain but even he would not wish something like this on her.
"Hitomi it's over." Hiromi said disregarding Shuuhei. "You're alive. Kai and I are sending you to Greensview for your hospitalization." Hiromi explained as Hitomi sobbed. "And the detectives will be questioning you once they've established you are in good mental health again."
"He'll never want me now…" She cried. "I couldn't even carry his baby properly." She sobbed heavily. "And now I can't even ever have children again."
Urahara walked into the room. "Miss, I've come to advise you on the closed adoption that has been arranged for you." He took a seat.
Hitomi cried more. "But it's Renji's baby. He has to take us." She tried again.
"Miss. we've already gone over with you that you won't be taking the baby home. You're being sent to Greensview for a mental evaluation."
Hitomi cried harder.
Shuuhei got up and left.
Shuuhei arrived at practice the next morning utterly exhausted. So much had occurred the pervious day it was almost too much to bare. He had to be strong. He and Renji had to be strong together and for one another. His mind drifted to the little baby in the NICU as he opened the door to the session room.
"YOU ASS HOLE!" Ichigo shouted shoving Grimmjow into the wall and taking a swing at him. "HOW DARE YOU!"
"Ichigo stop it!" Hichigo said trying to get between them.
"Stay back." Grimmjow said calmly as Ichigo swung at him again making contact with his left cheek.
"YOU BASTARD!" He moved to hit him again when Kensei grabbed the younger male and held his arms.
"Ichigo stop it." Hichigo said again going over to Grimmjow looking at his face.
Ichigo fought Kensei's grip. "Let me go Muguruma. Someone's gotta make him pay." He snapped.
"Mother and Father won't appreciate your reaction Aniki." Hichigo said speaking in a more favorable tone like when they were younger. "You don't need to protect me. I'm fine."
"Like hell you are." Ichigo replied. "He knocked you up. He knew better then to have unprotected sex with you." Ichigo's eyes blazed something fierce at Grimmjow.
Grimmjow gave him a cool look of indifference. "He wasn't complaining." He placed a hand around Hichigo making sure to have it end on his abdomen.
Hichigo looked at Grimmjow. "Stop it. Don't antagonize Ichigo."
"Calm down." Kensei said again really holding Ichigo back.
"Aniki really it's okay." Hichigo promised. "It's not like how it was back then. It'll be okay. You don't have to protect me. I chose this. I knew the risks when we did it without protection." He would never admit to anyone this baby was his own insurance. Insurance that they would never leave him behind again that a child would never be an excuse for Grimmjow or Uloquiorra to leave him.
"Don't you know how dangerous this is?" Ichigo asked calming down now focusing on his brother.
Feeling Ichigo had calmed down Kensei released him.
Hichigo's bright golden eyes dimmed for a moment. "It will be alright. Dad is talking it over with Ryuuken so the baby and I will be in good hands. Really Aniki it will be okay. There's no reason to over react like that."
Ichigo wound up his fist and punched Hichigo. "You're selfish." He huffed then walked out of the studio past Shuuhei.
"Are you alright?" Kon asked coming to his brother's aid.
Hichigo nodded. "I'm fine." He went and got some ice. "Am I really so bad a person?"
"Well you know Ichigo. He wants to protect everyone. Something as out of control as this… he'll learn to accept it." Kon promised.
"You know when you need to be you can be so serious." Hichigo commented off handedly.
"Thank you… HEY!" Kon said as Hichigo tapped him on the head.
"It's alright my slower brother. I'm going to retire for now. Wake me when Ichigo gets back. " Hichigo went to lay in the lounge room.
Kon turned to Grimmjow. "You hurt him again and you won't be forgiven. Ichigo and I have not forgotten." He warned before he got up and went back to what he'd been doing with the gear.
Shuuhei walked from the room and headed off in the general direction he'd seen Ichigo go off in.
Ichigo had not gone far at all. Instead he was in an empty sound studio sulking.
"Wanna talk about it?" Shuuhei offered entering the room.
"That stupid baka. He doesn't understand. He's going to go and get himself hurt again." Ichigo cursed. "That bastard is just going to lead him astray again. Then break him into a million pieces."
"What are you talking about?" Shuuhei asked sitting next to his friend. "I don't think Grimmjow would intentionally harm Hichigo."
Ichigo sighed. "You where not here before. You came after the dark times." Ichigo let out a long breath. "Which in my opinion is better. You haven't seen anyone in an extremely depressed state."
Shuuhei sat beside his friend listening. It appeared he was about to hear a very interesting story.
Ten Years Prior to that day…
Hichigo sat with his brothers in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Their father was away on business so their mother had been forced to send them to see their primary physician Ryuuken Ishida.
Hichigo was currently doubled over in intense pain gripping his abdomen. He had never been in pain like this in his life. It hurt worse then when he forgot to put on sunscreen and went outside. He was holding onto Ichigo for dear life as Kon held a rag over his forehead. He had an extremely high fever and he was sure he was going to die.
Masaki did her best to fill Ryuuken in on the situation as it had unfolded. "He came home saying he didn't feel well and then he developed a fever and fainted. When he woke up he was screaming in pain and nothing we gave him helped. Ryuuken what's wrong with my baby?"
The light haired man had a nurse wheel Hichigo into an observation room where he preceded with a basic physical exam.
"Hichigo I need you to be completely honest with me." He said checking the boy's eyes and heart. "Do you do drugs or drink alcohol?"
Hichigo hesitated his mother was in the room.
"Hichigo… answer my question." He said as he noted the boy's blood shot eyes. It indicated he was suffering from some sort of trauma.
Hichigo replied negatively. "No… Uncle Ryuuken I don't do drugs."
"So you drink then? How many times a week? About what quantity?"
"A few bottles…" He replied not looking at his mother's face. He knew she was disappointed. She had raised him better. "After school everyday about an hour or so before I go home." He replied quietly.
"Are you sexually active?" He asked the young teenager. He always thought it was revolting that he had to ask 13-year-old children that question. But do to an obvious social shift in values it was necessary.
Hichigo was very quiet. He doubled over in pain. "Uncle it hurts." He cried out.
Ryuuken pushed up his glasses and began to probe the boy's abdomen. He pushed down gently in the center.
Hichigo jumped up and pushed him away. "Ow!" He shouted withdrawing into himself.
"Hichigo I'm going to ask again, are you sexually active?" He went to Masaki. "I need you to you sign a waver. You're son may need to be tested for STDs."
Masaki looked at Hichigo. "Answer the question." She said not looking at him.
"Yes… but I didn't mean too. Mom I promise I didn't want it." Hichigo begged her to believe him. "Mommy I didn't want it. But I couldn't say no. I wasn't able to stop him."
"You were raped then?" Ryuuken asked as he double took Hichigo's examination. "How long ago?"
"Two days…" He whispered not looking at his mom. "That's why I came home late. I lied to Ichigo and told him I stayed late to practice. I didn't tell him what happened. Can we not talk about it?" Hichigo asked hanging his head even though he was in pain.
"Oh Hichigo." Masaki said cradling her son in her arms.
"Have you had a problem using the restroom in the last two days?" Ryuuken asked as he moved to take a blood test. "We'll have to get an ultrasound."
"I haven't had the urge to use the bathroom in about two days." He replied.
"You're plugged up probably due to a contusion of the abdominal wall and intestine. It will be alright Hichigo." Ryuuken said quietly. "We might have to go into surgery for now I'll hook you to an IV and administer an intravenous pain medicine." Ryuuken informed him. He then looked at the bleeding from between Hichigo's thighs. "And congratulations your womanhood started today." He added as he called for a nurse to bring in a tampon. "You're mother can show you how to use it."
That night Hichigo was recovering in a post operation room. He was still a little drugged up but was resting comfortably. Ryuuken had said he wouldn't be able to go to class for a week while he recovered.
Ichigo was sitting outside his little brother's room talking with his father on a cell phone.
"Yes Dad… I promise I'll take care of Hichigo. I'm sorry." He promised his father again. "Mom went home to take care of Yuzu and Karin. Kon's here with me. But he's asleep."
There was more talking on Isshin's end of the phone.
"Yes Dad I promise. Hichigo will be alright." Ichigo promised before hanging up the phone. "I'll look after him."
5 years before present time…
Hichigo stormed into his house upset. He had a look of pain etched on his face as he walked inside. Yuzu was sitting on the couch with her friends talking about something when she noticed her brother was in.
"Hichi-nii what's wrong?" She asked sensing something was wrong.
Hichigo did not say anything as he walked into the back were the clinic was. Usually he avoided the clinic especially when it was closed because their dad was upstairs napping.
"Hichi-nii… Hichi-nii…" She called after he disappeared into a patient room. She reached for the door and found it locked. "Hichi-nii open the door." She said knocking on the door. "Hichi-nii I'm going to get Ichi-nii." She said running from the door.
Yuzu returned three minutes later with Ichigo who was complaining. He was being dragged out of his room by his little sister. She was so pushy for a 10 year old. She lead him too the door.
"Hichigo open up. Hichigo." There was no sound in the room but rushing water. "Hichigo!" Ichigo shouted knocking on the door. "Yuzu move please…" he said bracing himself and kicked the door.
"Ichigo." Yuzu tried.
"Go call Dad…" He said looking through a crack in the door before he moved to kick in the door. "GO NOW!" He shouted at her sending her running into the house.
Ichigo waited till she was gone then kicked in the door. "HICHIGO what the hell?" he asked when he noticed his brother standing over the sink not paying attention to him. His brother's face tracing the water as it swirled down the sink.
Hichigo turned to look at him making Ichigo pause.
His brother was pale as it was but now he was ghostly white. His eyes usually so fierce and vibrant now dull and lifeless, "Aniki... I don't feel so-" Hichigo collapsed onto the floor blood trailing down the sink then onto the floor.
"Hichigo!" Ichigo shouted going over to him and applying pressure to his wrists. "You idiot! Baka!" he shouted at his brother. "Stay awake!"
"It's stupid…" Hichigo said quietly. "I should have known from the start."
"What?" he asked trying to understand his brother.
"Stupid… I'm stupid…" He began to close his eyes. "I got dumped today."
"Dad!" Ichigo shouted as Isshin came into the room.
"What happened?" he asked taking over applying pressure. "It'll be alright I need you to go into the backroom and get me a unit of 0 negative blood now." He said as he lifted Hichigo onto the examination table. He looked around and found the scalpel Hichigo had used to cut open his wrist.
The next morning Hichigo woke up restrained to a bed in his family clinic. He looked at the soft restraints that held his arms down. He looked at them wondering why they were on him. Then he remembered. He sighed to himself.
"So close…" He sighed closing his eyes. "So very close…"
"Why would you do that?" A voice asked from his left.
"Aniki it's not important." He replied not looking he did not want to see his brother's disappointed face.
"Do you know mom cried while she was cleaning up the blood? Imagine if you would have died!" he shouted. "You made your mother have to clean up your blood. What the hell?"
"You wouldn't understand." Hichigo replied. "Your souls never been ripped in two then stepped on."
"You did this because some girl dumped you?" He asked. "That's irresponsible."
Hichigo wanted to cover his face with his hands.
"No…" He replied. "I did this because I wanted to die. There's no room for me in their lives anymore."
"Their?" Ichigo replied." Who's there? I thought you and Orihime were going out."
Hichigo shook his head. "She's been covering for me. Don't tell her this happened. She'll blame herself." He replied turning his head into the pillow. "You have to understand. I didn't want to tell Dad. Imagine what he'd think if he knew I was gay… no one in the family knows that but you."
"I've never told anyone. But I'm sure he'd understand. I mean he accepts Uryu and Chad's relationship." Ichigo replied looking sadly at his brother.
"That's because that's Ryuuken's son. He's not me." Hichigo replied.
"Regardless who's there?" He asked looking at his little brother.
"Do you know were my cell phone is?" Hichigo asked looking around not seeing it.
"It's in your room why?" Ichigo replied quietly.
"Just open it. It will tell you who they are." He replied closing his eyes.
Ichigo left his brother's room telling Kon to keep watch as he went upstairs to his brother's room.
Hichigo had always had an obsession with male models and metal music. His room was littered with posters of Uloquiorra Sciffer, a young gothic male model that was all the rage despite his one noted look and short stature. There were posters of him and even some of what looked like personal pictures though with the media the way it was Ichigo wasn't surprised his brother had printed media. Also littering the ceiling were posters of Heart Break, a band featuring a duet vocalists Grimmjow Jaggerques and Hiromi Matsumoto. They were still primarily in the underground but Hichigo never missed a performance.
Ichigo went to the phone and saw it read 8 missed calls. He flipped it open and paused.
8 missed calls from Kitty Kitty.
Ichigo rose and eyebrow and hit redial.
It rang for a few minutes then went to voice mail. 'This is Grimmjow leave a message or fuck off."
Ichigo dropped the phone. "Oh my god…" he whispered looking at the phone. "My brother is a fucking groupie…" He cursed.
The phone on the floor rang.
Ichigo looked down on it. "Kitty Kitty Answer Ignore" the screen read. He reached down for the phone and answered.
"What the fuck? You left yesterday. What the fuck?" Grimmjow shouted into the phone. "Who the hell do you think you are just walking out like that!"
Ichigo remained quiet.
"Fucking shit I regret hooking up with you if this is how you're gonna act. Fucking whore…" And the profanities continued. Ichigo just listened as the other continued to rant. "Fuck it. We're through Uloquiorra and I will be fine without you, fucking bitch." With that he hung up.
Ichigo just stared at the phone. He looked around the room again. How could he have missed it maybe because it was unexpected, so very unexpected. All the posters and colleagues… his brother was not just a fan. He was enamored with and apparently dating the men pictured in his room.
He walked back downstairs and looked at his brother. "Kon get out." He said quietly.
Kon looked at his older brother and did as he was told.
"What the hell Hichigo? What are you a groupie?" He asked looking at his brother.
"That's how it started six months ago… but we made it something more then that." Hichigo replied. "We were way more then that."
"You're letting some B rated musician have sex with you?" He asked. "I don't understand."
"You wouldn't." He replied. "But that's not important. He's going to be a father so we broke up yesterday." He replied. "Well they're going to be fathers."
"Wait wait your doing two dudes?" He asked looking at his brother with an awkward scowl.
"Don't judge me. The path to true love isn't always straight and narrow." Hichigo replied. "It really wasn't my fault. I intended for it just to be a one-time thing but…" he tried to explain but the words wouldn't come. "It hurt so much loosing them… I just want to die."
"Just don't tell Dad… promise." Hichigo asked his brother. "Aniki he'll be so angry."
"Why would I be angry?" Isshin asked coming inside with his notepad like he would with any patient.
Hichigo got quiet. There were a lot of things he had to talk with his family about. He'd been secretive for far too long and it had almost cost him. Cost everyone…
"You have to understand it's they're fault my brother almost died." Ichigo explained. "He tried to kill himself two more times after that. I don't think he ever told them about it. Then like nothing happened he ran back to Grimmjow two years ago when Uloquiorra stopped giving it up." He explained.
"So what your saying is your brother has a dependency on Grimmjow Jaggerques?" Shuuhei asked as he'd listened to the whole story.
"They almost killed him. And then he runs back to him like it's nothing. Like none of that ever happened." Ichigo replied not understanding. "I can't protect my brother from his own foolishness."
"That's right you can't." Shuuhei replied. "All you can do is be there for him. Beside I think almost all of that can be attributed to youth. You were only 19 and 20 years old back then. You're older now more mature."
"It doesn't matter. I can't forgive him." Ichigo replied.
"You're going to have to. At least for Hichigo's sake… It's obvious your brother really loves Jaggerques regardless of how you and your family feel. And apparently he's going to have a baby. You should at least try to be happy for them." Shuuhei advised his younger friend.
"Still…" Ichigo replied then sighed.
"It will be alright." Shuuhei said smiling. "Come we have to head back. Kairi should be there soon." He offered Ichigo his hand to get up.
Ichigo took it then looked at it. "You're getting married?" he asked staring at the Celtic designed ring.
"Yes…" he replied. "I'm engaged." He said with a smile. "He asked me yesterday."
"Congrads." Ichigo said smiling. "I won't be the only married man."
Shuuhei smiled as they walked back down the hall.
Grimmjow was gone but Kairi had arrived and she was talking with Kensei and Kon.
"Yeah my mom was being weird. She kept smiling at me and asking if I had something to tell her." Kairi explained shaking her head.
"No offense but Auntie is weird anyway." Kon replied shaking his head. "She's always been weird."
Kairi punched Kon in the face. "Don't talk about my mom that way."
"Ow…" Kon cried cradling his face. "Ow…"
"But yeah. She said get plenty of rest and take vitamins." She shook her head. "And she complained my roots were getting dry!" Kairi huffed.
Kensei nodded understandability. "Hm…"
"Well it's true. Come on you grew up in a house with one woman and two men and what was it three brothers of whom non are related to you directly?" Kon rolled his eyes.
Kairi kicked him into the wall. "Stop bad mouthing my family."
She thought about growing up. Her family had been spectacular. A little large and on the nontraditional side but still amazing none the less, they provided a nurturing and well organized environment for her to thrive in.
Emiko the lead singer of The Crimson Wolves since she was 19 years old was her mother. The woman had been ridiculously vocally talented able to change her intensity and tone at the drop of a hat. She lived with one Stark Coyote. He was her first guitarist and male vocalist. Stark was her contrast. Where Emiko had always had energy and was life of a party, Stark tended to be low energy sleeping most of the days away being reclusive. They had been together living in the same apartment for almost 6 years when a young man named Shunsui Kyoraku wondered into a club they were playing at and fell in love. After much hardship between them Emiko and Shunsui got married and moved into a mansion in a selective neighborhood. Emiko had been unable to break away from her long time friend and so Stark moved with them. Together the three of them raised four children. Stark's boy their oldest Arashi Coyote, the adopted brothers Kaito Kurosawa and Yamato Kyoraku, and finally Kairi Kyoraku, the daughter of Emiko and Shunsui Kyoraku.
"We're back." Shuuhei announced their arrival.
"Yeah we're back." Ichigo echoed walking into the room.
Kairi waved as Kon ran behind his brother for safekeeping.
Ichigo looked at his brother but went over to talk to Kairi. "Where's Hichigo?" He asked looking around. "Run off with that pussy cat of his?"
"No, Arashi came and took Grimmjow away. They need to get some recording done they have a new album set to drop in 12 days." Kairi explained standing next to Kensei.
"Ah so I owe your brother something again?" Ichigo asked as he looked around.
"Hichigo is in the lounge sleeping." Kensei said pointing to the sound proof lounge.
Ichigo nodded and walked off to the lounge disappearing inside.
Shuuhei sighed. "Hopefully he'll apologize."
"He and Grimmjow got into it?" Kairi asked as she sat on a barstool.
Shuuhei nodded going to the fridge. "Oh this is where Taka's lunch box went." He said pulling a lunch box out of the fridge. "Hm…" He placed it on the table. He moved to pull his hand back when he felt it grabbed.
"It's a little worn don't you think?" Kensei asked looking at the ring on Shuuhei's finger. His keen eye noted the worn color and fine scratches of age in it.
"Don't be a jerk." Kairi said slapping Kensei on the back of the head. "Be nice."
Shuuhei looked down at the ring in question. It was obviously worn as it had fine scratches in it. Shuuhei had not had much time to think about the ring. He was too busy with his mind thinking about the court date and Riku. And now with the addition of Naoki and the mystery that surrounded this child there was more to think about.
"That reminds me. Shinji said you asked for a couple of days off. Has something happened?" Kairi asked concerned. "Did things not go well with Byron? You never called me back yesterday."
"Riku's fine." Shuuhei replied. "He and Takahiro are staying at Suzu and Jyuushiro's at the moment." He replied as he looked at his cell phone. It was a call from Renji. "I have to take this." He said answering the phone.
"Yes?" Shuuhei answered listening on the other end.
Kairi watched, as Shuuhei's face grew darker and darker as this appeared to be a one sided conversation and it was not going well.
"We have not discussed anything like that. You can't expect me to give you an answer over the phone." Shuuhei replied calmly pinching the bridge of his nose. "Renji no don't you Shuuhei me anything. We need to sit down and discuss this! YOU SWORE TO ME THAT IT WASN'T YOU!" he shouted.
There was some silence as Shuuhei listened.
"YOU LYING ASSS I REGRET SAYING I'D MARRY YOU. FUCK OFF!" he hung up the phone.
The phone rang a minute later.
Shuuhei growled and threw it into the wall. "That lying asshole." He shouted.
Everyone in the room just looked at him a little shocked and confused.
Shuuhei sighed. "Yesterday Hitomi had her baby. His names Naoki and apparently Renji's his father." He looked at his phone as it lay in pieces on the floor. "I'm going home to pack my things. I'll get in contact with you guys later."
The door to the studio closed.
Kensei turned to Kairi. "Here we go again?"
Kairi shrugged. "I hope not. Last time it was hard enough. Though I don't understand… Didn't Renji have that procedure?"
Kensei and Kon nodded.
"Odd… does Shuuhei not know?"
Two hours later…
Izuru looked at his friend. "What are you doing Shuuhei? Are you thinking this through? And I mean really thought this through?"
Shuuhei was in the middle of putting clothes into a box. "He told me he wasn't the father. That he didn't have sex with her. He told me over and over and I believed him and low and behold." He said as he threw a sweater into the box.
"So Naoki is his. That doesn't mean he had sex with her Shuuhei." Izuru replied as he began unpacking the box. "Now calm down and be rational for a minute. Didn't Renji talk to you about this already?"
"Talk to me about what?" He asked as he began repacking the box.
"Just go talk to Renji. I'll unpack your things then head home. But you need to speak to him. He's still at the hospital."
"Of course he is. His child is sick." Shuuhei replied.
"Your child." He corrected.
"I didn't sign anything. That boy is all Renji's." He said dismissively. "I won't have anything to do with something from her."
"What are you talking about?" Izuru asked looking at his friend. "Do you not understand what that sounds like?"
"Takahiro doesn't count." Shuuhei replied. "He was born before I met Renji. Renji didn't lie to me about his existence, lie about having sex with a woman while we were broken up, lie about cheating on me when we were together."
"I'm going to let that pass because you're distraught but be advised Shuuhei you sound like a jealous woman. You're taking out someone else's screw up on your family. Go talk to Renji and you'll understand." Izuru replied. "Just go."
At the hospital Shuuhei walked into the NICU and found Naoki's room with little effort. It was the only room with security placed outside of it.
One of the guards at the door asked to see his identification. Shuuhei moved to provide it.
"He doesn't need to show ID Akon." Renji's voice carried from behind him. "That's my husband."
"I'm sorry Mr. Abarai I didn't realize." He replied bowing a little bit.
"You came?" Renji spoke quietly. "I thought…" The words drifted to Shuuhei's ears as Renji walked past him back into the room.
Naoki was asleep in the incubator. The oxygen mask lay on his face allowing him to breath. Sunglasses covered his eyes as a phototherapy light moved over him. He had an IV in one place. A drainage pump in another area and he looked very sickly.
Renji went over to the unit and looked at the baby there. "He's sick. Very sick."
"Why did you lie to me, Renji?" Shuuhei asked as he moved to stand behind his fiancée. "Why would you think you could get away with-"
"Shuuhei I never lied to you." Renji did not turn to face him. He continued to look at the baby.
Naoki continued to slumber away unaware of the conflict he had caused in his parents. One of his hands twitched slightly.
"Had I known." Renji replied. "Had someone informed me one of the samples had been stolen I would have told you… I would have told you this was a possibility."
"Samples? Does this have to do what that phone call?" Shuuhei asked looking confused.
"Yes, I was talking to Akon about a sample that was missing from my account." Renji said turning to look at Shuuhei. "It looks like someone stole it and sold it to Hitomi." He explained.
"Stole what?" Shuuhei asked feeling he was missing something.
Renji looked at Shuuhei for a moment. "Semen, sperm…" he replied. "I keep it in an account at a cryobank." He explained. "But it seems that somewhere along the last year someone switched out one of the samples with blanks and sold it to Hitomi."
"Why do you have sperm in a bank?" Shuuhei asked still looking at the child.
"After Takahiro… Shuuhei…" Renji paused. "You remember we talked about why we don't keep alcoholic beverages in the house?"
Shuuhei nodded, "I've accepted you have an alcohol problem."
"Well after I found out Takahiro was born during activities that transpired when I was drunk with Hitomi I decided it would be best to nip the problem in the bud…" Renji explained.
"You had a…" Shuuhei could not complete the sentence.
Renji nodded. "Yeah… I know I should have told you before but it never really came up in conversation."
"Well when would it? We already have two kids." Shuuhei replied. "But you still should have told me."
"Well I'm sorry it never came up. I don't see how me having a vasectomy changes anything?" Renji replied.
"It created him didn't it?" Shuuhei asked motioning to Naoki.
Renji looked down at the baby in the incubator. "Yes… but Shuuhei I need to know are you going to sign the documents?" Renji asked. "I've kept them but they're due back at 4." He explained.
"And what about Hitomi? Isn't she his mother?"
"She's been ruled a risk to Naoki. Hiromi signed him over to me as a closed adoption." He explained. "And now with the hysterectomy Takahiro won't have anymore siblings." He explained. "At least not from his biological parents."
"So you're going to keep him?" Shuuhei questioned.
"Naoki's medical problems are just building up." Renji replied. "The doctors have done all they can for him now. But they've told me to be optimistic about his recovery. But Shuuhei he's going to have problems without a doubt. His fevers already been high due to the infection and he's already stopped crying for the most part. No one will adopt a child with his history."
"Are we not enough?" Shuuhei asked. "Aren't Riku, Taka and I enough?" he asked concerned.
"You are more then enough." Renji replied coming to stand over next to him. "But you can't ask me to turn him away. He's my son…" he explained.
"Renji… how can you ask me-" Shuuhei was interrupted by the sound of a monitor going off.
Renji turned around and looked at the monitors.
Several seconds later two nurses and a doctor came in.
"Hey Naoki…" One of the nurses said as she gently felt his foot.
Another nurse moved them out of the way. "Hey baby." Another nurse said pulling out a kit from the drawer.
The doctor looked at Naoki's unmoving form and paused. "Call for a code Pink and a crash cart." She said and began CPR on the unresponsive boy.
"It's okay Mr. Abarai." The nurse said motioning for them to leave the room. "Naoki will be alright."
Three weeks later at the Abarai Hisagi house.
Renji stood at the door holding his duffle bag. "You'll be good for Mommy and take care of your brother right?" He asked bending down.
Riku nodded. "Yeah. I'll be the man of the house." He said confidently. "I take care of Mama and Taka."
"That's good. And Taka you'll be good?" He asked his son as he stood next to his brother. "You won't be too much trouble for mommy? You know he's tired."
Takahiro nodded as he ate a granola bar.
Renji kissed them both on the head then stood up. "So I'm off. Will you be okay?"
"Renji it's only going to be 6 hours. We'll be at the game it will be fine." Shuuhei said allowing Renji to hug him. "Are you sure?" He asked rubbing the baby in Shuuhei's arms. "Renji it will be alright. I'll even bring Naoki to see you before the game if you want."
Renji smiled as he walked off towards the car.
"Bye Daddy!" Takahiro shouted waving.
Riku stood quietly next to Shuuhei waving as Renji left.
Renji looked back and wondered how his life could have been so wonderful.
Chapter end
TBC…
*There is no bonus this chapter. I ran outta steam: D Hope you guys enjoyed PS thus far. Look foreword to the next chapter. Babies are a foot :D