I apologize for the short chapter... I have writer's block & this is what I could come up with at the moment. I felt like I had to at least get something up seeing as it's been a while since I last updated. I hope it's not terrible & I hope when I get around to it, the next chapter will be longer.


Ryou immediately got his boxers and a shirt on before running to Kai and Mai's room.

Ichigo got her panties and one of her nightshirts on; she was just behind Ryou.

When they got to the room, Kai was in bed with Mai, trying to comfort her. But Mai was just screaming and crying—and wasn't stopping any time soon.

"What's wrong?" Ryou and Ichigo asked, concerned, looking at the two.

"I don't know; I think she's having a nightmare because she's not awake." Kai answered.

"Is everything ok? What's going on?" Sakrua asked, out of breath.

"We don't know—other than it looks like Mai's having a nightmare." Ryou replied, walking over to Mai's bed.

"Is there anything here?" Ichigo asked, looking at her mother.

"I don't see or feel anything." Sakura replied, watching Mai thrash around.

"Mai, Baby; it's Daddy and Mommy. Kai and Grandma are here as well. It's ok. Everything's ok; you're just having a bad dream." Ryou did his best to soothe Mai, picking her up and rubbed her back.

After a few seconds, she went limp in his arms—too limp.

"Mai? Baby?" Ryou asked, pulling her away from him.

"Ry—" "Call 911!" Ichigo started only to be interrupted by Ryou yelling; Mai wasn't breathing.

"Dad?" Kai asked, scared when Ryou placed Mai on the floor and started chest compressions.

"Kai, come with me." Sakura instructed, picking Kai up.

"911, what's your emergency?" A dispatcher calmly asked once Ichigo got a hold of someone.

"We need an ambulance at _ Beach House! Our four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Mai Shirogane, isn't responsive or breathing! My fiancé, her father, is doing chest compressions and mouth to mouth right now! His name is Ryou Shirogane and I'm Ichigo Momomiya! Please send someone; she's turning blue!" Ichigo cried, not taking a single breath.

"Ok, Ma'am. I know it's easier said than done, but please calm down. Breathe. We're sending someone right now; they should be there within five minutes or so. Please stay on the line and talk to me until EMTs get there. Let me know if anything changes." The dispatcher calmly instructed.

"Ok." Ichigo whimpered.

"Come on, Baby. Breathe. Breathe for Daddy. Ichigo?!" Ryou begged and pleaded with Mai, doing chest compressions as carefully as he could so he wouldn't break a rib. He then yelled for Ichigo for an update.

"They said an ambulance will be here in a few minutes." Ichigo shakily answered.

"Come on, Baby; don't do this to us!" Ryou yelled, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"HUH!" Mai took a sharp intake of breath before she started coughing. Still, she didn't stir.

"Yes! There we go; that's it. Keep breathing. Ichigo, she's breathing! Get my pants, please!" Ryou spoke to Mai before calling to Ichigo.

"Right!" Ichigo complied right away, running to the room.

"Is everything ok?" The dispatcher asked, concerned.

"Mai—she just took a breath and started coughing… But she's still not waking up and responding." Ichigo answered.

"That's good. For now, that's a good sign." The dispatcher assured Ichigo.

Ichigo didn't reply; she got her pants on and grabbed Ryou's.

As soon as Ryou got his pants on—keeping a close eye on Mai, EMTs came rushing up the stairs.

A few Minutes Later:

The EMTs asked their questions about Mai, got her prepped and on the stretcher, and took her to the ambulance.

"Only one parent can come with." The head EMT told them.

"You go with; she's Daddy's girl." Ryou was going to say something when Ichigo told him to go with Mai.

"Ryou go. I'm ok to drive; I'll follow along with Ichigo and Kai." Sakura told Ryou when she saw him about to protest.

Mai really was a daddy's girl. As much as she loved both Ryou and Ichigo, Mai found more comfort in Ryou.

Ryou didn't argue after that; he just went with Mai.

An Hour & a Half Later:

11:33 PM:

With Ryou:

Mai was rushed in, had a full-body MRI, blood work, urine samples, an oxygen mask (just in case), was hooked up to three different machines—and still wasn't responsive.

Right now, she was lying in a hospital bed with Ryou holding her hand.

"Mr. Shirogane—Mai Shirogane's father?" A doctor walked into Mai's hospital room.

"Yes, that's me. How is she?" Ryou asked, watching Mai.

"Her bloodwork, urine, and all that is just fine. However, she is going to need emergency surgery." The doctor sighed, bringing up her MRI results.

"What happened?" Ryou asked, sitting up straight.

"She has a bullet lodged in the center of her chest—between her breastbone." The doctor answered, showing Ryou the results.

"But that's not possible; she wasn't shot in the chest. Her shoulder was just grazed." Ryou argued.

"Mr. Shirogane, please. I understand you only received full custody a little over a year ago. This bullet is from at least two and a half years ago. Looking at her MRI, the bullet started up in her right shoulder and sat there. We don't know the bullet's progression speed, but we do know that something recently dislodged it, causing it to move to where it is currently. We need to do the emergency surgery now, before it moves again. We don't know how long it will stay where it is, and we don't know which way it'll go. We don't want to risk it moving towards her heart. Honestly, if it had never been dislodged, there's a chance nobody would ever know Mai had a bullet in her shoulder. But please; if you could just sign the permission forms." The doctor explained before handing Ryou a clipboard; he signed everything he needed to save his baby.

"Now, I understand it's not just her; she has a twin brother? You got him at the same time as Mai?" The doctor asked, looking at Ryou.

"Yes. Kai." Ryou replied.

"I would like it if we could do an MRI, some bloodwork, and a urine test (if possible) just to make sure he doesn't have any bullets in him as well." The doctor informed Ryou, holding another release form. Again, Ryou signed the papers in Kai's best interest.

"Can Ichigo come back? She's their mother." Ryou asked, looking at the doctor.

"That's perfectly fine—and preferable." The doctor replied before walking away.

In The Waiting Room:

"What's happened?! What's going on?! Where are Mai and Ryou?!" Jin and Ami asked, rushing in, slightly out of breath with a boy with brown hair, pale blue eyes, and glasses.

Ichigo had repeatedly called Ryou's parents until one of them answered.

"Ryou's with Mai. We don't know what's going on. Mai started screaming and crying in her sleep before she stopped breathing. Ryou did chest compressions and mouth to mouth and got her breathing again, but she wasn't responsive." Ichigo replied while Sakura sat in a chair, bouncing her knee, holding Kai—who was sleeping.

"At least she's breathing…" Ami sighed, somewhat relieved; she didn't want to freak Ichigo out any more than she already was.

"I know this probably isn't the best time, but this is our son, Tomohiro—Ryou's younger brother and the twin's uncle. Tomohiro, this is your brother's fiancé, Ichigo. That's her mother, Sakura, and that's Ryou and Ichigo's son, Kai." Jin spoke up, looking from Ichigo to the boy with brown hair.

"It's nice to meet you. However, I wish it were under different circumstances." Tomohiro told Ichigo.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well." Ichigo replied.

"Nice to meet you." Sakura quietly spoke as not to wake Kai.

Just then, Ryou walked into the waiting room.

"Ryou?" Ichigo asked, concerned—especially when she saw his face.

"They need to see Kai. Ichigo, you can come back too if you wish." Ryou stated, looking at Ichigo; he barely noticed his parents or Tomohiro.

"Ok…" Ichigo replied, unsure; she took Kai from her mother and followed Ryou back.

"This can't be good…" Jin sighed, watching Ryou, Ichigo, and Kai until they disappeared.

"Ryou? Ryou, what's going on?" Ichigo asked, demanding an answer.

"Mai's going into emergency surgery—having a bullet removed from her chest." Ryou answered.

"But she wasn't shot in the chest; she was shot in the shoulder. And even then, the bullet just grazed her shoulder." Ichigo argued.

"This was apparently from years ago. They want to check Kai just in case he has one as well." Ryou responded.

"She's been to doctor appointments, hasn't she? Why didn't anyone say anything before?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Aside from the severe pneumonia last year, Mai hasn't been to a hospital like this with me. Yes, I've taken her to appointments, but she hasn't had X-rays or anything but that one time. If they didn't see anything in her chest or lungs then, it means the bullet was somewhere else and was recently dislodged and moved. Other than that, I don't know why it wouldn't have been noticed before. When did my parents get here?" Ryou explained and then asked.

"Oh… They just got here a few minutes ago; they brought your brother, Tomohiro, with." Ichigo answered as they walked a long, never-ending hall.

"I see. Thanks for calling them." Ryou thanked.

"Of course." Ichigo replied once they got to the doctor who wanted to see Kai.

Four Hours Later:

5:03 AM:

Kai didn't have any bullets lodged in his body, but he did have a small puncture wound near his appendix. It was nothing too serious, but the doctors, Ryou, and Ichigo, agreed it best he have his appendix removed just in case; Mai also had her appendix removed by Ryou's request—if possible.

Kai came out of surgery two and a half hours ago, while Mai got out about forty minutes ago.

Because of how early it was, everyone was asleep:

* Kai was up for about half an hour after surgery but fell asleep again.

* Mai was up for about ten minutes after surgery but couldn't stay up any longer.

* Ichigo fell asleep in a chair next to Kai's bed about an hour ago, her head on his bed.

* Ryou fell asleep in a chair next to Mai's bed fifteen minutes ago, holding her hand.

* Out in the waiting room, Sakura, Ami, Tomohiro, and Jiro fell asleep in chairs hours ago, waiting to be updated…