Chapter 5: Breakdown

As soon as she had finished her breakfast, Haruka got dressed and prepared to go for work. "Are you sure that working today is a good idea, Daddy?" Hotaru asked, sounding worried. Haruka just nodded; her headache was coming back, and she had an odd feeling to her stomach. "I'll be right back Hotaru, I just have to get some papers from the living room." She then spoke. Hotaru nodded, and Haruka left the bedroom, hurrying down, meeting Michiru on her way. The aqua haired girl just entered Hotaru's room and started to discuss the choice of clothes the little girl had made with her when all of a sudden a sickening thud could be heard from downstairs. Hotaru's eyes went wide. "Daddy!" she cried out, and before Michiru even had a chance to react, the little girl already had stormed out of the room and ran downstairs. "Hotaru wait!" Michiru cried out, hurrying after the girl. When she reached the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks, shocked. Haruka laid on the dark blue carpet motionless, the papers she had wanted to get still in her hand, breathing with long, somehow soggy gasps. Hotaru knelt next to her, shaking her shoulders and crying. "Daddy! Daddy, wake up!" she looked at Michiru with tear-filled eyes. "I can't make her wake up!" Michiru quickly made her way over to the two, kneeling down next to the unconscious Haruka. "Tenoh-san…Tenoh-san, wake up!" Haruka didn't react. Michiru looked at Hotaru, taking her hand to gain her attention. "Hotaru, listen to me." She spoke, trying to make her voice sound friendly - which was hard, since Harukas condition upset her pretty much. "You stay here with your Daddy. I'll call the doctor, okay? I'll be right back." Hotaru nodded, Michiru smiled at her and then hurried out of the room, over to the phone.

"I've never seen such a bad case of influenza in my entire life." The doctor stated while he checked Harukas temperature, finding out that it was way too high. "High fever…and she's completely burned out." The doctor looked at Michiru. "Make sure that she stays in bed for the next two weeks, okay? And also make sure that she takes her medication." With that, he handed her various tablets and a bottle that contained an odd liquid. Michiru nodded, taking the objects and placing them on the nightstand. "I will, doctor. Thank you for coming so fast." The elderly man smiled at her. "That's my job, young lady. Take good care of your wife." "She's not…" Michiru started, but the doctor already had left and the aqua haired girl closed her mouth again, flabbergasted. Hotaru stood next to her giggling. "Uncle doctor thought that you are the wife of my Daddy!" the little girl then laughed. Michiru eyed her grinning and shrugged before she looked at the still unconscious - or maybe now sleeping - Haruka again. "Poor Tenoh-san." She spoke, more to herself than to someone in particular, but Hotaru heard it anyway. "Yes, my poor Daddy." She spoke, sudden sadness in her voice. She bent over Harukas still body and gently kissed her hot cheek, but Haruka didn't react to it.

"Do you think that Daddy became sick because Mommy died?" Hotaru asked one hour later while Michiru and her were sitting in the living room. Michiru gave her a surprised look; she never would've thought that the little girl would come up with something like that. "It could be, Hotaru." She finally said. "You know…when you loose someone who meant very much to you…it can make you sick. And as far as I know, your Daddy loved your Mommy very much, right?" Hotaru nodded, her eyes filling with sadness. "I loved Mommy very much, too. She made Daddy become much nicer." Michiru frowned. "Pardon?" she then asked. Hotaru climbed on her lap and spoke, "I was already four when my Mommy Miko met my Daddy Haruka, you know. Daddy was a very mean person at that time! She was all cold and unfriendly, but Mommy got her to change, and made her that nice and caring person she is now. My Mommy was so great!" Michiru smiled and patted Hotaru's head. That explained why Haruka had seemed so cold towards her, and was so warm when it came to Hotaru…Michiru let out a little sigh, earning an odd look from Hotaru. "Are you fine, Michiru?" she then asked. Michiru smiled at her and nodded. "Yes…I was just thinking about your Daddy." Hotaru smiled up at her and replied: "My Daddy is really cute, isn't she?" Michirus eyes bulged out. "Well…well, yes, she's handsome. Why do you ask?" "Because Daddy's weird secretary said it once when she thought that I wasn't listening. She said something like Oh Tenoh-san is so cute! I wish I could have her!" Hotaru frowned. "What did she mean with have her anyway? Does she want to buy my Daddy?" Michiru sweatdropped and gave a fake laugh. "I don't think so, Hotaru!" she then spoke, giggling. Hotaru pouted, and that caused Michiru to giggle even more.