Maybe it's Not a Place...
Part 2
By: Jean Lyons
Two chappies in the sane day? Do you love me or what? And to Ahari Musici (sorry if I spelled it wrong) I have to say... there's a reason I didn't explain what happened to that guy. You'll see him soon. Maybe not soon, but he's in the story somewhere.
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Katai, again, slept later than usual. Kenshin woke her up again and told her to go to Ryo. She did, but she didn't run as usual. She was a bit happier. Megumi would be coming that day to help Ryo. She noticed Kenshin hadn't looked nearly as hopeful as she did. She stopped at Kenji's house on the way. She wanted to stop and tell her "grandchildren" hello. They weren't her grandchildren because Kenji wasn't her son, but he might as well have been. He was only three when Katai had met Kenshin. She remembered the day she met Kenshin and Kenji very clearly. She had been outside keeping an eye on some of the children from around Tokyo. She used to do that a lot. Kenshin was wanting to take a walk without his son for once and the child cried every time he would walk away leaving him with Kenshin's previous wife. Then Kenshin's previous wife had died. He had left Kenji with Katai for a few days while he went to bury her.
So she stopped in the doorway of Kenji's house, greeted by Kenji's young wife, Kotori. Mitsune, the older of her two grandchildren, was three years old. The younger, Kira, was only one. They were adorable girls. They looked just like their mother. Except that they had Kenji's blue eyes. The two small children came running to her. She sensed them coming and kneeled down to catch them. She hugged them both tightly. Kenji came out of the kitchen, where he had been repairing one of Mitsune's small toys, to say hello. "So how's Uncle Ryo?"
"Terrible. I'm on my way there. Megumi's supposed to get there soon. Maybe she can help him."
"I think dad said the other day that it was what my mom had."
"So he thinks Ryo's going to die?"
"I think so. I think he just wrote to Megumi to keep you happy. But I don't know if he's right. I don't know what mom had so it might not be the same thing. We'll just have to wait and see what Megumi says. Mom just died because there wasn't a doctor around then. I think. Maybe we should go, too. Kotori? Should we go?"
"Yes. I think Ryo needs us all just now, isn't that right?"
"Well, if we're going, let's go. Megumi will be there soon." So Kenji picked up the two little girls and followed his wife and step-mother outside.
***
Megumi finally arrived. She had been in Ryo's room for hours, leaving Katai to wait outside in Kenshin's arms. She finally came out to them, a solemn look on her face. "Katai..." she whispered. She laid a hand on the worried woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katai. There's nothing I can do. Ryo's going to die."
Katai pushed Megumi's hand away. No one could stop her screaming. "Can't you do anything? You're a doctor! It's your job! You're supposed to be able to help him!" Katai tried to lash out at the doctor, but Kenshin held her back. He turned Katai to face him. Her face was red and streaked with tears. She jerked away from him. "My brother's not going to die! I won't let him die!" Megumi tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. "Stay away from me! I don't ever want to see you again!" She jerked away from everyone. She hit her head on the wall a few times before she collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She could be heard muttering, "He's not going to die, he's not going to die, he's not going to die," over and over. Kenshin went and kneeled in front of her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up so she was forced to look at him.
"Katai, there's nothing that can be done. Ryo's going to die, that he is. You cannot deny this fact."
"He's not going to die! He can't die!" she sobbed.
"Look at me and say it, Katai. 'My brother is going to die.' You can't deny it anymore."
"I can't, Kenshin. I just can't!"
"Say it. 'My brother is going to die.'"
"No!"
He shook her shoulders. "Say it!"
"I can't!"
"Say it!"
"My..."
"That's it. Say it."
"My brother... He's... he's going to... My brother's going to... I can't, Kenshin!"
"Say it."
"My brother... Ryo... He's... He's... He's going to... He going to die? He's going to die. OH MY GOD, KENSHIN, MY BROTHER IS GOING TO DIE!!!"
"I know, Katai. It's alright."
"He's going to die..."
"Shhh... It's okay..." they sat there this way for a long while, her collapsed on his shoulder sobbing and him trying to comfort her to no avail. Finally, the others in the room joined in trying to console her. She pushed them all away except for Kenshin. He sat there in the floor holding her, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back, as if she were a small child. Ryo was going to die. And all they could do was wait.
Two chappies in the sane day? Do you love me or what? And to Ahari Musici (sorry if I spelled it wrong) I have to say... there's a reason I didn't explain what happened to that guy. You'll see him soon. Maybe not soon, but he's in the story somewhere.
************************************************************************
Katai, again, slept later than usual. Kenshin woke her up again and told her to go to Ryo. She did, but she didn't run as usual. She was a bit happier. Megumi would be coming that day to help Ryo. She noticed Kenshin hadn't looked nearly as hopeful as she did. She stopped at Kenji's house on the way. She wanted to stop and tell her "grandchildren" hello. They weren't her grandchildren because Kenji wasn't her son, but he might as well have been. He was only three when Katai had met Kenshin. She remembered the day she met Kenshin and Kenji very clearly. She had been outside keeping an eye on some of the children from around Tokyo. She used to do that a lot. Kenshin was wanting to take a walk without his son for once and the child cried every time he would walk away leaving him with Kenshin's previous wife. Then Kenshin's previous wife had died. He had left Kenji with Katai for a few days while he went to bury her.
So she stopped in the doorway of Kenji's house, greeted by Kenji's young wife, Kotori. Mitsune, the older of her two grandchildren, was three years old. The younger, Kira, was only one. They were adorable girls. They looked just like their mother. Except that they had Kenji's blue eyes. The two small children came running to her. She sensed them coming and kneeled down to catch them. She hugged them both tightly. Kenji came out of the kitchen, where he had been repairing one of Mitsune's small toys, to say hello. "So how's Uncle Ryo?"
"Terrible. I'm on my way there. Megumi's supposed to get there soon. Maybe she can help him."
"I think dad said the other day that it was what my mom had."
"So he thinks Ryo's going to die?"
"I think so. I think he just wrote to Megumi to keep you happy. But I don't know if he's right. I don't know what mom had so it might not be the same thing. We'll just have to wait and see what Megumi says. Mom just died because there wasn't a doctor around then. I think. Maybe we should go, too. Kotori? Should we go?"
"Yes. I think Ryo needs us all just now, isn't that right?"
"Well, if we're going, let's go. Megumi will be there soon." So Kenji picked up the two little girls and followed his wife and step-mother outside.
***
Megumi finally arrived. She had been in Ryo's room for hours, leaving Katai to wait outside in Kenshin's arms. She finally came out to them, a solemn look on her face. "Katai..." she whispered. She laid a hand on the worried woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katai. There's nothing I can do. Ryo's going to die."
Katai pushed Megumi's hand away. No one could stop her screaming. "Can't you do anything? You're a doctor! It's your job! You're supposed to be able to help him!" Katai tried to lash out at the doctor, but Kenshin held her back. He turned Katai to face him. Her face was red and streaked with tears. She jerked away from him. "My brother's not going to die! I won't let him die!" Megumi tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. "Stay away from me! I don't ever want to see you again!" She jerked away from everyone. She hit her head on the wall a few times before she collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She could be heard muttering, "He's not going to die, he's not going to die, he's not going to die," over and over. Kenshin went and kneeled in front of her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up so she was forced to look at him.
"Katai, there's nothing that can be done. Ryo's going to die, that he is. You cannot deny this fact."
"He's not going to die! He can't die!" she sobbed.
"Look at me and say it, Katai. 'My brother is going to die.' You can't deny it anymore."
"I can't, Kenshin. I just can't!"
"Say it. 'My brother is going to die.'"
"No!"
He shook her shoulders. "Say it!"
"I can't!"
"Say it!"
"My..."
"That's it. Say it."
"My brother... He's... he's going to... My brother's going to... I can't, Kenshin!"
"Say it."
"My brother... Ryo... He's... He's... He's going to... He going to die? He's going to die. OH MY GOD, KENSHIN, MY BROTHER IS GOING TO DIE!!!"
"I know, Katai. It's alright."
"He's going to die..."
"Shhh... It's okay..." they sat there this way for a long while, her collapsed on his shoulder sobbing and him trying to comfort her to no avail. Finally, the others in the room joined in trying to console her. She pushed them all away except for Kenshin. He sat there in the floor holding her, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back, as if she were a small child. Ryo was going to die. And all they could do was wait.