"Hey Mrs. Minamino," announced a nurse at the Immediate Care Unit at
the hospital, "Dr. Radji, will see you now." Shizuru nodded, trying to
fight off bits of nausea in her stomach. "Are you okay?" asked the nurse,
has the two women made there way into a room. "I don't know, this morning,
well actually every morning this week, when I wake up, I get sick and have
to run to the bathroom. At first I thought I caught this flu that is going
around, but that flu is only a 24-hour thing, what I have has been going on
all week. But the weird thing is, the rest of the day, I feel fine." The
nurse checked her over. "When was your last period?" "I don't remember.
It wasn't last month I know." "So you skipped a period last month and you
are vomiting in the mornings only, right?" asked the nurse. "Yes, that's
right," Shizuru paused for a moment, "Wait, are you suggesting what I think
you are?" The nurse smiled and handed Shizuru a plastic cup. "I need a
sample of your urine, please. There is a tiny bathroom next to this room."
Shizuru went into the tiny room and closed the door. "This can't be real,
can it? Kurama and I have barely been married for a year now. What is
happening to me?" she asked her reflection in the mirror above the sink.
She stared at the tiny cup like it had the answer to her problems. "Guess
I'll get it over with," she sighed, walking over to the toilet. She undid
her pants, and placed the cup underneath her. Slowly she peed into it,
though she didn't have much urine in her bladder. A short time later, she
returned from the bathroom, with the cup now filled with the yellow liquid,
to the room where the nurse was waiting. "Now," said the nurse, exchanging
the cup with a loose white gown, "I want you to undress and put on this
gown, and the doctor will be with you in awhile." As soon as the nurse
left the room and closed the door, Shizuru did as the nurse requested. She
sat on the padded table for a bit, staring at the ceiling. There came a
knock at the door, and the doctor came in. "Hi, Mrs. Minamino, how are you
today?" "I am fine this afternoon. It's the early mornings that are
another matter. I wake up and throw up. That's been happening everyday
this week. I wonder if that is becoming routine." "And then you are fine
the rest of the day?" "Yes, and that's even more strange." Dr. Radji
checked all over her, finding everything seeming normal with her. "I'll be
back shortly," he announced, "in the meantime you can redress, but don't go
anywhere." He left the room, and Shizuru took off the gown and put her
clothes back on. She barely tied her shoes, when the doctor walked back in
the room. Quickly she noticed a smile across his lips stretching from ear
to ear. "What is going on?" she wondered. "Oh nothing much, your vital
signs are fine, and I got your test results." "Test results? What do you
mean?" "You know the urine sample you gave the nurse? It turned blue." A
look of shock overcame Shizuru's face. "Do you mean that.that I am?" The
doctor nodded his head.
Later that day she returned home, the moments that had just transpired, reamed through her mind. "What is Kurama going to say when I tell him this? He is good with Megumi, loves playing with her. How is he going to feel though about having one of his own?" her thoughts seemed to plague her. She kept pacing the living room carpet, in their apartment, constantly staring out the window. Suddenly she saw his black truck pull into the parking lot. Shizuru could not hesitate any longer. She ripped open the door, and sprinted across the walk and down the stairway. "Hey, I have great new," the two said in unison. "You go first," Shizuru offered. "Well I found a job. I will be working here in town at the hospital. The doctors in the Cancer Ward were impressed with my knowledge of plants and my work with Atsuko, that they have hired me on part-time." "What about your classes?" "That's why it's only part-time." "Oh, by the way, how is Atsuko? Haven't spoken to her in 8 months." "She is doing great. I think we caught the cancer in time. It is in remission, and she should be back to normal in no time." "That's great, I am happy for her. I was praying so hard for her." "Well I told you about my day, how was yours? Did you find out why you are sick every morning?" Shizuru smiled, her lips bursting with laughter. "I did find out. You may want to sit down for this." Kurama sat himself on the first step of the outside staircase. Sitting up as straight as he could, he listened to her speak. "Well I went to the doctor's today. He ran a few tests on me, one of them being a urine test." "Yeah, so what happen?" Kurama asked, watching his wife pace the gravel before him, "Could you hold still?" he chuckled, "Your pacing is making me nervous." "Sorry, but what I have to say is hard to put into words." "Just say it. It's okay whatever it is, I can handle it." "Kurama," her eyes looking straight into his, "we are going to be parents." "What? Are you serious?" He jumped up from the step, and walked over to her. She nodded her head vigorously, tears forming in her eyes. He hugged her as tight he could. She whispered to him, "I love you, Dad," and kissed him on the lips.
Later that day she returned home, the moments that had just transpired, reamed through her mind. "What is Kurama going to say when I tell him this? He is good with Megumi, loves playing with her. How is he going to feel though about having one of his own?" her thoughts seemed to plague her. She kept pacing the living room carpet, in their apartment, constantly staring out the window. Suddenly she saw his black truck pull into the parking lot. Shizuru could not hesitate any longer. She ripped open the door, and sprinted across the walk and down the stairway. "Hey, I have great new," the two said in unison. "You go first," Shizuru offered. "Well I found a job. I will be working here in town at the hospital. The doctors in the Cancer Ward were impressed with my knowledge of plants and my work with Atsuko, that they have hired me on part-time." "What about your classes?" "That's why it's only part-time." "Oh, by the way, how is Atsuko? Haven't spoken to her in 8 months." "She is doing great. I think we caught the cancer in time. It is in remission, and she should be back to normal in no time." "That's great, I am happy for her. I was praying so hard for her." "Well I told you about my day, how was yours? Did you find out why you are sick every morning?" Shizuru smiled, her lips bursting with laughter. "I did find out. You may want to sit down for this." Kurama sat himself on the first step of the outside staircase. Sitting up as straight as he could, he listened to her speak. "Well I went to the doctor's today. He ran a few tests on me, one of them being a urine test." "Yeah, so what happen?" Kurama asked, watching his wife pace the gravel before him, "Could you hold still?" he chuckled, "Your pacing is making me nervous." "Sorry, but what I have to say is hard to put into words." "Just say it. It's okay whatever it is, I can handle it." "Kurama," her eyes looking straight into his, "we are going to be parents." "What? Are you serious?" He jumped up from the step, and walked over to her. She nodded her head vigorously, tears forming in her eyes. He hugged her as tight he could. She whispered to him, "I love you, Dad," and kissed him on the lips.