Love Knows No Yamato: Chapter Three

"Well, here we are." June said, opening the apartment door. "Forgive me that I didn't clean or anything. I've been out all day." She explained, as she held the door open for him.

Joe stepped inside, letting his backpack drop to the tile floor in the small foyer. There was a small step up in front of him that lead into a short, dark hallway, which connected to what looked like an open living room.

"Hang on, I'll turn on a light." June said, stepping out her shoes and up into the apartment, her padding footsteps echoing a short distance down the hall. "Here we go." June called, flipping a switch.

The hallway was illuminated with a bright and warm glow as Joe pulled off his sneakers and padded inside the apartment. The living room was suprisingly spacious, but only had a couch with a big overstuffed blue chair, a small coffee table, a dining table, and a 36" TV setting inside an aged amoire.

(D/C – For those of you who follow my other stories, you'll notice that this is the same place where Josh and Rob lived in my second story "Ride On Shooting Stars", give or take a few things.)

"The TV and some other stuff came from out of my room when my parents kicked me to the curb." June said, plopping down in the blue chair. "The rest of it I found at a flea market for a good price."

Joe dropped his black medical bag on the floor by the couch and sat down on the couch, which felt suprisingly comfortable. "So…" he began, rubbing his hands together nervously, eyeing June's swollen midsection. "Ummm…"

"So…" June echoed, picking an imaginary piece of lint on the arm of the chair. "Can I get you something?" She asked, gesturing to the kitchen.

"Oh, no, no. I'm fine. I ate back at the hospital." Joe said, laughing nervously. "I'm just fine and daddy—"

"Huh?" June said, looking at him curiously.

"DANDY! I meant DANDY! I'm just fine and DANDY!" Joe sputtered, holding up his hands. "I didn't mean…"

"Joe, you're as transparent as air." June said, smiling slightly as she sat back in the chair. "You've had a question in your head from the first time you saw me."

"Well…" Joe stammered, his cheeks turning a dark crimson. "I know it's probably wrong of me to ask, but…"

"Don't say another word." June interrupted, holding up a hand. "Yes, he's the father."

"When did you two…you know…" Joe began, leaning in close to June.

"It was at the Pillows free concert in Odabia Park…" June said, setting a hand under her chin, reminiscing. "I'll never forget it. They were playing "Bran-new Lovesong". We started kissing and then we went back into the forest and…" June's cheeks flushed pink.

"And ever since then?" Joe asked, brow furrowed. "Did you tell him about your situation?"

"Of course I did. I had to let him know." June said, setting her hands on her belly. "I mean, he was my first and only and I know that I was his. But when I told him, he just stood there in shock and since then…he's just been avoiding me: not returning calls, not answering at his apartment."

"Don't worry June." Joe said, noticing her brown eyes welling with tears. "I'm going to get down to the bottom of this."

"Joe, please don't worry yourself," June said, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes before they fell. "I don't expect anything from him—"

"But I do." Joe said, his hands slowly balling up into fists. "As a man, I expect him to step up and take responsibility for his actions."

"Joe, I played just as big a role in this as he did. I could have easily have said no."

"Well, he could have said no too." Joe replied, sinking into the couch. "As a man, he should have said no. Or, if he wanted it so much, he would have been ready, willing, and able to accept the end result."

"Well, what's done is done." June groaned, slowly standing up from the chair. "I don't expect anything from him. This kid will just grow up knowing me as mommy and daddy. Now, I got a hankering for Chinese takeout, and Dr. McKnight said I needed to bulk up. What do you want?" June said, picking up a menu from the coffee table.

"Oh, nothing. I ate at the hospital I'm fi—"

"Grrr…"

"Your stomach speaks volumes." June giggled, picking up the telephone. "Now tell me what you want to order, or else I'll order it for you."

Joe's face flushed a deep red. "A small fried rice would be nice."

How could he be so irresponsible? Just what was he playing at? Doing this to June and then running out on her like this? How dare he…

Joe turned over onto his back, starring up at the ceiling. Ever since he stretched out on the couch for bed, his head was awash with thoughts.

June doesn't deserve this. Nobody deserves this. It's just not fair.

Joe tossed over on the couch, facing the back of the couch, his eyelids slowly closing as he slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

One of these days I'm going to really…tell…him…what's…on…my…mind…

ONE MONTH LATER

"Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump…"

"Fetal heart tones dropping down to the low 60's! "

"Push, June. You got to push!" Dr. McKnight shouted above the noise of the alarms from the foot of the bed in full hospital gear.

June groaned and cried, as she strained, clutching and pulling the side rails on the bed as she tried to force the child out her body, her legs spread apart in the stirrups. "Please…just get it out. Just cut it out! I can't push anymore!" she wailed.

Fetal heart tones in the 40's and still dropping!" A nurse called out.

"The head's jammed in the birth canal, the cord is on top of it!" Dr. McKnight shouted, wiping his forehead with a bloody glove. "Damn it, where are the forceps?!" He shouted.

"Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump…"

"Fetal heart tones are down to 20 and still dropping!"

Suddenly, June felt a sharp burning, tearing pain from her birth canal, as Dr. McKnight jammed the two stainless steel rods in her and locked them together. She screamed as the doctor began pulling at the child's head. She tried to push again, but all her muscles were aching beyond what was humanly possible.

"Damn it…. It's still not moving. The head is way too big to pass through." Dr. McKnight groaned, as he pulled at the baby's head with the forceps.

Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-"

Beep…

"I've lost the fetal heart tones…" The nurse said, mournfully, moving the monitoring device strapped to June's belly around. "I'm not finding anything."

Dr. McKnight removed the forceps and peeled off his gloves. "June, I am so sorry—"

"What? What is it?" June gasped, sitting up in the bed. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

"June…he's dead…" Dr. McKnight whispered removing the monitoring device from her still swollen belly.

"No…" June whimpered. "No…please say no…please—"

"We lost him, June…"

"You're lying! He's not dead! He's not dead! He's not dead!" She shrieked, grasping the handlebars on the bed again and twisting her face into a scowl as she pushed again. "He's not dead! He's not dead!"

"Nurse, strap her down and paralyze her now!" Dr. McKnight ordered.

"No! Please, God no!" June screamed as the nurse began injecting the drug in her IV "Don't! I got to get my baby out! My baby…my baby…"

TO BE CONTINUED…