Love Knows No Yamato: (The Slightly Late: Forgive Me!) Chapter Six
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Matt screamed out, struggling against Joe's tightening grip.
"I said, "shut up"!" Joe said, punching Matt in the guts, sending him sprawling and coughing to the floor. "What's the matter? Your brain living in between your legs? It sure as hell was there nine months ago."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Matt gasped, holding his stomach.
"Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about." Joe growled, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall. "See this?" He seethed, reaching in his pocket and producing a blurry black and white photo. "THAT'S what I'm talking about. THAT is your damn baby!" he said, holding the picture one-centimeter away from his face.
Matt glared at the picture. "M-my—"
"YOUR baby." Joe growled, "June's baby. The child she's been carrying around for the past nine months. Or have you knocked up so many others you lost track?"
Before he had a chance to take a breath to respond, Joe shoved Matt to the ground, sending him sliding across the wooden floor. "Where were you when she was on the cusp of aborting the baby? Where were you when her parents put her out and she had to use her college funds and rent an apartment BY HERSELF?"
Matt looked up at his attacker silently, not knowing whether to answer or keep silent.
"Where were you when MY superiors came to me and asked me to interrupt MY training and
live with her for the pregnancy; a job you, as a MAN should have been doing? Where were you when June was screaming in the night because of her terrifying nightmares?" Joe said, anger flowing over in his voice.
Matt continued staring at Joe, silent.
"Were you there watching your baby grow and swell and move in HER body for nine months? Were you there for the doctor visits and the damn ultrasounds? Were you there for ANY of that?!" Joe demanded. "And now, she's in the hospital going through hours of hell trying to bring your child into the world and you're not there!"
"Joe…it's more complicated than you know." Matt said. "I'm not ready to be someone's father. I barely had a father myself, so how the hell can I be a father to a kid if I never had one?"
"That's a load of bull and you know it." Joe growled. "You're scared. Scared of taking responsibility for someone other than your selfish self."
"You're wrong, Kido." Matt said, staring him in the eyes. "I'm TERRIFIED. I'm absolutely, positively, undeniably, terrified. I'm not ready for this in any way."
"Do you honestly think that Izzy or Ken were ready? Their kids took them by surprise. But they stepped up to the plate. Even your own brother TK, the younger brother, took responsibility and stepped up. And look at him. He has twins! He's a father times two." Joe said, never breaking eye contact.
"They're different. They were already married. They already knew that they were going to have kids someday. This was an accident."
"Well, June is in the hospital in labor with your 'accident'." Joe barked. "If you were any sort of man, if you cared at all for June or that child, you would get your trivial behind off the floor, get dressed and get to the hospital and be with her while she births your child."
"Joe, I…"
"Don't talk to me. I may say something I won't regret." Joe said, crossing his arms. Just get to Odabia Municipal Hospital; 7th floor; Obstetrics story. The receptionist will help you the rest of the way."
"But—"
"If you're going to go, go. You don't have anything to say a damn thing to me." Joe said, turning around towards the open door "Just get there." He ordered, slamming the door behind him.
Matt sat in the middle of the floor, silent and contemplative.
"She's been asking for you." The African American said, handing him June's chart as he arrived in the elevator. "She's making slow progress. She's only up to five/five and a half centimeters dilated. Thirty percent effacement."
"Slow indeed." Joe agreed, looking at the chart as he pulled his lab jacket on. "Think we should start Pitocin? Stimulate contractions?"
"I would say that is a logical step." Dr. McKnight said, nodding, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What's your idea on dosage?"
"Rapid IV drip of 500 milliliters over a course of an hour or until contractions reach sufficient strength."
"By the book as usual, Mr. Kido." The doctor said, pulling a small pouch with a clear fluid out of his lab jacket pocket and dropping it in Joe's hand. "Remember, books can only tell you so much, the rest you have to rely on your gut." He continued, as he walked away down the hall.
"Yes sir, thank you sir." Joe said, a small grin appearing on his face.
"Hey, Joe! Where you been?" Davis asked, stepping out the room. "June has been screaming bloody murder in there. She's calm now."
"I had to run a quick errand." Joe replied, as he walked into the hospital room. "Hello June. I'm sorry I was gone so long."
"I'm just so glad you're back." June groaned, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "It hurts so much. When can I have my epidural?"
"Not for a while yet." Joe replied, hanging the IV on the stand next to the bed. "We need to get your contractions going and get you dilated to seven centimeters before we can get you any pain medicine."
"What's that you're going to start on my IV then?" June asked, looking at the small pouch.
"It's a synthetic hormone to stimulate contractions." Joe explained as he took June's wrist and wiped it with the alcohol pad. "Just take a few deep breaths. It's only going to hurt for a second."
"I hope you don't mis—OW!" June shouted, wincing.
"All done!" Joe said, setting the IV drip computer. "My first year of medical school, I averaged ninety-nine percent accuracy when it came to starting IV's."
"So, where did you go?" June asked, setting her hands on her stomach. "I missed you. Dr. McKnight didn't say a word, and Davis didn't know--"
"Don't worry about that. I'm here now and I'm going to see you through this." Joe said, taking her hand.
"How long is it going to take?" June asked, looking at the IV dripping down into her arm. "For this medication to take affect, I mean?"
"Well, you should notice that the pain and pressure increase probably with the next few contractions." Joe explained, making a note in the chart. "When they get really frequent and you reach seven centimeters, then we'll give you your epidural, up the medication, get you up to ten centimeters, and start pushing."
"How long will I be pushing?"
"It may take a while, but don't worry about that now. You just concentrate on your breathing and relax a while. You got a long way to go." Joe said, walking out the door. "I'll be right back."
"Don't be gone too long!" June called out behind him. "I kinda don't know what I'm doing here."
"Ah, don't worry." Joe said, as the door closed. "It's instinct. You may think you don't know, but your body and your heart do."
"I hope you're right, Joe…" June groaned as she felt a familiar slow creeping pain radiate around her belly, growing in intensity. "I hope you're ri—AHHHHHHH!"
"I'm here to see a patient, she's in labor."
"Sure. What's her name?" The clerk asked, quickly clicking the keys on the keyboard.
"June Motamaya."
"And your name sir?" she asked, eyes scanning the display on the screen.
"Yamato Ishida." The blonde said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why is it so damned cold in hospitals?" he thought to himself.
"Okay, Mr. Ishida. If you would please have a seat over in the waiting area; I'll find out if it's okay for you to go in." she said, pointing to a row of seats.
"Thanks." Matt said, as he slowly walked to the next available seat.
As soon as he sat down, the clerk picked up the phone receiver and pressed a button. "Dr. Kido? Hi, this is Brenda. Look, I have Yamato Ishida here wanting to see June Motamaya."
She listened. "Uh-huh. Yep. So, should I wait for you to come down?"
There was a pause. "Oh, okay. I'll let him know. All right. Bye-bye."
Brenda pressed the intercom key on the phone. "Attention please: Yamato Ishida, please come to the reception desk. Yamato Ishida, please report to the reception desk." She then returned the receiver to the base and looked up into a pair of azure blue eyes. She gave a small yelp.
"You scared me! You got up here fast." She said with a startled smile. "June is in active labor right now and Dr. Kido asked that you wait in Exam room three. It's straight down the hall and to the right. You can't miss it."
"Did he say how long it was going to take?"
"No, not particularly. Oh! But he did tell me to give you this." Brenda said, reaching under her desk. "Now please return this when you're finished with it. It's hospital property." She said, handing him a small silver box.
"A DVD player?" Matt asked curiously, flipping the cover up revealing a small screen and the controls.
"He says you would and should be interested in it." Brenda said, as the phone rang. "Duty calls. I'm sorry, I can't take you to exam three myself. Like I said, it's down the hall and to the right."
"It's okay. Thanks." The blonde said, walking down the hallw
"Motamaya, June. Embryo/Fetal Ultrasounds"
Matt sat on a metallic stool, the DVD player setting on the exam table in front of him with the lid open. He fingered the words written in black marker across the disk; the ink feeling rough in contrast to the smooth disk. He shut the cover and hit the play button.
After a few seconds, the disk spun up to speed and the word "Play" flashed across the screen in bright green characters against a sky blue background. Then, blackness covered the screen.
Matt blinked, wondering if the player was malfunctioning. He was just about to grab it and turn it off, but then, a black and white image appeared on the screen. It was a cone shape with text on either side. "Motamaya, June. Date: Feb. 3rd."
Suddenly, inside the cone shape, a small form began moving around.
No way…this can't me my…
Matt's hand flew to his mouth, his eyes wide as he watched the small form move and float inside the dark black cone shape.
She actually has this…this…baby…in her body right now? This is what she was carrying around for God knows how long?
Matt gently touched the liquid crystal screen, his fingertips anticipating the warm touch of the form on the screen, instead being met by a flat, cold piece of plastic that protected the screen.
As he withdrew his fingers, the screen went black again and the DVD player let loose a small whining sound. The display now shown "Track Two".
Once again, the black and white image appeared on the screen, except this time the little form inside the cone looked as though it didn't have much room as before to swim around, though it still shifted, kicked and wiggled around.
Matt leaned in close to the screen, his blue eyes absorbed into the little form on the screen.
It was my manager…my manager told me to break off contact with her. When he got wind of it, he told me to leave her alone. Deny ever having any sort of relationship with her. Not good for my image…
Just then, a small sound broke the silence of the room from the DVD player. It wasn't the sound of the laser switching tracks, or the disk slowing down…
"Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump…"
Matt blinked, his azure blue eyes magnified by the tears filling them.
How could I be so foolish? How could I be such a bastard? I let this beautiful baby and this beautiful girl slip through my fingers. God, how could I be so stupid? I should have been there…I should have been there… I should have been in there while these beautiful pictures were being taken…I should have been there for every little movement, every kick, every shift…
"I should have stayed by her side…I should have been there…" Matt sobbed, setting his head in his hands and resting it on the bed in front of the player. "And now it's too late. It's too late to do anything…I wasn't there when she needed me…I wasn't there…I was worried about my sorry-ass career."
Matt looked up and touched the screen with his tear-wet fingers. "I'm so sorry little baby…I'm so sorry that I missed out on your growth. I should've been there with your beautiful mother watching and waiting for you; treating your mother like the queen she is."
"Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump…"
Matt slowly moved his fingers over the display; across it's little spine, which reminded him of a fine string of pearls he once brought June when they were first dating. Almost as though the little child was reacting to the touch, it gave a little wiggle, and kicked at the gray area surrounding it.
"Bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump…"
"I don't deserve to call myself this baby my child…what kind of father am I?" Matt sobbed, "I'm no father; I'm just a frickin' sperm donor…I'm no better than my own father. At least he stuck around for a while after me and TK was born."
Suddenly, the room fell silent. Matt immediately looked up at the DVD player's screen, which was now black except for the bright green text on the screen, which read "Track three".
Matt's eyes eagerly scanned the screen for the familiar gray form on the screen. "Come on…where is it? Don't tell me that's all there is…"
Instead of the black and white picture, the screen went all white. Matt sat back and squinted at the screen as the picture came into focus.
It was a hospital room. Almost like the one he was in, except this one was very different.
The walls were barren and painted bright white. The bed was the same, but there was a young girl laying down on it; about 20 or 21 years old, she had tears in her eyes and looking straight up towards the ceiling, her waist covered with a blue hospital sheet, her feet hanging off the edge of the table.
She looks June's age…what could this be about…
Just then, a doctor came in through a door that was just off screen. His face was covered with a surgical mask. He walked over to the bed and raised the back up, bringing the girl up to about a sitting position.
What is going on here? What does this have to do with…
Matt gasped as the girl put her legs in the stirrups and shifted herself up.
Her stomach had a small yet visible lump in it.
The man in the surgical mask then pulled a metal chair in front of the girl between her legs from somewhere off screen. He then reached from behind the side of the bed and pulled over a device that looked to Matt like a vacuum cleaner with a clear container attached to it.
No…no, man. This can't be…how can she…that's an innocent life. She can't…
The doctor lifted up the sheet that was concealing the girl's waist; her stomach was larger than Matt originally guessed.
No… please, no…don't let her do it. PLEASE don't do it…it's just starting to live…
Up to this point, there was no sound; just the horrific pictures being played and the loud thumping in Matt's ears, that he realized was his own heart beating out of it's chest.
But when the doctor reached out to switch on the device, a horrible grinding, suctioning sound erupted from the DVD player in full stereo.
"NO! STOP! DON'T DO IT! IT'S A LIVING CHILD!" Matt screamed out, clutching the DVD player screen tightly in his hand.
On screen, the doctor picked up a long suctioning hose with a white plastic tip on it. The girl on the screen had her eyes closed and her hands at her sides. Her face was deadpan as the doctor shifted in his seat, positioned the device and…
(Directors Commentary - Forgive me everybody for the extended delay! My muses took an extended vacation and I was left with a writers block the size of a Voltswagen New Beetle convertable, of course, and I switched to making wallpapers for the past weeks! Now I'm back in the captains chair and I plan to be here for quite a while!
Since my absence, this story has been pushed down quite a bit, and I want to give new readers a chance to check out this: my longest story ever, so I'm going to repost this story when I finish with chapter seven. I just wanted to give those with the "Story Alert" an "I'm sorry" gift because of my absence!)