A week later found Hiei in the mall along with Keiko, Yukina, Shizuru and Kurama. The three of them were traveling in the baby department of the JC Penny. Keiko had bought some khaki pants, a green polo shirt, some white sneakers and under clothes for Hiei in preparation for this trip. Yukina had help him learn how to fasten a bra. They were calling him 'Ruri' in order to keep most problems to a minimum. Koenma, with much persuasion by Yusuke and Kuwabara, even made up identification, a drivers license, and credit cards under the name 'Ruri Yukimura'. It had been Keiko's idea to have him use her last name.
Shizuru was looking at baby clothes with the little mother-to-be, while Yukina looked at car seats, cribs and highchairs, Kurama was looking for bottles, Hiei wasn't sure if he would breastfeed or bottle-feed, he planned on researching it a bit more first, and Keiko was looking for maternity clothing for Hiei.
With Keiko
The spirit detective's girl friend thumbed through racks of clothing, looking for some dresses that she felt were close enough to Hiei's size so they could be easily shortened or altered. She already had a long-sleeved wine red dress over her arm, it was probably too long, but they were going to alter them with her mother's help anyway. She found a light green one, that she held up against a Polaroid picture of Hiei to check and see how it would look. Shaking her head she replaced it, and selected a light blue one instead. This one passed. When she had four approved dresses, she moved on to blouses. She had decided early on that black was simply not going to do. So she was picking out light prints that weren't too bad looking. The main problem was Hiei's size, but then, that was what sewing machines were for. She decided against picking out slacks, as of yet, they would do that once he started to show more.
She walked to the register and laid down her selections. The cashier looked at her in surprise when she noted what the girl was buying. "Shopping for your mother dear?" she asked, scanning the tag.
"Oh no," Keiko replied, sorting through her purse for the credit card Botan had given her, "My older sister is expecting. She's not too far along yet, but you never now, you could suddenly run out of maternity clothes once she grows out of hers." She handed the woman her card as well as id. "Here you go."
She paid, signed the recite and left.
With Yukina
Yukina looked at he different types of car seats. There were those for infants, toddlers, and small children, so many! Finally, she had to give up. She moved on to cribs, those she could do.
She looked up at the display, the cribs there looked far more like cages to her. She would not put her brother's baby in a cage. She had hated it, and she would never wish that on even her worst enemy. Moving on, she found something that she felt would be perfect. It was a tiny cradle, with white lace and ruffles. She couldn't see the inside, but the way it hung, and the little half top on it made her feel that it was the perfect one.
Walking over to a clerk she asked, "Excuse me sir, but could you please take down that little cradle for me?" she pointed at the lacy on.
"Oh, the bassinet?" he asked, she nodded. He walked over to it and took it down for her. She peeked inside and saw that it was nicely lined with soft white cloth and a very plushy mattress.
"How much is this one please?" she asked him.
"Hmm," he checked the tag, which was, obviously, too high for her to read. "Two hundred dollars and ninety five cents."
"Thank you, I think I'll take it." She tried to lift the cardboard box that held the bassinet, but ended up dragging it to the cashier instead. She paid for it, and the man who scanned it out offered to put it in a carriage for her, which she gratefully accepted.
Pushing the cart away, the clerk thought to himself amusedly, I wonder if she's expecting, or her mother, but that cradle could probably be a bed for her.
With Shizuru and Hiei
"No."
"Why not, I think this is fine." Hiei held up the small black dress and looked at it. Granted it was a bit too lacy for his taste, but it was good looking nonetheless.
"Why? Shorty, you just don't put babies in black. Not even for a funeral! You dress them in gray, never black." Shizuru was holding a pile of light yellow and green outfits that she was waiting for Hiei to approve.
"Hn. That is stupid. If you don't dress them in dark colors then how are they supposed to hide?"
"Hiei, no one is going to eat your baby. You are going to stay here with Genkai until the baby is at least five remember? I am positive that you won't have anyone to worry about until then. Yusuke, Kurama and my baby bro are going to make sure that you two are safe." She held up a green spring dress. "So this is more appropriate."
He sighed, this was not going to be a winning battle. "Hn. Fine, but I refuse to dress my child in anything resembling frills. They'll only get torn and cause problems."
Shizuru smiled, at least they had managed to agree about this. "Don't worry, I don't like those either." She shook the dress for emphasis, "See, not a frill or piece of lace in sight."
Hiei walked over to a rack of pajamas. Flipping through them, he found a long light blue nightdress. It was plain and cotton, but it had a drawstring on the bottom to hold the baby's feet and keep them warm. He added that to the approved clothes he had already put in the shopping basket that hung off his arm. Turning he said, "Alright, this will do for now." He thrust it at Shizuru to check. "I didn't put any black or dark colors in it."
She took it, sifted through, and nodding, dumped her armful onto the rack. "Alright, now for socks."
They walked down another aisle and Shizuru chose some plain cotton socks, and added them to the basket. "When babies are born, they like to rub their toes against their legs. Their little nails are really sharp so you put socks on them to keep them from ripping their legs apart."
Hiei nodded, he was learning a lot about babies in this trip, and he was committing everything to memory. He wasn't sure that he would be a good parent, but he would give it his best shot. "What about shoes?" he asked looking at the racks of shoes.
"No, those are too heavy, the kid's legs will fall right off. They'll wear booties until their older."
"Booties?"
"These." She held up a tiny pair of soft little blue shoes. They were tied at the top and soft soled. Clearly not a walking shoe. "They'll keep the little tyke's feet warm in addition to the socks."
"Hmm, I see, I think." He was still a bit worried about this whole parent thing. The psychic smiled and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, we'll all help you. Remember, I practically raised Kazuma, so I've had lots of practice, and I'm sure that Genkai and Shiori will be happy to help you out."
"That doesn't mean I don't still worry about it." He said grimly.
"Well, at least you have your first doctors appointment at three." She checked her watch. "Speaking of which, we need to find the others so we can drop this stuff off at my place. Then I'll drive you and Keiko to the OB/GYN office. Yukina offered to go too, as emotional support."
He smiled, "I think I'll like that."
Shizuru dropped the four young ladies in front of the clinic with the assurance that if there was a problem they would call her. Keiko assured her that they wouldn't have to worry, she had Yusuke on speed dial and he was ready to jump to their aide.
As they walked in, Yukina saw that her brother was visibly shaking. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "It'll be alright, you'll see."
Keiko walked up to the nurse who was signing patient's in. "Yukimura." She said.
"Ah yes," the nurse said smiling, "The doctor will see you now."
Keiko waved to Hiei and Yukina who walked forward. Yukina was close by her brother's side, she had never been to one of these 'gynecologists' but Shizuru had insisted that Hiei go as a precaution and then to set up another appointment with a doctor who would be doing the delivery.
"Alright," Keiko said as they walked in, "Mom said that the doctor that you had been scheduled to see was out sick with the flue today so he recommended that you come see this woman. She's supposed to be very good." Rummaging in her purse, the girl came out with a folded up magazine. "Here I picked it up when we were out shopping earlier. I thought it might help you decide on breastfeeding or bottle-feeding."
Hiei flipped open the article and read through it was they waited for the doctor. After fifteen minutes, Keiko was ready to go out to the front nurse and ask what was going on. However, that was unnecessary.
The doctor who entered was tall, ad thin, rather like a needle and the way she was looking at Hiei made both girls want to edge closer protectively.
"Miss Yukimura is that right?" she asked in a rude voice. Hiei nodded. "Go into that changing room and put on one of the gowns. Do you honestly expect me to give you an exam dressed in pants?"
Hiei was dearly wishing for his sword, or his Darkness Flame, so he could show this woman how to be polite. However he had neither and so he did as he was told and was back in a matter of minutes.
The woman ordered him to lay down and he did so. The exam itself was not painful per say, but it was very uncomfortable, after all he had never been poked and prodded there before, seeing as he had never had a there before. The woman wasn't rough, but she also seemingly didn't know the meaning of the word gentle either. Finally, she pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the bin.
"Girl, exactly how old are you?" she demanded, "You can't possibly be out of middle school! How do you expect to deal with a baby? If it weren't for the fact that I need your consent, I would sign the abortion papers right here and now!" the woman ranted on, making Hiei feel more and more like pulling into himself. "Your papers say that you are twenty six, but you couldn't pass as driving age! I would have to say that you forged them just so you could keep something that is not your right to even have in the first place!"
Yukina rubbed Hiei's shoulders as the woman was shouting. Her brother was shaking, not from nerves but from humiliation, she herself knew this feeling. This woman was placing a serious toll on Hiei's self-control and the poor demon looked about ready to cry from the emotional over load that she knew he must have been feeling.
Keiko finally grabbed the file from the woman's hands, placed an arm protectively around Hiei's shoulder and she and Yukina led him away, the former shooting death glares that might have rivaled Hiei's own trademark ones.
When they were outside, Keiko pulled out her cell phone and dialed Yusuke's number, while Yukina gave Hiei a shoulder to cry on. The demon had broken down from the stress as soon as they had left, his tears being soaked into his sister's shirt before they could harden.
"Yes and that woman! She was horrible!" Keiko said over the phone, "I would want you to come over here and kill her if I thought it would make Hiei stop crying but I know better." She paused and listened, "Yes she did…No I did not lose my temper but it came close…no do not get Kuwabara and drive her to an early grave…alright…yes I know…yes…Shizuru will be here soon… don't worry…yes alright…yes I love you too…bye." She clicked off the phone and turned to Yukina, "Well, Yusuke offered to come down here and give that doctor a piece of his mind, but I told him not too. That thing shouldn't even be allowed within ten miles of hospital much less a patient! If it was me I'd kill her!" the girl was fuming to a point that would have made Yusuke proud.
"That won't do any good though." Yukina said, still offering Hiei what support she could. "and is that not what is supposed to go on in those places?"
"No Yukina." Keiko said grimly, "It is not at all what should be going on in there. That should be a comfortable place, but that woman...ooh! I'm telling my mother to get another doctor! That way she'll never have to deal with her!"
Just then Shizuru pulled up and the three piled into the car, Keiko in the front, Hiei and Yukina in the back. "What happened?" the older girl asked.
"Never mind I'll tell you later, after we get to the temple." Keiko said, her arms crossed. She glanced in the rearview mirror to see Hiei still crying I the back seat, his black hiroseki stones scattering over the floor. Yukina was rubbing his back and making little cooing sounds but it wasn't doing any good. The sooner they got to Genkai's, Keiko though, the sooner they could get Hiei to stop crying.
When they got to Genkai's Hiei ran up the steps as fast a he could, his green hair streaming out behind him. He slammed opened the door to the rooms he would be using, practically ripped his clothes off and set the shower for as hot as it would go. Jumping in, he proceeded to scrub his skin raw.
Kurama and the others listened to Keiko's retelling of what went on in the OB/GYN office. Yusuke could hear the shower running, and he clenched his fists. That bitch had dared make Hiei like this? Hiei was one of the strongest demons he knew, hearing about his complete emotional breakdown, and that it had happened at the hands of a human only made him wonder why Hiei still hung around with him and Kuwabara.
Kurama stood, "Id better go make sure that he isn't tearing his skin off." He said, and left.
Genkai sighed. "Well, this makes it all the harder. Now what are the chances of Hiei going to a hospital for the delivery?"
"Almost nil." Yusuke replied.
"I can't stand it." Yukina whispered, "The way that woman looked at him. It was as if she thought he was something evil that needed to be gotten rid of."
"Some people are like that Yukina." Genkai told her, "We don't know why they act the way they do, but they do it."
"I'd like to feed that woman my spirit sword." Kuwabara said through gritted teeth. "Code or no code, no one should have that done to them."
Shizuru patted him on the head. "I know what you mean baby bro, but all we can do now is be there for Hiei and get through this a day at a time."