It had been two weeks since the meeting with the doctor and the journalist. Shiori was still too weak to go home, and Kurama still hadn't gotten a call about another meeting with the doctor yet. Hiei visited the fox frequently. Kurama even got Hiei to wear some regular, human clothes. A simple pair of jeans and a white polo top, tennis shoes, and socks. He even got him to take an actual shower. With warm, running water and actual shampoo and soap. Kurama almost died from laughter when Hiei darted out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist, claiming that the water had suddenly turned really hot and tried to burn him. Truthfully, Kurama had flushed a toilet. Though afterwards the fox became confused. The demon could control fire! Why would a simple shower get too hot for him? He never ended up asking.
Even though Hiei wouldn't admit it, Kurama knew the demon was enjoying life, and he was too, for the moment at least.
The one thing Kurama was worrying over was when the next phone call would come from the doctor. Every time the phone rang, Kurama was hesitant to answer. He wanted to see his mother very badly, but was afraid of getting hurt even more from her reaction to him. They had visited her once, the day after the meeting, and she had barely said a word.
Kurama feared the night, because it was the only time of the day where he had time to think: just laying there, with nothing to do... he'd think of his mother, and often cried himself to sleep.
Hiei was also fearful of when the doctor would call. He had gone to visit Shiori a few days after the meeting. It felt wrong to go behind Kurama's back like that, but all he wanted to do was knock some sense into the damn woman. Hiei still isn't sure if he had succeeded.
flashback
It was around 7:00 in the evening. Hiei stood in front of the hospital doors, still debating within himself wether he should confront the woman or not. He didn't want Kurama to get angry at him if he ever found out. After a while he gave up and simply pushed through the doors, and found his way up to room 501, where Shiori lay awake finishing her dinner. He pushed open the door and stood in the doorway until she noticed him.
"Excuse me?" she wondered, frowning at the intrusion.
"I believe you may know me slightly."
Shiori nodded, eyes wide, not really knowing what to do. She was frightened by the boy's dangerous facial expression.
"I came to tell you..." Hiei entered the room all the way and closed the door behind him, "...that you're a bitch."
Shiori was speachless. What is this strange boy trying to accomplish? she wondered angrily to herself. How dare he call me that? He has no right to!
"I can't believe you'd completely ignore your own son. He loves you. A lot. And I know you love him. What I can't understand is why you rejected him." It was hard for Hiei to keep his voice calm. He wanted to shout and yell, but from being around the fox so much, he had learned more self-control, which he was highly greatful for. "If you treat him like you always have, nothing will change. It will be as if he didn't even tell you the truth about his life. He's still the same boy. He won't act any different now that you know."
Shiori shook her head. "No. That boy is a demon. I'll never look at him the same again."
"Why not!" Hiei asked fiercly, clenching his hands in tight fists. "If he never told you, everything would go on like it was. He wanted to be honest with you because he was sick of living a lie! He didn't want to lie and pretend he was just a normal human kid, he really didn't. It was tearing him up inside while he was trying to figure out if he should tell you the truth or not!" Hiei's voice rose. He was losing control. He just didn't want the doctor to come in. He used his energy to seal the door shut while he was still inside.
Shiori's eyes widened. "If it was hurting him so much why didn't he just tell me!" she asked frantically, tears slipping down her cheeks. "It may have turned out better if he had told me sometime before the age of eighteen!"
Hiei nodded. "He didn't for one reason: He didn't want a reaction like this. He wanted to live with you peacefully for as long as possible before he had to tell you the truth. Him, and everyone else believed you were going to die the night he told you about... him, so he told you because otherwise you'd die without ever knowing the truth, and that would hurt him like you'd never imagine."
Again Shiori was quiet. Hiei didn't know why he was saying all these things to the woman, he just felt that he needed to say something. Kurama thought he needed to work through this alone. No. Hiei wouldn't let him. He knew the fox couldn't do this alone, and all Hiei wanted to do was help.
"Woman, do you love your son or not? Think about it. If the answer is no, think some more until your answer is yes. Got it?" That was the last word Hiei said. He turned around and left the room.
Shiori stared after him for a few moments until his back disappeared around the corner, then broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
end of flashback
