Honesty

"That doesn't make any sense," Yoh said angrily as he paced back and forth in front of their bed, "How can the medicine not be working?"

Anna sighed sadly and rubbed her hands together, "The doctor said my body has become immune to it, so it's rejecting the active ingredients."

"So you'll need stronger medicine. We'll go back to the doctor and see what he can give us," Yoh scratched his head and paced faster.

"Yoh, we have to tell him," Anna said suddenly, "He should know what's going on."

"We don't have to tell him now. There's nothing to tell, really," Yoh replied evasively.

"He'll be here in a few seconds. I told him to come," Anna smiled at her husband, attempting to calm him before their son entered the room.

"Mama, you called me?" Hana asked timidly. He saw his mother smile at him as she sat on the edge of their bed and then noticed his father behind him leaning against the wall.

"Come sit with me, Hana," Anna rubbed the bed beside her softly. Hana obeyed and sat closely to his mother.

"I called you in here because we need to tell you what's been going on with me," Anna started.

Hana's hands began to tremble, "Are you sick?" He asked, not wanting her to answer. He glanced at his father briefly, who was staring at the floor.

"You could say that, Hana. I am sick," Anna's smile was beginning to make Hana uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with you? What kind of sick are you?" He asked pleadingly.

"I have a disease. It makes me tired," Anna smiled at him again.

Hana knew she wasn't telling him the entire story. For some reason she felt the need to shelter him from the reality of the situation. He knew she wouldn't volunteer the information he needed to put his mind at ease, so he decided to just ask.

"Are you going to die?"

The question caught Anna off guard, and Hana sensed it immediately.

"No. Your mother is not going to die, Hana," Yoh said angrily, "She's going to get stronger medicine and she'll be fine. Don't say things like that. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. She's not going anywhere. Nothing is taking her away from us!"

"Yoh," Anna stopped her husband and could sense the worry in his voice. She ran her fingers through Hana's hair, as if trying to distract him from his father's comments.

"Hana, if anything happens you'll be the first to know," she said softly, "Now, give your mother a hug."

He embraced her tightly as if he knew letting her go would mean he would never be able to hold her again, "I love you, Mama," he whispered into her stomach.

"I love you too Son, Now go and get some rest. You need it," Anna's optimistic tone some how made Hana feel worse. He didn't want to leave the room. As he made his way to the door, he spun around several times as if not doing so would make her disappear.

"Yoh, you can't do that," Anna scolded when Hana was no longer in sight.

"You're not going to die. He thinks you're dying, Anna. I wasn't going to let him go away thinking that about his mother. We can fight this. You're the strongest woman I know," Yoh sat next to her on the bed and stared angrily at the opposite wall.

Anna wrapped her arms around his and leaned over onto his neck, "I know you're scared, Yoh. Don't be afraid. Hana needs you to be strong. I need you to be strong."

"I'm not afraid," Yoh's statement was unconvincing, especially since his voice began to falter.

Anna lifted her head slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm not afraid to die, Yoh," she said softly in his ear.

"That doesn't mean I'm ready for you to," Yoh shifted his body weight and embraced his wife, "Don't just give up. No one said you were going to die, so you probably won't. Let's just be optimistic here. It'll all work out."

"It should work out the way it's meant to," she replied.

He didn't know what she meant by that statement, but he continued to hold his wife in his arms as if letting go would make her sicker.