Disbelief

Hana had been tossing and turning for most of the night. His mother's words, though she intended for them to be encouraging, haunted his thoughts. He finally jumped out of his bed and tiptoed slowly to the hallway, not wanting to wake his parents. To his surprise, his mother was already awake and in the kitchen.

"What are you doing up, Hana?" Anna whispered.

"I couldn't sleep," he replied, knowing he was about to be scolded.

"Neither could I," Anna smiled at him and handed him a glass of juice.

When he finished the glass and rinsed it out, they moved to the sitting room. His mother looked different at this time of night. She was less pale and her hair appeared longer.

"So what's on your mind?" Anna asked, already knowing the answer.

"Papa's afraid, isn't he?" Hana asked.

"He's just worried. I want you to be strong for him. He'll need it," Anna sat closer to him on the floor and put her arm around his shoulders.

"You're saying it like you're going somewhere," Hana replied.

Anna didn't respond to his comment. Instead she rubbed his arm.

"Mama, are you dying?" Hana asked abruptly.

"My body is growing tired, Hana," she ran her fingers through his hair.

"But, are you dying?" He asked again.

She crawled around on the floor to sit in front of him and held his hands, "You are growing to be a strong man. I know that you will be honorable and courageous when you become one."

The reply confused him, "What are you talking about, Mama?" he asked.

"I want you to be strong for your father. He will need you," she said, gripping his hands slightly tighter.

"Are you trying to say-" Hana didn't want to finish the question but he needed to know.

"I'm dying, Hana. Your father doesn't know," she said softly.

Hana suddenly felt as if an enormous skyscraper had collapsed on top of him. For a few moments he couldn't speak.

"Are you sure? I mean, Papa said that you're going to get some stronger medicine and that you'll be fine. Maybe you're not dying, you just feel really tired," Hana tried desperately to come up with a solution to the dilemma, but the look on his mother's face assured him he was unsuccessful.

"Yoh doesn't know, Hana. There is no cure for what I have. I've had many tests, but no one seems to know what this is. The medicine I was taking helped with the symptoms a bit, but now my body is immune. There's nothing else I can do," she smiled at him again as if it would erase the weight she dumped on him.

"So how long before-" Hana didn't want her to answer but he needed to know.

"Two weeks. Maybe a month," she gripped his hands even tighter when she felt them tremble violently.

"This can't be! There has to be a mistake! I don't understand!" Hana became hysterical as the tears flowed freely down his cheeks. Anna quickly grabbed him and held him in her arms.

"Hana, I need you to be strong. I need you to help me get through this. I need you to be here for your father," she said sadly, unable to control her tears.

Hana's entire body shook violently from his hysteria and absolute sadness. Anna was so upset by his display that she didn't try to restrain him. They became so loud that they woke Yoh up.

"What's going on?" He asked sleepily.