Wow. I have been so busy, its now even funny. But you don't want excuses, you want a story, so welcome to chapter number 12.

CHAPTER 12: Innocent

Koharu woke up to white plaster walls, and the consistent beeping of her heart rate machine. (AN: I have no idea what those thingies are called.) Tohru was sitting at the side of her bed, her head bent down her whole body sagging.

"Ko!" A anxious voice cried out. Shinju stood at the door to her hospital room, looking rather distressed. Koharu sat up and gave Shinju and her mother a great big hug.

"What happened?" Tohru asked, anxiety was etched clearly in her face as well, she looked ten years older then she had that morning.

"I… blacked out again." Was Shinju's response, "I saw my brothers, I… want to see them again…" she paused after signing that, she knew Shinju wouldn't like it.

The only response was Tohru's "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry for your loss."

They sat in silence from then on.

Same Time, in the hospital

"Yuki, I know your daughters mean the world to you, but you've got to calm down." Hatori urged a very angry Yuki into a chair.

"Look Hatori, you're my cousin, so don't treat me like some idiot patient who believes that, 'Oh she's just fine' crap that your spewing. I want to know about what's happening to Koharu."

"Yuki, don't be so loud, your scaring the other patients, " Hatori said in a half whisper. When growing up, only Kyo could make Yuki this angry, yet now the thought of his precious girls being hurt sent him into a rage.

The two men walking into a small, cluttered office off one of the numerous corridors.

Hatori turned to face Yuki, "Look, you want the truth, here it is: if you help one daughter, you condemn the other. "

"What-"

"To help Koharu, you should try to find out about her family. If their still alive, she should get to see them. That would make Shinju sad, she'd feel like Koharu was going to leave her alone. If Shinju stays unhappy for to long… Well, we all know what happened to Akito." Hatori finished with a sigh.

Yuki's face was unreadable, but it was obvious he was fighting something inside himself.

"What are Tohru and I supposed to do then?" He finally asked in a monotone voice.

"I… don't know." Hatori confessed, "You should talk to the girls, figure it out as a family. Their in room 309."

With that Yuki hurried out of the office, leaving Hatori alone, to think in silence.

Another Sohma house, Two hours later

"Kyo!" Arisa called to her husband, "Tohru had some interesting news!"

"Don't yell so much, you going to wake it up!" Kyo said, walking down the stairs with a small blue bundle in his arms. Arisa smiled at her husband, he was just so cute when he held his daughter in his arms.

"Kyo, Meymey has a gender you know, she's not an 'it'." Arisa clumsily took the baby from her husband, trying to hold her head up. (An: hey, did you really expect them to be good parents? They can try, but they'll need help)

"And Tohru said….?" Kyo prompted.

"She said that her girl, Koharu, is in the hospital. She fainted during class, and they think she might have a psychological disorder. Something having to do with… her birth parents." Arisa explained.

"Should we go visit? With that family it really isn't fare to leave them without help. Tohru cant handle a sick child, the cursed child, and a husband with secrets all by herself."

Arisa smiled at him, "Of course were going to visit, but we should leave Meymey with Hana and Hotsuharu, their used to chaos, they handle one more kid. I'll go start up the car, can you get Meymey ready?"

Kyo nodded, and once Arisa was out of hearing, said to his daughter, "And this is the crazy place you were born into, hope you enjoy!" then headed up stairs to get Meymey ready for their little excursion.

The next day, the Sohma house

"I'm sorry about Koharu." Kazu told Shinju when they were alone in the dinning room.

"I know you are. I'll be okay." Shinju gave her perfect impression of her fathers meaningless smile used only when being polite. "I head you visited the main house recently. How is Uncle Ritsu?"

Form then on they continued painfully polite conversations about different family members and what the were up to recently. Kazu finally grew tired of their current topic of her great-aunts strange little hotel and spa. (An: you know, the crazy lady who tries to be polite but scares everyone!)

He reached across the table to hold her hand. "I know your scared, stop hiding it." Even her hand was shaking, it was pretty plain that she was nervous, and alone. She got up and walked over to him, falling into his arms to cry.

"If she finds her OTHER family, then… what if she leaves me?" She sobbed into his shoulder, "I need her so much… but she says she needs them too…"

Kazu felt himself being dragged away with her. Their family was so damn screwed. What ten-year-old girl has to worry about whether her sister is going to leave her, try to keep herself looking normal for school, and whether her parents could handle two upset girls.

"Kazu?… do you think you can stay?… I don't want another night in the hospital… and… I don't want to be alone.." She whispered into his shirt.

"I'll call mom now, I'll be right back." He told her, unhooking her arms from his neck, and slowly standing up, and walking to the kitchen phone.

Alone, Shinju felt so.. odd… for a second it was almost like, she could feel herself growing old, so much older then her ten year old body…

END OF CHAPTER

YAAAAAY! Now for another chapter! Good thing its spring break!