Chapter 6

The time that tests the metal of any young married couple was quickly drawing near. In a flurry of Lamaze classes, early childhood education classes, baby care classes and a few promotional Comic-Cons, she had suddenly gained an extra boost of energy that would continue throughout the entire week of her almost ninth month. She insisted on joining him at the San Diego Comic-Con.

She had never been to anything so amazing in her entire life. He was going as Spock, of course and she made the cutest little Pregnant Vulcan Female; although, one would think that she more closely resembled a little elf with the cute pointed ears and the perfectly coiffed hair and sharply slanted eyebrows.

She would soon discover that she had quite a few fans of her own in attendance, for her roles as San from Princess Mononoke and as Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle. There were others too but these were her most beloved and most prominent. It was amazing to watch as others walked around emulating her, she had even caught sight of a Mio and Natsu walking together, which caught her breath. It was something that she never in all of her life would have expected. She never realized how far reaching her characters had been until that point.

As Kuon dealt with his Q & A Sessions and movie promotions, she decided that perhaps she should make her own rounds to the booths that promoted her animated films that were to be released soon and greet the familiar faces of the producers and directors. Before she knew it, her booths were just as swamped as Kuon's. Needless to say, that three days had been her most exhausting. It was satisfying but the killer backache that she had because of it was making her regret it deeply. At 3am, her water broke and Kuon awakened to a panic.

Have you ever watched one of those old black and white movies with the Keystone Cops or, the Three Stooges? Well, picture that, because that is exactly the frantic atmosphere in their three-bedroom home that very early morning as he took direction and searched for her hospital bag, their shoes, his phone and keys, her sweater. All of which were neatly stored in their places, but we have to forgive Kuon because his neurological synapses weren't exactly in the condition that they should be at that moment. So hazy and befuddled he was, that he had nearly forgotten the very person he was supposed to be taking to the hospital for the delivery of their first child.

Kyoko could only laugh at the hilarity between very strong contractions. She was amazingly calm about it, from being prepared by all of the books, websites and pamphlets on pregnancy and child rearing that she could find to make up for her own insecurities of being a new mother. She didn't exactly have a very good example to go by.

It wasn't that Kuon hadn't read the same materials and more regarding an expectant father, it was the fact that everything just flew out of his mind at that very moment and his brain had basically been reduced to a quivering pile of gelatin the second he heard the words "My water broke". Who would have thought that the man that could fall from an at least 15 to 20 foot ledge, holding a squirming, hostile co-star and still land on his feet while protecting said co-star, would lose all brain function when his tiny wisp of a wife uttered those words? He had practically been through the fires of hell and this is what completely reduced him to equivalent of an individual experiencing a cataclysmic event.

"Kuon!" Kyoko breathed out with her next contraction. "Calm down... It's... only... labor..." She winced. "It happens... every day." She relaxed.
He stopped and gave her a completely lost look and then finally smiled. "Sorry Babe, I kinda panicked."

She giggled and winced as another began. "I can... see... that."

He kissed her temple. "How far apart?"

She huffed with the Lamaze technique she had learned and held up two fingers.

"Two minutes?!" He yelped as he draped her sweater over her shoulders and helped her slip on her shoes. "Okay, we better hurry or, we may not make it to the hospital."

No... they still had a little time left and Kyoko knew this. She shook her head. "It... will be... fine. Just drive... normal." The contraction stopped. "I'll call the doctor, Yuki, Moko, Mom and Dad." So between contractions she dialed three numbers.

Mercifully, the hospital was only 15 minutes away and traffic was non-existent due to early morning. At 4:30 am, she was admitted to the hospital and at 5:30 am, Kuon went out to greet Kanae, Yuki, Juli and Kuu to let them know that she was still in labor and the doctor had told him it would be very soon. He was quickly scolded for leaving her side and making them think that he was coming to them with the final news and then shoved back in the direction of the delivery room by frustrated, newly awakened, hungry loved ones.

Juli looked at her companions and smiled. "I'm going to put in a call for some food."

Kuu sighed in relief.

"I think the hospital cafeteria just opened." Kanae offered and Yuki snickered.

"Sweetie... Are you forgetting Kuu's appetite? They wouldn't have enough food in the hospital." Yuki commented quietly and Kanae gave him a knowing look.
"Hey... I heard that." Kuu pouted and Juli patted his back.

She giggled as she ended her order call. "It's okay, they said they would deliver here. They said they deliver to this hospital all the time, so there won't be a problem."

~xoxo~

"Kuon... I don't think I can do this." Her voice was filled with pain and fear.

He kissed the back of her hand that he was holding and then her forehead. "Kyoko, I know you can do this. You're strong, full of determination and there's no going back. I'll be right here the whole time with you."

She yelped and squeezed his hand even tighter as he rubbed soothing little circles on it with his thumb while the doctor checked her between contractions.

"Alright Kyoko, it's time. On your next contraction... I need you to push with all you have." The doctor told her.

Kyoko looked up at Kuon and he nodded to her. "You can do this." He smiled softly, pushing his own worries to the back of his mind to keep her calm.

For two full hours she pushed and rested. Finally, in the end a beautiful 3.9 kg, 54.6 cm, green-eyed, fair-haired little boy was born into the Hizuri clan at 10:23 am Pacific Standard Time, by the name of Kuon Hizuri Jr. or, KJ. A very large baby indeed. According to Juli, as big as his father was when he was born, she informed them proudly as she observed her new grandson through the glass window of the Newborn Nursery.