Mamori took a look at the test kit again.

Positive.

It was still positive.

She was positively pregnant, even though she hadn't had sex with anyone for the past two years.

Well, discounting the extremely vivid dream with Hiruma, that is.

It was a dream, wasn't it? Mamori slowly raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror of her bathroom; she stared at the spot where she had seen Hiruma. He wasn't there now. He hadn't been for the past few days.

Maybe, her brain finally got kicked into consciousness, and all her wishful hallucinations finally stopped, scared by something as real and substantial as a fetus in her womb. Because while she could hallucinate all she wanted for the past few months, this was something else already.

Those visions of Hiruma weren't real, were they?

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She had been deathly afraid of going to the doctor. But she made the appointment. Because like it or not, she was feeling changes in her body. She could practically hear the second heartbeat in her body. And for all that she thought she'd been seeing Hiruma around the apartment, smelling his smell and feeling him at night even though she knew he wasn't there, she hadn't been scared before. In fact, she'd drawn comfort from it. It had been a welcome respite from the loneliness she'd been feeling. But now…

Now, she was scared. After she took the home pregnancy test and found that second blue bar materializing, she had lain in her bed, clutching her stomach, because it had been so full of knots. She fancied as she lay there, breathing in and out, in and out, that she could hear an echo of her heartbeat. A thudding that followed her own, like footsteps following you in a dark street, one that kept up with you even as you ran, ran so hard that you were afraid to look behind you. And that thudding, it seemed to grow louder every second, every time she exhaled. Until it drowned out everything else and Mamori put her hands to her ears, trying not to hear that heartbeat.

She didn't sleep that night.

When morning light finally streamed into her room, Mamori had gotten up, made some coffee and waited until 9AM to make a call to her doctor. She asked for the soonest appointment possible.

"Would this coming Monday be fine, Anezaki-san?" The male voice asked politely.

Mamori thought about her sleepless night, "I'm so sorry to ask, but do you possibly have something sooner, please?"

The receptionist paused. "Well, I did have someone cancel their appointment today, but that may be too sudden for—"

"That's perfect." Mamori said instantly. "What time is it?"

"Oh," he sounded taken aback, "it's at 2PM, Anezaki-san. Miss, if this was an emergency-"

"No, no, I just need to confirm something, and I've just been really anxious. I can wait until 2PM."

"All right," he said cautiously.

"Okay," Mamori laughed. "I'm so sorry for scaring you. I'll see you at 2."

"That's quite all right. At 2 then, Anezaki-san. Thank you."

"Thank you." Mamori put down the phone and stared at it.

She should definitely call her mother, too. Mamori had to make her excuses, after all; if it turned out that she was pregnant, Mamori wasn't going to visit her mother this week. She wouldn't know how to explain to her mother. And even though she didn't need to say anything, it was just going to be too…weird.

But should she call somebody else? Tell somebody else? Like Sena? Suzuna? Sena, I'm pregnant; but I'm not sure how it happened. I think it may have been from a dream with Hiruma in it.

Hmm. Maybe not. Maybe she should just see if she really was pregnant, then worry about the telling when she got there.

She stood up and went to shower, eager to be out of the house.

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The hospital receptionist who had made her appointment was out on lunch. The woman in scrubs had frowned when Mamori said she had an appointment, and asked if she was sure. Mamori confirmed it and said that she had just made it this morning. It was sort of an emergency, Mamori said apologetically.

The woman looked up the appointment book in their computer, and her frown cleared up. "I'm so sorry, Anezaki-san. Yes, I do see your name down here. Kai-kun must have forgotten to tell me when he went out for lunch. I don't mean to sound hard. I know some hospitals don't really bother with appointments, but we're trying to be vigilant about that here to keep our patients from waiting for hours to see a doctor. Let me give you the forms to fill out. Are you a student?"

"Yes," Mamori said. "But I work."

"Well, you can settle your copay when you leave."

"Thank you." And Mamori went back to her seat. All throughout filling out the forms, then being led to the doctor, Mamori found that dread was growing in her stomach.

Even though her doctor turned out to be a pleasant and plump woman who reminded Mamori of an indulgent grandmother, she could not seem to smile. And thank god, the sensei seemed to understand. She did not press Mamori very much, talking little. When the sensei took her blood and went out to do the test, Mamori waited in the white consultation room, fidgeting. She hated these white rooms. They were so cold.

A knock sounded. Igawa-sensei, her doctor, popped her head in. "Anezaki-san, sorry for the wait."

Mamori shivered.

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Igawa-sensei had asked if she was all right. Did she want an abortion?

Mamori shook her head and said she would think about it.

Igawa-sensei had looked at her kindly and said, if you are going to keep the baby, you should take pre-natal pills and get some brochures and information for your diet. Mamori nodded, numbed. May I call you again in a week? Mamori had asked.

Of course, Igawa-sensei said graciously.

Mamori came out of the office feeling as if everything was coming from far away. Even the colors seemed to be trying to catch up with objects, so that a man wearing blue scrubs trailed blue and the flowers one child was carrying had a riot of color extending behind him. When Mamori went to pay at the lobby, the woman was no longer there. It was a man. Kai-kun, maybe.

He glanced up at her.

Anezaki. She had said dully. Just paying for the copay.

For a moment, the man didn't responded. Ahh, you are Anezaki-san?

She nodded.

Do—do you need a priest?

She frowned. "What?" she said, focusing.

The man stood up and went around the table, he took her by the arm and started walking with her. "I'm terribly sorry, Anezaki-san. I'm just worried. I'm Ichiro Kai. I spoke to you on the phone," with hardly any pause, he said, "there's someone following you."

Mamori whirled to look around.

"Please keep walking," the young man implored, catching her arm again. "If you pay more mind to them, the more you'll see them."

"Wha-"

"You should visit a priest," Kai-kun said hurriedly. "I know of one who can help you. It's a bit of a trip—"

"Wait. Wait a minute." Mamori disengaged and turned to face the Kai-kun. "You can see him."

The young man nodded, sweating.

And Mamori didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. And it turned out that she could only sink to the ground. Around them, hospital staff and patients were curiously watching and some were whispering

"Anezaki-san?" Kai leaned down. "Are you all right?"

"Where is he?" Mamori said, her mouth dry. She could not ask the real question she wanted to ask: is he really dead?

Kai looked at her. "He's standing behind you, now, and glaring at me."

"What does he look like?" Mamori demanded.

Kai caught her arms again. "Let me get you coffee."

"What does he look like?" Mamori said again as she shook him off.

Kai looked down at her uncertainly, "Blonde, and he has angular features."

And even though Mamori had asked, she closed her eyes and dropped her face into her hands. The tears were already welling up.

A moment later, she felt the firm hands of Kai. She looked up at him. "There's something strange here, Anezaki-san. The man…he doesn't seem to be all there." He said, hesitantly.

Mamori only looked at him.

Kai blushed. "I know that sounds stupid. If I'm claiming to see a spirit, he shouldn't be all there. But even this one is stranger, Anezaki-san. It's as if he's not even half a spirit."

Mamori frowned, brushing away the tears. "What are you talking about?"

"I…think you should visit a priest I know."

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End of Chapter Two: Immaculate Conception