CHAPTER NINE
A/N: I realize that the last chapter wasn't my best... and I hope to make up for it in the near future... please regard me kindly.
At the door to Kureno's hospital room stood Arisa, her eyes downcast and her shoulders shaking, dueling with herself about whether or not to go in. After a minute she started forward when a loud continuous beeping noise met her, she jumped at the sound and looked around for the source. Her eyes landed on the EKG and she dropped the box of flowers, backing into the wall.
"No." She breathed, her eyes locked on the continuous straight line.
She was jostled by a nurse who left the immediately, "Get me a Defib!" the woman shouted down the hall and immediately the room went into commotion.
He was dead, that was all she could think… Kureno was dead; she let out a strangled cry and covered her face. All she had wanted to see him one last time and possibly yell at him for leaving her. Her eyes glazed over and she drew her knees up to her chest, she didn't know what to do other than cry.
Akito held her stomach gingerly as she returned to bed, having been roused by sickness thrice already. She hated being pregnant, she decided, especially if it meant throwing up. She groaned loudly and sat carefully on her futon, fumbling slight she took the book she was skimming into her hands and impulsively threw it across the small room. Beside her sat a tray of uneaten food and the maids had tried uselessly several times to get her to eat. She knew if she ate she would feel worse, but her stomach growled in betrayal. The night before Hatori had come to check on her and discovered the she was in fact pregnant and was rushed away after a gentle talk about the way to treat herself, by flying objects. Being pregnant was worse than PMS for those around her and she slumped over to think about baby names when she saw vividly in her mind her sparrow falling. She screamed in anguish and overturned the food tray with a loud crash, when Sama entered the room to see what was wrong Akito had curled in the corner with her knees drawn up and her head bent to kneecaps and shuddering visibly.
"Akito-san?" Sama ventured, her eyes regarding Akito softly, "Sir... are you okay?"
"Leave." Akito bit out, her hands tightening on her shins and dull dark eyes stared venomously at her.
"Yes, sir."
When the maid had left Akito dropped her head weakly back down and succumbed to tears, her stomach panged as if the growing life knew her deed. As if it new that she had broken Kureno's wings, she sniffled pitifully and tried to reassure herself. Her mind screamed that the sparrow was beyond repair... that Kureno would never fly again. Crying out mentally, she raged that Kureno would fly again... for his child's sake... he would fly… she would be sure of it.
"What the hell happened?" Hatori half demanded a second time and Kyo released his hold around Yuki.
Seeing Ayame in the doorway crumpled as he was made Hatori deeply angry, angry at whatever it was that could hurt Ayame that badly and Yuki was almost trembling from some enormous shock. With a snort Kyo took his leave out the back door with a huff while Ayame attempted to regain his own composure silently. Yuki checked himself over thoroughly and rose on shaky legs to face the doctor and their female resident.
"Shigure was angry." Yuki explained, going now to Ayame's side.
"About what?" Hatori exclaimed, his calm a little bit disturbed as Yuki turned venomous violet eyes upon the doctor.
"I would very much like to get my dear brother home… is that too much to ask?" Yuki hissed, still recovering from his fall.
"I'll get him some tea… I think you should talk to Kyo." Tohru piped up and she moved swiftly past Hatori to the Snake's side, she leaned close to him, "Ayame-san? Can you stand?"
"Yes." Ayame whispered softly, and Yuki took him underarm and helped him up with the knowledge that Ayame was shakier than even he.
Under the careful supervision of Tohru, Ayame was ushered gently into the kitchen for tea where he thanked her for it quietly. Hatori turned to Yuki and saw the Rat disappear the way Kyo had gone. He sighed and started up the stairs in search of Shigure, whom he found sitting quietly in his room, quite a feat for the Dog.
"What happened?" Hatori asked, quietly expressing fury that made Shigure cringe.
"It was a misunderstanding." Shigure said softly, his eyes meeting Hatori's narrowed ones.
"In what way was pushing Yuki down the stairs a misunderstanding?" Hatori demanded, taking a seat opposite Shigure.
"Its not like I MEANT to."
"Sure you didn't." Hatori snorted, wanting very much to hit the Dog.
Shigure merely gave Hatori a slight glared and leaned casually back against the wall; he eyed Hatori carefully as if judging how close to a black eye he was. Hatori eyed him with an appraisal of where he should be hitting first.
"Okay, he started saying things that angered me. And I snapped."
Hatori narrowed his eyes at the Dog and he too leaned back, "Sounds like you." he said quietly.
Kyo disappeared into the trees, intent on getting as far away from the claustrophobic air in the house. He heard quickening footsteps at his heels and he stopped so that the person following him crashed into his back.
"Watch it!" Kyo shouted, whirling around to face his stalker.
"BAKA!" Yuki shouted back, rubbing his forehead.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to talk to you!"
Kyo growled lowly and turned away to storm further into the vegetation, Yuki at his heels as before.
"What is it then?"
"You... saved me... why?" Yuki asked softly, not bothering to snap at him.
"Impulse." Kyo responded roughly and turned to face Kyo, their eye level as Yuki had grown that extra inch to match Kyo's height.
"I see." Yuki said quietly, and Kyo gave him an odd look, Yuki met the scrutinizing gaze, "What?"
"What is wrong with you?" Kyo demanded, still in a foul mood at being caught with his arm around Yuki.
"I am worried." Yuki admitted, suddenly wanted Kyo to listen and that scared him.
"Why?" Kyo asked, his voice toning down at the weakness he saw in Yuki's violet eyes.
"Ayame isn't himself..." Yuki replied softly, he looked up at Kyo, "If you hadn't saved me from that fall... I think Ayame may have snapped."
"Is that a thanks?" Kyo said with a sardonic grin.
"How can you be such an ass?" Yuki demanded, his eyes flaring angrily.
"Its weird when you get all mushy on me." Kyo replied, thrusting a hand through his hair.
"AAAGH!" Yuki roared and Kyo stepped back in surprise, "You are such a pain!"
"Hey... wait a sec!" Kyo protested, "You followed me Rat-Boy!"
"I wasn't getting mushy!" Yuki pointed out and Kyo rolled his eyes, getting a sharp kick to the shin for the effort. "Quit being a jackass!"
"Ow!" Kyo cried, he delivered a flawless kick back at Yuki and grazed his side as the Rat jumped away.
"Grow up." Yuki added with venom tinged in his voice, and he turned to stalk away.
Kyo reached out and grabbed a fistful of blue cotton and forced Yuki around, "We… are not through." He hissed and Yuki turned hollow violet eyes on Kyo.
"We were through when you started being yourself." Yuki responded lowly and Kyo let go in surprise in spite himself.
Ayame drank the tea quietly without raising his green eyes to meet Tohru's and the girl watched him carefully for this lack of enthusiasm.
"Ayame-san… I am sure that whatever happened matter a great deal and I hate to pry…" Tohru started, steeling her will and wringing her hands.
"Its not like… I didn't know that Shigure never loved me…" Ayame responded, lifting lime green eyes to her cerulean ones, "But I didn't expect to be cold-shouldered so easily."
Tohru went to the Snake and took both his cold pale hands into her own, "Shigure-san is not exactly smart when it comes to other's feelings…"
"I know he is. And still it left me at a loss for what to do."
Tohru threw her arms unthinkingly around Ayame and groaned inwardly at the resounding whoosh of air as the dejected man transformed into an even more dejected snake. She apologized as Ayame slithered around her wrist and up her arm to rest limply on and over her shoulder.
"Alas… It is not your fault that I become this." Ayame sighed and Tohru lifted his slight weight from her shoulder to hold in her palms, she raised him to her chest and held him in the best embrace she could offer without squishing him.
"After a little while… the pain will fade and it will be a memory." Tohru assured him, stroking the top of his scaly head with her forefinger, "I promise."