In Life and Death
Chapter 6: Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy Jig
Dr. Veronica Verse's Office at Landic Hospital the next morning, 8:56 am
"Hey Doc? You in?"
Veera sighed and rolled her eyes as she reached for the intercom. "It's too early in the morning for this..." She mumbled before pressing the button. "Yes, Connie. I'm here. I'm here every morning at this hour." She sounded tired. She looked tired. She was tired. Last night's conversation with Zing had gone on longer than she had anticipated, reaching well into the early hours of the morning. She barely got more than an hour's sleep before she was up for work.
"Good. There's a lady here to see you."
Veera's eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes quickly moved to the appointment book sitting propped open on her desk. "I don't have an appointment now..." She whispered and bent towards the intercom. "Who?" She asked into it.
"Rake Tootie."
Again, she glanced at her appointment book. The name didn't spark any bells. "Does she have an appointment?"
"No clue Doc."
Veera rolled her eyes. "Ask her please, Connie." Her tone came out sarcastic.
"Can't. Already sent her back."
Veera groaned loudly as she released the intercom button and leaned back. With a sigh, she rose from her desk and crossed the small office to the door. She opened it just as a shadow cast down the hall.
"Hello! Dr. Verse?"
Veera smiled at the woman framing the doorway as she opened the door more. She nodded and stepped aside before closing the door behind the unknown woman.
"I'm Rain Tottori." Said the brunette by way of introduction. Her long hair was done up in a pony tail and her blue eyes were hidden behind black rimmed glasses. There was an almost laugh-like quality to her large smile.
"Have a seat." Veera said as she pointed towards the empty chair and returned to her own. "Veronica Verse. Please call me Veera. Do you have an appointment?"
Rain smiled and shook her head. "No. But I believe you met with my son, Sora."
Veera swallowed and nodded slowly. She moved her hands quickly to her lap, trying to hide the nervous shaking. "Yes."
"Well... what's wrong with him?" Rain asked rather bluntly. "I spoke with him yesterday, but he wouldn't tell me the truth." She smiled. "Teenage boys. Won't say a lick of squat to their mothers when their hurt or sick. But run out of money, and suddenly we're best friends."
Veera smiled and tilted her head to the side. She was beginning to like the woman. "I'm sorry Miss Tottori..."
"Call me Rain please." Interrupted the brunette.
"Yes, Rain. I'm sorry, but I cannot divulge patient information with anyone other than the patient."
"But I'm his mother!" She exclaimed rather sulkily. "I set up the appointment myself! You can't tell me anything?"
Veera shook her head.
Rain sighed and nodded, leaning further into her chair. "I assumed as much. But it doesn't hurt to ask."
Outwardly she nodded, but inwardly Veera cringed. She felt awful. The poor woman, she thought. "No. But I can give you this. I was going to contact Sora and have him come pick it up, but this just saves us all time." She scribbled something nearly illegible on a small sheet of paper and held it out.
Rain took the paper quickly and scanned the scribbled words. "What's this?"
"A prescription."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Room 41 at the Starlit Inn, 9:45 am
Sora smiled into the phone as he began stuffing his clothes and junk into a much-too-small backpack. "Kairi! I'll be home in a couple of hours, okay?"
"A couple hours?" She whined loudly. "You've been gone forever! Can't you get home any faster?"
Sora laughed as he crammed the last shirt into the unyielding pack. "That's the soonest I can get a ferry."
"Sora?" There was a knock on the hotel door.
Sora's eyes widened as he turned towards the door, recognizing his mother's voice instantly. "Uh... I have to go Kairi. I'll see you later."
"Now wait just a minute, Sora! You still haven't told me..."
He lifted the phone from his ear, closed it, and let it drop to the bed beside his bag. "Mom?" He called out.
"Sora!" There was another knock. "Come on sweetie! Open the door!"
Sora took a deep, calming breath before he crossed the hotel room and unlocked the door. "Mom, you didn't tell me you were coming,"
Rain smiled and stepped past Sora into the room. "I thought maybe we could so some school shopping." She said slowly, avoiding the real reason she was there. "Hang out like we used to, when you were younger."
Sora swallowing nervously but smiled and nodded. "Uh... sure mom. That will be fun. Just let me get ready..." Sora retreated quickly to the bathroom, not waiting for a reply. He leaned heavily against the locked door and let out a long, slow breath. "Okay..." He breathed out. "Mom's here. I have to tell her something..." He slid to the floor and hugged his knees to his chest. "I could tell her the truth..." He said slowly. "And listen to her tell me I'm crazy and lock me up..." He shook his head slightly as he thought about it. "Or maybe I could just not tell her... say nothing's wrong..." He leaned his head back, bumping it on the door. "She wouldn't believe that, though." He sighed slightly. "I could lie... just make something up..."
"Sora? Are you okay?"
He shifted and leaned forward. "Yeah mom. Just a minute."
"Okay sweetie! Don't take too long!"
Sora rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. His eyes raised and found the mirror. For a minute, he stared at his reflection hard, as if looking for some sign that he had changed.
"Looks like you already went shopping."
Sora splashed some water on his face and reached for a hand towel. "What?" He called out.
"This backpack is new. And so are these... and I love this shirt... oh! What's this?"
Sora's eyes widened as he realized what his mother was doing. She was going through his backpack. And at the bottom of said pack were the ultrasound pictures and videos, along with all the information Veera had given him. A split second later he was out the door and yanking the video from his mother. "MOM!" He exclaimed and stuffed it back in the pack, followed by the clothes she had pulled out.
Rain stepped back and crossed her arms. She lowered her gaze slightly, eyeing him. "No need to take that tone with me young man! And what is that?"
Sora finished zipping the pack back up and turned to face her. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Nothing... I just..." He sighed and looked to the floor. "I just want to get out of here."
The sadness his voice stopped Rain. She dropped her arms and smiled. "Okay. We can go home." She turned towards the door.
"Home? You don't want to go shopping anymore?"
At the door, she turned back around. "Looks like you already did." She pointed towards the backpack sitting on the bed.
Sora smiled. "I wasn't expecting to stay in town so I picked up some clothes." He picked the pack up and slipped it on his shoulders. "I just got a few things. There's still other stuff you can get me."
Rain smiled.
"Hmm... let's see..." Sora lifted his hand and began to count off on his fingers. "There's school supplies. I'll need some pens and notebooks. And some new shoes. And a watch. And some more jeans and a jacket. And a car..."
"Okay, okay!" Rain lifted up her hands in defeat. "Let's go!"
Sora smiled and followed her out the door.
"Maybe we could see a movie! And get something to eat, if you're hungry."
Sora snorted softly. "I'm eating for three." He mumbled.
"Huh?"
"Uh... you know me... always hungry."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
On the Ferry to Destiny Islands, 5:05 pm
Sora allowed his mother to drag him to store after store, buying him things he didn't need. Then they stopped for lunch and went to an afternoon movie. Afterwards came more shopping. Now it was nearly dinner time and Sora was glad they were finally on their way home.
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Rain leaned against the rail and glanced sideways at him.
Sora nodded slowly. "Yes. I've been thinking about it quite a lot lately." Lie. The idea had only popped in his head while they were shopping.
"But you won't get to see your friends."
Sora shrugged and glanced down at the water lapping at the side of the ferry. "I'll see them on the weekends."
Rain smiled and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Okay! I'll make some calls tomorrow. See what I can find."
"Thanks mom."
Ten minutes later, the ferry docked and people preceded to come and go.
"SORA!"
The brunette turned around just as the excited redhead flung her arms around him. "Kairi..." He stumbled backwards slightly and dropped the bags he had been holding.
"Don't you ever leave again!" She squealed and hugged him tighter.
"He wasn't gone that long Kairi."
Sora glanced up quickly as he saw the other shadow approaching. Riku. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Beside him, he saw that his mother had bent over to pick up the dropped bags. Quickly he pushed Kairi aside gently and bent down to help. "Uh... I'll see you guys later. I'm just... going to... go home and take a nap." He said quickly.
Kairi crossed hers arms and glared at him. "That's it?" She whined. "Barely a hello after you've been gone forever and you're just going to dessert us?"
"Give him a break Kairi." Riku smiled from beside her. "He just got home."
Kairi wheeled around. "That's the whole point Riku! He was GONE! And we didn't get to talk to him much. Don't tell me you didn't miss him?"
Riku shrugged, avoiding answering the question.
"Oh don't give me that..."
The two voices died off as Sora and his mother slipped away quietly. As soon as they were home, Rain smiled and shook her head. "Are you sure you won't miss that?" She moved through the front door and set the bags down in the living room.
Sora followed behind her. "Hmm..." He glanced at her, then smiled and shook his head. "Riku graduated last year, so it would have been just me and Kairi anyways. It would have been weird..."
"And Kairi going through her senior year alone wouldn't be?"
Sora shrugged and sat down on the couch wtih a sigh. "She won't be alone mom. Tidus and Selpie will be there. And Wakka has to repeat his senior year... uh... mom?"
"Yeah?" She called from the kitchen.
"You like kids... right?" He asked slowly.
"What?"
He rose off the couch and stepped towards the kitchen slowly. "Kids. You like them, right?"
Rain turned to eye him a moment, then stepped towards him. "I love bratty little kids." She said, pinching his cheek. "Heaven knows you were a real handful."
That got a laugh out of Sora. "So then you wouldn't mind... maybe having them around?"
Rain smiled. "One day I wouldn't mind babysitting a couple little rugrats. And hearing the name grandma." She laughed as she riffled through the cabinets.
Sora breathed out a sigh. Maybe everything would turn out okay.
Not finding what she was looking for, she closed the cabinet and glared at it. "Now where did I put it..." She mumbled as she glanced around the kitchen. "I'm certainly not in a hurry though." She smiled. "I can wait until you're graduated and married." She winked and touched the tip of her finger to her nose. "I'm not old enough to be a grandma yet." Turning, she selected a different cabinet and opened it.
"Yeah." Sora said softly. He turned from the kitchen, grabbed his bags, and walked down the hall to his room. Once he was there, he dropped his bags and locked the door behind him. "I'll just... do it all by myself..." He whispered, sinking to his knees. He placed a hand over his stomach and sighed. "It's real..." He said. "Real..."
Shaking the daze away, he reached for the shopping bags. He riffled through them until he came across a shoebox. He opened it and pulled out the shoes, tossing them aside. Next, he grabbed his backpack and dumped out the contents. With slow and careful movements, he picked up the ultrasound video and pictures and the stuff Veera had given him. Gingerly, he placed it all in the shoebox.
The last thing he did that night before going to bed was to stash the shoebox at the back of his closet, where no one would look. At least he hoped not.
End of Chapter 6. Stay tuned for Chapter 7: Box in the Closet