CHAPTER SEVEN
Konan was anemic. The attending physician had given her prognosis early the next morning after she'd awaken, and the results of her blood work had been completed. Though it was a common ailment amongst pregnant women, many didn't exhibit symptoms until later in their pregnancy, which was why it hadn't been detected earlier in Konan. It was characterized by increased fatigue, dizziness, and nausea, all of which she experienced, and which explained why she'd fainted at Nagato's office.
Konan was grateful to the doctor for the explanation as it had eased her frustration to be able to put a name to her illness. She was further relieved to learn that the condition could be remedied easily enough with iron supplements she'd be expected to take daily for the remainder of her pregnancy. And other than the anemia, no other complications had been detected, and the baby appeared to be doing fine. Her hand instinctively lifted to rest gently upon her abdomen, genuinely comforted by that bit of news. The doctor concluded with a reminder to her to follow up with her obstetrician and, upon confirming Konan had been well enough, stated she could be released that very morning.
Konan lifted her arm and noted the IV that trailed from a site in her forearm where it had been started. Hospitals always made her a bit uneasy, and she wanted very much to return home as soon as possible. But where was home? Was it back at the penthouse with Nagato, with the very man who'd hurt her? Memories of yesterday afternoon replayed in her sleep-disoriented brain.
Nagato was the father of Ino's child.
Konan moaned as the words reverberated in her head, repeating over and over until she thought she'd go insane. What was worse, he had known; had known and continued to keep it from her while he continued seeing her, while moving her into his home with her, making love to her… Hell, he'd even told her he loved her. Lies, all of it. She winced at the stinging prick of tears that welled in her eyes, which were sore from all the crying she'd done last night before finally drifting off into a restless sleep.
"Did you know that Amegakure has the highest rate of suicides?"
Konan lifted her head and turned toward the familiar face of her best friend, Karui, sitting in the chair next to her bed. Her feet were tucked beneath her and her amber eyes focused on the rain outside the window. Karui released one hand from the Styrofoam cup of tea she held to tuck a lock of red hair behind her ear.
Konan lowered her head back against the pillow and allowed her eyes to drift closed again. "Is that so?" She muttered indifferently. She was accustomed to Karui's odd humor, and her usual inclination for strange and useless bits of information.
"Yep,," Karui confirmed with a nod as she continued. "Statistics show that within the last four years, at least twenty-three percent of Amegakure residents are reported to have taken their lives as a result of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Twenty-three." She snorted as she rolled her eyes before allowing them to return to the rain. "All this damned rain," she muttered with a cluck of her tongue.
Konan smiled weakly. "Wait," she stated as a thought struck her, "what are you still doing here? Please tell me you haven't been here all night," she pleaded huskily.
"I haven't been here all night," Karui obediently returned in a mocking tone, and chuckled when Konan fixed her beneath her narrowed eyes.
Which meant she had been here all night, Konan thought with a groan. And though she was thankful for her friend's presence, and at the way she'd remained vigil by her side throughout the night, she couldn't help the guilt she felt at having taken Karui from Omoi's side.
The engaged duo were due to wed soon and had vacationed with their families back in their homeland of Kumogakure, where they'd planned to hold the ceremony. They'd just returned home last night when Karui had suddenly been contacted that Konan was in the hospital. As Konan had no family of her own, she'd listed Karui as one of her emergency contacts. Her only other listed contact had been Nagato. Konan whimpered at the thought of him again. She hadn't wanted to see him and had been explicit in her request that he not be allowed to visit her. This time she didn't bother to stymie the flow of tears as they flowed silently from the corners of her eyes.
Karui bit back a curse as she rose to retrieve the box of tissues on the small nightstand next to the bed and hand them to Konan. She pressed a button on the large, rectangular bed control box and waited until the head of the bed elevated Konan into an upright sitting position before perching on the bed next to her. "How do you feel?" She asked softly.
"Fine, I guess, now that I know we'll live." Konan gently dabbed at her tears with one hand. The other hand still rested on her abdomen.
"You know what I mean," Karui countered gently.
Konan sighed irritably. "I just found out the father of my unborn child has impregnated another woman, Karui, how do you think I feel?" She retorted edgily.
Karui smiled wryly. "Fair enough," she relented, "which is why you should call him."
Konan waved a hand dismissively as she sighed heavily. "Not now, Karui," she stated.
"There are certain things that need to be discussed, Konan. Nagato is the father of your child."
"And Ino's as well, or have you forgotten that?" Konan immediately regretted the tone of her voice and sighed. "Karui, I'm sorry." Her eyes drifted closed as she raked a hand through her hair. She had told Karui all about Ino last night.
But Karui hadn't taken offense. She understood Konan's sensitivity, that this whole situation had been a new territory that had left her feeling vulnerable and confused. Karui looked at her friend with no small amount of pity as she stifled an urge to hurl a thousand I told you so's at her, knowing that to do so would be to tread into some seriously counter-productive territory. What was done was done, and what Konan needed now was her support.
From the start, Karui had never agreed with Konan and Nagato's relationship. She'd been upfront with her disapproval, too, and argued to Konan that she deserved better than to settle for an open relationship. Her amber eyes hooded as she recalled the heated argument that had quickly followed. Karui hadn't meant to hurt Konan, would have given anything to retract the harsh words when pain had briefly flickered in her friend's grey eyes, but the words had been out before she could stop them. They hadn't spoken for three days after that, the hatchet having been buried when Karui had called an amused Konan late one night to kindly – or, rather, as kindly as Karui could - point out that they'd been friends longer than Konan and Nagato dated - the fact that Konan and Nagato were raised together be damned - and while men came and went, while they would no doubt continue to disagree where the little tally-whack motherfuckers (Karui's words exactly) were concerned, their friendship was more important than that.
Karui was silent before she spoke. "Nagato knows about the pregnancy," she revealed, her amber eyes keen upon her friend's reaction.
Konan's eyes briefly registered with shock before settling back into their earlier pallid indifference. Her gaze rested on her hands now folded in her lap. Considering she'd offered his name as a contact, she figured he must have been informed by a member of the medical team that had cared for her at some point. Though she'd rather he heard it from her, she decided she hadn't cared anymore how he found out. She was only aware of the ease of pressure she suddenly felt, like she'd been relieved of a burden. She knew Karui was right, that she was going to have to face Nagato at some point, but she hadn't wanted to think about that now. It was too soon, the wound too fresh, the pain too unbearable. She shook her head miserably and her mind shifted to the origami booties she'd made, of how fragile the daintily crafted pieces of paper had looked as she carefully, lovingly, placed them in the small gift box. What had happened to them? She recalled the basket that slipped from her hands when she lost consciousness. Perhaps they'd been crushed, much like her dreams of the life with Nagato she thought she would finally have. She blinked back tears as her eyes watered anew, and a feeling of emptiness rotted in the pit of her stomach. Konan was silent as she thought before speaking, her voice low.
"I was ready to put it all behind us," she shrugged. "Forgive and forget, isn't that how the saying goes?" She drew a shaky breath. "But he knew, Karui. He knew the whole time and…now with her baby…" Her voice trailed off as he shook her head, clearly confused. Her chest heaved with deep breaths. "I don't know that I can forgive that. I…I just don't know," she concluded in a voice barely above a whisper and tears slipped from her eyes. If only she could stop crying!
Karui bit a curse as she pulled her friend into a gentle embrace. "Shhh," she soothed. 'You don't have to deal with that right now," she assured gently as she stroked Konan's hair. "But when it's time, when you are ready, you know I'm here, okay?"
To know Karui was to know that she had a fiery temper and was easily vexed where her loved ones were concerned, family and friends alike. Omoi had often mocked that he was fortunate she was in love with him else he'd have to be on the receiving end of her scorn. This particular moment was no exception as Karui felt her ire begin to stir. She loved Konan like a sister and hadn't liked seeing her in this predicament. How could Nagato hurt Konan like this, after all they'd been through together over the years, spanning their childhood to the present? Karui's eyes narrowed. Apparently it hadn't meant shit to him. Karui had a few choice words for him, but remembered Konan's plea that she not involve herself. She sighed, feeling helpless in light of her friend's distress. And what the hell was up with this flower shop action from Konoha, anyway? She wondered. Her ambers were liquid fire as she stared into the distance, her curiosity suddenly piqued. She lifted one arm from Konan's back to glance at her wristwatch. Perhaps she would be at work now, Karui wondered as she thought of the only person she felt could give her any answers now.
Back at the office, Shiho slumped back against her chair with a weary sigh. Removing her glasses, she placed them on the desk as she proceeded to massage her closed lids.
She reopened her eyes to glance at the large clock on the wall. It was still so early, but she knew she wasn't going to get any work done for worrying about Konan. Shiho really hoped she was okay. She thought worriedly. She glanced at her hands that trembled when she remembered the scare she experienced when Konan had fainted yesterday. It had all happened so fast. One minute Konan had just arrived to see Nagato, and the next she was fainted in his arms.
Shiho sat up as her eyes peered into the distance. She gnawed absently on her lower lip as her mind began to work. If she were a gambling woman, she'd bet Konan's sudden unease had to do with seeing Ino in Nagato's office, that the shock of seeing Ino was too much for Konan to bear. Her eyes glanced to the closed door of Nagato's office, where he was at the moment, probably feeling sorry for himself.
Shiho was surprised when she dutifully arrived early that morning to find her boss at his desk. Judging his appearance, he'd been there all night, too, she concluded, as her eyes scanned the empty beer cans scattered on his desk amidst the small gift box of origami booties she had placed there. Her mind wandered to yesterday afternoon, when she'd first became aware of the booties.
It wasn't until after Konan was whisked away by the paramedics that Shiho had noticed the basket that Konan had brought and dropped. The basket lay on its side on the floor, and the material had loosened and allowed some of its contents to spill forth: a few bento boxes from which an aromatic scent had wafted and a thermos containing a fragrant tea - all of them still warm to the touch – and a small rectangular cardboard gift box.
Shiho lowered herself at her knees and began returning the containers back into the basket. She paused when she at last came to the gift box and moaned when she noticed the dent in the cardboard. Curious as to the condition of the gift inside, she gently eased the lid off and gaped at the booties within. Ever perceptive, Shiho had immediately guessed what the gift had meant, and quickly returned the lid, darting a glance over her shoulder to where Ino still stood. Shiho was assured the woman hadn't noticed by the way Ino stood staring blankly at the door. Shiho placed the box atop the containers and draped the cloth over the basket. Standing, she pressed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose with a solitary finger before turning to swiftly disappear into Nagato's office.
When Shiho reappeared, she gently closed the door and crossed to stand behind her desk. Just then, her phone rang, and she quickly answered. "Thank you," she spoke into the receiver before hanging it up. She cleared her voice before speaking again. "Excuse me, Miss Yamanaka," she started, "but the driver has arrived. If there's nothing else, I need to get back to work."
Ino turned to Shiho. She blinked her blue eyes repeatedly as awareness of her surroundings seeped back into her gaze. "Right, of course," she agreed, her eyes following Shiho to where she crossed to hold the door open for her
"Good day, Miss Yamanaka," Shiho greeted, unable to conceal the dislike for the florist that laced her speech despite her calm and professional demeanor. Her eyes cast to the floor as Ino tossed her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her head and breezed past her and out of the office.
The ring of the phone on her desk jarred her mind back to the present and she quickly answered. "Thank you for calling Ame Industries. This is Shiho speaking, how may I help you?" She began in her usual greeting, and sat upright at the familiar voice that sounded on the other end.
"Shiho, this is Karui. Listen, I know you're on the clock right now, but can you talk?"
"Oh, Karui," Shiho started, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose anxiously. "Sure, I can talk. What's up?" She asked, thinking that Karui's call couldn't have had better timing, actually. Per Nagato's instruction, she cancelled and rescheduled all his meetings for that day, and heeded his request that he not be interrupted unless it was necessary.
"Good," Karui responded. "Listen, Shiho, I need a favor. It's very important that I find out about Miss Yamanaka."
A brief silence followed before Shiho spoke again. "Oh, Karui, I don't know…" Her voice trailed off uncertainly. One hand gripped the receiver while another reached for a paper clip that she twirled nervously between her fingers.
Her rapport with Nagato was perplexing at best in that it extended the boundaries that usually defined those of the usual employer employee relationship, and he'd often felt comfortable making her privy to certain aspects of his personal affairs. The situation with Ino was a prime example when she sought information regarding the paternity test for him at his request. Nevertheless, they were by no means the closest of friends, and she hadn't wanted to assume too much leeway by overstepping her limits where his personal affairs were concerned. It was a fine line, but one she respected nonetheless.
Shiho sighed. "I wish I could help you, but don't know that I could if I wanted to," she stated with a shrug. She pressed her ear closer to the receiver. "Are you out?" She could hear traffic in the background.
Karui nodded on the other end. "Yeah, I'm outside at the hospital. I'm on my cell. Konan is being discharged today."
Shiho inhaled sharply. "So she's okay, then?" She exhaled a sigh relief when Karui replied in the affirmative. Her hand went to her chest as she sat back in her chair. "I was so worried about her." She hesitated before asking in a lower, more subdued tone. "And the baby?" When she heard no reply, she added quickly, "I saw a pair of origami booties she made," she shrugged, "and put two and two together."
Karui smiled into the phone. Though she was unaware of any origami anything Shiho spoke of, she was impressed by the assistant's perception and touched by the genuine concern in her voice as well. "She and the baby are both fine." Then a hardened tone crept into her voice. "You can tell Nagato that, too. He's there, isn't he?"
"Yes," Shiho replied. She gnawed on her lower lip as she thought for a moment. Then she sighed before she spoke. "Look, I really don't know what's going on, and I doubt I know any more than you do," she admitted.
"Just tell me one thing," Karui asked, grateful Shiho agreed to talk. "Who is this Ino Yamanaka? I mean, aside from the whole Konoha florist bit."
Shiho shook her head, pushing her spectacles back up her nose. She slightly hunched in her chair after casting a quick glance over her shoulder towards the door that led to Nagato's office. "Like I said, I don't really know. She literally just showed up to meet Nagato. He even had me clear his schedule yesterday afternoon just for her, so I knew right away it was important. Then next thing I know, he asked me to find out where he could have a paternity test done." She scoffed. "I wasn't even sure it could be done while a woman was still pregnant, and so early on, too. I mean, she's not really showing or anything," she concluded on a note of disbelief.
"Hmmm," Karui replied as she listened intently. "Do you know if she's returned yet? Back to Konoha, I mean?"
"Oh no," Shiho quickly pointed out with another shake of her head, "at least not as of today." She explained. "One of the stipulations of her ticket is that she can't return to Konoha earlier than three days after she departed from her homeland." She tapped a finger to her chin as she thought momentarily. "So, basically, she's free to leave after tomorrow," she calculated slowly.
"So where is she staying now?"
"At Ame Casino and Spa."
"Are you sure about all this?"
"Completely. I arranged the flight and hotel for Nagato."
Karui sighed. "Thank you, Shiho, you were a big help in more ways than you know," she stated. "What would Nagato do without you?" And she meant it. Shiho truly was an amazing asset to Nagato's team. Karui smiled when she heard Shiho gush self-effacingly into the phone, and guessed the bespectacled assistant was blushing crimson as they spoke.
After they concluded the call, Karui returned her cell phone to the pocket of her cardigan. She knew Shiho was the right one to call. Nagato really ought to give that girl a raise, she thought as she turned to re-enter the hospital and proceed back to Konan's room.
So she knew where Ino was staying, and that she couldn't leave until after tomorrow. Karui smiled to herself, grateful timing had proved providential. That gave her more than enough time.