A/N: Thank you so much everyone.. Actually I wrote the previous two chapters at a go. I just took a day to edit the last one. :)

Kotoko's disease, diagnosis, causes, symptoms, treatment- everything is written out of imagination which does not have any logical explanation.

An Attempt

(Naoki POV)

One week passed. Kotoko remained super busy during the entire week. I also got busy after joining Tonan. The doctor profession is always demanding. There is almost no free time to socialize. Kotoko and I only met each other during breakfast or sometimes at dinner. Once or twice she even left before I came down for breakfast.

I couldn't help getting the feeling that she was avoiding me on purpose. Well, it wasn't just because of the breakfast, but also because she started to do her studies downstairs in otou-san's library again. She sometimes did that before if she was angry at me or we weren't talking to each other. But it was never without a reason. She loved having my presence around her all the time. But that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

According to her, she moved there because she required larger space for her studies as she messes up all her papers. Also she works till late hence she didn't want to disturb my sleep. That was true. She studied like crazy the entire week. Even in the first weekend after I returned she stayed busy with studies. When oka-san inquired why we weren't going out she said she had to study. She even did the evening duties.

I was wondering if she was even getting enough sleep. She goes to hospital very early at the morning and returns late. After dinner she studies and then when she sleeps, she keeps waking up due to bad dreams. It looks like she gets lots of them. Sometimes I also wake up with her. Either because she calls my name or oka-san, which I assumed to be her mother, as she never elaborated any of her dreams to me or when she trips over something into the dark room trying to go out in the kitchen downstairs.

Kotoko used to dream when she slept all the time. But those were always happy dreams. She smiled, giggled, talked, scolded, even hugged and kissed me in her sleeps while dreaming. But this is the first time I'm seeing her getting scared and even in tears. Sometimes she would cry out, frightened. I tried to pull her into hugs whenever she was having a nightmare to soothe her but she always awakes and pulls away. I asked her a million times what they were about but she avoids my questions and only says they are nothing important and they weren't scary and she was fine.

She never hid her fears from me. But again, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Something is giving her a hard time but she doesn't want to open up to me. I wonder what could have gone so wrong. She seems so distant. It's like she is fading away from me. That feeling is terrifying. I didn't want to experience that ever. Kotoko blocking me out of her life is the scariest feelings I ever had.

...

(Kotoko POV)

I didn't go to work today. I just asked Hana to take the permission instead of me to stay off duty for the day. I didn't want things to get worse with Irie-kun. I didn't want him to suspect anything yet, especially not after yesterday night.

It's already a week and a half since Irie-kun returned. I know I should have already told him everything by now but I just couldn't bring it up. Instead I kept avoiding him in every way. I know he wasn't dumb enough not to notice. I know he was hurt and anxious due to this. I know he was getting more and more worried. But I just didn't know how to break the news to him out of the blue. The closest I got to talk about this matter was yesterday night. I went upstairs instead of going to study after dinner like I did the previous week and half. I was fully prepared to tell him everything until I entered the room and he looked up at me with surprise. But he composed himself pretty fast.

"Hi..." I said awkwardly.

Hi? Why couldn't I start the conversation more naturally? I paused mentally slapping myself.

"What's up?" He looked back at me as I sat on the bed behind the desk-chair he was sitting.

"Nothing." I shrugged. "You seem busy." I stated, eyeing the stack of papers on the table.

"No, I'm not." He answered immediately which took me off guard. He got up and joined me on the bed. I just stared at him for half a minute and grinned as he raised a brow.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said for the second time and laughed at that. He kept looking. I finally cleared my voice and started talking again.

"Irie-kun, how much do you know about Neuroshia?" I can tell by the look on his face that he didn't see that coming.

"Err... Not much." He admitted. "I only goggled about it after you decided to join Hope and read a few articles." I was surprised at that piece of information but he continued.

"It triggers due to pregnancy complexity and is a very uncommon disease. Only 1 in a million people have the probability to suffer from this. Also as you mentioned that it has been cured in USA recently but in Japan, it is still in experimental phase. It is not contagious and if the treatment is successful, the disease does not return like tumour does sometimes." He stopped and I practically gaped at him.

"And that sure is not much!" I rolled my eyes. He waited with patience quietly for me to continue.

"Well, it doesn't only happen to a pregnant woman. Since my patient is not pregnant... yet." I told him without meeting his eyes. I was sweating and my heart started to beat faster.

"What?" He was surprised genuinely at this piece of information.

"Yap and the probability for being this case is 1 in 15 to 20 million... in Japan."

"I... didn't know." He said slowly.

"You know, it really feels good to know something that you don't." I giggled. He narrowed his eyes at me and nearly smiled. I grinned again and that's when things started to go wrong. I suddenly felt my head spin. I grabbed on the bed sheet instantly and looked down trying to focus my gaze.

"Kotoko?" He called me watching me carefully. I didn't dare to answer immediately. When I felt better I started talking again still looking down.

"The patient isn't doing well Irie-kun." I decided to cut down the details on Neuroshia and stick to my condition since he can find out even better on his own. "Maybe you don't know, but it has 3 stages. The 1st stage is danger-free and supposed to be cured easily now a day in Japan. The 3rd stage is out of reach even now which means the dying rate is higher. So that makes the 2nd stage important because if the patient crosses the stage then..." I trailed off. He was quiet. I continued.

"The patient started in stage one but she isn't cured yet and if her next therapy fails then she will enter the 2nd stage of Neuroshia. Well, seriously I don't know why I am explaining all this but what I am actually trying to tell you is..." I glanced up at him and looked away immediately seeing his intense stare. "I'm trying to say is... actually..." I stopped as I started to get dizzy and my body started to pain. I stood up immediately. I didn't want him to see me in pain. I needed to go. "You have a conference at Kobe right?" I suddenly remembered. He seemed flabbergasted by the sudden change of the subject.

"Yes. I will be gone for 3 to 4 days next week." He replied looking up at me.

"Right. Next week!" How can I forget that? I nearly ruined his going to the conference. "Okay. You should prepare for your presentation. Umm... Good luck." I moved towards the door.

"Kotoko" He stopped me. I looked back.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?" He asked surprising me. I nodded.

"Why would you say that?" I asked back.

"Just to let you know... that I'm here for you and I will always be."

I blinked my eyes a few times wondering what was going on in his mind. I couldn't look into his eyes anymore. I was feeling terrible because I was going to hurt him real bad. The truth will probably kill him inside. I turned around as tears dropped from my eyes. The pain in my body didn't matter anymore. Within seconds I felt him embracing me from behind. He bent down his head on my right shoulder and held me tightly in his arms. We stood in silence. He pulled away after a while. I didn't had the courage to meet his eyes so I didn't look back and started to move towards the door but before I could reach, my head spin again and I lost conscious.

...

When I woke up I found myself lying on our bed and Irie-kun sitting beside me holding up my hand. At first I was confused but within a few seconds I realized what might have just happened and I felt horrified.

"Kotoko, are you okay? How do you feel?" Irie-kun asked me with concern.

"I'm absolutely fine." I tried to sit up causing my head spin for the nth times. Irie-kun pushed me down on the bed.

"Lie down." He ordered. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

"I'm okay."

"Stop saying that." He was pissed. "You can barely sit. Your pulse is weak. Your blood pressure is low. In which universe you think you are okay?" He snapped.

I just swallowed not knowing how to answer.

"Take a few days off at your hospital and rest up at home. Do you understand?" He said in a composed voice after a moment.

I was silent. I certainly can't do that if I want to continue my treatment.

"Kotoko?" He was expecting an answer. I sighed.

"I'll be fine after I rest Irie-kun. I'll sleep now. I'm sorry for worrying you. You should go back to your work."

"I'll help you change into your pyjamas." He said.

"No. I don't need to change. They are comfortable enough. I'll just sleep in them for tonight. Don't worry." I protested quickly and turned in the opposite side of him. That's the second time I rejected his offer in helping me change. He sure felt weird. I cursed mentally.

"Kotoko..." He started to say something but I intervened.

"Good night Irie-kun."

"Good night." He replied softly after a while and I heard him sigh.

I couldn't let him help me because I didn't want him to see the scar that I have right under my breasts due to the fracture on my ribs. The scar was supposed to fade away with time. But it was still there and it would be difficult to explain why I have that without telling him the whole truth. Damn my luck. I sighed.

...

(General POV)

Naoki returned to Tokyo missing his wife to the point of being frustrated. He was sure Kotoko was feeling the same. But he was shocked to see her state. Like everyone else in their family, he at first believed she was working too hard just to keep herself busy. But as he observed her over the two weeks, it looked like she kept busy herself to avoid him! But he kept waiting for her to open up to him because she is Kotoko and she always tells him what she thinks and what bothers her. He did not want to rush her. Her being upset with him could have thousands of reasons like his going to Kobe, staying there for so long, not visiting home- anything. Even she could be having problems at work. Now after their conversations about her patient he started to think she was distressed about her patient. It was normal for Kotoko. She cares and keeps getting worried for anyone and everyone.

On the other hand, as much as Kotoko wants to tell him everything, she is just really afraid of hurting him. She keeps looking for excuses to delay informing him. Every night she makes a promise to herself that she will tell him everything tomorrow. Then the tomorrow becomes the next day, and it goes on.

A/N: I hope you are not getting bored because I'm dragging. But a few events must take place before Naoki finds out. He cant just find it out of the blue or even guess about Kotoko being seriously ill, because he had no clue. On the other hand, Kotoko have enough courage to withstand Neuroshia alone but she isn't courageous enough to hurt Naoki with the truth. :(

Besides, the whole point of writing this story was to teach Naoki a lesson and now is the time so I really can't rush it. I hope you understand. It's too slow I understand and I'm sorry for that. I wrote a plot before I started writing and I'm following that. I will try to update more frequently but a few more chapters are in order before Naoki gets to know anything.