Love Lasts Forever is back with its newest chapter! I know the last one was a huge cliffhanger, so here's a chapter to finally reveal the result of the previous chapter. Enjoy!
Weeks: 10
"Kyo-kun," called a soft, hoarse voice. Kyo widened his eyes, grabbing the hand of the girl in the hospital bed.
"Tohru!" said the cat, a little too loudly. He hushed his voice. "You're awake."
The brunette had been unconscious for the past three hours. Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo had been waiting anxiously for her to wake up. Shigure had decided to leave the room, with Yuki following close behind. Kyo had decided to stay, in case she woke up.
She, with great effort, sat upright, groaning as she did so. Kyo used his hand to support her back and steadily adjust her position.
"How are you feeling?" inquired the orange-haired boy, his expression concerned. His grip on her hand tightened a bit more.
"I'm a bit tired and sore," admitted the rice ball, looking around the room. "We're at the hospital?"
"Yeah. You should lie down. The doctor said he would give you the results after you woke up."
"Results?" She stared at the cat blankly. A hospital... results... The rice ball gasped in horror, immediately reaching for her abdomen. She remembered. The pain, the blood. Are they still in here? Hot tears hit the white blanket. Her rough voice wavered as she spoke. "This is all my fault."
"No, it's not," said Kyo, unsure of what else to say. He rubbed Tohru's back as she wept. He was a little more used to comforting her at this point; he found that his actions were no longer forced.
Tohru calmed down a bit and managed to gather her thoughts. "What if... they're dead?"
The cat looked away, unable to assure her that they weren't. The thought had crossed his mind several times as he waited for the brunette to wake up.
Hearing no response from Kyo, the rice ball whimpered. "Please, tell me it'll be okay."
"It'll... It'll be okay," whispered Kyo, his doubt seeping through his voice despite his efforts. Tohru didn't seem to believe him. He gave her hand a squeeze and used his other hand to caress Tohru's head with tenderness. "It'll be okay."
Tohru eventually cried herself to sleep. Kyo watched her sleep, relieved that she could find peace at least during rest.
A grey-haired boy walked into the room. "Did she wake up at all?"
Kyo immediately removed his hand from the sleeping girl's. "Yeah, but only for ten minutes or so. She tired herself out from crying so much."
Yuki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should've listened to her when she was telling me about you."
"What're you talkin' about?"
"She was telling me that she felt like she had to choose between us. Even though she's dating me, I think she still felt compelled to be with you. She was facing this by herself, but I ignored her. I turned her away when she needed me... I shouldn't be with her anymore."
Kyo felt the anger build in his chest. "If you leave her, what else does she have left? You'd break up with her in this state? You guys haven't even been together for long. All 'cause you're a coward, you're gonna split."
Yuki chuckled, but his smile faded. "Yeah. I'm a coward. But she'll have you. You're who she really needs right now, as much as it hurts to admit."
Why would she need me? I'm useless. I can't do anything for her.
Kyo shook his head. "No. I won't be there for her. So you be there instead of me." You're the better choice.
The beautiful prince scoffed. "You're the real coward. Even when this opportunity is given to you, you push it away because you're scared. I took my chance already, and I blew it. At least I can say that I tried."
The cat kept his mouth shut, knowing that the rat was right.
"Did you hear anything from the doctor?" asked Kyo, changing the topic.
"No, not yet. Shigure keeps pestering them for information, but they're waiting until Tohru is awake and in stable condition."
"Those babies have to be alive. I don't think Tohru will be the same if they aren't."
Yuki looked at Tohru with a pitiful expression on his face. Bit by bit, we've all been changing... This situation might just be Tohru's breaking point.
Both boys had been preparing to meet their new family, and to have that family taken away in such a short time was a cruel joke played by fate.
Uo ran as fast as she could in the pouring rain. Her long legs allowed her to take long leaps. Hana staggered behind, but ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
"I can't see where we are. It's too dark!" yelled the yankee as she came to a stop.
Hana stood still and closed her eyes. Her head snapped left.
"This way," said the psychic. "Tohru's signal is this way."
Uo grinned. "Your power is getting more and more useful."
"It's stronger when it rains."
After a strong sprint, the two girls arrived at the entrance of a hospital. Uo looked to Hana. Hana nodded. The two entered, dripping wet.
A nurse approached them.
"Are you two in need of something?"
"Is Honda Tohru here?" asked Hana, looking like a horror movie character. Before the startled nurse could reply, the psychic grabbed the yankee's wrist and walked into the corridor. "She's this way."
After searching the hallways, they saw the nameplate they were looking for.
Uo opened the door carefully and stuck her head through the gap. She smiled when she saw the bright orange hair of the cat zodiac.
"Kyon, Prince Yuki, we're here," said Uo, letting herself in through the door. Hana followed and went straight to Tohru's side.
"Jeez, what took you guys so long? It's been two hours since I called."
Uo shrugged. "Hana insisted on using her psychic ability to navigate."
Hana solemnly nodded. "Technology cannot be trusted."
She turned her attention to the sleeping Onigiri. "Our poor Tohru," she whispered, her black pools brimming with tears. "She's been suffering all alone. We couldn't even help her."
Uo sniffled and blinked away her own tears. "Poor kid. There are rumors all over the school about her. She didn't do anything to deserve all of this pain."
"Hey, Hanajima?" called Kyo.
"Yes?"
"Do you, uh, sense anything from Tohru? Like multiple signals, maybe?"
The psychic closed her eyes. The rat and cat waited, hoping for good news.
"Hmm... it's all a blur. I guess I drained my senses while trying to find this place."
Kyo nodded, disappointed. The rat and cat decided to give the girls some time alone with the rice ball and left the room.
Uo brushed away hair from Tohru's face. "She looks so worn out. After dealing with all that at school, she still tried to smile. She would make a great mom."
Hana nodded. "She's like our own mother. I'm sorry, Tohru, for leaving you to cry alone."
Tohru stirred in her sleep.
"Is she waking up?" asked the yankee.
The rice ball's eyes slowly opened, revealing her deep blue irises. Two faces loomed over her.
"Uo-chan...? Hana-chan...?"
"That's right, kiddo. We're here."
Tohru pushed herself up, ignoring the pain. She threw her arms around her two best friends and started to sob.
"I... missed... you... so... much," she cried in between gasps for air. Uo and Hana became emotional up as well, returning the rice ball's embrace.
"We're here now, Tohru," soothed Hana. "Cry all you want. We're here for you."
The Onigiri let out all of her sadness and worry that had accumulated throughout the past few weeks.
The three friends stayed in a group embrace until Tohru couldn't cry anymore.
Tohru let go and took a moment to get used to seeing her friends' faces. She had so much to tell them, and she wasn't sure where to begin.
"I'm sorry for not telling you guys earlier about my situation," said Tohru. Her face was puffy and red. She sniffled and smiled, grateful that her friends were finally here.
"It's okay, there's nothing to apologize about. It must've been hard, keeping it to yourself," said Uo.
Hana nodded in agreement. "I did have the suspicion, but I wanted to wait until you were ready."
"Thanks, you guys... Were you disappointed in me when you found out?"
Hana shook her head. "We were shocked, but we knew there was definitely a circumstance. Right?"
Tohru nodded. "I don't know what it was yet, but I'm trying to remember."
Uo looked at the door. "So is Kyo really the papa? That's what we've been hearing around school."
Hana frowned. "That's a bit worrisome."
"I don't know who the father is... and I don't know if I'm still..." She choked on the word. "pregnant."
Yuki and Kyo would have made great fathers, and now, she worried, they'd be disappointed to lose something they had looked forward to.
Uo and Hana nodded, trying to understand the pain of their beloved friend.
"Whatever happens," said Uo, stroking the brunette's hair. "you'll pull through. You've got those two boys to help you. And us."
Tohru smiled for the first time she had awoken. This is the best family I could ever ask for. "Thank you."
Hana stared at Tohru with her bottomless black eyes. Tohru fidgeted uncomfortably. "Is something wrong, Hana-chan?"
"Tohru," said the psychic. "you've been bothered about something, right? Regarding those two outside?"
Tohru froze and shuddered. Hana was her best friend for a long time, but she still could not understand how Hana managed to read people so well.
Hana closed her eyes and nodded knowingly. "I am correct."
Uo looked back and forth at her friends, totally out of the loop. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
"Our Tohru's having male troubles."
Uo furrowed her brow, still not understanding the situation. Tohru blushed and became flustered.
"I-It's not like that, H-Hana-chan!"
A light bulb went off in Uo's brain. She smirked at the red brunette.
"So you don't know whether you want Kyon-Kyon or the prince?"
Tohru stayed silent and stared at her fingers.
Hana patted the rice ball's head. "That's your choice to make, Tohru. Whomever you choose, you have to be happy with them."
"There's another thing I have to tell you," said Tohru, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I'm actually dating Yuki-kun..."
Uo gasped. "Your first boyfriend!"
"Shhh!" Tohru placed a finger on her lips. "I'm still embarrassed..."
"Are you happy with him?" asked Hana.
Tohru looked down at her blanket and sighed. "I don't know... Yuki-kun makes me happy, but being in a relationship with him..." She trailed off.
Uo looked at Tohru intently, trying to read her as Hana had. "It's Kyo, isn't it?"
Tohru jumped at the name. "I... I don't know. I know Yuki-kun is my... b-boyfriend, but I can't help but want to know more about Kyo-kun. I feel so guilty about it. Yuki-kun is giving me his all, but I'm divided between him and Kyo-kun."
The two friends nodded understandingly.
Tohru continued. "I was hoping that when the twins were born, the choice would be made for me... Whoever the daddy was, I'd try my best with... But, now the twins are..."
There was a knock on the door interrupting the conversation.
"Patient Honda Tohru? May I come in?"
"Yes, please come in."
The door opened and Dr. Yamamoto came in.
Tohru rose up to bow, but was stopped by the doctor's wave of her hand.
"Honda-san, you must rest. You are not in good condition."
Tohru nodded and sat back down. "Do you have good news for me, Dr. Yamamoto?"
The doctor frowned and pushed up her glasses. "I'm not one to make that call."
Tohru clutched the hands of both of her friends. "Please, tell me."
The doctor sighed and gave the rice ball a sympathetic look. "You have miscarried baby B. The other is still alive, but hanging onto survival."
Tohru stared at the doctor, her brain frozen from the information.
Uo rubbed Tohru's arm. "Hey, you okay?"
Tohru's fingers grazed her stomach. She felt herself tear up.
"Tell us, Tohru, whatever you're feeling," said the psychic. "Don't keep it to yourself."
"I-I..." How could she describe the complex feelings she felt so simply? Her heart burned from the loss of her own child, yet she felt relief, even joy, that she had another one still fighting. The tears that fell were a mix of guilt and joy. "I'm a h-horrible mother."
"Tohru! What makes you think that?!" shouted Uo.
Tohru buried her face into her hands. "What kind of good mother is able to feel happy after losing a child? I don't deserve to be a mother! Maybe that's why the baby left me; it already knew I was this way."
"Tohru, you know that's not the right thinking," said Hana. "You're not happy because you lost your child. You're happy because your child lived. You're allowed to feel both emotions because you're human. It doesn't make you any less of a person or mother for feeling sadness and happiness at the same time."
Mama is sorry... for letting go of you so easily. Tohru clutched her abdomen and sobbed. Would you forgive me for feeling happy that your sibling is alive?
Dr. Yamamoto watched the rice ball cry. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of this information. Please don't feel bad about yourself, Honda-san. There was nothing you could've done. Don't let your sadness put your living child at risk. It is better to focus on what you have than what you do not."
Tohru nodded. "Th-Thank... you..."
The doctor bowed and left the room. On her way out she saw the two Sohma boys waiting outside.
"The patient is awake. I've told the her the information," said the doctor.
Yuki stared at her intently. "Would you tell us what's going on?"
"Honda-san has lost one fetus, but the other is still surviving. You boys should comfort her. It's going to take time for her to get over the loss of the fetus. Help her feel less guilty by telling her that it wasn't her fault. Otherwise, her guilt can start affecting the health of the remaining baby. We can't let the loss of one interfere with the care of the other. I'm sorry if I'm being blunt, but she can't let this hold her back."
Yuki nodded and bowed. "Thank you."
The boys watched the doctor walk away.
Kyo sighed. "So we did end up losing one. Tohru's not handling it well."
"Yeah. I can hear her." The grey-haired boy listened a bit more. "This is harder on her than it is for us."
The door swung open and two girls emerged.
"Uotani? Hanajima? You're leaving already?" asked Kyo.
Hana nodded, her black eyes fixed on Kyo. "She needs you two right now."
The yankee gave the boys a nod and the two girls headed off.
Yuki soon entered Tohru's room, with Kyo following close behind. The brunette was crying into her pillow.
"Tohru," called the grey-haired prince, his eyes softening upon seeing her. He looked away, having a hard time watching the woman he loved crying.
The rice ball's head rose up from the pillow, red and swollen. She made no attempt to look semi-presentable. "Yuki-kun..."
The prince walked over to her bedside and used his thumb to wipe away her tears. Her eyes wandered to the orange-haired boy leaning against the wall.
He shifted uncomfortably and shuffled over to the brunette. "We heard about what happened... I'm here for you now."
"Th-thank you," sputtered Tohru between her gasps for air. "I r-really wanted to meet b-both of them... and I kn-know that both Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun w-wanted to meet them... I'm sorry for n-not taking better care of myself. Maybe th-this wouldn't have h-happened if I went to the doctor earlier. Then you could've met both of the b-babies."
Kyo brushed his hand against her face, silencing her. Yuki managed to hide the envy he felt behind his cold mask.
"I'm not disappointed," said Kyo. "I'm happy we still get to meet the baby. It might not be both like we were expecting, but I'm happy that there's still one. Don't feel bad, Tohru. I'm sure that the other baby would want its mom to be happy."
"Kyo's right," said the prince. "What you really have to focus on now is the child that you're carrying. Please make sure that the baby grows healthy and strong. I know you feel sad about losing one of the twins, but it's a miracle that one of them survived. I'm thankful for that."
Tohru, hit with realization, nodded. "I understand, now... I can't be moping about this. I'll make sure to raise a healthy baby."
Tohru's hand rested on her abdomen. Momo, I'm sorry that I let you go... but I know that you're in good hands in Heaven with grandma. Ichigo, I will take good care of you... I will definitely make you happy!
Kyo saw a look of determination on the rice ball's face.
Tohru took a deep breath and smiled, although the sadness still lingered. "I can't let this hold me back. There is a reason for everything, so I know that I'll be okay. Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, let's be happy."
Tohru was left alone to rest again. Yuki was met by one of his fan club members and had to force himself to converse with her.
Kyo waited outside of Tohru's room as she slept. He sat on the clean tile floor, leaning against the wall. He thought about what Yuki had said, hoping that it was true, that he was the one that brunette loved.
He tousled his hair out of frustration. That rat's probably wrong.
"What would she see in me anyway?" mumbled Kyo, deliberately hitting his head against the wall.
"What would who see in you?" The dog zodiac walked over and handed the cat a soft drink.
Kyo sighed and crossed his arms. "No one."
Shigure rubbed his chin and pursed his lips in thought. Then, he smiled.
"It's Tohru-chan, isn't it?" He sat down beside Kyo.
Kyo's eyebrow twitched at the mention of her name. "No."
Shigure waved his finger and smiled. "You can't fool me, Kyo. Hmm... I can think of about zero things that she'd like about you."
Kyo glared at the dog, but softened his expression. "You're right."
Shigure chuckled. "You and Yuki are both my beloved cousins, but I must say, I'm rooting for you."
Kyo was shocked. "What? Why?"
"Simple," sang Shigure. "Yuki is good at everything and almost perfect so he doesn't need any of Tohru's fixing. You, on the other hand, need tons of fixing."
The cat zodiac scowled. "At least warn me before you say something stupid."
Shigure chuckled. "She needs it, too. Fixing, I mean. She puts on a smile to make it seem like she's fine. She's not. That's where you come in. You could give her something that Yuki can't."
Kyo was, at this point, intrigued. "And what is that something?"
Shigure shrugged. "I don't know. My inspirational speech ends at that point."
Kyo rolled his eyes, but he still considered his elder cousin's words. What can I give her? I don't have anything good to give...
Meanwhile, a certain infamous school rebel lurked the halls, searching for his prey with his trademark smirk on his face. "Heh. Tohru-chan doesn't know what's coming."
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