Hi All! and Linvn89! Thankyou for your reviews Linvn89. Seriously I look forward to your reviews! You put so much detail in what you liked and they really give me a mental boost to keep going with this. Now originally I wanted to do smaller chapters to upload more often but this one just flowed and flowed. Its very back story heavy and the next one will be back on story. More action in the next one I promise.
If anyone else is reading this Id LURRVE to hear what you think and if you're enjoying it. Anyway here's Chapter 18 for ya!
Chapter 18.
"Are you surrrrre that's all you want for breakfast?" Picked Emily as she shot a dismayed look at Tysons' plate. Her slim framed glasses glinted by the sun-drenched hospital canteen window as she sipped from her coffee cup. Her remark broke the thick silence of the breakfast table. Tyson had a reputation for being a scoffer at meal times and his slim meal surprised her. 1 slice of toast with baked beans on the side. The ex-beychamp wasn't the only one with a lack of appetite. Max picked at a butter flapjack, Hilary slowly chewed on a corner of raspberry jam on toast, the White Tiger Pair had a single glass of milk each, Kenny sipped on a cup of coffee. Daichi was the only one of the group with a full plate, although had only managed to eat half of the full English Breakfast he had shovelled on to it. 2 rashers of bacon, 2 hash browns and a tomato were left aside to turn cold.
The American tennis fanatic gulped down her last bite of cheese and onion toastie and discarded the rest. The others had clearly finished eating and she felt was holding them all up. The morning was running away like quick sand and they were eager to return again to the ICU for their shifts at Kais' bedside...that's if they could pry his grandmother away.
The Ex-Beybladers and friends were not their usual selves thought Emily as she examined them and their behaviour. Tyson walked slouched with his hands in his pockets and Daichi had not bickered once yet. Max and Hilary had bags under their eyes from days of poor sleep, their usual up-beat persona were gone and replaced with periodic yawns and sighing. There was an obvious and uncomfortable wedge between Mariah and Ray as they hadn't held hands or made eye contact with each other since the night before. Kenny had hardly spoken a word unless it was a reply to a question. Trygators' owner did what she could to perk them up by trying to spark conversation about anything other than Kai or the Charity Bey-Tournament but received only one word answers or shrugged shoulders.
Emily let out a sigh of her own as she trailed behind her bereft friends as they made their way out of the canteen and down the monotonous grey and white corridors. Their low mood and sullen expression made her feel out of her depth and half wished she had returned to the United States with Judy in the early hours of that morning. Still... she had to stick around for moral support and to see for herself if her long term crush, Kai Hiwatari was going to pull through.
Another silent walk to the ICU ensued until finally they reached the outer-most doors to the ward, where security officers stood like loyal statues ready to jump in-front of a moving train for their employer if the situation arose.
"Hey Mister Cooper...and errrrrr what's youuuuurrrr name?" Quipped Emily flirtatiously as she and the others passed the towering all-in-black human wall that was, Kais' head of security and a tall dark tattooed operative at his side.
Mr Coopers' voice was deep and rumbly. "Never you mind my colleagues name Miss...Go on through." He said as he held the heavy swinging ICU door open with one dark-skinned muscled arm.
Emily sweat-dropped and felt instantly ticked off. "Alright alrightttt" she retorted with a tone and made a mental note not to be so friendly with any of Kais' security from now on.
The group trailed on down the very familiar ward and recognised the many blue dressed nurses by name now. They calculated that they had spent more time at the ICU waiting area with the little coffee table and nearby vending machines, than they did in their family suite/room and canteen combined. Tyson and Co had called the University of Tokyo Hospital their home since Saturday afternoon; today was Monday late morning and cabin fever was setting in. The boredom of the samey corridors, lack of windows, artificial lights, narrow spaces and constant worry about Kai and Shadow Vale was starting to fray on their psyche and were in desperate need of a distraction.
"Here we go again...another day in this stinkin' waiting area." Whined Daichi as he set eyes on the familiar chairs in front. He was an energetic young man that loved the open air and this routine of leg swinging for hours on a chair and eating out of a vending machine all day was a real bore.
Kenny murmured. "I know Daichi, we're all sick of it but the Saint Shields said it's not safe to leave the hospital and besides; we would never forgive ourselves if we left and something happened to Kai... Hey is that Kais' grandma?" the end of his sentence raised a panic in the herd.
Tysons' heart began to race and his brown eyes wide with panic.
An unlikely figure was waiting where Tyson and Co had perched for the better part of the last 2 days.
Tyson ran and stopped in front of the elderly hunched over figure. His trainers squelched on the tile floor as he stopped himself colliding into her. He exclaimed panting. "What are you doing here Mrs Uchiha? Is Kai? Is Kai ok?"
Ray joined directly to Tysons' side and Max to the other. Their faces were dripping with fright and scanned her face for clues of bad news.
Izumis' white bangs swished as she lifted her head from her gaze at the tile and upwards to the 3 young men eyeballing her, desperate for an answer. Her familiar amethyst eyes locked with the one most in her face...the brown eyes of a semi-chubby Japanese beyblader.
Izumis' voice was flat and low beat. "Nothing to get upset about yet boys. They've taken my Kai away for more tests." Her gaze then darted back to the floor.
Tyson forgot where he was for a moment and let out a loud. "Pheewwwwwwwwwwwww" and began waving himself with his cap as his face settled back to a less frantic expression. A nurse poked her head around a wall corner and "shuuuuusssssshhhhhhhh"ed him as she and her colleague were tending to a patient in Bay 1.
Ray could feel his heart beating wildly and turned his back to the gang to hide his anxiety, fighting to settle himself. Mariah noticed of course but thought better than to embarrass him by raising the issue. Ray and her were fragile right now and she didn't need cause for more friction.
Maxy flopped his whole body in half so low that he could nearly touch the floor as he exhaled almost as loud as Tyson and let out a "Phewwwww" of his own.
Kenny started and felt relief awash over him too. "We were told we would receive Kais' test results yesterday afternoon. So why the delay? I wonder."
Emily jabbed. "I'm sure the doctors know what they are doing guys...you should try to relax."
The waiting area had just enough seats for all with 1 seat spare. 5 chairs facing another 5 with a coffee table in the middle, a large potted dragon plant to one side and 2 vending machines backed onto a wall. Opposite, was the sliding double doors leading to the ICU bays and an air-conditioning unit with a fan hung above them. Nearest the vending machine sat Daichi, then Tyson, then Izumi, then Hilary, then Max, then Mariah, then Ray, then Kenny and lastly Emily next to an empty chair opposite Daichi.
Each had settled into their chosen hard grey seats with varying levels of growing boredom and discomfort. Kais' grandmother rested her eyes and her soft clothed arms wrapped up tight as she tried and failed to get comfortable. Kenny tapped away on Dizzi replying to work emails. Emily scrolled away at Facebook on her iphone; the others wishing they had their phones which were still under police lockdown in the locker rooms at the Tokyo Metropolitan Dome. Max had his head lolled back onto the wall and struggled to get comfy enough to nap. Hilary was trying to solve a cross word on the back of a magazine and failing to concentrate from fatigue. Daichi crunched a nut bar with his mouth open again whilst Tyson gritted his teeth; trying desperately to hold his annoyance inside. Ray crossed his arms tightly with his eyes closed trying to get a little shut eye as he too had difficulty sleeping at night.
Mariahs' feminine hands were folded away in her lap and after glancing around the room for what felt like over an hour, she saw something interesting. "What's beneath your chair Mrs Uchiha?"
The granny instantly perked her head up, her orbs flung wide awake and met with curious yellow eyes of the pinkette.
Daichi had finished his nut bar long ago and had been swinging his legs out in boredom; this ceased immediately and his gaze transfixed on the box beneath the old lady too.
Izumi felt a light blush paint her cheeks as she struggled to bend beneath her chair, cursing how inflexible she was and retrieved a box to her lap. It was about the size of a large shoe box and covered in pink and white sakura flower print, a blue ribbon tied it shut like a parcel and into a bow on the top. She cradled it close with both hands and blushed pinker.
Tyson was now intrigued, Max had rolled his head back onto his shoulders and Rays' eyes were open with wonder. Hilary had abandoned the cross word and Kenny stopped tapping on his keyboard. "Facebook can wait" thought Emily as she deduced that whatever was in that box... was precious.
Izumi clutched onto the box tighter as if it was a child in her arms. She was slightly embarrassed and her face turned even pinker than before. "Well..." She squirmed a little. "It's my little box of Kai."
After leaving them guessing and glancing at each other for answers she declared... "It's Kais' baby photos and his childhood." Said Izumi, as she hugged the box a little more tightly as if to push it into her stomach.
Tyson erupted and his cap rolled off the back of his head in his fluster. "No way! You gotta show us!"
Hilary exclaimed though not as demanding as the bluenette. "Oh wow! I would love to see them."
Emily almost jumped out of her seat. "Oh you have to show us now!" She simply HAD to see if Kai was a cute or ugly baby.
Max glanced to his blue haired bestie. "I bet Kai was a naughty kid. Right Tyson?"
Tyson mirrored his blonde haired bestie back. "Yeah Max. I bet he was a reallllllll trouble maker."
Kenny sweat dropped and felt embarrassed for how pressing his friends were. "Easy guys, photos like that are sooooo personal. Kais' grandmother isn't going to show us who are practically strangers to her.
Izumi had started pulling at the tails of the blue ribbon to unbind the box.
Kenny sweat dropped double and nearly fell of his chair. "Nevermind."
The uber loving grandma paused before lifting the lid, raised her head and glowered at the 8 young people around her. Her tone was warning and whispered. "If you tell Kai I showed you these he's not going to be pleased about it. So whatever I show you stays between us...ok?"
8 heads nodded furiously up and down.
Tyson wore a cheesy grin and felt his face muscles ache from having not smiled in a while. "Yes Maaam it'll be our little secret."
Hilary made a heart sign with her hands. "Cross my heart maaam."
Izumi freed the lid as the baby blue ribbon fell away from the box base, she then planted them on the table. "Ok, here we go. I'll hand them to you and you can pass them around."Her heart was pumping with excitement and a wave of sentimental emotion overcame her. She had never shown these photos to anyone aside from Kais' maternal grandfather. Kai himself had never laid eyes on most of these.
Izumis' long wrinkled and shaky right hand dove into the box and pulled out an old square shaped photograph. It had written on the back 2nd August 1989. She passed it to Hilary. It was a photo of a newborn baby in a hospital crib. He was a pink-faced-thing wrapped in a blue blanket, asleep and with a full head of bluish hair. The photo was old and slightly fraying at the edges. Hilary made sure to handle it very delicately and wiped off any sweat from her palms onto her grey skirt. Hilary cooed at the photo and exclaimed. "He was cute as a baby too!"
Emily shot her a look and mouthed without words with a cocky face. "You think he's cute too huh?!"
The brunette loudmouth went bright red and hoped the others were too preoccupied with the photo to have heard her say out loud what she really thought of the handsome Kai Hiwatari.
Tyson thought to himself. "Finally Kai. We get to meet the real you."He then swiped his thumb across his top lip and waited impatiently for the photos to circulate to him.
Next, Izumi pulled out another baby photo and passed this one to an over-eager Tyson. "This is Kai around a month old, he's in my daughters' arms on a park bench somewhere in Chiyoda National Park."
Tyson – "Whoahhhhh His mother was pretty! What happened to her?"
Tysons' question went unanswered. Either Izumi didn't hear the question over Hilarys' cooing of the Kais' newborn baby photo...or she didn't want to talk about it. The bluenette chose not to ask again.
"This was just after his 3rd birthday." Said the loving grandmother. Another photo was tenderly plucked from the box and this time was handed to Mariah. The pinkette couldn't help but push aside any bad feelings towards Kai and see him for the human being he was. It was a photo of Kai as a toddler dressed in blue shorts and a yellow t-shirt with a bunny on it, he wore bright yellow rubber boots by the side of a duck pond, his face lit up on a sunny autumn day. He was standing slightly pigeon footed with messy blue hair and a wide babyish smile. A picture of innocence. "Awwwww." Fawned the White Tiger female forgetting how much she still hadn't forgiven him for stealing her Galux away from her at the First World Championships.
"This is Kai on his first day of pre-school. He's about 4 years old there." Said Izumi with a warm smile as she passed this one to Ray. Little Kai was standing in somebodys' Japanese style tatami floored living room wearing grey shorts, a long sleeve purple jumper with a pocket on the front right breast. In his left hand he held a lunch box and on it... a velociraptor picture. Little Kais' knees were grazed where he had fallen over and a fluffy cream golden retriever puppy sat next to him. Kais' hand was patting the puppy on the head and he was beaming from ear to ear. His mother had a prideful face and long black hair and could be seen kneeling on a pillow behind him. Ray felt a thud of guilt in his heart...remembering that this poor boy, his long term friend was now fighting for his life somewhere in this hospital whilst they swooned over episodes of his childhood.
Izumi added. "Kai was never a crier as a child. His play mates at pre-school would fall over and scream for their mothers. Kai would get straight back up and carry on doing whatever he was doing. Even when he was little, nothing really fazed him like that. He was a tough little cookie."
Kais' grandmother had even more to add. Her gushing knew no limits. "Ahhhhh they were inseparable. That was Biscuit my dog. He and Kai were best friends. They were always getting into mischief together." Izumi chuckled as she passed one to Daichi. The photo was of Kai and Biscuit asleep together on a bed a few months later than the previous photo; the golden retriever had doubled in size leaving Kai belittled by the hound. Little Kai was cuddling the dog from behind and his snoozing face was nestled into its long cream fur.
"Ahhhhh a dog. I love dogs. I have one back at home in my village. I miss him when I come to Japan and he misses me big time." Daichi didn't know what else to say and thought of his canine friend back home.
Izumi – "Kai has always loved animals. He adored Biscuit and insisted he sleep on his bed with him. One day Biscuit ate something he shouldn't have and got quite sick and had to spend a night at the vets. Kai cried allllllll day, he kicked off big time and wouldn't settle until Biscuit came home." She chuckled.
The next photo; the gloating Grandma passed to Max. The image was of little Kai dressed in grey baggy trousers and a purple t-shirt with blue trainers. His hair was less fuzzy than in earlier photos and sported a wide chubby grin with a lower tooth missing with a dirty face and brown covered hands. Biscuit the dog was sat next to him with fur in patches of brown mud. Behind them were bushes, flowers; and a koi pond with tall reeds around the rims.
Izumi was beaming with pride at this precious time-keep. "This is Kai playing in my garden. He's around 5 years old here. You can see his milk teeth are starting to fall out. He loved my garden and all the mischief he and Biscuit got in to. He would explore the garden looking for toads and bring them into the house; much to my disgust mind you." She chuckled some more.
Another photo was of Kai with blue trousers, black trainers and a dark blue t-shirt sat in the lap of a grey haired man in the driver's seat of a car. Kai was holding onto the steering wheel and his legs too short to touch any pedals. The car was obviously not running but was used as a set for an adorable Grandfather-Grandson photo. Izumi explained as she handed this photo over to Emily. "Kai's around 5 years old, nearly 6 here. That's his grandfather, my husband Masaomi. He was a mechanical engineer his whole career developing cars and motorcycle parts for Honda. He spent a lot of his retirement tinkering with cars and motorbikes in his garage. If Kai wasn't with Biscuit or pestering me...he was with his Grandfather. Some days Kai would smell of petrol and engine oil where Masaomi would have him tighten ratchets and clean pieces of engine.
The next photo was of a slightly older Kai than the previous photos and had clearly had a growth spurt. His face looked a little less chubby-cheeked and had clearly grown an inch or two. He was wearing a blue yukata with little painted waves in a pattern and holding a woman's hand. Izumi added. "That photo was taken at the foot of a Tori gate at a summer festival in Hiroshima near to where I live. He had just turned 6 years old. You can see the lanterns and food stalls in the background."
"What's that around his neck?" Quizzed Kenny as he pointed at an area in the photo.
Izumi took the photo back to examine what the computer geek was referring to.
She held the photo close to her face, squinted her senior eyes and yes...round Kais' neck was a fabric noose with a pendant hanging down Kais' little chest. It was circular like a coin with a hole for looping through. The photo was old and not very clear. However with close inspection... an image on the pendant was barely visible.
Izumi – "Oh yes I remember that thing. Kais' other grandmother, his Russian one...Voltaires' now Ex wife gave it to him for his 6th Birthday. Kai had only met her 2 or 3 times in his lifetime. She was practically a stranger to him but on his 6th Birthday she showed up out of the blue and gave him this pendant. When I asked her where she had got it from, she said it was a family air loom. She claimed that the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin himself owned it for a while and was handed down to her when she was a girl. I never had much to do with her. Kai loved that pendant and never took it off. I think it had some kind of bird image on it. Kai had so many toys growing up and like all children they get bored and move onto the next toy. Kai never let this one out of his site. EVER."
Kenny side smiled and wondered. "Was that you Dranzer in that coin?"
Tyson and Co had passed and traded photos amongst each other and taken time with each one to absorb and lovingly store away in a Kai memory bank. They whispered and chatted quietly about little things they noticed in the photos like how Kais' mother also had the same rare eye colour as her mother and son, how they didn't know Kai loved animals so much and what a happy childhood Kai seemed to have lived.
"Do you have any more?" Asked Emily. She readied herself to lunge forward to take another treasured image from the doting granny. But instead of Izumi rummaging in the box for another... she fell silent and her face lost all light and joy.
An uneasiness gripped the gang as they felt a dark cloud engulf the lady in pink slippers and lilac cardigan before them. Whatever Izumi had on her mind would not be such a cheerful subject.
Kais'grandmother stammered. She wanted to get the words out and before she could expel them; she stopped herself. She then took a deep breath and gripped the box on her lap once more with two delicate wrinkled hands. Shaking. "I ummmmmm. I errrrr don't have any more photos of Kai for a few years after the one taken at the festival..."
Hilary placed a gentle and comforting hand on the grandmothers' soft-clothed right arm and whispered. "It's ok. Take your time. Alright." Izumi took her left hand off the boxs' corner and patted the young brunette girls' hand in reciprocation."
"Thank you my dear." Izumi whispered back. She then coughed to clear her throat, took a deep breath into her tired lungs and continued through the emotion riptide she was now wading through. Tears were beginning to prickle her eyes and her old heart pulsated.
"One night Kais' parents were involved in a car accident...
and...
... they never made it home...
According to the police detective, a truck came out of nowhere and there was nothing anybody could do. My Son-in-law died instantly and...
... my daughter... passed away in the ambulance."
Tyson and Co were silent as they held their breaths listening to every word. They had always wondered why they never saw any of Kais' relatives at bey-matches or any mention of them in his life. They had so many questions. Their heartfelt gazes were transfixed on the grandmother who bravely fought to tell them her story.
"Kai was due to travel with them back to Tokyo that night but he fell asleep with Biscuit on my bed. I insisted they pick Kai up the following weekend. Kai would have been in their car that night." She whimpered and carried on as her voice remained low. "I was devastated as you can imagine and the truth is... I have never really got over my daughters' death. My husband too. We struggled in ways I cannot describe. Kai...he held me and my husband together. When the time came to tell him that his mother and father weren't coming home and that they had died, I don't know how much he understood. Do you know what he said to me... "It's ok Grammie. I'll look after you." The boy had just been told his parents had died and all he thought about was caring for me. A 6 year old. I think it helped that he had spent a lot of his time growing up with me and my husband as his parents worked so much. Still... for the first month or so he would sometimes put his shoes and coat on and have his lunch box by the front door; and when I asked him what he was doing... he would say he's waiting for Mama and Dadda to pick him up. Then I'd tell him... "They aren't coming back remember?" He would go... "Ok Grammie." with a sad face and toddle off to find Biscuit. I don't think a 6 year old can grasp death you see and he struggled to understand why his parents weren't coming back. He was different for a while, he went off his food and he didn't sleep through the night like normal. His pre-school said they were concerned that he wasn't mixing with the other kids anymore and even getting into fights. My Kai? Getting into fights was completely out of character. He was such a friendly sweet child.
The bereft Grandmothers' voice picked up with a little joy in her voice and she made eye contact again with her beyblading listeners. "After a couple of months went by he stopped waiting by the door and he returned to his normal happy-go-lucky curious self, his laughter would fill the house. His pre-school reports said he was making lots of friends again." She paused and lovingly glowed looking at the photo of Kai on his Grandfathers' lap in the car. "He was my everything. I love him like my own son. My.. sweet... kind...gentle... loving Kai."
And before anyone could say anything or offer any condolences, the senior continued.
"And then a season passed and it was winter. I received a letter in the post..."
Her tone became flustered and bitter. Her pupils were pin pricks in a sea of purple iris.
"It was a court summons for legal custody of Kai from Voltaires' laywers."
Emily clasped her nail polished fingers over her mouth. Tysons's stomach clenched and Kenny stabbed with a dark tone. "I remember him." Daichi and Hilary were none the wiser about Voltaire, only knowing he was Kais' grandfather and was serving time in prison for trying to take over the world. They knew very little about what he actually did to Kai or his involvement with Biovolt and Boris Balkov.
"Me and my husband were surprised to say the very least. Voltaire saw Kai maybe once or twice a year throughout his first 6 years of his life, the visits were never very long and Kai was certainly never left alone with him. My family and I knew Voltaire was a bad egg; even Voltaires' own son, Kai's father kept his distance. What could he possibly want with my sweet grandson?
So...we hired the best lawyer we could and battled in court to keep custody. After 6 gruelling weeks of fighting our case in a family court...we lost. We appealed... and lost again. It crushed me." Izumis' voice tremored and her voice began to break as anger rocked her old bones. "You see in a custody battle they look at what each side can offer the child in terms of education and future prospects. With me he would have had a state education and live in the working class suburbs of Hiroshima. Voltaires' case was that he would offer Kai private schooling, have the highest education and live in a mansion on the outskirts of upper class Tokyo. My lawyer said we would win regardless as Kai hardly knew Voltaire and had practically grown up with me and my husband. Kai was settled, had many friends and was surrounded by familiarity in Hiroshima. The mental wellbeing of children most of the time outweighs anything else like finances and education but...we lost anyway. I can promise you that every member of that jury was paid off or blackmailed. I have no proof but I tell you for a FACT that's what happened.
The day of the final hearing was one of the worst days of my life. The children of custody battles are kept aside from the court in a box room with a social worker watching everything we do and say. My husband and I had 30 minutes to say goodbye." Two crystalline tears rolled down Izumis' grief-stricken face. Her face was crumpled with a mix of fury and sorrow.
"30 minutes...to explain to a child that they won't be coming home with you...I spent that time telling him about the huge mansion he will be living in and all the maids he can play hide and seek with. I told him that Voltaire will let him come to visit whenever he likes and we will come to visit him. I promised I would bring Biscuit in the car and we will play ball with him in the mansions garden.
When our time was up I hugged my grandson tight and promised to see him soon. He wouldn't let go and the social workers ripped his little hands from my lap. They dragged him down a hallway screaming for me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He was thrown into a car with Voltaire and driven away. I lost a child all over again that day. Voltaire never visited and ignored all of my phone calls and letters. I even drove to the mansion and parked outside hoping to catch a glimpse of my boy but... never did. I saw Voltaire and staff drive in and out but never my grandson. I wonder if he was even living there.
I spent the next few years trying to get a lawyer to take my case to fight for visitation rights at the very least but none would step up. None had the stomach to stand up against Voltaire Hiwatari and certainly not with the modest budget me and my husband could afford as pensioners. Voltaire was a well known mob-boss businessman with deep rooted family ties with Yakuza you see.
For months after Kai was taken from me I would rush to the phone in the hopes that Voltaire had grown a heart and be kind enough to let Kai call me or arrange a visit; but those phone-calls never came. I missed my boy dearly and I will HATE Voltaire every day until I die for what he did. Years ticked by and weI would often say how quiet the house was and light a candle on a cake for his birthdays."
Izumi wiped away her tears and smiled in reminiscence. "I used to glance out to the garden at the space by the koi pond where he would over-feed the fish and offer Biscuit bites of his lunch. I would see toads come out after the rain and half expect to find one in my shoes as Kai would "put them to bed" in strange places in the house."
The old ladys' demeanour changed again and her eyes shot to Tyson, then Ray then Max then Kenny as she spoke. "Then" She said excitedly. "One day, Masaomi was flicking through channels on the TV. And he happened to come across live coverage of a beyblade tournament in America and there he was...my Kai! My first glimpse of him in over 8 years."
Hilary burst. "So what was it like seeing him after all that time?"
Izumi tripping over her words. "Oh it was marvellous. He had really grown and I could clearly see my daughter in him. He was so tall, my goodness taller than the rest of you. That would be the Russian genes no doubt. I was delighted that he had made so many friends and was travelling the world beyblading. He never liked beyblading during his time with me and I wonder what got him into it."
Tyson, Max and Ray exclaimed together at the same time as their necks arched forward so far they were like giraffes. "Whaaaatt Kai never liked beyblading?!"
Izumi sweatdropped. "Urhhh yeah is that a bad thing? He never took to it like the other kids at school. I guess he preferred playing with animals or drawing. He is quite a good artist didn't you know."
Tyson was dismayed. "I was beyblading as soon as I could walk. Kai is such a talented beyblader...not as good as me. Hehehe. I was sure he was as passionate as the rest of us. Oh well, I guess he was a late bloomer."
Max added. "Me too! My Dad said I spoke the word "beyblade" before saying "Momma or Papa"."
Izumi was eager to continue, especially now that she was telling a happier story.
"After we knew Kai was a member of an international Beyblading team; that was it... Masaomi and I were instant Beyblade fans. We watched EVERYTHING on LIVE TV. We contacted the BBA headquarters to arrange to meet Kai in person wherever he was due to fly to next but they wouldn't help us. They said they had to safe guard him as he was a minor and would have to get approval from Kai's legal guardian...Voltaire. So we sat glued to the TV and watched and rooted for you all the way. I watched all of you in action. Tyson, Ray and Max and you Kenny at the sidelines spurring them on.
The Chief tweaked his glasses and chuckled. "I did a little more than simply spur them on maam."
Izumi continued. "I watched everything and cheered with every match you boys won. I read every newspaper and magazine article written about you. Of course I cut out and kept any articles and photos of my wonderful grandson." She then dug both hands into the pink and white "Kai box" and pulled out handfuls of Kais' photos cut outs. Her face beamed wildly with pride as he let a "Hehehehe" escape her mouth as she clutched the flappy magazine pieces between her fingers.
"Then...the Russian tournament came to an end and you won the World Championships. I was ecstatic for you and especially my baby boy Kai. But the best was yet to come...I found out on the news shortly after the tournament that Voltaire had been arrested by the police and was under investigation by the FBI, Interpol and the CIA too. He must have been up to something pretty stinky to get that much attention from multiple law enforcement agencies. I knew it. This was it. I was going to get my grandson back! We immediately set out to find a lawyer to chase for a return of custody.
We didn't have a lot of money spare you see, our life savings went on our daughters education and our house is rented. We couldn't afford any of the top lawyers...then...we met Markus Gottlieb. We saw him on TV during a press conference before a court hearing; The District of Tokyo versus Voltaire Hiwatari. We wrote him a letter explaining who we were and would he help us? He agreed to speak to us and he came to my home to talk. We were overjoyed! Gottlieb was one of the most renowned lawyers in all Japan and he was going to help us pro-bono."
Izumis' serious face returned. "But things would not be going our way. You see Kai was being held as a ward of court and under protection as a key-witness to Voltaires' crimes. Voltaire had committed so many crimes in multiple countries that many authorities wanted him dragged before each of their courts for trialling. Gathering evidence and international bureaucracy was going to make Voltaire's sentencing a very long and drawn out process. Basically we couldn't have custody back because if Voltaire would found to be innocent; Kai would have to be returned to him."
Tyson butted in. "Ward of court? So Kai was in the care system? As in foster-care?"
Izumi replied with a nod. "Yes in a way he was."
Daichi spluttered. "So did he live in an orphanage and wear rags for clothes and eat porridge every day?"
All heads sweat dropped. Max and Hilary nearly fell of their chairs with embarrassment at Daichis' ignorant comment; obviously he clearly had Oliver Twist scenes in his impressionable head.
"No I would hardly say he was living in rags." Mrs Uchiha chuckled with uneasiness and then let out a loud huff. "My Kai bounced from foster home to foster home for about 6 months whilst the trial was ongoing. Gottlieb liaised with Kais' social workers as he needed constant contact with Kai throughout the court process. From what I heard from Gottlieb straight from the social workers reports; Kai was not easy to handle. The reports said Kai wouldn't even say "Hello" to his foster families. He would go straight to his bedroom and within a matter of hours...leave through a window. Police would pick him up within days, he would then be placed with another foster family and the cycle would continue. I have no idea where he went when he wasn't with those foster families and I was terrified for him. In the end they became so fed up with him escaping foster families that they placed him in a high security childrens' home. It took him less than 3 hours to escape un-detected. He was impossible to contain. Some branded him a delinquent. This is when Gottlieb stepped in and put in a case for Kai to be emancipated under Japanese law, fought and won for Kais' right to remain living at the Hiwatari mansion and for Kai to receive a financial allowance. What's more... Mr Gottlieb bound Voltaire to his promise to pay Kai's private tuition at one of the most prestigious prep schools in all Japan."
Max was perplexed and raised a sharp blonde eyebrow. "But what's emancipation?"
Izumi straightened herself up and her face expressed a relaxed pride. "Emancipation in where someone is basically made an adult in the eyes of the law but under the normal age. So at 15 Kai was given responsibility over money, bills and freed himself of anyone taking responsibility for him... thus freer reign over his life and best of all; no more foster families. This would also mean that if Voltaire dodged jail then Kai would not need to go back into his guardianship."
Kenny – "Whoah it's hard to think that our hardest decisions at 15 was what beyblade parts we wanted to buy with our pocket money. Kai had to pay bills and be completely responsible for himself."
Max – "Yeah or what film to watch at the movies."
Tyson – "Or what comic book to buy at the store."
Hilary pushed on with her head cradled in her hands and her elbows on her knees. She was glued to everything Izumi said. "So what happened to Kai then?"
Izumi shuffled her numb bottom, took a sip from a cup of water that a nurse had offered her earlier and resumed. "Voltaires' trial was pushed through and took a little under a year until that fiend was finally sentenced and locked up. Gottlieb called us the day before the sentencing and invited us to the court house. He said his time with Kai would be coming to an end and said if we wanted to meet him; now would be the time. I requested that Kai not be made aware of us coming so as not to frighten or upset him on that very important day. You see Kai had already been through so much upheaval in the last few months with Voltaires' arrest, witness protection and foster families, then moving back into the mansion all on his own and starting at a new private school. I didn't want to put more on his plate and so hadn't approached him until then."
Emily – "Geez so it sounds like Kai's been through quite a lot as a kid!"
Kenny – "Yeah so working out years and timelines...Voltaires' sentencing was just before we met the Saint Shields and our V-Force adventure. Kai went through all that and didn't tell us a thing!"
Tyson – "Yeah I remember when Kai spent his first night at mine that year. We had just laid our futons out on the floor and I asked him what had he been up to these days? He picked his stuff up and moved away. I made some retort about him "practising his patented move, giving people the cold shoulder." He hit me back with... "Yeah well practise makes perfect." Damm with the year he had had, it's no surprise he didn't wanna offload all that.
Ray –"Man, we were completely clueless to everything going on in Kais' life. We knew he went to a Private school because one of his school mates followed him to training and was wearing a blazer with the schools' name on it."
Tyson blurted out – "Oh yeah that was Wyatt! Posh kid with a high class accent. Not much common sense though."
Kenny – "Yeah to get in that school you have to be super rich and super smart. Very prestigious indeed."
Tyson scoffed as he flung his tanned arms crossed. "I'm sure if I had the money Kai had...I coulda got into that school."
"Shhhhh guys you're side-tracking the story. Go on Mrs Uchiha." Said Hilary smiling sweetly.
Izumi -"So the day of the trial. We were told to wait outside the prosecution chamber where Gottlieb would send Kai to wait for the outcome of the case. Courthouses are a maze I tell you and Masaomis' legs are slow at the best of times. We hunted high and low for the prosecution chamber but something... or should I say someone, got in the way. We turned a corner and literally ran into...him. 9 Years since I last see my grandson in the flesh and I had just bumped chests with him."
Tyson and Co were on the edges of their seats and their hearts fluttered like butterflies. Izumis' storytelling had all led up to this. All the pain this poor woman had gone through after losing her daughter, then her much loved Grandson was cruelly ripped away from her, her fight to get him back only to be stonewalled by the law and circumstance. For years this woman had pined for her "baby" to be back in her life and she was finally face to face with him. All these years and finally she could now hold him in her arms.
Izumis' voice was promising. "I gazed at up at him. Our eyes met. I opened my arms; my heart was pounding like never before. He was just beautiful...and do you know what he did next?"
Tyson and Co were leaning forward and turning blue with not breathing. The anticipation was strangling them.
"He said..."
They leaned forward even more.
Izumi - "Out of my way lady. I have somewhere to be."
A variety of appalled reactions played out. Emilys' jaw dropped in disgust... "He said WHAT?" Hilary's' mouth was wide open, gasping with her left eye twitching. Max was speechless and dumbfounded. Ray could feel tumbleweed of emotion whisk past him, his jaw agape and his pupil pin pricks. Daichi and Mariah fell off their chairs, legs twitching in the air. Tyson...did what Tyson does best and resorted to his favourite insult and punching the air. "WHAT A JERK!"
Izumi sweat dropped and waited for Kais "friends" to climb back onto their seats and finish cursing Kai for being...Kai. The Kai they knew anyway.
Izumi giggled and swept one of her soft white bangs behind her right ear. "Yes I have to say his words were a surprise. Masaomi and I were frozen to the ground as he side-stepped around us and ran down a hallway out of sight. To say we were taken aback was an understatement. I know children change as they grow up, their voices change, their behaviour changes and you aren't small and cuddly forever, but this young man in front of me... I couldn't recognise him... all I saw was Voltaire. The scowl, the hard look in his face, the tone in his voice... all were Voltaire mannerisms. That heathen had twisted my lovely, kind, soft loving boy into someone I didn't recognise anymore. I felt betrayed and sad that I would never have my cute bubbly grandson back.
We left the courthouse immediately and drove home. That was one long car journey back I tell you. Masaomi and I had to accept that the Kai we knew was gone. He didn't even recognise us. I went into a state of depression for a while. I had lost my grandson for the last time and I couldn't pursue him anymore. Just knowing that he was happy, healthy and alive was all I needed now and we decided to leave him be."
Kenny scratched the back of his head whilst saying. "I'm so sorry for how Kai behaved Maam, you see this is the Kai we know. He can be...cold sometimes."
Tyson quipped sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "Yeah model of sensitivity our Kai."
Izumis' eyes brightened and continued. "Then one day about 2 months later, I was pruning my roses in the garden when I heard Biscuit barking."
Max exclaimed. "Biscuit was still alive!"
Izumi – "Yes he was very old though. He was around 13 years old which is about as long as Golden Retrievers live. He could barely walk, was grey muzzled, he had cataracts, was partially deaf and slept for most of the day. He hadn't barked in years and spent most of his time sleeping by the side of the koi pond, watching the fish and laying in the shade of my rhododendron bushes."
Tyson and Co were still and silent once more. They could see which way the story could go and hoped with clenched hands for a fairy tale ending.
Izumi – "I hurried as fast as I could to the middle of the garden to see what was up with Biscuit. That dog never makes any noise unless very excited. I turned round the corner of my tall bamboo plant and there...sat in the shade with his legs crossed, laughing, getting covered in long cream hair all over his purple hoodie as Biscuit licked his face...was my grandson."
A chorus of " Awwwwwwwwww" and sniffles from Hilary, Tyson and Daichi filled the air.
Daichi blew his nose on a tissue and cried. "Oh Maam that's so touching. The bond between boy and dog is sacred." He blew his nose again.
Tysons' eyes were jewels and his bottom lip was trembling. "Go on Maam. What happened next?"
Hilary wiped two happiness tears away and urged. "Yes please go on Mrs Uchiha."
The weeping grandmother needed a tissue of her own and after dabbing the corners of her eyes dry she continued. "I remember waiting behind my bamboo bush and watched him forever. Biscuit was all over him. Jumping over him, barking, licking Kai's face as he playfully stroked and ruffled Biscuits' fur. I heard him say "I've missed you boy." It was like Biscuit was a puppy again. Kais' laughter filled the garden. I broke my cover and stood in an opening near the pond. I'll never forget...Kai jolted to his feet and I could tell he was as nervous as I was. Like a deer in headlights. I remember us staring into each others' eyes for the longest time. I could feel him working me out, his face was judging like he was a stranger who had just been caught trespassing in my garden. Then it's like somebody flicked a switch and his demeanour completely changed. He approached me until he was a couple of steps away. I was frozen stiff with emotion. I couldn't go through any more hurt. And you know what he said next...
..."Hello Grammie."
And I just ran to him, sobbing and wrapped my arms around him for the first time for over 9 years. My baby, my Grandson, my Kai... was back home where he belonged."
Tyson, Kenny and Emily snivelled loudly. Mariah and Hilary daintily wiped tears of joy away. Ray and Max blew their noses on even more tissues and Daichi just about held himself together as his face puffed up red trying to keep the tears in.
The equally weepy Grandmother continued. "And that was that...Kai was back in my life. Sadly, Biscuit died 2 weeks later. I think the old boy was waiting for Kai to come home. The vet said he had a slow growing cancer which should have taken his life many years before. He died peacefully in his sleep next to Kai on his bed. We were all distraught and Kai took his death particularly hard. Time ticked by and we have 2 new little dogs now that Kai picked up from a shelter. He just came home with them one day." She giggled hard. "He moved back in for a while after he finished his studies at the prep school. Then the following year he left me to travel with you, to the 3rd world Championships for 6 months and straight after; left for England. He studied business and engineering in London for 2 years and then returned home to take over Hiwatari Enterprises. I have some more photos to show you if you would like?" The grandmother beamed and proceeded to dig around in her special pink and white box of memories.
Her now calmer but elderly claws plucked out a photo of Kai in a purple hoodie, aged 15 wearing slate grey cargo pants and brown army boots sitting by the koi pond with one arm wrapped around Biscuit. Autumn leaves littered the floor and they both looked very happy. This photo was the last photo I ever took of Biscuit. We loved that dog to pieces." She passed this to Hilary to begin the process of passing around like his baby photos.
The next photo escaped the darkness of the box. "This one is of Kai's Graduation in London." Kai was wearing a black graduation gown and square shaped cap holding a scroll with a red ribbon around it. "This one was for his Masters' degree in Business." Pointed Izumi as she passed it to Kenny.
Kenny quizzed. "How many degrees does Kai have?"
The Grandmother sweat dropped and blushed as she scratched the back of her white haired head. "I'm not really sure young man. He has so many I can't remember them all. He was a dedicated student. When other teens his age were out partying, he studied hard and was so so so focused. As soon as Gottlieb declared that he would inherit Hiwatari Enterprises when he turned 20 years of age...there was no stopping my Kai. He set out to gain everything he needed to become CEO one day.
Despite how successful he is now; I worried about him for a while. I found an end of term school report from his prep school in his backpack when he was 15, it detailed how his overall class attendance was very poor and he was very anti-social with other students and teachers alike. I needn't have fretted though as his grades were some of the highest in his year group.
"The last one I have to show you... is his first day at Hiwatari Enterprises." The white haired grandma lifted one last photograph into the light and passed to Ray.
The White Tiger glanced at the image of his friend and greatest opponent he had ever fought; aside from Tyson that was. His yellow cat eyes absorbed Kais' dignified and executive stance. He wore a sharp black suit with a blue tie and stern face. A new player in the corporate world, a world of which the White Tiger knew very little about. Kai was standing out the front of the Hiwatari Enterprises' office building and was cutting a red ribbon wrapped around the front doors, large shiny scissors in his hands declaring a new rule over his family's' company.
The gushing grandmothers face was beginning to look worn out, all this excitement had tuckered her out and her voice wavered. "That's the last photo I've taken of Kai for years. He's so busy with work that I hardly see him nowadays."
The final photo had travelled across all hands until it found its way back to Izumis' lap. She then retired it to the box with the rest of the treasured memories, replaced the lid and tied it back up like a parcel using the blue ribbon like before. Small talk about childhood pets, what schools they attended and what their highest grades were at school filled their time and was sapping the last of their energy. Tyson and Co hadn't realised it but over 2 hours had passed and having missed lunch, they slumped once again into their seats and waited for a doctor or nurse to rouse them.
43 minutes later.
"Mrs Uchiha?" Said Nurse Sakura softly as she gently approached the half sleeping, half brain-dead-from-boredom group of people.
The elderly ladys' neck was at an unnatural angle and she had drooled lightly on her chin from her uncomfortable up-right slumber. Her bloodshot eyes fluttered open, her neck clicked as it straightened and her heart immediately spasmed. Nurse Sakura and Dr Temeda had returned. She shuffled herself awake whilst the other 8 bodies around her did the same. Worry painted their faces as it would appear that finally... they were about to receive an update on Kai's condition. Once again they were speechless; even Tyson was noiseless as he grasped the hard seat of his chair with his thick padded hands.
"Here we go...just give it to us straight Doc." Emily thought to herself as her gaze bore into the pair of medical professionals.
Dr Temeda coughed and instead of opening and reading from the grey file wrapped in his arms...he looked confused and drew a breath. "I'm terribly sorry in keeping you waiting all this time for Mr Hiwataris' test results. We needed to be sure before we relayed our findings to you."
Ray twisted and shot to his feet, shaking and his eyes in slits, his still demeanour had switched in a millisecond. He growled with gritted teeth. "Just tell us...How bad is he?"
Mariah grabbed his fisted hand and feared he was losing it. Ray had never behaved this way before, especially to a peer and was seriously considering Emilys' offer of counselling.
Tyson launched himself to his feet too, he used his hands to catapult his body upright and tears began to swell in his eyelids. He begged. "Yeah come on Doc. Put us out of our misery; please."
Dr Temeda – "The reason we have taken so long reaching a conclusion is because we couldn't quite believe what we were seeing. The injury Mr Hiwatari had sustained and the lack of oxygen to his body should have resulted in at least some permanent brain and organ damage...and
...we found no evidence."
Tyson was dumbstruck. "Come again?"
Hilary was hopeful yet confused. "Yeah! What do you mean Doctor?"
Izumi stammered with a creaky voice. "No no no evidence...of bra braiin damage? Organ damage? Whaaaa?"
Dr Temeda – "Yes we couldn't believe it either. We ran test, after test, after test, using different scanners throughout the hospital in case the machinery was faulty and giving false results. It's conclusive. Kai has no brain damage. He has no organ damage. Everything...his heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain...everything is showing no signs of failing, poisoning, infection or necrosis. He has had extensive blood tests, MRI scans, CT scans and CAT scans and all have come back clear.
Daichi screeched in a frustrated tone. His lack of medical knowledge was failing him and needed very simple terms to understand. "But I don't get it...WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?"
Izumi arose to her feet with crumbling bones, rattling from confusion and jittery from excitement. Her eyes stabbed at the doctor. "Does this mean?"
Tyson stammered and his eyes painfully wide. "Does this mean? Kai is gunna be ok?"
Dr Temeda let out a rare and optimistic smile. "It means that Kai is very likely to make a full recovery."
The gang erupted into a human mess of cries, air punches and tears of relief. Izumi screeched with joy as her shaking hands wrapped around each other as her white bangs became stuck to happy tears streaking down her cheeks. Hilary was quick to embrace the older lady with her dainty arms and cried with happiness into lilac cardigan shoulders.
Tyson high-5'ed the smaller red-head Daichi and yelled "YES YES YES YES. I KNEW HE WAS GUNNA PULL THROUGH!"
The White Tigers' aggressive and tense stance had died away instantly as he fell like a limp puppet onto the hospital chair. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave and for the first time in days he felt a small flicker of peace calm his senses. Kai was not dying and he could stop torturing himself with the blame.
Mariah and Emily jumped up and down squealing with glee and clashed semi airborne into a girly hug.
Max had two over excited hands shoving the Chiefs small framed shoulders back and forth. "You hear that Chief! Kai's...Kai's...gunna...be alright!"
Kenny - "I kknnnoowwwww Max! PPPPlllleaase stop shaking me I'm getting dizzy!" Dizzi spoke from the laptop in a sarcastic tone. "Move over Chief, I'm the only Dizzi here. And dizzy with relief I tell ya."
Nurse Sakura stepped forward. "Kai is doing so very well and we are more than happy with his progress. He is doing so well in fact that we have noted a significant rise in his blood pressure and his blood count is up. He has responded very well to treatment."
Izumi -"So what happens now Doctor?"
Dr Temeda – "We will be taking him off of life support and have withdrawn his sedation medication."
Nurse Sakura – "Kai should come round in anything from 2 to 12 hours. We have already started putting together a recovery plan...Now...who wants to be with him when he wakes up?"