Feather Bound

Chapter 37

He gritted his teeth, trying to rein in his frustration as he sat at his desk. How on earth had she actually manipulated her way into securing Hawks a fucking two-week vacation? She was more clever than he had given her credit for, and she knew it. She'd used their goal to her advantage. He let out a sigh before glancing at the monitor, scowling at the image. Anxiety tightened his gut as he watched the screen closely. When was the last time that girl had moved? Was she even breathing?

"Her test results are in," Mamoru announced, entering his office and settling into a chair with an audible sigh. He blinked at the results, attempting to quell his nerves. If it was positive, Himari could finally go home, and he could move past this entire ordeal. No one would be the wiser and he could move on with his life.

"Give me some good news," Jiro implored, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I could really use it. The only silver lining of this entire situation was the President actually siding with her. That was his only saving grace this time."

He had been genuinely surprised when the President had agreed with her during their report about their phone conversation. She had just chuckled, praising their compatibility and commending Jiro for steering Hawks towards settling down with the perfect partner. She expressed joy at seeing him genuinely happy. Despite the praise, Jiro couldn't agree. After all, his end goal was different from the President's now.

"She can't pull that stunt again. Hawks should be working as he was trained, not taking a two-week break. Now, tell me her results, please."

Mamoru swallowed nervously, then shook his head. "I'm really sorry, sir, but she's not pregnant."

"Damn it!" He snapped, his fist slamming on the desk. "How hard is it for him to just follow fucking orders?"

"I don't know, sir," Mamoru said, fidgeting with his hands nervously. "Shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt? It took me and the Mrs. a few tries before she finally got pregnant, around six months, I think. It's not a guarantee every month; it takes time."

"I know that," he retorted. "I have three kids of my own—" a small, raspy cough interrupted him, redirecting his focus to the monitor on his desk. He frowned, observing her turn on the mattress, clutching the blanket and curling up with a groan before another round of coughs shook her body. At least she was moving, but that cough was still concerning him.

"How long has she been coughing like that?" He inquired, holding the monitor and squinting as he watched. Was she shivering? His gaze flickered up to Mamoru, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the other man. "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of her?"

"I am, sir, but I'm not sure what else to do. She's really not eating much, and I didn't know about the cough. I didn't hear it last time I was down there. But can't we just give her to Hawks? She should honestly be with her mother, sir."

"Absolutely not," he asserted, placing the monitor down and shaking his head. "I need her in case Hawks decides not to follow through on this. I have a feeling he's not being entirely truthful about actually trying."

"So what's your plan? How do you even prove that?" Mamoru asked nervously, and Jiro sighed, reclining in his chair with a frown.

"I honestly don't have a clear answer to that myself. I'm going to dig into a few things and I'll give him until the end of the year, which gives them four months. If she's not pregnant by then or if something surfaces in my investigation, we can use the girl to our advantage," he explained with a shrug, prompting another frown from Mamoru.

"You're not concerned about him freaking out over us having her?" Mamoru inquired, and Jiro chuckled softly before shaking his head.

"No, as long as she appears unharmed, it should all be fine. Now, let's go check out that cough before something happens to make it not fine," he said with a sigh, pushing his chair back and standing up with agitation. Together, they made their way down to the basement in silence. Jiro didn't hesitate this time before opening the door to the room.

"Himari?" he whispered, and anxiety gripped him when she didn't respond. How had this happened? Hawks had never gotten sick while being in this room, though to be fair, he had never spent an extended amount of time there either. His punishments were always fairly quick. There had been nothing that Hawks had hated more than isolation. He always was quick to fix his attitude or behaviors, begging to be let out.

The dampness and the room's odor raised his concerns though. Could that be the reason she's suddenly gotten sick? Clenching his jaw, he approached the mattress, slowly easing himself onto it and reaching out to feel her head. She was warm, warmer than she should be, and he frowned as she shifted under his touch.

"I don't feel good," she whispered softly, and Mamoru shuffled his feet, his discomfort obvious.

"Sir, I really think–"

"Is the doctor who used to treat Hawks as a child still employed here?" he asked, ignoring Mamoru's attempts at conversation. The man was weak, incapable of thinking in the long-term. Any argument for returning the girl to her mother was pointless. She wouldn't go home until Hawks had successfully provided a successor. No, it wasn't an option, and this needed fixing discreetly.

"I think so. Do you want me to get him?" Mamoru asked, shuffling as Himari let out another small groan, curling into her blanket as she shivered pathetically.

"Yes," he said quickly, attempting to suppress his rising panic as he turned to face Mamoru with narrowed eyes. "Have him sign an NDA, make it clear that this stays between the three of us, or he will lose his fucking job." He stood, and Mamoru nodded before shuffling past him. Crouching on the other side of the bed, he picked up the Endeavor doll and knelt down beside her to tuck it in. She quickly grabbed it, clutching it to her chest as she sniffled up at him.

"I want my mommy," she rasped, and he nodded in understanding. He reached down, grabbing a water bottle that was laying next to the bed before unscrewing it.

"I know, baby. Just a little bit longer. Come on, you need to drink some water." She groaned, shifting to sit up and he helped her take a couple small sips of water before closing and putting the water bottle back to the bed. He laid her back down and she let out a small sob.

"I'm going to get a doctor, okay? He'll come down and give you some medicine to make you feel better," he whispered softly to her, tucking her back in as she sniffled up at him, her large green eyes glazed over. Jiro clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the interaction. He never understood coddling children; it only bred weakness. "And I'll make you some chicken soup. That always makes my daughters feel better when they're sick."

"And while you're at it," Jiro said, scanning the room with a frown, "get this place cleaned up. A heater and fan, air purifier, extra blankets, a mat for the floor, a real bed. Maybe even some fucking toys. She can't look like this when Hawks finally sees her, or I don't even want to imagine what will happen."

Mamoru nodded, gently stroking Himari's face as her breathing finally evened out, and her eyes fluttered shut before he stood up. "Yes, I will get everything sorted."

"Good, because you're not going home until that girl is feeling better. Understood?" Jiro snapped, and he observed as Mamoru clenched his jaw before letting out a sigh.

"Yes, sir," he said, pulling out his phone. "I'm going to get the doctor, and then I'll run to the store to get everything else."

"Perfect," Jiro replied, turning and leaving the room without another word. He reached into his pocket, retrieved some hand sanitizer, and rubbed his hands down. The last thing he needed was to catch whatever that girl had. He didn't have time to get sick, not now. But now that she was getting sorted out, he only had one more problem to figure out.

What was the best way to figure out if Hawks was really lying?