Hearing The Heartbeat (Sequel to 'Broken Perfection')

Gladly Give Up

"Hey, Katsumi, you okay?" Katsumi, lightheaded, opens her eyes to see the bidders and the gang gathered around her. She clutched her head slightly, feeling a bit weak and parched to speak. She gestured to her throat, to which Chii handed her a glass of water.

After drinking it and taking a moment to breathe properly, she began speaking. "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?!" Eisuke scolded rather angrily, making her flinch at the loud voice. "We come over to your place and we hear something loud falling inside. Soryu had to break down your door to get inside. We find you collapsed on the floor. What the hell  do you think happened?"

"I fainted?" she guessed sarcastically, taking another gulp of water.

"Yeah," Soryu nodded from beside Eisuke, looking down at her as she laid on the bed. "But the doctor already spoke to us and... Well, we've decided that Kanzaki would tell you what happened. We all have to leave for a short trip tonight."

"Get better soon, Kat!" Ota waved at her and flashed a rather calm smile as they walked out the door. "Don't do anythin' stupid, kid." Mamoru warned after flashing her a worried glance. "Bye, Kat. Get better soon!" Baba waved at her as they door closed.

"I have business as well... I'm afraid I need to leave." Katsuki suddenly sighs, and Yasuto and Kanji nod, along with Nagisa.

"I have a show tomorrow night so I need some sleep, sorry, Kat." kanji yawns slightly, wrapping an arm around Naka's waist. Yasuto gave a yawn as well, taking Chii's hand. "I have a game in two days and I need to leave tomorrow... Chii's coming with me so we need to leave. Sorry... Bro, can you take care of her?"

Taketo nodded and then turned to Nagisa, who frowned. "I have a photo shoot tomorrow... Sorry."

With regretful gazes and apologies, the gang left, except for Taketo. Though Katsumi told him to go home, seeing as he had paperwork to do at the airport tomorrow. "You need sleep!" she reasoned again, trying to get him to leave.

"I can just get someone to send the papers here so I can work on it. Don't worry." he said, getting comfortable on the chair beside her bed. "Now go back to sleep... You apparently lost a lot of blood, and that's not good for the kid."

"H-How...?" "They did tests on you. Apparently you lost blood somehow. I'll ask later, just go to sleep for now, 'kay?" "But-" "Katsumi." Taketo's stern voice caught her off guard and she nodded, quietly sinking back into the thin blankets of the hospital bed.

She grabbed his hand, locking their fingers together.

But the two were unaware that as they drifted into sleep, a certain someone was looking into the room, the door creaked open slightly.

~*****~

"Good morning." A voice, a rather shaky one at that, awoke Taketo and Katsumi, who's hands were still locked together.

They both opened their eyes slowly, smiling at each other before turning to the voice but... "Dr. Akiyama couldn't come due to a fever. I'll be taking over.

Hearing Homare speak to them so formally sort of creeped the two out a bit, but nonetheless, they nodded, not wanting to cause a commotion. "I'm just here to give you some painkillers and check your IV."

"When can I be-" "Due to your pregnancy and the past events of last night, I'm afraid we'll have to keep you in for further tests. We don't seem to find anything in your body that caused harm but we don't know fully."

"But I have-" "I can call for you, don't worry. If not, Katsuki should be able to persuade them, okay? You should be on maternity leave now anyway." Taketo assured her and Homare turned to her for an answer.

The ravenette breathed a sigh and smiled weakly. "Alright, then. But Taketo, are you going to be staying with me?" "I suppose so. I can't really leave you when you're like this."

"Arigato." she thanks him before nodding to Homare. "I'm fine with it. When are the tests going to be performed?" "One is scheduled tomorrow and another two the following day," Homare said, looking through some papers on a clipboard he carried. "If the tests show no signs of disturbance or sickness, to make sure, we'll make another. If your condition gets better and no illness is found, then you may go. If your condition makes a turn for the worse and no signs of illness are shown, we'll have to tap into some contacts for professionals."

"Will that cost extra on her medical bill?" "Of course, the professionals will be world class. But we'll save that for later. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, Mrs. Tsukino, just get some rest and I'll have a nurse check in on you in the morning."

Katsumi nodded and Homare left as quick as he could once he saw that Taketo sat beside her on the bed, arm wrapped around her shoulders.

~*****~

It's been five days since she's been admitted into the hospital, but no matter how much they tried, they couldn't find anything wrong with her.

But Katsumi's health began to deteriorate from that point on. The day she had her first test, her second day at Meijo Hospital, she was paler than ever, constantly dehydrated. 

One the third day, after both her tests that afternoon, she began to cough violently, occasionally coughing up blood. She would empty out her stomach as she refused to eat anything, saying she was so full even though she always threw up.

On the fourth day, she was given a full rest day. But she was unable to go wash herself or get to the bathroom without help from a nurse or Taketo. She wasn't able to stand anymore, as her legs would always give out underneath her.

The doctors were feeding her forcefully now, saying her child would die if she wouldn't eat. On the fifth day here, Katsumi was too weak.

She could barely lift a full glass of water, let alone drink from the cup. Taketo fed her, helped her drink, got her comfortable. Female nurses would change Katsumi's clothes and the gang would visit everyday to check up on her, apart from Yasuto, who missed her second and third day there due to his game, along with Chii who was with him.

Katsumi was barely able to keep herself from going crazy. The activities, board games and books Taketo brought for her would keep her just a little more sane, and their short but meaningful conversations barely gave her a scrap of sanity in this place.

She knew there was something wrong. But what?

They couldn't find anything wrong with her, but she had overheard Homare speaking to Taketo about their child one night, after the two had been tricked into thinking she was asleep.

"I don't know if our- um, her kid will survive... Her health is deteriorating and her condition is getting worse everyday. It just doesn't look good."

"Then try everything you can, dammit!" Taketo shouted, "This is not only her child, but yours as well asshole. And you made this choice. You better do everything you can in your power to save her and that kid or I'll break every bone in your body 'till your dead, got it?"

"I know that. I'm trying everything I can." he answered calmly before walking out,leaving a rather angry Taketo behind.

"This is my child and the love of my life... I would gladly give up everything to save them."

~*****~

A/N:

Ahahahahaha... I have no idea where I'm going with this plot... I wasn't paying attention, but it's too late to turn back now! Hope this chapter is fine for today, it's just a bit more insight (hopefully) to what will happen in the next few chapters.

And just a hint, I'll be bringing back someone from a chapter of Broken Perfection to fit into this plot line, so if you remember the specific scene in which they appear, congrats! Have a cookie~

But anyway, thanks for reading! 

Ciao! :3

~Dark Angel