Café Curious

19

The wedding was a few weeks away now. I was pretty nervous and happy at the same time. But there was something that was bothering me and it was something I needed to think about with my future with Aka.

The White Lead Disease.

Lami and my parents had died from this disease. Yet... I was unaffected. Why?

"Law!" I was met with a smack to the back of my head.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Rosa-ya. What were you saying?" I asked. Rosa was helping Aka and I with wedding planning.

Rosa set her papers down and faced me.

"What's bothering you, Law?" She asked. I looked down at my hand.

"Why... why did Lami and my parents die from White Lead disease and yet... I'm unaffected?" I asked. Rosa sighed.

"Because you were cured." She said. I looked up at her. Rosa pulled her glasses from her face and wiped her eyes.

"I've felt guilty ever since." She said. I stared at her.

"Why would you feel guilty, Rosa-ya?" I asked. She sighed.

"I knew about the disease before your parents started showing symptoms when I helped Mia birth you. But... I did no attempts to research it. I let my two dear friends and their daughter die before I took the action that could have saved them." She said. I stared at her and waited for her to continue.

"Do you remember becoming very sick while my husband was taking care of you?" She asked. I nodded.

"It was just the flu, wasn't it?" I asked. She shook her head.

"It was White Lead Disease. Roci told me about it and begged me to do something. I decided that I wasn't going to let anyone else die from this disease. While you were asleep, I drew some of your blood and took it back to my lab. I spent weeks studying it and all the treatments. Each day, getting more and more frustrated because nothing I was doing was working. Blood transfusions was all I could do to delay it. Then I found something interesting." She said. I waited for her to continue.

"Roci donated some of his blood to help you since you were the same blood type. I took a closer look with mixing a bit of your blood with Roci's and I was amazed. Not only was Roci's blood immune to the disease, but it also seemed that the Roci's blood cells were able to fight the disease. I did more experimentation and with Roci's blood, I was able to make a cure." She said. I stared at her with wide eyes.

"I injected you with the cure while you slept. Roci informed me the next morning that you were able to open your eyes and sit up on your own. And by the end of the week, you were up and going as if you never had the disease to begin with. I was over joyed at the news and with the few pints of blood that I had collected from Roci, we were able to make enough of the cure to last incase it ever popped up again. Which, considering that you're the last living man from Flevance and you've already been cured and all chances of getting your hands on White lead are impossible now, we hope it won't pop up again.. but... I still carry the guilt in my heart that I did not do my experimentation sooner. Maybe I could have saved your sister." Rosa said and wiped the tears from her eyes. I stood up and hugged my soon to be mother-in-law.

"I forgive you, Rosa-ya. And I know Lami does, too." I said. I took a sigh of relief.

"I am very relieved to know that I am cured. If Aka-ya and I were I have a baby... I was worried that the baby would get White Lead Disease. It would kill me to know that I did that to my baby." I said. Rosa rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

"Aka gained the same blood cells as her father. The Donquixote blood is exteremly dominant. Odds are the baby would only have a 5% chance to contract the disease from you had I not cured you. Now that chance is an absolute 0%." Rosa said. I hugged her tight.

"That brings a great relief to me. Thank you, Rosa-ya." I said. Rosa pulled away from our hug and put on her glasses again.

"Now back to business." She said.

Time skip

Early the next morning, I was awoken at about 5:30 in the morning by Aka leaping from the bed and running to the bathroom to throw up.

I sat up and trailed after Aka as she threw up in to the toilet. I knelt beside her and held her long purple hair back and away from her face. She let out a groan.

"Maybe you shouldn't go to work today." I said. She looked up at me weakly.

"N-no! I'm fine, honest! I can work! I have all week-" Aka's eyes widened when she realized what she said. My eyebrows pulled together.

"This has been going on for a week and I'm barely finding out now?" I asked. Aka coughed awkwardly.

"M-more like... one month?" She said nervously. I felt my heart beat frantically.

"A month?! Aka-ya, why didn't you tell me?!" I asked. She smiled weakly.

"I didn't want you to worry. We're both high strung as it is with the wedding coming up." She said. I scowled.

"Aka-ya, you are not going in to work today and I am taking you to the hospital. You could have a serious illness! I'm calling Marco-ya." I said. She grabbed my arm.

"No, Law, please!" She begged. I turned and wrapped her in my arms and held her to my chest.

"Aka-ya, I'm not risking losing you. Just let me take care of you." I said and kissed her head. She sighed and leaned against me. I reached over and started a bath for her to help ease her tight muscles and help ease her stomach. After getting her in the tub and relaxing, I went and called Marco.

"Hello, yoi?" Marco answered.

"Marco-ya, its Law." I said.

"Ah, so Aka is sick." He said.

"What? You knew?" I asked.

"I had a feeling, yoi. For the past month she's been showing up to work paler than normal. I've actually been meaning to call you and ask about it, but I've been loaded with work, yoi. Just go ahead and call me when you think she will be able to return to work." Marco said. I blinked.

"Thank you, Marco-ya." I said.

"It's no problem. She needs to use her vacation time anyways. She's got a month of vacation time stocked up any ways, yoi. You and your wife are both workaholics. Take it easy on your honeymoon, yoi." Marco said. I chuckled.

"Will do. Thank you again." I said. After a quick goodbye, we hung up and I headed back to Aka and pulled her out of the bath and dressed her before I took a quick shower and changed in to my work clothes. I grabbed Aka and took her with me to the hospital.