Second Chance

Painful Motive! Lose someone you love!?

((Akemi's POV))

I shivered as I lay in bed. Lately, I wasn't feeling well. Ever since I laid down, I felt dizzy and had a bad headache and a terrible cough. But I didn't want to worry Mondo, so I kept quiet about it. "Akemi?"Mondo said as he woke up. "Are you okay?" I shook my head. "I...I think I'm coming down with something," I said. Mondo frowned and sat up. "Don't worry, Akemi. I'll find you something to make you feel better!" he assured me. I held his arm gently. "N-No...Please...Stay with me," I begged. 

Mondo nodded and laid back down beside me. "Alright, Akemi...I'll stay," he said. I smiled and snuggled closer to him, shivering violently. He pulled me close, drawing me to his body heat. I started to drift to sleep in his arms. (Or rather, I TRIED to. With this sickness, I couldn't get any sleep!)

((Mondo's POV))

I held Akemi close to me as she shivered. She was burning up. I could feel it through her clothes. She was worse than what she was saying. "Akemi..." I said, worried about her. She coughed. "S-Sorry...I know I'm worrying you..." she said. "It's fine. It just means I care for you," I said. I got even more worried when I felt her forehead on my bare chest and I was right about her being burned up. 

I waited until she was sound asleep in my arms and gently laid her back down before running to get help. I went to the one person who would know something about this...Mukuro Ikusaba. The one person who would know what to do or how to cure this disease. She frowned as she looked over Akemi's sleeping form. "She has a fever...And this illness is sapping her strength," she said. I nodded and frowned. "Mondo...Did you see anything?" She asked. "Anything strange last night that happened?"

I shook my head. "Nothing out of the ordinary, no," I said. Then, I thought real hard about what happened last night. I woke in the middle of the night and noticed someone leaving my room. They were wearing a lab coat and a mask. "No...Wait a minute!" I said. "What did you see?" Mukuro asked. "I did see something...Or more...someone," I replied. "Who was it?" Mukuro asked. I frowned. "Someone in a mask. I couldn't tell who they were, or if they were a guy or a girl...All I know is, they were wearing a dark mask and a white lab coat." 

Mukuro thought about this a while. "That doesn't really narrow it down. It could be any of us. Except you, me, Taka, and Akemi," she said. "Let's think...Who do we know with a grudge against Akemi?" I thought about it a while. "We definitely know Togami's on the table. But...As much as I hate to say it, I don't think he did this," I said. Mukuro nodded, agreeing with me. "I was thinking the same thing. You would've known it was Togami by looking at him." I nodded. "Exactly. I have a guess on who it is, and you know them personally," I said. Mukuro frowned. "Exactly. Junko," she said. "She's determined to make sure Akemi can't interfere any further in her Killing Game." 

I nodded. "Yeah," I said. Mukuro continued to look over her body, making sure to check every spot she could reach. Akemi was still shivering, so that made the investigation that much harder. And made me even more worried about her. No. Not just her. Our baby as well. Akemi, I thought. Mukuro's eyes widened as she saw a small hole in Akemi's neck. A puncture wound that looked like it came from a needle. She turned back to me, pure rage in her eyes. "I knew something was off about Akemi being sick all of a sudden! Junko must have given her a drug that made her sick!" I cursed under my breath.

"Isn't there something you can do? Can't you help her like you did before?" I asked. Mukuro sighed sadly. A sigh of defeat. "As much as I want to, Mondo...I can't. Since I don't know what it was Junko injected her with...I can't create an antidote to the disease." She said. I cursed even more, punching a wall. "I'm really sorry, Mondo...If I could save her, I would. You know that," Mukuro said. I closed my eyes as I sat beside Akemi and tears fell down my face. "I know..." "I'll look in the library. Maybe there's something there," Mukuro said. I nodded. "I'll look somewhere else." Mukuro shook her head. "No. You stay with Akemi. She needs you more right now." I nodded. "Okay, I'll keep her safe," I said. She nodded and left the room.

I held Akemi's hand gently as she slept. "M-Mondo..." She said as she shivered more. I took off my jacket and put it over her body. "Don't worry, Akemi. Mukuro is going to save you," I said. She shivered more. "I-I'm sorry...I'm so weak," She apologized. "No, you're not weak!" I said. "It's just...you're sick right now." She looked up at me, fear showing in her eyes. "I'm scared, Mondo...What if I lose the baby?" "You won't!" I said. "Not if I've got anything to say about it! Not if I can prevent it!" She looked at me sadly. "Mondo..." she said. "If something does happen...And I lose the baby... Will you be mad?" I shook my head and cried. "No, of course not!"

Then, Monokuma appeared on the monitor. "What's this?! Poor little Akemi is sick? Well, I can help her!" "How?!" I asked. "How do you think? I have the antidote!" he said. "You do...And knowing you there's a fucking catch! There's always a catch with you!" "You must kill someone!" He said. "I won't do it!" I said. "I won't kill someone else!" Monokuma smirked. "As you wish," he said. I looked at Akemi, whose coughs were getting worse and sapping her strength. Then, I heard a familiar voice. "Mondo!!!" I looked up and saw Mukuro.

"Mukuro?!" I asked. "Took some doing, but I managed to find the antidote!" She said. "She just has to take it and she'll get better!" I sighed with relief. "Okay! Let's hurry and treat her!" I said. Mukuro tried to get Akemi to take the medicine, but it wasn't working. "No go. She can't take the medicine. Mondo...You'll have to give it to her...through your mouth." I nodded and took the medicine, kissing Akemi and transferring it to her. She swallowed it and her face was at peace. Mukuro smiled. "Her fever's already going down," she said. 

Then, she left the room, heading to the Infirmary, from what I heard.

-Hours later-

((Akemi's POV))

"Mondo..." I said after I woke up. I was already feeling better and I was starting to act like my usual self. "Hey, are you okay?" Mondo asked. I nodded. "I'm fine," I replied.  "I just...feel really bad for Mukuro." Mondo frowned. "I do too," "She got hurt...Trying to help me," I said. Mondo smiled. "Yeah, but she has Taka to help patch her up. So they should be okay, right?" I nodded. "Yeah," I said as I smiled, rubbing my swollen belly. Mondo smiled and did the same. "Any day now," I said. Mondo nodded. "Yeah..." I smiled. "Mondo...Are you excited to be a father?" I asked. "Of course I am! I'm just...worried whether or not I'll be a good father," he replied sadly. "Are you kidding?!" I said. "You'll be a wonderful father! I know it!" He smiled and hugged me. I smiled. "Mmm..." Mondo fell asleep, his hand gently on my belly. 

I gently moved his hand and sat at my desk. I then wrote a letter to my brother, Tio. 

Tio,

I hope everything is going well with you. Hopefully you've managed to survive and find Chiaki as well. I'm pregnant and Mondo has even proposed to me. If we make it out alive, I swear you'll get to meet him. As well as my other friends. I love you so much and I hope to see you soon.

-Akemi

After that, I climbed into bed the best I could with my belly being as swollen as it was. Afterwards, I began to feel some sharp pains. I wanted to wake Mondo, but decided against it. No... I thought. I don't want him to worry. That's the last thing he needs right now. 

To be continued!

Next time: New Arrivals! Monokuma's Rage and Akemi's Pain!