Hakusho: Parenthood

Chapter 3: K stands for Kinship

September 1, 2000

Nine weeks premature.

His son originally was supposed to be born around late October, but then complications occurred. Many believed that this event could not have been prevented. He believed otherwise. Everyone's efforts in consoling him were immediately dismissed by his own burning self-hatred.

Kurama's hands curled up against the incubator and shook. The monitor beeped in unison with every heavy breath he took. Here he was, yet again, in a hospital because of a sickly loved one. The birth of one's child was supposed to be a happy occasion and yet this was anything but. The infant was smaller and thinner than most other infants. Several machines were attached to him, such as respiratory support. Fortunately, a premature child of thirty-one weeks had a better survival rate than one around twenty weeks. Even so, it was still quite unsettling for him to see his own flesh and blood in this state. He could have prevented this.

He should have been more careful.

The lack of world ending threats had softened him without his notice. He should have known that lowering his guard for even a second would end in disaster. With his past he should have foreseen a situation like this. What happened to his perception? To his paranoia? How could he let this happen? How could he allow a mistake such as this?

How could he not consider someone wanting revenge against Yoko Kurama by getting him where it hurts the most? His family. A demon he had long stole from had attacked Shizuru and his mother at his own home while he was at Hatanaka Co., a company that he works at owned by his stepfather. Shizuru was able to hold her own until Hiei arrived, catching the demon by surprise. Neither of the women gained any severe injuries, but all that instability and strain caused Shizuru's water to break earlier than it should have.

It was too bad that Hiei already dealt with his family's attacker.

Kurama's emerald eyes darkened into a deadly jade before flashing gold. An inhuman growl emerged from his chest.

He would have preferred it if he was given the chance to personally deal with that menace.

His thoughts were interrupted by a weak cry. He calmed his temper and gave the now awake infant a gentle smile. He reached into the incubator and caressed his son's head. The infant wrapped a small hand around Kurama's thumb. It was barely even a squeeze. Such a fragile child. Even more fragile than the average newborn. Long ago, Yoko Kurama would've left this child for the wolves. Anything weak were of no use to an infamous thief such as himself, but here he was now, in a human body with much more empathy...and this was his child. He could never turn his back on him.

"Shuichi?"

Kurama froze.

Shiori stood next to him. Her appearance was slightly disheveled, her favorite long-sleeved dress was coated in dirt, dried blood and rips, and few areas around her face and neck were covered with bandages. Concern over her wellbeing and concern over her figuring out his long term secret clashed against each other. The unreadable look she wore only added on to the tension he felt.

"Shuichi..." She began. She visibly faltered. Seconds passed and her gaze sharpened with newfound determination. "For some time now, I had suspicions that you were keeping secrets from me. I simply brushed those thoughts aside, believing that it was normal for teens and that I had no reason to ever doubt you. My mistake."

Shiori nervously wet her lips. "Judging by today's events, those secrets may have been more...dangerous than expected."

"Mother, I—"

"Let me finish." Shiori said. "When that demon appeared I was frozen with fear. Shizuru, to my confusion, was not frightened like me, but instead, annoyed. The rest of the events came as a bit of a blur due to me being sent to an half-conscious state, but I was still able to catch glimpses such as plants from the backyard attempting to kill that demon, Shizuru holding off against the demon with some sort of shield of energy after the plants were destroyed, and...among other things..." She paled and shivered at the memory of her son's red-eyed friend, Hiei, decapitating the horned beast. There was so much blood.