UkiYo Raising A Child Chap7

UkixYo PartII

Raising A Child

Chapter 7

Shunsui had flash stepped to 4th division as fast as he possibly could, it hadn't surprised him at all to learn of his old friends state, he had been wondering how much more Ukitake could take before something like this happened. When he got to the 4th division he found that Ukitake was in Isolation ward 2 whilst Fuyushiro had been in ward 1. Unohana et him upon arrival and explained to him the situation with Fuyushiro and the treatment that he was now undergoing, she also filled him in on Ukitake's condition and then finally took him to see Yoruichi who was in Fuyushiro's room. Yoruichi's eyes were red and swollen from her crying, she looked thoroughly miserable as she sat next to her sons bed, Fuyushiro was fast asleep on the bed, his breathing was barely audible and Shunsui noticed about 4 different fluid filled bags hanging around the bed, each one being fed into the boys' arm by a catheter, two in each arm. He moved over to Yoruichi who had barely even noticed him enter the room, he laid a hand on her shoulder she sighed
“Hi, Shun”
“Not having a good day?” he asked, crouching down so that he was on her level
Yoruichi burst into fresh tears and threw her arms around Shunsui's neck, crying into his shoulder, Shunsui said nothing he just rubbed one hand up and down her back trying to comfort her as she sobbed,
“He's...he's not waking up” she said
“Sshh, he will, he always does,” Shunsui said calmly “He's just exhausted what with everything going on you know?”
Yoruichi's face was no longer buried in the material of his kimono, instead she rested her chin in the soft crook of his neck, her arms still draped around his neck
“Yeah, I know” she almost whispered, “But what do I do if he doesn't wake up?” she barely dared herself to say it
Shunsui sighed, he didn't like that thought at all “I'll look after you” he said
Yoruichi looked up at him,
“He's my best friend and so are you, I mean Fuyushiro's near enough my nephew anyway, you'd come stay with me and Nanao at 8th division OK? But that's never going to happen ya hear?”
She nodded, “Thanks Shun” she said wiping some tear trails away
“You're welcome, now come on you need some fresh air” he got to his feet
Yoruichi looked at the sleeping boy on the bed,
“He'll be fine” Shunsui assured her “Come on” he said offering her his arm
She hooked her arm in his and they walked out of the door.

Ukitake opened his eyes wide and sat bolt upright in bed
“Yoruichi!” he yelled,
suddenly the head rush hit him and he fell back as a coughing fit attacked him viciously, he held his aching throat as his whole body was racked with the coughs. When the coughing finally subsided he breathed deeply, gulping air down into his damaged lungs, having got his breath back he began to spit out the blood in his mouth, then he realised where he was, he looked at the blood he had just spat on the floor and sighed,
“Don't worry about it” someone said
Ukitake looked up to see the 4th division captain Retsu Unohana in the doorway
“Someone can clean that up, do you want some water?” she asked
“Yes please Retsu,” then he said “Where's Yo?”
“What do you remember?” she asked
“Well I can remember calling for her and that's about it”
“She's out with Kyoraku, he took her for a walk, I asked him to she could do with a bit of a break”
“Hmm” Ukitake agreed nodding
“You just started coughing then you collapsed, to be honest I was sort of waiting for it to happen” she explained
Ukitake raised one slender eyebrow
“Well, you've both been under a lot of stress recently,  but I'm amazed how well you've both been coping”
“How is Fuyushiro?” he asked
“He's much better, temperature is beginning to come down, which is a good sign that he's fighting the infection and his breathing is now almost inaudible”
“That's good” Ukitake said, his own raspy breathing beginning to return to normal
“I'm afraid you can't really see him,” Unohana said “You've just had an attack and if he is fighting the infection the last thing he needs is another dose of it”
Ukitake nodded “I understand”
“I'll send Yoruichi in when she gets back shall I?”
“Yes, please”
“I think she could do with some comforting right now”
“Thanks Retsu” Ukitake said as the doctor left the room
Ukitake lay back on his pillows and sighed, so at least Fuyushiro looked to be on the mend, Ukitake dared himself to dream that Fuyushiro would be fine, that he would become immune to this disease and that they could live a normal life. He wanted it so desperately, just to be able to hold him and teach him things and play with him and watch him grow up, he prayed the disease he carried would give him time enough, the last thing Yo needed was for him to die, he'd never forgive himself if Fuyushiro grew up not knowing him. He sighed again and waited for his wife to return.

Shunsui dropped Yoruichi back off at the 4th division, he had to get back to his own division, he as usual had work to do and now that he shared her bed he really couldn't afford to piss Nanao-chan off. Yoruichi walked through the door and was greeted by Unohana, who updated her on Fuyushiro's state and then told her that Ukitake was awake. Within moments Yoruichi was at Ukitake's bedside,
“Hey there” he said as she walked in, he was about to ask her how she was but his words were silenced by her kiss, it wasn't passionate nor was it polite, it was loving,
“you really didn't want to do that,” he told her a grin on his face “I was coughing up blood like what half an hour ago”
“I couldn't care” Yoruichi said breathlessly as she kissed him again
he put one hand behind her head, stroking her soft hair whilst pulling her in closer to him,
“Did you have a nice walk with Shunsui?” he asked her when they had finally broken away
She nodded, then Unohana came in, a brilliant smile adorned her features
“Fuyushiro is awake” she said
Yoruichi dashed to the doorway, then she looked back at Ukitake a look of confusion on her face
“I can't go to him right now” Ukitake said “Not until he's completely immune”
She nodded her understanding and disappeared into her sons ward.

Yoruichi walked in to the room, as she drew closer to her son his eyes seemed to brighten, an extra sparkle was added with every step she took towards him, the young child smiled an almost toothless grin at her and then said distinctly
“Mama”
Yoruichi froze where she had been, she stared at Fuyushiro, stunned
“What did you say?” she asked with wonderment in her voice
“Mama” Fuyushiro repeated
Yoruichi went straight to her child and swooped him up in a tight embrace,
“Oh my god, oh my god” she kept repeating as her son chuckled happily,
she kissed him on the forehead, in the doorway Unohana smiled,
'i think they're going to be just fine' she thought.