Post by khakibluesocks on Apr 12, 2011 19:08:28 GMT -5
Hello everyone! I know I just joined, but I figured that I would post a few of my old fanfiction stories on here to see what kind of reaction they would get in this new day and age! I hope you enjoy!
Sincere Knowledge
Change...The only constant in the universe...That is my sincere knowledge...
* * *
"Sora, can I tell you something?" Mimi asked in a hushed tone.
They were at work on their lunch break in the office cafeteria.
"Sure. Let's go over here." Sora said pointing to a table in a corner. "What's on your mind?" she asked, sitting down, regarding her friend curiously. She has held her friends confidences numerous times in the past, and this seemed no different...except...the brunette across from her looked nervous, jittery...
Mimi took a deep breath and started to talk. "I took the test."
"What tes—" Sora began, then gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh, my…but I thought you weren't going to take it! You said it was all in your head and you were just being paranoid!"
"I know, I know, but I just had to know. I had to know just to put my mind at ease!"
"Well, did it?" Sora asked, leaning in. "Are you?"
"Yes on both counts." Mimi said, grinning shyly.
"Oh my Gosh," Sora gasped, causing a few other workers to turn their heads. "That's amazing! Does Koushiro know? Did you call him yet?"
"Shhhh!" Mimi hissed, holding a finger to her lips "Don't spread it around! People gossip around here! And I haven't told him yet. I tried to call him and tell him in the bathroom, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. I didn't want to build his hopes up until I was positive."
"When are you going to tell him?" Sora asked.
"I'll tell him tonight at dinner, I have a special way I'm going to tell him." Mimi said with a small smile.
"How are you planning to do that?" Sora asked.
"That's for me to know," Mimi said, winking at her "And for Koushiro to find out!" She then looked down at her watch and stood from the table. "Well, time to get back. You know Hiroshi hates it when we're late."
"Late…" Sora muttered to herself, now deep in thought.
"Yeah…late…"
* * *
"I'm home..."
Koushiro came home around 7:30, completely exhausted. His wild red hair hung limp as a wet noodle around his worn face. All he wanted to do was relax, put his feet up, and watch some TV.
"Is anyone home?" he called out, putting on his slippers.
"Welcome home dear! Come in, dinner will be ready in a minute." Mimi called out from the closed kitchen door. "And boy do I have a surprise for you!"
"What kind of surprise?" Koushiro asked, sounding nervous. The last time Mimi had a surprise for him, he had to repaint the whole apartment. Mimi's surprises tended to leave him feeling even more worn out.
"I'll tell you later, just relax for a few minutes!"
"Ok. I'll go take a shower and be right out." Koushiro said with a hint of suspicion in his voice as he walked to the bathroom.
What in the world could she be up to? He thought to himself as he undressed. A surprise for me? What kind of surprise? It's not my birthday, our wedding anniversary was three months ago…and that in itself was a big surprise…heh…
* * *
"Kou-Chan, are you done yet?" Mimi called out from the living room.
"I'm on my way!" he called back. "Whatever this is, it must be big!"
"Baby, you have no idea." Mimi called back.
After about 10 minutes, Koushiro stepped out the bathroom, looking more relaxed than before, his yukata wrapped around his slim frame. As he made his way into the dining room, he found that Mimi had laid out a full course Japanese dinner, which was strange because the only thing she could do in the kitchen was boil water, and even that was iffy; he was still trying to figure out how she burned a cup of tea a week ago.
She greeted him with a kiss. "Hello my Kou-Chan". She cooed, as she playfully pulled him to the table.
"So, what's the big spread for? And what's the big surprise?
"Questions, questions, questions," Mimi sighed playfully. "I suppose I should expect nothing less from the most curious boy in the digital world." She then sat him down at the table. "Now dig in, the food's getting cold!"
"This looks delicious, Mimi-Chan." Koushiro said unfolding his napkin, and reaching for the covered chopsticks. "So what's the big occasion?"
Mimi giggled a trace of nervousness in her tone. "Look at your chopstick before you eat my big surprise!"
Koushiro looked at it quizzically. It was white, not brown, plastic, not wood, and in the middle, there was a little window with a red plus sign.
"What kind of chopstick is this?" Koushiro asked, puzzled. "It kind of looks like one of those tests…" Koushiro stopped in mid sentence, piecing the puzzle together in his head.
His eyes widened and his lips spread in a wide grin as he reached the conclusion in his mind.
"Are you...can you be..."
Mimi nodded. "I am and I can be."
Koushiro started laughing nervously. "But…when…how…where…" he sputtered, holding her cheeks softly in his hands.
"When: Three months ago…how…we both know." Mimi began, blushing. "And where was anywhere we could!"
"PRODIGIOUS!" he shouted, tossing his napkin in the air. "Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! I'm gonna be a father! I'm gonna be a father!"
He then began dancing around the room with Mimi kissing her and saying "I love you" in between each kiss.
* * *
Am I ready for this?" he asked himself, starring out at the lights of the city from the outside balcony. "Am I ready for fatherhood?" He looked up into the midnight sky. "Mom, dad, I wish I had a sign that I will be a good enough father."
"What are you doing up?" Mimi yawned walking up behind him.
"Oh, I'm sorry I woke you. I was just..."
"Telling your parents about the baby," Mimi said, nodding with understanding. “Koushiro, you're going to be a terrific father. I know it, the baby knows it, and your parents know it."
"How do you know?"
Mimi pointed to the sky. "Look."
A shooting star streaked by in the nighttime sky.
"Thanks, Mimi," Koushiro said, giving her a hug. "You go on to bed; I'll be there in a minute."
"Don't be too long." Mimi said, giving him a kiss before walking to the bedroom.
"I won't." He replied, walking back out to the balcony, looking back in the sky. "Thanks mom, thanks dad. I won't let you down, I swear it."
* * *
"So, do you want to know, or don't you?" Mimi asked for the 5th time, adjusting her makeup in the overhead mirror.
"I don't know. I really don't know." Koushiro replied, shaking his head, as he waited for the streetlight to turn green. "I mean, part of me wants to know so we'll be better prepared, and the other half wants to be surprised."
"Anything my sweet."
"I appreciate you taking off work to take me to the doctors, but please don't go in there and bother the doctor with 50 questions. Last time, you nearly wore the poor guy out."
"I can't help it! This is the experience of a lifetime; a real learning experience for the both of us!” Koushiro replied excitedly.
"I know it is." Mimi said, with a smile as Koushiro turned down a block. "You got a copy of the birth plan to show the doctor?"
"Sure do." Koushiro said, scanning the rows and rows of signs along the block. "It's in my laptop case. I still don't know why you won't allow the guys in during the birth."
"I’ll tell you why; I don't want a bunch of guys ogling at me, naked from the waist down, while I lay on a bed pushing a child into this world." Mimi sighed. "I just want you, me, the girls, and the doctor in there. This is an intimate time, Kou-Chan."
"Anything you want, Mimi-Chan." Koushiro said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.
* * *
"Ok. Your blood pressure is normal and your weight is good." The nurse said. "I’m so sorry that Dr. McKnight was not available. He had an emergency c-section at the last minute. Shall we rev up the ultrasound and see how your child is doing."
Mimi lied back and lifted her blouse revealing her swollen tummy. "My poor stretched tummy." She sighed. "I'll never fit into a swimsuit again."
"You'd be surprised how women bounce back after pregnancy." The nurse said, squirting a clear gel on her stomach causing Mimi to shiver. "The majority of that is just baby, but if you want your figure back by summer, you better start exercising."
"Excuse me ma’am?" Koushiro asked holding up a cable with his laptop setting in his lap. "Do you mind if I—"
"Oh, sure, go ahead. This machine modified for that." The nurse said, taking one end of the cable and plugging it in the handheld device, while Koushiro plugged the other end into the computer and called up the visualization and recorder program as the nurse began moving the paddle through the gel on Mimi's stomach.
"All righty, everything looks alright. You can see the head and the spine and the little hands." The doctor was pointing out. "To save you a bit of time, there are ten fingers and ten toes."
Koushiro was awestruck. He was on the verge of tears as he looked at his child on the monitor moving and kicking in its little watery world.” Isn’t it beautiful?" he whispered. “Not a care in the world; just floating in there like nothing is bothering him…or her.”
Mimi nodded, sniffling. “Beautiful.” She whispered back.
"Do you want to know the gender?" the nurse asked moving the device in position. "The kid is in a good position to—"
"NO!" they both shouted in unison, causing the nurse to jump.
"Ok! Ok! You don't have to yell, I won't tell you!" the nurse said. "Jeez! Tough crowd! All right; everything is fine, so I'm going to turn it off and clean you up. Say bye-bye!"
"Bye-bye little one," Mimi cooed, waving to the screen.
"Bye my child." Koushiro said sighing as the screen went dark.
"Now," The nurse said, pulling out a towel and wiping off the gel from the device and Mimi's stomach. "I read over your birth plan, and I must say, it's very organized. The suite is ready and waiting for you, and I really like the idea of having the family involved."
"When should we look for our little one to make an appearance?" Mimi asked.
"Well, you're 6 months along, so I would put the due date around…" she then pulled out a calculator and began feeding numbers into it.”Lets see…About the third week of June…lets call it the 15th."
"June 15th." Koushiro said to himself, smiling. "Father's day."
"Talk about the gift that keeps on giving." The nurse said. "Well, you're all done! You can get dressed and head on out. Now remember if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to—"
By the time she caught herself it was too late. She knew that all expecting fathers had plenty questions, which was understandable, but she knew that Dr. McKnight was a little tired of them calling at 3:00 in the morning just because their wife had gas.
"…call Dr. McKnight…" She sighed, handing Mimi a card, which Koushiro promptly plucked out her hand. He then pulled out his cell phone and began to program the number in.
"Don't forget to set up another appointment with the receptionist at the front desk. See you in three weeks!" She added, walking out the door.
"Alright, thank you." Mimi said, pulling her shirt down over her stomach.
"Thanks ma’am! See you in three weeks." Koushiro called, packing up his laptop.
"Kou-Chan, you did it again." Mimi said, grabbing her purse. "You wore him out!"
"I did not!" Koushiro argued, “I kept my promise!"
"Then why did you program the number in the phone?" Mimi asked, grabbing his phone and showing him the display. "Planning on calling him to come for dinner one night?"
"So, I'm curious! Big deal!"
"You're going to scare this doctor off, I guarantee it." Mimi sighed, shaking her head.
* * *
Dear Diary.
Today I didn't feel like watching TV…or watching a movie or even going shopping...it must be the hormones. Koushiro is at work, and everyone else was going about his or her on business. I just wanted to lie down and spend some quality time with my baby. I pulled up my shirt to my stomach, and wrapped my arms around it, almost trying to give my child its first hug. I remember when I was at work, seeing these pregnant girls walking around looking miserable; trying to hide their stomachs from the world in shame…shame for themselves and the child they carried. How could they feel shame for their own child; a being that is growing, living and thriving inside them? They didn't show shame when they opened up their legs; they shouldn't show shame eight months later, when their stomachs are beach balls. If they can holler and scream in passion, they can holler and scream in pain as an 8-pound child passes through their birth canals. I'm proud of my child…I'm proud of my body…I'm proud of my love…and today I decided to let him…or her...know that.
"Hello, little one. In case you didn't know…I'm your mommy." Mimi cooed to her unborn child. "I'm a bit nervous about what's going to happen once you make your debut here…I'm scared that it's going to hurt a lot…I'm scared that something will go wrong, I'm scared that I won't be a good enough mom for you… but I hope and pray that I can do my absolute best.. I'll make a deal with you; you just concentrate on getting big and strong and healthy, and I'll push you into this world with everything I got and be the best mother I can possibly be for the rest of our lives. How about it, is it a deal? Kick once for yes, and twice for no."
Mimi watched with awe as her palm raised and fell underneath her belly. She smiled. "It's a deal then. Good boy…or girl…or whatever you are. That's right…we don't know what you are, do we? Is there any chance of letting your mommy in on the secret; once for yes, twice for no?"
Mimi watched her palm heave up once…and a few seconds later heave up again. Mimi laughed softly. "Smart, aren't you? Just for that, once you're born, you're grounded."
"I remember falling asleep and having a beautiful dream…Me and Koushiro are going for a walk in the park, pushing a baby stroller along. I never saw the baby in my dream, all I knew was that I was happier that I have ever been in my whole life! I had no worries…just me, my love, and my child. I dreamt we walked down to one of the big fountains and I saw something that just made me laugh hysterically…there was this big orange Koa fish in the fountain…and it swam right towards TK and Kari, who were also walking around this big fountain. According to myth…when a woman dreams of fish, it means someone is or will soon be pregnant. Odd, isn't it?
* * *
Personal Journal Entry:
"I had just finished a day of shopping for Mimi and the baby. I don't think I ever spent that much money in one day before. I came home to the sweetest sight I ever saw before in my life…there she was on the couch, her shirt pulled up to uncover her stomach and her arms cuddling and hugging the child inside. I didn't want to wake her so I quietly pulled off my shoes, tiptoed in the apartment, and walked over to the couch. There she was…my sleeping beauty…resting her beautiful brown eyes…her pink hinted lips in a small smile, her gentle arms and hands wrapped protectively and lovingly over our child. What she must go through every day with this…being in her body. She is my goddess. Quietly as I could, I knelt down beside her, putting my ear to her white, bare, swollen belly whispering quietly…"
"Hello…hello in there? This is your daddy speaking." Koushiro whispered, setting a hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but I just wanted to talk to you about something. We don't know when exactly you'll be coming out of there, we don't even know what you'll be…but what I do know is…you're entering into a family that has more love for you than you know. You have two of the coolest uncles anyone ever had: Uncle Matt will be there to show you the simple joys of life like music and sports. And Uncle Joe will be there to keep your head in the books and teach you everything there is to know about everything. He'll also show you how to reach beyond your imagination and express your creativity. Your mommy will show you how to love and be loved…she's already giving you an example of that now…by carrying you around for 9 months. And I…"
"Will be there for all the rest, my Kou-Chan?" Mimi added, looking down at him, smiling.
Koushiro looked up at her with tears in his eyes, smiling. "Yeah, I'll be there for all the rest…but know this little one…" Koushiro continued…turning back to Mimi's stomach. "I love you…I’ll never leave you…and I love your mommy more than she'll ever know. Hurry up and come out so I can see what you look like, okay?"
After a few seconds, Koushiro felt a big heave from Mimi's stomach up against his cheek. He smiled softly and looked up at Mimi with tears pouring out his eyes.
Mimi smiled warmly "I think he or she hears you."
"I couldn't take it. It was all just too overwhelming, too intimate, and too beautiful for me to bear. I broke down and cried, right there in her arms. This child…OUR child…developing in this woman who I love more than life itself; moving, shifting, kicking. It was all just too much for me. I sobbed over and over again, Mimi hugging and kissing me. With that little movement I felt just then, that heave…that kick…that shift…I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was going to be a father…"
"What's wrong, Kou-Chan?" Mimi asked, when "Please tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong…It's just that…I've never been this happy before…" Koushiro sniffled. "This whole thing has made me realize that I love you more than I ever loved anything before in my life! I love you so much!" He began sobbing again.
"Awwww, Kou-Chan…I love you too…I love you so much more. I love you more so now that we're going to bring this child into this world together, I love that we're going to be better parents that ours were, I love that we're going to raise this child together, I love every aspect of that just as much as I love you." Mimi said, kissing him over and over, a tear streaming down her cheek.
Koushiro gasped between sobs. "I'm also scared about what can happen when it's time…I'm scared of what can go wrong, I'm scared of all the things that can happen to this child during birth. I don't think I can bear losing this child…even worse, I don't think I can LIVE if I lost you! I love you! I love you!" he sobbed out.
"Oh Kou-Chan," Mimi sighed, gently petting him on the head. "I'm more scared than you! I'm scared beyond scared, but I know I'm going to be all right! The baby is going to be all right too. People do this every single day! It's going to be just fine."
"Really?"
"No, I'm just lying to you…OF COURSE!" Mimi laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I never felt this loved before in my whole life. Nobody has ever shown me the amount of love you show me. Your love really has made this pregnancy go smoother than I thought it would. I can feel it; the baby can feel it. I can feel the way it moves whenever we're together; almost like it's jumping for joy."
"Imagine what it's going to be like when it's born." Koushiro said, smiling. "I'm so sorry, princess, for breaking down like that. I don't know what came over me."
"Chalk it up to the moment. The intensity of the moment just washed over you unexpectedly. It happens to the best of us. If you hadn't cried, I sure would have."
* * *
TWO MONTHS LATER…
"Breathe in and breathe out. Let your muscles relax..." Koushiro whispered in Mimi's ear. "Try to picture a calming place in your mind. A computer store perhaps, during there 50 off sale on all hardware and software..."
"Koushiro..." Mimi growled. "If you mention computer parts one more time…"
"All right, Sheesh! That's the most relaxing thing I could think of!"
"I'm lying on a bed going through labor and you're talking about computer parts?" Mimi exclaimed, pulling his red hair.
"OW!" Koushiro cried. "The Lamaze coach said you had to visualize a pleasant and peaceful place."
Koushiro and Mimi came in around 1:00 that morning, after she complained of a sharp pain shooting up her back and radiating around her stomach. On the trip to the hospital, while Koushiro was calling his friends on his cell, Mimi felt a great gush of water gush out from her, soaking the seat.
When they arrived, the doctor on call told them that Mimi was 7 centimeters dilated and immediately led her to the home delivery suite. It looked like a regular Japanese home, with a living area in the front, a bedroom in the back and a connecting bathroom. The on call nurse told them that when their doctor designed this room, he wanted a home like environment instead of a sterile hospital environment.
"Are you ready for the others to come in?" Koushiro asked, standing from the bed.
Mimi took in a deep breath. "Yeah, they can come in. I'm safe now."
* * *
"How much longer will this take?" Davis whined, sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor. "My soccer games don't last this long even when we go into overtime!"
"This isn't a soccer game you dumb duck! It's the birth of a living thing!" Yolei said, sitting on the couch. "It will take as long as it needs to, so sit down and shut up!" Yolei demanded.
All Ken could do was laugh. That was what he loved about Yolei; she was a girl who spoke her mind like it or not.
"Hey, do I have to separate you two?" Tai said, pouring a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, this isn't the time or place for fighting." Sora said, sighing. "We're here to give Mimi and Koushiro moral support not to moderate you and Davis."
Just then, Koushiro stuck his head out the closed bedroom door. "You can come on in; the contraction's over, she won't bite your head off now!"
"Where's the doctor?" Sora asked as Mimi groaned under the pain of another contraction. "Shouldn't he be here by now?"
"He's on his way now; he had to pick up his assistant." Koushiro said with a worried look toward Mimi. "The contractions are coming closer together, and I'm afraid he won't make it in time. I’ll go ask the nurse if she knows anything.”
“Hurry back.” Mimi said, releasing his hand as he walked to the front door.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The redhead replied, opening the front door. “Hey, guys? Did you leave your shoes at the main entrance?”
“No…we left them at the door.” Tai said, looking down at his floppy white socks. “Why do you ask?”
“Umm…they’re not here.” Koushiro said, pointing to the empty cubby hole boxes next to the door in the foyer. “There’s a sign; “All shoes not placed in the appropriate holds will be subject to disposal by housekeeping crews for sanitary reasons.”
"Davis, I asked you to straighten out our shoes by the door when we first arrived!" Yolei roared.
"I forgot!" Davis said in his own defense. “I was caught up in the magic moment!"
"I give you a 'magic moment' you lowdown-!" Yolei yelled.
Then, with a purple-socked foot, she promptly dropkicked Davis, who then began to tackle Yolei to the ground.
Tyson and Holyfield would have been in awe at the way they were fighting. Heck, Goku and Vegeta would have been in awe at the way they were fighting.
"Do we have any bets on who's going to win?" Tai said jokingly.
"I got 10 to 1 on my wife." Ken said, laughing. "I better bet on her, otherwise I'm gonna get the same thing when we get home!
"I'll take those odds!" T.K said, whipping out $5. "Davis got a glass jaw; he's no match for Yolei's upper cut!"
"Do you know how much those shoes cost?" Yolei growled, decking Davis in the gut.
"You should have straightened up your own shoes you big baby!" Davis said, trying to grab her arms.
The violent struggle and gambling continued on, muffling the sound of the front door opening.
"Oh, can you feel the love in the room?" Dr. McKnight said rolling his eyes as he removed his shoes and tucked them in the cubbyhole along the wall.
"You should have seen them 15 years ago," Joe said with a remembering grin as Koushiro ran past them toward the bathroom. “This is tame by comparison.”
"Hey doc," Tai said, walking over. "Do you want in on this action?" he asked, gesturing towards the scrap.
"Not today." Dr. McKnight said, "Maybe next time." He then stuck two fingers in his mouth, padded over to the fighting pair, took a deep breath and blew loudly, sending a shrill whistle throughout the room. "YO! CHILL THE HELL OUT!" He shouted.
Almost immediately, Davis and Yolei froze in their tracks. Yolei had Davis in a headlock, and Davis had gathered a handful of her hair and was about to start yanking. They both looked completely embarrassed.
"There, that's better." Dr. McKnight said with a smile. "Now, will someone please show me to the laboring mother?"
Dr. Josh McKnight was a tall, chocolate brown and extremely handsome man of 32. His bright, brown eyes twinkled behind his wire-rimmed glasses.
"How are you Mimi?" Dr. McKnight asked, pulling out a stethoscope and setting one end on Mimi's stomach. "Frequent, strong contractions?"
'Yeah, I just had one when you came in." Mimi panted, holding Koushiro's hand.
"Ok, lets see how far along you are," Dr McKnight said pulling on a pair of white gloves and putting them in the birth canal. "Oh and by the way, I talked to the housekeeping manager in the hallway, and heard about your little problem. Don't worry; the sign is just a bluff. Your shoes are at the front desk."
Yolei gave Davis a sharp, swift kick in the leg. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Just because you're standing there." Yolei growled under her breath.
"Congratulations! You're 10 centimeters dilated, it's time to push," Dr. McKnight said. "Now, according to your birth plan you only planned on having the ladies in the room?"
Koushiro nodded. "Sorry guys. I tried."
"It's all right, Koushiro." Tai said, turning towards the door. "We understand."
"Ok, you guys, everyone out," Yolei called, pushing Davis and the other guys out the room. "Let's go! No guys allowed in except the doctor and the daddy!"
"But I'm the doctor's assistant!" Joe stuttered as Yolei pushed him towards the door. "I have to stay!"
"Let him stay, please." Dr. McKnight said, trying not to laugh. "He won't be any trouble. I'll keep an eye on him."
"All right, if you say so doc." Yolei sighed, letting go of Joe, but giving Davis a swift kick to the bottom. "Move it!"
"We should go too." Sora said, following the guys out the room. "Thanks for the thought, Mimi. But we really shouldn't be here."
"Yeah," Kari agreed, following. "We'll wait outside with the—"
As Kari turned to walk out, Yolei stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Oh, no you don't!" Yolei said, waving a finger. "You sit right over there and you watch. You're going to go through this same thing in 4 months time, so you need to sit down and pay attention."
"But I don't think—"
"No buts! You sit right over there in that chair and you pay attention!" Yolei ordered, grabbing her shoulders and sitting her down in a wooden chair right at the foot of the bed, looking up at Mimi. "Take notes if you have to."
"Oh alright." Kari sighed. "I don't know what I can learn from sitting here. I'll just be in the way."
"Good luck, Mimi." Yolei said with a big hug. "I'll be outside rooting for you."
The hug would have lasted longer, but Mimi was having a contraction, and the only thing she could say between "Thank-you!"
"Where's Koushiro?" Kari asked, looking around the room.
"I-don't-know-but-he'd-better-hurry!" Mimi said panting heavily. "Kou-Chan, where are you?" She yelled out.
"Whoa!" Dr. McKnight called out as he parted Mimi’s legs. "The head is right here. Dad, you better get out here unless you want to hear about this second hand!"
"Here I am! I went to put on my lucky charm!" Koushiro said, padding towards the bed.
"I know you don't have those things on again!" Mimi said grimacing in pain and at the thought.
"They got me through the digital world; they can get me through this!" Koushiro said pouting childishly.
"I'm lost here," Dr. McKnight said, setting things up. "What lucky charm?"
"Look at his feet, doctor." Joe said, pointing down.
On his feet, he had on a bright pair of faded olive green socks. Although they were clean, they looked as though they been through better days.
"Okay…that’s interesting…” Dr. McKnight said, blinking. “Get on the side of your wife and hold her hand and back for support. Mimi, on my count I want you to push and push hard unless I tell you otherwise."
"I love you so much right now," Koushiro said with a tear in his eye.
"And I, you" Mimi said giving him a peck on the cheek. "But I'm never doing this again!"
They both shared a warm smile, but only for a second. Mimi started to frown as a strong contraction sliced across her belly like a hot knife. She screamed loudly.
"Okay, here we go. Big contraction, and push it out, Mimi, I can see the head," Dr. McKnight encouraged. "Push, push, push. Here we go. The head is almost out."
Slowly, the child's forehead became visible...then the eyes; closed as though in a slumber, and finally, with a great yell from Mimi and one final back arch, she brought her child's head into the world.
Mimi fell back on Koushiro, crying and screaming from both pain and sheer relief... Her hands now feeling on her child's head...she let her fingers gently caress every wrinkle on it's forehead, it's little nose, it's small mouth, it's stubbornly closed eyes..."Kou-Chan, look…it's our baby…our child." She whispered to him, kissing his cheek.
Koushiro was kissing and whispering messages of love and hope and encouragement, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Beautiful!" Dr. McKnight said "Joe, I need the bulb syringe, please."
Joe handed the pump to him and the doctor then suctioned out the baby's nose and mouth clean. His eyes rolled around in his head.
"Joe, I forbid you to faint. You are an OB-GYN in training. You had better get used to this or else you’ll never make it.” Dr. McKnight said, looking at him over the top of his glasses.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Joe sighed, sitting in a wooden chair by the bed. "I still get a little bit sick at the sight of blood."
"You'll never get your OB residency with that weak gut." Dr. McKnight said, shaking his head. "Are you sure you don't want to step out?"
"No, no, I'm fine."
"All right, if you say so." Dr. McKnight said, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "Alright, Mimi, we're almost there." Dr. McKnight said, "Just a few more pushes, and we can see you little blessing."
Pushing went easier this time, now that the head was out...the shoulder being the widest part. It took everything she could channel from her body to pass them through her birth canal. After that, things went very quickly...the chest emerged next, followed by the abdomen...it was then when Dr. McKnight grabbed Mimi's hands and set them under the baby's armpits.
"Mimi, I want you to deliver the rest of the way. Just push normally and gently pull the baby on your stomach and chest."
Mimi leaned back against Koushiro, pushing while gently pulling her child's lower waist, legs and finally feet from her body, releasing the remaining fluids and blood out her body. She screamed loudly; a cry of relief for ending the 9 month ordeal, and a cry of joy for her new child, who was now starting to open its mouth and cry...
"It's a girl." Dr. McKnight announced covering mother and daughter in a blanket.
Koushiro gasped in short, uncontrollable sobs as Mimi gently laid her new baby girl on her bare chest...close to her heart. "Hello beautiful." She said, kissing her on the forehead. "Hello. I'm your mommy…yes…I'm your mommy…" She cooed, as the baby opened her eyes for the first time, revealing hazel colored eyes, wet with fresh tears.
"Would you like to cut the cord, dad?" Dr. McKnight asked.
All Koushiro did was nod, to overcome with tears and emotion to speak. He took the scissors and cut where the doctor instructed. "My daughter… My soul mate…My two sweet blessings from heaven." He said, as he curled up in the bed next to Mimi, kissing his new daughter on her forehead.
Mimi was laughing and crying and holding her new daughter as if she wouldn't ever let go.
Kari ran out the room to deliver the good news.
"I think I hear something!" Davis said, stooped by the doorway, listening.
Indeed, he did hear something, Kari knocking him flat on the floor.
"It's a girl, it's a girl!" Kari was saying over and over. There was a big cheer from all around the room.
All the Digi-destined raced toward the door to see her, stepping over poor, unconscious Davis, but Joe stepped out and closed it behind him.
"They need a moment to clean up and check the baby out, but everything looks good!" he said with a weak grin.
"Hooray..." Davis weakly cheered from the floor before passing out.
"So, Joe," Sora asked, stepping on Davis back. "What was it like? How was your first birth?"
"Whew!" Joe sighed, plopping down in a couch. "It was bloody, it was sticky, but you know what, it wasn't that bad." He said with a grin. "I think I can really get into this."
"Hope so." TK said, wrapping an arm around Kari. "We gotta do the same thing in a few months." He continued, setting a hand on Kari's rounded stomach.
* * *
They came in as quiet as mice, but they looked like they wanted to explode.
When they came in, Mimi was under the covers with a pink and orange blanket in her arms. Koushiro was lying next to her on top of the blankets, cooing and tickling his new baby girl. Both had big smiles on their faces.
"Oh, she's so cute!" Yolei said peeking into the blanket at the child.
"She sure is," Dr. McKnight said as he filled out the birth certificate. "all 8 pounds 9 ounces of her that is. Right now, she's the heaviest baby girl I delivered this year. No offence."
"None taken," Mimi cooed. "In fact it's a relief. Now I know that all that weight I put on was just the baby!"
"So what's her name?" Tai said with excitement in his voice.
"Koumiko. Koumiko Izumi." Koushiro said with pride.
"Well," TK began, giving Kari a hug. "We should be hitting the road; ready to go, Kari?"
"Yeah, let’s roll." Kari said, walking over to the bed. "Bye Koumiko." Kari whispered into the blanket. "I'll see you later."
Koumiko gurgled up at her. Kari grinned.
* * *
"So how was it," T.K. asked for the 10th time as they drove home.
Kari was looking out the window with a Mona Lisa enigmatic smile on her face
"Hello, Earth to Kari, this is ground control, come in please!" T.K. called out. "The only reason I am pestering you is because you and I have to go through the same thing in 2 months!" T.K. said sounding a little annoyed.
"What did you say," Kari asked looking at T.K with a definite sparkle in her eyes.
"Never mind," T.K said, finally understanding. "I was asking how everything in the delivery room went."
"It was so incredible," Kari said with a deep passion. "Watching a new live come into this world is like watching a sunset on the beach with the waves crashing to the shore uncovering shells and precious stones in the sand."
T.K looked at her with an unmistakable quizzical glance. "That's a little too artistic for me, thank you very much. I just wanted to know if it was messy or not!"
Kari just rolled her eyes and said "Sometimes I wonder about you."
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Sincere Knowledge
Change...The only constant in the universe...That is my sincere knowledge...
* * *
"Sora, can I tell you something?" Mimi asked in a hushed tone.
They were at work on their lunch break in the office cafeteria.
"Sure. Let's go over here." Sora said pointing to a table in a corner. "What's on your mind?" she asked, sitting down, regarding her friend curiously. She has held her friends confidences numerous times in the past, and this seemed no different...except...the brunette across from her looked nervous, jittery...
Mimi took a deep breath and started to talk. "I took the test."
"What tes—" Sora began, then gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh, my…but I thought you weren't going to take it! You said it was all in your head and you were just being paranoid!"
"I know, I know, but I just had to know. I had to know just to put my mind at ease!"
"Well, did it?" Sora asked, leaning in. "Are you?"
"Yes on both counts." Mimi said, grinning shyly.
"Oh my Gosh," Sora gasped, causing a few other workers to turn their heads. "That's amazing! Does Koushiro know? Did you call him yet?"
"Shhhh!" Mimi hissed, holding a finger to her lips "Don't spread it around! People gossip around here! And I haven't told him yet. I tried to call him and tell him in the bathroom, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. I didn't want to build his hopes up until I was positive."
"When are you going to tell him?" Sora asked.
"I'll tell him tonight at dinner, I have a special way I'm going to tell him." Mimi said with a small smile.
"How are you planning to do that?" Sora asked.
"That's for me to know," Mimi said, winking at her "And for Koushiro to find out!" She then looked down at her watch and stood from the table. "Well, time to get back. You know Hiroshi hates it when we're late."
"Late…" Sora muttered to herself, now deep in thought.
"Yeah…late…"
* * *
"I'm home..."
Koushiro came home around 7:30, completely exhausted. His wild red hair hung limp as a wet noodle around his worn face. All he wanted to do was relax, put his feet up, and watch some TV.
"Is anyone home?" he called out, putting on his slippers.
"Welcome home dear! Come in, dinner will be ready in a minute." Mimi called out from the closed kitchen door. "And boy do I have a surprise for you!"
"What kind of surprise?" Koushiro asked, sounding nervous. The last time Mimi had a surprise for him, he had to repaint the whole apartment. Mimi's surprises tended to leave him feeling even more worn out.
"I'll tell you later, just relax for a few minutes!"
"Ok. I'll go take a shower and be right out." Koushiro said with a hint of suspicion in his voice as he walked to the bathroom.
What in the world could she be up to? He thought to himself as he undressed. A surprise for me? What kind of surprise? It's not my birthday, our wedding anniversary was three months ago…and that in itself was a big surprise…heh…
* * *
"Kou-Chan, are you done yet?" Mimi called out from the living room.
"I'm on my way!" he called back. "Whatever this is, it must be big!"
"Baby, you have no idea." Mimi called back.
After about 10 minutes, Koushiro stepped out the bathroom, looking more relaxed than before, his yukata wrapped around his slim frame. As he made his way into the dining room, he found that Mimi had laid out a full course Japanese dinner, which was strange because the only thing she could do in the kitchen was boil water, and even that was iffy; he was still trying to figure out how she burned a cup of tea a week ago.
She greeted him with a kiss. "Hello my Kou-Chan". She cooed, as she playfully pulled him to the table.
"So, what's the big spread for? And what's the big surprise?
"Questions, questions, questions," Mimi sighed playfully. "I suppose I should expect nothing less from the most curious boy in the digital world." She then sat him down at the table. "Now dig in, the food's getting cold!"
"This looks delicious, Mimi-Chan." Koushiro said unfolding his napkin, and reaching for the covered chopsticks. "So what's the big occasion?"
Mimi giggled a trace of nervousness in her tone. "Look at your chopstick before you eat my big surprise!"
Koushiro looked at it quizzically. It was white, not brown, plastic, not wood, and in the middle, there was a little window with a red plus sign.
"What kind of chopstick is this?" Koushiro asked, puzzled. "It kind of looks like one of those tests…" Koushiro stopped in mid sentence, piecing the puzzle together in his head.
His eyes widened and his lips spread in a wide grin as he reached the conclusion in his mind.
"Are you...can you be..."
Mimi nodded. "I am and I can be."
Koushiro started laughing nervously. "But…when…how…where…" he sputtered, holding her cheeks softly in his hands.
"When: Three months ago…how…we both know." Mimi began, blushing. "And where was anywhere we could!"
"PRODIGIOUS!" he shouted, tossing his napkin in the air. "Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! I'm gonna be a father! I'm gonna be a father!"
He then began dancing around the room with Mimi kissing her and saying "I love you" in between each kiss.
* * *
Am I ready for this?" he asked himself, starring out at the lights of the city from the outside balcony. "Am I ready for fatherhood?" He looked up into the midnight sky. "Mom, dad, I wish I had a sign that I will be a good enough father."
"What are you doing up?" Mimi yawned walking up behind him.
"Oh, I'm sorry I woke you. I was just..."
"Telling your parents about the baby," Mimi said, nodding with understanding. “Koushiro, you're going to be a terrific father. I know it, the baby knows it, and your parents know it."
"How do you know?"
Mimi pointed to the sky. "Look."
A shooting star streaked by in the nighttime sky.
"Thanks, Mimi," Koushiro said, giving her a hug. "You go on to bed; I'll be there in a minute."
"Don't be too long." Mimi said, giving him a kiss before walking to the bedroom.
"I won't." He replied, walking back out to the balcony, looking back in the sky. "Thanks mom, thanks dad. I won't let you down, I swear it."
* * *
"So, do you want to know, or don't you?" Mimi asked for the 5th time, adjusting her makeup in the overhead mirror.
"I don't know. I really don't know." Koushiro replied, shaking his head, as he waited for the streetlight to turn green. "I mean, part of me wants to know so we'll be better prepared, and the other half wants to be surprised."
"Anything my sweet."
"I appreciate you taking off work to take me to the doctors, but please don't go in there and bother the doctor with 50 questions. Last time, you nearly wore the poor guy out."
"I can't help it! This is the experience of a lifetime; a real learning experience for the both of us!” Koushiro replied excitedly.
"I know it is." Mimi said, with a smile as Koushiro turned down a block. "You got a copy of the birth plan to show the doctor?"
"Sure do." Koushiro said, scanning the rows and rows of signs along the block. "It's in my laptop case. I still don't know why you won't allow the guys in during the birth."
"I’ll tell you why; I don't want a bunch of guys ogling at me, naked from the waist down, while I lay on a bed pushing a child into this world." Mimi sighed. "I just want you, me, the girls, and the doctor in there. This is an intimate time, Kou-Chan."
"Anything you want, Mimi-Chan." Koushiro said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.
* * *
"Ok. Your blood pressure is normal and your weight is good." The nurse said. "I’m so sorry that Dr. McKnight was not available. He had an emergency c-section at the last minute. Shall we rev up the ultrasound and see how your child is doing."
Mimi lied back and lifted her blouse revealing her swollen tummy. "My poor stretched tummy." She sighed. "I'll never fit into a swimsuit again."
"You'd be surprised how women bounce back after pregnancy." The nurse said, squirting a clear gel on her stomach causing Mimi to shiver. "The majority of that is just baby, but if you want your figure back by summer, you better start exercising."
"Excuse me ma’am?" Koushiro asked holding up a cable with his laptop setting in his lap. "Do you mind if I—"
"Oh, sure, go ahead. This machine modified for that." The nurse said, taking one end of the cable and plugging it in the handheld device, while Koushiro plugged the other end into the computer and called up the visualization and recorder program as the nurse began moving the paddle through the gel on Mimi's stomach.
"All righty, everything looks alright. You can see the head and the spine and the little hands." The doctor was pointing out. "To save you a bit of time, there are ten fingers and ten toes."
Koushiro was awestruck. He was on the verge of tears as he looked at his child on the monitor moving and kicking in its little watery world.” Isn’t it beautiful?" he whispered. “Not a care in the world; just floating in there like nothing is bothering him…or her.”
Mimi nodded, sniffling. “Beautiful.” She whispered back.
"Do you want to know the gender?" the nurse asked moving the device in position. "The kid is in a good position to—"
"NO!" they both shouted in unison, causing the nurse to jump.
"Ok! Ok! You don't have to yell, I won't tell you!" the nurse said. "Jeez! Tough crowd! All right; everything is fine, so I'm going to turn it off and clean you up. Say bye-bye!"
"Bye-bye little one," Mimi cooed, waving to the screen.
"Bye my child." Koushiro said sighing as the screen went dark.
"Now," The nurse said, pulling out a towel and wiping off the gel from the device and Mimi's stomach. "I read over your birth plan, and I must say, it's very organized. The suite is ready and waiting for you, and I really like the idea of having the family involved."
"When should we look for our little one to make an appearance?" Mimi asked.
"Well, you're 6 months along, so I would put the due date around…" she then pulled out a calculator and began feeding numbers into it.”Lets see…About the third week of June…lets call it the 15th."
"June 15th." Koushiro said to himself, smiling. "Father's day."
"Talk about the gift that keeps on giving." The nurse said. "Well, you're all done! You can get dressed and head on out. Now remember if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to—"
By the time she caught herself it was too late. She knew that all expecting fathers had plenty questions, which was understandable, but she knew that Dr. McKnight was a little tired of them calling at 3:00 in the morning just because their wife had gas.
"…call Dr. McKnight…" She sighed, handing Mimi a card, which Koushiro promptly plucked out her hand. He then pulled out his cell phone and began to program the number in.
"Don't forget to set up another appointment with the receptionist at the front desk. See you in three weeks!" She added, walking out the door.
"Alright, thank you." Mimi said, pulling her shirt down over her stomach.
"Thanks ma’am! See you in three weeks." Koushiro called, packing up his laptop.
"Kou-Chan, you did it again." Mimi said, grabbing her purse. "You wore him out!"
"I did not!" Koushiro argued, “I kept my promise!"
"Then why did you program the number in the phone?" Mimi asked, grabbing his phone and showing him the display. "Planning on calling him to come for dinner one night?"
"So, I'm curious! Big deal!"
"You're going to scare this doctor off, I guarantee it." Mimi sighed, shaking her head.
* * *
Dear Diary.
Today I didn't feel like watching TV…or watching a movie or even going shopping...it must be the hormones. Koushiro is at work, and everyone else was going about his or her on business. I just wanted to lie down and spend some quality time with my baby. I pulled up my shirt to my stomach, and wrapped my arms around it, almost trying to give my child its first hug. I remember when I was at work, seeing these pregnant girls walking around looking miserable; trying to hide their stomachs from the world in shame…shame for themselves and the child they carried. How could they feel shame for their own child; a being that is growing, living and thriving inside them? They didn't show shame when they opened up their legs; they shouldn't show shame eight months later, when their stomachs are beach balls. If they can holler and scream in passion, they can holler and scream in pain as an 8-pound child passes through their birth canals. I'm proud of my child…I'm proud of my body…I'm proud of my love…and today I decided to let him…or her...know that.
"Hello, little one. In case you didn't know…I'm your mommy." Mimi cooed to her unborn child. "I'm a bit nervous about what's going to happen once you make your debut here…I'm scared that it's going to hurt a lot…I'm scared that something will go wrong, I'm scared that I won't be a good enough mom for you… but I hope and pray that I can do my absolute best.. I'll make a deal with you; you just concentrate on getting big and strong and healthy, and I'll push you into this world with everything I got and be the best mother I can possibly be for the rest of our lives. How about it, is it a deal? Kick once for yes, and twice for no."
Mimi watched with awe as her palm raised and fell underneath her belly. She smiled. "It's a deal then. Good boy…or girl…or whatever you are. That's right…we don't know what you are, do we? Is there any chance of letting your mommy in on the secret; once for yes, twice for no?"
Mimi watched her palm heave up once…and a few seconds later heave up again. Mimi laughed softly. "Smart, aren't you? Just for that, once you're born, you're grounded."
"I remember falling asleep and having a beautiful dream…Me and Koushiro are going for a walk in the park, pushing a baby stroller along. I never saw the baby in my dream, all I knew was that I was happier that I have ever been in my whole life! I had no worries…just me, my love, and my child. I dreamt we walked down to one of the big fountains and I saw something that just made me laugh hysterically…there was this big orange Koa fish in the fountain…and it swam right towards TK and Kari, who were also walking around this big fountain. According to myth…when a woman dreams of fish, it means someone is or will soon be pregnant. Odd, isn't it?
* * *
Personal Journal Entry:
"I had just finished a day of shopping for Mimi and the baby. I don't think I ever spent that much money in one day before. I came home to the sweetest sight I ever saw before in my life…there she was on the couch, her shirt pulled up to uncover her stomach and her arms cuddling and hugging the child inside. I didn't want to wake her so I quietly pulled off my shoes, tiptoed in the apartment, and walked over to the couch. There she was…my sleeping beauty…resting her beautiful brown eyes…her pink hinted lips in a small smile, her gentle arms and hands wrapped protectively and lovingly over our child. What she must go through every day with this…being in her body. She is my goddess. Quietly as I could, I knelt down beside her, putting my ear to her white, bare, swollen belly whispering quietly…"
"Hello…hello in there? This is your daddy speaking." Koushiro whispered, setting a hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but I just wanted to talk to you about something. We don't know when exactly you'll be coming out of there, we don't even know what you'll be…but what I do know is…you're entering into a family that has more love for you than you know. You have two of the coolest uncles anyone ever had: Uncle Matt will be there to show you the simple joys of life like music and sports. And Uncle Joe will be there to keep your head in the books and teach you everything there is to know about everything. He'll also show you how to reach beyond your imagination and express your creativity. Your mommy will show you how to love and be loved…she's already giving you an example of that now…by carrying you around for 9 months. And I…"
"Will be there for all the rest, my Kou-Chan?" Mimi added, looking down at him, smiling.
Koushiro looked up at her with tears in his eyes, smiling. "Yeah, I'll be there for all the rest…but know this little one…" Koushiro continued…turning back to Mimi's stomach. "I love you…I’ll never leave you…and I love your mommy more than she'll ever know. Hurry up and come out so I can see what you look like, okay?"
After a few seconds, Koushiro felt a big heave from Mimi's stomach up against his cheek. He smiled softly and looked up at Mimi with tears pouring out his eyes.
Mimi smiled warmly "I think he or she hears you."
"I couldn't take it. It was all just too overwhelming, too intimate, and too beautiful for me to bear. I broke down and cried, right there in her arms. This child…OUR child…developing in this woman who I love more than life itself; moving, shifting, kicking. It was all just too much for me. I sobbed over and over again, Mimi hugging and kissing me. With that little movement I felt just then, that heave…that kick…that shift…I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was going to be a father…"
"What's wrong, Kou-Chan?" Mimi asked, when "Please tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong…It's just that…I've never been this happy before…" Koushiro sniffled. "This whole thing has made me realize that I love you more than I ever loved anything before in my life! I love you so much!" He began sobbing again.
"Awwww, Kou-Chan…I love you too…I love you so much more. I love you more so now that we're going to bring this child into this world together, I love that we're going to be better parents that ours were, I love that we're going to raise this child together, I love every aspect of that just as much as I love you." Mimi said, kissing him over and over, a tear streaming down her cheek.
Koushiro gasped between sobs. "I'm also scared about what can happen when it's time…I'm scared of what can go wrong, I'm scared of all the things that can happen to this child during birth. I don't think I can bear losing this child…even worse, I don't think I can LIVE if I lost you! I love you! I love you!" he sobbed out.
"Oh Kou-Chan," Mimi sighed, gently petting him on the head. "I'm more scared than you! I'm scared beyond scared, but I know I'm going to be all right! The baby is going to be all right too. People do this every single day! It's going to be just fine."
"Really?"
"No, I'm just lying to you…OF COURSE!" Mimi laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I never felt this loved before in my whole life. Nobody has ever shown me the amount of love you show me. Your love really has made this pregnancy go smoother than I thought it would. I can feel it; the baby can feel it. I can feel the way it moves whenever we're together; almost like it's jumping for joy."
"Imagine what it's going to be like when it's born." Koushiro said, smiling. "I'm so sorry, princess, for breaking down like that. I don't know what came over me."
"Chalk it up to the moment. The intensity of the moment just washed over you unexpectedly. It happens to the best of us. If you hadn't cried, I sure would have."
* * *
TWO MONTHS LATER…
"Breathe in and breathe out. Let your muscles relax..." Koushiro whispered in Mimi's ear. "Try to picture a calming place in your mind. A computer store perhaps, during there 50 off sale on all hardware and software..."
"Koushiro..." Mimi growled. "If you mention computer parts one more time…"
"All right, Sheesh! That's the most relaxing thing I could think of!"
"I'm lying on a bed going through labor and you're talking about computer parts?" Mimi exclaimed, pulling his red hair.
"OW!" Koushiro cried. "The Lamaze coach said you had to visualize a pleasant and peaceful place."
Koushiro and Mimi came in around 1:00 that morning, after she complained of a sharp pain shooting up her back and radiating around her stomach. On the trip to the hospital, while Koushiro was calling his friends on his cell, Mimi felt a great gush of water gush out from her, soaking the seat.
When they arrived, the doctor on call told them that Mimi was 7 centimeters dilated and immediately led her to the home delivery suite. It looked like a regular Japanese home, with a living area in the front, a bedroom in the back and a connecting bathroom. The on call nurse told them that when their doctor designed this room, he wanted a home like environment instead of a sterile hospital environment.
"Are you ready for the others to come in?" Koushiro asked, standing from the bed.
Mimi took in a deep breath. "Yeah, they can come in. I'm safe now."
* * *
"How much longer will this take?" Davis whined, sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor. "My soccer games don't last this long even when we go into overtime!"
"This isn't a soccer game you dumb duck! It's the birth of a living thing!" Yolei said, sitting on the couch. "It will take as long as it needs to, so sit down and shut up!" Yolei demanded.
All Ken could do was laugh. That was what he loved about Yolei; she was a girl who spoke her mind like it or not.
"Hey, do I have to separate you two?" Tai said, pouring a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, this isn't the time or place for fighting." Sora said, sighing. "We're here to give Mimi and Koushiro moral support not to moderate you and Davis."
Just then, Koushiro stuck his head out the closed bedroom door. "You can come on in; the contraction's over, she won't bite your head off now!"
"Where's the doctor?" Sora asked as Mimi groaned under the pain of another contraction. "Shouldn't he be here by now?"
"He's on his way now; he had to pick up his assistant." Koushiro said with a worried look toward Mimi. "The contractions are coming closer together, and I'm afraid he won't make it in time. I’ll go ask the nurse if she knows anything.”
“Hurry back.” Mimi said, releasing his hand as he walked to the front door.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The redhead replied, opening the front door. “Hey, guys? Did you leave your shoes at the main entrance?”
“No…we left them at the door.” Tai said, looking down at his floppy white socks. “Why do you ask?”
“Umm…they’re not here.” Koushiro said, pointing to the empty cubby hole boxes next to the door in the foyer. “There’s a sign; “All shoes not placed in the appropriate holds will be subject to disposal by housekeeping crews for sanitary reasons.”
"Davis, I asked you to straighten out our shoes by the door when we first arrived!" Yolei roared.
"I forgot!" Davis said in his own defense. “I was caught up in the magic moment!"
"I give you a 'magic moment' you lowdown-!" Yolei yelled.
Then, with a purple-socked foot, she promptly dropkicked Davis, who then began to tackle Yolei to the ground.
Tyson and Holyfield would have been in awe at the way they were fighting. Heck, Goku and Vegeta would have been in awe at the way they were fighting.
"Do we have any bets on who's going to win?" Tai said jokingly.
"I got 10 to 1 on my wife." Ken said, laughing. "I better bet on her, otherwise I'm gonna get the same thing when we get home!
"I'll take those odds!" T.K said, whipping out $5. "Davis got a glass jaw; he's no match for Yolei's upper cut!"
"Do you know how much those shoes cost?" Yolei growled, decking Davis in the gut.
"You should have straightened up your own shoes you big baby!" Davis said, trying to grab her arms.
The violent struggle and gambling continued on, muffling the sound of the front door opening.
"Oh, can you feel the love in the room?" Dr. McKnight said rolling his eyes as he removed his shoes and tucked them in the cubbyhole along the wall.
"You should have seen them 15 years ago," Joe said with a remembering grin as Koushiro ran past them toward the bathroom. “This is tame by comparison.”
"Hey doc," Tai said, walking over. "Do you want in on this action?" he asked, gesturing towards the scrap.
"Not today." Dr. McKnight said, "Maybe next time." He then stuck two fingers in his mouth, padded over to the fighting pair, took a deep breath and blew loudly, sending a shrill whistle throughout the room. "YO! CHILL THE HELL OUT!" He shouted.
Almost immediately, Davis and Yolei froze in their tracks. Yolei had Davis in a headlock, and Davis had gathered a handful of her hair and was about to start yanking. They both looked completely embarrassed.
"There, that's better." Dr. McKnight said with a smile. "Now, will someone please show me to the laboring mother?"
Dr. Josh McKnight was a tall, chocolate brown and extremely handsome man of 32. His bright, brown eyes twinkled behind his wire-rimmed glasses.
"How are you Mimi?" Dr. McKnight asked, pulling out a stethoscope and setting one end on Mimi's stomach. "Frequent, strong contractions?"
'Yeah, I just had one when you came in." Mimi panted, holding Koushiro's hand.
"Ok, lets see how far along you are," Dr McKnight said pulling on a pair of white gloves and putting them in the birth canal. "Oh and by the way, I talked to the housekeeping manager in the hallway, and heard about your little problem. Don't worry; the sign is just a bluff. Your shoes are at the front desk."
Yolei gave Davis a sharp, swift kick in the leg. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Just because you're standing there." Yolei growled under her breath.
"Congratulations! You're 10 centimeters dilated, it's time to push," Dr. McKnight said. "Now, according to your birth plan you only planned on having the ladies in the room?"
Koushiro nodded. "Sorry guys. I tried."
"It's all right, Koushiro." Tai said, turning towards the door. "We understand."
"Ok, you guys, everyone out," Yolei called, pushing Davis and the other guys out the room. "Let's go! No guys allowed in except the doctor and the daddy!"
"But I'm the doctor's assistant!" Joe stuttered as Yolei pushed him towards the door. "I have to stay!"
"Let him stay, please." Dr. McKnight said, trying not to laugh. "He won't be any trouble. I'll keep an eye on him."
"All right, if you say so doc." Yolei sighed, letting go of Joe, but giving Davis a swift kick to the bottom. "Move it!"
"We should go too." Sora said, following the guys out the room. "Thanks for the thought, Mimi. But we really shouldn't be here."
"Yeah," Kari agreed, following. "We'll wait outside with the—"
As Kari turned to walk out, Yolei stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Oh, no you don't!" Yolei said, waving a finger. "You sit right over there and you watch. You're going to go through this same thing in 4 months time, so you need to sit down and pay attention."
"But I don't think—"
"No buts! You sit right over there in that chair and you pay attention!" Yolei ordered, grabbing her shoulders and sitting her down in a wooden chair right at the foot of the bed, looking up at Mimi. "Take notes if you have to."
"Oh alright." Kari sighed. "I don't know what I can learn from sitting here. I'll just be in the way."
"Good luck, Mimi." Yolei said with a big hug. "I'll be outside rooting for you."
The hug would have lasted longer, but Mimi was having a contraction, and the only thing she could say between "Thank-you!"
"Where's Koushiro?" Kari asked, looking around the room.
"I-don't-know-but-he'd-better-hurry!" Mimi said panting heavily. "Kou-Chan, where are you?" She yelled out.
"Whoa!" Dr. McKnight called out as he parted Mimi’s legs. "The head is right here. Dad, you better get out here unless you want to hear about this second hand!"
"Here I am! I went to put on my lucky charm!" Koushiro said, padding towards the bed.
"I know you don't have those things on again!" Mimi said grimacing in pain and at the thought.
"They got me through the digital world; they can get me through this!" Koushiro said pouting childishly.
"I'm lost here," Dr. McKnight said, setting things up. "What lucky charm?"
"Look at his feet, doctor." Joe said, pointing down.
On his feet, he had on a bright pair of faded olive green socks. Although they were clean, they looked as though they been through better days.
"Okay…that’s interesting…” Dr. McKnight said, blinking. “Get on the side of your wife and hold her hand and back for support. Mimi, on my count I want you to push and push hard unless I tell you otherwise."
"I love you so much right now," Koushiro said with a tear in his eye.
"And I, you" Mimi said giving him a peck on the cheek. "But I'm never doing this again!"
They both shared a warm smile, but only for a second. Mimi started to frown as a strong contraction sliced across her belly like a hot knife. She screamed loudly.
"Okay, here we go. Big contraction, and push it out, Mimi, I can see the head," Dr. McKnight encouraged. "Push, push, push. Here we go. The head is almost out."
Slowly, the child's forehead became visible...then the eyes; closed as though in a slumber, and finally, with a great yell from Mimi and one final back arch, she brought her child's head into the world.
Mimi fell back on Koushiro, crying and screaming from both pain and sheer relief... Her hands now feeling on her child's head...she let her fingers gently caress every wrinkle on it's forehead, it's little nose, it's small mouth, it's stubbornly closed eyes..."Kou-Chan, look…it's our baby…our child." She whispered to him, kissing his cheek.
Koushiro was kissing and whispering messages of love and hope and encouragement, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Beautiful!" Dr. McKnight said "Joe, I need the bulb syringe, please."
Joe handed the pump to him and the doctor then suctioned out the baby's nose and mouth clean. His eyes rolled around in his head.
"Joe, I forbid you to faint. You are an OB-GYN in training. You had better get used to this or else you’ll never make it.” Dr. McKnight said, looking at him over the top of his glasses.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Joe sighed, sitting in a wooden chair by the bed. "I still get a little bit sick at the sight of blood."
"You'll never get your OB residency with that weak gut." Dr. McKnight said, shaking his head. "Are you sure you don't want to step out?"
"No, no, I'm fine."
"All right, if you say so." Dr. McKnight said, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "Alright, Mimi, we're almost there." Dr. McKnight said, "Just a few more pushes, and we can see you little blessing."
Pushing went easier this time, now that the head was out...the shoulder being the widest part. It took everything she could channel from her body to pass them through her birth canal. After that, things went very quickly...the chest emerged next, followed by the abdomen...it was then when Dr. McKnight grabbed Mimi's hands and set them under the baby's armpits.
"Mimi, I want you to deliver the rest of the way. Just push normally and gently pull the baby on your stomach and chest."
Mimi leaned back against Koushiro, pushing while gently pulling her child's lower waist, legs and finally feet from her body, releasing the remaining fluids and blood out her body. She screamed loudly; a cry of relief for ending the 9 month ordeal, and a cry of joy for her new child, who was now starting to open its mouth and cry...
"It's a girl." Dr. McKnight announced covering mother and daughter in a blanket.
Koushiro gasped in short, uncontrollable sobs as Mimi gently laid her new baby girl on her bare chest...close to her heart. "Hello beautiful." She said, kissing her on the forehead. "Hello. I'm your mommy…yes…I'm your mommy…" She cooed, as the baby opened her eyes for the first time, revealing hazel colored eyes, wet with fresh tears.
"Would you like to cut the cord, dad?" Dr. McKnight asked.
All Koushiro did was nod, to overcome with tears and emotion to speak. He took the scissors and cut where the doctor instructed. "My daughter… My soul mate…My two sweet blessings from heaven." He said, as he curled up in the bed next to Mimi, kissing his new daughter on her forehead.
Mimi was laughing and crying and holding her new daughter as if she wouldn't ever let go.
Kari ran out the room to deliver the good news.
"I think I hear something!" Davis said, stooped by the doorway, listening.
Indeed, he did hear something, Kari knocking him flat on the floor.
"It's a girl, it's a girl!" Kari was saying over and over. There was a big cheer from all around the room.
All the Digi-destined raced toward the door to see her, stepping over poor, unconscious Davis, but Joe stepped out and closed it behind him.
"They need a moment to clean up and check the baby out, but everything looks good!" he said with a weak grin.
"Hooray..." Davis weakly cheered from the floor before passing out.
"So, Joe," Sora asked, stepping on Davis back. "What was it like? How was your first birth?"
"Whew!" Joe sighed, plopping down in a couch. "It was bloody, it was sticky, but you know what, it wasn't that bad." He said with a grin. "I think I can really get into this."
"Hope so." TK said, wrapping an arm around Kari. "We gotta do the same thing in a few months." He continued, setting a hand on Kari's rounded stomach.
* * *
They came in as quiet as mice, but they looked like they wanted to explode.
When they came in, Mimi was under the covers with a pink and orange blanket in her arms. Koushiro was lying next to her on top of the blankets, cooing and tickling his new baby girl. Both had big smiles on their faces.
"Oh, she's so cute!" Yolei said peeking into the blanket at the child.
"She sure is," Dr. McKnight said as he filled out the birth certificate. "all 8 pounds 9 ounces of her that is. Right now, she's the heaviest baby girl I delivered this year. No offence."
"None taken," Mimi cooed. "In fact it's a relief. Now I know that all that weight I put on was just the baby!"
"So what's her name?" Tai said with excitement in his voice.
"Koumiko. Koumiko Izumi." Koushiro said with pride.
"Well," TK began, giving Kari a hug. "We should be hitting the road; ready to go, Kari?"
"Yeah, let’s roll." Kari said, walking over to the bed. "Bye Koumiko." Kari whispered into the blanket. "I'll see you later."
Koumiko gurgled up at her. Kari grinned.
* * *
"So how was it," T.K. asked for the 10th time as they drove home.
Kari was looking out the window with a Mona Lisa enigmatic smile on her face
"Hello, Earth to Kari, this is ground control, come in please!" T.K. called out. "The only reason I am pestering you is because you and I have to go through the same thing in 2 months!" T.K. said sounding a little annoyed.
"What did you say," Kari asked looking at T.K with a definite sparkle in her eyes.
"Never mind," T.K said, finally understanding. "I was asking how everything in the delivery room went."
"It was so incredible," Kari said with a deep passion. "Watching a new live come into this world is like watching a sunset on the beach with the waves crashing to the shore uncovering shells and precious stones in the sand."
T.K looked at her with an unmistakable quizzical glance. "That's a little too artistic for me, thank you very much. I just wanted to know if it was messy or not!"
Kari just rolled her eyes and said "Sometimes I wonder about you."
(TO BE CONTINUED)
