Kazuto's p.o.v.
I was on my way to the doctor's office when I got a call from Liz. I picked up the phone, then listened to her frantic voice over the phone. My eyes widened in horror as I heard what she was saying. I immediately turned the car around and headed to the hospital Liz had said they were at.
As soon as I got to the hospital, I ran into the E.R. to find Asuna on a cot, unconscious. I ran over to her and took her hand. She had a large bruise forming on her forehead. Liz sat in the chair by Asuna's bed with a worried look on her face. The doctor beside her, whom I hadn't noticed when I walked in, tapped my shoulder.
"I assume you're the husband? Are you aware of the situation?", she asked.
"I heard she got hit and passed out. Will she be ok?", I asked.
"Well, she should wake up soon. The good news is that no real damage was done to either her or the children. She is severely dehydrated, which is the main reason she passed out. We've got an I.V. on her right now. When she wakes up, she'll need to stay here until she gets a little more strength up. We'll release her when she is no longer dehydrated and we feel it's safe to let her go.", the doctor said.
I looked at the nametag on her coat. Dr. Mabuchi. She wrote something down on her clipboard and then walked off. I looked over at Liz, who didn't even look me in the eyes. I knew it wasn't her fault and I didn't blame her for it, either. If it was anybody's fault, it was mine. I was at work so much that I didn't know if Asuna had really been ok. She said she was, but if I thought about it, she didn't really look like it. She'd gotten pale and had less and less energy.
Liz and I sat there in silence by Asuna. I held onto my wife's hand and watched her face. When she finally woke up, twenty minutes later, she groaned and reached for her head. I stood up. She looked at me and smiled faintly.
"I guess I fainted, huh?", she said weakly.
I laid my head on her shoulder and hugged her as relief washed over me. She put an arm around me, hugging me back.
"Don't scare me like that. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I couldn't bare to go through life without seeing your smile.", I said, my voice cracking a little.
"Sorry for making you worry. I'm ok, now.", Asuna said
"Is she awake?", the doctor's voice said from behind me.
I let Asuna go and nodded, straightening up and clearing my throat. Dr. Mabuchi walked over and started checking the different things on the screens that were hooked up to Asuna. She wrote things down on her clipboard and then put it down.
"Mrs. Kirigaya, you've dehydrated yourself. In order to get the nutrients they need, your unborn children are taking it from your body. We're going to keep you here for a few days until you are back to a healthy state. I believe your normal doctor is Dr. Sato? I'll have him notified and tell him to come here for your regular appointments until you're discharged. For now, we'll be moving you to room 306.", Dr. Mabuchi said.
Asuna nodded and looked down at her hands. She looked a little embarrassed, but was too stubborn to show it. The doctor put her clipboard down on a chair, then walked away from the bed and brought back a wheelchair. She helped Asuna into it and started pushing her down the hallway, motioning for us to follow.
I followed close behind them with Liz . My eyes didn't leave Asuna until I was asked to open the door to room 306. I pushed it open, then walked over to the bed. The doctor took Asuna into the bathroom to change her into a nightgown, then they came back out and Asuna was put in the bed.
"After I hook up the I.V., I'll have to run some tests, so I'll need some blood. After that, I'll leave you alone and you can rest.", Dr. Mabuchi said.
Asuna nodded and held out her arm, which already had a needle in it. Dr. Mabuchi plugged a tube into it. Next, she took out a syringe from a drawer and put on some gloves. She took the needle and poked Asuna's arm, filling it up with blood. She withdrew the needle and then put the cap on it.
"Ok, get plenty of rest. That means stay laying down and don't fight the urge to sleep. If you exhaust yourself, too, you could very well lose one or both of your children.", the doctor said.
I sat down in the chair at her bedside. Liz was standing in the corner of the room by the door and hugging her purse tightly. Any time I looked at her, she just shut her eyes and looked down. I knew that she blamed herself, but it really wasn't her fault.
Dr. Mabuchi left and shut the door behind her. Liz stayed silent, along with Asuna, who just looked down at her hand in mine. She looked like she was thinking.
"I have to go. Um, I'm supposed to meet Klein in a little while, so I can't just leave him waiting. I- I gotta go.", Liz said said suddenly. I saw tears roll down her face as she flung the door open and ran out.
"I'm gonna go catch her.", I said, letting go of Asuna's hand and standing up.
"Just don't hurt her.", Asuna said.
I nodded and ran after Liz. She wasn't that hard to catch, no offense to her, but she wasn't very agile. I caught up with her in the parking lot and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to look at me.
"Hey! What's wrong with you? I'm not talking about this incident, you've been acting different lately. You're distant. What made you this way?", I asked, grabbing her shoulders and holding her there in front of me.
"It's my fault. Not just this, but Yui, Thea, everything. It's my fault. I was the one who was with Yui and Thea when they died. I was the one who took them there. Plus, if I hadn't asked Asuna out to lunch, she wouldn't have gotten hit by that ball and passed out. She could be at home, getting better right now, but instead, she's in the hospital. It's just all because of me.", she said, squeezing her eyes shut and looking down at the ground as tears spilled out of her closed eyes and fell.
"It is not your fault. None of it is! Asuna was dehydrated. Yui and Thea were an accident! Liz, look at me! Nobody blames you and you shouldn't blame yourself, either. Liz, you aren't the reason for any of this. If anything, you were a help in bringing Asuna here. If she'd been alone, who knows how long it would have been before she got to a hospital.", I said as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.", she sobbed.
I hugged her close to me and let her cry. This was the least I could do for her. She didn't hug me back or anything, she just stood there and cried into my shoulder, apologizing over and over again for anything and everything. We stood there until her tears ran out and she was hiccupping from crying so much.
"I'll call Klein to come pick you up.", I said.
"Thanks.", she squeaked, still wiping tears from her face.
"No problem.", I said, letting go of her and pulling out my phone. I dialed #5 on speed dial and waited for Klein to pick up. On the third ring, he picked up the phone.
"Hello? Kazuto? Have you seen Liz? She texted me, saying to meet her at her house, but she isn't here.", he said.
"Yeah, she's here with me at the hospital. Can you come pick her up?", I asked.
"Why is she at the hospital? Is she hurt? How bad is it?", Klein asked, sounding panicked. I could hear him running, then getting in his car and starting it.
"She brought Asuna, who collapsed. Liz is fine. I just need you to come get her.", I said.
"I'm on my way. What happened to Asuna?", he asked.
"She got dehydrated and then she got hit with a baseball. It knocked her out, but she'll be ok in a few days.", I said. I wanted to believe that, but I had nagging worry that wouldn't go away, no matter how much I told myself that she'd be ok.
"Well, at least it isn't something more serious. I'm two minutes away. I'll be right there.", Klein said.
"Ok, thanks. See ya.", I said, hanging up the phone.
Liz was standing somewhat awkwardly on the sidewalk in front of me. I patted her on the shoulder and leaned against the onning of the hospital entrance.
"I'll wait with you until he gets here. He'll be here in about two minutes.", I said
"Thanks.", she said, leaning on the wall beside me.
I nodded and crossed my arms across my chest, looking out on all the cars in the parking lot. I wasn't much of a car person, but I didn't mind looking at them. They were pretty cool.
A couple of minutes passed and Klein drove up in his truck. He smiled and waved at me as Liz got in and buckled up. I waved back, then turned and walked back into the hospital. My shirt was kind of wet from Liz crying, but it wasn't that bad and I could easily wash it out. I walked back to Asuna's room to find her asleep again. I sat down beside her bed and took her hand. I laid my head down on the bed and closed my eyes, thinking about what a perfect day it started out as, then how it suddenly hit a decline that went straight down into a pit of bad things.
A thought occurred to me. Her father would kill me if I didn't tell him right now what happened. I sat back up and pulled out my phone, going straight to his contact and calling him. I stood up and went out into the hallway so that I didn't wake Asuna up.
"Hello?", he answered.
"Hey, Boss. I just thought I would let you know that Asuna had to go to the hospital today. She got hit by a baseball and passed out of dehydration.", I explained.
"Is she ok? She isn't hurt, is she?", he asked.
"No, she'll be ok. They'll keep her here for a few days to watch her and make sure she stays hydrated, but then she'll be going home. the most that the baseball did was leave a bruise on her forehead.", I said.
"I'm coming over to see her. I'll tell her mother.", he said.
"Yes sir. She's asleep right now, but that shouldn't stop you. I'm gonna stay here with her for the next few days.", I said.
"Ok. Thank you for letting me know.", he said.
I hung up the phone and then walked back into the room. Asuna hadn't moved or woken up, so I sat back down and laid my head down again, grabbing her hand. I hoped she'd be alright. I hoped that our twins would be alright. I just didn't want to lose any of them. I knew that there was an incredibly small chance that that would happen, but I was still worried.
I closed my eyes and prayed that Asuna and our babies would all make it through this. I prayed that I would never have to wake up without Asuna. Without her smile.
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Well, that's it for me for today. I've had severe writer's block on this book. Don't worry, I promise not to kill off any more characters, sorry again about the last time I did that, but I would happily take any suggestions that you guys have. Feel free to message me or leave a comment. I love to hear from you guys and I hope you all have an awesome day. I remain your humble supreme taco. Any you are still all my little magic tacos. (I had to bring that back, just once.)
-Scarlet