Chapter 2 – And then you were born

 I sat on the dry grass as I continued to stare at Maki’s gravestone. I traced my fingers on each letters and numbers engraved on it. As I reread the gravestone, my gaze halted at her birth date, October 6, 1988……….the day she came into this strange world.

[Flashback - Oct 06, 1988]

I watched them disappear behind the closing doors and into the delivery room. I felt a sudden curiosity spiked within me. I wonder what they're going to do to her. 'Maybe they're going to punish her for making too much noise,' I smirked at that thought. I decided to check it out.

While the guards were busy chatting with the receptionist, I quietly and slowly made my way through the sliding doors and into an empty hallway. As I walked down the hallway I noticed several nurses entering and exiting out of a room at the end of the corridor. I dodged the running nurses and I made my way towards the last room on the left. Inside the room I recognized the woman lying on the hospital bed.

I hesitated to go inside the room. Suddenly a nurse bumped onto me as I stood outside the entrance. When the head nurse saw me, she gave me a weird look as if she was suspecting me or something.

“Are you her husband?” the head nurse asked.

Husband? I thought to myself. “Yes,” I told her. She gave me another weird look and finally her eyes became gentle. She instructed me to stand next to her and support her. I did what she instructed me to do, I walked over to the bedside and stood beside her. I looked down at the woman and stared at her perspiring face. Her head was tilted back and her legs were up and widespread. She really looked like she was in a lot pain, but I didn't know why. I looked around the room, and there were sharp objects everywhere. I saw various sized needles and different sized knives. Are they going to torture her? I wondered again.

“Ok everyone standby!” the head nurse instructed everyone in the room including me. The nurses went over to their stations and they began preparing.

A man wearing a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck suddenly barged into the room. He walked over to the head nurse and asked her a few questions. She nodded at him and shook her head at times. I wonder if they are talking about her punishment.

The nurse handed the doctor some kind of needle that he then inserted into the woman.

What in the world is that? I thought.

The doctor then looked up and saw me. He stared at me strangely just like how the nurse looked at me a while ago.

“Are you her husband?” the doctor asked.

I didn’t answer him right away. I don’t know if I should say yes or no this time. After some thought, I finally decided to say ‘yes.’ “Yes, I am” I replied back. The doctor just nodded his head and turned his back towards me. Why do these people keep asking me if I was her husband? Does it really matter? My thoughts were disrupted when I heard a loud scream come from the woman. I turned my attention towards her. She clutched the bed sheets with her hands as she cried in pain.

The doctor positioned himself in front of her open legs. He held out his arms and hands as if he was about to catch something. ‘Hmm.......’

“Ok, Mrs. Horikita deep breaths!” He instructed her. I watch her inhale and exhale rapidly. The head nurse glanced at me. When she saw me just standing there doing nothing she gave me another suspicious look. “Aren’t you going to hold her hand?” She asked me.

Hold her hand? Why would I want to hold her hand?

“I know you’re scared and nervous, well in this situation all men are scared and nervous. Hold her hand and comfort her.” She suggested. She gave me a warm and reassuring smile. I nodded and walked closer to the woman. I glanced at her face and she just looked at me with that same gaze she gave before. I gently took her hand and clutched it lightly in mine. Her hand felt moist and warm.

“Deep breaths........and PUSH!” He instructed her. I was surprise by his sudden command. Push? Was he talking to me? I wondered. I looked around and no one seemed to be paying attention to me. Everyone's attention was directed at her. I suddenly felt her hand grip my hand tighter. I returned my attention back to her and I noticed her teeth clenching, her eyes shut, and her whole body shaking. She was pushing...........but what is she pushing??? EHHH!???

I began to panic. What the hell is going on here?! I let go of the woman’s hand and I backed away a little bit. I watched nervously from the side as she pushed and pushed. I didn’t know what to do. Then I remembered what the nurse had told me a minute ago. I went back to bed side and I grabbed her hand gripped her hand tighter with both my hands now, and I watched her push and push, as the doctor instructed her.

"It's coming out!" The doctor declared. From between her legs, I saw something slowly begin to appear. My jaw dropped when I saw something that seemed like a shoulder. What in the world is that?!?!

“PUSH!!!” The doctor instructed her again. She pushed again with all her might, and before I knew it a head slowly crept out from below her.

OH MY GOD!!! What the hell are these people trying to do!?? My forehead and my palms began to sweat. I was both anxious and scared to see what’ll come out of her. I gulped as I continue to watch this strange ‘ritual.’

“PUSH!!!” He said again. She pushed again and slowly arms and hands began to appear. I watched ‘it’ intently as it slowly came out from between her legs.

“PUSH!!!” the doctor instructed once again. For one last time she pushed with all her might, and finally the whole ‘thing’ finally came out of her. The doctor caught 'it' in his arms and he smiled at it sweetly. I returned my attention back to the woman and I noticed her breathing became slower. She was smiling and was gazing at the thing. And then, without another second, she lost consciousness. I let go of her hand and it dropped to her side. I stared at her peaceful face and I couldn't help but smile at her.

“Welcome to the world honey.” The doctor whispered. I returned my attention back to that thing. It was so small. It’s like a mini version of these mortals. The head nurse gently tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around and she was holding out a pair of scissors. I stared at them strangely.

“Take it.” She told me.

"Why?" I asked her curiously.

"So you could cut it." she answered back.

“Cut what?” I asked her confused at what she meant by it.

“The umbilical cord.” The nurse walked over to the doctor and that thing. She pointed her index finger at a slimy-stringy looking thing that was connected from the woman to that 'thing.' I slowly waked over to the doctor and then I stared at that slimy looking thing again. I didn’t want to touch it for it looked really disgusting. Although it was covered in blood, there’s no way I would want to eat that. I’m a high class vampire after all.

She hold out the scissor in front of me again. I took it from her and I positioned the scissors in front of the ‘umbilical cord.' I made a slow and precised cut through it. Everyone clapped after I had cut it. The doctor then handed that ‘thing’ over to a nurse where she wrapped it with a cloth and carried her to the other room.

After she had wiped away all of the blood off of her, she handed it to me and placed it in my arms. “Here’s your baby sir. Congratulations!” She said happily. “By the way, it’s a girl!” she added.

I looked down at that thing they called a ‘baby’ and stared at it blankly. The baby moved around my arms I hold on to it tightly so that it won’t fall. I looked down at the baby's face and I  noticed her eyes beginning to slowly open . My jaw dropped when I saw her beautiful glistening eyes. It was round and big and I felt so drawn to it. I was in awe. Without knowing, a smile slowly crept upon my face.

‘What a beautiful creature.’ I thought as I cradled her in my arms. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life before. I never felt as honored as to witnessing this beautiful creature’s coming to this world. At that moment, I was in so much bliss.

[End of Flashback]

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A/N: Hey! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks Thea-3 for commenting on my story. I'm glad you liked it. To all the new readers who subscribed, please leave a comment. I really do appreciate them =]

Pls stay tune for chapter 3!!! =D

Chapter three: Banished

(8/19/09) edited (1/7/10)