The Dream Shifter

Chapter 98

While Momoko could drive, they did not have a car since their mother used to get to work. The company that she worked for was the same that their father had and sat on the far outside of the city, nearly standing alone. They did not know much about what it was, but they were told it was medical research. Both of them knew that their father and mother had met during their years in the university. Their father was considered a genius having completed his PhD two years early and quickly became one of the fore most experts in Japan on neurology. So while they never talked about their work, Momoko and Yuki had assumed that they were working on neurology at the research company. It had provided them with their house and their life style, since both of them work and love their jobs so much. Being the work-a-holic that their father was it had provided them with a house being completely paid for, even if it was pretty modest compared to others with his paycheck. But money never seemed to matter to him and he still managed to find time for his family. It was the only thing that had saved them after both of their parents were gone, all Momoko had to do was pay for the utility bills and food with no debts having been left behind.

It had become pretty clear how well off they had been when they arrived at the hospital to see such treatment being provided to their mother. At the time they did not know it, but the company had hired the best specialists to look after her and spared no expense in trying to save her life.

It had become pretty clear how well off they had been when they arrived at the hospital to see such treatment being provided to their mother. At the time they did not know it, but the company had hired the best specialists to look after her and spared no expense in trying to save her life.  

Yuki and Momoko were let into their mother's room with the other doctors and nurses departing to give them time. Momoko was the first to run over to her bed seeing all of the tubes that were connected up to her. Her face was still uncovered, but looked asleep until Momoko arrived. "Mom! Mom!" It had been her voice that completely woke her up. She turned her head towards her seeing Momoko returning to tears at the side of her bed with fears that she could not hope to allay.

Their mother stretched out her hand, from resting on the covers, to weakly place her hand on Momoko's head patting her calmly. She had a comforting smile on her face as though everything was going to be alright, though it was unclear if she was already aware of her fading health and had come to terms. "Don't cry, my dear. Everything's fine." Over Momoko's shoulder she could see Yuki standing near the door still trying to look brave for her. It made her smile grow. "Come over here, Yuki…"

The welcoming tone of hearing his mother was all it took to c***k his wall and he was burying his head in her bed next to Momoko trying not to cry even though he could stop himself. "…mother…" Her gentle hand touching him only made it worse for him as he could not bear to look at her.

"It'll be alright, you two," their mother said before she started to cough. It alerted both of them to look up at her trying to come to her aid. Once she had calmed down she smiled down at them. "It's okay, I'm just a little overworked. I'll be fine in a couple days."

An hour passed for them until they agreed to leave their mother's side. Yuki walked off down the hallway toward the first person that he saw with Momoko chasing after him confused. He looked up at the doctor coming out of a room forcing him to look at him. "What does she have?" he said bluntly.

"Yuki!" Momoko said tugging on his clothes trying to get him to move on. "We need to go home!"

Yuki was too stubborn and strong to let her drag him away. He stared at the doctor, who was a little confused with a strange kid standing in his way. "Tell me!"

"Who are you?"

"Our mother's in the room!" said Yuki pointing down the hall towards the room.

The doctor took a glance and slowly was able to put together the piece. "Oh you're Tomiko Hayashi's children!" He flipped through the clip boards that he had in hand searching for something. Once he found it he quickly went through the pages. "Well, I'm not sure what to say."

"I demand that you tell me!"

"Yuki! Please, calm down!"

"Momo, he knows!"

The two siblings fighting gave him a brief moment to gather himself. He cleared this throat before starting getting their attention. "From what we've been able to do, we don't know. Her health is poor, but we don't know why. There's no signs of anything that would cause it. I'm sorry."

Yuki was not going to be taking that for an answer and grabbed the man by his tie nearly choking him as he pulled him down to his eye level. "The hell you don't! She's our mother. We have a right to know what it is!"

"Ugh! I-I told you I don't…know!" The man choked on his words feeling his tie becoming even tighter around his neck.

Momoko leapt to the man's defense grabbing on Yuki's wrist to try to free the suffering doctor. "Yuki! Please, he doesn't know!"

"They're hiding it from us! Because we just children in their eyes!"

"Yuki!" Momoko had gotten in his face at this point to try to calm him down from hurting the man anymore than he already had. She placed her hands on his shoulders connecting her eyes with him, revealing the tears that pained her to show her brother doing this because of their mother. "That's enough, Yuki. Don't hurt him, please! Think of mom!"

Hearing the words from Momoko hit a cord inside him making his eyes snap wide for a moment before narrowing in disgust. He tossed the tie back along with enough force to knock the man into the wall. "Tch! Fine!" Yuki walked off towards the elevator ignoring the both of them.

"I'm so sorry! Please forgive him, sir!" Momoko bowed deeply to the injured man hoping that he would not hold it against Yuki. She turned around and ran after Yuki to catch up to him quickly. Yuki was already stepping in to the elevator as Momoko arrived, barely sneaking before it closed. The long ride down was awkwardly silent between them as she could see Yuki aggressive side surfacing. She searched for some way that might break up the atmosphere. "I-If…they can't find wrong with mom, then maybe it's just exhaustion like she says, Yuki!"

"Hrmph!" said Yuki lowly crossing his arms not willing to lose his frustration at the moment.

Momoko remained quiet the rest of the way home. When they returned home they agreed not to say anything to their brothers since it seemed like their mother would be getting better soon. It was difficult for them to keep it between themselves and explain their mother's disappearance from the house, but they managed somehow.

Unfortunately, Yuki seemed to get even more violent in the days that followed. He had been easier to provoke before, but he was going out of his way looking for everyone and anyone to fight. It no longer mattered to him so long as there was someone lying on the ground afterwards. And each day he would visit their mother, as she slowly began to worsen in her condition. She had asked him each day to not be so upset. It only seemed to make him even angrier at school leaving anyone that did not fear him to do so then.

One night visiting the hospital alone, Momoko was working around the house, Yuki had overheard the nurses talking that were personally attached to their mother's room. He had been coming around the corner and caught their voices making him pause to listen.

"Did you hear that she got another call from the school?"

"Don't they realize that she doesn't need the stress?"

"She's the only parent left and her son's such a bully!"

"She seems to only be getting worse too."

"Especially after those calls."

"I don't know if she'll be able to take another call in her state."

Yuki could only freeze next to the wall as fear gripped him like he had never known. He was paralyzed with his eyes wide in shock at hearing the nurses. He had not known. She had never said anything to him about getting any calls. Yuki assumed she had heard about him attacking the doctor and she wanted him to calm down. However, he could not think of anything else, but a single thought that echoed through his mind repeatedly, even today. 'She's sick because of me! It's my fault! I killed her!'