Lightning Crashes

Aurora reached out as she had another contraction and squeezed Mamouru's hand as if her baby depended on it. He probably had experience with pain, but not coming from a woman in labor. She was wearing an unflattering hospital gown, and the long hair she had grown out was ponytailed behind her head so it wouldn't be in the way. "Don't leave my side," she said after another gasp. She meant it in a literal, short-term way, not a longterm figurative way, but it could have meant either way. "Alright?" she commanded of him as if he didn't understand.

Before long, the doctor came in already wearing gloves and his mask. He checked on all of Aurora's vitals while a nurse beside him was staring at a timer, counting the seconds between her contractions. In a gap between them, Aurora looked at Mamouru, her hand still death-gripping his. "You need to promise me something, okay?" she continued while looking to the left as a nurse ushered a man at the door away from the room.

"Promise me...you'll stay when the others come here," she asked rather vaguely.

"I won't..."

Mamouru said as soon as Aurora asked. He was trying to return her squeeze, but she already had his hands squeezed too tightly for him to do anything else. He bit his lip at the look on her face. She seemed worried moreso than just the normal course of labor. Whatever that meant.

"I won't leave, Aurora-chan. I promise." Mamouru said and leaned over, brushing back a stray hair. "Just focus, Aurora-chan. We're about to be parents..." He said, smiling widely as he turned to look at the doctors. "Is everything going smoothly?"

Aurora smiled but was cut off by another contraction that made her loudly list off the seven worst words in the English language. She never once released Mamouru's hand. "What are we going to name her?" the blonde asked suddenly. They had discussed and thought out all kinds of names but never decided on one. All of a sudden now Aurora wanted to know.

The doctor looked to the nurse who was still counting. When Aurora groaned in pain in another contraction, she shook her head. "Almost time," the doctor said with a smile. "So far so good." The room had already emptied of non essential personnel, and the delivery doctor got into position, getting ready.

"What were you thinking?" Aurora asked again after another groan. Her eyes were lightly glazed, probably because of the painkillers she was hopped up on.

Mamouru's mind suddenly went blank as Aurora asked the question. They really had tried to pick out the best name but suddenly as Aurora put him on the spot, there was only one name he had on his mind. He was just thankful that Japanese was his first language. That made things far more easier. He barely heard Aurora but his mouth opened.

"Megumi." He said simply. "It means g... er... blessing. That's what she is, right?" He said and smiled at Aurora.

"Megumi?" she asked back instantly.  It wasn't really one of the names they had discussed.  But at that moment, he was right.  She really was a blessing.  Aurora had another contraction, making her cringe in pain and moan.  But immediately after she repeated back to Mamouru with a smile, "Megumi."  Aurora then groaned again in pain and the nurse nodded  "It's time," she said, and the doctor immediately started guiding Aurora through the birthing process.  It wasn't pretty...right up until the end.

"Oh my..." Aurora breathlessly whispered as the nurse held the child.  "It's...it's our girl...our daughter...Mamouru...its our baby girl..."  The exhausted, still in pain mother seemed to lose track of her own words.  She seemed completely out of it but something about her face radiated pure joy.  The nurse handed her Megumi and she held the newborn closely to her chest.  "Megumi..." she whispered as she gazed at her daughter's little face.  "Look what we've done."  Their little blessing.

The doctor and nurse checked Aurora's vitals just to make sure she would be alright.  After doing so, a nurse wheeled her bed out and towards the post delivery recovery room.  Aurora was overwhelmed with feelings of joy and satisfaction, enough to forget about what she just went through.  After setting her up in her own room, the doctors and nurse left the two...three alone.

It was hard, even for Mamouru, to be prepared for what was going to happen up to and including the point when the girl was born. There was a bright smile on his face and he watched as the doctor finally brought the girl into the world and gave her to her mother.

"Megumi-chan..." Mamouru said as he looked down at the crying, nearly hairless baby. He wanted to hold her, but it was nice to see Aurora holding onto her. His heart beat and he couldn't stop smiling. He knew everyone would have the same smile when they saw her too.

He was right beside her every step of the way until they were finally alone. Mamouru leaned forward and kissed the top of Aurora's head as Megumi had finally calmed down from the experience she had been through as well. "She's... so beautiful..."

There was a knock on the door, followed by someone poking their head in. It was a man about Mamouru's height but more filled in around the shoulder and legs. He had long, black hair and a trimmed beard. He was wearing a tight fitting gray shirt with the words warrior across it in a cursive font. "Hey, mind if I come in?" he asked rather cautiously.

Aurora looked up when she recognized the voice from the door. "Hey!" she responded with a big smile and then hesitated. "Yea, come on in," she finally said, and the man did so. His eyes were focused on the child and not the other guy in the room. It was clear where his priorities were. "Isn't she adorable?"

"She's beautiful," he said as if he had never spoken those words before. "Just like her mother." Aurora finally turned to Mamouru to introduce the two, before he got the wrong idea.

"Honey, this is my brother Alex," she offered while gesturing to him. "And this is my husband Mamouru."

Finally, Alex acknowledge Mamouru with a rather odd forced smile. "Nice to finally meet you," he said lowly with yet another odd handshake.

Mamouru turned when there was a knock. He was startled for a moment and would have expected his mother except... she wouldn't knock. Instead, a tall man stepped through and Mamouru looked at him with confusion until Aurora cleared the air.

"Ahh, nice to meet you. Thank you for coming." Mamouru said, bowing to Alex and smiling politely. He then took Alex's hand and gave it a soft shake. He was about to speak up when the door flung open once more and this time a cheerful and bespectacled Junko stepped through the door with the brightest grin.

"Ooooh!?" She chirped. "I'm not the first one!?" She said. "Mamouru-kun, I thought I told you, ooooooh!"

She was interrupted as she shuffled over to Aurora and squealed with delight. "Ooooh! I'm an Obaa-san!" She began to weep instantly and dabbed at her eyes. "The day I have always hoped for, ooooh, she's adorable!" Junko pulled out her fan and began to wave it frantically. "Oh, my! It's just too much. I thought I was prepared, I wasn't! She's so cute! Oh, and you look radiant, my dear, fufu~" Junko said to Aurora. She then turned and looked at Mamouru. "Soooo?"

Mamouru smiled at the whole thing. Even if he and Aurora were the ones that brought her into the world, it seemed like Juno was the one that was the most grateful. His mother was always a happy and upbeat person, but even he had not seen her THIS exuberant. Mamouru lowered his head. "Megumi-chan." He said. "Higurashi Megumi."

"Me-gu-mi-chan?" Junko said aloud, rasing an eyebrow at Mamouru. She looked like she had more to say but turned and looked at the baby. "Oooh, I will have to hold her soon, Aurora-chan. I don't think that I can take this too much longer!"

"Mother, please. I haven't even held her yet. Give Aurora-chan some time and space."

Alex looked to Junko as she walked in and forced a smile to mimic how happy she was. He didn't want to look out of place, they didn't need introductions since at the very least it seemed pretty obvious to him who she was. Besides, she cared more about seeing his niece than meeting him, and he preferred it that way.

"Hello Mom," Aurora said happily as she walked in and complimented her. It kind of went over here since all she cared about was the little girl in front of her. When Mamouru informed Junko of the name, she muttered, "Our little Megumi." Alex, nearby, raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound right. He wondered where that name had come from.

"You can hold her," she said with a smile to Junko. She seemed so happy to see her granddaughter that Aurora didn't want to keep her from doing so. She very carefully offered her arms out with Megumi to Junko. As she did so, she looked at Mamouru and whispered. "I need you to do me a favor," she said with a smile. "And get me those pain meds," she continued while gesturing to the table on the far side.

Junko greddily took Megumi and cradled her in her arms. She cooed and doted and just couldn't contain her smile. She felt like she was going to be in pain later from grinning so much. "Oh, Aurora-chan, you look radiant." She said and then looked down at Megumi. "Sugoi! Megumi-chan kawaiides. Mmmhmm."

mamouru smiled at his mother. Her happiness was infectious even amongst the backdrop of such a joyous occasion. He then turned to Aurora and nodded. He quickly grabbed the medicine and handed them to Aurora. Mamouru then looked up. "Are you the only one who came, Mother?" He asked.

"Oh, Junichi-kun is here with Kimiko-chan. She really wanted to see her new cousin. "Tana-kun wouldn't come. I'm not pleased with him and ..." Junko paused and turned her head. "Anyone who matters, knows, Mamouru-kun. Junichi-kun and Kimiko-chan are here." She said, giving Mamouru a knowing look.