The Demon Queen

Failure

TW: child death

One evening, Kenta's heart started to race without control. At first it seemed to be nothing of major concern, but when I gave him his medication, his symptoms didn't lessen. His breathing wouldn't slow down. His heart palpitations wouldn't be calmed. He wouldn't stop sweating and panting. Everything that had worked for four years was suddenly ineffective. I could tell that Kenta was in pain and that he was getting scared. He was old enough to know if something was very, very wrong.

I knew that Muzan was in the other room reading. I called for him to come, trying not to sound frantic. I couldn't have the worry and fear accelerate Kenta's heartbeat even more. Trying to remain as calm as possible, I told Kenta that he would be all right and held a cloth soaked with an inhalable medicine over his nose and mouth.

Muzan rushed over, sensing in how I called him that an emergency was at hand. When he saw the scene of me kneeling and holding our rapidly-panting son, he got down to the floor and immediately started to examine Kenta. Muzan took him from my arms. I sat there watching, the cloth soaked with the medicine now in my hand.

"Daddy will take care of this. You'll be fine," Muzan said and propped Kenta against his lap in a supported half-sitting position. "Bend your knees and put your feet on the floor. this will pass."

Although he was forcing his voice to sound stable, I could see in Muzan's eyes how panicked and terrified he was.

Muzan told me to give him the cloth and to start applying pressure to various points on Kenta's hands and feet. As I did that, Muzan held the cloth lightly over Kenta's nose and mouth and told him to take deep, slow breaths. Kenta tried to follow Muzan's directions, but still, the medicine wasn't working and the continued to clench his hand at his chest.

It wasn't much longer until Kenta fainted in Muzan's hold. Once he fell completely limp, Muzan started to breathe heavily and with shaking hands felt at Kenta's neck for a pulse. I felt at his wrist, having to press my thumb against his skin to feel the very faint pulse that was still there. With the feeling of a tight, lead-like lump weighting down in my stomach, I looked to Muzan, who was gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Muzan," I said and took a heavy breath. "There's nothing more we can do."

Muzan opened his eyes and pulled Kenta's limp body more onto his lap. He supported him so that he was sitting up. "Kenta, I've failed you. Please forgive me," he said. He moved some of Kenta's wavy hair from his face and felt at his neck. "I can still save you. You can hear me. Don't worry. Don't worry. I'll save you." Muzan looked at me. "Sakura, I'm turning him into a demon. Now."