Mending Fences

Chapter 13

Yuri's POV:

"Bye Naomi!" I called as I dropped her off at school. She waved at me before she disappeared into the school. I waited a few seconds more before I pulled away from the school.
   "Aunt Yuri can we listen to Elmo?" Benny asked me bouncing in place in his little carseat. I cringed at the thought of it, but reluctantly plugged in my phone to the aux cord.

   "Elmo's World" started blaring through the speakers as I drove them to where I was going to be tutoring today.   Three young children and a college kid, oh boy.

I checked my phone as I parked and shut off the tortuous muppet music. Though Denny and Benny kept singing the songs enthusiastically.  I sighed still nothing from my wife. She probably didn't want to talk to me, how petulant I acted towards her last night.

  "Oh Natsuki, I'm sorry. " I whispered as I shut my phone down and stuffed it in my purse. "Alright you three let's be on our best behavior okay?" I exclaim in a overly enthusiastic voice and they all cheer. Well the twins did, Rosie was thankfully still sound asleep.
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  "Hi I'm Ponyo, this is my boyfriend and fiance, Sosuke. And we need help with English...well language arts if you will." The girl with the bright red hair  exclaimed brightly and the boy with brown hair and brown eyes just shook his head with a smile.

   "She's being nice, I'm the one who needs help, she's a straight A student." He admitted rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

   "Yuri I'm bored." Denny grumbled rubbing his eyes with a pout. Before I could interject my thoughts,  Benny spoke up.
   "Where's Auntie Natsuki?" He whined and I sighed. She was probably eating donuts and giving parking tickets.

    "Heyo kiddos, you know what I'm bored too, why don't we check this humongous library and see if we can find something to read. " Ponyo encourages.
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  As I took the kids from the college library, I made sure they were buckled in before I checked my phone once more. Still nothing,  no texts or calls. Was I that awful she didn't even want to talk to me...or accept my apology. 

  I was really sorry. I sighed typing out another text to my wife.

  I sighed still nothing, I checked the time, two  o'clock. I smiled at the kids, putting up a happy front for their adorable faces.

    "Let's go get Naomi, yeah?" I questioned and they all cheered and nodded chanting Naomi's name.
   "Are we gonna see Auntie Nsuki?"  Benny asked me and I chuckled

   "She'll be home for dinner most likely." I giggle thinking of when she tried to make German pancakes and got powdered sugar all over her face and hair.

  "Yay she's gonna make cupcakes for desserts "he exclaimed and I smiled as I took a right, heading towards  Naomi's school, to think this time next year I'd be taking the boys to school too. I pulled into the parking lot, waiting in the pick up line.  After a long moment of painstakingly long amounts of waiting, I finally pulled up to the front of the line and Naomi started towards the car instantly.

  "Hi aunt Yuri, " she exclaimed hugging me from behind before she climbed in the back and buckled up.

   "Hello sweetheart, alright kiddos let's get home and maybe we'll meet Natsuki there." I offered just as my phone lit up.

Unknown caller.

Fearfully I pulled into the nearest parking lot, putting the car in park and then answered the phone.

"Hello is this Mrs. Tanaka?" A gruff voice questioned. One I recognized instantly.  Natsuki's boss.
   "Um yes this is she...is everything alright?" I question curiously and he clears his throat roughly.
   "Um I wish that were the case, however there's been an incident involving your wife .." he explains and my heart plummets and I choke on a sob.

  "Oh no, oh God no!" I exclaim climbing from the car. Benny's little voice asks me what's the matter and Rosie starts to cry and I sink to my knees.

  "I'm so sorry, we rushed her to the ER as fast as we could. " he whispered and I was shaking and hiccuping and breaking down. How was I going to do this without her? She thought I didn't love her, her last thought was that I didn't love her!
   "What happened to her?" I demanded feeling so helpless and weak. This couldn't be happening.

   "She went into a domestic dispute and got shot down. " he explained plainly as if she was nothing, as if she meant nothing to them. Some disposable cop.

  "Why ..." I couldn't even form the words for a sentence as I buried my face in my hands. I should've called her, should've held her in my arms when I had her...

  "Mrs. Tanaka? Mrs. Tanaka? Are you there?"
He questioned and I nodded before I remembered I was on the phone.

  "Y-yes I'm...I'm here.." I'm the only one here.
  "I said they're prepping her for surgery right now if you want to come to Lightview hospital. " he expressed kindly and my heart skipped a beat.

She was alive!

   "Thank you, I'm going to call my mother and I'll be there as soon as I can. " I promised and hung up before I dialed my mother's number, as I paced around my SUV. 

  "Yuri is everything al-" I didn't even let her finish before I started sobbing all over again.
  "Natsuki....the kids...domestic...hospital and  I need .....need... you" I whimpered and she was silent a moment.

  "Yuri, my darling calm down and tell me what happened sweetheart. " she soothed and I sniffed rubbing my eyes.

  "Natsuki was shot, she's...she's going into surgery...right n-now and i... I need you...mom I'm so scared.."

I reached out my hand taken Natsuki's casted hand in mine. I couldn't believe he had stabbed her and shot her twice before someone got to her.
   "Hello my love," I sucked on my lower lip, trying not to cry,  "you gave me ...quite the scare..." I whimper a single tear dripping from my eye and splattered against her cheek. She looked so fragile...so small.  "I can't do this without you Suki, " I look up at those luminescent hospital lights and shake my head, don't cry, Yuri don't cry. "I need you " my voice quivers on the word you and I brush my thumb against her cheek.

A coma, how could this be happening to me? To her? To us? Hadn't we been through enough.

  "Please Suki,  if you can hear me...please c-come back to me..."

I sob when she remains still...so still and quiet.

To Be Continued....