Wilting Away

Proposal

Laying down on the examination table, Emi watched the ultrasound screen as the technician glided the transducer against her stomach.

Turning her head to face Emi, the technician asked, "Would you like to know the gender of your baby?"

Pausing to consider what should be done, Emi answered, "Hmmm, I think I'll pass."

"That's fine. Well, it looks like the baby is perfectly healthy. I'll be sending information to the doctor to talk to you at your next appointment."

Finishing up her appointment with the technician, Emi was given another photo of the baby. Carefully putting it in her wallet, she headed to work for her biweekly meeting with her boss.

Dropping into Insightfulness office, Emi sat in front of her boss' desk.

Turning around in her chair to face Emi, Insightfulness finally acknowledged her. "Good morning, Emi. How has everything been going so far?"

Biting her lip, Emi slumped her shoulders. "It has been okay, Furuta. Enough about me. I looked into the cases that you wanted me to gather info on and here is some. I'll be looking for more along the way. Do you want me to continue working on those cases or?" She finished saying as her face tensed up from dismissing her boss' concern for her.

"Emi, I know you're not telling me everything. You have to be honest with me for me to trust you and understand what you're struggling with." Furuta injected.

Looking down at her thighs, Emi clenched her hands in frustration. Contemplating what to share with her boss, she uttered, "I don't want to seem like a constant problem to everyone. It constantly feels like everyone has to watch over me...it's pathetic for a pro-hero to require that continually." Glancing up, she discovered a soft grin on her boss' face.

"Emi, there are always going to be times when we feel worthless or helpless, and I'm not saying that I understand how you feel because I don't. My only acknowledgment for you is that your friends are concerned about your well-being. If it bothers you that much, address it to them. It can't be solved unless they know about it from you." Insightfulness dictated.

Reflecting on what her boss had said to her, Emi held the side of her hand to her face. Finally coming up with something to say, Emi commented. "I have, but I don't think that person will back away."

With a canny smile, Insightfulness asked, "Is this Eraserhead?"

Emi's face flushed a deep red. She cautiously stated, "Umm, why?"

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Emi. The way that you two interact with one another tells me there is some relationship between the two of you." Furuta specified with a gleam in her eye.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Emi replied, "I wouldn't say that anything is going on between us. Sure, I've liked him, but that doesn't mean anything is going to happen especially now."

Giving a small laugh, Furuta asserted, "So it is Eraserhead then! Looking at that info, I would say the only way to have him stop checking up on you is to break his heart and kick him out of your life."

"What...that does not sound right...I doubt that is the only way to have him stop worrying about him." Emi remarked with wide eyes.

"Well, any friend would continue to worry about a friend. I have to say that it doesn't seem like Eraserhead allows many people into his life or if he does, he doesn't share a whole lot with you." Insightfulness mused.

Pursing her lips, Emi confessed. "Maybe, I should talk to him about setting boundaries between us..."

Feeling accomplished, Furuta changed the subject. "So I have some new cases for you to look into actually..."