Yakumo #01: The Red Eye Knows ~Prologue~
Prologue
That day, the sun had been missing since morning, concealed behind layers upon layers of cloud. Inside one delivery room, however, the air was sweltering.
“It’s going to be OK,” said Youko Iida, a nurse, to the pregnant woman in the room. She had been repeating the sentence like a mantra, over and over.
The pregnant woman’s forehead was covered with sweat. Veins showed under her pallid skin as she gritted her teeth and writhed. Evidently, she was making an effort to bear the excruciating pain.
In an attempt to alleviate the woman of her pain, at least partially, Youko stroked the woman’s lower back while reiterating the Lamaze breathing technique (“Hee, hee, hoo.”) to her.
Hours had passed since the expectant mother had entered the delivery room. Her labor was fraught with complications. Her eyes were vacant.
Under the circumstances, shouldn’t we switch to a painless labor? Youko shot a glance at Dr. Eiichi Kinoshita.
“I can see the head. Just a bit more,” he was saying, as if to dispel her thought.
“Push a little harder. You can do it,” said Youko as she massaged the woman’s shoulders.
The woman grimaced in pain but nodded.
“Don’t strain yourself. Take it easy.”
“Yes, take it easy,” Youko said, echoing the doctor.
The woman panted heavily. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Good! The baby is out!” The exact moment Dr. Kinoshita uttered those words, a healthy baby’s cries filled the room.
“Ahhh!” the woman groaned in one shuddering breath. Her voice was devoid of relief and joy.
“Congratulations, ma’am. You’re now a mother.” Youko smiled at her, wiping the woman’s forehead.
The new mother did not appear to have heard her, for she did not reply. Her face had relaxed, and her breathing had calmed down. The hard part of the childbirth was now over.
Just as Youko was about to sigh in relief, though, Dr. Kinoshita called for her to “Give me a penlight.” It was not said harshly, but there was an underlying tone of urgency and nervousness.
She quickly procured a penlight from the working bench and handed it to him.
“Oh!” Youko gasped as soon as she took in the sight of the baby. She could hardly believe her eyes.
“Don’t panic. The mother is here,” Dr. Kinoshita whispered, bringing her back to Earth.
However, the damage had been done: Youko’s momentary loss of composure had reached the mother.
“My baby,” she breathed. Dread was written all over her face.
“Just a moment, please, ma’am.”
“Where’s my baby?”
Youko moved back toward the woman, trying in vain to offer comforting words.
“Where?” The woman gripped Youko’s arms, digging her nails in the process. “Where is my baby?”
“Everything is fine, ma’am. Please don’t worry.” Steeling herself against the pain, Youko did all she could to calm the mother down, but without success.
All color drained from the woman’s face in the blink of an eye-a sure sign of her heightened anxiety. “My baby, is he safe?” She looked almost feral, her eyes wild.
Youko, feeling the weight of the woman’s stare, inadvertently averted her eyes. Big mistake.
The woman made as if to knock Youko away. “My baby!” she shrieked, loud and shrill.
“Rest assured, ma’am. Your baby is perfectly healthy,” said Dr. Kinoshita by way of an answer. Peeling off his surgical mask, he held the baby in his arms and slowly made his way toward the mother.
Desperation ebbed away from her face, replaced by a quiet smile as she prepared to meet her baby for the very first time.
Youko rushed over to the doctor and pulled him aside before he could reach the mother. “Are you sure about this?” she hissed into his ear.
“We can’t keep it from her forever.” He frowned.
He was right, of course. It was not the sort of thing that could be kept a secret for long. The mother would find out sooner or later.
“Here you go.” Dr. Kinoshita laid the baby in her waiting arms.
“Ah, my baby.” She held the baby firmly against her bosom, her cheeks awash with happy tears.
Smilingly, she peered into her baby’s face . . .
. . . and in that instant, her face froze.
“No!” Her baleful wails rang through the room.
Youko bit her lower lip, pressing both hands in front of her chest. She felt despair for the newborn as she thought about his future.
The baby had been born with his left eye open.
More than anything else, it burned crimson. . . .
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