Seeing I was awake, the little girl slipped off the chair with a bit of a struggle and then bowed to me a few times.
"Sorry. Fuki is sorry. Fuki didn't mean to hurt the pretty big sister. Fuki was upset and felt your upset and couldn't hold it in anymore. Sorry. Fuki is sorry. Please don't be angry with Fuki."
The little girl's cheeks puffed in such a way that it made a person want to rub or pinch them. Her entire face was red though, which showed how upset she was. So she was an empath? And had some sort of other electrical ability? Likely a strong ability from the disturbance she had made.
I felt slightly confused, wary and amused all at once. This little girl was so cute. I hadn't seen such a cute little girl like her before.
"Fuki's jiji died and now Fuki is all alone," the little girl who called herself Fuki sobbed. So, her grandfather had just passed away. If she was all alone, did that mean her grandfather was her guardian? Where were her parents? "Fuki doesn't know where to go or what to do. Fuki's parents don't like her or want her. Only Jiji loved Fuki and now Jiji is gone. Fuki doesn't know what to do. Although big sister is upset, she's feeling better now. Fuki feels comfortable next to big sister. Big sister, don't chase Fuki away, ok?"
I sighed. What could I do? What could I say? What was I meant to do with a child when I couldn't get up on my own yet? I sent Shigure a message and supposed he was a asleep by now as well. If this little girl was an ability user, she had to be kept calm, looked after and trained. Surely Shigure or the doctors and nurses would know what to do?
"Alright," I shrugged. "Don't cry anymore. You're not alone now. Close your eyes and sleep. It's late now."
I didn't know how to comfort a strange and cute little girl like this.
The little girl blew her nose and threw the tissue in the bin. Despite my clumsy words, she really did seem somewhat reassured by me. After helping herself to my cup of water, she climbed back up into the visitor's armchair by my bed, curled into a ball and hugged her little dog toy to sleep. Now that my arms and shoulders had been fixed and mostly healed, I had some strength in my arms. Taking one of the two pillows on my bed, I reached over to cover her with a pillow.
I didn't have a spare blanket for her.
Fuki sniffled and popped her head up to look at me. Then she hugged the pillow to sleep as well.
My nurse exclaimed upon finding her there in the morning. Fuki jumped in fright and then scrambled over onto my bed where she dove under my blankets to hide. I rubbed my nose, looking down at the little girl.
*"Shigure,"* I called my man through the link while he was still waking up. *"I seem to have prematurely given you a daughter."*
I felt Shigure sit bolt upright in his bed, now completely awake with shock.
*"You're pregnant?! How?!"* I felt Shigure's thoughts racing and directed his attention to the child hiding in my bed.
*"She's an ability user,"* I told him what I had learnt about the little girl and Shigure seemed to stiffen. It seemed that he had recognised the description of the little girl although he hadn't seen her before. I allowed him to see her through my eyes.
I felt him immediately shield his thoughts and emotions from me, while the child had stiffened up to look at me with fear. Her eyes turned a strange pale colour and I felt her abilities begin to rise uncontrollably to try and protect her.
Seeing her like this reminded me of myself when I had been living in my tribe, rejected and bullied by everyone around me. Unfortunately I hadn't been able to protect myself, while Fuki had both the strength and ability to do so. It made me love the child a little more and I gave her a little hug while the nurse complained.
I calmed the nurse down and asked her to investigate where the child came from, while I tried to calm the frightened little girl down. I had a dreadful feeling in my stomach that if the girl lost control, I and everyone in my proximity would be in danger. Perhaps Fuki's grandfather had also been killed by accident.
Fuki's eyes grew paler and I remembered she was an empath. I had to direct my emotions in a more positive direction so that the child wouldn't feel nervous or fearful. I had to ensure she felt safe and secure.
Using some of my mental ability, I wrapped Fuki in a warm cloak of love and reassurance. We would work something out for her. We had to. For all our safety.
The colour began to sleep back into Fuki's eyes and her stiff body began to relax while the two of us continued to look at each other and my emotions settled into something Fuki didn't find threatening.
*"You can't keep her, Uki-chan,"* Shigure told me. It seemed he was consulting something on his computer. *"The government has been looking for this little girl for a long time. The moment they know she is with you, they'll be coming to pick her up. She's very dangerous. Don't get attached."*
*"She's so scared,"* I told him.
*"She's killed multiple people before,"* Shigure told me. *"Be careful."*
*"She said she feels safe with me,"* I said. *"I'll do my best. Do they have someone who can train her and keep her safe?"*
*"I think so,"* Shigure replied. *"Although it's classified and they haven't allowed me to see any information, I'm sure they have a department like our City Agents who find, manage and train people with abilities. Since we haven't confirmed that we are ability users to them, despite their knowledge and suspicions, in reply, they're withholding information from us. Do your best to keep her calm and help her learn how to control her abilities as well as her emotions. You too, need to maintain better control. You aren't that weak person you used to be. If you lose control now, you can put the lives of those around you at risk. Know that in all the countries of the world, strong ability users who cannot control themselves are a danger to society - if they cannot be controlled by anyone or anything, they are put down."*
That reminder made me feel very solemn.
Tapping into the empath type communication line that I had learnt from Homeward, I attempted to see if I could communicate with this little girl in any way. I was no where as adept in this style of communication as Shigure though and so he had to help me.
Fuki blinked at me in surprise and excitement that there was someone who could understand her and in a manner of speaking, speak the same 'language' as her.
Shigure introduced ourselves to her and slowly introduced to her the reality of her situation. He began teaching her some of the basics that all ability users have to learn in regards to controlling their abilities and in her case, emotions as well. He taught her some breathing techniques she could use to help keep her calm and reassured her that if she ever needed help in the future, she could look for me, but she also couldn't tell anyone about us.
*"Fuki understands,"* she nodded. *"We have to hide or bad people will take us away and sell us overseas. Jiji told Fuki all about it. Big sister and and big sister's husband are also hiding from the bad guys. Fuki is good at keeping secrets. Fuki won't tell anybody."*
*"Your big sister can't really speak like us because her ability is a bit different,"* Shigure told Fuki, *"but she's really good at helping people understand things even if she doesn't quite understand herself. Please be patient with her."*
Medical staff had arrived to try and separate Fuki from me, so while Shigure was teaching Fuki, I mediated.
"The little girl arrived last night," I told the nurse who had returned with someone from the Paediatrics Ward. "She said her grandfather died recently and she was scared. After seeing me, she felt safe enough to sleep here. I don't really mind the company. Let her settle down first and then I'll see if I can convince her to let you take her away. Is she a patient here in the hospital?"
"She came in unconscious yesterday and disappeared overnight," the paediatrics nurse. "We found her with a dead old man. The paramedics say that they think she was the one who called the Emergency Hotline herself. But then the electrical storm happened and it took a while for an ambulance to be sent out."
"I see," I said.
"This isn't the Paediatrics Ward. As cute as she is, she can't stay here," my nurse said in a firm voice. "Your condition is my top priority. I don't want you returning to ICU because of anything."
"Can she still come back and visit if she wants to?" I asked on Fuki's behalf, wondering if they knew she was an ability user or not.
"Of course, but only when accompanied," the paediatrics nurse said. "It's not safe for her to be running around alone."
Shigure had finished his conversation with Fuki through me and she was now listening, but not quite comprehending what was being said.
"You should go back with your nurse for now," I pointed at the paediatrics nurse, and Fuki reflexively hugged me tight, making me wince.
She felt my pain and began crying.
"Sorry," Fuki let me go and then held onto one of my hands instead. "Fuki is sorry. Fuki didn't mean to hurt big sister. Why does big sister hurt so much?"
"The bad guys caught me when I wasn't careful enough to listen to my father's instructions," I explained to Fuki in a vague manner. She caught a hold of my meanings via the meanings and emotions attached to my words rather than the words themselves.
"Bad guys!" Fuki gripped my hand tighter. "Your father isn't your otōsan?"
"He's a more senior otōsan," I rubbed my nose, trying to find a way to link her with the Creator Father in the communication channel, so that she would know that she could seek Him whenever she needed help. I communicated through feelings that the Creator Father could be her father too and would take care of her and loved her. *"I'll introduce you to Him?"*
*"Yes!"* Fuki shouted with excitement that she might have someone to rely on.
*"Thank you, daughter,"* I heard the Creator Father's voice, taking over. *"I've got her."*
*"With the Creator Father to take care of you, you won't have to be scared anymore,"* I stroked Fuki's head while her eyes shone at me with excitement. "The nurses say you can visit me sometimes, but that you can't stay here," I told Fuki out loud. "Go back first. I'll see you another time?"
"Shikko," Fuki replied, wriggling out of the blanket. "Shikko."
And then warm fluid wet my bed and I looked at the child while covering my face with one hand while she wriggled with embarrassment.
The nurses twitched their noses.
"Shikko," Fuki said. "Fuki shikko."
"I can see that," I said in a wry voice. "You've wet both yourself and me."
"Sorry," Fuki apologised in a small voice. "Fuki is sorry. Big sister, don't hate Fuki. Please don't be angry with Fuki. Fuki will do better next time."
"I hope so," I said with mild chagin and amusement. Feeling that I wasn't angry with her, Fuki gave me a tentative smile. "I don't hate you. Learn to feel when you need to go toilet sooner so that you can go in time."
Fuki nodded her head emphatically.
"Go back with the nurse to shower and change," I rubbed my nose. "I think I'll need one too."
"Hai!" Fuki shouted and attempted to climb down out of the bed. The paediatrics nurse who had disappeared for a moment, returned with a towel, which she wrapped Fuki in and carried the little girl in her arms. It was only then, when I saw how big Fuki really was that I realised that she was likely only three or four years old. "See you later, big sister!"
The paediatrics nurse carried the waving Fuki away, together with her dog soft toy, chiding her in a gentle voice.
My nurse laughed and wrinkled her nose.
"Ah, the girl is so cute," she exclaimed while preparing everything for me to shower and get changed. She called her partner to help and they giggled together at the predicament I had found myself in, while they teased me. "She seems to like you so much."
"She liked me so much that she peed on me," I wrinkled my nose at them, making them giggle.
"Children are like that. They tend to pee on the ones they love or hate," one nurse said.
"So does she love me or hate me now?" I asked.
"Maybe both," the nurses giggled.