But then, this whole situation was like that. She'd thought that she'd be simply having her daughter visit her at the hospital. But then there was the first few cases of flu arriving, and she'd wound up asking Ami to help out a little. After all, her baby was a responsible child, and so she could be counted in doing things like carrying supplies to bringing messages. And none of the staff doubted her fine mind, or her willingness to help.
Those were of great help as the cases started pouring in. Dinner was at a table, but rather than one at home, or in a restaurant, they'd had to make due with what the hospital cafeteria could whip up. That wasn't so bad, but they were forced to nap when they could, and the various masks they had to wear tended to get sweaty and be rather useless.
They wouldn't have been put into beds themselves if simply wearing face coverings would do it. Obviously, they had been infected long before that, probably by the first patients. Yet, they had continued to work, and Ami had gone so far as to make certain that her friend Makoto came to get a check up. Apparently, she was concerned about the girl living by herself, and rightfully so. It was clear as soon as she came in that Makoto had caught the illness as well.
And Ami helped her friend as she continued to assist with the hospital work. She'd been dutiful in her tasks, and even managed to follow through with skill that some interns lacked. All and all, she was proud of her little girl.
However, she'd worked through her own illness, and had pushed on by will alone... until she nearly passed out at the bedside of a girl who'd also pushed herself when she shouldn't have. Haruka Ten'ou was a track star though, and had been racing when she should have been resting. On the other hand, Ami had been working until it became a little much for her. Then the staff, who were like surrogate aunts and uncles to her, had made certain that she got a bed of her own.
Now the two Mizuno women were patients together, and weak as she was, Kumori could not help but worry for her child. She hoped that Ami would not be doing too badly, and feared that any trouble her baby might be going through would be her fault. Logic would refute that, but she was a mother, and in the care of her child, emotion tended to trump everything.
"I'm sorry that you had to get sick," the doctor murmured at the sleeping form of her daughter, knowing that she wouldn't be heard, but needing to say it anyway. "I'd have protected you from it anyway I could."
Even if she didn't wake up, Ami seemed to answer when she smiled in her sleep.
Rubbing at eyes aching to reach their own sleep, Keitaro looked into Naru's room, and fought the urge to run away. He felt like a pervert, peeking in on her like this, but she'd been so sick that he knew that responsibility alone dictated that he check up on her. Unfortunately for his sensibilities, light was streaming into her room, and illuminating her body where it lay with only a thin sheet covering her. Even in her pajamas, that supple form was clearly outlined, and as she fought to get to a comfortable position, he could see her arch so that he long legs scissored, and her chest was pushed out.
Yet, at least she wasn't trying to lean against him like when he'd brought her medication last time. That was a rather scary experience, and he was pretty sure that if she had been fully awake, he'd have been bashed. Of course, given that he'd already had things like an oddly dark skinned Kitsune try to kiss him, and Shinobu curling her brightly feathered wings around him, he was kind of risking trouble as it was.
He wasn't sure how long he could handle this though. It wasn't so bad when he had encounters with the girls, and he liked trying to help them get better, but he was finding it hard to keep going. Taking care of one sick girl was difficult enough, but he had Mutsumi and his Aunt Haruka crashing with him. A part of him worried that every girl he knew would drop by, but pushed it away as soon as he thought of it. This had been his idea, and he had asked for the two extras to stay since he didn't want them getting worse off too. Even if it meant work for him, he was going to make sure that he kept everyone as healthy as he could.
Still, he knew that his work was never done, as he came into the kitchen and found a stumbling Motoko trying to use the counters to get around.
"What are you doing?!" he blurted, "You're sick!"
"I am strong enough to beat this. I don't need you waiting on me hand and foot," she told him in a strained voice.
"You're ill, and you should be in bed."
"Pheh. Men only want that, even when a woman is ill."
"For you to get better? Sure."
Setting her jaw firmly, Motoko tried moving again. "Then let me be, and I will make myself something to eat."
"How about I make you something to eat? Huh? I already have some soup warming..."
"Then merely show me where it is, and I'll serve myself. I'll take it to my room then."
"You won't be even able to spoon out one bit like that."
"Then what would you have me do?"
Keitaro looked panicked for a moment, but then moved quickly. He scooped up the swordswoman so fast that her hair brushed against her newly pointed ears, and left her no time to react, even if she could. "I will have back in your bed, and not trying to crawl around the house when you're sick."
"I was hungry..."
"Then I'll bring you some soup."
"I'm not weak..."
"Never thought that you were. You're just sick. Soon enough, you'll be back to your old self."
"Have you looked at me lately?"
"I'm trying not to notice. Not me..."
Motoko blinked for a moment, and wondered why she felt an urge to giggle. "So you wish to carry me off?"
"Only to your bed," he said brightly as he tightened his hold around her waist and under her legs as he carried her back upstairs.
For a moment, she frowned in confusion but as it sunk in that he wasn't about to try anything, she wondered why she felt safe with him. Despite the intent to ignore that sensation, she still found herself laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes while:
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(Posted Thu, 21 Apr 2005 18:39)
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