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Two days had passed since Wolfwood had shot Zazie the Beast. After his argument with Vash, he had stormed off in a huff. No one had pursued him. Milly had watched him go with sorrow and sympathy in her eyes, while Vash had put his sunglasses on and fallen silent. Meryl had gathered herself quickly, as if she hadn’t just had a gun held to her head and watched a child die right in front of her eyes, and helped Milly ensure the children were safe. Vash hadn’t comforted the children. He hadn’t said a word to any of them. He’d just stood there staring at the body and watching the car speed away until it disappeared.
Losing the car meant that they had to walk on foot in the sweltering heat. Milly was complaining and pleading for Meryl to take a break. Vash wasn’t joining in on the whining as he usually would. He’d remained silent for the past couple of days, so Meryl only realized something was up when his steps slowed to a shuffle.
“You’re slowing down, Mr. Vash,” Milly said. “Do you need a break, too?”
Vash said nothing. He looked very pale, despite the heat of the suns. Behind his shades, she saw him shut his eyes tightly and raise his hand to his mouth.
She and Milly stopped in their tracks when he retched and threw up.
“Oh no!” Milly rushed over to him. “What’s wrong?”
“You aren’t hungover again, are you?” Meryl asked.
Vash tried to speak, but broke into a coughing fit, which made him start to gag.
Milly placed a tentative hand between his shoulderblades. “Don’t get yourself all worked up, or you’ll get sick again.”
Vash hiccupped and tried to cover his mouth again. He retched, threw up a second time, and let out a few weak coughs. Milly pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket and offered it to him. When he didn’t take it, she gently wiped his mouth.
“He’s shaking,” Meryl said, noticing his trembling shoulders.
Milly placed the back of her hand against his forehead and gasped. “He’s got a fever!”
“And it’s so hot out here.” Meryl scanned the horizon. Nothing but sand as far as she could see. “We need shelter, Milly. He needs to get out of the heat. Can you go and look?”
“Understood, ma’am!” Milly broke into a run, investigating her surroundings with a hand shading her eyes.
Meryl turned to Vash. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“Can’t… stop to rest.” He groaned. “Can’t stop… moving.”
“Not in this state you can’t!” She gripped his shoulders, trying to force him to sit down. He attempted to resist, but his knees buckled, and he fell onto his bottom.
“Look how tired you are!” Sighing, she sat down next to him. He didn’t move or try to stand, only clutched his head with a frustrated grunt.
“Tell me the truth,” she said. “Did you drink again last night?”
The night after Wolfwood had parted ways with them, he’d choked down a bottle of hard liquor. Despite knowing what happened when he had too much, Meryl had left him alone, assuming he was trying to knock himself out. She hadn’t slept that night either, so she knew it hadn’t worked.
Vash shook his head weakly.
“It is an awfully hot day.” Meryl shaded her eyes, watching Milly grow distant. “We all ate the same thing last night, so I don’t think it’s that.”
“One of the kids said her belly hurt.”
“You think you caught this from the children?”
“Maybe.”
Meryl frowned. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the stomach flu. Vash probably didn’t get sick that often, either, since he was so used to traveling on his own, and he didn’t look very good. Every time a hiccup escaped him, he winced, and though he was horribly pale, his cheeks were flushed.
“Drink.” She forced a water flask into his free hand. “Only take sips.”
Removing his other hand from his brow, he unscrewed it with trembling fingers. He took a small sip, waited a moment, then took another.
“Done?” He handed the flask to her, and she screwed it shut. “Milly’ll be back soon, and then we can get you out of this heat.”
“I can go a bit longer.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Have to.”
“‘No’ means ‘no.’”
Vash pushed against the ground and stood up. Wavering on his feet, he took a few unsteady steps forward. He started to shuffle, then broke into a sprint.
“Not so fast, mister!” Meryl cried, chasing after him.
Right as she caught up to him, he stumbled and stopped in his tracks, clutching his stomach with a groan. Before she could try to support him, he went limp and collapsed face first, his sunglasses rattling as he hit the ground.
“Now look what you’ve done!” She stooped to check him out. “You didn’t hurt yourself falling, did you?”
Vash only grunted.
“Ma’am!” Milly was running toward them, arms flying. “I found shelter!”
“Good work!” Meryl gave her a thumbs-up, and and she beamed, her smile shining brighter than the suns.
She stopped in front of them, doubling over to catch her breath, and gasped at the sight of Vash collapsed in front of her. “Oh, my! Did he faint?”
“No, he fell. He should be able to walk if we support him.”
“Up you go, Mr. Vash!”
They each took an arm, lifting Vash until he was sitting up. Meryl draped his left arm over her shoulders, and Milly did the same with his right arm. Milly counted down from three, and they helped Vash stand up, Milly doing most of the heavy lifting.
“This might be a long walk,” Milly said. “Can you make it, Mr. Vash?”
“Even if he can’t, we have to,” Meryl said.
“Of course. Let’s go!”
Meryl followed Milly’s directions, and they matched Vash’s slow shuffle, staggering along with him to safety. By the time they made it to the small cave tucked underneath a sheer cliff, his breathing had grown labored, and the heat radiating off his body was almost making Meryl sweat more. It instantly cooled down when they stepped inside.
Milly breathed out in relief. “It’s so nice and cool in here!”
“It smells damp, too,” Meryl said. “I bet we could find some water.”
They guided Vash over to the wall of the cave and helped him sit down, leaning him against the rock. His face shimmered with sweat, his sunglasses slipped down the bridge of his nose, and his cheeks were almost as red as his coat. His breath was shallow and shaky.
“Let’s get you out of your coat,” Milly said, and she started to undo the buttons at his collar.
She continued unsnapping them until she was halfway down his coat, at which point Vash undid the rest. She and Meryl helped him lean forward and get each arm out of its sleeve. Then they pulled the coat out from underneath him, and Meryl neatly folded it, setting it aside.
Vash took off his sunglasses and set them on top of his coat. The dark circles beneath his glazed-over eyes stood out against his pale skin. He unzipped the collar of his shirt, wiping his brow with a trembling hand. Tendrils of flyaway blonde hair fell into his eyes.
“Don’t you want to take off your shirt?” Milly asked. “You need to cool down.”
Vash shook his head.
“I think I still have those paper fans from two years ago in my luggage,” Meryl said, walking over to her suitcase. She unzipped it and began rummaging through her things.
“Oh, the ones from the Beat the Heat Promotion…” Milly sighed. “The boss made me wear the greenbird mascot suit all day. I hadn’t sweated that much since the last time I plowed the fields.”
“All you had to do was dance and twirl around. I had to hawk our newest package to strangers all day! And in two different cities!”
“But you’re so good at that, ma’am. You really should be in sales.”
“I’m much better at the job I have right now. There they are!” She pulled out a pack of blue-and-white-striped paper fans tied together with string. Printed on each fan in bright green lettering was the Bernardelli logo and the slogan, “Beat the Heat with Bernardelli!” “There are six. Enough for each of us to have two.” She untied the string and handed Milly and Vash their two fans.
“Ah, that feels good…” Milly smiled serenely, cooling herself off with both fans.
“Hey! Cut that out!” Meryl pointed to Vash, who was fanning himself with one of the fans, his left arm draped over his forehead. “Our client needs our help, Milly!”
Flustered, Milly apologized and went right to work helping cool Vash down. When Meryl’s wrists started to ache, she paused to wipe the sweat from her brow and kept going. After a few minutes, Vash dropped his right hand into his lap and winced, rubbing his eyes with gloved knuckles.
“Do you feel any better, Mr. Vash?” Milly asked.
“No. But it was nice of you two… to try.”
“Are you nauseous?”
“Not right now.”
“You’re still shaking. Do you have chills?”
“They’ll pass. A bit longer… Then I can go.”
“Go where?”
Meryl furrowed her brow. “If you have chills, this really is a fever. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I have to. Can’t afford to stop.”
“I don’t think so. What would happen if you got into a fight in this condition? You’ve had too many close calls already, and that was while you were completely healthy. If something happens to you while you’re sick, that means we’ve failed our assignment.”
“We might get fired!” Milly squealed.
“Have to. Have to keep going…”
“Don’t you dare!” Meryl shouted.
Vash propped himself against the wall with one hand and got unsteadily to his feet. Biting his trembling lip, he took a single step forward before falling to his knees. A spell of nausea overcame him, and he gulped, covering his mouth with his hand. Still, he tried to stand again.
Meryl grumbled in frustration. “You don’t know when to give in, do you? You’re so stubborn.”
“Should I drag him back, ma’am?”
“Yes, please!”
Milly lifted Vash under his arms and seated him in front of the cave wall again. He didn’t even resist. With a frustrated sigh, he pinched his brow between his fingers.
“Water?” Meryl offered him a flask.
He accepted it, but his hands were shaking so badly that he lost his grip and dropped it. Meryl unscrewed the lid and held the flask to his mouth. She tipped it up, and he drank a small sip. After he swallowed, she helped him drink another.
“You should get some rest, Mr. Vash,” Milly said. She drew her arms close in a self-hug. “The last time I had chills, I stayed in bed the whole day.”
“Yes, you should,” Meryl said. “Is there a blanket in your bag?”
“I already got mine out.” Milly rolled out her brown traveling blanket. “And a pillow, too.”
Seemingly done trying to resist, Vash slumped over and lay on the floor of the cave. He let Meryl spread the blanket over him and lifted his head for Milly to place the pillow underneath it. He closed his eyes, and Meryl’s shoulders relaxed in relief.
After a long moment, Milly whispered, “That was quite the struggle, ma’am.”
“Quiet, Milly. We don’t want to keep him awake. He needs to rest.”
“Can we take a nap, too?” Milly yawned, covering half of her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t get much sleep last night either.”
Meryl peeked out of the entrance to the cave. “We should stay vigilant.” At this point, they could never be sure who was following them or who was nearby. Vash seemed to attract even more trouble, and more dangerous trouble, than usual these days. “If someone comes after him while he’s sick, we’ll have to do all the fighting.”
“But I don’t know if I can stay awake.” Milly yawned again. “Just half an hour? Please, ma’am, we need a break, too.”
Meryl knew it was a bad idea, but her legs were sore, she had a lingering headache, and she needed to get her heavy cape off her shoulders. Not to mention that looking at Vash with his eyes closed was making her feel drowsy.
“Let’s stay awake a little longer,” Meryl said. “At least until he falls asleep.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Milly murmured.
—
Meryl woke with bleary eyes and a dull ache in the back of her head. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and it took her a moment to remember that there wasn’t a gun pointed at her head and that there was, at the moment, no reason to be afraid. Once her heart calmed down, the rest of her aches and pains caught up with her. Her feet still hurt from walking iles and iles yesterday, and her throat was as dry as if she had swallowed sand.
She had planned on resting for half an hour, but it was dark outside the cave, so it had obviously been far longer. Milly was snoring softly next to her. The blanket lay on the floor of the cave, but there was no blonde head on the pillow, and the red coat was gone. Her stomach lurched, and she shot up to her feet and ran outside.
The sand was bathed in the light of the moons and stars, so even in the darkness, the red coat stood out. He was staggering toward the horizon, coattails dragging on the ground as he slouched. She didn’t even have to run to catch up to him; he didn’t make it much further before he collapsed.
She returned to the cave and grabbed Milly’s shoulders, shaking her awake.
“Five more minutes, Pa,” she murmured.
“It’s me, Milly. He tried to escape again. Help me drag him back, please.”
Milly rubbed her eyes and followed Meryl out of the cave. Meryl led her over to Vash, who still lay motionless on the ground.
“Is he breathing?” Milly asked, stooping to look at him. She waved a hand in front of his face. “Mr. Vash?”
“He was on his feet a moment ago,” Meryl said. “He just passed out. You get that arm, and I’ll get the other one.”
Vash’s head lolled forward when they lifted him, and his limbs were completely limp. Being unconscious meant he had no way to resist, but it also meant he was a dead weight that they had to drag, the toes of his boots leaving trails in the sand.
“There we go,” Meryl said as they walked back inside the cave. “No more escaping.”
“Let’s tuck you back in, Mr. Vash,” Milly said.
She lifted Vash under his arms and slowly laid him down on the hard floor of the cave. Then she draped her blanket over him and placed the pillow underneath his head. Putting a hand on her cheek, she hummed, frowning.
“What’s the matter?” Meryl asked, sitting down and brushing off her skirt.
“He should have a wet washcloth for his forehead. But we’re too short on water for that. Maybe we could fan him again?”
“I think it’s better if we let him rest for now. Trying to help might wake him up, and being awake will give him ideas.”
“What about his coat, ma’am?”
“It’s cold enough at night that I think he’ll be fine. If he wakes up and gets hot or uncomfortable, we can take it off him.”
“But I want to make sure he’s comfortable right now.”
“We’ve done quite a bit already, Milly. We need to focus on making sure he gets some solid rest.”
“Are you going to keep watch?”
“I don’t think I can. I’m exhausted.”
“I wonder how long we were out.”
Meryl checked her watch and barely held back her gasp. “Two?!”
“That late?” Milly yawned. “Good night, ma’am. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Milly.”
Meryl pulled her knees toward her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. Milly had just began to drift off, and Meryl was about to join her when a soft clacking sound made her snap awake.
Vash was trembling from head to foot, teeth chattering as he shook. His forehead burned hotter than the midday sands, and the blanket was already growing damp. Meryl looked at the blanket and at the collar of the coat he still wore, dark with sweat. She needed to get him out of the blanket or the coat, one or the other.
She pushed aside the blanket, unsnapping the collar of the coat. She worked her way down until all the buttons were undone. Then she used all her strength to roll him over so that he lay on his stomach. She pulled one sleeve off its arm, then the other, then slowly removed the coat from its position between the blanket and his body. She folded the coat up, set it aside, and draped the blanket over him.
He hadn’t stopped shivering, and his teeth were still chattering. But she’d taken off his coat without facing any resistance. Maybe he would be willing to let them take care of him after all.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered.
Tomorrow morning, she’d probably have to stop him from running away again. He had always been slippery, but ever since he’d told them to stop following him right before the incident in Augusta City, he’d become slipperier than ever, right as the circumstances became even more dangerous.
Meryl had never forgotten that word-of-mouth report about Vash saying that he couldn’t stop going until he saw “him.” And he’d told her and Milly himself that he couldn’t stop living the way he did until he buried his past. Who was Vash looking for, and why was he so determined to find “him”? Did it have anything to do with these dangerous assassins, the Gung-Ho Guns, who were now pursuing him, or were the two things merely coincidence?
Meryl wouldn’t be able to interrogate him about all of that now. He was sick, and she needed to focus on helping him improve and preventing him from escaping. Maybe after collapsing twice, he would have learned his lesson. No matter what, she wasn’t going to give up. She would make sure he realized that he needed to take care of himself before he could continue searching for “him.”
—
Meryl awoke to Milly saying, “Oh, my, Mr. Vash, you’re burning up!”
He looked and sounded much worse than last night. He was shaking and shivering, and yesterday’s grunts and groans had become today’s incessant high-pitched whining.
“Are you in pain?” Milly asked, looking worriedly down at him where he lay on the cave floor.
“My stomach,” he moaned. “It hurts so much…” He let out a pathetic whimper. “Like I’m getting stabbed over and over.”
“Can you sit up to take a drink?” Meryl asked.
“No… Can’t move.”
Milly reached underneath the blanket to lift him under one of his arms.
“Don’t—” He winced as soon as her hand made contact. “Ow, ow! Hurts…”
“You’re really sweating, Mr. Vash,” she said. “You need to take a drink.”
“Can’t even sit up…”
Meryl frowned. Was this the same Vash the Stampede who had fought his way through a sand steamer with a wound in his side? Maybe the stomach flu was the only thing that could crumple his iron will.
“Come on, sit up,” she said, walking over to his side. “If you don’t stay hydrated, you’ll dry up when the hot sun comes in the cave.”
“But everything hurts… everything hurts…”
She and Milly helped him sit up, propping him against the cave wall. She opened the flask and offered it to him, and he took a couple small sips, setting it aside when he was done.
“Can we do anything for you, Mr. Vash?” Milly asked. “Should we fan you?”
He groaned weakly and closed his eyes.
“You look like you’re going to pass out again. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
“My stomach…” He sniffled. “This is worse than the time I ate half a bag of two-day-old donuts before I realized it was moldy…”
Meryl rolled her eyes. “Yes, that sounds like something you’d do.”
“Haven’t you ever had the stomach flu, Mr. Vash? I have no idea how many times I caught it! When I was growing up, every time one of my brothers or sisters got something, we all got it.”
“Maybe he’s an only child,” Meryl said.
“Oh, like you!” Milly beamed at her. “Is that why you’re not used to getting sick, Mr. Vash? Or do you have brothers and sisters?”
“Please talk about anything else,” was his answer.
“I’m sorry. I should have been more considerate. Not everyone has a good relationship with their family. You’re not hungry, are you?” When Vash shook his head, she said, “Silly me! I guess you wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. Um, um…” She stammered and wrung her hands. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what to talk about.”
It dawned on Meryl just how few casual conversations they’d had with Vash. For as long as they had traveled together, most of the words they’d exchanged had had to do with either the bind they currently found themselves in or the fact that they were still following him. When they weren’t trying to extricate themselves from some situation, he was a wacky, drunken party animal at best, and stoic and taciturn at his worst. It was no wonder Milly was struggling.
“Before we parted ways with Mr. Wolfwood…” She cut herself off, knowing she’d taken a risk by mentioning their estranged traveling companion. But Vash’s expression didn’t change, so she continued. “You said you wanted to find a place where you could live in peace. What does that place look like?”
Vash’s eyes fluttered shut. “Green grass and trees all around. You can hear water flowing and a soft melody being carried on the warm desert wind.”
Milly sighed dreamily. “That sounds wonderful. Almost like that geo plant we helped protect. Would you build a little cottage to live in?”
“I’d sleep underneath a tree, or in the grass among the flowers.”
“Flowers are so pretty! They’re very difficult to grow, so that’s why they’re so rare. But I bet you could figure it out, Mr. Vash. If you can’t, I’ll help you. I grew up on a farm, after all!”
“Um, Milly,” Meryl said. “I’m pretty sure he might want us to leave him alone for a while.”
“Oh, you’re right. We’ve been following him around for a long time, and if his bounty gets taken away, that means we move on to a new job. Can we still come check on the flowers now and then?” When Vash nodded, she asked him, “What color flowers would you grow?”
“Red flowers.”
“Like your coat! Is red your favorite color?” Milly raised her eyebrows. “Or is it because red hides the blood?”
“Milly, I think you and I need to start thinking about breakfast,” Meryl whispered, pinching her brow between her finger and thumb.
“Breakfast! I thought we’d never have it. My stomach’s been rumbling since yesterday. What do we have left?”
“Why don’t you look in my suitcase? Pick a couple things out. One for you and one for me. And there should be a sleeve of crackers in there, too. Save those for Mr. Vash in case he feels up to eating later.”
As Milly dug in her suitcase, Meryl lowered her voice and said to Vash, “Sorry. Sometimes, she just says whatever comes to mind.”
“It’s fine.” He closed his eyes. “I’m grateful. You’re good company.”
Meryl’s heart suddenly felt full. “You really mean that?”
The corners of his lips turned up, but before he could smile, he winced, clutching his stomach. “Just when it was calming down…” His eyes went wide, and he covered his mouth with his hand. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”
“I have a cereal bowl I’m not using.” Milly handed Meryl a small melamine bowl.
“You barely ate the past two days,” Meryl said, placing the bowl next to Vash. “I’d be surprised if there’s anything left in your stomach.”
“He did eat much less than usual. He must have already been feeling sick.”
Vash started to gag. He fumbled for the bowl, and Meryl politely looked away. He set down the bowl and started to cough, then gasped in pain. Gripping his stomach, he doubled over, groaning in agony.
“Oh, Mr. Vash…” Milly curled her fingers against her thighs. “Should we take him to a hospital, ma’am?”
“Mr. Vash’s safety takes top priority,” Meryl said. “Right now, that means not moving him anywhere. If we take him into town, he’ll be far more visible. And if he’s lying in a hospital bed, he’ll be far more vulnerable. Not to mention that going anywhere now would only put more stress on his body and make it harder for him to recover.”
“You’re right, but I can’t help feeling like I’m not the best person for the job…”
“We can’t get ourselves down, Milly.” Meryl patted her encouragingly on the arm. “This is just one more way to expand our competencies, right? Everything’s an opportunity for growth.”
“Even sweating through my clothes while wearing a greenbird mascot suit?”
“Yes.”
“Or washing windows at headquarters because of being late twenty times in row?”
“Yes, Milly,” Meryl said through gritted teeth. “Every experience makes you more well-rounded, although you could at least try to be punctual.”
Vash made a sound that resembled either a cough or a laugh, but a surge of pain made him seize up, and he clutched his stomach, eyes welling up with tears.
Frowning, Milly asked, “Can I rub your back, Mr. Vash? Would that help? Or do you want to hold my hand so you can squeeze it whenever you’re in pain?”
“Why don’t we do both?” Meryl said. “I’ll rub his back. You take his hand.”
“Of course! It’s always better…”
“When we work together.” Meryl offered Milly a small smile, and Milly grinned.
Meryl sat down next to Vash. Cautiously, she placed her hand on his back. His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t freeze up entirely, so she started to rub in broad strokes. Milly sat down on his other side, taking his right hand in hers.
Whenever Vash went rigid, he squeezed Milly’s hand hard. Milly winced a little, but she didn’t cry out. In between bouts of pain, she gently traced circles on the back of Vash’s hand with the fingertips of her other hand. Tears started to roll down his cheeks, and Meryl was right there with her handkerchief to wipe his eyes.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said when he was able to form a coherent sentence.
“But we’re doing it, aren’t we?” Meryl said. “And that’s that.”
—
Vash didn’t throw up again that day. The stomach cramps let up enough for him to take a nap in the afternoon, though he hadn’t been willing to try the crackers. His fever had gotten worse by nightfall, and the blanket was soaked with sweat long before Meryl and Milly finally fell asleep.
Though she’d been sitting most of the day, Meryl was exhausted. But nightmares and stress kept her from solid sleep, and she didn’t know whether it had been hours or minutes when Vash’s pained cry roused her from her half-slumber. Her head was throbbing, and her stomach hurt. Probably because they’d tried to limit how much food they’d eaten, and they needed much more than they’d had.
“Mr. Vash?” Milly mumbled groggily, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Is everything okay?”
Vash was tossing and turning, getting tangled up in the blanket. Meryl blinked herself awake, walking over to join Milly where she was kneeling next to him.
“No, no,” he whimpered. “Please, don’t…”
Hands on her knees, Milly leaned forward, casting a shadow over him.
“You can’t… You can’t die.” He shuddered. “Why, Brad, why?”
“It’s just a dream,” Milly whispered. “It’s just a bad dream, Mr. Vash.”
“Brad… No… No!”
Meryl wished she could tell Vash everything would be all right, even if he couldn’t hear her. But she had a horrible feeling that Brad was someone who was already gone.
“You can’t die. You can’t die,” Vash repeated, shivering.
“It’s a bad dream,” Milly said.
“Only a bad dream,” Meryl echoed.
Vash fell quiet for a moment, and Meryl was about to breathe out in relief when he started talking again.
“No. No. Don’t… Leave me alone…”
Meryl briefly wondered if he was addressing them, but his eyes were still tightly shut.
“Don’t… don’t make me use it. I won’t… You can’t! You can’t!” He flailed his leg, hitting Meryl in the knee. “No! Stop it! Stop!”
“Vash!” Meryl grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Wake up, Mr. Vash!”
“Don’t touch me!” Vash cried, pushing her away. His hand hit her jaw. Smack.
She scowled. “What’s the big idea? Is that any way to treat someone who’s taking care of you?”
“Huh?” he mumbled, and her stomach clenched with guilt. She shouldn’t have snapped at him. “What’s going on?”
“You were having a nightmare,” Milly said. “Mr. Vash… who’s Brad?”
Vash’s eyes went wide, and his features contorted with anguish. Covering his face with his hands, he burst into tears.
“Milly!” Meryl slapped her shoulder. “He needs to rest. Do you want to make his nightmares worse?”
“I thought it might help to talk about it!”
“Do you just say whatever comes to mind without thinking?”
“Not always! I wanted to help!”
“Well, look what you’ve done. You’ve gone and upset him!”
“B-B-But…” Milly’s bottom lip quivered. “I didn’t tryyyy!” she wailed.
Meryl huffed, exasperated. Now there were two grown adults bawling their eyes out in front of her. Before she yelled at them and made it worse, she walked outside to fume for a bit. Once she’d cooled off, she’d assess the situation and figure out how to resolve it reasonably and compassionately.
Vash was sick, tired, and obviously scared from the nightmares he’d had, where he’d lost “Brad” and was forced to use “it,” whatever “it” was. Milly, as she’d said, had been trying to help, but sometimes she didn’t know when to rein in her curiosity. Meryl was curious, too, but asking Vash about something he was clearly uncomfortable with, especially when he was so overwhelmed, was a good way to get him to start crying or to withdraw entirely.
Meryl’s stomach cramped, and she rubbed her aching head with one hand. Now that she understood what was going on, she still had to go back in there and calm her two hysterical companions down.
“I’m demanding a bonus after this,” she muttered, turning on her heel and walking back inside the cave.
“Milly,” she said. When Milly didn’t stop sobbing, she set her hands on her shoulders. “Milly, come on. Listen to me.”
Milly bit her lip and turned to face Meryl. “What?”
“I know it’s hard,” Meryl whispered. “I know it’s frustrating. It’s okay to break down for a moment, but someone still needs us. We have to be strong and keep going, right?” She squeezed Milly’s shoulders. “Repeat after me. ‘I can make it through this.’”
“I can make it through this.”
“That’s more like it.” Meryl patted Milly’s shoulders and let go of her. “Now, what should you do next?”
Milly looked over at Vash. His hands were still covering his face.
“Um, Mr. Vash,” Milly started, her voice wavering. “I’m sorry for making you cry. You don’t have to talk about it. But, um…” She glanced at Meryl, who nodded encouragingly. “We’ll stay awake with you until you fall asleep again, no matter how long it takes. Okay?”
They were all silent and still for a moment. Slowly, Vash removed his hands from his face. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Milly pulled the blanket up to his chin, then she sat on her feet and watched him. She and Meryl didn’t lie down again until his breathing was deep and calm.
—
Milly woke up to the blinding light of the suns and a lot more of the blanket than she had expected. Since she had lent her blanket to Vash, she and Meryl had shared last night, and Meryl wasn’t underneath the blanket.
She sat up, looking around the cave, her chest tightening when she realized Meryl was nowhere nearby. Scrambling to her feet, she sprinted outside and collided with Meryl. Meryl stumbled backward and nearly fell down, Milly catching her by the shoulders before she hit the ground.
“Is everything all right, ma’am?” Milly asked, looking down at her. She gasped when she saw how pale Meryl looked. “Don’t tell me…”
“Hopefully I was up early enough that nobody had to see or hear that,” Meryl grumbled. Milly reluctantly let go of her, and she stood upright and shuffled into the cave. “Where are those fans? I need to cool down.”
“What’s wrong?” Vash said groggily, and Milly looked over her shoulder at him. “Are you okay?”
“It’s nothing,” Meryl said. “Milly, fans, please?”
Milly handed Meryl two of the fans. Meryl murmured her thanks and started cooling herself off.
“How are you feeling today, Mr. Vash?” Milly asked brightly, walking over to sit beside him.
Vash’s brow was knit in concern. “Is she okay?”
“I’m fine,” Meryl insisted. “A little parched, a little warm, but fine. I’m probably overheated from stress.”
“Fever?” Vash whispered.
Milly looked over at Meryl. “Um, ma’am, are you sure you’re not… sick?”
“It’s stress. Nothing more. It’s a headache and a stomachache. I took some painkillers, and I’ll be fine in a half an hour. An hour tops.” Meryl paused in fanning herself, and Milly’s heart sank when she noticed how heavy her breathing sounded. “We need to collect the water in the back of the cave today. We’re going to run out otherwise.”
“On it! After I get Mr. Vash settled.” Turning to him, she asked, “Do you want to try taking painkillers? They might help your fever.”
“No, thank you.” His eyes were watering.
“Are you in pain? What hurts?”
“Stomach.” He sniffled. “Not as much as yesterday.”
“Not as much? But you’re crying.”
He averted his eyes. “My fault she’s sick,” he whispered. “My fault.”
“Sometimes that happens. My siblings got sick plenty of times taking care of me.”
“But—” Vash winced, gritting his teeth. “Ow, ow. Hurts…” He laid the back of his right hand on his forehead. His forehead was glistening, and his cheeks were still flushed. “Hot. So hot.”
“Should I pull the blanket down or up?” When he didn’t answer, she said, “Or maybe you want me to fan you? Do you need water?”
“I don’t need anything right now.”
Milly’s stomach twisted in knots. She refused to leave Vash alone, no matter what he said. He was sick, and she had to help him.
Pulling the blanket down a little, she attempted to find the zipper on Vash’s shirt so she could help him out of it, but it was hidden, and she couldn’t figure it out. She fiddled with the top of his shirt, and when she finally found the zipper, it caught on the fabric on the way down, leaving it only half-open.
“You’ve done enough,” Vash said firmly. “Thank you. Now let me rest.”
“Are you sure you don’t need a drink?”
Vash pointed at Meryl. “Help her. Please.”
“But I’m the only one who can look after you right now.”
“And you’re the only one who can look after her. I’m grateful you’re so dedicated to… your work. But she’s your business partner, and she needs that dedication and drive right now. Make her proud.”
Reluctantly, Milly turned around. Meryl was still fanning herself with one hand and rubbing her stomach with the other. Her bangs were damp with sweat, and her usually perfectly-coiffed hair was rumpled. Dark circles had surfaced under her eyes.
“How are you feeling, ma’am?” Milly asked.
“Please, get me some water. I need water.”
Milly picked up one of the three flasks and opened the lid. “This might be the last of the second flask.”
“I need it now.”
“Only sips.” Lowering her voice, Milly asked, “You threw up this morning, didn’t you?”
“It was just stress. Sometimes when I get stressed I have issues with my stomach, and—”
“No, you don’t, ma’am.” Milly glared at her. “You caught what Mr. Vash has. Stop calling it stress. Stop lying to me.”
Meryl furrowed her brow, and Milly froze. She shouldn’t have spoken up. She should have left Meryl alone until she was ready to admit that she was sick. She could have played along with her lie, even if it would have gotten on her nerves. But what Vash had said a moment earlier about being a dedicated and driven worker had stuck in her mind. If she really wanted to excel in her current role as a caretaker, she needed to do what was best for Meryl.
“You’re right,” Meryl said, and Milly untensed, relieved. “I’m sick.” She sighed, massaging her temples. “This is awful. I never get sick! Never! When there’s something going around the office, I always get lucky and avoid it.”
“Well, now it’s your turn.” Milly patted Meryl’s shoulder. “We get ten days of paid sick leave a year, right? Might as well use a few days now!”
“Now, when I’m on assignment and don’t have the time to rest? This is the last thing I need. I need to be working on collecting water. I need to be out there keeping watch with a gun in my hand. I need to—”
“Don’t you realize that’s exactly what he wanted to do?” Milly whispered. “He was ready to take off without us and leave us behind. You told him that in that state, he’d get himself killed. You need to take your own advice, stay here in the cave, and get some rest.”
Brow still furrowed, Meryl opened her mouth to protest. Shaking her head, Milly said, “That’s enough. You’re staying right here. Do you want to change into your nightshirt? Do you want the blanket?”
“Water’s what I need right now.”
“Roger that, ma’am!”
Meryl emptied the flask, and Milly opened the next one and went to check on Vash. He was still awake, so she helped him sit up and drink, then laid him back down.
“Your everyday outfit can’t be comfortable, Mr. Vash,” she said. “You should have a change of clothes. Something soft to wear. Do you have pajamas in your bag? Oh, wait! I have a pair of pajamas that would probably fit you, if you don’t want me going through your bag and seeing your unmentionables!”
“Don’t bother him, Milly,” Meryl admonished her. “If he needs your help, he’ll tell you.”
“Maybe later,” Vash said, a feeble hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “For now, let me rest. You keep going.” She swore he winked at her before closing his eyes.
“Ma’am, what about you?”
“I’m fine,” Meryl said. “How about our water supply?”
Milly got the cooking pot out of her suitcase and headed to the back of the cave, setting it up to collect the water dripping from the ceiling. At the moment, it was only coming from one spot, but by evening when they boiled it over the fire to make it drinkable, they might have enough to fill half a flask or more.
“Milly,” Meryl called. “Could you put the blanket over me? I went stiff all of a sudden, and I can’t move.”
Milly ran over to her and tucked her in. She shifted and groaned, trying to get comfortable. Milly grabbed the pillow from her bag and put it underneath her head. She took off her earrings and handed them to Milly, and Milly put them on top of her cape.
Right as Meryl closed her eyes, Vash moaned in his sleep. Milly rushed to his side. Noticing that he was shaking again, she pulled the blanket up to his chin. He flailed his limbs and pushed it away. She tried to tuck him in a second time, but he gripped her wrist and clutched it white-knuckled, hard enough to bruise. Her pained shriek startled him, and his eyes flashed open.
“Wh-What happened? Did I do something?” His eyes were wide, and his breaths were shallow.
“My wrist… When I said you could squeeze my hand if you were in pain, this was not what I meant…”
“I’m sorry…” Vash sniffled. “I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
“Don’t cry! You didn’t hurt me. I’ll be fine.”
Vash started to tremble, and Milly’s chest tightened with dread. “Now, Mr. Vash,” she said. “I know being sick and tired can make you even more emotional than usual, but you can’t get worked up over every little thing.”
“Milly.” Meryl’s voice was hoarse. “Need water. ’m dying.”
“But ma’am, the last flask is already half-empty.”
“Water! Feel like I can’t breathe!”
“Oh, no,” Vash sobbed. “She’s worse than I thought!” He sniffled sharply, quivering all over.
Milly shushed him, patting his shoulder. “Settle down, Mr. Vash. She’s going to be fine. As soon as I get her some water, she’ll be all right.”
“How do you know that? What if she gets worse?” He let out a choked sob. “What if she really gets sick, and it’s all my fault?”
“But she won’t get worse. More water will make her feel better.”
“Hurry up, Milly!”
“I’ll be right there, ma’am!”
Milly got up, grabbed the flask, and helped Meryl sit up. Pressing the back of her hand to Meryl’s forehead, she gasped at how hot she’d gotten in only a few minutes.
“That didn’t help…” A shudder ran through Meryl’s small frame. “I think I’m gonna die…”
Milly’s heart sank. “You’re just dehydrated,” she said, not sure how reassuring she was sounding anymore. “Come on, drink a little more.”
“No. It’s not going to help! It’s no use. I’m going to die in the middle of nowhere in a cave because of a stomach bug, after everything we went through? I had a gun held to my head two days ago. I could have died then, and this is how I go out? This is how I go out?”
“Stop it, ma’am! You’re not dying. Snap out of it!”
“I am dying, Milly. I’m not ready. I’m too young to die!” She burst into tears, and Vash started to wail.
“Ohh, Mr. Vash!” Milly grumbled under her breath. Trying to keep it together, she gripped Meryl’s shoulder and said firmly, “Miss Meryl, you’re going to take a drink of water, and then you’re going to lie down and rest, okay? I don’t want to hear any more talk of dying.”
“But you don’t know—”
“I don’t wanna hear it!”
Meryl clammed up, still sniffling, and took another drink. She let Milly lay her back down and tuck her in, then Milly made her way over to Vash.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Vash?” she said, attempting to sound gentler than she had with Meryl. Meryl was going to be incredibly upset with her when she woke up, but she couldn’t think about that now. She had to take care of Vash. She had to keep going.
“All my fault,” he kept repeating through choked sobs. “All my fault. Everything’s my fault. She’s going to die. She’s going to die because of me…”
“Nothing’s going to happen. No one’s going to die. Miss Meryl’s just upset because she hasn’t been sick in a long time. We’re safe here inside this cave, and we’ll take all the time we need to recover. Okay?”
Vash stopped crying. He looked up at Milly, but his gaze was empty. It was as if he were looking past her, at someone only he could see.
“Rem…” he whispered. “Is that you, Rem?”
Milly cocked her head. “No, it’s Milly Thompson, remember?”
“Rem, it’s me, Vash. Sorry to wake you up, but I don’t feel so good.” He tugged on the knee of her pants. “Please help me get better. Tell me I can make it through this.”
“I’m not—” Milly began, intending to snap him out of it, then realized Rem must have been someone who had comforted Vash in the past. Maybe the last time he was sick, Rem was the name of a nurse who had taken care of him.
“Everything hurts, Rem. I hurt all over. I’m hot. My tummy hurts. Will you sing me that song? Your happy song? Please?”
Or maybe Rem had taken care of him the first time he was sick. Was Rem gone now? Was that why he had refused to talk about his siblings?
“C’mon, hum it with me.”
Vash started humming a song, the notes broken and shaky. Almost right away, Meryl began humming along. Milly recognized it as a lullaby that her great-grandmother had used to sing. Soon, all three of them were humming in perfect harmony.
Vash’s voice began to dwindle, his humming fading into deep, even breathing. For a moment, the only sound was the slow drip of water from the ceiling into the pot. Then Meryl grunted in pain. By the time Milly was at her side to check on her, she had dozed off, too.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Milly ran outside. She buried her face in her hands, tears drip, drip, dripping through the spaces between her fingers. When she shut her eyes, she saw Wolfwood turning his back on them, upset with Vash but clearly also upset with himself. If he had stayed, at least he’d be here to help. But she knew the tension between him and the others, especially Vash, would have been unbearable.
“Where are you, Mr. Priest?” she whispered. “Where are you?”
Clenching her hands into fists, she lowered them to her sides. She raised her head to the sky, shut her eyes, and opened her mouth in a silent, frustrated scream.
—
Meryl slept for almost the whole rest of the day. The few times she woke up, Milly tended to her. She asked for a drink more often than Vash, and was overjoyed when the water was finally boiling on the fire.
Vash didn’t ask for Rem again, and his sleep wasn’t solid enough for nightmares. His fever still hadn’t broken, but by midday his aches had eased enough that he was able to change into Milly’s yellow jammies and a fresh pair of socks. Before he put on the pajama shirt, she helped him remove his left arm, then once he slipped the shirt over his head, she tied a knot in the empty sleeve so it wouldn’t get in the way. He brushed his half-sagging hair, too, until it was fully down from its usual mohawk, sitting on his shoulders. The bristles of her brush got slick with hair gel, but she had offered it to him in the first place, and it was worth it to see him looking content and comfortable despite his illness.
Vash and Meryl were quiet and still by the time the stars and moons came out, and Milly was ready to pass out from exhaustion herself. Her solace was woefully temporary. Meryl started grunting and wincing in her sleep, and then she started talking.
“Help…” she muttered, shivering. “Help me…”
“What’s wrong?” Milly asked, but there was no response.
“Milly… Mr. Vash…” She dug her fingers into the pillow. “No, don’t… Please… Please don’t hurt them…”
Milly’s heart clenched. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m right here, ma’am. We’re both right here.”
“Please, don’t… If I… I can’t…”
She shuddered again, and her eyes opened, only slits. Then she rolled over, looking up at Milly with tears in her eyes.
“Mr. Vash,” she said. “Is Mr. Vash all right?”
Milly nodded. “He’s sleeping soundly right now.”
“And you’re all right?”
“I’m right here, aren’t I?”
Meryl breathed out in relief. “How many nights will I have to put up with that?”
“Nothing’s going to happen right now,” was all Milly could say to comfort her. She certainly couldn’t make their nightmares go away. “We’re safe here. Do you want a drink? Or a dose of painkillers?”
“No. I need rest. Good night.”
“Good night, ma’am.”
Meryl closed her eyes. Milly watched her a little while longer, waiting until she dozed off. She was out like a light right as Vash started to talk in his sleep.
“I killed Brad… I killed him,” he whimpered. “I’m so sorry… I ruined everything… all my fault…”
“You could never kill anybody,” Milly said softly. Though it had made her very upset when he had pretended to murder that young couple who was trying to escape the caravan, it was a relief to know he hadn’t suddenly changed, that that part of him would always remain consistent.
“All my fault… You’ll never forgive me… Even if I say I’m sorry…”
He suddenly grew still, ominously so. Then his right hand shot up to the same shoulder. His eyes opened, though she could only see the whites, and the whites were glowing blue, like on the night he’d been locked in jail, before the assassin came. And he screamed in terror and agony, making her entire body seize up.
“No!” he cried. “No, no! Don’t! Please, no!”
“Wake up, Mr. Vash!” Milly grabbed his shoulders. His body was hot, too hot underneath the warm fabric of the pajamas.
Vash continued to scream, and Milly desperately tried to shake him awake. Fear made her blood run cold and every inch of her skin crawl, but she didn’t let go of him until a jolt coursed from her fingertips all the way up to her shoulders. Goosebumps broke on her skin, and her hair stood on end. Horrified, she tore her hands away and stared at them, her palms tingling. It was like she had experienced a static shock, only far more potent. Like two lightning bolts shooting up her arms.
“What’s going on?!” Meryl shouted. “Is everything okay?”
“Please, get out of here,” Vash gasped, breathless. “Take your things and run!”
“You aren’t in your right mind!” Milly yelled. She was no longer looking at the blank, inhumanly blue eyes, but Vash’s normal teal eyes, his gaze forlorn and pleading. But it didn’t matter which set of eyes it was. “We won’t run away. I won’t run away!”
“I’m being serious.” Vash’s voice was high and thin with panic. “This is the last time I’m going to say it. Take her and run.”
“Why do you keep calling her ‘her’? She has a name, you know! It’s Meryl! Meryl Stryfe!” She pounded her fist against the floor of the cave.
Vash stared at her, his chest still heaving. Her head spun with fury, and she saw red when she blinked. If she weren’t afraid of getting shocked again, she had half a mind to pick him up and shake some sense into him. Why didn’t he understand?
“Yes, looking after you is our job,” she said once she had gathered herself slightly. “But I don’t just care about my assignment. I care about you, and I want you to get better. Mr. Vash the Stampede, you are my friend, and that’s why I’m not going to run away, no matter what!”
Vash was silent. His features were wrought with pain, and tears began streaming down his cheeks. It was hard to look him in the eye, but Milly didn’t avert her gaze for even a second.
Meryl broke the silence. “What’s going on, Mr. Vash? Won’t you tell us?” She hesitated a moment before adding, “I’m not running away, either. And not just because I’m too under the weather to do otherwise.”
“Why?” Vash murmured, his voice broken and barely audible. “You know what happens to anyone who comes close to me. You know how dangerous I am. You know how dangerous my enemies are.” His expression twisted with sorrow. “That shock you felt was just the beginning. I’m only going to become more of a threat tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?” Milly asked.
“I can make it through this. You two may not.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Meryl said. “Why don’t we both have some water and get back to sleep?”
“I can’t sleep now.” Vash said. Sitting up, he backed himself against the wall, pulling one knee toward his body. “It’s starting.”
“What’s starting?” Milly asked, but he didn’t answer. Trying to calm herself, she helped Meryl take a drink. Though Meryl was shuddering and sweating, she wouldn’t close her eyes after lying back down.
“Your turn,” Milly said, coming over to Vash.
“No!” he protested, but she ignored him. As soon as the flask touched his lips, the metal sparked, and an electric current shocked her arm.
“Ouch!” She shook her arm, hissing through her teeth.
“What happened?” Meryl asked.
Milly frowned, stroking her hurt arm. “It’s just like when I was trying to wake Mr. Vash from his nightmare. A powerful static shock, almost like sticking a fork in an outlet. Which my brother did once, and it looked very painful.” She blinked a few times, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait, if the flask is the fork, does that make him the outlet?”
“What? The Humanoid Typhoon, a human electrical outlet?” Meryl groaned. “This fever must be making me delirious. What about giving yourself some water, Mr. Vash?”
“No water.”
“And why not, mister? You’ll get dehydrated! Aren’t you still running a fever?”
“Don’t check,” Vash said before Milly could lift a hand. “It might burn you in addition to the shock. And I can’t have water right now.”
“Please, tell us what’s going on,” Milly said.
Vash breathed heavily, in and out, in and out. He was no longer shivering, but he looked very tense. Milly heard a faint buzzing noise, and when she listened closely, it sounded like the power lines that extended from plants into towns.
“This is my body’s last line of defense,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Meryl asked.
“My immune system is… trying to purge the illness, so that’s why I’m like this.”
Milly tilted her head. “That’s odd. I’ve never met anyone who turns into an electrical outlet when they get sick. But this new development won’t stop us from carrying out our duties, right, ma’am?” She smiled at Meryl, then turned to face Vash. “Is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?”
Vash pointed to the pile of his clothes. Milly followed his finger to his revolver, sitting atop the pile in its holster.
“Take that and run,” he said.
“What?” Meryl cried.
“Take it and run as far away as you can!”
Milly pouted, puffing out her cheeks. “Do I have to say it again? We’re not leaving you!”
“If something happens… if something happens, and I…” He swallowed. “You might not make it.”
“Milly, take that as far back in the cave as you can,” Meryl said, and Milly obeyed, keeping her distance from Vash as she carried the revolver out of harm’s way. “What about your arm? There’s a gun in there, too. Take that away, Milly. What else can we do? Other than leaving. We’re staying, and that’s final.”
“You really won’t listen to me?” Vash hung his head. “You two never change. It’s too much for me to bear.”
“And it’s too much for us to bear when you don’t let us be there for you,” Meryl countered. “Why should the Humanoid Typhoon have to be on his own? When our assignment started, our job was to protect the people of this planet from you. But then, we realized that you were trying to help and protect everyone, no matter what happened. No matter how you were treated.
“Time and time again, we witnessed you facing horrible consequences for helping others. You were punished, cast out, and hunted for being Vash the Stampede. No one was interested in taking the time to understand what kind of man you really were. So, that’s why we have to look out for you, too. That’s one of the most important parts of our assignment. But you keep trying to stop us from doing it.”
Vash stared at the floor of the cave for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes with a small smirk. “I know, and I’m grateful for that. I’m sorry if I’ve been… distant.”
Meryl scoffed. “If?” she muttered, but Milly heard the truth behind his words. Vash knew that the distance he was putting between himself and the two of them—telling them to stay away, refusing to open up about his nightmares, avoiding calling them by name—wasn’t an “if.”
“Please, don’t stay up,” he said, meeting Milly’s eyes. “If you stay up to look after me, you’ll be up all night. I can’t rest while my body is in this state. And you…” He looked at Meryl. “You’re still sick. You need sleep.”
Milly smiled, relieved that Vash had finally caved. It warmed her heart that he was showing concern for them without trying to push them away. His life was becoming more dangerous these days, but that didn’t change how much he cared about them. It definitely hadn’t changed how much she and Meryl cared about him, either.
—
The following day, Vash was silent and unmoving. Meryl’s fever worsened, which meant that Milly spent most of the morning and afternoon taking care of her. She was quivering from chills when Milly woke her up to drink water.
“I wish I could eat,” she complained. “But my stomach hurts too much.”
“Well, it’s a good sign if you’re starting to get your appetite back,” Milly said. “Do you want to try some crackers?”
“No. It would only make me feel worse.” Meryl let out a heavy sigh, far from the first one Milly had heard in the past few days.
“What’s wrong, ma’am?”
“I’m supposed to be your superior. I’m the one who should look out for you. You weren’t supposed to see this side of me. I wasn’t supposed to be so… weak.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve been plenty strong this entire time. It’s okay to be weak. Didn’t you tell me that yourself, that it’s okay to break down for a little bit?”
“But to stay sick for this long without recovering… I can’t take it. I need to be working, Milly. You don’t understand.”
“Oh no, ma’am, I understand completely. Pretending you’re okay is exactly like you. Even though I’ve seen you worried, stressed, and crying, you still pretend everything is okay when you’re breaking down. But you don’t have to! If there’s something you need, please don’t be afraid to ask me. We’re partners, right? So you should rely on me, too.”
Meryl parted her lips, looking like she was about to protest. Instead, she smiled. “You’re so much more of a caretaker than I am. You’re so strong, so fearless…”
“You’re all those things, too.”
“I had no choice. I had to be stronger than I was and repress my fear to prove I could make it out in that cruel world. And even now that I’ve made it this far, I can’t stop worrying. What if everything that happened was for nothing and we lose our jobs? What if they blame all the chaos and destruction on us and we get bounties on our heads?”
Milly shrugged. “We might lose our salaries and benefits, but not much else would change. What would stop us from following Mr. Vash? We could all have bounties together, and we wouldn’t need to worry about policies or claims. Besides,” she said, tucking a stray hair behind Meryl’s ear, “I’m happier on the outside than I ever was in the office. I grew up in the light of the suns, and I’d much rather breathe the fresh air, even if it is a bit sandy.”
“I really like traveling with you,” Meryl said. “I’m glad you’re my partner. I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else.”
“And you’re glad we were reassigned to Mr. Vash, right?”
Meryl snorted. “Someone has to keep that goof in line,” she muttered, but the smile on her face didn’t fade, not even as she drifted off.
“I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else, either,” Milly said to herself, smiling.
—
Long into that evening, Vash remained motionless. His eyes were closed, and he was still as a statue, as if he were meditating. Now and then, the buzzing noise was loud enough to cut through the silence, but usually it was so faint that Milly could only hear it if she was nearby. The pajamas were clinging to his thin frame, and his hair was frizzing at the scalp and sticking to the wall. His cheeks were bright red, but strangely, his forehead looked dry rather than sweaty.
“You don’t look so good, Mr. Vash,” Milly said. Meryl had been out cold for hours, and he was still awake. “Are you sure you’re going to make it?”
“I’ve dealt with this before. I’ll be fine.”
“But your face is so flushed. Your fever must be even higher. And you aren’t even sweating! That can’t be good.”
“Don’t worry about me.” He gestured at Meryl with his chin. “She’s the one who’ll need your help.”
Milly pouted, determined to figure out a way to help him. She noticed that he was hugging his knees to his chest. He looked like he could use a hug, but she definitely didn’t want to get shocked again or upset him by putting herself in danger. Then she had an idea.
“I know what you need.” She walked over to her suitcase and riffled through it. Her hand brushed the soft, worn fur of a stuffed animal, and she pulled it out to show him. “Ta-da!”
“A black cat?” Vash raised his eyebrows. “It looks… familiar somehow.”
“Her name is Kuroneko!” She sat down across from Vash and placed Kuroneko in her lap, stroking her oversized head. “She’s a little worn, but that’s because she’s been handed down nine times.”
“Big family. Are you the youngest?”
“Mm-hmm! I’m number ten. My great-grandmother told me that black cats are bad luck, but Kuroneko is a good-luck charm. She’s used to fending off nightmares and bad dreams. I still cuddle with her sometimes.”
“I wouldn’t want to take her away from you.”
“But she wants to cuddle with you.” It was what her mother had always told her sister when she’d refused to share Kuroneko: But she wants to cuddle with Milly. “She’s wanted to make a new friend for a long time, and she’ll be very disappointed if you say no.”
“Well, if she insists,” Vash said with a small smile.
“Just promise you’ll be gentle with her. Her seams can’t take a lot of stress!”
She handed him the stuffed cat. He touched a floppy ear with his fingertip, and his expression softened.
“She’s definitely been loved,” he murmured to himself. “Did you like having that many siblings?”
“Hmm… it was hectic. But I can’t imagine growing up any other way.”
Vash held Kuroneko close to him, petting her worn black fur. He pressed his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. Milly looked on with a wistful smile, staying quiet when he began to sniffle.
“Mr. Vash,” she said, hesitating. But then she decided to push forward. Meryl wasn’t awake to scold her, and the worst that could happen was that he would freeze up again. “Won’t you tell me what happened to Brad? Please?”
The long silence was disturbed only by the faint buzz coming from Vash. Finally, he said, “He was… a friend. Not one I knew well. But one I wished I would have gotten to know better. He died… because of me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He hugged Kuroneko tightly and lifted his head to meet her eyes. “You can’t stay any longer. What happened to him could happen to you.”
“Miss Meryl said we would follow you to the ends of this planet.” Milly glanced at Meryl, who was still sound asleep. “And I’ll follow her until she changes her mind. But that’s not the whole truth,” Milly said, pressing on despite Vash parting his lips to protest. “She’s too stubborn to say it, so I’ll be the one to say it instead. We’ve stayed with you this long not because you’re important to our job, but because you’re important to us.”
Vash gaped at her, his eyes wide. Milly smiled, the sight warming her.
“So we’ll never leave you alone,” she said. “No matter what happens, no matter how dangerous the road ahead becomes, we’ll always be on your side!”
“But… But I…” He blinked, and a tear trailed down his cheek. “I can’t lose anyone else.”
“That’s why we have to cherish the time we have together. Brad would want you to remember his life, not his death. Something could happen to us. Something could happen to you or to Mr. Priest. But instead of worrying about the what-ifs, let’s treasure this time we have together. Let’s treasure this gift called life.”
“The gift called life…” Vash bowed his head. “But what if I fail to protect that gift? What if another life is lost because of me?”
“We’ll still be happy, even if we die,” Milly said emphatically. “No matter what happens, we’ll be happy, because we met each other.”
“I…” Vash sniffled, more sharply this time. “No, I can’t cry right now! I can’t lose control.”
“Well then, focus, Mr. Vash! Or there’ll be no donuts after you make it through this!”
“But there’ll be pudding and sundaes, won’t there?” he teased, and she grinned.
Vash cuddled Kuroneko closer, and the buzzing noise rang in Milly’s ears. Even at this safe distance, she could feel the static radiating off his body. The light she had witnessed in Augusta and the hole in the fifth moon lingered in her mind, as well as a story her great-grandmother had told her, passed down through the generations, about creatures called plants who powered the planet with their life’s energy. She’d assumed that story was a story and nothing more, but she was beginning to feel doubtful. Was it really possible that the Humanoid Typhoon wasn’t human after all, but instead a plant storing massive energy inside his slim, gangly humanoid frame?
“Is the noise bothering you?” Vash said, looking almost bashful. “I’m sorry. Usually only I can hear it.”
Milly looked at his worried smile and decided it didn’t matter whether he was a plant creature in disguise or a very strange human. Even if neither he nor Meryl would use the word, she was certainly glad to call him her friend.
“No, it’s actually quite relaxing,” she said. “It would make nice white noise to take a nap to. Better than an electric fan!”
Vash laughed.
—
The next morning, Vash looked far less tense and almost rejuvenated. The buzzing had stopped, but not resting had taken a toll on him, and he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Milly let herself take a nap until a very weary and tired Meryl woke her. Their water was running low again, and Milly was working on collecting more, but Meryl was still achy and feverish, and she was so tired that she was getting needy.
All day long came her requests:
“Fan me, Milly.”
“Water, Milly.”
“Milly, rub my shoulders.”
“Milly, bring me the extra pillow.”
“Milly, I need more painkillers!”
“Milly!”
“Milly!”
“Need a little help?” Vash asked with a smile when he finally woke up, and Milly’s shoulders relaxed in relief.
“What do you know about taking care of sick people? You barely made it through your own stupid illness,” Meryl muttered.
“Someone’s grumpy!” Milly patted her shoulder, and she shot her a dirty look. “Don’t worry. You’ve got plenty of sick days left!”
“Leave this to me,” Vash said. In a high-pitched, cheerful voice, he asked, “What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“You can start by bringing me more water.”
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Vash mock-saluted and brought her the flask. She sat up and took a slow drink from it.
“Now bring me my book.”
“On it, ma’am!” Vash took the yellowed paperback from Milly and handed it to her.
A few minutes later: “Bring me the stuffed kitty cat!”
“Understood, ma’am!”
“Bring me the other blanket!”
“What do you need both blankets for?!”
“Just do it!”
Meryl grumbled. “I don’t have the energy to read. Do you have an interesting story from your travels? Preferably one that doesn’t end in tragedy?”
“Of course, ma’am! I was looking for a drink in May City, when in rode a fellow on a thomas with a pistol dangling from each hip. He’d been traveling the planet seeking me in hopes of a duel. He called himself Travis Drake, the ‘Twin Trigger.’ But, as I’d soon realize, he wasn’t the man he said he was after all…”
Meryl closed her eyes midway through the story, leaning her head against Kuroneko.
“Tu te moqués de moi?!” Vash wailed, his jaw hanging open. “We were just getting to the best part!”
Milly giggled at his goofy expression. “Keep going, Mr. Vash!”
When he was done, Milly looked fondly down at Meryl. Her lips were slightly parted, and her expression finally looked peaceful.
“She really needs this rest,” Milly said. “Miss Meryl is the hardest worker I know. She inspires me to be more persistent. It’s because of her that I learned the value of never giving in and always following your heart.” She smiled. “I think that’s what I like about you, Mr. Vash! You and Meryl are both such determined people. It’s fun traveling with you!”
Vash smiled, another warm, genuine smile. “I’m glad you feel that way.” His face fell. “But I can’t—” He cut himself off. “No. I’ll let myself enjoy this for as long as it lasts.”
“You should.” She eyed Vash’s right hand where it sat on his knee and Meryl’s hands clasped together next to her head. She placed her right hand on top of Meryl’s hands, and her left hand over Vash’s. “You can let yourself be happy, Mr. Vash.”
—
Meryl’s fever broke overnight, and she was ready to go the next morning. Everyone was starving, but they still had to ration their supplies. After a meager breakfast, Vash put his arm back on, got dressed and holstered up, and gave Milly her pajamas. He didn’t tell Milly and Meryl to go away; he let them trail him.
Milly looked up to the sky. Will we cross paths with him again? What will happen when the two of them are face-to-face?
Meryl focused her attention on Vash’s back, watching the wind tousle the tails of his red coat. I’ve got to find out what his goal is. Where is he headed? Who is “him”?
Vash’s eyes were fixed firmly on the town of Tonim in the distance, but his heart swelled with gratitude and love for the two companions who had selflessly, steadfastly carried him through the worst of his illness. Thank you, Meryl. Thank you, Milly. And Wolfwood… I’m ready to meet you again.