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“Mafuyu?”
She winces at how weak the voice coming from Kanade is. “Mmm, I’m right here, Kanade.”
“Could I get some water?” Unfocused eyes look over in Mafuyu’s direction, sweat beading off Kanade’s forehead, a damp towel sliding to the ground. Checking the pitcher she chides herself for not refilling it earlier when she had gotten a fresh towel.
“Mmm. I’ll be right back, I need to refill the pitcher.”
Mafuyu sets her pencil down against the assignment book, picking up the damp towel that had fallen to the floor and the empty pitcher of water before heading out to the kitchen. Running the faucet into the pitcher, she leans against the countertop, exhaustion slowly seeping into her. Her mind wanders as the pitcher steadily fills, searching for something to train her thoughts on.
Robotically she pulls the pitcher out from under the faucet as she grabs a new hand towel to dampen. Wringing the towel out slightly to avoid it being too wet, she brings both to the dimly lit bedroom.
Mafuyu slowly pours the water into the stout mug sitting by Kanade’s bedside table. The ceramic deforms and perturbs under the distorted lights through the stream of water pouring into the vessel.
“Here.” The lyricist gently sits the songstress up, bringing the cup to her parched lips. Kanade drinks greedily, her own hand reaching up to weakly support the cup, brushing against Mafuyu’s.
Clammy, she thinks to herself as she slowly tips the cup so that she can drink at a steady pace. Soon the mug is empty and Kanade leans back down, worn from the effort. Mafuyu adjusts the blankets around her, gently brushing back damp wisps of hair to keep her forehead clear for the freshly dampened towel.
“Sorry, Mafuyu…” Kanade murmurs, eyes already shutting again, as she sinks back into an uneasy sleep. Mafuyu simply runs a spare dry towel over Kanade’s forehead, wicking away the sweat. Gently laying the damp towel over the freshened forehead, she lets her fingers gently ghost over Kanade’s cheek, taking in the relief slowly coming over her patient’s face as the towel draws away the heat from the fever.
Taking her seat back at the desk, Mafuyu picked up her pencil again, continuing her homework to the dim lamp light.
Consciousness came slowly, then all at once as Mafuyu hears Kanade moaning and tossing in her sleep.
“Nnng….” Kanade groans, sheets now askew, sweat clinging to her as she tosses about. “Dad… Mom…”
“Kanade… I’m here…” She catches and holds onto the weakly flailing hands, clammy with sweat. “I’m right here.”
“Don’t go…” Kanade whispers, eyes screwed shut as a feverish chill sweeps up and down her spine. She can feel Kanade’s hands trying to grip onto her, attempting to hold her in place. “Don’t leave…”
She’s not sure why, she’s not sure where it came from, but Mafuyu begins to hum. She rubs the back of Kanade’s hands as she hums a lullaby from a half-remembered time. As verse loops on verse, she can feel Kanade’s pulse calm. As verse loops on verse, the pain on Kanade’s face slowly fades away. From note to note she lets her voice dance, enunciations of feelings long since past. Bar to bar, she dives into a pool she had forgotten existed.
Only when Kanade’s grip on her hand loosens does she let her voice fade away, an echo of an echo.
They had put Kanade to bed now that her fever had broken and her temperature had begun to slowly ratchet down. Honami made sure to help stock up on extra ingredients and reheatable meals while the pair had been out shopping.
Mafuyu slid into the dining room chair, staring idly at the convenience store dinner slowly turning in the microwave. She had picked it up on a whim as they picked up medicine for tending to Kanade while out shopping with Honami. Honami had protested that she could cook for the three of them tonight, but Mafuyu had nudged her to head home early lest she also catch what Kanade had.
She wondered what it was that had changed within her. As though a filter had been removed and suddenly the world appeared tinted lightly with color. When she ran her fingers through the endless sand of survival it was as if a tendril of warmth wrapped itself around them, whispering that it would be alright.
Tuning back mid-bite to face Kanade's room, Mafuyu felt something stir in her heart. Kanade’s clammy hands in her own. The look of relief in the composer's eyes when her own gaze met hers. The warmth blooming in her chest as Kanade fell asleep to her lullaby; peace coming over her.
Maybe she hadn’t noticed yet. No, it was more that neither had accepted it yet. Mafuyu thought to herself. Maybe Kanade had already saved her. Feelings that lingered at the edge of comprehension lapped against her gently, melting away as fleetingly as they had come.
“Then I’ll stay until she realizes.” The lyricist mutters to herself, staring down at the reheated dinner before her. “I’ll let her pull me along until she’s ready to walk on her own.”
One day, Kanade would turn back and realize the path was one she had written for herself, and she’d see the flowers that had bloomed in her wake. And Mafuyu would be by her side. Where she was meant to be.