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A sick kid was not fun.
However, there was something worse than one sick kid: two sick kids. Satoru told Tsumiki as much as she strapped her mask to her young face. "Satoru," whined the younger girl. She tried, futilely, to push her long arms away. "I can't breathe in this thing. And I always take care of Megumi when he's sick. I can't go to camp."
"Absolutely not," Satoru said firmly. She tucked Tsumiki under her arm and made her way to the front door. "You need to go to camp so I can disinfect the house and make sure you don't get sick too."
"But-!"
"The only butt here should be yours at camp," she interrupted. She knew Tsumiki only wanted to help, but it wasn't her job to. She was a kid, taking care of her sick brother wasn't her responsibility. But for some reason, she was convinced it was. Is this what they called parentification? "Besides, think of how guilty Gumi would feel if he got you sick."
Tsumiki pouted, crossing her little arms. "But I always take care of him," she grumbled again. It was cute, though she wasn't used to the girl being stubborn; that was usually Megumi's role.
Okay, so it was time to compromise. They walked outside the apartment where the bus would pick her up. "Since you're the expert, what do I need to know about taking care of your brother?" Satoru asked.
Tsumiki's grumpy expression softened. "He likes ginger in his soup," she revealed. "And cuddles... But don't tell him I told you that."
Satoru smiled. "Got it, kiddo," she said, ruffling Tsumiki's hair as she set her down and the bus approached. "Have a good day at camp. Gumi will be fine, okay?"
The girl still looked worried, but nodded. "Okay," she agreed. She clambered onto the bus as it stopped, waving sweetly.
Satoru waved back, keeping her smile on as she watched the bus depart. But once she was sure Tsumiki couldn't see her, her face crumpled completely. She pulled out her phone, dialing one of the numbers she knew by heart.
"Hello?" answered a sleepy voice.
"SHOKO!" shrieked Satoru, chin wobbling from how extremely worried she was.
"Satoru!" snapped Shoko. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Megumi's sick," Satoru told her friend, sniffling. She hadn't shown it in front of Tsumiki, but she was panicking. How was she supposed to handle a sick kid? She had never been sick herself! "He has a fever. He's in pain and I don't know what to do."
"For the love of- calm down, Satoru," Shoko ordered. "I'll be right over. Until I get there, make sure he's drinking plenty of fluids. Try to keep his temp down with a cool cloth."
Satoru sniffed again. "O-Okay," she agreed. "Thanks, Sho."
"Didn't have anything better to do anyway," her friend mused, her voice considerably softer. "He's going to be fine, Toru." Satoru believed her because Shoko never said anything she didn't mean.
XXX
Megumi whimpered softly as Satoru raised the glass to his lips, turning his head away. "C'mon, Gumi," she urged. "Just drink a little, okay?"
But he shook his head. "Don' want it," he insisted. "Hurts to swallow." His cheeks were flushed and he tried to push the glass away. He gave a sickly cough and turned, burying his face into his pillow. This caused the cloth she had rested on his forehead to fall to the floor.
Satoru let out a huff of frustrated air. "Megumi," she said firmly but as comfortingly as she could. "I know it hurts. But you need at least a little water, okay?"
Her Six Eyes saw Shoko let herself in and appear in the doorway of the bedroom. "Hm," mused the med student. "That's a sick kid alright." She gestured to her bags. "Tylenol, chicken broth, spinach for the soup, and orange juice."
She blinked. "Why spinach?"
"Vitamin C," supplied Shoko. She approached Megumi, kneeling next to his bed. "Hi there, kiddo. I heard you're not feeling too good."
Megumi gave her a dry look. "How could you tell?"
Unsurprisingly, Shoko laughed at that. "I'm just that good at my job," she told him with a wink as she took out a popsicle stick. "Say ah for me, okay?" Satoru watched, shocked, as he did what she asked. "Hm, a little red back here but your tonsils look okay, so it probably isn't strep." She stuck a thermometer into his mouth. "Hold that for a second, okay?"
Satoru was flabbergasted. Why was he being so cooperative with Shoko? He fought her on everything: wearing socks, eating his dinner, doing his hair, etc. Yet Shoko barely even had to ask. She was kind of (very) jealous.
The thermometer beeped and Shoko checked it. "Thirty-nine," she read. "Not too bad. It should go down soon." She ruffled his dark hair. "If you do everything Satoru tells you."
Megumi sniffed. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed.
"Cool," said Shoko. "I'll make the soup, Satoru give him a warm bath."
Satoru nodded. "Let's go, Gumi," she beckoned, scooping him up into her arms and heading towards the bathroom.
"Put me down," whined Megumi, squirming weakly. "I can walk just fine."
She ignored him, setting him down on the floor. Satoru turned the bath on, feeling out the temperature. "Hey, Gumi, is this too hot?"
He put his hand under the faucet. "No, 's fine," he told her, rubbing at his swollen eyes. "But get out, I don't need your help getting undressed."
Satoru smiled. "Sure thing, kiddo," she agreed, stepping outside. She trailed into the kitchen where she proceeded to slump against the counter.
Shoko chuckled, tending to the soup. "He's gonna be fine, Toru," she assured her. "Kids get sick, it's normal."
The white-haired woman turned, pressing her lips firmly together. "I never have," she confessed. The elders of her clan had forced her to activate Infinity to prevent it. She had never once fallen ill. And that was what scared her more than anything. She had never been sick, she couldn't imagine that pain her Megumi was in. How could she take care of him if she had no idea what he was going through?
Something like sorrow crossed Shoko's face, but was gone in a split-second. "This soup will help soothe his throat and get him the nutrients he needs," she told her instead.
"He likes ginger," Satoru mentioned. She had to make sure it was in the soup, Tsumiki had been adamant. Now she knew why the little girl had insisted on her picking it up at the grocery store.
Her friend smiled. "Of course," she obliged, adding the spice.
When the soup was done, Satoru brought it, along with a glass of orange juice, back up to the unwell child. She entered his room, noticing he was back in bed and had a new pair of pajamas on. "Hey, buddy," she greeted softly. "Auntie Shoko whipped this up, it should help with that sore throat of yours." She placed the bowl on his nightstand, then sat next to him. "How do you feel?"
Megumi shrugged at her. "Fine," he brushed her off.
Satoru tried not to frown as she placed a hand on his forehead, then brushed back his hair. He was a little cooler now. "Hey, you don't have to pretend for me," she assured him. "You can tell me-"
"I can't," he hissed, yanking himself away so hard that he almost fell off the bed. His dark eyes reflected disbelief and hurt. "Why should I tell you anything? You'll just leave."
Leave? Why would he think- Toji. Toji had abandoned Megumi and Tsumiki to fend for themselves. Megumi wasn't just being a stubborn brat when he fought her, he was protecting himself. He didn't know how to let her in when he had been hurt in the past. Even if he didn't remember Toji's face, he remembered being alone, abandoned.
Oh, her poor baby.
Satoru dropped Infinity fully and pulled the sick boy against her chest. "Oh, Megumi," she breathed, holding him tight. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She hated Toji Fushiguro more than she had ever hated anybody: her parents, the elders, the higher-ups. Because Toji had hurt her Megumi, had made it nearly impossible for him to trust again.
But Satoru Gojo was known for achieving the impossible.
"I'm not going to leave you," she told the child in her arms, taking off her glasses. "Not ever. Do you understand?"
Megumi shook his head, though his little fingers clutched at her shirt. "Why wouldn't you?" he mumbled. "I've been a brat since you got here. I'm mean to you, I don't listen. Why do you even stay around?"
"You are a brat," Satoru agreed, nudging his head back so he could her unveiled eyes. "But guess what? You're my brat. You and your sister are..." My kids, my family, my home. "You both mean so much to me. I won't leave you."
He hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't believe you."
She smiled at him. "That's fine, kid. You can take as long as you need, I'm not going anywhere."
Megumi let out a dry sob, but settled against her. Satoru held him like he was a baby, as if he was nothing more than glass. Because he was precious to her, him and Tsumiki. They were hers.
And she would always be there for them.