Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In a large building, Mach traveled through the hallways, holding her hammer in her hands. She was in her workplace. Here housed two main areas of which she was usually in charge of. Although the rooms could be a bit dangerous. For example, the incinerator room, one of the areas she worked at. A room which had the tendency to burn almost anyone or anything that entered it, courtesy of Mach herself. It was also a room that managed to pull Mach’s attention away from whatever she was doing from time to time. 

It was hard not to stare out the window, seeing the people running in said room. Running, stumbling, falling, doing everything to try and escape the wall of fire behind them. Usually, that room was off-limits to everyone except for her, but she made an exception for those people, since it never caused any problems. Plus, it gave her a little bit of a laugh sometimes.

However, part of her did understand their pain. Feeling the heat on her back, feeling as if she needed to run from death, it’d be horrible to be in that position. Fortunately, she wasn’t in that position. No one was in there at the moment though, sadly, probably because it was so early in the morning. As the pieces of the wheel leaning against the back of the room caught Mach’s attention, she made a note to find another storage area. Why had she even put those pieces there in the first place? It wasn’t like anyone was really going to do anything with them, but still. 

Mach turned away from the window, continuing down the hallway filled with doors leading to rooms she need not bother herself with. She was headed towards her main attraction, as she would call it. The wheel. Her mostly favorite area to be in charge of. Seeing people’s faces change as the wheel spun and spun, changing their fates every second. Sometimes it was boring, sometimes it was fun. Sometimes… people would throw snowballs and tomatoes at her. She hated that part. Still, overall, it was almost as entertaining as the wall. 

However, things had changed up in that room recently. The “fun” option, which normally led to those little red balls being released and jumping around, now had another perk. 

Someone had started working in that same area not too long ago, after Mach had offered them a job. Pilby. The little caterpillar who seemed scared and confused about the world around them. They would leave every time the wheel landed on the “fun” option, sort of as an extra perk. They’d go into the elevator that recently stopped by, and then return later on during the night via that same elevator. Sometimes it took them longer to return, sometimes they returned early on in the day. Sometimes they were happy with what they had seen, sometimes they were covered in water or tomatoes or snow. It was at that moment that Mach would feel bad for them, cursing the fact that people were even able to bring those things into the elevator. She always made sure to give them a towel, offer to help them clean up, or do anything else that could help. She did want to punt those people in the face sometimes though.

Of course, there were also the shows that the two would put on for the people sometimes, people who stopped by not for the purpose of spinning the wheel. It was noticeable though, that Pilby got nervous whenever there were too many people watching them. During these moments, Mach would try to find a way to make the show stop early, whether it be by finishing what they were doing quicker, or by just making it stop due to “technical difficulties” as she would call it. Pilby was great at what they did, at least to Mach they were, so she had a hard time understanding why they were so nervous or hard on themself. She never prodded them about it though.

There was only one problem. No matter what Mach did, no matter how much she gave Pilby, or how much she tried to help, none of it mattered. Pilby was intimidated by her, that was obvious. However, Mach had tried to make them still feel as comfortable as possible while currently living here. She’d given them essentials like food and any drink they could ask for, even if they didn’t ask for any, or helped them out if they were having a rough time from the elevator. Pilby still acted the exact same towards her though, being quiet and secluded, refusing to hang out with her for fear of her. Of course, it hadn’t led to anything dangerous happening to them or anything like that, but still. Mach would prefer it if it weren’t that way.

She tried not to think about that though.

Soon, she entered the main room, stepping through the area where the elevator sometimes appeared. The stage looked just as it always did, with the crates stacked in a manner so that they served as a chair for the deity. Almost like a throne, she joked to herself. She remembered the pieces of the wheel leaning against the wall, almost giving the room a “cluttered” sort of look. Why had she moved those there again? Hadn’t she specifically had a storage room for all these things so that way this wouldn’t be happening. Walking up the stage and looking around, she spotted the door on the far wall. Oh yeah.

Mach remembered now. She did have a storage room for those sorts of things. However, it had been temporarily changed to fit being a bedroom for the caterpillar. Originally, she had planned to move the excess pieces elsewhere, along with the crates, for the time being. But, she hadn’t found anywhere to put them, no empty rooms. This led to them being scattered around the wheel room as well as the incinerator room. Oh well. It was fine. As long as Pilby had a place to stay until an actual area in the building was made for them.

Other than their bedroom though, the door led to a few other rooms. These rooms sort of made that area like a house, in a way. It had a kitchen, a lounge, and a bathroom. That whole area was usually used to be a “staff room” even though it was technically where Pilby was temporarily living. Besides, only Mach and Pilby worked at the wheel as far as Mach knew. Most times during the night, they would stay put in their room. This also went for if Mach was using the staffroom to get a snack or something. She had a feeling Pilby rotated from the lounge, the kitchen, and their bedroom throughout the day. 

Pilby did have the option of exploring other parts of the facility, but they chose not to. Mach had even offered to give them a tour of the facility, her personally finding it exciting to show someone around. Of course, she had just gotten a no for an answer, and nothing else.

Something else that bothered the deity was that she never knew when Pilby needed something. She wouldn’t even know that the fridge in the kitchen was empty, until she checked it herself and saw that there wasn’t a single drink or snack left. It used to be the opposite. Pilby wouldn’t really eat anything from the kitchen, saying they’d find something else. However, not knowing the facility, that hadn’t gone well with them refusing to ask Mach for help. Fortunately, now they trusted Mach somewhat enough to eat the food that was given to them. Mach heavily wished they could communicate with her, but she didn’t want to poke and prod at them until they did. So, she’d resorted to giving them time. That hadn’t gotten her far, but it was still worth a shot.

Mach walked up the wooden stairs, making sure to rest her hammer against the wall before actually going to greet Pilby. She knew she wouldn’t need it, and it was a big factor in why Pilby was intimidated by her. Even if it was unintentional, it was probably from all the times Mach would “get mad” at the people from the elevator. But hey, it wasn’t her fault if they kept throwing tomatoes and snowballs at her, they got what was coming to them. Still, she’d rather not scare them.

As Mach opened the door slowly, she noticed the lights were already on. This wasn’t abnormal, as Pilby regularly woke up before she got there, and would be ready for the day or getting ready by the time Mach got there. However, looking around, she noticed she couldn’t exactly see Pilby anywhere. They weren’t anywhere that was visible, at least. She stepped through the hall to the kitchen, her heels making noise as they hit the ground. No one was in here. Peering at the counter, Mach noticed that the box of muffins they had recently gotten for the caterpillar remained unopened. Courtesy of her trying to find out what they liked. Had they not eaten breakfast yet? But the lights were on?

Mach was a bit confused, but maybe they just hadn’t eaten yet.

She ignored the lounge, finding no reason to go in there, and walked down the hall again to where Pilby’s room was. She pressed an ear to the door, again hearing no sound. She tentatively raised a hand, hesitating for a second more before knocking. Usually, she didn’t like bothering Pilby while they slept. She had also promised that their room would be their private area. However, Mach had reason to believe they just hadn’t woken up yet.

“Pilby?” Part of Mach wondered if they were sleeping in. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it had only happened once. Pilby had freaked out as well, thinking they would be in trouble for sleeping in late when they had a job to do. They were reassured that it was fine, but they still had sworn that it wouldn’t happen again. They were also still nervous around Mach, which could’ve played a part into why they were so adamant about never doing it again. Getting back on track, Mach waited a moment at the door. Hearing no answer or anything, she opened it. 

The lights were on in here as well, and Pilby was surprisingly not in their bed. The covers had been messily made, supposedly after they had woken up, and their hood and bow tie were both gone. So they’d gotten up, and gotten ready for the day… Where were they? Other than the tour Mach had offered to give, she had recommended Pilby to not explore the building alone. The last time that had happened, Pilby had ended up in the incinerator room, and almost got burnt to bits had Mach not stopped it in time. She didn’t think they’d try to go exploring much after that, but she wouldn’t doubt it if they had.

As Mach walked back down the hall, checking the bathroom as she went, she walked into the lounge, trying to think, trying to figure out if she would have to search the facility, or if they were just hiding from her. She was trying to figure it out so much that it took her a minute to realize the vaguely familiar caterpillar lying on the sofa. Mach spun around, to see that it was indeed Pilby sleeping there. She felt stupid for not checking here sooner. She took a moment to look at them, then noticed something. They looked like they had gotten ready, then just passed out. Their bow tie was on, along with their hood, but they looked… tired . Even as they were literally sleeping, they looked discomforted or even exhausted. Their face was also flushed red, an abnormal shade of it. It wasn’t uncommon to see Pilby’s face be a little pink from time to time from embarrassment. Although this did make Mach feel uneasy, at least she’d found them.

The deity leaned forward, trying to study them more closely. They would never pass out after getting ready, it just wasn’t like them. In order to get ready, they had to be awake enough to do that, so how could they fall asleep? Especially on the couch? Hesitantly, Mach reached a hand out, intending to shake Pilby awake. However, they looked peaceful, and they looked tired so… would it be so bad for them to stay sleeping? Plus, if Mach was correct, Pilby didn’t like her touching them suddenly.

Unfortunately, Mach didn’t get to decide, as Pilby seemed to blink their eyes open, waking up. They seemed dazed for a second, eyes adjusting to the bright light before they noticed Mach herself. That made them startle, and Mach leaned back. They seemed to be processing things for a second, then their eyes widened, and they quickly sat up.

“Oh my gosh, did I fall asleep?? What time is it? Am I late?” Pilby’s voice sounded very hoarse, something that Mach made sure to remember for later. They seemed to panic a bit, and it reminded Mach a lot of the other time that Pilby had accidentally slept in. Though she wouldn’t really call this sleeping in, since they had woken up and then fell back asleep. She shook her head nonetheless though.

“Pilby, it’s alright, it’s still early in the morning and I just got here. You didn’t sleep for too long.” Mach was quick to reassure them, not wanting them to freak out too much. She really didn’t care as long as it didn’t happen too often, which it obviously didn’t. Even so, if Pilby needed the rest, they could have it. She didn’t mind, and the people could wait. 

Mach wasn’t too worried about that at the moment anyways, what she was more worried about, was how Pilby still looked off. In fact, if she didn’t know any better, she’d assume that they were sick. Their face was still flushed, they seemed to be shivering a bit despite it not being cold in any way. They also still looked tired. As if they hadn’t gotten any sleep last night.

Pilby looked relieved at learning that they hadn’t slept in for too long, but they still seemed to be nervous. They also eyed Mach, starting to notice how she was studying them. They leaned back a bit, looking away and not appreciating the eyes being on them. This made Mach lean back a bit more, trying to stare at them too much.

“Um, is- is something wrong? I- I might have to go… freshen up a bit, since I fell asleep.” Pilby couldn’t keep their voice from sounding nervous, still scared. This made Mach squint a bit, suspicious. Seeing as to how it just made them even more anxious, she stopped her “suspicious look” and just continued to stare at them. She seemed to be thinking for a moment, before coming up with an idea. 

“No, I was just wondering, before you go, did you try the muffins I got you?” Mach knew of course that the muffins were still in their package, which was closed. Therefore, there was no way that Pilby could’ve eaten one. But… not eating one would just make them more suspicious, since they always ate breakfast and someone who was sick wouldn’t feel like eating. So, if Mach was correct with her thinking…

“Uh, yeah- yeah! I um- tried one before I fell back asleep, it was really good!” Pilby smiled nervously up at the other, a bit relieved that they could lie that quickly and easily to get out of this situation. However, they could immediately tell something was wrong when Mach seemed to chuckle a little. Her plan had worked perfectly.

“Pilby. The muffins are currently still in the box. The container is as unopened as it first was when I brought it here.” Mach had to stop from grinning at the way Pilby’s face immediately dropped in horror, realizing that their lie was the result of being tricked. They looked away, fidgeting with their bottom set of hands, before looking back up at the deity in front of them.

“Oh! Well- I just… wasn’t hungry! And I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!” Pilby looked down, but their eyes still peered up at Mach, who stared back down at them. They could tell they weren’t making any progress in helping themself, as it felt like those red eyes were staring right through them, making them even more nervous. The caterpillar was still shaking as well, feeling like their legs were going to give out at any given moment. 

Mach was not taking the bait. She didn’t want to believe them for a second, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if she should assume. However, this really did seem bad. Plus, if Pilby was shaking, looking like they were burning up, and didn’t feel like eating, Mach wouldn’t doubt it. If Pilby was sick, then they shouldn’t be going on stage or getting on the elevator. They should be resting, like sick people do, and getting sleep since they looked so tired. Unfortunately, the silence and staring was enough for Pilby to say something to get away from the beforehand topic.

“Well- anyways, do we have a uh- show today? I can’t really remember…” Pilby frowned, trying to think to remember if they did have a show today. They didn’t look like they could even do a backflip though, and that was starting to become more and more obvious. They seemed to try and remember what time they’d woken up. Waking up earlier than usual meant that they had a show for today. When had they woken up? Then the bug remembered. They’d slept in. They didn’t know what time it was. As they looked up at the clock on a nearby wall, trying to see what time it was, something blocked them. Mach. She had moved specifically in front of Pilby, making them shrink away a bit.

“No, we don’t- Pilby are you feeling alright?” Mach was eyeing their flushed face, wanting to see if they were as warm as they looked right now. She didn’t want to touch them suddenly though, so she waited. Maybe they would admit to being sick first. Even so, Mach wouldn’t admit it, but she also was starting to get a bit concerned about the caterpillar themself. Pilby looked like they were going to collapse and pass out, just how they had probably done on the couch. However, she was ready to catch them if that did happen.

“Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be? I feel fine, just- didn’t get much sleep last night is all!” Pilby started to subtly, not so sneakily, back away from Mach, trying to get to the bathroom to possibly straighten themself up. Or to get away from a certain red-eyed deity. Their escape plan didn’t go unnoticed though.

“Pilby.”

“I uh, got to go to the bathroom, fix myself up you know! Since- since I fell asleep on the couch, like I already said earlier, so-” Pilby’s nervous ranting was cut off when they turned, trying to speed walk to the bathroom to get there faster, and they suddenly tripped on the wooden floorboards underneath them. They started to fall, but fortunately managed to catch themself on a wall. At least, that’s what they thought until they looked up at the said “wall” and saw Mach, again, staring down at them like she was about to end them if they ever tried taking another step. She was holding Pilby in a way that kept them leaning forward, like they had been when they were falling, but in a way that kept them still. As Pilby tried to stand up, they also realized they couldn’t move from the way Mach was holding them. They started to panic a little.

“W-whoops! I must’ve-” To make matters worse, before Pilby could come up with any sort of excuse they could think of, they started coughing, badly. It sounded so hoarse it made Mach cringe a bit. 

The coughing fit went on for a moment, and when it stopped, Mach could feel Pilby slump against her. She quickly looked to check and see that they hadn’t passed out, however they just had this look of guilt on their face. They seemed to have given up on making any excuses that could lead to them not being sick. They were staying quiet now, too. They did jump when Mach suddenly shifted her arms, picking up Pilby completely in a sort of princess carry. They didn’t argue though, just deciding to accept their fate.

No words were spoken between the two as she carried the caterpillar back to their bedroom, opening the door and crossing the room to the bed. She set Pilby down very gently, and almost immediately took off one of her gloves to press the back of her hand against their forehead. Indeed, they were just as warm as they looked, much to Mach’s dismay. Of course, she appreciated the fact that she was indeed right, but she didn’t want to see Pilby like this. She was lucky to know how to take care of sick people, so she could at least try to help if Pilby would let her.

Hopefully. Hopefully she could at least make some soup or something for them, since she’d heard that was good. She tried to remember what to actually do to help someone with a fever, but she’d probably have to find something to help. She could make it go away quickly, right? She wasn’t sure, but… illnesses didn’t last that long right? Possibly not more than a day, maybe? Again, she was hoping.

Mach looked back at the bug in question, who was trying to look everywhere but back up at her. They had curled up onto their side, facing the wall and almost refusing to face her. They weren’t… upset at her, right? She was going to try to help them after all, plus they looked worse than before Mach had woken them up, if that was possible.

“You know I wouldn’t mind taking care of you if you’re ever feeling unwell, right?” Mach wanted to make sure this was clear, since although this was the first time Pilby had gotten sick, she didn’t want this happening again. She knew she couldn’t stop it, but she still disliked how Pilby hid stuff from her. It wasn’t too long since Pilby had arrived here, so they were still new, therefore they couldn’t be blamed for being nervous or scared. But since they were starting to live here, Mach felt like it fell under her responsibility to take care of them if they were ever feeling sick or hurt. She couldn’t do that though if she didn’t know something was wrong, which seemed to be the problem with Pilby. They never told her if they were hurt or not, or if they needed something. She didn’t want to get angry at them though, that’d just make things worse.

“Pilby, it’s fine if something’s ever wrong with how your stay here is going. You’re basically living here, so I want to make it as comfortable as possible for you.” Mach tried a somewhat different approach, reassuring them that having something be wrong wasn’t rude or making anything difficult for Mach. She hoped this could get across to them, maybe help them feel a bit better about talking to her about things. Much to her dismay, all she got was Pilby still facing away from her, and silence. They weren’t saying a word, just shivering and hugging themself. Mach waited a moment more, waiting to see if maybe, just maybe, they’d say something . However, only silence answered. Mach turned, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the wall, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

God, she was trying so hard to make them feel comfortable here, she really was. She’d stopped bringing her hammer everywhere so that way Pilby wouldn’t feel threatened by it, she’d tried to be nice, she’d tried to provide. But none of it worked. It never worked. Pilby still shrunk away at seeing her, feeling intimidated probably. Pilby still never told her when they were hungry, or needed something, or when they were hurt. It was starting to frustrate Mach in a way, since it now felt like she was out of options. She sighed, unsure if Pilby would even take anything that Mach would try giving them to help with their fever.

It was still worth it to try.

She still had to help them feel better, even if they didn’t appreciate the gesture. She couldn’t just leave them to be sick, as that wouldn’t solve anything. She didn’t know what they liked at the moment, so she wasn’t sure what to make to help them feel better. She knew that chicken noodle soup was popular though, in terms of what helped with illnesses, so maybe she’d try that. With the goal in mind, she walked to the kitchen. She hoped she had enough things to make it, since she was a bit concerned about leaving Pilby by themself. Even so, this was very important to Mach. Not just the soup, but earning Pilby’s trust.

She had to, after all, if Pilby was going to stay here.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long until Pilby awoke from the small nap they’d had, laying in their bed with the covers pulled over them. They didn’t remember doing that, so it must’ve been Mach who’d covered them up while they were asleep. They sat up, rubbing their head as they frowned. They were still tired. However long their nap was, it must’ve not been long enough. They were as exhausted as they had been before their nap. g Before, when Mach had found them passed out on the couch and they had failed to state their case of feeling alright. Speaking of, they looked at the door of their sort of “bedroom” area. They knew Mach had left not long after they had laid down, as they’d heard her leave. To be honest, they felt bad, staying quiet and staying silent while hearing her try to console them. They didn’t want to respond though, they were too… nervous. They weren’t mad in any way, Mach was just scary sometimes. 

They never said it, but it was true, at least to them. They felt bad for thinking it, but they couldn’t help it. She always carried that huge hammer around, the same one she used to punish the people who threw tomatoes or snowballs at her. The same one she used to punish anyone who stood in her way, or wanted a fight. Sometimes, it seemed like even the smallest things set her off. She always seemed to take joy from when the wheel would land on “death” or “special” as the people who were at the mercy of her would have to take part in those events. They knew she wasn’t mean to Pilby themself… and she’d always tried to make them feel comfortable. Despite that though, she intimidated them. She was tall, and scary. How did they know that she wouldn’t get just as mad at them as she did others? The thoughts that lingered in their mind about her didn’t help with how uncomfortable Pilby already was with this place. Especially the thought of her getting mad at them, as that alone seemed to throw all the reminders about how she’d been kind to them, and given them a place to stay, out the window.

She had already gotten mad at them once, which was a huge part of why Pilby didn’t want to trust her. It had happened after Pilby had tried exploring the facility on their own, despite Mach offering to give them a tour. They’d wandered too far and… almost ended up getting burnt to a crisp. Despite the fact that Mach rarely ever showed what she was feeling, it was very obvious that she had gotten mad at them after that. She’d been loud, saying how they shouldn’t have gone off on their own, how this is why she wanted to guide them through the building. Mach had felt guilty afterwards, that much was also obvious. It hadn’t helped though.

The whole event had still made them scared of her.

It had made Pilby scared of disappointing her. They didn’t want to risk doing anything that could make that happen. One of those things included being sick. They hadn’t been sure how Mach would react if they weren’t able to work for the day, or do any shows, but they weren’t keen on figuring it out. 

Even so, it hadn’t been… as bad as they would’ve thought, but they were still scared. They felt terrible, not able to do a single thing while being sick. Although it wasn’t their fault, it still worried them. But their body hurt, their head was killing them, and they felt cold and warm at the same time. They hadn’t wanted to get up that morning. They had wanted to stay in bed, stay asleep for as long as they could until they felt better. The idea of performing would obviously take a toll on them, but that honestly seemed better than getting smacked in the face with a hammer. With all that in mind, they hadn’t expected Mach to be gentle with them. To pick them up, bring them to their room, and reassure them. Or.. scolding them, Pilby couldn’t tell. Either way, it definitely wasn’t what they expected at all.

Plus, they thought they were doing good hiding their sickness… in the beginning at least.

Pilby laid back down in the bed, trying not to succumb to the sweet idea of sleeping their headache off. The fear that was in their head clouded their mind now though, stopping them from getting any sort of peaceful rest. Their mind was up now, and so were they. However, everything in their mind stilled when they heard the familiar clacking of heels outside of their door. Mach. 

Pilby very quickly turned over, facing away from the door and covering themself with the blanket to act like they were just as asleep as they had been before. They were shivering, keeping their eyes shut tight as they heard the door open. It was silent for a moment, but they could feel the other’s eyes on them. Pilby heard her walk towards the bed, hesitating maybe before setting something down on the crate beside them. She stood there for a second more, and Pilby wondered if it was obvious that they were awake.

“Pilby, if you’re awake, the elevator arrived here not too long ago and I got some… outside information on what to do when someone is sick. I made this for you, if you want to try it.” Mach spoke so suddenly it almost made Pilby flinch. Almost. They somewhat paid attention to what was said, and it didn’t take long for the sounds of her boots to retreat out of the room, the sound of the door shutting following close behind. Pilby waited another moment, making sure that she was gone when they heard the shoes move farther and farther away. They sat up slowly, fearing that moving too quickly would just make their headache worse. Leaning against the wall, they looked at what had been set down on the crate. To their surprise, it was a bowl of soup. From the looks of it, it was chicken noodle soup. Looking as if it had just been made, sitting in a very fancy looking bowl. It was unlike any that they’d seen in the kitchen before. A spoon was also sitting in it. 

Hesitating, they picked up the bowl. It felt warm in their paws, and the steam from the soup rose up into their face. It looked really hot, and part of Pilby was unsure if this would help. Outside information… they guessed that meant Mach had gotten it from someone who had arrived in the elevator. But who? It had to have been someone Mach would’ve trusted enough to do what they said, but Pilby couldn’t think of who it could be right now. They stared down at their reflection in the soup, wavering with each shiver the caterpillar gave. 

If it was someone from the elevator, could Pilby trust them too? They doubted anyone there would specifically want to hurt them, well… maybe some, but none that Mach would trust. Of course, they didn’t think the soup was poisoned. From what they’d experienced thus far by being sick, it seemed very out of the ordinary. They were still unsure though, what if… Mach had been passive aggressive all this time, and this was her way of getting back at them?? Okay, no, they were being ridiculous, the soup didn’t look off or smell off. It couldn’t be poisoned. Besides, it’d get cold if they didn’t do anything.

Sighing, Pilby picked up the spoon, getting some of the soup and pieces of chicken into it and staring at it still. Then, they took a small sip. It didn’t… taste bad. In fact, it tasted pretty good, for… a simple chicken noodle soup. They continued eating it in bigger sips, taking small sips again when it felt like it was getting too warm for them. They didn’t remember Mach ever cooking, at least from their memory. They wondered if she’d gotten the information on how to make this from the person in the elevator.

It took a while for them to finish the soup, getting uninterrupted the whole time, fortunately. Noticing the napkin that had been placed underneath the bowl, they grabbed it to wipe their mouth before setting the, now empty, bowl and spoon back onto the crate. They leaned against the wall, staring at the door. That hadn’t been… too bad. If they were being honest, the soup tasted pretty good. It had made them more tired than before, now that they felt a bit more relaxed. The fears had… sort of gone away. It wouldn’t be too horrible if they took a nap either, they didn’t want to sleep for too long though. Just in case. But a nap wouldn’t be that bad.

Of course, now, it didn’t take them too long to lay down, staring at the ceiling, and pass out.

After that moment, they did wake up various times throughout their “sleep” but the memories were faint. It was like they were seeing everything through a film, and as if they weren’t able to understand it at the time.

One of these moments consisted of Mach being in the room, supposedly checking on them. She had picked up the bowl and spoon, exiting not long after. However, the door being left open indicated that she’d be coming back, and she did. Pilby had stared at her, being half awake and dizzy from the headache and fever. They were still laying down, too tired to actually sit up. Mach kneeled down beside the bed, looking the caterpillar in the eye and saying something, something that wasn’t understood well. Since they couldn’t understand it, not a word was said from Pilby. After a moment, it was obvious Mach wouldn’t get an answer. She stood up, took her glove off again, and felt their forehead. The result must’ve not been good, because she grimaced and put the glove back on. She said something else, again unheard, and then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Pilby wondered what she’d said, vaguely hoping that they would remember later on when they were more conscious enough to process it. They wouldn’t.

Another time, Pilby had felt particularly warm, and had turned over again and again in their bed. They felt warmer then they already had been, like they were trapped in a volcano with no way out. It was agonizing, and they struggled to get the suddenly heavy blankets off of them due to that. Seeing the crate, they noticed a familiar looking bowl sitting on top. The soup. However, the thought of putting something hot in their body was making them feel worse, and they just turned over, curling up. Gosh, the heat was really killing them, twisting and turning did nothing to help as they just felt more uncomfortable and tired. 

It wasn’t long until Mach had peeked inside, peeked because she’d just opened the door and looked in. Seeing Pilby’s condition though, she quickly opened the door fully and was at Pilby’s side in less than a second, feeling their forehead once more. They seemed to curse under their breath, rushing out of the room. When they came back, they had a bucket with them. Although it was hard to tell what was in it, it didn’t really matter to Pilby. They vaguely realized they were being instructed to lay on their back instead of being curled up, and after a bit of convincing they did just that. They were glad they did, as relief spread through their body when they felt something very cold being placed on their head. It had made them feel better almost immediately, relieving them of most of the warmth they had before. They didn’t even complain when the covers were pulled back over them, closing their eyes and getting comfortable in the bed. They didn’t even hear what Mach said as they sort of drifted off again. As far as they knew when they’d next woken up, whatever had been on their forehead had been removed.

There were other times that Pilby had sort of woken up, but none were too notable. It mainly just consisted of them not being able to process much of anything from being tired and sick and just in general feeling horrible, so they would normally fall back asleep soon after waking up. 

Some of the times included Mach being in the room, usually to feel their forehead or check up on them in general. At one point, she’d brought a cup of water into the room, setting it on the crate and saying something to Pilby. Probably something about it being good to drink it, from what Pilby gathered. Pilby had managed to wake up more that time after Mach left, drinking the water very quickly. It was ice cold, and felt oh so nice compared to their fever. After that, they fell back asleep. However, it didn’t take much longer for Mach to continue bringing them more water every time she saw that the cup was empty. 

When waking up, Pilby could hear the heels of Mach’s boots pacing around outside the room. This didn’t happen every single time when they would wake up, but it was often. It would usually persist for a bit, stop, then continue until Pilby fell back asleep.

After the times of Pilby vaguely waking up and falling asleep, they had finally been more awake than before when they woke up with the lights turned off. This was different from how they were normally turned on, but did help lessen their headache. They were a bit more awake this time, the rest beforehand helping with that greatly. However their head was still pounding and their body felt shaky. They were also thirsty. Turning to the crate which usually housed the cup of water for them, they sat up.

However, they found that when picking it up and trying to take a sip out of it, there was no water to be found. Pilby sighed. They were tired. They felt so warm, it was hard to focus. They were parched, feeling as if they hadn’t had any water in decades. Shaking, they got up from the bed, trying to hold themselves up until their legs got used to holding their weight. They couldn’t wait though. Ignoring their body screaming at them to get back to bed, to sleep , they stepped forward, slowly making their way to the door. They were wobbling, but they wouldn’t be up long. 

Just enough time to get a quick drink.

They were guessing it was nighttime, if the lights were turned off. That probably meant that Mach had gone back to wherever she slept, since she didn’t usually stay overnight in the staffroom. It wouldn’t be that comfortable anyways, sleeping on the couch. Pilby would know, they had slept there before their “bedroom” had been made. They walked to the door, opening it and seeing that the lights in the hallway were off as well. It was a bit hard to see, so they felt around the wall for a light switch, flicking it on when they found it. All it showed was the hallway and some of the kitchen, but that was good enough for Pilby. 

Having to lean onto the wall at some points, they made their way down the hallway. They still felt exhausted, but they were really thirsty, and getting some water wouldn't hurt, would it? They felt like they wouldn’t be able to survive if they didn’t get some, which was surprising considering the large amounts that they had during the day. The lights in the hallway barely managed to light up the kitchen, but that didn’t matter too much. As long as they could see, it was alright. They glanced into the lounge though, looking at the couch. It was very difficult to see, but they could’ve sworn they saw something hanging along the edge of it. Maybe they were just seeing things, it was late after all.

Plus, after the day Mach always headed back to… again, wherever she slept. They doubted she would stay here, she probably had things to attend to after working the wheel or in this case, taking care of Pilby. They still stepped quietly, just in case. Making their way over to the cabinet, they eyed the higher ones. Since the staffroom was fit for Mach and her… other employers, the cabinets were placed very high up. It was difficult for Pilby to reach them a lot of the time without the other’s help, and they’d end up having to crawl onto the counter in order to reach it on their own. Unfortunately, one of these cabinets happened to be the one that housed all the cups. Pilby frowned.

They really didn’t want to climb up there, but they didn’t… really have a choice. Struggling with their limbs that wouldn’t listen to them and felt like they were filled with lead, they tried to climb up the counter. It wasn’t too difficult, since they’d done it a couple of times before. However, being tired and sick definitely didn’t help, and it took them much longer than usual to climb up fully. Once sitting on the counter, they opened the cabinet, letting it swing open. It accidentally hit the cabinet beside it, making Pilby flinch at the sudden noise. It wasn’t too loud, but was still startling in the otherwise quiet room. They ignored it, and reached for one of the glass cups that sat on the shelf. Their arm was struggling not to go limp, but they succeeded in grabbing the cup anyways. 

Feeling a bit victorious, they put the cup in one of their smaller sets of hands, and used their far left one to reach over and close the cabinet door. They didn’t want to forget to close it afterwards and have to climb all the way back up. However, the door to the cabinet had swung far, and Pilby couldn’t quite reach the side of it to close it. They frowned, and leaned forward, moving their legs more near the edge as they did, trying to get closer. Their plan seemed to work against them though, as they slipped, unable to hold themselves up by forcing their legs too far away from the countertop. Holding the cup tightly in their hand, they tried to reach out their other arms to at least cushion the fall as they fell off the counter. 

The fall never came though, as they were caught midair. This felt strangely familiar, and they looked up. It probably felt so familiar because they had just experienced it earlier on in the day. Mach was staring down at them with wide eyes, the only sign that she was somewhat surprised. Pilby was surprised themself, not expecting her to even be here at this time of night. Had she been on the couch? She was wearing the same outfit she’d always worn during the day, save for her hat, which was probably somewhere near the couch. She straightened the caterpillar up, letting go of them once she was sure they could stand. The cup was still clutched between their hands, something that Mach took notice of.

“Why’re you up?” Of course, Mach’s tone remained as it always was, but that always made Pilby uncertain of if she was angry or not, unless she was feeling strongly about something. Pilby fiddled with the glass cup, looking down. It wasn’t a far off idea that Mach would figure out why they were up in the first place, but she wanted to hear it from the caterpillar themself.

“I… I was thirsty, sorry.” Pilby’s voice got quieter, getting nervous as they stared down at the ground, refusing to look up. They didn’t want to make eye contact with the other, or even see her expression. They coughed a bit too, trying to cover their mouth. Instead of hearing Mach say anything that was scolding them, or at least somewhat upset, Pilby instead just heard a small “Oh.” from above them. It took a second before a hand reached out to Pilby. Since they were looking down, it took them a bit to notice, but they frowned, unsure of what Mach wanted. Hesitantly, they gave her the glass, wondering if she wanted to take it back. 

Instead, she walked over to the fridge, and opened it, revealing a bucket full of ice. After she reached into it, she dumped a few cubes into the glass, and then closed the fridge. It was eerily silent except for the sound of the cubes being dumped into the glass, and Pilby felt a little awkward due to the silence. The sound of the sink turning on scared them, and before they knew it the glass cup was being handed back to them, now filled with water. They hadn’t thought of putting ice cubes in, but that’d probably be better to do, due to their fever. They slowly took it, taking a sip and looking back up at Mach. 

“You don’t need to apologize for being thirsty, it would be expected since you’re sick.” Mach explained this, but it didn’t make Pilby feel any less embarrassed for not even being able to get themself a simple glass of water. They took a couple more sips, staying quiet. They still had one question though, and before they could stop themself they asked it.

“Why- um- were you staying here, or…?” Pilby wasn’t sure how to ask, but they weren’t sure if Mach had been staying on the couch, or if she was just… really fast? That couldn’t even be possible unless she was watching them 24/7, which Pilby hoped she wasn’t. Mach seemed to understand their confusion, remembering that she didn’t usually stay overnight under any circumstances in the staffroom.

“Yes, I was sleeping on the couch.” A simple answer, Mach left it at that, no explanation or anything. Although Pilby would’ve wanted a better one, they didn’t want to pry. At least they knew she wasn’t watching them all the time from whatever office she had. It still confused them how she woke up so easily or been so quick, since Pilby could’ve sworn they hadn’t made any loud noises. The silence stayed between the two again, cut off sometimes by Pilby taking sips of their water or coughing. They looked at the hallway, they were still very exhausted. The adrenaline from everything that had happened was gone, and therefore, they really wanted to sleep. Especially now that they felt a bit relieved from the ice cold water, and they weren’t thirsty.

“I'm probably going to go back to bed now… so…” Pilby hesitated, but watched Mach nod after hearing their words. They then headed back to their room, ignoring Mach watching them. They didn’t feel as though she had bad intentions though, at least not as much as they felt before. They reached the door, opening it, but stopped. They turned back to the other.

“I- thank you for the water.” Pilby gave her the tiniest smile, somewhat forced due to them being a bit nervous and still tired. Mach seemed to perk up slightly though, even if her own expression remained the same, and nodded again.

“It was no problem, I hope you sleep well.” Mach gave them a small wave, turning to the couch afterwards. Pilby turned off the hallway lights, shrouding her in darkness as they closed the door. They sighed, making their way back to their bed. They felt around for the crate beside it, making sure that they knew where it was before setting the cup they had beside the other one. They then laid down, getting comfy beneath the blankets. It didn’t take long for them to drift to sleep, due to their exhaustion. They also didn’t feel as scared as they had before, since Mach had helped them directly. Plus, it didn’t seem like she ever got mad at them, no matter how many mistakes they made.

That part was especially nice for Pilby.

The next morning went by almost as quickly as the evening before, as a lot of the time Pilby was sick and dazed, or still just tired from being sick. They managed to stay awake a lot of the time though, feeling themselves becoming better little by little the more the time passed. It helped that, as soon as it was morning, their cup was being refilled every time it was found empty by Mach. They were also able to have some more soup, suspiciously that was the only thing Mach seemed to know how to make for someone who was sick. It kind of felt nice, if they ignored the pain of their headache, plus sniffling and coughing all the time. They found time to relax though, despite all of those things.

Some things that happened during that day were noticed by Pilby, even as they lay in their bed.

At one point, supposedly after the elevator had already arrived once, Pilby heard… arguing? They didn’t want to get up, but had forced their body to cooperate as they stood up from their bed and pressed the side of their head against the door. It was hard to make out what the argument was exactly about, but something about “sickness” and “not having enough patience” …or something along those lines. It was hard to tell who the voices were, but Pilby had a guess that one of them was Mach, as that was the louder one and it was easier to tell who that was. The other person was talking in an agitated tone, but they were still staying calm despite obviously being annoyed with Mach. 

Pilby couldn’t hear much else, so they decided to quickly get back in bed before Mach came to check on them again. They had barely been able to make it, because as soon as they laid down and turned over, covering themself with the blanket, the door clicked open. They started sweating, partially from the fever and partially from fear of being found out to be eavesdropping. However, Mach didn’t seem to notice. All she did was seem to stand there for a moment, before sighing and closing the door. 

The arguing ceased after that.

Along with that, Pilby never heard the other person’s voice for the rest of the day, and part of them was curious as to who it was.

They fortunately never felt as warm as they did before though, and had grown enough confidence and consciousness to be awake when Mach would come check on them. She’d ask how they felt, of course, if they were still coughing or sniffling. When asking if they still felt as hot as before, she would seem relieved when the answer was no. After that, she’d fill up their cup, and then leave for a while longer.

Eventually, lunchtime seemed to roll around, as Pilby was getting hungry. They hadn’t had anything to eat today yet, and they were feeling greatly better. They stood up from their bed, and made their way to the door, slowly opening it. They could hear something from the kitchen, and they peeked into the hallway. Mach was there, seemingly hunched over the stovetop. Curiosity got the best of the caterpillar, and they made their way down the hallway, making sure to be silent as they went. Usually, Mach could tell when they were behind her, and it would’ve been normal for her to turn around and ask why Pilby was up when they were still sick. However, whatever Mach was working on must’ve been important, as she didn’t even turn her head.

As Pilby reached the kitchen, they eyed the counter. A piece of paper was sitting on it, and it seemed to have a list, along with step by step instructions on how to do… something. The best guess they had was that it was how to cook something, as sitting on the stovetop was a pot with a ladle handle sticking out of it. Mach was looking quickly back and forth between the pot and the paper, while just casually stirring it. She seemed impatient, as if wanting the food to be done this very instant. If Pilby had to guess, they’d say that this was the chicken soup she had made for them yesterday, and the paper was the information she’d gotten from the person on the elevator. They were scared of breaking her out of her focus, but for now it just seemed like she was stirring it so…

“Um, Mach?” As soon as Pilby spoke, they jumped from how fast Mach’s head turned towards them. She eyed them for a second, studying them to see if they were fit to be up at this time. It seemed fine though, as they weren’t shaky, or struggling to stand at all. In fact, their coughing had seemed to stop as well.

“Yes, hello Pilby, do you need something?” Mach’s eyes flicked from the pot, the paper, and Pilby very quickly, as if she was trying to keep track of all three things at once. It didn’t seem to be stressing her out, but… it was uncertain.

“Well, I was going to say that I was… wondering when lunch was… but…” Pilby gestured to the pot on the stove, and Mach nodded.

“Mhm, I decided to make the soup that I had made yesterday, assuming you liked it?” Mach raised an eyebrow at Pilby, as if asking them if they had, in fact, liked it. They nodded quickly, fidgeting with their fingers as they looked at the pot. Mach seemed a bit content with the fact that they liked the soup, almost seeming proud of herself.

“Luckily for you then, it should be…” Mach looked at the paper, before squinting at it, and pushing it aside, “ready.” She grabbed the bowl from before, presumably washed, and took the ladle that was sitting in the pot to pour the soup into the bowl. She then grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers, putting it in the bowl as well. There weren't any other bowls on the counter, so Pilby assumed the soup had been made for them only. That made their cheeks heat up a little for some reason, the fact that Mach had learned how to make the soup just for them, but they took the bowl when it was handed to them. It was warm, but wasn’t too hot to the point where Pilby would’ve dropped it. Mach stared at them for a moment, before going back to staring at the soup. Pilby took a sip, it tasted just as good as the one the day before, fortunately. Before they walked back to their room, they shifted around a bit so they were on the side of Mach instead of behind her, and looked up at her.

“Thank you for… taking care of me, while I was sick. I really appreciate it…” Pilby couldn’t help but look away when they said this, despite just looking up at the other. They couldn’t even see Mach’s expression, though they doubted it wasn’t different than it usually looked. They really did appreciate it though, it sort of helped them trust Mach more as well, since it had gone well. They also didn’t remember anyone else taking care of them while they were sick for a very long time, so it was sort of… nice. It was silent for a moment, and that almost scared Pilby into thinking that they shouldn’t have said anything.

“Of course. I can’t have you getting sick, now can I? It wouldn’t be very healthy for you or the people in the elevator.” Mach didn’t seem to look at Pilby while saying this, just staring down at the pot of soup in front of her. Pilby nodded, still staring at the ground, until they heard her speak again.

“Besides, you are one of the best performers I’ve ever seen, and the best coworker I have.” At this, Pilby looked up, wondering if she was lying. It was always hard to tell what she was feeling, but for some reason, Pilby believed her. There wasn’t any reason for her to be lying, after all, even if Pilby did doubt that they were the best performer she’d ever seen. Mach had been to a lot of places after all. But… it was still nice, it made them feel a bit giddy inside, hearing that, especially knowing that sometimes they did get nervous when performing with Mach. It made them feel warm, making them feel like they were getting sick all over again.

“Gosh… thank you Mach!” Pilby spoke with a bit of enthusiasm, looking back up at Mach and giving her a small smile. She looked down at them, staring at them for a second as if studying them, before nodding. It took a moment more of silence before Pilby decided that now would be a good time to go back to their room, to eat the soup before it got cold. They gave a small wave and one last smile to Mach before starting down the hallway. They held the bowl carefully in their paws, still smiling a bit to themself as they walked.

Maybe being here wouldn’t be as scary as they initially thought… at least not if they had someone like Mach around to be with them.