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The front door swings open with force, banging against the back wall and causing Cole to jump, and in stumbles Perrine. With all the grace of a wounded moose, they trundle to the kitchen and snatches up a glass drying on the rack beside the sink, which they fill with water and bring to their lips—and subsequently pours most of it over their face by accident. Then, they place the glass down and braces themself against the counter, breathing heavily.
Clémentine and Cole, who had been in the living room together, watch all of this in bewilderment and concern.
“Perrine,” Clémentine calls out. “Are you alright, love?”
“Mhm,” Perrine replies, though it’s hardly a real answer, more like a feeble noise a sick moose calf would make.
A heat wave has washed over the meadow, spreading its humid murk like a tide of lava, and everyone is feeling it. Nobody wants to go outside if they don’t have to, unless it’s to take a trip out to the river or lake. They’ve had to push back performances to be much later in the evening because it’s simply too hot to do it during the day, when the sun is at its highest and most brutal.
However, Perrine seems resistant to the idea of being cooped up inside. Clémentine is well aware of how much they hate being restrained indoors. They’re a lot like a bird- if they’re stuck in one place for too long, they get anxious, taut with tension and waiting to take off. Because of this, they brave the scorching temperatures and sun to be outside, and although Clémentine isn’t all too fond of them being out there all day, they can’t stop them. As long as they drink enough water and take breaks, everything will be fine.
Unfortunately, this is Perrine they’re talking about, and they rarely do either of those things. Clémentine isn’t even sure if “taking a break” is something they can even comprehend. That kid just pushes and pushes and pushes themself until they’re pushed to the brink.
And, right now, it looks like they’re teetering very close to the edge.
“Are you sure?” Clémentine asks.
“Mhm,” Perrine answers again.
Clémentine exchanges a look with Cole, who looks as unconvinced and worried as they are. Then, they stand up and walk over to Perrine.
Reaching out, Clémentine gently cups Perrine’s cheeks and gets them to raise their head. Their whole face is scorching and soaked with sweat. They’re sunburned, too. However, their arms, when Clémentine feels them, are colder and much more clammy, though just as sweaty. They even have goosebumps.
“You’re burning up,” Clémentine says worriedly, their hands returning to hold Perrine’s face.
“‘m fine,” Perrine mumbles. They have their eyes closed, and they’re swaying on their feet. “Jus’ a little warm…”
“Warm?” Clémentine echoes, raising an eyebrow. “I could fry an egg on your forehead. I think you have heat exhaustion.”
“Nuh uh…” Perrine says, which may be the least eloquent thing Clémentine has ever heard come out of their mouth, and it would have been funny if it weren’t for the looming worry from their condition.
Heat exhaustion is no joke. If left untreated, it can easily turn into heat stroke, which could then threaten Perrine’s life.
“Yuh huh,” Clémentine retorts. They start to guide Perrine over to the couch. Perrine is wobbly, unsteady on their feet, but they go without resisting.
“Can you get some water and a wet cloth?” Clémentine asks Cole, who has been anxiously hovering around them.
Cole nods and scurries off to the kitchen, quickly returning with the requested items.
“Here, drink,” Clémentine says, bringing the glass to Perrine’s lips. Perrine drinks obediently. “There you go. Nice, slow sips. Don’t drink too fast. Good…”
“How do you feel?” Cole asks, gently dabbing at Perrine’s face with the wet rag.
Perrine finally opens their eyes; they’re blown out and unfocused, clear evidence of their delirium. “Hot… Woozy… Head hurts…”
They’ve never seen Perrine so feeble before. Usually they’re so headstrong and tough, but heat exhaustion has dulled their senses and reduced them to a much more weakened state. If they were in their right mind, they would probably hate themself for acting like this, but, at the same time, it’s almost a breath of fresh air that they’re being upfront with how they feel for once instead of making excuses or being vague like they usually do.
Clémentine frowns. “Definitely heat exhaustion.”
“Are you sure?” Cole asks nervously. “What if it’s heat stroke?”
Clémentine shakes their head. “I don’t think it is. They’re soaked in sweat, and their skin is cool. If it were heat stroke, they wouldn’t be sweating, and their skin would be a lot hotter. It’s just heat exhaustion, they’ll be okay.”
Not to say that heat exhaustion isn’t something to bleed over, but it’s certainly much better than heat stroke.
Cole takes a breath and nods. “Okay. Alright.”
Clémentine puts the glass back to Perrine’s lips. They desperately need more water. “Drink a little more.”
Perrine obeys, but they start to gag right after they finish. Clémentine’s heart lurches, and they set their free hand on their back, feeling the shivers that run through them. Their shirt is completely soaked through with sweat.
“What’s wrong?” Clémentine asks, alarmed. “Are you going to throw up?”
Perrine shakily shakes their head. “No,” they managed to say. “S’just…dizzy…”
Clémentine and Cole exchange looks; poor Cole looks like they’re about to have a heart attack.
Clémentine reaches out and cups Perrine’s face, feeling the war of heat and cold beneath their fingertips. Every aspect of Perrine is a duality, it seems, even when they’re suffering from heat exhaustion.
“Love,” Clémentine says. “Love, look at me.”
They try to draw Perrine’s attention, since their gaze is slowly drifting off to the left. They’re very disoriented; the water wasn’t a good idea. Clémentine shouldn’t have let them drink that quickly.
Perrine’s eyes flutter, and slowly, they regain focus. They look at them.
“There we are,” Clémentine murmurs. They caress Perrine’s cheeks with the pads of their thumbs. A few moments pass. Perrine looks very, very ill. Their eyes are all foggy, their skin is flushed, and yet, they’re shivering.
Perrine suddenly slumps against them, making Clémentine’s heart lurch for the second time. Cole practically jumps two feet in the air. “I’m tired,” they mumble.
Clémentine wraps their arms around Perrine, pulling them close. “Ah, ah,” they chide. “Stay awake for a bit longer.”
“Whyyyy?” Perrine whines tiredly. It’s quite funny, especially when coming from the usually stoic and reserved eldest Lark. “M’tired!”
Clémentine lets out something between a scoff and a chuckle. “Because you’re overheating, and I’m worried about you.”
“I can take care of m’self…” Perrine grumbles.
“Obviously not, considering you got heat exhaustion,” says Clémentine, unable to stop themselves from rolling their eyes.
Perrine pouts. “Mean...”
“No, reasonable,” Clémentine corrects, before gently flicking them on the back of the head.
“Owww!” Perrine yowls dramatically. “That hurt!”
“Good,” Clémentine says with a small smirk.
“I’m hot, and you’re hurting me! You’re so mean!” Perrine caterwauls. They look at Cole. “Cole, arrest them! ”
Cole blinks. “I— I don’t think I have that kind of power,” they say.
Clémentine chuckles, smoothing down an errant strand of Perrine’s hair. “Can you run a cool bath?” they ask Cole.
Cole nods and scurries off to do so. Clémentine watches them go and then looks down at Perrine.
“Cole’s going to run you a bath, alright?” they tell them. “And you’re going to stay in it for at least thirty minutes, and you’re going to drink water in there, got it?”
“Drink the bathwater?” Perrine slurs. “That’s gonna taste bad… Yuck!”
“Not the bathwater,” Clémentine replies, amused. “Water separate from the bathwater, Perrine. Can’t believe you thought I’d tell you to drink the bathwater.”
“You mean the water outside the bathtub?”
Clémentine pinches the bridge of their nose. “Yes, the water outside the tub. Not the bathwater.”
“Oh.”
Perrine is quiet for a few moments and then frowns. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why can’t I drink the bathwater?”
“Because it’d be absolutely disgusting. That water would be filled with your sweat and dirt, Perrine. You’d get sick.” They move both hands to Perrine’s hair, smoothing down the strands that stick to their sweaty face.
“How’re you so sure I’ll get sick?” Perrine argues weakly, their words beginning to slur again. “Maybe I won’t…”
Clémentine makes a sound of disbelief. “You will, don’t even start.”
As exasperating as they are right now, it’s honestly kind of nice to see Perrine like this.
Perrine has never been one to show many emotions, at least ones of ailment. Clémentine doesn’t know much about their childhood, but from what they’ve shared, they weren’t allowed to show much emotion as a kid. Anything beyond stoicism and maturity was seen as a sin in Perrine’s household.
“You’re so stubborn,” they say endearingly, combing their fingers through their tangled hair. “And a little bit stupid.”
“Whyyyy?” Perrine moans.
“You go outside all day in the blazing hot sun, and you don’t think to take a break or to drink until you’re dehydrated and sick. Which is stupid.”
“Don’t call me stupid…” Perrine complains, swatting at them feebly.
“And what’re you going to do about it, hm?”
“I’m gonna bite you, tha’s what I’m gonna do!”
“Oh, really?” They raise an eyebrow, and there’s a slightly challenging, and also teasing, edge to their voice. “Then do it. Come on! Bite me.”
Perrine looks like they’re going to, opening their mouth and everything, but then a wave of nausea hits them, and they thump their forehead against Clémentine’s shoulder instead, whimpering softly.
“That’s what I thought,” Clémentine says. They don’t really mean it, but they’re kind of amused that Perrine can’t really fight back, what with their current condition. They run their fingers through their hair, cupping their head closer, and Perrine immediately tries to burrow into their shoulder like a little mouse. “Are you still nauseous, sweetie?”
“Yeah…” Perrine mumbles. “Feels like…dizzy…”
Clémentine sighs. “Oh, love… It’s gonna be okay, I promise. We’ll take care of you.”
Cole comes down the stairs. “The bath is ready.”
Clémentine gives them a smile. “Thank you.” They look back down at Perrine, asking, “Can you get up and walk on your own?”
“M’not sure…” Perrine answers.
Clémentine stands and pulls Perrine up with them, but Perrine sways on their feet and almost falls over, so they steady them quickly. “Careful, careful…”
They have a hand around Perrine’s shoulders, and the other on their stomach to help balance them. Perrine presses close to their side for support.
“You’re like a baby deer,” Clémentine jokes. “You almost toppled over a moment ago. Can’t stand on your own two legs much?”
“Noooo!” Perrine whines. “Moose.”
“Oh, a moose?” Clémentine says. They look them up and down. “I dunno… I don’t see it. Can you prove that you’re a moose? Make a moose sound.”
“Meeh!”
Clémentine nearly doubles over with laughter, jostling Perrine slightly and making them whine again, clinging to them. “Oh! Oh my! That certainly was—” They cut themself off with more laughter.
Perrine’s whole face scrunches up. “Don’t laugh! Tha’s what a moose sounds like!”
“Of course, of course,” Clémentine says, calming down. “Okay, so you are a little baby moose, then.” They poke Perrine’s cheek. “A slow, wobbly baby moose.”
Perrine just grumbles. “Meeeh.”
They make it to the bathroom and are met by Cole, who is waiting by the tub. The bathtub is filled nearly to the brim with cool water, and a towel is draped over the edge. Cole has done a good job.
“Thanks again, honey,” Clémentine says, and Cole blushes.
“No problem,” Cole says.
Clémentine then directs their attention back to Perrine, who’s still practically flopped against them. “Alright, love. Into the tub you go.”
“D’nt wanna.”
Perrine’s acting like a toddler, and it’s actually quite comical to Clémentine.
“You don’t have a choice,” they tell them, but they’re holding back a laugh. “We’re getting you into the tub.”
“Don’t wannaaaa!” Perrine repeats petulantly and attempts to make a great escape, but they barely make it two feet before their legs decide they don’t want to work anymore, and they crumple. Cole dives forward to catch them.
“Woah!” Cole says, steadying Perrine against them.
Clémentine rolls their eyes. “Good job, Perrine.”
“Meeh,” comes from over Cole’s shoulder.
Cole’s eyebrows furrow. “Huh?”
“That’s their moose impression,” Clémentine informs them.
“Ohh.” Cole nods.
Clémentine rolls up their sleeves. “Speaking of… I think the two of us can handle an uncooperative baby moose. Help me get them into the bath, Cole.”
It takes some effort, as Perrine is quite strong even when delirious, but Clémentine and Cole manage to peel off their sweat-soaked clothing and get them into the bathtub. Perrine immediately pulls their knees to their chest and starts pouting.
“Oh, don’t you give me that look,” Clémentine says. “These are the consequences of your own actions!”
Perrine tips their head back and just whines.
Clémentine uses a cup to pour water over Perrine’s head. Perrine tries to fight against that, too.
“‘t’s cold!”
“It’s supposed to be.”
“I don’t wanna bath! Stooop!”
“You’re stinky.”
“‘m not stinky!”
Clémentine continues, lathering their hands with shampoo and scrubbing it into Perrine’s hair. At one point, they hear a whimper, and they realize that Perrine is crying.
“Oh!” they gasp. “Oh, love, what’s wrong? Did I get soap in your eyes?”
Perrine hiccups. “D-don’ be mad at me…” they say miserably.
Clémentine’s expression immediately softens. “Oh, Perrine…” they say, their voice gentle. “I’m not mad at you. I’m just…frustrated that you can’t seem to get it into your head to take care of yourself before you’re in the state you are now. You scared me, you know. You can’t just push yourself so hard and expect yourself to be perfectly fine afterwards. Please, at least try and listen to me sometimes, alright? You’re not invincible, and you need to start taking breaks and stuff. Especially in this weather.”
“Sorry…” Perrine mumbles, looking down.
Clémentine lets out a long exhale. “Oh, no… no no no, don’t do that…” They reach out and gently grab their chin, lifting their head up so that Perrine’s looking at them again. “ Don’t apologize to me. Don’t you do that. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m only worried about you, and I don’t want you to push yourself too hard or be sick or get hurt. That’s all, love. Okay?”
Perrine sniffles, then nods. “Mkay…”
It’s so easy to forget, what with the way they act, that Perrine is just as young as they are. A single year doesn’t make them any less of a kid, despite what Perrine probably tells themself.
Clémentine smiles and leans in to kiss Perrine’s forehead. “Good. Thank you.”
They return to washing Perrine’s hair, and Perrine sits still, allowing them to do so.
After a moment of peace, Cole speaks up, “Who knew baby moose were so sensitive…”
“MEEH!"