Disclaimer: I don't own Sachiko and Yumi, they belong to Oyuki Konno. :P
"Done?"
Yumi looked at Sachiko as she waited for her girlfriend to leave her office.
"Yes…" Sachiko answered absent-mindedly.
Hearing the indifferent response, Yumi gave Sachiko a quick check up. Scrutinizing her girlfriend, Yumi saw the slight trembles of her hands – which she unsuccessfully tried to cover by clenching them into a fist.
"You okay?"
"Uhh?" Sachiko looked at her with confusion, as if the brunette had just asked a question that was out of this world. Brown eyes could see the unfocused gaze in those glassy blue eyes.
"Yes… I'm fine."
It took Sachiko too long to answer, which was not normal. Her mind wasn't working so well, Yumi could see. Something was definitely wrong and her girlfriend was trying to hide it, or maybe she wasn't aware herself.
Yumi held her girlfriend's suitcase and looked up as they went outside the building. It looked like it was starting to rain soon. One tiny drop on her nose confirmed her thought. But then, the warning came too late. The first drop was followed by a heavy downpour and they started running towards their car.
It was merely a hundred meters from the parking lot but by the time they reached the car, they were drenched and nothing on them was dry anymore. Yumi was the first to arrive at the car and remembered she didn't have the key. She turned around and saw that Sachiko just seemed to be moving too slow, barely running and was basically dragging herself.
"Sachiko!" she called – her voice bobbed in the noisy rain.
Sachiko looked up and finally registering something as she started running towards Yumi, one hand reaching into the pocket, retrieving the key.
Once she had reached the car, she fumbled to open the door and that was when the brunette realized the trembles rocking the older girl's body so furiously.
Yumi reached out, opening the door – brushing Sachiko's hand in the process. She felt too cold to her liking. "Let me drive."
"Okay." Sachiko gave the key to Yumi and half-jogged half-stumbled round the car. Yumi watched her girlfriend with wary eyes. Sachiko propped herself by putting one hand on the car, using it as support.
"Sachiko?" She called.
"Let's go Yumi." Sachiko mumbled a little too inaudible.
Yumi got into the car at the driver's side. The older girl was already slumped in the passenger seat – head leaning against the window with closed eyes. Her forehead was furrowed with pain lines and she was trembling so hard the brunette could hear her teeth chatter. Her lips had a bluish tinge and her skin was too pale. The limp feature, the shivering, Yumi suspected a fever.
She turned the ignition and drove away from the building – wanting to reach their home as soon as possible so she could take a closer look at Sachiko.
…..
Yumi struggled with the key, scolding herself when it slipped from her finger and fell on the floor. She should have opened the door before getting her girlfriend. She began to tense, Sachiko's weight on her was getting heavier and the keys were giving her trouble. Actually she was freaking out – not the keys' fault.
"Hang in there," she whispered as she looped her arm around Sachiko's middle.
All she got in response was a low groan. Yumi winced.
The freaking out had started not long ago, as she'd parked the car. Everything went smoothly, that was until she tried waking Sachiko from her slumber. One shake on the shoulder and Sachiko went lax – falling all over Yumi.
As Sachiko fell into her arms, she could feel the heat radiating, making her wince. Despite the scorching heat Sachiko was shivering badly and rocked Yumi's body with her. The brunette didn't need to feel her forehead to know her girlfriend had come down with a terrible fever.
But how could a fever increase so worryingly in only twenty minutes? She remembered touching Sachiko's skin before they got into the car, it had been way too cool then. The heat she was feeling now was alarmingly high. For the temperature to be able to get this high, it normally would need around three to four hours. Sachiko wasn't suffering from a normal fever. For the last few days Sachiko hadn't shown any signs that she was coming down with something.
Yumi bent down to pick up the key, carefully balancing Sachiko at her side and fumbled with the lock again. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. The key fit and the door opened. She practically dragged Sachiko into the house, and sat her down on a chair in their room. She would do anything to get her to the bed, but Sachiko was soaked all over and she would need the bed to be dry. Getting on the bed with wet clothes would drench the bed too.
So Yumi began undressing her. She worked as fast as she could, wincing and cringing as her hands made contact with Sachiko's skin. She was burning up!
"I've got you Sachiko" she promised. "You're going to be okay."
If possible, the situation got worse when the older girl started making a retching noise. Yumi was frantic, she hated moving Sachiko now. She slung Sachiko's arm around her shoulder and pulled her upright, which was proven not a very bright thing to do because Sachiko doubled over and this time she was not only dry heaving.
Sachiko's tummy must have been doing flips at the sudden movement and whatever she had left in her system came out in violent heaves. The sickness was spewed all over the floor and her front and Yumi wasn't spared too. Luckily, she had not much left in her stomach. Now that triggered another fact – Sachiko had not been eating well these few days.
Stepping over the puddle of sickness, Yumi maneuvered Sachiko into her arms – knowing for sure she wouldn't be able to walk on her own after the violent retching – and went for the bathroom.
…..
She lay Sachiko into the tub and continued undressing her. When there was nothing left on Sachiko, she took off her own shirt which was stained with vomit and turned on the water.
She took the washcloth, wetted it and started cleaning Sachiko with a mother-like gentleness. At her touch, blue eyes cracked open.
"Y-Yumi…" Sachiko slurred.
"Yes," She was not going to push it. Sachiko could take all the time she needed because she was not going anywhere.
"So-sorry…" Sachiko mumbled and then shuddered at the coldness of the water that Yumi poured over her chest.
What should Sachiko be sorry for? For being sick and making Yumi look after her? Her girlfriend always thought she was not worth being taken care of and to be loved by anyone else.
"How about we get you to bed?" Yumi brushed her black hair and caressed her cheek with her thumb. The heat was still worrying her.
She slid an arm around Sachiko's back and lifted her upper body. Sachiko provided some assistance by pushing herself up, almost stumbling with the effort.
"I got you!" Yumi assured as she guided Sachiko out of the bathtub and pulled the towel over her girlfriend's trembling body. With one hand holding Sachiko, supporting her from falling down, Yumi reached and turned off the water.
"Y-Yumi!" she called suddenly - sounding so frantic it sent shudders down the brunette's spine. She looked up and saw Sachiko panting desperately for air. The older girl was stumbling forward, clutching to her towel with an iron grip.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" she sat Sachiko down on the toilet and held her chin up.
Sachiko's face was all white and her lips a deadly dull shade of blue. Yumi cringed. Blue eyes were wide with fear and confusion and her head was tossing violently as she tried gasping for air. Her arms flailed around aimlessly, smacking Yumi's hand away from touching her. Sachiko was hyperventilating and she was panicking.
"Sachiko! Sachiko! Look at me!" Yumi urged as she turned Sachiko's head towards her. She cupped her cheeks and made sure blue eyes were fixed on hers. "You're hyperventilating…you need to relax!" Yumi was not sure she could relax herself.
Sachiko stopped trashing about and started focusing on Yumi. Her shaky fingers curled around the smaller steady arms as she set her gaze on Yumi's gentle and calm face. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly, as if it had taken a life of its own and refused to follow orders.
"Okay…follow me," Yumi advised and started breathing in and out slowly. She put one hand on Sachiko's chest, keeping the pressure to ease the pounding in her ribcage. The pounding in Sachiko's chest matched the one Yumi was having in hers. Seeing Sachiko panicking made her scared but she chased the fear away, focusing on bringing her girlfriend back. "In now," Yumi breathed in, all the while her eyes locked on Sachiko's blue ones.
In.
And the sapphire eyes calmed.
Out.
And Sachiko's chest moved in a steady rhythm.
In.
And the gasping eased to soft wheezing.
Out.
And Sachiko was breathing normally again.
Yumi allowed a smile on her lips despite the mounting concern she had for Sachiko. Her lover needed her to be calm for her to calm herself. There was no good in freaking out because it would just worsen the situation. She kissed her and leaned her forehead against Sachiko's warm ones. The smaller girl embraced her lover, thanking her for a job well done.
"Good…now, I need some help to move you to bed." she said tenderly. She was not going to take the risk of aggravating her weakness and cause another round of hyperventilation.
Sachiko nodded weakly. She slung an arm around Yumi's shoulder, let the brunette curl hers around her back and stood up in one strong pull. Panting with effort, Sachiko waited for Yumi's instructions. She was too tired to even think for herself.
"Now, slowly…" Yumi's voice was so soft and comforting Sachiko thought there couldn't be any other sound sweeter than this.
The journey to the bed seemed like forever for Sachiko but she made it anyway. Yumi helped her dress in her pajama.
When she reached out a hand to feel Sachiko's forehead, she was grateful that the fever had lessened. She made her took some pills, a glass of water and promised to make her a soup when she woke up later. Then Yumi tucked her to bed and kissed her forehead. With one hand on her face, Yumi kissed her lips and said "Try to sleep now love."
"I love you." Sachiko smiled before she closed her eyes, succumbing to sleep.
"I love you too. Rest now my love, I'll be here when you wake up."