"Gah! Why am I in the liver!?" Cried the novice red blood cell, AE-3803. Like many other days, she was supposed to deliver the daily dose of CO2 towards the alveoli. Yet she found herself caught in the almost deafening sounds of the furnaces, compactors, and conveyor belts working at full force.

"It must be dinnertime" AE-3803 sighed. "I better ask around for directions"

She walked around and pushed her trusty cart, but most of the hepatocytes were too busy focusing on their work to pay attention to her. She soon recognized the same sign leading to the liver:

"Now you are entering the liver. Remember to remain on the designated paths or you might risk getting confused with lipids. Hepatocytes won't be held responsible by any accident involving stray cells."

"Why is my sense of direction so lackluster?" She wondered as she walked around. "No other erythroblast in the marrow had that problem."

She kept those thoughts as she wandered aimlessly in defeat. She was getting deeper and deeper in thought, reflecting her weaknesses as a red blood cell, when she suddenly felt a firm grasp on her left arm.

She almost had no time to turn around as the grasp pulled her back with a noticeable force. Her back bumped into something, and as she looked up, she saw a familiar face.

"Be more careful! You almost walked into a conveyor belt. Didn't you read the warning sign at the entrance?"

The voice seemed to be scolding her, but she recognized the soft tone in White Blood Cell U-1146's voice.

She smiled softly, still looking up at U-1146 for a couple more seconds. While it was true that she was a lackluster cell and was probably the worst erythroblast in her marrow, there was a myelocyte who protected and supported her throughout her development to become a red blood cell.

That same myelocyte was now a full-fledged neutrophil and continued to save her to this very day. U-1146 did not seem to be happy and reprimanded her again.

"Watch where you're going, okay? Especially in the liver."

His serious expression took AE-3803 back to reality and she turned around to face him, backing away immediately as she was really close to him after bumping into his back.

"S-Sorry. I… I was just thinking stupid things again," she stammered on her words. "But you're right. I should get back to work," she composed herself. "Thank you, Mr. White Blood Cell. I'll be more careful!"

She tried to walk past him. U-1146's expression looked stoic as she glanced at him. After getting some distance, she again felt someone grasped her left arm, but much softer than last time. She stopped, turn around, and once again saw her friend, U-1146.

"Do you want me to accompany you to the lungs?" He asked.

"You got lost again, didn't you?" He pointed to the box labeled CO2. "You don't bring those to the liver," he said, letting go off her arm.

"Yeah.. I kind of got lost…" AE-3803 let out a brief and soft giggle, which dissipated quickly to a more melancholic expression. "Again… you don't have to always look out for me. You've done so much for everyone already. There's no need for you to carry me around every time" She grabbed her left arm with her right one and lowered her voice. "Knowing how to navigate out world is one of the basics of being a Red Blood Cell, right? "

U-1146 remained expressionless as he heard his friend's thoughts. After that, he sighed. "Let's go. I'm free at the moment, since I just got done containing harmful bacteria. We've already dispatched them and Ms. Macrophage is currently on cleaning duty."

He looked at AE-3803's arm and noticed it was slightly red where he grabbed her. He was thrown off for a second, but AE-3803 didn't seem to notice. Instead, she nodded at U-1146, gave him a grateful look, and started to pull the cart with both hands with U-1146 by her side. As they began walking, she looked up and said:

"You're always there. I honestly don't know how to repay you. Ever since you saved me from that bacterium when we were kids, you've been there for—"

She stopped in surprise as she felt U-1146's right arm softly wrapping around her left arm and interlocking their fingers. She let go off the cart, which, thankfully, was caught quickly by U-1146. He then started pushing it with his left hand as he spoke, not looking at her.

"You don't have to repay me. Just take care of yourself and you'll make me happy, okay?" He was clearly blushing, but he continued. "I should apologize for yanking your arm a bit too hard," he pointed at the cart. "So let me push this thing for a while as your arm feels better."

AE-3803 couldn't speak from her embarrassment, but she nodded and gave him a gentle smile while getting closer to him.

"I'll invite you somewhere to repay you for your arm, too", the neutrophil added. "So let me know when you want to go to a place that you like."

"I-I will! Yes, I will!" AE-3803 finally managed to blurt out some words as the two of them continued along the bloodstream.