In Ryuko and Mako's house, there was a bowl of lemons in the middle of the dining room table, so Ryuko could just take one and eat it if she was feeling hungry. Mako could always tell if Ryuko was nervous about something if she took a lemon, sat down at the table with it, and then after taking a single bite, simply stared at it for a while.
Six hours, Mako thought as she peered through the doorway. That's got to be a new record.
Neither of them had slept since the incident at 2am, but in Mako's case, it was impossible to tell just by looking at her. While she personally felt that it would be best if she stayed awake for as long as she possibly could, she didn't want Ryuko to have to endure the same burden.
"You know," she said, "I'll be fine if you go back to bed. You really look like you need it."
After looking up at her, Ryuko stood up and threw away the lemon. "I guess. But don't hesitate to wake me if you need anything, okay?"
"Gotcha." Mako smiled warmly as she watched her climb into bed.
Just as she expected, Ryuko's dreams were far from pleasant, but she had no doubt that it was nothing compared to what Mako was going through. All she would remember from what she dreamt was Nui appearing and taunting her, and Ryuko attacking her with no visible effect. She couldn't even remember a basic summary of the taunts she heard, only that they made her feel a dread she hadn't felt since before the real Nui's death.
To her relief, Ryuko also didn't know how the dream would have interrupted, thanks to a very unexpected (but far from unwelcome) interruption.
"Ryuko!" Mako rushed into the bedroom and leapt onto the bed, landing on Ryuko. "Ryuko, I just had the best idea again!"
Ryuko was unable to reply, not due to the sudden pressure on her body, which she was easily tough enough to withstand, but because she still wasn't completely awake yet.
"You remember when Satsuki made a hole in you and I jumped in the hole and I ended up in your head?"
Ryuko raised an eyebrow. "That story gets weirder every time you tell it."
"It doesn't get any further from the truth though!" Mako grinned. "Anyway, I was thinking we could try that again so this time you could go in my head and we could solve the problem that way!"
A smile began to grow on Ryuko's face, but it disappeared almost immediately when she noticed the flaw in the plan. With a sigh, she delivered the bad news.
"Mako," she said. "That was only possible because we had life fibers. There's no way we can do this without them."
Mako simply giggled. "Then it's a good thing they're not completely gone then, isn't it?"
Under most circumstances, the only idea worse than reminding Ryuko that there were no more life fibers was reminding her that, thanks to Ragyo experimenting on her as a child, her body was infused with life fibers and she was therefore the last of her kind. But on this occasion, the reminder served as a beacon of light in a cloudy sky, although there was still some doubt.
"I'm not an expert," she said, "but I'm still not sure it'll be that simple…"
"Well I'm not an expert either!" Mako's smile refused to disappear. "So let's go ask one!"
Ryuko soon mirrored her smile. Sometimes, Mako's optimism and brilliance were truly enviable. She often tried to tell her this, but somehow, it always came out as a kiss instead. Afterwards, Ryuko would quickly decide that telling her wasn't that important in the first place.
With the threat of life fibers being gone for the time being, the only real reason Nudist Beach hadn't shut down was in case of an unexpected return. Although it was estimated that if they ever did return, it would be many generations later, they had no way of being sure, and as such were on constant standby.
When Ryuko and Mako showed up completely unannounced, with both of them looking fairly nervous, the group was already a single syllable of bad news away from panic. Fortunately, Mako was quickly able to convince them that, while there was no sign of an invasion, she still needed their help. Along with Ryuko, she explained the situation just as quickly.
"Let me tell you two useful pieces of information," said Tsumugu. "One: It's entirely possible, and actually quite easy, to do what you've just described. Two: While nobody here is qualified to make the necessary preparations, the people who are happen to be just a call away."
"Great to hear," Ryuko said. "So who are they?"
When Barazo was explaining how to treat night terrors to Mako and Ryuko, he was easily able to see the growing doubt on his daughter's face, and as a result left their house feeling somewhat useless. This was why, when Nudist Beach called and said there was far more he could do to help, he was positively delighted.
Meanwhile, Shiro Iori received the same call, and was just as happy to offer his services. It was certainly true that he wasn't as close to Ryuko and Mako as some other people, but if anyone who could handle life fibers in an operation as delicate as this one, it was him.
"This shouldn't be too difficult for either of you," Aikuro said. "I trust you both brought the necessary equipment?"
Barazo proudly displayed a sedative, a scalpel, and some steri-strips, while Shiro simply nodded. Recognizing that everything would soon be ready, Ryuko and Mako lay down on a pair of parallel tables that were just a few inches apart.
While Mako didn't usually have a problem with needles, the thought of going back to sleep still worried her, even if it was the first step towards being completely rid of that problem. In order to reassure herself, she turned her head in Ryuko's direction and saw her smiling face, which was a sight that never failed to calm her. She barely even felt the needle entering her arm, and her serene smile as she fell asleep managed to put Ryuko at ease in spite of her strong phobia of needles.
Once they were sound asleep, Barazo took the scalpel and made a careful incision in each girl's forearm, allowing Shiro to find a single strand of life fiber, pull it out, and safely insert one end into Mako's bloodstream. Finally, Barazo used the steri-strips to keep the wounds sealed while allowing them to be re-opened when necessary.
Finally, their work was done, and all they could do was sit down and hope for the best. It was going to be a long, nerve-wracking wait, but waiting was all they could do.
A/N: This is what you wanted when you asked for hurt/comfort right?
