Taking care of her
Anna moaned as she rolled over in her bed, sweaty, clammy skin evidence of a fever that was making her miserable. Everything hurt. Everything felt like she had hundreds of tiny needles burrowing into her skin. It hurt.
Just then the door to her room opened, letting the light from the hall shine on her face. She pulled the blankets over her head before rolling over again. The light hurt her eyes.
Footsteps sounded lightly across the wooden floor as someone aproached her bed. She made a face into her pillow but ignored the person. She didn't want company...she wanted to be left alone.
The person sat gently on the edge of her bed right beside her, not wanting to jostle her too much.
"Anna...come on. I need you to wake up for me." Mikoto's voice sounded from beside her.
She made another face. She didn't want to move...not even for him, one of her favorite people. She lifted up a hand and made a shooing motion to the man beside her. Maybe he would actually listen to her for once. To her dismay she was mistaken. Mikoto just grabbed her hand and held it in one of his.
"Come on, Anna. Cooperate a little would you. You need to eat this."
Anna groaned. She didn't want to eat. She wanted to be left alone.
"Leave me alone, Mikoto. Go 'way." She rolled over slightly, enough to try and push him.
"No." He responded, voice amused by her antics. He grabbed her lightly by the shoulder and rolled her over some more, before wiping her head with a cool cloth. He reached towards the nighttand beside him for the bowl of broth he had sat there. He held it to her lips for her to sip. She took a swallow. Surprisingly, it didn't make her feel worse like she expected.
Once she finished the bowl he sat back on the stand before wiping her brow again. Before drifting off she softly asked,
"Why are you here?"
He paused before continuing on with his task.
"I care about you, Anna, as hard as that is for you to believe it's true. We all do. Me, Tatara and everyone else. You're family and family takes care of each other."
Anna just layed there silently while he tried to cool her down before drifting back off to sleep.