CHAPTER II

"Well?"

Soul stood next to Dr. Stein, and before them was Maka, dressed in a cotton hospital gown Stein happened to have on hand. The gown-it looked more like a huge tee-shirt to Soul-itself had been pulled up to Maka's shoulders as Stein checked her vitals with a stethoscope.

Maka had regained consciousness when Soul pulled over to the side of the road after she'd fainted. The last thing he needed was her falling off, so he carried her bridal style and ran to Stein's house. "What time is it?" she'd asked in a weak voice. Soul didn't slow, just repeated to Maka that it was okay, that she was going to be okay.

When he did arrive at Stein's house, he knocked and only waited until the meister opened the door to walk and explain in a panting and panicked voice the situation. "Calm down, Soul, she's going to be alright," the doctor had said. It helped Soul gain his self control back, but he was still thick with worry.

Maka had been staring blankly at both of them as she lay on the hospital bed, her eyes glazed and seeming to not register what was going on around her. He didn't tell anyone, but it scared Soul to see her like this; so vulnerable and unlike the best friend he'd come to know.

Stein moved the stethoscope from Maka's heart to her stomach. "Her heart sounds normal, healthy," he said. "Digestive system sounds good, too." He stood up and removed the nubs from his ears.

"So is she sick?" Soul was dying to know what was wrong with Maka, he couldn't stand it. Dr. Stein meandered over to a desk and came back with a thermometer. Maka looked at him blankly.

"Open your mouth," Stein commanded, then put the thermometer near Maka's mouth expectantly. Maka just turned her head away like a child. Dr. Stein maneuvered the stick to her mouth again. "Open."

Maka turned her head again, keeping her lips tight. "Mm-mm," she refused. It was the first thing she'd said all morning that wasn't about the time, to Soul's relief.

After a few more attempts to get Maka to take the thermometer into her mouth, Stein sighed. "It's either this one, or the one that goes up the other end," he warned.

Maka stared at him for a minute, then part her lips slightly. With the thermometer in her mouth, Soul thought she looked like a sick five year at the doctor's office, which wasn't completely off. Only a ten year difference, right?

The instrument beeped and Stein took it out of Maka's mouth and examined it. "Hmm," he said. He placed the tool down and wrote something down on a slip of paper. "She's got a temperature of one hundred and one. I'd say it's a cold." He handed the paper to Soul with a store brand drug written on it. "Give her that, she should be okay in a few days."

Soul looked at the paper then Dr. Stein. "What about her behavior?"

"Sleep deprivation, I'd say."

"Sleep deprivation? But how did she-"

The doctor sighed. "It's probably nothing. If you don't see a change in her after a few days, let me know and I'll look into it again."

Soul looked back at the paper. "But…"

"Soul, I'm not saying I'm a professional," Stein said, "but I'm a professional. I've seen things like this before, it's nothing."

Soul looked at the doctor. He trusted Stein. "Alright."

Maka looked at Soul. He seemed worried, sounded worried, but Maka couldn't quite understand what he was saying, nor Stein. All the noise in the room seemed to echo and merge together. She was cold and didn't like being exposed in front of two boys, even if she did know them. She wanted to pull down the gown, wanted to get up and go take a bath, but her body felt heavy, like it wasn't her's.

She looked at the clock, but could've read it. Everything seemed to move in a wavy motion, like she was submerged in water. She tried to speak, but felt too tired. She was glad to feel her gown being pulled back down and Soul picking her up to go back home.

"I want a bath," she droned. She sounded far away to herself, like her mouth wasn't her mouth. She heard the echoing of Soul's drowned voice, but didn't quite catch what he had said. Her head lay against Soul's chest, she could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and lulled her.

"Bath," she repeated, wanting to make sure Soul had heard her. She heard the same blur of Soul's tone again, but still couldn't catch what he was saying. Maka tried to speak again, but an overwhelming exhaustion took over her. The last thing she remembered seeing was Soul's motorcycle before drifting off.

XxX

Stein typed Maka's new patient information into the computer, then leaned back and kicked his feet up on the desk. He tapped his cigarette on a nearby ashtray then returned it to his mouth. Stein gazed at the screen, his brain itching. It felt like he was forgetting something, but he couldn't place his figure on it.

Oh well, he thought as he took a hit from his dwindling cigarette, then proceeded to continue inputting Maka's information.