Sick

"Go away Soul..."

It was never fun to be sick, everyone knew this from firsthand experience and wished that they didn't. No matter what the illness it was always a miserable experience. This was true even in Death City in Nevada, which for weeks had been in the grips of a mysterious illness.

The Shibusen Sickness -a term coined by Professor Stein after the initial cases had cropped up and the possibility of all similar illnesses being ruled out- while far from lethal, was none the less very miserable and dreaded. Anybody unfortunate enough to catch it was cursed to suffer three miserable days that included high fever, muscle pains, joint aches, physical weakness and bouts of delirium entirely unconnected with said fever. And while nobody knew exactly where the illness had come from the aspect most baffling was how meisters were particularly affected by it; anybody with the ability to effectively project their soul wavelength seemed highly susceptible to its effects.

This was especially true in the case of Maka Albarn. She had the misfortune of being the latest in a long string of victims of the Shibusen Sickness and was currently feeling the full effects of the accursed illness.

She had woken up knowing something was off, something just didn't feel right about today, but she had brushed it off and told herself it was just fatigue from yesterday's mission. She had ignored Soul's concern about how she looked run down -or maybe it was run over, she couldn't remember- and just trudged on with the day, convinced that later in the day she would get into her groove and everything would seem normal, but that never happened. Instead as she dragged herself to school she just felt worse, and worse, and worse, her pace lagging further and further behind Soul.

By the time they had gotten to class she could barely stand and wound up collapsing as they walked toward their assigned seats, the only thing keeping her from tumbling all the way to the ground being Soul in front of her. The details that had come beyond this point were sketchy to her and she couldn't really remember much more than it seeming like a dream. Even listening to Soul recount the the evens that had transpired didn't really make the picture any clearer. But suffice to say they had been sent back to their apartment so she could rest up and recuperate in a more comfortable environment.

It was a sad fact that the Shibusen staff, despite being adept at treating physical injuries and magic-related damage caused by witches, just weren't equipped for viral infections. And with both Jackie and Kim off on assignment trying to locate a target known as the Ripper of Ireland, the only available treatment was lots of rest and a supportive role for the ill. There would be no determined push beyond this obstacle.

Soul was doing is best to take care of her, but a lack of experience with medical care and overall grumpiness caused by her condition just made it all the more difficult and frustrating.

"Go away Soul..."

She had uttered those words what seemed like an eternity ago, and since then had been muttering them to herself in one form or another, corrupted through mumblings. All she wanted was to be left alone right now, not getting touched or prodded or anything else. She didn't care if he had gotten frustrated with her fussiness and left her alone under the pretense of going out to get some groceries, so long as she could rest in peace.

Unfortunately resting in peace was not something she was going to be able to accomplish. The muscle aches made it painful to lay still. The joint aches made it painful to move. The fever left her skin with the sensation of being on fire. And the delirium left her confused and disoriented and basically unable to tell what was going on around her. It was like being in the middle of a desert and an ocean at the same time; the desert made you see things that weren't there when you really wanted them to be, and the ocean meant being stranded and in desperate need of someone or something to hold onto.

How long had Soul been gone? How long had she been laying here? Minutes? Days? Inbetween bouts of feverish burning and seeing things that couldn't possibly be there she experienced brief periods of restless unconsciousness, unable to properly perceive the passage of time. During the rare moments of clarity she was blessed with she would wonder if this is similar to how the Kishin Asura felt during his imprisonment.

She was suddenly alerted to the rather heavenly sensation of something cool being pressed against her burning forehead, but she couldn't tell where it had come from. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she came to realize there was vaguely human shape leaning over her, its hand pressed against the source of coolness. Somebody was here and taking care of her.

"Mmm...Mama?" she asked weakly.

Blair sighed as she looked down at Maka, her clothes a mess of wrinkles from lying in them, her face flushed and covered with sweat, her breathing weak and labored as she tried to sleep. The poor girl was in absolute misery here all by herself, a generic bottle of ibuprofen and a glass not even half full of water left on her nightstand being all there was for her. What exactly was Soul thinking when he'd left her in a huff?

If she hadn't bumped into Soul in a chance encounter as she was window shopping she never would've found out about all this. He had needed someone to confide in, to tell about what had transpired and his actions, all the time feeling guilty about letting Maka's feverish state actually get to him. Like he himself had said, very uncool.

To his credit though he had enough sense to realize his mistake and asked her to go and check on her while he continued onto the store and got the groceries and whatever else they might be in need of. Taking stock of the situation with the sick mesiter currently on the bed, he had made the correct decision in asking her to look in on her. Fun as Soul was to tease and flirt with -and he was a source of great fun- his bedside manner left a lot to be desired; he hadn't even taken off her tie. She might not have known much about medicine or anything like that, but even she could tell that this wasn't the kind of state to leave anybody in.

"Poor Maka-chan," Blair whispered as she watched the girl restlessly tossing and turning, trying desperately to get comfortable.

She went and retrieved a basin of cold water from the kitchen, as well as a clean washcloth and brought them back to the bedroom. Setting the basin on the nightstand and placed a cool compress on the girl's forehead.

"Mmm...Mama?"

It was a weak utterance but Blair could hear it easily enough. For whatever reason Maka had stirred and was now speaking in her direction, looking on with clouded and tired eyes at her.

"Mama?" Maka asked again.

Whether it was fever-indued delirium, or the lack of ambient light in the darkened room or something else entirely, for better or worse Maka seemed to be addressing her under the mistaken notion that she was her mother. Now what should she do?

"Mama?" she asked again, this time weakly reaching out in her general direction as if to discern whether she was really there are not.

"I'm right here sweetheart," Blair finally spoke up, however she hadn't done so easily. She was sure that there were serious moral and ethical issues to be raised by this course of action, issues that she wasn't qualified to be addressed if she were asked. Was it wrong to address Maka as if she were her mother when she was in such a state? Was there any harm in it? She didn't even know where to begin with answering questions like that. All she knew for certain was that Maka really seemed to want her mother right now. "I'm right here," she said as she brought her hand forward for Maka to make contact with it.

Her hand came in contact with Blair's, her fingers brushing against her knuckles and soft skin, telling her that this person was indeed real and here right now. "Oh mama I missed you," she said, a look of sadness and relief coming over her face as she tried so hard to sit up and reach out weakly in her direction. Blair watched as the sick girl tried so hard to reach up to her, putting so much effort into pushing herself into an upright position to get closer. Finally for her sake she knelt down beside the bed so she could be closer, making it much easier for Maka to actually get her arms around her, weak as her hold might be. "I missed you..." she repeated.

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I'm here now," Blair replied as she reciprocated the hug, wrapping her arms around the girl's back so she could hold her close, letting her rest her head against her shoulder.

"I feel really bad," she said weakly.

"I know sweetie, I wish I could make you feel better," she told her as she stroked the back of Maka's hair, "just try to rest, I'm here for you now. Sleep if you can," she said as she eased the reluctant girl back down onto the bed again, although it wasn't an easy thing to do; even in her weakened condition she could still hold on tight.

"Are you going to leave again?" Maka asked as she looked up at her, eyes begging her desperately to not go anywhere.

"Leave my child when she's sick? Of course not dear. I'll be here for you," Blair reassured her, "but you need your rest to get better. Close your eyes and try to sleep for mama, okay?"

It was a weak smile that crossed Maka's features, but it was a smile nonetheless. She almost looked relieved in a way at hearing this.

"Okay mama," she replied and slowly closed her eyes. In her mind her mother was here and looking over her when she needed her the most. That gave her reason to smile, reason to feel better. She could try and let her body relax now, knowing that she was here.

"How's she doing?"

Soul had arrived back at the apartments a while ago, but instead of checking on Maka directly he had left that task to Blair while he went about making dinner. He'd looked up from the cook book and the cutting board when he'd heard the door open to address her.

"Finally resting I guess," Blair replied as she stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the wall, "but the poor girl is utterly miserable."

"Not surprised really," Soul replied as he went back to cutting up a carrot into fine pieces.

"Hey Soul-kun, what is Maka-chan's mother like?"

"Kami-san? Supposedly the most skilled scythe-meister to ever graduate from Shibusen, responsible for Spirit-san being a Death Scythe today," Soul responded.

"I was hoping for something more informative than that. Earlier she thought she was talking to her mother," Blair sighed.

Soul didn't say anything in response. Nothing that would resemble concern for his meister or pity for her condition. He just went back to working on the vegetables, cutting them up for mixing into a stew.

"Just so you know, if Maka realizes that it's you pretending to be her mother she's gonna be really mad about it," he warned her finally.

"I know," Blair replied quietly and left it at that, not bothering to mention the fact that Soul was observant to know what was taking place in Maka's bedroom with the door shut.

"Huh. Hey Blair, lemme ask you a question," Soul said as he turned to face her, "why're you doing this for Maka anyway? You two aren't exactly what would pass for the best of friends."

"I know," Blair replied as she looked down at the floor in thought, "but you don't have to be great friends to show someone compassion."

That wasn't much of an answer to give. He was sure there was an ulterior motive behind it all, if for no other reason than the fact that he'd known Blair for what seemed like forever now.

"I guess I'd better get back in there before she wakes up. Can't have mama disappearing on her now can we?"

"Alright. Good luck, Kami-san," he replied back.

"Thanks Soul-kun," she giggled, flashing him a cattish smile before heading back to Maka's bedroom.

It hadn't been a long time that Maka was out, certainly not long enough for her to get the rest she really needed. But Blair had plenty of time to get back without being missed. Unfortunately the situation hadn't improved any.

Her skin felt so hot to the touch from this damned fever, it was no wonder Maka was so miserable right now. And being left in all those hot clothes hadn't helped matter any. Blair had already relieved her of her heavy socks, necktie, sweater vest and even unbuttoned her shirt, and was now applying the cold compress to whatever area of exposed skin she could get to in an effort to make her more comfortable. But from the sound of her breathing and the flushed state of her face it was easy to guess the effectiveness was limited.

"It's hot," she said weakly as Blair patted down her legs.

"I know sweetie," Blair replied in a reassuring tone as she re-wetted the cloth to stroke her burning cheeks, "Soul-kun is making soup. Do you feel like eating?" she asked. Maka just weakly shook her head in response, not in the mood for dinner for anything else. "Poor Maka-chan," she said as she stroked her head. Right now she was really wishing her magic could be used for healing purposes. Right now all she wanted to do was hug the girl and make her feel all better, but sadly that was beyond her ability; even hugging her would cause her more pain.

"Do you think you can sleep some more?" she asked, but again Maka just shook her head weakly. She just sighed. "Is there anything I can do for your sweetie?"

"Stay..."

"Mama's not going anywhere sweetie, I promise. She just wants to know if there's something else she can do besides sit and watch."

"Stay...just stay..." she sighed weakly as she tried to keep her eyes open now.

"Alright. If you want me to stay here with you I'll do that. Anything for my sweet daughter," Blair replied.

"I love you mama," she muttered weakly.

"I love you too sweetheart," she said in as caring a manner as she could muster, before leaning over to kiss Maka on the forehead.

"Easy now sweetie," Blair said as she eased her "daughter" into the bathtub of lukewarm water.

It had been a good many hours since the charade had begun and Maka's fever wasn't going anywhere. Even with wetting her down and giving her a number of ibuprofen it just wasn't helping, so now it was time for sterner measures. Soul had filled up the tub and suggested the immersion to combat the burn, leaving her being the one to carry the poor girl in and actually get her ready; sick or not, if she found out about Soul seeing her undressed she'd kill him. With delicate fingers, a gentle touch and a clinical approach to the task that resembled professionalism she went about task of easing Maka out of her sweat covered clothing and setting them aside, before submerging her up to her armpits in the cooling water. Almost immediately she was shivering.

"It's c-cold," Maka replied at the sudden change in temperature. She'd gone from being hot and practically cooking in her own skin, to suddenly being chilled all the way through!

"I know sweetie, I know. But we've got to get your fever down, it's for your own good," Blair replied as she retrieved a new washcloth to wipe down her still red cheeks.

Maka did her best to suppress another shiver, nodding in response to Blair's statement, crossing her arms over her chest in an effort to retain some warmth. Ultimately though it was futile and all she could do was lean back and allow herself to be tended to.

"Mama?" she finally spoke up, turning her cloudy eyes towards Blair, "are...are you disappointed in me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Disappointed?" Blair asked in genuine confusion. Just where had that come from? "Now why would I be disappointed in you?"

"Because I didn't succeed in turning Soul into a Death Scythe. We got so close to doing it but we failed and had to start all over again..."

"Aw sweetie of course I'm not disappointed in you. I was a lot older than you when I finally got papa-san to Death Scythe status, it's nothing to be ashamed of. The fact that you got so close as young as you are says a great deal about your own personal skill," she told her. Maka smiled in response, giving her reason to smile as well. "Besides Soul-kun told me about so many other great things you've actually succeeded at doing. Who could possibly be disappointed in a daughter like you?" She asked.

Despite feeling so miserable right now the kind words gave her reason to smile, reassuring her that she wasn't a disappointment. Unfortunately the emotional uplift of the moment had done nothing to change the circumstances she found herself in, and it was only a short matter of time before she began shivering again as she sat in this water that was too damn cold for her. And it wasn't long after that before the shivering turned into full body shaking and teeth chattering as her body desperately tried to warm itself back up.

"Mama I'm f-f-freezing," she stated, finding it hard to get the words out properly.

Blair sighed as she watched the poor girl suffering. There was so much wrong she didn't even know where to begin. Let Maka suffer the fever or have her tough out the perceived freezing from the remedy? Neither option was particularly desirable, and it was questionable which would be the lesser of two evils.

"Alright," she finally said and pulled the drain to the tub to let the cold water out. They would have to find some other way to deal with Maka's fever. Now she had to get the towels ready.

The sheets were soaked in sweat from Maka laying on them so long; so much so that they had managed to seep through to the bed pad; there was no way in hell she could go back to laying on these. Soul hadn't even hesitated to switch out the old linens for new while the bed was unoccupied. He hadn't even waited for "Kami-san" to tell him to do it.

He had never seen Maka in such bad shape before, and they had fought a lot of opponents that could put them in bad shape. Sure he had to support her in getting her back to their shared apartment, it wasn't the first time. They had been beaten to hell more times than he could count in the collecting of 99 wicked bastard souls -to say nothing of the trouble they'd had with Medusa, Arachne, that werewolf, the Kishin and a myriad of other wicked bastards- but they'd always managed to survive it all. However the seriousness of the current situation hadn't really sunken in until he had witnessed Maka struggling with all her might just to push herself upright into a standing position for her bath, only to promptly collapse against Blair immediately afterward. Seeing her in such a weakened state had shaken him up something awful.

Right now it was his turn to watch over the sleeping Maka while Blair got her share of dinner and tended to certain pressing matters. However there really wasn't much to do other than just sit and watch, and wait in case she woke up. A situation like that naturally gave rise to thinking about other matters in an effort to better make use of time.

As he watched on he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened. Blair had shown incredible depths of character in taking care of Maka, assuming the role of her mother and doing everything she could to make her just a little less miserable, and all without complaining. He hadn't had the patience to put up with her fussiness earlier on; but then again he hadn't been mistaken for Kami-san. Maybe that played a part. Or maybe it was just a woman thing.

The fact that Maka was currently asleep -dressed in her yellow pajamas and tucked into bed with a sheet at least covering her- suggested that the bath had helped at least a little, even if it had been miserable the whole time by subjecting her to what she perceived to be freezing cold water. They really needed to invest in a proper thermometer or something.

"At least she ate," he mumbled to himself, remembering how the cup of hot soup he'd offered once the bath was over was readily accepted; if for no other reason than because she thought it would help take the chills out.

"Get feeling better, Maka," he told her and placed a hand on top of hers under the covers.

"She will, Soul-kun, she will," Blair said as she walked back into the room without even alerting him.

He wanted to comment rudely on Blair surprising him like that, but compared to everything else she'd done to him at times it wasn't all that extreme so he just let it go. Right now there were more important things to tend to.

"Blair?" he spoke up, "have you thought of what you're going to say if Maka asks about where her mother is and can't find her anywhere?"

"Not really..." she said, shaking her head as she took up a seat on the opposite side of the bed, "maybe she'll forget what happened while she was delirious?" she asked hopefully. The look on Soul's face suggested it wasn't a very likely option, making her nervous, "Blair'll figure something out..." she laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Hope so," was all he had to add as he went back to looking at Maka's prone form.

Blair too took to watching as Maka slept, her breathing more steady and even than before, her face not nearly as flushed as it had been. Compared to the many hours previously she almost looked serene now.

"Sleep well, Maka-chan," Blair told her.

Whether or not Maka heard her was something they'd never know. However there was a mumbled "mama" that followed. Blair just smiled as she knelt down next to her.

"Mama's here sweetheart. And she loves you very much, always remember that," she told her and gently kissed her cheek.

Soul had nothing to say as he watched Blair work at soothing whatever might've been forming with Maka as she rested. Truth be told he had nothing constructive to add so he wisely refrained from saying anything. There was really nothing that needed to be said right now and anything he could add would likely just ruin the moment before him. As it was now it was a scene of genuine and selfless concern for an ill friend, being handled by people who cared the most.

And quite frankly that was all it really needed to be right now.

This was not an easy story to do. There are two things I set out to do in writing this one. First I wanted to put into detail what it's like to experience that delirious feeling we've all had at some point in our lives when we were sick. And second I wanted to give my own thoughts on what goes on in the lives of the Soul Eater cast. Neither of these tasks would be considered easy and more than once I almost chucked the whole thing out of frustration. Despite my best attempts I couldn't generate the exact feel that I wanted for the flow of things.

The idea wasn't to undermine Maka's strength of character and turn her into a helpless little girl. Rather it was to show what might be a character possibility should she ever become ill with a miserable sickness. There's not a tough individual alive who hasn't at one point or another been reduced to such a state at least once in their lives.

As to Blair's character the damn cat is an enigma. We all know the playful sexy kitty Blair who's often getting Soul or somebody else in trouble with her antics, but beyond that we don't know anything about her. We know from the manga and the anime that she and Maka generally seem to get along with one another, but just how well is up for debate.