In Sickness and in Health Part 3
"Dr. Mario, please tell us how Zelda is doing," Lucina asked as she tried to keep her nervousness at bay.
After Samus had caught Zelda right as she passed out, she took the Hylian Princess to the mansion's infirmary. Dr. Mario agreed to check on her condition while Samus informed Palutena and Lucina what had happened. Palutena went to tell Peach and Link the news, Lucina on the other hand insisted on staying with Samus so they can both watch over Zelda. The princess in question currently lied on one of the beds as Dr. Mario pressed a stethoscope to her chest.
"Her breathing is fast and weak, seems that her heart rate is a bit fast for someone who's out like a light." He removed the stethoscope from her chest and placed it around his neck. "She's running a high fever, a bad one."
Samus muttered 'shit' underneath her breath from hearing the last portion. Lucina placed a hand on Samus' shoulder hoping to calm down the huntress.
"Do you think this happened just from standing underneath the rain for too long?" Lucina pressed on.
Dr. Mario replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It is to assume, especially with what kind of condition she was brought in to me. Honestly, under the rain with the winds being how they are at this time of year. To make matters worse, she went on and did it in a thin nightgown." He shook his head in disbelief. "What on Earth was she thinking?"
Lucina gave Samus a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "I'm not sure Doctor. At this rate, would she catch pneumonia?"
"I would assume so since the princess does not have any health issues, she seems to be far from catching pneumonia. Though she suffering from a fever so she still has that risk." Walking over to the cabinets at the far back of the room, Dr. Mario pulled out a bottle of pain killers and gave them to Samus. "I will hand you this in case the princess begins to have coughing fits."
Samus placed the bottle on the table right next to Zelda's bed. She pulled up a chair and sat right next to her. In a dull almost empty voice, she said, "It's expected that she's going to be staying her for a while, make sure she gets rest and shit. I know what to do."
Lucina hesitated but approached Samus. "Samus, are you alright..?"
"Fine. Go back to your room and tell Palutena about Zelda's condition."
"But what about you?"
Samus shrugged. "I'm staying here so I can watch her for the night. Just go."
Lucina bit her tongue, feeling like she should persuade Samus to return to her room for the night but she now knows the huntress all too well. She would never listen to her. Knowing that she no longer has a say in this, Lucina obliged to Samus' wishes and left the infirmary.
"I'm going to head out for the night since you insist on staying here with the princess. Want me to leave you anything before I leave?"
"Just a blanket."
Dr. Mario cringed at her tone. He gave her two spare blankets from the supply closet and nodded when he saw Samus' confusion at the extra blanket. "Cover up the princess. She needs it if she wants to get rid of that fever. I'll see you tomorrow." That said, he left Samus alone in the room with the sleeping princess.
Samus returned her attention to Zelda watching her sleep soundly. She covered Zelda with one of the two blankets that the Doctor had given her then wrapped herself with the other blanket.
As the next morning rolled around, Zelda broke out into a coughing fit that jolted her awake. The first thing she noticed was the infirmary room, was she here the whole night? The next thing she noticed was how warm it was in the room, she felt beads of sweat from her forehead and neck. She felt the room spin immediately as she tried to sit up. Zelda decided that she might as well stay back down. To her right she saw Samus sitting on a chair next to her, her eyes were closed and knew that she must be sleeping. Did she stay here all night? Did she bring me here?
She wanted to say something to Samus, anything. As Zelda opened her mouth, she felt her throat cramp up and ache. No words were spoken only another coughing fit that ended up waking Samus up from her sleep.
"How long were you awake?" Samus yawned.
Zelda couldn't speak. She couldn't even whimper without her throat croaking. Samus cringed.
"Geez, your throat is that messed up? Honestly this would never have happened if you just stayed away from the rain."
'I wouldn't have been in the rain if things felt different to you...'
Samus pulled the blanket off of her and draped it over Zelda. The princess gave Samus a look of annoyance, Samus knew all too well why Zelda was annoyed. "Yes I know you're too hot but you need it. It'll help you if you sweat."
Zelda sighed only for another coughing fit to cause her more pain. Samus grabbed the bottle of pain killers that Dr. Mario gave her the night before from the nightstand. She opened it and took out at least one pill, handing it to Zelda and gave her a glass of water.
"Here take it, it should help with the pain in your throat."
Zelda stared at the pill in her hand then focused her attention at Samus. She placed a hand over Samus' and giving her a gentle squeeze. The worried look in Zelda's eyes meant that she knew that Samus was acting different around her. The huntress bit her lip.
"You're worried about me, right?"
Zelda replied with a small nod.
"You know, shit and stuff. It's not really anything to worry about." The skeptical look from the princess meant that she thought otherwise. "You...weren't meant to hear that from Palutena. I was supposed to tell you myself. Sorry. I don't know why, but it just feels like if you didn't hear anything from earlier yesterday then I thought that you wouldn't avoid me and then this wouldn't have happened."
'Samus...this isn't like you. Stop saying this...please stop.' Zelda gave Samus another squeeze to her hands who only balled her fists in response.
"Shit," she muttered gritting her teeth tightly against one another. "Enough of this, I'm going to go do something."
'Don't leave...' Zelda tried to say something only to begin coughing once again. Her croaked whimpers didn't stop Samus from getting up from her seat and heading to the door.
"I'll be back in twenty minutes, alright?"
Zelda nodded slowly and in an instant was left alone in the room. She couldn't stop thinking about Samus, she couldn't stop worrying about her. Samus wasn't the one who pushed her away. It wasn't her fault that she went out into the rain.
'It was my fault...'
Looking down at her palm and staring at her pill once again, Zelda decided to take it. After taking the pill, she lied back down on her bed and closed her eyes as she waited for Samus to return.
A knock on her door woke her up. Zelda turned her head and watched as Samus walked back in holding a cup in hand. Zelda sat up on her bed and tilted her head to the side.
"I know I kept you waiting, it took about an hour to make this." Staring at the cup herself, Samus handed it to Zelda.
Zelda vaguely recognized the smell. It was at the tip of her tongue but she doesn't remember. Staring at her reflection from the yellow liquid, she brought it up to her lips and her eyes widened at the taste. It was sweet, very sweet, a little too sweet. She pulled her lips away from the cup and cringed, but she remembered the taste. Tea?
"Shit...maybe it didn't come out right. Damn it."
Then something clicked. Tears stung the princess' eyes as she realized what she had just tasted. She stared at Samus with her tear filled eyes. 'Samus...you-'
"Guessing you know what it is. Licorice root tea, I tried looking up and asking others how it's made so it took me a while to gather the ingredients to make this thing. I know I fucked it up so-" She coughed and turned her gaze away. "Sorry."
'Samus...you remembered.'
"I remembered how you gave it to me and it actually did kind of help with my throat issue, not to mention that your mother used to make it for you. I thought why not, ya know?" Samus shrugged and took her seat next to the princess again.
Zelda drank the rest of the tea. The taste eventually settled into her taste buds and she drank the rest happily. After finishing her cup, she placed it on the counter right next to her and gave Samus a thankful look.
"Don't mention it. Just, rest up okay?" Samus gently pushed Zelda back down on the bed, leaning forward and planting a kiss on Zelda's warm forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up."
'Samus...thank you.'
Zelda soon returned back to sleep. Samus brushed Zelda's bangs away from her face and watched the princess sleep until she soon passed out herself.
A/N: Not much to say. Last of the three part sad shit. Enjoy.