As promised, here's the second chapter for this week!
I could hear rumblings in the distance, too low to make out. They became increasingly louder, but it was hard to discern what they ? No not quite. Traffic? No not that either. Slowly the noises became more distinct; voices. I could hear voices in my dreams. I paused, confused again. Not my dream? I cracked open my eyes and listened. No, I'm awake, they're coming from outside my door. I couldn't tell what they were saying though.
I drew my attention away from the voices and took in my surroundings through my cracked eyelids. White walls, a closet, and a bedside table. Memories of last night floated to the surface, and it suddenly felt like I had been punched in the gut. I took in a deep breath that shook with emotion, but I remained calm trying to focus on something other than the despair in my heart.
I looked around the room with a new interest; it was Naru's guest bedroom but it still reflected his personality. It was pretty bare and similarly styled the rest of his apartment. I looked at the window on the other side of the room. The sun seemed high in the sky, so it was probably early afternoon. At least I got some sleep after last night.
Suddenly the voices rose, drawing me back to what was happening on the other side of the door. I was able to make out who they belonged to, but I still couldn't tell what they were saying. It sounded like Madoka and Naru were talking. As quickly as the voices started, they stopped. The next few minutes were so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Eventually I could hear some shuffling noises. I could tell someone was standing outside my door, just before it opened. I was facing the opposite direction and couldn't tell who had entered, but I pretended to be asleep still. I really didn't want to talk to anyone.
I felt the bed dip down behind me, and a hand came up to stroke my hair. Madoka.
"Mai, sweetheart, time to get up… I know you're awake." I rolled slightly so I could look up at her.
"Can't fool you, huh?" Oh gosh, my voice sounded gruff. I tried to clear my throat but I ended up coughing instead. She helped me sit up and she passed me a warm cup of tea. I took a few sips and was able to regain control over my voice.
"Thanks."
She nodded and looked me over. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore, tired, miserable." She smoothed my hair down and off my shoulder.
"As to be expected. Can I get you anything to eat?" I shook my head no. I didn't really have an appetite at the moment.
"How about a shower then? A nice shower can do wonders. You'll feel a lot better."
I took a sip of tea before replying, "But I don't have any clothes to change into."
"Oliver came by this morning and told us what happened. He asked me to pick up a few things for you, some clothes and necessities. He also left me his first aid kit so I could change your bandages. I'll help you wash you up if you need it."
Madoka went shopping for me? Tears formed in my eyes but I tried to hold them back. I snuck a peek out the bedroom door and into the apartment. As if reading my mind, Madoka pulled me into a hug.
"It's okay to cry sweetie, we're the only ones here right now." As if on cue, my tears spilled over and I couldn't stop them. Madoka took the tea from my hands and set it down, then she wrapped me up into a fierce hug. I held onto her and cried, as she smoothed my hair and gently rocked me back and forth.
A long time passed before my sobs turned into sniffles. When I felt like I was done, I pulled back from Madoka and wiped my face with my good hand. She helped me wipe my tears before she ushered me out of bed. I carefully walked to the bathroom with her help; my feet were tender still but better than they were the night before. I showered with the bandages on, but the water still burned my injuries. Madoka washed my hair for me and when we were done, I felt so much better. I didn't realize how much smoke and grit had clung to my hair until it was cleaned.
A hot shower was exactly what my muscles needed. The tension washed down the drain with the soapy water and I felt relaxed. Madoka had laid out some clothes for me on the counter, which fit perfectly. I knew she didn't have any psychic abilities, but sometimes she was just too good. She had to help me with my bra because I couldn't quite manage it on my own.
When I was dressed, Madoka took a hairdryer and dried my hair for me, then brushed it out. It reminded me a lot of how my mother would brush my hair before bed when I was little. The nostalgia was a great comfort, and I took those few minutes to allow myself to think about my parents and feeling of home.
After that, Madoka had me sit on Naru's couch with a new cup of tea. She removed the bandage on my hand and we inspected it. It had already started to blister, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The skin pulled a little when I flexed my hand; I made a mental note to avoid using it for a few days. Easier said than done though, considering it was my dominant hand. After applying new ointment and bandages, she moved to my feet. I leaned back against the arm of the couch as she carefully pulled them into her lap.
"Well, the cuts don't look too deep. You'll want to stay off of them as much as possible though so they don't reopen. If not, they'll only take longer to heal." She applied more ointment and bandages, wrapping them just as well as the EMT did.
"Alright dear, how about some more tea? I'll put your things in your room for you, too." I gave her my cup and suddenly remembered something.
"Madoka, can you grab my phone for me?" She returned with it and went about making tea. I pulled up the number I was looking for and started making the call. I suddenly felt anxious energy bubble up inside. The phone rang for a few seconds until someone answered.
"Hello?" The deep voice sounded so sad and tired that my heart squeezed like it was in a vice.
"Ryuu? Ryuu Satori? It's Mai Taniyama." A moment passed before he spoke again.
"Mai. How are you, are you okay? I'm so sorry I forgot to call to check on you."
"I'm fine, no need to apologize. How is Mr Satori?" I held my breath, so afraid to hear the answer. I pulled my knees up to my chest preparing myself for bad news. A deep sigh resounded over the phone.
"He's still in critical condition and they're keeping him in ICU with no visitors, including family. His condition is too fragile. He had a heart attack while he was baking. I'm not sure if he mentioned anything, but his health has been rapidly declining. His doctor told him to retire and I pushed him to retire immediately but he didn't listen. You know how stubborn he is."
The front door of the apartment opened, revealing Naru and Lin with Lilliana. I sent them a quick wave, but my attention was immediately drawn back to Ryuu.
"He sustained some serious burns from the fire and he suffered a great deal of smoke inhalation. They performed some emergency surgery for his heart but it's a temporary solution until they could find him a replacement. They put him on the transplant list but considering his age and current condition I don't know if we should remain hopeful or not."
"You should always have hope. We can't give up on him yet." Madoka brought me my cup of tea, and she and Naru sat down in the living room with a cup of their own.
"You're right. He's such a stubborn man I shouldn't put it past him to make a full recovery." Ryuu chuckled. "But anyways, how are you? Were you injured at all?"
"I have a few minor injuries but nothing to be worried about."
"That's good to hear. I'm so sorry about your home and your belongings. Once the insurance company evaluates I can get an estimate on the payout. If you could make a list of your belongings and their monetary amounts, and I'll pay you. I know you didn't have renters insurance because it was so expensive. Where are you staying? If you need a place, we have a small guest bedroom, and you're welcome to it."
"Oh Ryuu that's very sweet, but please use the money for your family and Mr. Satori's health. I didn't have much and it can all be replaced. I grabbed my special belongings before I got out so there's nothing truly lost except for the building and bakery itself. I'm staying at a friend's place for now, but thank you for the offer. It's very kind of you."
"Alright, but if you need anything at all, please let me do something to help. I feel absolutely awful, but I'm glad you're alright."
"Thank you. If there are any updates on Mr. Satori would you mind calling?"
"Sure, I'll let you know if anything changes. Take care Mai."
"You too, bye Ryuu."
I hung up and sighed. "Thanks for the tea Madoka, I really needed it."
"Of course sweetie." She patted my knee as she sipped her own cup.
"Where's Lin?"
"He left to put Lilliana down for a nap. Apparently she was cranky at the grocery store." I looked over to Naru, "You guys went grocery shopping? What for?" Naru sipped his tea nonchalantly.
"I was initially only going to go to the office, but Madoka texted me. I went to pick up additional food and ingredients for dinner. Madoka is cooking for everyone tonight."
"Pancakes of course! I think some comfort food is in order. Speaking of which I should probably go start cooking. Oliver, I'll be borrowing your kitchen!" She stood up and went into the kitchen, leaving a sighing Naru behind.
"How are you feeling?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm okay, as well as I can be right now."
"Have you contacted anyone else?" I ran my good hand through my hair and let out a breath.
"No I haven't. I didn't call anyone because they are all out of town at the moment and I don't want to worry them. Especially Ayako or Monk; I know as soon as I tell them they'll be on the next flight back." Naru looked like he was going to protest when my phone rang.
"Oh, sorry, just a moment." I picked up the call, "Hello?"
"Mai? It's Kiro! Are you okay? I just got to the bakery for my shift, what happened?!"
"Oh, Kiro! Oh no I'm so sorry! I didn't even think to contact anyone!"
How could I have forgotten to call all the employees? Usually Mr. Satori did that in case of an emergency. I never did that unless we needed a shift covered, but I should have had the forethought to do it under the circumstances.
I explained everything to Kiro and assured him that I was okay. I explained Mr. Satori's condition but couldn't give him answers about anything regarding the bakery reopening, wages, or anything else.
"I'm so sorry, Kiro. I wish I had more information for you, but I don't."
"It's okay Mai. I'm just glad to hear that you are okay. I'm so sorry about your home. Would you mind calling with any updates?"
"Sure thing, Kiro." After the phone call I felt drained.
Madoka came over and rubbed my back. "You alright?"
I sighed. "I don't know. I didn't even think about calling any of the employees. Monday's are usually Mr. Satori, Kiro, and myself when I'm available. I need to call all the employees and tell them the news."
"How about you do that after dinner? I just finished making pancakes and they're best served warm." Madoka didn't have to convince me; my stomach growled at the mention of food.
Lin came back shortly after we sat down at the dining table. He had put Lilliana down for a nap and he brought the baby monitor with him just in case. We all ate together and the conversation was light. Madoka was trying so hard to keep dinner entertaining and relaxing but all I could feel was stress simmering underneath. Fortunately she and Lin left shortly after dinner. I appreciated their support but I was beginning to feel strung out knowing I had to call everyone, and trying to keep up the pretense any longer was difficult.
I sat back down at the dining table ready to tell everyone the awful news. Fortunately, I had the forethought to grab a piece of paper and a pen before I called everyone. I had initially written every employee's name down to cross them off after I spoke to them. With my hand bandaged it was a little uncomfortable to write, but I made it work. Everyone had questions that I couldn't answer so I wrote them down, in hopes I could maybe get them an answer soon. I only had to call 10 people but it felt more like 100.
I became a broken record player; constantly repeating the situation and answering questions. Yes, I'm okay. No, I don't know if payroll was processed. No, I don't know the answer. Yes, I'll call with updates. By the time I scratched off the last name on the list, I wanted to pull my hair out. I wasn't the assistant manager anymore, but everyone was treating me like I was the one in charge and I felt like I had my back to the wall trying to fend for myself.
I hung up on the last employee, and immediately laid my head on the cool surface of the table. It took over an hour to talk to everyone and now it was finally over with. However, a headache had begun to form at the base of my skull.
A quiet clink followed by the light scraping of a chair happened off to my left. I turned my head, to see a cup of tea, pain relievers, and Naru in front of me sitting down at the table. He sipped his own tea quietly, looking at his phone screen. I sat up, and threw back the pain relievers with a sip of tea. A little bitter… but not horrible.
All of a sudden tears came to my eyes and I tried to wipe them away with my good hand. "Thanks, Naru."
He looked at me over the top of his cup. "It's just tea, Mai. No reason to cry."
I shook my head and laughed. "No, it's not just the tea. Thank you for everything. For texting me when I can't sleep, for taking the call last night and for coming to get me, for carrying me when I couldn't walk, for being so kind to me and letting me be here; It's been one of the worst days of my life but it could have been a lot worse had you not been there for me." I took another sip of tea and sighed.
"Tomorrow I'm going to contact my bank, get my cards replaced, and find out what my bank balance is. I should have enough money to get another place soon. It'll just take some time to find one, so if you don't mind me intruding for a little while longer, I'll be out of your hair soon."
Naru pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Mai, I'm not going to kick you out of my apartment. If I wasn't okay with you staying here I'd have asked Madoka and Lin if you could stay with them. You are welcome to stay here for as long as necessary. Classes start next week, so you should focus on that for the time being as well as our testing. Other less pressing matters can wait."
He pulled a key out of his pocket and held it out for me. He's giving me a key to his apartment?
"But I'll be in your way. I can't stay here, I need to get-"
"Mai." I stopped and waited; his irritated voice cutting through my words.
"You're not in my way. Stay as long as young need; a week, a month, 3 months, it doesn't matter. What matters is taking care of yourself." More tears spilled down my cheeks and I nodded. I took the key from him and held it in my palm.
"Thank you Naru. Really, it means a lot." We continued to drink our tea in silence. When we finished, we said goodnight, and we headed off to bed.
I could feel the aches in my heart but with just one conversation, Naru seemed to lighten them a bit. I didn't want to take advantage of his kindness, but knowing that finding another home didn't need to be my top priority made it easier to think about everything else. I have so much to do and with that being taken care of for the time being, I felt more relaxed. Knowing that I was safe and that Naru was next door, my outlook became a little brighter.
A lot of you wanted this - living together! 3 Here's to the start of living together!