Ter. XVII, 832 RG
Machina didn't understand why Rem hadn't been seen in almost a month. Had one of them done something wrong?
His mind drifted back to the time Izana had dared the two of them to spend an hour in the nearby Bethnel Caverns. Maybe Rem's parents had found out about that…
But the two of them hadn't seen each other in weeks. He was determined to check on her. Machina was surprised that Izana had even agreed to this.
"You'd better not get caught. Why are you even doing this?"
"Rem's been alone for too long, Izana! Come on, help me up!"
Being four years older, Izana was easily able to lift his little brother onto the roof of the Tokimiya's shed, which luckily stood right outside of Rem's window.
"I'll keep a lookout… mom and dad are going to kill you…"
Machina ignored his brothers pessimism, and carefully climbed up the roof before knocking on Rem's window. Within a few moments, it was opened.
"Machina? What are you doing out here?" Rem coughed a few times.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay, you haven't been at school in a while… or out to play…"
"I got sick. Like really sick. My parents won't let me go out and play."
"Are you gonna get better?"
Rem smiled. "Of course I am! I'll be back out to play with you in no time, I will!"
Machina reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper. "I drew this for you. It's you and me!"
"Thank you, Machina. Do you want to come help me hang it up?"
Rem reached out her hand and helped Machina into her room. Rem dug through the drawers of her desk to find a roll of tape, while Machina looked at the rest of the drawings hung on her walls.
She returned a few moments later, and Machina handed her the drawing. "You have a lot of drawings…"
"Yeah… but I like to have them in case I forget anyone. Then I'll have something from them."
"You're not gonna forget me for a long time, Rem! No bad grown ups will hurt us!"
"That's right! We'll become cadets and beat up the bad guys!" Rem laughed, but it caused her to go back into a fit of coughing. "You should probably go, Machina, I don't want you to get sick too…"
"Okay. I hope you feel better soon."
Machina climbed out the window, and attempted to get his footing on the shed roof, but instead fell right through it, onto its floor.
Without a second thought, Rem rushed out of her room, and out to the shed. Her parents ran after her to scold her for breaking the rules, but when they saw Machina lying on the ground, they brought him inside to make sure he was okay.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to say something…" Rem started crying as she spoke to her mother.
"We all forget things sometimes. Just try to remember to come to us for help next time, okay?" Rem's mother pulled her into a tight hug. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay."
"How did he even get up there in the first place? Izana?"
Izana had come inside with his brother, and was waiting for his parents in the living room. "He wanted to make sure Rem was okay. He hadn't heard from her in a month."
"She's been really sick. We've been worried about having her around other kids, but we're going to take her to a doctor in Meroe soon. She'll be back to school in no time."
"That's good to hear. Machina, how's your head?"
"It'll be fine! I'm a tough kid!"
"You started crying when I told you that Rem could be dying."
"I'd forget all about her then! Izana!" Machina hit his brother with the bag of ice.
"Don't hit your brother now, Machina."
"Sorry…"
Machina's parents came in later that evening with stern looks on their face. "Machina Kunagiri! What in the world gave you the idea to climb on the shed to talk to your friend who's been sick for a month! You're lucky you didn't break anything! And Izana! You didn't try to stop him!?"
Rem covered her ears as Mrs. Kunagiri yelled at her sons. She dragged them both out of the house shortly afterwards.
"That was certainly something…" Rem's mother went back to washing the dishes from dinner while Rem colored at the kitchen table.