***
"I'm gonna ask again. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Toji nodded. Dr. Harushima opened the door. First, Toji's eyes fell on Momo. She was standing at the foot of the bed, her face really pale (well, as pale as a tan face can get). She seemed frozen and was just staring at Sae. Then his eyes lingered over to Sae, lying in bed. She was sweating, coughing, screaming, and thrashing around in her bed. Almost frozen, too, Toji felt Ms. Harushima's hand touch his shoulder. He came back to his senses and walked over to Momo.
She was surprised when she felt his arms wrap around her. She looked up at his face with tears in her eyes. Forgetting their arguments, she collapsed into his arms and started weeping. Ms. Harushima quietly left these two in the room.
"I want to help her," she whispered.
He could feel her shaking. "Do you want to leave? We can think of something together, we can probably concentrate better somewhere else."
"I'd feel like I'm abandoning her."
"Well, you're mom's worried. She told me to come pick you up."
"My mom… the one with the grungy car?"
"Momo… I'm sorry. That was a month ago! I should have apologized before now, but I've been so caught up with everything else. Of course I didn't mean what I said. It was all just this panic. I knew we had to help Sae fast, I knew…"
"That's fine. Let's go home."
They walked out of the room holding hands.
Sae opened her eyes. There was a scary look to them. She stood up, walked to the door to follow them, and collapsed.
When the doctors found her there an hour later, they were in panic. She had been off her medication and inhaler for too long. Ms. Harushima lifted her up.
She was limp, and out cold…
***