The next morning Yuu awoke especially early in order to attend Elizabeth's early morning honors chemistry class. Muttering good-naturedly under his breath he walked into the empty classroom and selected a desk in the far corner, partially obscured by a large and very leafy plant. It wasn't a perfect concealment, but he hoped it would at least direct her attention away from him enough so that he could remain as her observer. Failing that, if she tried to throw him out he'd insist she do it personally. If nothing else it would give him a few words with her. He wondered if she knew how much she was worrying everyone.
As the minutes slowly passed students began straggling in and seating themselves, with varying degrees of decorum. As might be expected, Yuu noticed the class growing louder and a bit more gregarious as more and more students arrived. With a wry grin he remembered his own early high school years, when he and his friends would do much the same, enjoying the last few moments before a teacher took control of the classroom.
He was shocked when, seemingly without cause, the hubbub cut off sharply, as if severed by a knife. Glancing around he saw the class was, to a person, facing forward and giving rapt attention to the front of the room. Following their example he too looked forward and found that he had missed Elizabeth's entrance.
Standing at the front of the room, wearing a gray pant-suit, she looked hardly older than her students, until you looked into her eyes. She looked weary, and more than a bit distracted. Leaning forward in his chair, Yuu watched her as she took roll, then began to lecture in a voice that reached the back of the room, but went no further.
As the lecture progressed Yuu began to take note of the students' behaviors as well as Elizabeth's. It was eerily subdued, no whispers, no note-passing, and no smiling. In fact, more than one pupil had a look of concern on his face. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he continued his observation of their instructor, filing away details to impart to Satoshi later.
At long last the lecture was over. Stepping away from the board Elizabeth smiled at the class.
"Thank you for your kind attention, as always. I am sorry to say this, but I will have to cancel my office hours for the remainder of the week. If you have any questions please just slide them under the door of my office or my lab and I will try to address them during the next class. You are dismissed." Gathering up her papers as she dismissed she glanced around the room, almost regretfully it seemed to Yuu, then walked out the door. Once she was gone the class erupted into a flurry of conversation and packing.
"Did you see her today?" the young man sitting in front of Yuu's plant asked a friend. "She's even paler."
"Do you think she hasn't been sleeping again?"
"I don't know, but Emily goes running with Ms. Fairfax and that group sometimes, and she said that Ms. Fairfax doesn't go into the dormitory building after the runs, but back into the lab." Yuu couldn't resist. Falling into step behind them as they walked out, he tapped the first speaker on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?" the boy replied, a bit warily.
"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation just now. I'm Yuu Matsuura, and a friend of mine asked me to keep an eye out on Elizabeth, your Ms. Fairfax. Have you noticed anything wrong recently?" His words opened a floodgate from the pair of them.
"She doesn't sleep much, and I don't think she eats enough."
"She's always working in the lab, and I think even when she's not she's thinking about it."
"Yeah, I went to her office hours last week and she seemed really distracted, like she has been in class."
"She seemed happy at the beginning of the term, but she's beginning to look driven, or haunted or something."
As the threesome walked out of the classroom and down the hall a young woman caught sight of them and launched herself at one of the boys.
"Jimmy! I thought you were never going to get out of there. I saw Ms. Fairfax pass by a few minutes ago and I was wondering what was keeping you.
Jimmy hugged her back, and then performed introductions.
"Emily, this is Yuu, he's a college student here, I think?" Yuu nodded his assent and Jimmy continued, "He's been trying to keep an eye on Ms. Fairfax, and he's worried about her too."
"Oh good," Emily turned toward Yuu, a look of gravity on her face, "She hasn't been herself lately. I go running with her, and a group of girls, some nights, and she's been very withdrawn. The lights are on in her lab nearly all the time, and um."
"What?" Yuu queried her.
"She asked us to keep it quiet, but she fainted last week, when we came back from our run and were cooling down. She wasn't out for long, but it frightened us."
"Thank you." Yuu remarked gravely, "Satoshi will appreciate knowing this, though he will not be gladdened by the information." Nodding his head to each of the youths he walked off, trying to decide what would be the best way to tell Satoshi.
By the time he had returned to his room he had made up his mind. There would be no kindness in keeping this from his friend, and the best course of action would be merely to tell Satoshi straight out, then help him decide what course of action to take. With a heavy heart he picked up his phone and dialed Satoshi's number. Satoshi had been waiting for the call, apparently, because he picked up the phone immediately, despite it being very nearly the middle of the night.
After the briefest of greeting Yuu told Satoshi about the morning's class. When he was finished there was silence on the line for a long moment.
"I have no choice, I have to go there." Satoshi said quietly. "I have to know why she's doing this. I'll leave tomorrow."
"Bill and Jinny are leaving this evening to take a long weekend trip to whale watch in Maine, you can stay with me if you like." Yuu told him.
"Thank you. I'll take a taxi from the airport to your dorm as soon as I get in." Satoshi was already distracted, caught in the whirls of his own concern and compassion. Sensing his friend's distance Yuu sympathized.
"It will turn out." Yuu stated softly, "She loves you, you love her. I believe in the two of you." The pair bid farewell and turned to their separate plans: one to study; the other to make arrangements to fly across the world.