Hypothermia Chapter 2

Mannen looked around with his blurry vision. He saw the scenery moving around and saw that there was a pink haired person next to him. At the moment he couldn't think of who it was. He also noticed that he was being carried in someone's arms. Before he could ponder on this longer, he went back too sleep as he felt that he could no longer drive the drowsiness away. Go looked down at the now sleeping child and held him tighter as he felt him begin to tremble as if he were cold or scared. Go looked over at Himino to see if she was ok and saw that she was looking behind them so he too looked and saw that they were leaving a trail of snow made accidentally by Mannen.

"Go?" Himino started as the man turned his head to her. "What's wrong with him?"

"This is what happens when a leafe knight becomes ill. We loose control of our powers, which in several cases can be very dangerous for both the knight and everything around him. We have a better immune system then normal people so it doesn't happen very often. I'm not sure what caused him to get sick like this." Himino nodded and went back to her thoughts. Go looked down at the trembling boy again. He hoped that they would be able to help him. They neared the Awayuki Mansion gate and he stood waiting patiently while Himino opened the metal bar door. After she opened it she quickly pulled her hand away and held it in the other.

"Himino, what's wrong?"

"The bar is freezing cold!" Go's eyes widened for a second then returned to normal.

"Let's get inside. I'll use my foot to close the gate." Himino nodded and walked in while Go did the same while closing the gate behind him using his foot so he didn't have to feel the coldness of it and so he didn't have to put Mannen down. Without knowing it, they began to jog toward the house to quickly get Mannen inside but soon was stopped when Go slipped on some ice that was created beneath his feet.

"Shit! Himino here, take Mannen." Himino took the child from her friend so that he could get up with much trouble. From only holding Mannen for a short time, she began to shiver so Go took back Mannen as soon as he could. It didn't affect him much because he was a leafe knight and because he was one of fire. They walked carefully now so they wouldn't slip on anymore sudden ice that was made. They finally made it to the door, which Himino opened with caution this time but luckily it did not become cold. Hayate was standing near the door to see if Mannen came home and was both relived and shocked when they came in.

"What happened?"

"Found him on a park bench."

"That lazy--!" Mannen shifted a little at the sound of the yell.

"Sick."

"Oh..." Hayate looked at the normally energetic boy and felt sorrow at the sight of him.

"We need to do something to help him." Go broke the silence that had lasted a few moments. The two others nodded. "I'll take him to his room. You guys get something for him." He wasn't thinking very clearly. He hoped the others were. Go hurried away. In a few minutes he was got close to Mannen's room when another patch of ice formed below his feet. He slipped forward and dropped Mannen who created more ice under himself and slid till he hit the wall. Go tried to get up quickly but noticed his hand was partially frozen to the floor. He used his fire to get his hand loose and got to Mannen. Go picked him up and saw that on each of Mannen's cheeks there were long ice crystals. The boy's face was twisted like he was having a nightmare. Go returned to getting Mannen to his room. He walked by the wall to lean against it just incase something else happened unexpectedly. He finally reached the room and opened the door. There hadn't been another mishap yet. Go walked over to the bed and placed him gently down on it. He put the blankets over him and tried to warm the room and the boy. If he used his power too much then he'd end up like Mannen and that wouldn't be of any help at all. He wanted to be able to use his heat power for however long Mannen would be sick so he had to keep it in small uses. Mannen moved a little while he slept. Himino and Hayate walked in without Go noticing. He jumped when they finally talked.

"Is he any better?" Himino spoke. Go shook his head and looked at the things they had brought which consisted a blanket, food, and drinks that he noticed were steaming. Hayate put the blanket over the other one the boy already had on top of him. Himino walked over and put the food and drinks, which she held on a tray, onto a nightstand.

"I'll go call the others." Go said while leaving the room.

"Oh, wait!" Hayate remembered something he had forgotten to tell Go and ran off to tell him. Himino watched as he too left then turned back to Mannen expecting him to be asleep but his eyes were open which startled her.

"Him-ino...aaam I gunna dddie?" He was slurring his words and talked slowly. She was shocked at the question.

"No Mannen, you're not going to die." She put her hand on his forehead and noticed that his skin was even paler then normal. She stroked his head with her thumb as he slowly closed his eyes and went back to sleep. The ice crystals on his face seemed to shimmer in the fading light of dusk. He curled up sub-consciously and even though he had the blankets and the warmth of the house, he still shivered slightly. Hayate came back in the room.

"I had to tell him that the normal phones are down so he has to use his cell phone." Himino nodded then looked back at Mannen. "You know we should probably try and get him to eat and drink something warm."

"Oh yeah, the stuff I brought in." There was silence for a few seconds. "Hey Hayate, doesn't it feel like we're his parents right now?" They both blushed instantly. 'Why did I say that?' she wondered.

"Uh...um...yeah it does." Hayate answered also thinking 'Why did I say that...wait...why did she say that?!' They both stared at each other, flustered. 'Don't say something stupid.' They both thought. 'Just change the subject.'

"I wonder where our other sons-- I mean Hajime and Shin are!" Hayate yelled out the last part while trying to cover his mistake.

The sleeping Mannen mumbled a "Nice going there."

Himino jumped up. "Oh no!" she started shaking Hayate while still blushing. "Go get them from school!" she pushed him out the door so he ran.

When she pulled herself together she looked at the sleeping child before trying to nudge him awake so she could attempt to get him to eat something. When she touched him she was still not used to him being so cold so she flinched then continued to try and wake him.

"Mannen, Mannen. Wake up." He woke slowly once again while Himino helped him sit up. His gaze seemed almost unseeing. She put a cup of some warm liquid in his hands then helped him hold and drink it. She hadn't seen him this weak before...she hadn't seen anyone this weak since her mother's last moments. 'No stop that!' She shook her head. 'I can't think like that!'

Awayuki Town Elementary School---

"HAAAAYAAATEEE!" Hajime looked angrily at the older knight. "Why didn't Mannen show up?!" Shin was next to him, crying. Usually Mannen would come to get them after he left his own school. Hayate looked at them both. He didn't want to be the one who told them he was sick. 'Improvise, Hayate' he thought to himself. He looked slightly away while sweat-dropping.

"Uh...Mannen's school closed early." He looked at the younger knights to see if they bought it. Lucky for him, they did.

"Awww! Mannen's so lucky! Why'd it close?"

"Power outage at his school."

"Why didn't we have a power outage?"

"Because...Hey I'll buy you each a big cookie at that bakery!"

"Yay!" both the young boys cheered. They were so easy to distract. They all started walking as Hajime and Shin pulled on his shirt's sleeves.

'How does Go put up with this all the time?' Hayate thought.

Somewhere in the Awayuki mansion---

"So," Go began while he was on the phone. "how do you think he got sick? It couldn't have been something minor."

"Go, I already told you, I'll look into it!" Kei yelled at him from the other line. "Let me get home first!" he hung up. Go put his cell back in his pocket and leaned back on the couch in some room in the mansion. This place was huge and he was still finding new rooms. He sighed and got up and began to go to Mannen's room when he heard the door. Go walked in the general direction of the front door because he wasn't really sure where he was. He turned a corner and rammed into none other than Hayate.

"Damnit! Watch where you're going, Go!" Go was about to yell back when he noticed the young knights who were holding a cookie each. They looked quite cheerful.

"Hayate. Did you bribe them?" Hayate sweat-dropped as Go glared at him.

"Bribe us from what?" Hajime asked as Shin asked, "What does bribe mean?" Go looked at them then frowned in sorrow. He saw why Hayate didn't tell them. And he knew Hayate didn't tell them. It was obvious because if they knew their brother was sick, they wouldn't be so cheery.

"Guys, Mannen's sick."

"You mean he doesn't feel well?" Shin looked up at him with big eyes.

"Well yeah but it isn't just that. He's really sick." He didn't know how to explain it to them. They had had time where they didn't feel the greatest but never had they seen anyone as sick as Mannen was right now. He didn't expect them to fully understand. Hajime and Shin suddenly started to run; probably to Mannen's room. "Hey! You guys! Wait!" but they completely ignored Go.

"You don't think it's contagious do you?" Hayate spoke up. Go scratched the back of his head in frustration.

"Something tells me it isn't. But that doesn't mean we can't get sick. Whatever caused this may get us sick as well." Hayate didn't respond but merely stared at Go. "Let's get back to Himino. I dunno if she can handle two upset kids." Hayate nodded and followed Go up to Mannen's room.