Ayaka smiled innocently as she stood next to Hiro, looking at her friend, wearing her clothes and bringing up her old nickname. Kaede smiled, then stepped forward slowly and embraced her old friend. Hiro, meanwhile, sat down rather suddenly on the floor, leaning back against the sofa. He closed his eyes and sighed, then suddenly started coughing. The girls separated as fast as if they had never been together in the first place.
Kaede knelt next to him, pounding his back as he choked, on his hands and knees as Ayaka rushed into the kitchen, searching for a glass for water. Finding one, she hurried back into the sitting room to find Hiro in Kaede's arms, leaning his head on her shoulder as he wheezed the couching fit over. She leaned down and gave Kaede the water before rushing back out of the room. Kaede gently pushed Hiro back against the couch with one hand, holding the glass of water up with the other. "Drink slowly, okay? You have a fever, and a bad cold. If it gets any worse I'm taking you to the doctor, okay?" She pulled the glass away before Hiro spilled it. He was shaking his head, he opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him. "No. I know you don't want to go, but, oh come on! You're obviously sick! If your fever doesn't go down, and you keep coughing like that, I am taking you to the doctor. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, got it, Hiroshi?" Hiro, realizing he had no choice, nodded in submission, taking the glass back form her in shaking hands. Just then, they heard a sharp whistle, and the sound of someone opening the canister where Hiro kept his teabags. A minute later, Ayaka walked out of the kitchen with a steaming mug in her hands. She handed it to Kaede, then went back to the kitchen, returning shortly with a small plate. She placed the plate on the floor, and Kaede put the tea on the plate; stirring it and blowing on it to cool it, so Hiro wouldn't scorch his throat.
Hiro looked up at the two girls in front of him and smiled weakly. "Thank you" He croaked, then closed his eyes as he sipped the tea. Just as he was taking a sip, Hiro coughed slightly in surprise as when the harsh tone of the buzzer for his door rang. Kaede stood hurriedly, rushing to the door. Damn! I can't believe I forgot that Eiri said he'd come and get me! When she pulled the latch, the door burst open, and there he was. Kaede stopped muttering and stared at the man who was not her uncle but her father.
Touma Seguchi looked his daughter in the eye. She was wearing someone else's clothes and she had a confused and worried look in her eyes. "F-Father?" She stuttered, looking up at him. "Why are you here? I thought Eiri was going to pick me up?" She asked, but when the sound of someone coughing echoed down the hall she turned on her heal and fled back into the apartment. Touma followed his daughter, wondering if it was Nakano who was sick, or if someone else was here. Another man, for instance, because it had sounded as if it was a male. Reaching the living room, he found that his questions had been answered. Yes, it was Nakano who was coughing, and yes, there was someone there, and no, it was not a man, but in fact Ayaka, his brother-in-law's former fiancée. Both girls knelt next to Nakano, Ayaka was picking up a what appeared to have been a cup of tea that had spilled on the rug, spreading a pale stain on the tan carpet. Kaede however, held Nakano, and appeared to be speaking to him. She began to stand slowly, bringing a shaking Nakano with her as Ayaka sopped up the last of the tea from the carpet. All the while, he stood there, watching his daughter and her friend help the young man both of them were after. Leaving Hiro with Ayaka, Kaede turned to her father. "I need your car. We have to take Hiro to the doctor, now. I have a spare key, I just need to know where your parked, okay? Lead the way please." With that, she followed him down the hall, only stopping to get a blanket from the closet, Ayaka following close behind with Hiro. When they were outside and in the elevator, Ayaka relinquished hold of her charge to Kaede, turning to talk to the girl, she held out her hand. "Kae, give me your key, I will drive. Just give me instructions and take care of Nakano, alright? You'd be better at it anyway. You must be used to this because of your uncle." Startled, Kaede dropped her purse in Ayakas hand, and wrapped Hiro in the blanket.
With a ding, the elevator shuddered to a halt and the door parted. They walked quietly through the front doors, the doorman giving them a passing glance of confusion. Once they reached the parking lot, Ayaka turned to Touma, but before she could speak, he had walked right past her and opened the door to the driver's seat of his car. Holding it open for her, he gave her his keys and took his daughter's before seating himself on the other side. Kaede gently placed Hiro in the car and then slid in beside him. When she took her keys back from her father, she began to rummage through her purse. With a small smile, she pulled something from it. It was slim and silver in hard, clear plastic case. Opening the case, she turned to Hiro. "Open your mouth" she commanded of him. Obligingly, he did as he was told. She popped the small metal object under his tongue, and pushed his jaw closed. "You carry a thermometer in your pocket-book, Kaede?" She twisted back around to face her father. "Yes. But only because Shuichi is always getting caught in the rain and eating something sour and Eiri never takes care of himself, so I like to be prepared." Grabbing for her purse, she held it open for her father. He whistled, and Ayaka looked back through the rearview mirror. Hiro strained to see, but gave up. Between the blanket and the seatbelt, he was bound tightly.
"I can't believe you carry so many pills around with you! Don't you get in trouble at school?" Ayaka asked, her eyes searching for the right streets to take so as to not get lost and pass Hiro's doctor. Kaede shook her head and promptly dropped her purse, scattering the things inside when she heard the thermometer beep. "Ayaka, stop. Turn around. We need to go to the hospital instead. Take the street on the left back there at the lights." Ayaka, startled though she was, stopped and turned at the next chance she got. Hiro stared at Kaede as he began to work his way free of the blanket. "Kaede – " He started, but gave in to a fit of coughing. Kaede dropped the thermometer into her lap as she pulled a bottle of water from her father's hands. Opening it, she held to his lips as soon he stopped coughing. He drank greedily in between gasps for air, only stopping when Kaede withheld it from him, fearing he would choke. "Kaede" Hiro began again quietly. "I don't need to go to the hospital." Kaede looked at him, then at the thermometer again. "Oh yes you do, look." And she held up the little silver device. Hiro's eyes widened as he began to cough again. Apparently the fact that the thermometer registered 104' was as much a shock to him as it was to her. When he stopped, she offered him the water again and reminded him to drink slowly. The she turned to Ayaka and her father. "So, dad, why are you here? And thanks again for letting us take the car. I would have asked you to drive, but you don't know the way to Hiro's doctor. If id known we had to go here.." Her voice trailed off as they arrived at the hospital.