Chapter Seven: Wakefulness
Watanuki opens his eyes, again, and finds himself staring at the round lamp above his bed. So round. A hollow circle. It's burning into his cornea. He winces and looks away, feeling as if he had been in danger of becoming entranced. The vague image of the lamp in bright yellow-green and pink and orange jumps irritatingly from place to place with his eye movements. He tries not to focus on it.
Two blurry figures are hunched over a low table in a corner, talking in low voices. One with long blue hair is dressed in a traditional blue kimono, and the other has curly twists of red hair in a puffy red dress. He makes a movement under the covers, trying to get comfortable, and they both turn to look at him. The girl with the long blue hair gets up and walks over to his side. Because he doesn't have his glasses on, she looks too blurry at first, but when she gets close enough, he can see enough of her features to know it's the Zashiki-Warashi. So the other must be the Ame-Warashi.
The Zashiki-Warashi kneels at his side. "How are you?" she asks.
Watanuki clears his throat and tries to croak, but nothing comes through. He does roll over a bit, to lie on his side instead of his back. Everything feels sore. He rubs his throat.
The Zashiki-Warashi fetches tea warm enough to steam but not to burn. She waits as he pulls himself into a sitting position, then puts the cup in his hand. Watanuki drinks it.
"Why is Ame-Warashi here?" Watanuki whispers, as the Zashiki-Warashi takes his cup.
"She was worried about me. She was also worried about you. When she heard the news she became very angry. Do you want more?"
"Yes," he says.
The Zashiki-Warashi pours another cup, and Watanuki takes it.
"The Ame-Warashi fetched kitsune oden for us last night," the Zashiki Warashi murmurs. "There is still some left, if you are up to it. She said the young fox was worried about you."
Watanuki nods, and says nothing. A headache has begun.
"I must go back to the mountain soon. So she asked him to care for you."
"And then?" Watanuki swills the tea in the cup.
"He agreed," replies the Zashiki-Warashi. "He will take over tomorrow."
"I see. However shall I repay you and the Ame-Warashi?" He drinks.
Eyes level, she looks at him for a long moment—unusually so. "Get well," she says, finally.
"I see." Watanuki closes his eyes. "That's the right price, isn't it..." The Zashiki-Warashi takes his cup. Watanuki lies down, and she tugs the blankets back over him.
There's a knocking at the door.
"That will surely be the kitsune," says the Zashiki-Warashi, and gets up to open it. She is right.
She leads the fox to Watanuki, and the two look at each other.
The Zashiki-Warashi bows once, and excuses herself. The Ame-Warashi rouses herself from her post, and links arms with the Zashiki-Warashi. "We shall meet again, Watanuki," she says, snapping open her umbrella with angry, impatient vigor, and points to the empty doorway. Together the Ame-Warashi and the Zashiki Warashi whoosh out the door and into the sky, and they are gone.
The fox closes the door.
"It is good to see you again, my friend," he says mildly.
A tiny ache opens in Watanuki's chest. The fox, now grown, really does look—and act—like his father. Except for the lack of glasses. "You too," says Watanuki hoarsely.
The fox seats himself in a chair and curls up in it. "How strange that we almost did not. Humans are such curious creatures."
Watanuki isn't sure, but he thinks the fox's tone was that of gentle reproof. He sighs. "It is probably my fault. I wasn't careful."
The fox switches his tail. "Perhaps." He does not seem interested in assigning blame; he switches his attention elsewhere.
Even so, Watanuki has a funny feeling that the fox knows more about him than he is saying. "I'm sorry."
The fox's ears swivel. "Why do you apologize to me? I was happy to be called to help a friend in need," says the fox, stretching out languorously. "Though you have strange messengers."
He didn't send them. Somehow this makes him feel worse. Watanuki shakes his head. "Never mind."
The conversation lapses, and the shadows lengthen.
Watanuki can feel the headache wrapping itself around him, enclosing his mind in what could be bubblewrap. He moves carefully, making himself comfortable, and finally the stagnance begins to weigh down, and he becomes heavier, and heavier, and finally thought goes away and he sleeps.