Chapter six: Nagisa's nightmare

FLASHBACK…

Miyuki was eating her breakfast with Shizuma at the head table when suddenly Hitomi-chan walked in rather flustered and late. "You're late, Hitomi-chan" Miyuki mused. "Did you check up on Nagisa-chan for me?"

Shizuma's ears pricked up waiting for Hitomi's reply "uh … actually … I couldn't so I sent another student to check on her"

"Who did you send?" both Miyuki and Shizuma's blood ran cold.

"Uh well…"

Shizuma stood up and fastened her glare on Hitomi "Hitomi-chan who did you send?"

"Hmm who was it? Oh right! Tamao-chan!" at their identical stony faces she frowned "why? What's wrong?" the only answer she received was Shizuma and Miyuki running out of the breakfast hall, their heels clicking as they sprinted towards the infirmary.

END FLASHBACK.

Nagisa stirred beneath the irritating hospital sheets. She could feel herself sweating. She felt as though she wanted to throw up but she was too weak to move from the bed. Suddenly what happened the night before came to her. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she began to sob. She bundled the blankets to her chin and cried into the folds of white chiffon. In a hysterical sob she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a strangled cry "Shizuma!"

"Yes?"

Nagisa sat bolt upright. Sitting beside her was Shizuma in the flesh. At least she assumed it was flesh. She reached out a hand and stroked Shizuma's cheek. Shizuma smiled and leaned into the touch only to have Nagisa snatch her hand away and scream. "YOU'RE NOT REAL!"

Shizuma took hold of Nagisa's hand and ran it down the length of her face a tender smile gracing her lips "I am real, Nagisa"

"But ... b-but ..." Nagisa was lost for words. She had watched as Shizuma died in her arms. Tamao-chan had shot her in the chest ...in the heart! What was going on?

Shizuma slid onto the bed and wrapped her arms soothingly around Nagisa's shoulder. Nagisa cuddled into Shizuma's stomach. "You just had a nightmare Nagisa"

"N-nightmare?"

"Yes, as soon as I went to my room I couldn't sleep so I waited for Miyuki to go to bed and then I came here straight after breakfast"

"Why not before?"

"I thought you could use some sleep … I came before breakfast … before anyone else was up to be honest … and you kept tossing and turning and screaming 'died Tamao die' that was entertaining" Shizuma let out a small laugh as did Nagisa. "What was the nightmare about?"

"You"

"That's nice to hear" Shizuma replied dryly.

"No … in the nightmare … you … y-you … you died" the last two words were whispered.

"I died?" Shizuma breathed, her heart shivering inside her.

Nagisa sobbed and leant up to Shizuma and kissed her lips "I'm glad it was only a nightmare"

"You and me both" they remained that way cuddling in the bed. Tamao bristled with jealousy as she eavesdropped on the girls' conversation. She thought by tampering with Nagisa's medication and believing that hallucinations as real she could persuade Nagisa to be hers. Evidently she was going to need to try another method. She began plotting as she walked back up towards her dorm … her lonely dorm … without Nagisa-chan.

"Uh I feel grubby" Nagisa groaned rubbing her head.

"Hm come upstairs with me and we can have a nice warm bath and tonight we can go out on the town, how does that sound?"

"Sounds … refreshing"

"Good now lets go upstairs and take that bath"

"Can … can you … c-carry me?"

Shizuma smiled gently "of course, my angel" Shizuma stood up and gathered her girlfriend up in her arms. Nagisa kissed her chest as Shizuma walked up towards her room.

Miyuki was just doing her after-breakfast rounds when she saw Shizuma on her way to her room, Nagisa in her arms. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to have a bath"

"INFORMATION OVERLOAD!!!"

Shizuma laughed and Nagisa smiled weakly as Miyuki shook her head and carried on down the corridor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The hot water gushed into the cool china bathtub. Shizuma poured in some bubble bath and watched as the bubbles foamed up. Satisfied she went into the bedroom. Nagisa was lazily perched on her bed dressed in one of Shizuma's dressing gowns.

"Bath's ready" Shizuma announced.

"Okay" Nagisa stood up and followed Shizuma into the bathroom. She released her hold on her dressing gown and stepped into the bubbly hot water. She hissed slightly as she stretched out her sore legs. Shizuma smiled.

"Yell if you need anything"

"What? But … but I thought…"

"You thought … what?"

Nagisa played with the bubbled glumly "I … well when you said 'we'll have a bath' I assumed…" she trailed off.

Shizuma smiled down at Nagisa before sliding out of her uniform in one fluid motion "want me to join you?" Nagisa nodded, and watched with blushing cheeks as Shizuma slid into the bath next to her. They aligned their bodies together so that they fit perfectly within the cool tub. Shizuma wrapped her lithe arms around Nagisa and slid her leg between Nagisa's. She kissed Nagisa's forehead. She dipped her hand beneath the water and stroked Nagisa's body as the girl dazedly rested her head on her shoulder. "My little Nagisa … my perfect little Nagisa … I'll never leave you"

"You promise?"

Shizuma hadn't realised Nagisa was still awake and made a startled noise in her throat when Nagisa spoke. She smiled gently and hugged Nagisa closer against her wet body, kissing her forehead "I promise"