Chapter 18

Meiko stood outside of the door one of the hospital's staff members had directed her to. A bit tentatively, she raised her hand and knocked three times on the surface of the door before opening it.

"SeeU? Are you here?" Meiko asked with a hint of hesitance, poking her head inside the room to look around.

It was a tidy little office space with different charts and papers hung up on the walls. The room smelled of medicine and antibacterial cleaning products, just like any other doctor's office. It made Meiko nervous to be here, but the sight of that familiar long, wavy blonde hair was enough to keep Meiko from turning and running away.

"Meiko? What are you doing here?" SeeU questioned confusedly. She looked surprised.

"I, um, wanted to talk to you. Is it alright if I come in?" Meiko replied.

SeeU nodded slowly, still with a puzzled expression on her face. "Sure, come in and have a seat."

Meiko closed the door quietly behind her then walked over to a chair that was opposite to where SeeU was sitting. Once Meiko sat down, she looked over at her blonde-haired companion, who was staring back at her curiously.

"SeeU, I'm sorry for what I said to you that day at the cafe. I was just... I didn't know how to react to that kind of news, so I lashed out at you without thinking. I really am sorry..." Meiko trailed off, feeling ashamed.

SeeU smiled softly. "It's okay, Meiko. I figured that was probably it. Everyone reacts to bad news differently, and I've seen people get mad and try to blame whoever they can countless times. It's never personal, that's just how it is."

"You're surprisingly understanding about all of this," Meiko said in mild surprise.

"Well, you have to be, in this line of work," SeeU responded while still smiling.

"Aren't you a pediatrician, though? I wouldn't think you had to deliver terrible news like this that often," Meiko pointed out.

At this, SeeU's expression turned a little sullen. "Adults aren't the only ones that die, you know."

A heavy silence filled the room after that. Now that Meiko thought about it, Miku was still just a kid herself. She was only sixteen years old, only fifteen when she was first admitted here. Miku's life was going to end before she got the chance to really live it. Her future had been stolen long ago and was never to be seen again. It seemed like such a despicable crime when Meiko thought of it that way.

"SeeU, if you don't mind me asking, why would you take this kind of job when you know that not everyone can be saved?" Meiko questioned.

"Hmm... well, I don't think I ever intended to save anyone. Sure, it'd be great if everyone could survive and return to the way their lives used to be, but that just isn't realistic. I realized this during my time at the doctor's school I went to. I was studying all these different ailments and diseases and terms for things that didn't even make sense, all while I was thinking 'how am I supposed to cure all this?' And that's just it, I can't. Once I realized this, I figured that since I can't fix everything, I might as well try my best to make people happy. Seeing a family's face light up as they learn that their child no longer needs treatment, hearing a kid laugh for the first time since they entered the hospital, that's why I took this kind of job. I want to fix people's smiles, even if I can't fix their bodies," SeeU explained.

Meiko wasn't sure what to say to this. The cheerful, childish SeeU wasn't so childish after all. Meiko wondered when SeeU had grown to be so insightful, but dismissed the thought. She was glad that SeeU was able to smile amongst the cloud of despair and agony that hung over the hospital as a result of the patients' misfortune. Truly, SeeU was meant for this career.

"So, how good are you at fixing people's smiles?" Meiko asked slowly after a moment of silence.

"Um, I suppose it depends on the type of person I'm working with and what kind of situation they're in... Why do you ask?" SeeU inquired.

"No reason. Just wondering if it's still possible to fix Kaito... and myself," Meiko replied quietly.

SeeU smiled at her warmly. "I think it's more than possible, Meiko. In fact, I'm positive that I can get both of you to smile and laugh if we hang out together this weekend."

Meiko chuckled softly. "I would really like that."

"Wait, no, the weekend is way too far away! Tonight, the three of us will all go out together, and I won't let either of you go home until I see genuine smiles from both of you," SeeU announced.

"Sounds good to me. I didn't have any other plans anyway," Meiko stated, already beginning to smile.

SeeU grinned. "Great! You two better be ready by seven o' clock, and no later. I'll drag you out of the house even if you aren't fully dressed otherwise."

Meiko shook her head, letting out another low chuckle. "Please don't do that again. The last time that happened you nearly gave me a heartattack."

SeeU giggled. "Hey, at least it made sure you were always ready on time after that." She then stood up from her seat and gathered a few things from the counter against the far wall. "I have to get back to work now, so I'll see you later, Meiko."

"Yeah, see you later," Meiko responded, following SeeU out the door.

The two went off in opposite directions, with Meiko heading back to Miku's room to see if Kaito was still there. As she approached the door, though, she heard laughter coming from the room. Meiko smiled to herself, oh how she had missed that laugh. It seemed like ages since she had heard Kaito laugh like that. I think I'll just let them be, Meiko thought to herself before turning around and heading to the lobby. She could always talk to Kaito later, so she was going to let the siblings spend their remaining time together the way it was meant to be: happily.

A/N: Not sure what to say here honestly. Not a lot happened in this chapter, but Meiko and SeeU finally made up, so that's good. Right now things seem to be kind of cheerful (maybe?) in this story. I wonder how long that's going to last... Anyway, please tell me what you think, I really appreciate it.

Have a wonderful day/night/whatever~