CHAPTER 69

I do not own Skip Beat. Yoshiki Nakamura does.

The doctor arrived a quarter later, and carrying a sleeping Kyoko while doing so, Ren opened the door to him and to a flustered Yashiro-san that deeply apologized his belated arriving. He saw Yashiro-san paled when he got a look at Kyoko's condition, and the doctor – after brief greetings – turned all professional and asked him to bring her back to the living room so he could examine her.

Ren hesitated for a second to put Kyoko down so she could be looked over but thought it off quickly. The doctor would tell him if he needed more room, and her to be lying down to examine her. Right now he was feeling too anxious to let her go if not for absolute vital reasons, and he'd also like to bother her the less possible. So he carefully squatted back, conscious to not make any bump to not jerk her body as he placed himself and her again on the couch. He brought back the cover that slipped around her, and arched a brow at the man with a satchel in hand and a stethoscope already around the neck.

The practician assured it wasn't an issue, and that it would be easier to take her pressure if she were sitting up. Then he asked Ren to describe the symptoms he had noticed while he would take care of this and check over her vitals. He wrapped the tensiometer around her left arm and started to pump, making it swell. In the same time, he placed the steel circle on the top of her bust, and Ren felt her shiver at the coldness of it as he kept an eye on the doctor.

He explained what he had observed since he came.

"She has a fever, she has been shivering constantly, and she already had some fever when she was sent to rest by our movie's director three days ago." He communicated, trying to be as precise as he could for the short time he had been there. "From his words, she had overspent herself for several days before starting to show signs of tiredness and illness."

"She drank water, so I don't think she is too dehydrated," he continued as he remembered the few empty bottles in her bedroom, "But she apparently had not eaten much the last couple of days, she felt nauseous when I came in, she is rather weak and sweating a lot. She has a clotted nose and has been coughing a lot since I arrived one hour and half ago, and her voice is hoarse from all that coughing, I think." The doctor nodded all along the time Ren recounted Kyoko's symptoms.

"Anything else?" He inquired after one more minute of listening to her lungs this time.

"I was able to make her eat small bits earlier." He eventually said when he saw nothing else he might have forgotten.

"The sweating and shivering is quite normal with a high fever," The doctor finally declared while beginning to scribble some words on a notepad, but a frown was marring his face, "But-, could please clarify tome-well if you know – , what did you mean by overspent?"

Faced with the confusion Ren was displaying, the doctor articulated what he meant to him.

"I'd like to know exactly how she over-pushed herself," he expressed, "it can have an impact on the swiftness of the recovery depending on how tired she was for example when she succumbed to this virus."

Ren nodded and related that his director had told him she had made up for the vacancy of some actors by packing up and proceeding with her own scenes without much breaks and excessively long days. As well as overtraining for some future fight scenes.

The doctor stopped him at that.

"When you say overtrained, you mean like some sort of workout?"

Ren nodded.

The man taped his pad with his pen, pondering something quick.

"I'm going to take the same road on this," he started, "See, your friend here, her heart is steady, vitals stable, so you don't have to worry about this. She is weak because she didn't eat and because of the fever but as long as she has someone to take care of her during the next following days, she will be alright."

Ren took a relieved breath at this. She would be alright. But the doctor continued.

"But there is one thing that is bothering me, and that is the sound in her lungs isn't fully clear and it could one of the causes of the fever not dropping." The doctor stressed.

"What would that mean?" Ren demanded, unconsciously tightening his hold around the sleeping form in his arms, a bad gut-feeling rising.

The man in front of him lifted his hands to appease him right away.

"If taken in time, nothing." He said. "But this virus does have some reputation to have led some people to pneumonia so I don't want to take any risk."

"Did any of the people that fell sick from your movie team developed one?" He asked Ren and he shook his head at him, explaining it didn't recall anything of that sort and that though he hadn't been there for some part he would have been averted if anyone had formed such grave symptoms when they got sick.

"That's one thing then," the doctor said, "it could mean your cast got hit by a milder version of it. And your friend seems like a strong young woman so, it's less likely it will come to this." Ren nodded, fully hoping Kyoko's symptoms wouldn't morph into a more dangerous thing.

"But still, we'd better be careful." Stressed the doctor. "So here is what we are going to do." He said before turning to Yashiro-san, staring at the plastic bag in his hands.

"Is it what you brought for Miss Mogami-san?" He asked.

Yashiro-san nodded.

"Yes, Ren had asked me to stop by a pharmacy for painkillers and cough syrup." He replied lifting his back slightly handing it to the doctor, "Would you like to check if what I brought is good?"

The practician hummed, unconvinced.

"It comes from a free-service pharmacy, right?" He asked in confirmation.

Yashiro-san nodded and Ren could see he did not understand where the doctor was going with this. Ren neither for that matter.

The doctor shook his head.

"That won't do then." He said to them pointing at the back. "First, those medicaments available without prescription are weakly dosed. It barely works for a small cold or a headache. It isn't mean to be taken as a real remedy in case of any stronger illness. It won't be efficient enough." He explained.

"Second, the miss is taller than the average so it would most likely have even less effect." He added. "She would need to take the triple dose of it and even then it wouldn't be sure to have the proper effect. I'm going to prescribe proper ones."

"She will have fever killers to take twice a day," he started again, finishing to scribe the prescription and Yashiro-san proposed to already go to the pharmacy so Kyoko would be able to have everything quickly, "When the fever is starting to rise again in the middle of the afternoon and at night, just before sleeping." The doctor continued while nodding with approbation toward Yashiro-san, and the last one took his depart from them. Then he proceeded giving instructions to Ren that paid acute attention.

"I prescribed a much stronger syrup for her cough, especially with a small doubt I have concerning a worsening, and I also prescribed something against nausea, supplements and antibiotics since it seems to have got to her pretty strongly." Said the doctor. "The number of days to take everything will be indicated on the medicaments. But I'll say at least a week for the fever killers, two weeks for the syrup and supplements, and if she takes the antibiotics, ten days.

"With the fever killers I prescribe, I'm giving it three days to get better. It will help with fever soreness, potential headaches and they are anti-inflammatory." He said. "If the fever doesn't begin to diminish a bit or still rise as high as 40 degrees Celsius after those three days, start the antibiotics. If the fever goes higher than this even before the three days are over, start the antibiotics. If Mogami-san breathing becomes raspier and hoarser – not her voice, her breathing-, and-or if she complains about any pain when she is breathing in and out in her lungs, start the antibiotics immediately and at any time, fever or not. If that's the case, we will also do an IRM, just to be sure." He explained firmly.

"Finally, if in two days, her temperature doesn't drop down completely in the morning, start the antibiotics." He stressed.

Ren nodded firmly, mentally taking note of all the warning signs to pay attention to.

"If she ends up with a painful breathing, I would ask to see her again after her recovery." Said the doctor.

Ren then inquired about the type of food to give her in this situation, and the doctor asked back what he had given her before he came.

He told him and the man approved.

"That's good. In any case, for now, anything that stimulates her appetite is good. So any food that attracts her and that she loves is better than no food even if it's not healthy." He said.

"I would also advise for cola, at least until the fever finally dropped." He added. "She might have a hard time staying hydrate enough as long as her fever stay high, and drinking great quantity of water might not be easy. But it's crucial she drinks enough with how much she is sweating. You can also alternate between cola and sugary water and tea or milk with honey."

Ren nodded, and started to take some notes to be sure to remember everything.

"Mind you, it's the only sort of time I recommend a sweet diet and cola," he said with a crooked smile directed at Ren. "But it's not the time to pay attention to her diet, she needs the energy and the sugar makes it easy to drink while under fever."

"Understood." Ren said, finishing with his quick notes.

The doctor gave him a second prescription for some of the things if they happened to need it, and gathered his stuff.

Ren made a move to see if he could escort him back to the door but the man assured him he could walk himself out. But just before walking the corner of the hall, he turned back toward the two.

"For tonight, I would also advise a barely lukewarm bath," he suddenly added, "it will also help diminishing the fever. But be careful, it shouldn't be too cold, just lukewarm."

"Alright, we will do just that." Replied Ren, and they bid their goodbye.

He remained on the couch with her while he waited for Yashiro-san and bore with his anxiety rising every two second. She was so tranquil, breathing slowly and only moving when she needed to cough. He felt the seconds ticking by agonisingly slow, and could only rub her back when she would shiver. He hated being so hopeless in making her feel better. He held her closer. He maintained her right against him, as close as he could to keep her warm, breathing in her poignant tender scent, and suffering of the stir of his feelings. How emotive he felt as his insides tore apart between how worried he was and how much he felt like flying to have her in his arms. Of the weight, of the touch, and of the warm of her in them. How wrecked and transfixed he felt inside. Yet, quiet.

Buzzing with energy, with questions on her state, on how to make her feel better. Yet, serene.

As if he was… Rooted.

He cuddled further around her.

It didn't make sense. None of this did. Here he was slightly shaking – he just realized – , so much so he was concerned about her. And meanwhile his body was fluttering with energy, thrill to be this close to her, while his heart seemed to have reached some sort of out-of-this-world Zen and beatitude. Some level of transcending sensation, that was.

How could he feel so much at once? How could one touch tear at his heart so much, and still comfort him so fully? He did not understand anymore. It did not make sense. It did not make sense.

He felt as his senses were in overload.

Did I finally lost it?

He didn't have time to ponder this more though as Yashiro-san was finally back. He quickly joined them on the couch and brought out the syrup and the fever killers.

"Thank you for being so fast."Ren told him and Yashiro-san smiled. "It's normal, I'm concerned too. I also made a few calls to make sure you would stay free of anything during the next few days. You would still have had free time as the movie is running slow on the planning right now, but with this, your next days have been emptied completely."

Ren thanked him again as he grabbed a bottle of water and a tablet of the fever killers. He woke Kyoko up just enough so that she would swallow the pill and she snuggled back against him.

Now, you could just wait.

Yashiro-san stayed with them for a moment, stuffing Kyoko's refrigerator and cupboards with several meals. Some were for Ren himself but the majority was for Kyoko. He also placed on the nearby table of the living room some stuff they might need so that Ren wouldn't have to move the young woman from her position.

Then he sat back for a moment and talked over the changes that had been made concerning Ren's schedule, keeping a keen attention on their sleeping companion's state in the meanwhile.

But eventually, it occurred to them that Yashiro-san couldn't help provide more help for now, and he decided to go home.

"Call me if you need anything or if something happens." He eventually said in the same low tone they had employed to not wake Kyoko up, and Ren agreed. He wouldn't miss to keep him posted on Kyoko's state anyway. He knew his manager cared about her too and he didn't want him to worry too much.

He was gathering his things to leave when Ren attracted his attention.

"Thank you Yashiro, really. He told him with a grateful smile. "You were a great help, I wouldn't have known how to handle all at once." He admitted.

Yashiro shook his head.

"You would have. But I'm glad I could help." He replied. "And it's good someone can care properly for her for once while she is no condition of doing so."

"I agree. She is abnormally used to handle everything on her own." He said with a grumpy nod of disapproval. He just wished she would lean more often on him.

"But it seems like she is in good hands right now so I can take my leave." Yashiro added with innocently blinking eyes, making Ren groaned in Kyoko's hair.

Yashiro giggled softly.

"What? Don't tell me you didn't see it coming?" Yashiro asked cutely, if not the big shit-eating grin glowing on his face.

"I did. I was wondering when you would."Ren replied nonplussed. "Pestering nosy man."

A false shock gasp echoed and Yashiro put on his gloves before pulling out his phone.

"Well, since I'm already a pest, indulge me some more." He commented and to his shock, he started to taking fucking pictures!

"Come on, don't make such a face, it's going to ruin the pictures, it's for the posterity." Yashiro whined and he glowered a bit at him and just contain making any more sound for the sake of the slumbering form on him.

"Come on, come on, let your true feelings shine through." His manager pouted annoyingly.

Ren snapped his jaws at him.

Then he felt Kyoko stirred and cough a bit, and he looked down and shifted a bit. He tried to loosen all of his muscles again, breathing deeply under her but staying as immobile as a stone otherwise. Eventually she sighed deeply and searching for his warmth, relaxed as she pasted herself to his body.

He couldn't help the smile that blossomed at her cuteness, and removed a hair strand tangled in her eyelashes softly.

"Now, that is more like it." Bubbled out Yashiro and Ren looked back to see him dangling his phone with provocation at him as he grabbed his vest and went his merry way.

Ren sighed once he left. Never mind him, his manager just could not help it, and he had known it from the beginning.

He stayed like this for the next two hours. Not moving and even feeling quite at peace in that tiny couch with the woman he adored sleeping in his arms. Well, minus of her sickness. He couldn't help checking her forehead time-to-time to be sure it wasn't worsening and also used the thermometer once, so he could know it was indeed not his own body heat that was deluding him.

After that – when he was about to fall asleep too in fact – she began to cough and toss before awakening with a start. She appeared confused and still weak up to a degree but he could clearly see that some of the cloudiness of her eyes had left and she was a bit more alerted.

She coughed more than just a coupled of time – he wondered if it had not worsened – and rubbed her eyes and face, looking adoringly cute as she tried to remove the sleepiness of her, and brushed away with annoyance some of her long locks that were in the way and teasing her nose, apparently.

"We should do something about that cough." He said looking down at the woman still cuddled up in the hearth of his arms.

She blinked at this and inclined her face up to him though she didn't lift her from his shoulder, and he took the opportunity to grab the thermometer again and measure her temperature.

"Hey there." He said with a smile and a good puff of air escaped from him as the lower numbers that were shown by the device. It had dropped drastically.

"Hey." She replied and he relaxed even more. He knew her temperature would rise again but he couldn't help feeling comforted it had dropped for now.

"How are you feeling?" He inquired.

When she had woken up, she had felt lost for an instant as for the first time in days, she felt like she had at least half her brain back to function.

Then, she had surrendered to a hurtful fit of cough before her senses finally took in the place she was in. Her barely functioning nose – still mostly clotted – was sensitive enough to pick up what little scent could pass through. As the drowsiness scattered apart in her mind, the fresh musk of the minty-woody ocean odour hit her nostrils nearly as fast as the coating subjugating warmth drilled its sensation through her every nerve; the both driving shivers out of her.

Her ears registered him talking while her brain still pained to catch up to the perception of the situation her body had already fully understood. So, she stupidly lifted her face to the sounds just made, and was she not still slightly feverish and so sick, she would have had the worst jump scare of her life. And her heart would have burned to a fatal crisp seeing this relieved cute smile tinted with some remains of concern at the first wink of awakening.

But being as stoned as she was by that damn virus, she contented to mumble a greeting in return, and vaguely wondered she was purely fantasizing the whole situation.

Not thinking then, she acted on instinct, and sought more contact and warmth as she leaned on and back further against him. In afterthought, the idea she shouldn't be doing this went through her mind, but she couldn't muster to care. She wanted to fall back asleep. All of her muscles clumsily ached and were oddly tired and without strength. She wished to forget she had three half-thoughts forming about being a burden for him, about being heavy and sweating on him, and making him miss work. She felt so tired and nauseous, yet, found so much solace in feeling his whole being all around her. In the serene warmth of his hold. But she could sense guilt creeping up in the back of her mind as the feeling she was taking advantage of the situation and of him made itself known. Acknowledgment the high fever had prevented her to make before as she had been purely unable to think about anything.

She was about to attempt to move when she heard him inquired softly with a smile in the voice:

"Comfy enough?"

She hummed her approbation eyes shut, and appeased her guilty conscience by internally swearing she would leave his arms in just a few minutes.

He lightly chuckled at her response and she felt him caress her hair slightly.

Maybe she could elude reality for a few more moments, she thought after reflexion.

But still, more than enough indulging minutes passed and she did not have enough of a fever anymore to excuse it and pretend she wasn't stalling. So, cursing her wobbly sore limbs, she pulled away and slowly stood on feet by the more-than-a-little-tired couch. She felt breathless and numb, and Ren had supported her moves during all the manoeuvre, but she did it.

She took a couple of steps back again, fighting the increase of nausea and lack of strength but teetered like a lamb right at third one, and was instantly stabilized by arms around her sides.

"Easy there," Ren said while keeping her stable, "You might have less fever – based on what the thermometer indicated – , but we don't know for how long. Plus you didn't eat much those last three days, right. So, it can only be expected than between your huge fever and lack of food, you'd feel weak."

She agreed with it and knew all too well why she felt so feeble but just the idea of ingesting food made her want to never eat again at this instant. But the sensation of being so dependent and this plain weakness were far too unpleasant; she wanted to get rid of it right this second.

Ren must have picked up on what food precisely inspired her – or maybe her complexion had turned a bit greener and it had ticked him on it – , but he proposed her some fruits juice instead of solid food.

She consented quickly, knowing she needed it and hoping it would be over quicker like this, and praying wouldn't make loops in reverse senses. So she diligently was guided to a chair where she drank a couple of drinks of juice and hot milk with honey before Ren was eventually satisfied.

And despite a few bouts of nausea rising a bit, she managed to keep those in without too much trouble. She began to feel more sluggish again and a quick check with the thermometer confirmed her temperature was rising slightly again.

Ren told her then, about the doctor's last advice to keep the fever from rising too much until she could take a new tablet. And though she could see the good points in it, her quickly fogging mind got attracted by a few elements. Though she failed to voice her embarrassment aloud to Ren.

"Lukewarm bath?" She repeated softly from her position, right cheek resting on her forearms placed on the table she was sitting at.

Ren nodded firmly.

"I know how wobbly you are, and with the fever slowly rising again, you must feel even weaker but the doctor said it would help greatly."

She nodded as an automate, and said she would go now but did not move an inch. Moving a single member required so much energy and she was so tired. She felt his hand at her forehead then, and she thought he took a moment before speaking again because she could have sworn she had fallen asleep for a good while, and Ren was now sitting in front of her.

"We still have a couple more hours before you can take the next tablet. So, it would be better to take the bath before your fever rise too much again if we want it to help enough," he finally said in such a serious tone and she just nodded, understanding why it was better now.

"I know it's not the most ideal situation," he started again with a troubled face, "But, would you let me help you with this too? Unless I'm reading you wrong and you feel capable on your own?"

When the answer to his second question dawned on her, her blurry mind got three things. She wouldn't be able to escape it. It would be one of the most mortifying experiences of her life. But the saddest part was that it had gone straight over his head why it could quickly become really embarrassing. Because he simply didn't pay mind over it.

She groaned inwardly when he had to add with such a caring tone:

"With the fever you had, I'm sure you also must be dreaming of refreshing yourself, right?"

She felt grateful he had the delicacy to not insinuate or insist on the fact she simply hadn't washed herself for two days with how bad her fever had been. Fact, she was sure, was really obvious. She wanted to point out why it was a bad idea, protest, just sleep and wash when she would be better – despite knowing it was not the wisest move for her health – , and even cry a bit over the lack of dignity and independence she felt she had right now. Even knowing she was in the one person's hands she could fully trust didn't crush that sentiment. And she also didn't want him to see her in the nude, because she didn't want her mind to go where she knew it would; to make the obvious conclusions on what he would think if he were to see her naked.

But she was tired and sick. So tired. Sick of fighting. Sick of doing her best to stay strong and independent and not lean on him. And he had gone out of his way to take care of her and make her rely on him. And she just didn't have the energy to keep him at bay as usual. She just did not have the force to push him away in her state. Not when it was the last thing she wanted.

It would probably come back to bite her. She didn't care.

She wanted to rest. Just that; rest.

And he had willingly proposed his arms to her.

Fine.

She knew when to cave. She would bend her own rules until she was better and indulged in her own egoism.

Not like she had much of a choice. But she refused to acknowledge that.

She gave him her assent and Mr Fairy lifted her back up and to the bath.

She was so screwed.

Fortunately, the fever made everything okay.

PS: Hello everyone. It's me again. Sorry it took a while again but had some busy weeks in Belgium with the floods. And other stuff. Life.

Anyway, i hope you are all good and happy. Having a great summer or winter( yes, you, Autralians people), and enjoying life.

No promise for the date on next chapter, just that i'll try to not stall.

Lot of kisses.

Hope you enjoy this chapter as much i loved to write.

Mimagfan.

AUTHOR OUT.