Natsume sagged as the front door closed behind him. It had been a trying couple of days. Being trapped in a bottle had not been a pleasant experience. He was just glad that it was over. He sluggishly toed off his shoes. Nyanko-sensei was saying something, but it went in one ear and out the other. The cat-shaped youkai launched itself off of Natsume's shoulder and towards the kitchen. The momentum caused Natsume to stumble.

He caught himself with his hands on the front step. His vision blurred slightly.

Natsume shook his head. He wasn't going to pass out here. If he did, the Fujiwaras would be worried when they got home. Not, he must be in his room; out of the way and out of mind. His room was safe.

Nastume's body begged to differ. With his adrenaline from the day long gone, he felt strangely shaky and weak. Pushing himself upright sounded arduous let alone ascending the stairs to his room. After a short and futile fight, Nastume gave into gravity and fell the rest of the way to the floor. As he lay there, he felt something strange. He felt like he couldn't breath, like his heart was beating a painful and irregular pattern. Something wasn't right.

Natsume could hear Nyanko-sensei clattering around the kitchen. Natsume tried to call out, but his voice was little more than a croak. He tried again. That small effort sapped his strength. Natsume's last thought before he passed out was that he was a horrible person for fainting on his foster parent's doorstep.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't sure where he was. The ceiling was bland and white. After blinking stupidly at it for several long minutes, Natsume finally turned his head. On one side, he was greeted by a variety of medical equipment. A heart monitor, oxygen lead and IV all lead to him. Natsume sluggishly turned his head the other way. There, curled up in one of the hospital chairs was Tanuma. The dark haired boy was fast asleep. Natsume hesitated before he reached out to put a hand on Tanuma's knee. The effect was instantaneous.

Tanuma's eyes flew open as he jerked upright. At first he looked confused, but then he looked down at Natsume. His face lit up.

"Natsume!" he exclaimed, "You're awake!"

"Wh' h'pp?" Natsume croaked.

He winced. His throat was parched. Tanuma offered him some ice chips from a plastic cup on the bedside table. Natsume couldn't help but savor them.

"What happened?" he tried again.

"You collapsed after you got home from our… erm… adventure," Tanuma explained.

"What? Why?" Natsume had no recollection of that.

"Exhaustion, dehydration, low blood sugar, anemia, take your pick." Tanuma shrugged. "You passed out just inside the house. Nyanko-sensei came to get me when you wouldn't wake up. Luckily, Natori-san was there, dropping me off. When he heard that you collapsed, he drove us to the hospital." Tanuma paused for a moment. "The doctors said you were nearing critical condition when you were brought in, Natsume."

"Sorry. I'll do better next time," Natsume bit his lip in shame.

Tanuma looked horrified as Natsume said this.

"Next time?" the dark haired boy croaked, "Next time?!"

"Yes, next time I'll do better," Natsume assured his friend.

"Why is there a next time?" Tanuma clenched his hands into fists.

"Because there always is. This is why I didn't want you involved. I don't want you to get hurt," Natsume sighed.

"But it's alright if you get hurt?" Tanuma snorted.

Natsume managed a small shrug. Better him than Tanuma. He must have accidentally said this out loud because Tanuma narrowed his eyes.

"No, Natsume. It's not alright if you get hurt," Tanuma growled in a rare display of frustration, "I know that you think that if you chose to get hurt to protect one of us then it's alright. But that's not true."

Natsume wilted under the scolding. Of course he was wrong; he was always wrong. Tanuma drew a hand across his face.

"Listen, can you at least try not to get hurt?" Tanuma pleaded.

"I can't promise," Natsume fiddled with the IV in his hand.

Now that Tanuma had seen the world of the ayakashi, he had to know just how dangerous it was for humans.

"I know, but can you try?" Tanuma pressed, his brow furrowed.

"I suppose I can try," Natsume sighed.

"You better," Tanuma nodded.

"Where are the Fujiwaras?" Natsume glanced at the other chairs.

He could see Shigeru's coat draped over one and Touko's scarf on another, however neither adult was present.

"They're grabbing food for the four of us," Tanuma replied.

"Four? Does that include you?" Natsume was a little confused by the number of people Tanuma had referenced.

"Yes. Me, both of them and Natori-san," Tanuma counted off.

"Natori-san? Natori-san is here?" Natsume looked around the room.

The exorcist was thankfully not hiding in some corner of the room.

"He stepped out for a phone call. Something about putting his schedule on hold," Tanuma told his friend.

Natsume felt a cold wave of guilt. He was so useless, always causing problems, always in the way. Natori had other more important things in his life than Natsume.

"He stayed because wanted to make sure you were alright. Plus apparently a youkai tried to break in last night to get at you. He drove it off," Tanuma continued.

The stranglehold of guilt around Natsume's chest grew stronger. His heart monitor reflected it.

"Natori-san didn't have to do that…" Natsume trailed off.

The door to the room swung open while he was speaking and Natori walked in, phone in hand.

"I didn't have to do what?" Natori asked, having heard the last part, "Ah, Natsume-kun, you're awake!"

Nastume averted his eyes in shame.

"How are you feeling?" Natori settled in the chair opposite Tanuma.

"Fine," Natstume shrugged.

It was a lie. He felt tired and horrifically achy, like he was recovering from the worst bout of the flu after being dragged down a hill by a youkai. Natori just sighed in response.

"Why are you here?" Natsume finally dared to ask, risking at glance at Natori.

The exorcist's face was frustratingly neutral, almost like the masks that his shiki wore.

"Am I not allowed to stay and visit my biggest fans?" Natori laughed brightly, thought the mirth didn't quite wipe away the worry in his eyes.

"I'm not a fan, neither is Tanuma," Natsume scowled.

Natori scoffed playfully before his face grew more serious.

"Natsume, you should have said something about how you were feeling yesterday. I had no idea that you were so ill," the exorcist frowned.

"Does it matter?" Natsume closed his eyes briefly.

"It matters because you weren't feeling well. You shouldn't have been running around the youkai mansion either. I could have left you and Tanuma in a room with Hiiragi instead," Natori sighed.

Natsume didn't answer. If he had stayed locked in a room, Natori might have been hurt as well. And in any case, he had helped the exorcist during the hunt.

Natori was not done talking yet, "It's not that I didn't need your help, it's just that your health is more important than the life of some random youkai."

Natsume didn't agree, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Even still Natori seemed to understand what he was thinking.

"I mean it, Natsume. Think about what I said," Natori murmured.

Natsume was saved from answering when the Fujiwaras returned.

"Natsume!" Touko nearly dropped what she was holding as she raced to his bedside, "How are you feeling?"

Behind her, Shigeru looked worried. Natsume felt bad about what he had put them through.

"Better?" Natsume offered a weak smile.

"You had us all so worried," Touko tutted.

Natsume forced himself to look at her. Neither she nor her husband looked angry, but Natsume knew from past experience that didn't mean anything.

"I didn't mean to. It won't happen again," Natsume frantically promised.

The Fujiwara household was the nicest place that he had stayed so far. He couldn't imagine leaving it. Perhaps there was some way to show how sorry he was for causing a disruption to their life.

"Nonsense! While I don't want you to get hurt, I would much rather just be told sooner so that I can worry less," Touko scolded.

"What?" Natsume blinked, confused.

"I may not be your mother, but I still care for you. We both do. If you had told us sooner that you weren't feeling well at school, Shigeru would have come to pick up and bring you home. We love you like you are our own child," Touko insisted.

Behind her, ever stoic Shigeru nodded.

Natsume's cheeks flushed. He didn't deserve that.

"I-"

He was cut short when Touko leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his forehead.

"I don't think you should care," Natsume mumbled tiredly.

"Silly boy, of course we should. Now rest. We'll talk more later," Touko gently scolded, tucking the hospital blankets further around him.

Natsume couldn't find it in him to disagree.