NOT JUST A COLD
Ikuko felt frustrated as she crawled her way
through the congested traffic, and arrived home
some forty minutes later. She parked behind
Usagi's electric blue WRX wagon. It was stuffed
with what Usagi deemed her 'traveling rig' which
generally meant a trip to Makoto's house for a
'drum session'. Ikuko smiled.
Out of all Usagi's friends, Ikuko enjoyed
Makoto the most. Makoto was open, frank and fun
to be with. She was a whiz in the kitchen and
with plants... Ikuko's favorite things. Ikuko
loved it when she saw Mako's green pick-up
parked outside her house. She always seemed to
be involved with something, and what she hauled
in the back of her truck reflected it... usually
her drum set, plants, and garden or kitchen
supplies.
She turned her head towards the back seat and
noticed both girls had crashed. She sighed. Good
grief! She walked around the car and opened the
passenger seat door and picked up Usagi's
backpack and put it on. She determined there
must have been bricks stored in it. Ikuko opened
the door closest to Rei to grab the guitar and
Rei's gym bag with a sigh. She walked back
around to open the girl's door. Rei opened her
eyes and noticed with Ikuko, Usagi's heavy
labored breaths.
Rei looked up at Ikuko.
"I'll help her to her bed, Mrs. Tsukino. It's
no problem."
Ikuko looked relieved.
"Thank you, Rei, you're a real life-saver!
I'll go open the door for you."
Rei crawled out the other car door, grabbed
and put on her backpack and walked around to
Usagi's door. She didn't want crawl over the top
of her and hurt her.
"Usagi, you're home, wake up!"
Usagi roused and mumbled something incoherent.
Rei shook her gently and spoke louder.
"I'm coming!" Usagi responded grumpily.
Rei had her arm around Usagi's waist and
walked slowly, but Usagi began to sag.
"Rei, I feel... weak."
Usagi took two steps and passed out.
Rei scooped her friend up effortlessly and
carried her the rest of the way.
Ikuko marveled at Rei's strength, and wondered
at the same time, what the back of Rei's shirt
had meant. She decided she didn't want to know.
It was some personal statement... a teenager
thing. She ran ahead of Rei to open Usagi's room
door upstairs.
Ikuko reflected on how small the room had
become over the years with the clutter of
musical equipment and artwork supplies. She
smiled slightly as she set the gym bag and
guitar on the floor near the door. She shrugged
Usagi's backpack off and put it on the computer
chair.
Shingo's room was in a similar state with
sports equipment.
Her babies had grown up, but they still needed
her she noted as Rei climbed the stairs and
carefully approached with a limp Usagi. It
seemed as though Usagi had rapidly deteriorated
right before her eyes.
Rei entered the room with her precious burden.
Rei could audibly hear Usagi's chest rattle now,
and could feel the heat of her slight body
through her clothes. Rei personally felt that
Usagi was too sick to be at home, and wanted
desperately to take her to the hospital, but she
kept it to herself.
Rei didn't know whether or not to curse Usagi
for not being more careful with herself while
she was with Mamoru, or curse herself and the
other senshi for not insisting that she slow
down. Not everything was so important it
required all her heart and soul poured into it.
Over the last month or so, all of them had
seen she was under some sort of strain, but
since Usagi had never complained, they hadn't
taken it seriously. Then she realized how none
of them had ever really taken Usagi's complaints
of hunger seriously, and had for the most part,
made fun of her eating habits. They hadn't paid
much attention to her tiredness either, and
there again everyone had picked on her.
It dawned on Rei that somewhere along the
line, Usagi had either grown up, or gotten tired
of the snide remarks about her habits. She had
stopped in her effort to bring attention to her
needs.
Rei felt a lump rise in her throat and tried
to blink away tears that suddenly formed in her
eyes. Usagi had given the world herself as its
Messiah many times, the last time was to fight
the demon Chaos and free Galaxia.
She held the most important person in their
entire universe in her arms, and knew in her
heart that she, and the other senshi had blown
it big time. Usagi graciously loved them all,
anyway.
Rei swallowed the lump in her throat,
painfully, and almost choked on it. Usagi loved
and trusted Mars, the worst offender, most of
all. Rei felt like a jerk.
Rei lay Usagi down on her bed carefully, then
impatiently wiped her tears away, and looked at
Ikuko.
"I'll get her PJs on her, if you will get her
medicine ready, Ikuko Mama." Rei shucked her
backpack near Usagi's desk.
Ikuko hadn't missed Rei's tears, and came over
to put her arms around her. As Ikuko squeezed
Rei, she smiled.
"Thank you, Rei, for catching her before she
fell. We'll get through this, I promise. She's
been sick before, and it will happen again.
Believe me, she's really a lot tougher than she
looks.
I'll leave you two alone while I find out what
her medicine instructions require. I want to
take her temperature, too. Then I need to
seriously cook dinner before Kenji comes home,
and skins me alive!" Ikuko left, and closed the
door quietly behind her.
Rei smiled slightly as she tried to imagine
Kenji in an attempt to catch her first.
Rei rummaged through Usagi's pajama drawer and
settled on a comfortable boxer short/T-shirt
combo. She brought her selection over to the
western style bed. Rei lifted Usagi's torso,
pulled the borrowed shirt up over Usagi's head,
then quickly unhooked the white lace bra. Rei
slid both garments over Usagi's arms. Rei took
out the odangos, and let the long platinum blond
hair cascade down onto the bed.
Usagi was as light, as Rei was dark.
Rei took the pajama top and pushed it over
Usagi's head, then drew the mass of soft blond
hair through. She next pulled Usagi's arms
through the arm holes one at a time.
Usagi started to come around with all the
activity, but made no protest.
Rei unfastened Usagi's short pink skirt, and
pulled it down over the long slender legs, and
exposed a pair of red silk underwear, borrowed
from her own drawer. Rei smiled at the slight
bagginess, and pulled the boxers up over the
underwear.
Finished, Rei leaned forward and kissed
Usagi's cheek.
"I'm so sorry about everything, Usa, I feel
like such a jerk. I have given you so little
attention. I promise from now on I will never
again ignore your needs. You can complain about
anything you want to, and I will fulfill your
every desire and spoil you rotten! This will
never, ever happen again. I hope you can forgive
all of us one more time." She declared, softly.
Usagi drowsily replied.
"Be careful what you promise, it could be
construed as an oath, and I may hold you to it!"
Rei happily kissed her cheek again and gave
her a small hug.
"You little trouble-maker! Do you need any
help to get to the bathroom, or anything?" Rei
asked.
Usagi couldn't resist.
"No thank you. I gave at the office!" She
snickered.
Rei guffawed.
"Oooo, Usa, that was really bad! Will you let
me know if you need anything at all? I'm here
for you."
Usagi nodded.
"Oh you'll be the first one I call...
particularly if my stomach hurts!"
"You are just too kind!" Rei mocked.
"Um... Rei?" Usagi began.
"Hmmm?" Rei answered.
"I think I am... um, sick. I... I feel like I
have a fever.
If I do, I know my mom won't let me see
anybody. Rei, I really need to see Mamoru and
Setsuna right away. When Mom says I can have
visitors, could you please arrange to have them
come over?
Its important."
Usagi coughed hard and deeply.
Rei held Usagi up and close to her own chest.
She rubbed her friend's back gently in the hope
that it would help her to breathe easier.
When the paroxysm had subsided, Rei whispered
to her.
"Of course, Baby, I'd be glad to!" Rei felt
real fear for her friend. She felt miserable as
she watched Usagi shiver and her teeth chatter
uncontrollably.
"Here let me at least help you under this
bedding." Rei offered.
She lifted Usagi's backside up with her right
arm, while she pulled the sheet and blanket down
with her left. Usagi slipped her legs between
the cotton sheets. Rei covered her friend up all
the way to her neck.
Usagi coughed again so hard, it frightened
Rei.
"Don't you dare die on me," Rei hissed,
"doesn't your ginsuishou ever do anything
besides suck the life out of you?
Can't it heal you?" She spat angrily.
Usagi blinked at her, and gasped for air as
she grasped Rei's upper right arm, and pulled
her right ear closer.
"It is... healing me... it just takes... time.
I'm not going to... die! I want to live...
because of you! I... won't leave you... alone."
Usagi relaxed her grip and closed her eyes.
"I love you, Rei."
Rei kissed her hot forehead tenderly.
"And I love you, my angel." Rei rasped out
softly.
Ikuko chose that moment to knock on the door.
She had heard Usagi's coughs and hurried.
"Come!" Rei called, relieved.
Ikuko came in, and put a small tray of
steaming food down on the bedside table. She
looked at her daughter, and apologized for the
long wait. Kenji had gotten home early. She
nonchalantly smacked Rei's hand away and
thwarted her invasion on the food.
"You can go keep Kenji, and Shingo company
downstairs at the supper table, young lady! I
hope you like baseball. I'll be down in a few
minutes to rescue you, ok?"
Rei made a sour face and stuck her lower lip
out, but Ikuko pointed emphatically at the door.
Usagi tried to laugh, but a deep painful cough
came out instead.
Rei squeezed her hand under the bedding, and
wished she could crawl in and keep Usagi warm.
Her teeth still chattered, even with all the
bedding over her.
Rei whispered close to Usagi's ear.
"I'm so sorry, Usa. I wish it were me in this
condition instead of you! I'll be back soon, and
in the name of Mars, I'll keep you warm."
Usagi smiled at her, she had no doubt Rei
meant just that!
Rei left Usagi's room with regret.
Ikuko popped a thermometer into her daughter's
mouth then busied herself around the room. She
closed the open window first. The heat of the
day had rapidly been replaced by a much cooler
night. She closed the cotton curtains so the
light would not disturb her Usagi's much needed
rest.
Ikuko pulled a spare quilt down from the
cupboard and put it at the foot of the bed. She
checked her watch, and sat on the edge of the
bed near Usagi's chest.
Usagi struggled to keep the thermometer still
in her mouth so Ikuko held it for her. She
stroked Usagi's bangs out of her eyes with her
other hand and watched as her daughter relaxed a
bit.
"Coach Kennin called to apologize for his
behavior towards you today. He thought
afterwards that you might have been sick,
though, he hoped you weren't. He said his team
resembled poisoned flies.
I told him he could consider you a poisoned
fly." Ikuko grinned impishly.
She checked her watch again and pulled the
thermometer out from Usagi's lips. Ikuko stared
at the 102°.
"Well, you are definitely sick and you're not
to leave this bed except to use the bathroom! I
don't want an entourage of friends through here,
either. Honestly, Bunny, you run the highest
fevers so quickly. You might stand a better
chance at fighting them if you had a little
fat!"
Tears pricked Usagi's eyes.
"I can't help it. My coaches put me on a
'health food' diet and scared all the fat away.
Will you let Rei stay for a while, please,
Mom?" Usagi wanted Rei's warmth badly.
"If Rei wants to stay, I'll let her. With you
sick, I could use the help. It seems she's
closer than a sister to you, and is practically
family anyway.
Do you think can you sit up for me and eat a
little bit of food for me? Your medicine needs
to be taken with food and plenty of fluids. I
need to tend to the rest of the family right
now, so you be a good girl and eat this food. I
think it has cooled enough."
Usagi nodded.
Her mother arranged the pillows to help prop
her up.
Usagi's throat hurt and didn't feel too
hungry, but she obeyed her mother. She took her
medicine, and couple of pills to reduce her
fever with water. The herbal tea made Usagi's
throat feel better and helped to ease the
tightness in her chest, so she drank it all.
She lay back on the pillows and sighed.
Her mother came back a little while later to
take the tray.
"Thank you for supper, Mom." Usagi smiled a
little.
"Um, do you remember when I called you about
Rei yesterday?"
Ikuko nodded.
"Hai, did you give her what I told you to?"
Usagi hesitated slightly.
"I tried, but I couldn't find all of the
ingredients. I'm worried about her. She still
has a hard time with food, and I can't help her
while I'm like this, so I need you to help her.
She will never come to you and admit she needs
anything."
Usagi closed her eyes tiredly.
"I think I'd like to rest, now, please."
Ikuko patted her girl's hand.
"Of course, dear, and you are welcomed for
dinner. I'll take care of Rei for you, she
certainly didn't eat very much at supper. All of
us thought it was just to be polite. Shingo
wanted to know if we could trade you in for Rei!
I'll have her bring some ice bags up for you.
Your temperature is a little high. I think you'd
prefer her company over your boring old mom's,
ne?"
Usagi smiled slightly.
"You're not old, Mom."
Ikuko tweaked Usagi's ear.
"I love you too, imp!" Ikuko kissed her
daughter's hot forehead, picked up the tray and
left the room.
She left the door ajar.
Ikuko passed Shingo in the hallway, whom at 15
was already taller than she was. She looked up
at his face, wagged a finger at him and barked.
"Don't even think about teasing your sister,
or I'll call your girlfriend and tell her
something embarrassing about you!"
Shingo scowled at his Mom.
"Kill joy!" Moms were truly evil.
He peered into his sister's disaster area for
a room, but his focus was on his sibling who
seemed to cough non-stop. She looked and sounded
really miserable. Shingo felt bad for her.
"Sorry sis, hurry up and get better, so I can
pick on you guilt-free!"
Shingo sidestepped his mother's foot, and
headed for his not so much neater room.
* * *
Rei suspected a little Usa-rat when Ikuko
offered her special tea blends and soups
throughout the course of the evening.
Rei didn't mind so much... her stomach did
feel a lot better.
While Rei helped with the chores, Ikuko asked
Rei if she would rather stay with them, or go on
the yearly fall pilgrimage.
Rei had confided to Ikuko that it had never
occurred to her she might be permitted to stay.
Grandpa was usually very adamant about
training expeditions, also she would need a few
things from home... like her piano, clothes, and
some personal items.
Ikuko ran upstairs to check on Usagi. She had
fallen into a fitful asleep.
Ikuko found Kenji in the study as he worked on
his newspaper article.
"Kenji, darling, could you keep an ear out for
Usagi?
I need to get Rei home. If her Grandfather
lets her, I'd like for her to stay with us while
he is on his pilgrimage. She's been under the
weather and needs care. She needs to pick up a
few things if she is allowed to stay."
Kenji mumbled his assent.
Ikuko kissed his only exposed cheek.
"I'll be back shortly, and I'll keep the cell
phone on, in case Usagi gets into trouble.
Rei spoke to Grandpa briefly to let him know
what had happened, and to ask his permission to
stay with Usagi.
He told her the fall pilgrimage to the
mountains the next day was important, but agreed
that she could stay with the Tsukino's. She was
far enough ahead in her training she could be
spared... this once.
Secretly he was a little relieved. Rei needed
a break. It seemed she had taken Yuuichiro's
departure harder than he thought she would.
Perhaps Usagi would keep Rei's mind off of
herself.
Rei thanked him, grabbed a duffle bag and
threw some clothes and her personal items in it.
She put her digital keyboard in its hard travel
case. Rei ran out of the jinja, her keyboard
grasped in one hand, and her duffle bag in the
other.
Ikuko was impressed, it had taken Rei less
than 15 minutes.
They arrived back home in about an hour. They
both heard Usagi's coughs as soon as they
entered the door. Rei dropped her things at the
front door and bolted after Ikuko four steps at
a time.
Rei marveled at Ikuko. Boy, Mrs. Tsukino was
fast. Usagi hadn't joked when she said her Mom
could literally smell disaster and teleport
there! They entered Usagi's room at the same
time. She looked delirious, and her breathing
was fast and shallow.
"Oh Rei, she's burning up! Hold her up so she
can breathe better." Ikuko ran to the bathroom,
and returned moments later with a thermometer.
Rei looked at Ikuko with trepidation.
"Ikuko Mama, she can barely breathe!"
Ikuko replied briskly.
"I hadn't planned to put it there. I want you
to put it in the other way, while I go fix an
herb tea that will help knock her temp down. I
need to call Dr. Mizuno's pediatric office, and
make up some ice bags, as well." Ikuko smiled
pleasantly, and handed Rei the thermometer and a
small tube of lubricant.
Rei sat and stared after Ikuko, her mouth
slightly agape. She thought she heard a cackle
as the room door closed.
"Um, Usa, your mom wants me to take your
temp." Usagi nodded, her teeth chattered
together against Rei's chest.
"Um, I have to take it the other way, Baby."
Usagi nodded again, she swallowed painfully.
Rei lay Usagi on her side, and pulled the
covers and the red silk underwear down. She
lubed and inserted the thermometer with no
protest from her victim. Usagi was too sick to
care.
Rei sat against the propped up pillows, and
gently pulled her loved one on top of her while
she held the thermometer in place. Usagi
shivered hard, and cuddled as close as she could
in a feeble attempt to keep warm. Rei pulled the
bedclothes up to cover Usagi's lower body, and
put her free left arm snugly around her.
Usagi's coughs were like short barks. Rei was
seriously worried, and prayed Ikuko would be
gone long enough so she could funnel some of
Mars' energy into the ginsuishou. Rei
concentrated and drew on the powers of Mars her
sigil glowing lightly.
"Power to ginsuishou!" She whispered.
Usagi's sigil glowed faintly and the
ginsuishou sparked to life upon her chest.
Rei's communicator went off seconds later and
Rei had to trade hands to answer it. Ami's face
appeared.
"Rei, what's going on? My computer detected
the power from Mars being used at a low level.
Are you in trouble?" Ami asked.
"No, but Usagi is. She's real sick, and I need
to do something to help the ginsuishou heal her.
She is too weak and her energy level too low for
the ginsuishou to help her effectively. I don't
know what else to do, and I'm scared.
I wish I had you here, Ami, I could really use
your help, but Ikuko-Mama doesn't want a lot of
friends in here." She added cheekily, "if you
want to help, you'll have to wait until everyone
here goes to sleep!"
Then more seriously, she iterated.
"Under no circumstances is anyone to call
Usagi into battle until her fever breaks."
Ami nodded in affirmation, she could hear
Usagi's coughs in the background, then her face
blipped off of Rei's communicator.
Meanwhile, downstairs a flurry of activity
took place.
Ikuko found some herbal tea that would help
bring down a high fever. While tea water heated,
Ikuko whooshed into the study to discover why
her errant husband hadn't called her.
Kenji's head lay upon the news article he had
worked on. Feeling a little out of sorts... she
left him there.
Shingo had been in a similar state of oblivion
with his headsets on, bent over homework when
Ikuko peeked into the open door. Oy. Usagi could
have died, and they would have never known.
The pediatric office had already closed for
the day, so she had to leave a message for the
emergency doctor on rotation.
The water boiled, and Ikuko returned to brew
the tea. She filled some bags with ice and
wrapped them in tea towels.
Ikuko raced back upstairs two at a time with
the ice bags, and never broke a sweat. She slid
on her socks to a halt in the hallway right in
front of Usagi's closed door.
She opened the door quietly and drew her
breath in.
Rei's cheek rested on the back of Usagi's
flaxen head, which lay on her left shoulder.
Ikuko could tell Rei's right hand cradled
Usagi's bottom while she held the thermometer
still, through the bedclothes. Her left arm was
around Usagi's ribcage and she gently ran her
fingernails soothingly along her daughter's
spine.
Usagi in turn lay on top, her left arm draped
along Rei's torso under the arm that held the
thermometer. Her right hand rested deliberately
on Rei's left breast, her eyes closed.
They clearly enjoyed their intimacy, and were
totally unaware they had been observed.
Ikuko's face flushed. She wondered if they
were actually lovers, though, the tender concern
expressed on Rei's face spoke volumes. She
didn't know how she felt about that.
She knocked and pushed the door open wider.
Rei looked up, captured Usagi's right hand
with her left, and held it gently where it was.
Rei smiled with not a trace of guilt or guile.
Ikuko raised an eyebrow at her.
"Is there something you need to tell me, Rei?"
Ikuko prompted.
"Um, I love her?" Rei responded questioningly.
"Does my daughter have the same inclination?"
Ikuko pressed.
This time Usagi nodded her head.
Ikuko quit holding her breath and let it out
slowly.
"Well, this is not the time to discuss this,
so I won't. Let's have a look at her temp."
Ikuko directed, and pulled the bedclothes down.
She noticed Mamoru's engagement ring was still
in place on her daughter's left ring finger.
Rei carefully took the thermometer out and
wiped it off on the tissue Ikuko had handed her.
She rocked it until she could read it and felt
the color drain from her own face... 104°. She
silently handed it to Ikuko's patient fingers.
Rei clothed Usagi's nakedness and pulled the
bedding back up over the two of them.
Ikuko handed the ice bags to Rei just as
silently.
"Here, Rei, put these under her arms and
between her legs. All we can do is wait, and
make her as comfortable as possible, until the
doctor's office calls back."
Ikuko excused herself from the room to go
retrieve the steeped tea. Ikuko closed the door
and her fingers trembled on the knob. She rested
her forehead on the doorframe, and wept. She was
never more confused in her life, what had
happened to her usually open daughter? For the
first time in 18 years, Ikuko felt like a
stranger to her daughter. Usagi's fever
terrified her even more.
The minute Ikuko left, Rei resumed her energy
donation to Usagi. The girl was seriously ill,
and it wasn't just a little cold. She slipped in
out of consciousness and delirium. Rei tried
hard not to freak out and was still convinced
Usagi needed an IV and a catheter.
* * *
Ikuko knocked on the door and let herself in.
She could have sworn she saw Rei's forehead
glow. She decided that she must be so tired and
traumatized over Usagi, she simply hallucinated.
Ikuko shook her head to clear her mind and
brought the special herb tea over to Usagi's
bedside. She woke her with difficulty and held
the teacup to Usagi's lips.
"Here, Bunny, this tastes bitter, but it
should help you to feel better a little more
quickly."
Usagi sipped it with wry expression and
croaked.
"This better be worth it, or I'll tell Luna to
hide her lizard tails under your pillow!"
Ikuko blanched.
"You wouldn't! Where is that cat, anyway?"
Usagi couldn't tell her mom Luna was doing
some research with Artemis, so she quipped.
"I saw her with Mina's cat, Artemis. They're
probably on a secret search for alien rats with
mysterious powers and an evil agenda, or, maybe
they seek to overthrow the great lizard king who
garners the most prized tails."
Usagi coughed and took another sip of tea.
Finishing the cup, she lay her head down on
Rei's quivering right shoulder, her forehead
resting comfortably on Rei's neck.
Ikuko watched them in uneasy silence a few
moments. Rei still had mirth written all over
her face.
She sighed audibly. If Rei wanted to sleep in
an uncomfortable upright position so Usagi could
breathe better all night, Ikuko decided she
would not fight it. It seemed Rei had appointed
herself bodyguard over her daughter.
Usagi had already passed out again.
"Rei, that child either has the most
outrageous imagination, or she's delirious.
Please shout if you notice any changes in her
temperature or behavior. I'll be back around
midnight to check on you both and to give her
some aspirin. I hope you can get some sleep,
Rei." Ikuko swept Rei's bangs away from her
forehead and planted a warm 'mom' kiss there.
"Thank you for your love and care of my
impetuous Bunny. You truly are a gem!"
Rei smiled shyly in thanks. She relaxed as
soon as Ikuko left the room. She closed her
eyes, and with her sigil aglow, she prepared her
mind for rest.
Rei's rest eluded her, though, as she held
Usagi close in fear. She suffered in silence as
Usagi's body jarred with coughs and shook with
fever. She wept silently as Usagi cried out,
'nooo... mother... don't leave me', or screamed,
'stop... you're killing them... not Rei,
please... not Rei... take me', or moaned 'God...
help me... can't do it... alone', and begged,
'please stop Mamo... don't hurt me... you're
hurting me... Mamo...'. Rei's shoulder was
soaked with sweat and tears.
Ikuko returned as promised around midnight to
a relatively quiet room, save for Usagi's heavy,
rapid, shallow breaths. Rei's forehead was
covered by thick dark bangs that fell onto
closed eyes.
Ikuko turned a small desk lamp on, and Rei
stirred. She came over to the bedside and set a
cup of water, two aspirins, and a thermometer
down beside the warm ice bags on the bedside
table.
She brushed Rei's bangs from her eyes briefly
touched her forehead to make sure Usagi's
illness hadn't affected her, too.
Rei smiled shyly.
"I'm fine, Mrs. Tsukino, thank you. I'm a bit
smooshed, though... I would kill for some water,
toothpaste, and a nightgown! Can you hold down
the fort?"
Ikuko smiled back.
"Of course!" She turned the covers down.
Rei gathered Usagi up and slid gently out from
under her.
Ikuko chuckled as Rei bolted for the door.
Her attention was brought back to her daughter
when she mewled. Ikuko had shifted her again and
placed her on her side. Every jostle seemed to
hurt her. Ikuko put the thermometer in. She held
Usagi's wrist for a count and then held her hand
while she waited a few more minutes.
Rei returned to the room, with her duffle bag
in hand, just as Ikuko read the thermometer.
Ikuko noted that Rei had dressed for bed. She
wore a long royal purple silk gown which seemed
to accentuate her attributes. Rei's silken ebony
tresses were lustrously brushed. Her unusual
large clear purple amethyst eyes, were framed by
beautiful long black lashes, and glittered like
gems.
Ikuko blinked at Rei. Goodness! She was
certainly elegant in that gown... but then, Rei
could probably make a potato sack look good!
Rei felt much more refreshed, and her neat
pearly teeth flashed engagingly for a moment as
she hoped for a miracle.
Ikuko dispelled the smile with a look.
"Her temperature hasn't come down hardly at
all. It's still hovering around 104°. Nothing
seems to be working, and she's being such a
trooper... she's fighting so hard!"
Ikuko's voice quavered. Rei rushed to her side
and held Ikuko as she cried.
"Ikuko Mama, the medicine is working, she
hasn't been like this long. I was going to call
you, but you were already up. I was just resting
when you came in. Lets get the aspirin into her,
and I'll carry her to the bathroom if she needs
it, all right? She needs her Mom right now to be
strong and to help her fight."
Ikuko dried her tears.
"You're right. Sit her up please, Rei, she's
too heavy for me. She may be skinny, but what
she has is all meat... just like you!"
Usagi mewled again as Rei lifted her into an
upright position then coughed so hard she
retched.
Rei rubbed her chest and hoped Usagi could
hang onto her food. She gently whisked the tears
away.
"Here sweetie, take these so you'll feel
better." Ikuko implored, and held the pills out
for Usagi to take.
Usagi drank the water thirstily, and ignored
how much it hurt.
Rei grinned mischievously.
"So, are you floating yet?" Rei asked.
Usagi nodded.
"Want me to carry you?" Usagi nodded again.
Rei picked her up carefully, and when they got
back, Ikuko was gone. Rei sat on the edge of the
bed and held her unconscious princess close. She
murmured words of encouragement and love between
kisses on her forehead.
That's what Ikuko walked in on with fresh,
cold ice bags. Her breath caught and she cleared
her throat.
"Here Rei, climb back in and use these. The
office called back and said both of their
doctors had gotten called into the emergency
room at the hospital, and I could take Usagi
there as a last resort... they were swamped. She
told me they scheduled Usagi for their first
appointment at 8am. in the morning." Ikuko
sighed.
"At 4am, she needs another dose of her
antibiotic, I'm going to try to get some sleep
now, and so should you." Ikuko brushed Rei's
tears from her cheeks and left the two alone.
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