"Yuki…" Jacek weakly called his sister who laid beside him. She was holding on to his hand firmly despite the fact that she was fast asleep. She breathed softly against his right arm, behind which her face was buried. Jacek wanted to let Yuki sleep some more, except, her sleeping posture was not very good, thus, he feared her neck would hurt should he allow her to sleep longer.
Jacek stroke Yuki's head feebly in an attempt to wake her up.
"Yuki?" he called her once more. She stirred, adjusted her legs in a much comfortable way and sneaked her head further behind Jacek's arm with a little groan. Jacek rolled his eyes defeatedly before lifting his arm from Yuki's face.
Without anything sheltering her face from the brilliance of that morning, Yuki's eyes obstinately opened. She stared into the auburn eyes that were fixed on her. "Good morning…" she yawned and tried to hide her face against Jacek's neck. When she did, her eyes widened and she rose swiftly. Yuki placed her forehead against Jaceks' and frowned.
"What is it?" Jacek's voice was very weak. He looked at Yuki who appeared greatly worried.
"You are burning up. Are you in pain? Is it your feet?" she eyed Jacek's bandaged feet. "Do you feel feverish? Does it hurt a lot?" Yuki's eyes were wet. Jacek stroked her cheek gently and said, "It does not hurt too much. But it is starting to hurt now that you look like you are going to cry. Don't cry Yuki… it is only a minor headache, aren't you an apothecary?"
Yuki's emotions were calmed by the remembrance that she was indeed an apothecary. She rose from the bed and inspected Jacek. Following her inspection and a few questions that Jacek rightly answered, Yuki deduced that he was feverish because of the pain from his wounded feet. Though Jacek persisted that his pain was only so much, Yuki believed otherwise. He was in more pain than he wanted to let on.
"Do you think you can be by yourself for a while?" Yuki asked as she readied herself to leave the room and see her godfather's son.
"I will be fine. I will sleep and wait for you." Jacek sounded assured.
"Okay then… wait for me."
By chance, Yuki had met Zora and Cyberia on her way out of Jacek's room. They were going to give Jacek food while Cyberia dressed his wounds again. Yuki was thankful for their action.
It was through this encounter that Yuki found out that Walter was out of town and that the hospital was being run by his assistant instead. Zora had offered to take Yuki to the hospital but she insisted on going by herself because she wanted Zora to assist Cyberia when she tended to her brother.
Yuki did not have a hard time finding the hospital as it was very close to the mansion, and also because the town's people were friendly enough to ask where she was headed every turn she took. When she told them her destination, they were quick to offer to take her there and when she politely refused their kindness, they would point the direction of the hospital to her.
Before long, Yuki arrived at the large clinic. "Good morning," Yuki greeted a passing nurse.
"Good morning…" the male nurse smiled politely. "I don't suppose you are Doctor Walter's god sister, are you?" the nurse asked enthusiastically.
Yuki always felt that referring to Walter as her godbrother was too far stretched as she had not even seen him before. And also, because he was much older than her. It was uncomfortable for her, but in situations such as these, she was given very little choice. "Yes…" Yuki was polite.
"I see. How may I help you?"
"I wanted to get some medicines for my brother, he is wounded." Yuki was very straightforward.
"Oh… come with me then, I will take you to the pharmacy," the nurse said and headed inside the hospital.
The nurse may not have looked it, but Yuki had yet to meet someone as talkative as he. Every turn they took, he stopped in his tracks to make small talks and in the end introduce Yuki as Walter's god sister. Yuki who was not very sociable found herself slowly vexing, except she had no choice but to grin throughout the torturous voyage.
Nothing lasts forever; Yuki never appreciated that saying so much in her life. Finally, when they arrived at the pharmacy Yuki let out a loud sigh in her head. "Follow me, we are here," the nurse looked at Yuki and spoke.
Yuki's false smile fell when she realized he had decided to enter the pharmacy with her. "I think I can go by myself now. I wouldn't like to take too much of your time," Yuki tried as much as possible to sound courteous.
"Oh, never mind, I love being of help especially as you are Doctor Walter's god sister. No need to be courteous with me" the nurse laughed in a smug manner and proceeded to walk again.
Please, just disappear! Yuki maintained her smile with a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "Yuki…" a familiar kind voice called on to Yuki from behind. She turned swiftly to see Amir there with Hayes standing behind his wheels.
Amir approached her unhurriedly with his warm signature smile. Yuki noticed how everyone in the vicinity including the talkative nurse bowed lowly towards Amir. The atmosphere felt a tiny bit heavier than it was a minute before Amir's arrival.
"What are you doing here?" Amir scanned the girl. He looked behind her and saw one of the most sociable nurses in the hospital. He chuckled. No wonder Yuki felt so hostile before he announced his presence.
"My brother is running a fever. I came to fetch him some medicine."
Amir nodded and rolled past her. "Come…" he commanded as he went on ahead of Yuki. Hayes hurried on to open the door of the pharmacy for Amir. "You can leave her to me now, Senir," Amir glanced at the nurse and said calmly.
"Yes, Alph… Yes!" the nurse responded and rushed away.
Yuki followed Amir at an unhurried pace into the pharmacy. The were no people in the pharmacy aside Amir and Hayes when Yuki finally entered. The room was neat and fully furnished. It had a touch of both tradition and modernity; Yuki loved it.
"I think the pharmacist is out but you can find your way around the drugs, right?" Amir questioned.
"Yes." Yuki nodded, fanatical about exploring the variety of drugs sitting on the shelves.
Amir smiled when he witnessed Yuki's childlike zeal. He looked at Hayes and gestured for him to leave the room. Hayes excused himself without protest. Amir returned his gaze onto Yuki after Hayes left. He observed as the girl hopped from shelf to shelf with excitement. It was evident she had forgotten why she was there in the first place. Amir's eyes softened.
"How old are you, Yuki?" Amir asked softly as he approached the shelf where Yuki stood.
Yuki turned her head and stared at him in silence. Her nerves were calmed by merely looking at him, although the tingly sensation on her waist persisted more strongly as she looked at him. "I am seventeen," Yuki replied respectfully still holding his gaze. He nodded at her response then took his eyes off of her and picked up a drug from the shelf.
A deafening silence persisted between the two as both Amir and Yuki were immersed in their own thoughts. Yuki kept stealing glances at Amir when she remembered what Zora told her about his condition.
"Do you have something to ask me?" Amir looked at Yuki when he felt Yuki's gaze on him.
Yuki blushed when she realized she was caught staring. "Zora told me about the Fuyu no Kitsune… and about your condition," Yuki confessed.
"She did… So? What are your thoughts on the story?" Amir studied Yuki attentively. She looked back at the shelf as if she was trying to avoid his gaze.
"I am not sure. I mean if the story were true, I am curious about why everyone bears so much hatred towards the creature while as the victim, you harbor no such resentment."
Amir's eyes widened momentarily before returning back to normal. "You think I don't harbor resentment?"
"You do?" Yuki looked back Amir.
Amir tilted his head and laughed when he saw the expression Yuki made at thought that she might have been wrong. "Resentment is too strong an emotion, Yuki…" Amir stopped laughing and spoke. "Hatred is a lethal poison that blinds men and lead them astray. Hatred distort truth and drives people to insanity. Hatred is too harmful. Have you ever hated someone? Something?"
"I don't know," Yuki genuinely said.
"You haven't. Because hatred is not a feeling you can easily forget. You are pure and kind and honest, you are a good girl, Yuki." Amir said softly and put the drug in his hand away.
"You are wrong. I am none of the things you say. I am far from honest, or kind…" Yuki laughed scornfully "Pure? I wouldn't say that I am, even as a joke" her eyes dimmed.
Amir looked on to her pained expression and found his own heart ache a little. He took Yuki's hand and stroked it gently, "you are a good girl. You are pure, and kind, and honest…I will never change my mind about that. In this life, I owe you a debt I can't hope to ever pay, regardless, I am glad I was able to meet you, Yuki."
His eyes held all the honesty in the world as he spoke words she could not understand. His palm was warm. Yuki stared long into his grey eyes, she wanted to ask him what he meant by the words he spoke. She wanted to ask him how much he knew about her that made him look at her so affectionately. She wanted to ask him if she wasn't the only one that felt the weird connection between them.
Before Yuki could articulate her thoughts, Amir let go of her hand and started coughing badly. He stooped and coughed into his handkerchief. When he lifted his head briefly, Yuki spotted blood in the fabric. She panicked and knelt before him while rubbing his back as gently as she could.
"Mr. Hayes!" Yuki shouted when Amir got worse. In normal circumstances, Yuki had a fair idea how to manage something as small as a cough with her apothecary skills, but she knew all too well that Amir's condition could not be taken lightly.
Hayes rushed into the room when he heard the loud coughs and his name. Yuki excused him as he raced to Amir's side and examined him. "We will leave first," Hayes announced before taking Amir away, leaving Yuki with her thoughts.