[Closed]

[mourning_ghost]

Who: Nageki Fujishiro and Mikan Tsumiki
Where: Clinic
When: April 6th (backdated)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After the event, Nageki is worried about Mikan.

It took a few days for Nageki to decide to visit Miss Tsumiki. Just to make sure she was fine. She way she behaved had worried him. While Nageki hadn't been able to any answers from her then, this isn't something he can just ignore.

He makes some hot chocolate in the kitchen before he visits the clinic. He walks slowly, careful not to spill it in the hallways. His free wing pushes the clinic door open.

"Miss Tsumiki?" he calls out.

Comments

[naughty_nurse]

The good news was that Mikan was back to normal. The bad news was that she remembered everything.

She laid in a heap on the floor, her hands covering her face. Horrible sobs escaped her as she writhed about, sometimes slamming her head on the floor. She didn't seem to realize she wasn't alone anymore. "Uuu..."

[mourning_ghost]

"Miss Tsumiki!" He drops the hot chocolate on the floor and hurries to her side. Is she injured? He doesn't see any injury but there might be something...

He reaches for her only to stop before his feathers actually touch her. What if he makes things worse? He continues in a panic, "What's wrong? Miss Tsumiki!"

[naughty_nurse]

Now she could hear him, and recognize him, and she gasped. She curled up into a ball, desperate to get away from him. "Nagekiii!" Her words stretched out in her agony. "No... D-Don't come near me! I'm a monster... I'm evil!"

[mourning_ghost]

What was he supposed to say to that? He wasn't sure. It was a relif to see that she wasn't injured, but this is worrying in a different way. He froze when he saw her curling up, as if afraid.

"I don't think you're evil, Miss Tsumiki," he tried after a moment. Her behavior, both then and earlier, told him that much. Miss Tsumiki had always had good intentions. He might have described her as a doormat or a nervous wreak if asked, but she was also thoughtful and kind. "You tried to help me, even when you didn't have to."

He didn't think that was how an evil person behaved. This must have been caused by the last event.

[naughty_nurse]

"I wasn't helping you!" She screeched, fingers beginning to dig into her own skin. This panic attack was far more severe than any she had during her stay so far. "Last time... I was trying to... g-get rid of you! So I could... so I could hurt people! I hurt so many people! The first rule of medicine is... d-do no harrrrrrm!"

[mourning_ghost]

Then... he'd been right back then.

"Could you tell me why? Why did you want to hurt people?" Mikan isn't evil even if her actions had been wrong. He's still convinced of that.

[naughty_nurse]

Mikan sobbed for a minute more before she could form words again, her face covered in tears and snot. "... I was feeling s-so useless... N-Nobody needed a nurse, and e-even when people die, they just come back to l-life... All of a s-sudden, I got this idea... that I would... m-make people need me..."

[mourning_ghost]

"I see." Hearing that was actually a relief. The situation wasn't as bad as he had thought if he was understanding this correctly. She hadn't been trying to kill people at least.

He glanced at the cup of hot chocolate. All the liquid spilled out so he couldn't give it to her. Instead he found the nearest closet and pulled some chocolate out of it. It wasn't quite the same but maybe it would help somehow. He returned to Mikan and placed it as close to her to hands as he could manage. "Can you eat this, Miss Tsumiki?"

[naughty_nurse]

She paused for a brief moment, daring to take a look at him. What was he still doing there? Hadn't he heard a word she said?

"Nageki... I... I hurt so many people... I broke bones, and tried to st-stab them and... I-I'm not safe to be around..."

[mourning_ghost]

He sat down beside her. "Do you remember when we talked about the Charon Virus?"

It was a while ago. She might not.

[naughty_nurse]

"Y-Yes..." She scooted away from him, just a bit, afraid she'd hurt him somehow. "... I-I tried to look it up, but I couldn't find anything, a-and I looked for days and days and days..."

[mourning_ghost]

"That virus... could only exist inside my body. Every human that was brought near me died within minutes because of it. I'm not sure how many I killed." That isn't a story that ended happily. "Wonderland brought back that virus once and it could do it again. I could kill you just by sitting here. But... it also might not happen. I don't know how you feel, Miss Tsumiki, but I consider you a friend. I don't want to avoid you because I might get hurt."

[naughty_nurse]

"B-But the virus... isn't something you did on purpose..." Her hands covered her face again in shame. "You're always so nice, Nageki... You're too nice... I'm scared FOR you..."

[mourning_ghost]

"You weren't yourself, either. No one was acting normally." Nageki wouldn't have started that fire under normal circumstances but it had been the only course of action he could even consider a few days ago. It's reasonable to think that the same thing happened to Miss Tsumiki. "But even if something happens, I'll be fine."

[naughty_nurse]

"I can't take that risk again..." She rolled over, trying to stay away from him again. "... I can't even die properly in this place to atone..."

[mourning_ghost]

"..." He looked at the floor. "If you did that, I'd be sad. And I'm sure your other friends would be as well."

[naughty_nurse]

"How can you say I have friends?" Another choking sob. "How could they p-possible forgive me for what I've done? I should never have been born. My p-parents were right..."

[mourning_ghost]

Once, when Nageki had been worrying about his burden on his family, Nageki's brother had taken him out to pick millet for dinner. He'd said that a full stomach scared the bad thoughts away. It sounded like Mikan could use something like that right now.

"Have you asked them?" He tried to give her the chocolate again. "Eat this."

[naughty_nurse]

It appeared that no matter what Mikan did or said, it wasn't going to make Nageki leave. So finally, after a long and tear-filled pause, she ever so slowly reached over, and took the chocolate. She chewed very quietly, save for the occasional hiccup or sob.