While Shoko disappeared into the adjacent room to handle the further results, I slid up on the examination table — up to the level of Mayu's chest. Gently, I leaned down toward her, bracing myself with both hands beside her shoulder, and pushed her lilac-colored hair aside.
Her skin was still boiling hot, covered in small beads of sweat, which I carefully dabbed away with a cloth. She didn't react to it at all. Just as she didn't react when I softly laid my cheek on her upper arm.
"I'm sorry, Mayu," I whispered, closing my eyes.
I should never have left you alone with the curse spirit. To have put your life in such danger so easily… Please, show some signs of improvement already.
I allowed myself this brief moment to breathe.
Her heartbeat continued to beep rapidly, faster than before.
I lifted my head again to look at her motionless face. She still appeared to be in a deep, almost believable sleep. Her cheeks, all the way to her ears, were cherry red. If only I had teased her earlier, I would be more amused now, but in this situation?
I placed my hand on her cheek and stroked her skin with my thumb, noticing with growing concern that it remained dry, even after I had just dabbed it earlier. Her forehead, which I had wiped dry, no longer had any traces of moisture.
"Shoko?" I called out to the expert par excellence.
"Yes? Is everything alright?" she replied, and I could hear that she was already hurrying over to us, standing in the doorway, looking at me.
"She's not sweating anymore! At least not where I wiped her."
"You're kidding!" Shoko exclaimed in shock, immediately approaching the bed again and placing her hand on Mayu's forehead.
"Shit!" Shoko's calm demeanor completely shattered.
She checked the vital signs again, which had drastically changed. The pulse had risen further — to 158 beats per minute, with some fluctuations upward. The oxygen saturation was down to 72%, and the blood pressure had completely slipped out of balance, now at 85 over 50 mmHg.
"Goddamn it!" Shoko cursed angrily. "41.6°C! Get a bucket with ice-cold water and lots of towels, now! If we don't lower this fever, her organs will collapse in a few minutes!"
What?!
I jumped in shock, momentarily stuck to the bed, and rushed to the sink. I turned on the faucet and rummaged through the cabinet underneath for the bucket. Quickly, I threw the towels into it and let the cold water run into the bucket.
"Satoru! Where did the finger come from?!" a nervous Shoko asked behind me, prompting me to turn around.
"What finger?!" I replied sharply, horrified as I saw Sukuna's dark-brown finger in her hand. "Where did you get that from?!" I demanded, snatching the finger from her.
"It just fell out of Mayu's skirt pocket! Get it to the cursed storage, quickly! From here, I'll handle it alone!"
Reluctantly and unwillingly, I looked into her flashing doe-brown eyes, which left no room for argument. Nonverbally, she made it clear to me that it was now uncertain whether Mayu would pull through or if we would lose her due to my insane idea.