THE RACE TO THE ER
The drive to the private hospital was a nightmare of screeching tires and Sofia's desperate whispers. She used the hem of her silk robe to wipe the cold sweat from Kei's brow.
"Keep your eyes open, kei. That's an order," Sofia pleaded, her voice thick with unshed tears. "You can't just quit. You're a jerk, remember? You're supposed to be annoying me for the next fifty years."
kei didn't respond. Her head lolled against Sofia's shoulder, her breathing coming in shallow, terrifying hitches. For the first time, Sofia realized how much she relied on that silent, steady presence and how much she had taken it for granted.
When they swerved into the emergency bay, Sofia didn't wait for the attendants. "Help! Someone help her!" she screamed into the sterile morning air.
THE STERILE SILENCE
White-clad nurses rushed out with a gurney, efficiently transferring kei's weight away from Sofia. As they wheeled her through the double doors, Sofia tried to follow, but a firm hand caught her shoulder.
"Miss, you need to stay in the waiting area," a nurse said firmly.
"She's mine!" Sofia shouted, her face flushed. "I'm responsible for her! You have to tell me what's happening!"
For the next three hours, Sofia paced the waiting room like a caged animal. Chloe, Mia, and Sylvia sat in a row of plastic chairs, looking small and uncharacteristically silent. The "fun" of the morning had evaporated, replaced by the heavy, clinical smell of antiseptic and the realization of what their bullying had done.
Finally, the doctor emerged. Sofia was at his side before he could even call her name.
"Is she…?" Sofia couldn't finish the sentence.
"She's stable," the doctor said, his expression stern. "But it was a close call. She's suffering from severe exhaustion and a high-grade viral infection. She's been running a dangerous fever for hours likely since before she even woke up today. Her body simply reached its breaking point and shut down."
Sofia felt the blood drain from her face. Since before she woke up. Kei had made breakfast, served coffee, and endured Chloe's insults all while her body was failing her.
THE VIGIL
Sofia entered the private room quietly. The only sounds were the rhythmic beep-beep of the heart monitor and the soft hiss of the IV drip. kei looked small in the vast hospital bed, her dark hair a stark contrast against the white sheets.
Sofia pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. She didn't look at her phone. She didn't call her parents. She just watched the slow, steady rise and fall of Kei's chest.
"You idiot," Sofia whispered, reaching out to tentatively take kei hand. The skin was finally cooling, the fever retreating under the onslaught of medication. "You were sick since the balcony. Why didn't you just tell me to go to hell?"
She squeezed kei hand, her thumb tracing the callouses on the other girl's palm.
Late into the night, kei fingers gave a weak, microscopic twitch. Her eyes opened slowly, blinking against the harsh lights before settling on Sofia's tear-streaked face.
"Miss… Sofia?" kei's voice was a ghost of itself, dry and cracking. She looked at the IV line in her arm with a confused frown. "The… the guests. Did I finish the…?"
"If you mention the guests, I will personally throw you out the window," Sofia choked out, a sob-like laugh escaping her. She leaned forward, her forehead almost touching kei "You're in the hospital, you moron. You fainted. You're sick."
Kei closed her eyes for a moment, a faint, weary smirk ghosting her lips. "A hospital? This looks… expensive. Is this coming out of my paycheck?"
"I'll pay for it with my soul if I have to, just shut up and sleep," Sofia hissed, her grip on kei hand never loosening. "You're not going anywhere."
Kei eyes drifted shut again, but this time, she didn't let go of Sofia's hand. For the first time in her life, Sofia didn't care about the "pain in the ass" her friends were, or the salt in the rice. She just cared that the girl in the bed was still breathing.