THE LONG NIGHT
Fay didn't sleep. After she got Kei into a warm, dry pair of her own pajamas, she tucked her into the guest bed. But within an hour, Kei's shivering stopped and was replaced by a burning heat. Her face was flushed bright red, and she started tossing and turning, mumbling words that didn't make sense.
Fay sat on the edge of the bed with a bowl of cool water and a clean cloth. She was no longer the cold doctor from the hospital; she was just a woman terrified for the person she used to love.
"Fay… don't go…" Kei whispered in her sleep. Her hand reached out, grabbing the air.
Fay caught Kei's hand and held it tight. "I'm right here, you idiot," she whispered back, her voice soft.
Every thirty minutes, Fay soaked the cloth in the water and placed it on Kei's forehead. She checked her temperature carefully.
"39°C," Fay muttered, looking at the thermometer. "If it goes any higher, I'm taking you back to the hospital."
As the night went on, Kei's fever made her talkative. "The bento…" Kei mumbled, her eyes still closed. "I worked so hard on the octopus… I wanted you to smile…"
Fay felt a sharp pain in her chest. She remembered the bento box hitting the trash can at the hospital and how she had ignored Kei in the rain. She realized that while she had been busy being angry, Kei had been busy trying to find a way back to her.
Around 3:00 AM, Kei's eyes fluttered open for a moment. She saw Fay sitting there, tired and worried, with the wet cloth in her hand.
"Fay?" Kei whispered.
"Drink this," Fay said, lifting Kei's head gently to give her some water and medicine. "You have a high fever because you stood in the rain like a fool."
Kei took a sip and looked at Fay. "You're still here. You didn't leave me."
Fay looked away, trying to hide her expression. "It's my house. I live here. Now go back to sleep."
Kei smiled weakly and squeezed Fay's hand. "You're so mean… but your hands are so gentle."
Fay didn't pull her hand away. She stayed there, sitting in the uncomfortable chair by the bed, watching Kei's breathing. Slowly, the fever started to break. Kei's skin felt cooler and her sleep became peaceful.
Fay leaned her head back and closed her eyes for just a second. She told herself she still hated Kei for leaving ten years ago. But as she felt Kei's thumb brush against her hand in her sleep, Fay knew the lie was getting harder to tell.