AEPOB 20

Chapter 20

It had been drizzling lightly on the way back, but as soon as I got home, the rain started pouring down in earnest.

*Phew, I was practically running at the end there.*

I gripped the sofa and caught my breath.

But Dad didn’t get a moment’s rest.

After setting Kiki down on the sofa, he paced around restlessly, even as he let out ragged breaths. Only after he’d transferred the antipyretic onto a spoon with trembling hands and fed it to Kiki did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

That relief was short-lived.

“Bell, could you prepare a clean towel and a basin?”

Starting with those words, we each found our own tasks and began moving in earnest.

First, Dad rescued Kiki, who was buried under the blankets, and hoisted him up. And as soon as Dad went up the stairs, I dashed straight to the kitchen.

“I’ve put the basin upstairs…”

After placing the thoroughly washed basin on the dining table, I hurried back to the living room. In our house, we keep clean towels for treatments in the living room drawer, so they’re always easy to grab.

I pulled out two or three of the towels Dad had neatly folded and returned, only to find Dad already bustling about in the kitchen, having come down from the second floor.

“Dad, here are the towels.”

“Thanks. You’ve made Dad’s work a lot easier, Bell.”

He really must be out of sorts.

Normally, he would have praised me and patted my head by now.

But Dad was just pouring hot water into the basin I had prepared.

*Well, given the situation, he probably doesn’t have the bandwidth to pay attention to me.*

I need to properly assist Dad by his side. People who are overwhelmed are always prone to mistakes.

Dad carefully set down the kettle, which was spewing steam, and tested the water temperature by placing the back of his hand over the basin. Then he picked up the basin and towels and said to me,

“Rest here for a bit. You must be tired from going all the way to the mountain.”

“But you’ll be more tired, Dad. I was alone, but you carried Kiki all the way here.”

“Are you worried about Dad?”

“Yes…”

“But Bell, as you can see, Kiki’s condition is critical. So I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what’s wrong yet, since I’ve been busy examining him.”

“……”

“If it turns out to be a contagious disease, Dad might be fine, but you wouldn’t be. You haven’t fully recovered yet, after all.”

“But…”

For some reason, Dad looked paler than usual.

So I couldn’t just leave him be.

When I hesitated, showing my distress, Dad put down the towel and pulled me into a hug.

“Instead, I’ll examine him first, and if I think it’s safe for you to see him, I’ll ask for your help then, okay?”

Unable to resist Dad’s earnest persuasion, I finally nodded.

After Dad went upstairs, I decided to look for things I could do myself.

*If I can’t help Dad directly by his side, I’ll do what I can!*

If I knew what was wrong, I could at least prepare the medicine Kiki would need.

The problem was that I didn’t know anything.

In times like that, sticking to the basics was best.

First of all, since he must have lost a lot of sweat and tears, he’d need water to prevent dehydration, and maybe some candy since his blood sugar might have dropped, right?

I carefully placed a water bottle, candy, and even the antipyretic Dad had taken out earlier onto a tray.

But even as I washed the spoon that had gotten sticky from the antipyretic and wiped it clean with a dishcloth, Dad still hadn’t come downstairs.

*Is he still treating him?*

*A fair bit of time has passed already…*

*Thump, clatter.*

Just then, a loud noise came from the stairs.

*What was that sound?*

Startled by the sudden noise, I ran to the stairs. There, Dad was clutching his back at the bottom of the steps.

“Dad!”

I quickly ran to his side and supported him. Dad waved his hand dismissively, as if to say it was nothing.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I just slipped for a moment and fell.”

It didn’t seem like he was seriously injured, as he said, but his face now looked past pale—it was bordering on gaunt.

I had never seen Dad look so drained after a consultation before.

Now I was worried not only about Kiki but also about Dad.

At that moment, Dad, who was trying to push himself up from his knees, wobbled and lost his balance again.

“Dad!”

It was a moment that made me realize that if I hadn’t been there, it could have been a pretty serious accident.

I had thought he was mentally fragile but physically strong, but was that not the case?

Could something be wrong with his health?

I helped him to the sofa.

“Dad, aren’t you overexerting yourself? I think it’s best if you sit here and rest for a bit.”

“I’m fine. I just felt dizzy for a second.”

Dad said he was fine, but I was deeply skeptical.

If it was just a brief dizzy spell, he’d hold his forehead, not sway this much.

What would be good for him?

*Ah, that’s it!*

I ran to the living room. I grabbed a blue potion from the counter table where we store medications for sale.

“Dad, have this.”

What I handed to Dad was a fatigue recovery potion.

*He spends every day making medicine for others but doesn’t take care of his own body, so I have to look after him.*

“Did you bring this because you were worried about Dad? Thank you, truly.”

Dad looked touched. His voice was gradually becoming thick with emotion.

I quickly tore open the potion.

“Don’t mention it. Please, drink it quickly, Dad.”

And then I pressed the potion firmly into his hand.

*If someone already lacking energy starts crying, they’ll just get even more drained.*

Only after I saw Dad drink every last drop of the potion could I finally release the tension that had surged up.

Fortunately, it seemed to be simple fatigue, as Dad soon regained his usual composure.

Seeing him calmly making soup in the kitchen, I finally felt completely at ease.

I turned my head toward the second floor.

*Dad seems to be okay now, so the only one left is Kiki.*

After dinner, having received Dad’s permission to see Kiki for a moment, I went up to Dad’s room on the second floor.

*Click.*

As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by colorful breathing sounds filling the space.

I crept closer to the bed. I saw Kiki sleeping peacefully.

*’He said it was a severe case of the flu, but he seems to have improved a lot.’*

His chest was rising and falling rhythmically.

It felt like he had gotten much better than before.

I was relieved that Dad’s hard work, staggering as he cared for Kiki, hadn’t been in vain.

*Oh my, he’s drenched in sweat.*

His hair, soaked with perspiration, was plastered to his forehead, messing up his otherwise handsome face.

I gently wiped his face, covered in cold sweat, with a damp towel placed nearby.

As I brushed the hair stuck to his forehead, his face, still bearing a lot of youthful innocence, was revealed.

*’I didn’t notice it when his eyes were open.’*

I realized anew just how young Kiki really was.

I stared intently at Kiki.

Seeing his pale complexion and how he lay limp like a doll made me uneasy.

“Hurry up and wake up. It bothers me that you got sick while trying to save me.”

Why was that?

Watching Kiki, memories I had buried deep kept stirring and surfacing.

Was it because the soft skin I touched made me realize Kiki was still just a child?

Or was it because I couldn’t forget Kiki calling for his mother?

An uncharacteristic, useless meddlesome feeling welled up inside me.

“To survive on your own, you have to become stronger. Getting sick only hurts you. Don’t feel guilty, just think of it as an unavoidable situation and move on.”

“……”

“That’s how you’ll be able to live.”

*Don’t get buried in guilt like I did.*

Sometimes, self-rationalization was necessary for self-preservation. It was far better than constantly wounding yourself.

After confirming Kiki was alright, I turned around.

That’s when it happened.

“This time… I absolutely won’t let them take it.”

A cracked voice broke the silence. Thinking he might be awake, I hastily turned my gaze back.

Kiki still had his eyes closed.

*’What, it’s just sleep-talking.’*

But looking again, I could see Kiki’s body was completely tense.

Soon, Kiki grimaced painfully, as if in agony, and barely managed to mutter a single sentence.

“I will never… let you take it from me… again…”