Frisson (Diabolik lovers)

XXI. When I fall

It was right after the lunch break. I got called into the teachers office because of Shizuka. She had collapsed in the infirmary and Reinhart had no other choice but to call an ambulance. Father was informed, but he ordered me to take care of her and so I was excused from school.

Nurse brought me to where Shizuka was. The first sight of her left me slightly shaken up. She was sitting in a chair seemingly lifeless. Her cheeks were stripped down of their usual colour. Her drowsy eyes were shining with high fever. Her breathing was painful as if she was suffocating. 

"Don't worry, doctor said there was no need to keep her hospitalized. Unless she gets complications. Make sure she gets her medication on time or-" Shizuka's dry coughing interrupted the nurse. Couldn't she wait a little bit longer? No manners.

"Of course, but you forgot to tell me one thing: what does she have?" I was getting irritated. First - Shizuka decided to almost drown herself, then - she refused to drink my medical tea and now she was sick. And no one even bothered to tell me why she lost her consciousness. 

"Oh I'm sorry, sir. Lauren has pneumonia, but she passed out due to exhaustion, so, from now on, refrain yourself from tiring her that much," nurse winked with a giggle. I had to refrain myself from rubbing my temples in annoyance.

"May I take her home now?" I tried not to sound irritated. 
"Of course, here is Lauren's prescription." Nurse gave me a piece of paper with illegable handwriting.
"Thank you. Come on, Shizuka, let's go." She meekly shook her head from side to side. She didn't say anything probably because Sizuka was afraid to cause yet another painful coughing fit. 

"Come on." I had a blanket with me just in case I had to bring her home, so I wrapped it around her, making sure she couldn't move her arms. There were a lot of people, so I couldn't be rough with Shizuka. Thankfully, in this state her struggles were weaker than those of a puppy.

But it didn't mean I couldn't play with her a little bit. Nurse obviously thought we were a couple, so why not put on a little show?
"Up we go, sweetie," I smirked, picking Shizuka up like a (sacrificial) bride she was. Her eyes lit up with rage, but she was too weak to do anything. Perfect.

"I am... Not... Your..." Just as I thought - she was coughing so hard she could barely speak.
"Sh sh now." I pressed her face against my chest to shut her up. "Don't waste your energy on being shy." Her body was radiating with warmth. She was the exact opposite of the last time I held her.
"Thank you for taking care of her," I slightly bowed my head to that grinning, red as a tomato, nurse.

"No, thank you for reminding me how wonderful young love is." Love... What a pile of nonsense. Love makes you weak, pathetic, good-for-nothing. This emotion, this feeling is uncontrollable - you never receive it from someone you might need to receive it from the most. You fall in love with someone, but that person dies together with an enormous part of your existence and you are left with nothing but a grave in your garden and a hole in your heart. One look at Ayato and you might see it in his eyes - a hollow that might and will stay there for the eternity of his existence.

Pathetic.

"Then shall we go, my love?" I asked mockingly. Nurse clasped her hands to her chest. Shizuka didn't react to my words so I gently shook her.
"Shizuka?" She was as limp as a dead squid. After taking a better look at her pale face, I noticed that she was dead asleep. Hopefully not actually dead, but her soft breathing and coughing was there.

I adjusted my grip on her so Shizuka would sleep more peacefully. Her head rolled on my shoulder so close to my neck that her hot breath was tickling my skin. Nurse helped us by opening the door in hospital and to our car. I didn't take limousine for obvious reasons. I laid her down on the backseat, resting her head on my lap.