2. Meet

"Kawaru, we need to take a blood test today," Nurse Chiryou stepped into my room, those accursed devices in tow.

"I'm not sick," I argued.

"We're making sure it stays that way, honey," she reaches for my hand, unfazed. Rolling up my sleeve, the familiar tang of alcohol wafted to my sense of smell, and swabbed cold against my skin.

I turned away, bracing for the prickle I would never get used to, the stab of a tiny, legal knife that hurt in swells that caused more anxiety than pain-- take deep breaths, they always said, count to ten-- the needle is pulled, and the wound is sealed with a cotton compress.

"I'm not sick," I grumbled.

"That's great, honey," she sighed, her tools clattering in its tray as she prepared to leave with the blood sample,"let's hope it lasts more than two days this time, eh?"

"Psychopaths," I spat.

"You're welcome," her response. 

With a huff, I threw the covers back on and went back to sleep with as much rebellion as I could muster. I no longer wished to sleep, but I no longer wished to see the day either.

The nurse sighed loudly.

"Your father is genuinely worried for you, Kawaru," her voice was gentle, trying her best with a kind, motherly farce. "His schedule is unfortunately packed, but he truly wishes to make time for you, alright?"

My fist clenched, irritation welling up in my chest. I didn't let it leave my throat.

"Will you be going to school today?" she tried to change the subject.

My teeth gritted, the annoyance in me bursting open.

"Leave me alone!" I picked up a pillow, hurling it in her direction, "I told you I'm not going to that stupid Hospital Nursery room!"

Nurse Chiryou sighed in resignation.

"I understand," she muttered, picking up the pillow and handing it right back to me in her oh-so professional and calm demeanor. 

With a bow and without turning around, she left the room as quietly as she came.

My fist tightened, and I wanted to scream.

  ー  

I met Mineta three years ago.

That time ago, perhaps it was due to the fact that I died a teenager-- my form had settled as one of a fifteen year-old-girl. I looked nothing like my past life-- my hair used to be black, straight, and layered-- now, my hair was an odd shade of light brown, falling down in untameable waves that curled erratically at the ends.

Perhaps, if I wished and tried hard enough, I would be able to change back into the child I was, but by heart I knew I felt more comfortable as a teen just a little longer. So I didn't try to figure out a way to change back yet.

I was left in the corner of the waiting room. My doctor had put me through a scan on a strange machine for abnormalities in my kidneys or something-- I don't really know. When a doctor professionally suggests something, do you normally say no? I was just sitting through whatever they wanted because, well, it's not as if I was paying for these services...

As the nurse went into the back room for the results, I was left in the corner, with nothing but my little blanket to amuse myself with, and the texture of the leather seats to keep me interested.

"No, I don't want tooo!!!"

I perked up.

Hospitals were annoying quiet, so such an ear-piercing shriek cut through the hall and echoed off every wall louder than a bat's resonance. Not used to hearing loud noises, my ears were irritated and I felt annoyed by the obstruction.

Swirling my head in the direction everyone was looking toward, I didn't catch sight of the noise pollution offender before he crashed straight into my knees.

Bone meeting bone with a clean, sharp sound, he screeched and threw his head back.

Now he was rolling about, crying in agony.

Baffled by the abrupt whatinthefuck of the situation, I was flustered beyond belief. I mean-- I'd never heard someone hit their head that hard on a knee!

"I- I'm sorry!" I was apologizing before I knew it, "are you alright?"

He was a small child-- not just small in size, but quite young in age. Did he come from the pediatrician? Because yeah, I hate that place too, the kids are brutal in there-- wait,

His hair was purple, in a strange, blob-like shape that resembled a group of grapes just half-melded into his head--

He sat on the floor, sniffling pitifully.

Oh my god, I couldn't believe this, are you being actual rn

Reaching down, I picked him up and put him in my lap.

"Uhm, are you okay?" I asked, rubbing the sore on his head gently, "does it still hurt?"

Without a response, he started bawling, throwing himself into my chest, wrapping his arms around me as he just wailed there and--

"Hey, Mineta-kun!" Nurse Kango called out after him.

She ran into the hall, walking as quietly as she could. She face was red and her hands held protectively over her bosom.

She looked angry.

She marched up to me. 

"Mineta-kun, you're a little cheeky pervert!" she reprimanded, trying her best to seen stern but she was visibly still new to this job, "don't bother the older sister, get back to the class now!"

So he came from the nursery, I realized.

"I'm not going back there, they stick weird things into my hair!" Mineta whined.

I felt him dig his face further into my chest and felt the urge to punch--

My hands rested comfortably around him as I sighed. Well, he's just a kid, after all, I'll let it slide for now... Last time I went into the nursery, this super mean kid teased me for my wheelchair and stuff, but the nurses didn't really know what else to do besides lecturing him, which did no real good--

I chuckled, "Ijime-kun's pretty mean, right?" I spoke to the boy with a smile, "I ran away from there too. We're the same!"

Mineta, hearing me, lifted his head curiously.

"You too, sis?" he sniffled.

I noticed snot running down his nose and suppressed a groan of disgust-- but fortunately, I was wearing a hospital gown over my clothes so it probably didn't get onto me.

I smiled as reassuringly as I could, "Uhn!"

My hands moved to pat his on the head-- a natural older-sister instinct nurture from my past life-- then I remembered.

My hands brushed across one roundish purple blob, feeling the strands of actual hair in between-- they were soft and smooth, and actually felt like pillows.

My hand didn't stick to it, and I was left confused.

Ah, I deduced, maybe they don't become sticky until he plucks them off?

"I'm so sorry to disturb you, Kawaru-chan," Nurse Kango was my old nurse too, so she naturally recognized me, "I'll take him back immediately..."

"NOO!! I DON'T WANNA GO BACK!!!" the boy was screaming again, clutching my shirt tight, "YOU'RE NOT MAKING ME!"

People were looking our way with annoyed glances-- one man seemed to be suffering from a headache, and the woman that was taking a nap earlier had roused awake.

Nurse Kango looked very troubled, and all the other nurses were a little too occupied-- this was, after all, the radiology department-- so she was near tears as she realized she couldn't raise her voice on a child, much less in front of the hospital community.

With a weak laugh, I sighed.

"Hey, Ms Kango," I put on my best good-girl smile I could muster, feigning a farce of innocence, "maybe you could keep him with me until he calms down? I'll take care of him, I promise."

Nurse Kango was taken aback. "But, Kawaru-chan..."

"It's alright, I'll be here for a while longer because Chiryou-san is still settling out back," I gestured to the counter of the radiology department where Nurse Chiryou was dashing about left and right helping out the other doctors and moving things with the nurses, "I'll send him back to the nursery later. You're busy too, right? you should head back soon."

Mineta's arms were wrapped tightly around my back as he seemed to bury himself in my chest, listening to the conversation that seemed to be going his way.

"Kawaru-chan, Mineta-kun is quite prone to... sometimes, he does things that might disturb you a little," she tried her best, words stuttering, "please don't hesitate to tell him off, alright? Don't let him go too far with his perverted tendencies!"

I giggled, "I'll be alright, Kango-san, leave him to me!"

"If anything happens call out for another adult to help you, alright?" Nurse Kango was very concerned, looking really desperately worried, "like, just scream, and the other nurses will come running! I know you don't like attention, but please protect your chastity!"

Chastity, I repeated in my head, laughing.

My hands wrapping instinctively around the boy's back, I assured the nurse once again before she reluctantly left us. She pleaded for the man (a customer, a father or something) beside me to watch over us, and left a word at the counter to look out for us every once in a while.

I sighed.