I'm distracted. His voice is too cute, too excited. He doesn't know I'm awake.

Enthusiastically, he talks on the phone. He woke me up by mistake like this, but doesn't know. I'm delighted that he did. His voice took on a lighter, high quality. It always does when he's happy.

I'm exhausted, but, I'll listen. I might fall asleep again, and miss what he says, but for now it's wonderful. He's talking about the meeting at Fleeting World, and with context, it sounds like he's talking to Keitaro.

"There's a meeting space available? What, tomorrow?! Wah, so quick! We will have to arrange it with everybody. I wonder if everyone can come on such short notice." He laughs. "'They'll come for Fleeting World.' That's so true. I know I would."

In my joy, I move a little bit to get more comfortable. I press myself to him more in the bed, where he's holding me.

"I- oh! Sana's awake!" He gasps. "Sorry, Keitaro, I have to go. We'll call them all, though. Tomorrow at 7pm? Got it. Maybe that time will be more convenient to everyone." He laughs again, filling me with more joy. "You're right. They'll make it work. It's Fleeting World. Okay, bye bye."

He hangs up, and suddenly I'm being rolled on my back, and...

"Hi, darling," he breathes, that grin all for me, and I'm dazzlingly enchanted. His lips descend to me, and kiss me on the forehead. So wonderful. I'm floating on air.

I slept most of the day. Is that alright? Sudden worry about it. Sawai-san and Tetsu don't seem to mind, but was that right? I felt better in the evening, but still exhausted. I woke up and ate throughout the day, but was my sleeping really okay?

I woke up again at night time. The sound of washing dishes was in the air. A conversation. I wanted to be out there with them.

"They've all agreed. It's really happening. Oh- I'm not ready. I'm so nervous. What's going to happen? Is this really going to work?" Tetsu's voice was fluttery from the kitchen.

"They won't fight. I think we've made sure of that. Even if things get out of control, we can mediate. Honestly, with Sana sleeping so much... If he's asleep during the meeting, do you think they'd dare raise their voices? I think not." Sawai-san was more measured, contemplating.

"Well, I'm not so worried about the yelling now, but rather, the negotiations. They can refuse to work with Yami even if they're not yelling."

"Yes, I'm not sure how that will work. We'll have to figure it out somehow. Appeal to them some way. Lyra is just not Lyra without my son. I think what you said about him being a founding member is true. He is. It's not Lyra without him. They'd almost have to call themselves something else if he's not there."

Slowly, I wrenched myself up from a laid position. I swung my legs over the side. So groggy.

"It's almost as if it's happening too fast. But, we have to do it this way. Catch them off guard, as Yami said. He really did have some good things to say today. It sounds like he's prepared, at least. I wonder if he has a plan to convince them? I should have asked. Maybe it's a good idea to call him again and see what he says. If he has a plan, I want to know about it in advance."

My feet touched the floor. The bed's so high up, that my feet barely touch when they're over the side.

"Yes, call him. That's a good idea. As I said before, I don't want any surprises. Maybe if there is no plan, we can make a game plan. We can't predict what will happen, but we can try to prepare."

"Excellent idea, Sawai-san. I'll call him now."

I wanted to know the game plan, too. Shouldn't I be involved? Would he tell me later? I pressed my feet to the floor, standing up slowly. The sound of ringing accompanied this, Tetsu's phone loudly on speaker.

"Ah, good evening. What are you doing? Did we catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I just got finished with dinner. What's up?" Yami's voice.

I let out a gasp, as my legs collapsed under me. Sudden tears leapt to my eyes as my hands scrambled for something to hold on to, but found nothing. My knees hit the hardwood, and I fell over. Not quick enough, the side of my face hit the floor, and I was crumpled next to the bed. Throbbing pain immediately started in my knees. A pain in my wrist, folded under me.

"W-what was that?!" Tetsu gasped. The floor was thumping, getting louder and louder. A small scream, a thud on the bedroom floor.

Large hands were on me, starting to turn me over.

"Don't do that! Don't move him! He may have hurt himself!"

"But- but-" Tetsu sputtered, so close to my face.

"What's happening?!" Yami's voice from the phone.

"Yuuhi, Sana fell out of bed! The bed is really high up! Oh, I didn't think of this- what should we do?!"

"Calm down. He's probably fine. Did he hit his head?"

"I don't know!"

"Sana," Tetsu's mouth was so close to my ear. "Did you hit your head? What happened?" A much more calm voice, but I knew he was panicked.

"Yeah... My- my f- face..." Tears. They were so worried. "I wanted to come to you."

"Oh no, darling." He was petting my hair, trying to comfort me.

"He hit his head," Sawai-san said. My eyes peered up, and saw she was holding the phone now.

"I'm glad he didn't knock himself out," Yami sighed in relief. "I don't think he should go to the hospital, but as you know, he has osteoporosis. What if he broke something? Or got a concussion? What do you think?"

"What- osteoporosis?" Tetsu asked.

I nodded a little. My old foe. I often forgot it was one of things I had. Caused by my body not wanting absorb calcium and my intolerance for most foods that are heavy in calcium or calcium fortified. The supplement I take just isn't enough to combat it.

"I feel tired," I whimpered, closing my eyes. A sudden wave of sleepiness.

"You can't fall asleep, my darling." His hand was in my hair, rubbing my head. "We're going to call the paramedics. They'll check you over, okay?" He looked over to Sawai-san. "Call the paramedics. They can look him over and see if he needs to be seen. I think it's the best idea. He says he's tired."

"Ah- Yuuhi, did you hear that? We're going to call the paramedics."

"I'm coming over. I can be there in twenty minutes if I take a cab."

"Okay. I'll let you in. If we're not here, you know where we are."

So sudden. I fell, and now there was all this. So much commotion.

"Oh- Oh, Sana, don't cry... Don't cry... Are you hurt? What hurts? You can tell me." Tetsu was stroking my shoulder, down my arm.

"Hello? Yes. Yes! Um- um- my son is ill, and he fell out of bed. He has osteoporosis and is in a delicate state. He hit his head. We're scared to move him. Uh-huh. Yes. Yes. We want paramedics to look him over, and see if he needs to go to the hospital."

"Oh no- Oh no, Sana, don't cry. It's okay. It's okay. What hurts? Please tell me."

"My wrist. I don't know what I did."

"Oh no-o, Sana..." Tetsu sniffled, a wet sound. "Is it this one? That's under you? Did you try to catch yourself?"

"No, I don't know."

"It's going to be okay. We'll get it seen to. I don't want to move you, so I can't free it. If it's hurt, I don't want to hurt you more."

"Okay." He could never hurt me. I didn't want him to think that.

"It's going to be okay." He continued, trying to soothe me. "I'm right here. You wanted to see me, right? I'm here. It's okay now."

All I could do was cry. A throbbing started in my head, and I pinched my eyes closed. All this, because I fell. Something so simple, but now so serious. How did it get this way?

The paramedics came and safely got me on my back, spread out. One checked out my wrist, while another checked me for signs of a concussion. During this, Yami came in. He stood by the doorway with his mom, observing.

"He's weaker with the flu," he said quietly to her. "He's so stubborn."

"Shh. Let them work," she scolded him. She was completely absorbed with what they were doing. Tetsu sat on the bed, trying to be out of the way, but still close. I couldn't look at him. Shame filled me, not wanting to be here.

I fell down. That's all. There shouldn't be this much commotion. I just fell down. But, I hurt myself by just that.

"I think it's a sprain," the paramedic looking at my wrist announced. "I'll splint it, but he should go to the hospital for this. See how bad it is, or if there's a sneaky break inside. With osteoporosis, as you said, we can't take any chances."

"He's a violinist," Tetsu said, desperation in his voice. I closed my eyes, not wanting to acknowledge this. It was something I hadn't thought about. Dread everywhere. "Please take care of his wrist. I can't imagine... This is terrible..." Footsteps. I opened my eyes. Sawai-san had come over to him, her hand on his shoulder.

Did I break my wrist by a stupid fall like this? Something possibly irreversible? For this?

"Sana..." Yami came into my vision. "Don't cry. We'll go to the hospital now, and they'll fix everything. You need to be more careful."

I opened my mouth, but Sawai-san was quicker. "If you're going to berate him, you can go home," she snapped.

"I'm not berating him. I'm not treating him with kid gloves. There's a difference." Despite her scolding, Yami was calm.

I was in my nightgown. I didn't want to go to the hospital in my nightgown. A new thought. Embarrassment. How sick am I, if I have to go to the hospital in my nightgown? What kind of sign is that?

"I don't want to go to the hospital." It didn't come out as I intended. Crying too much.

"I doubt you'll be there for long," the paramedic seeing to my wrist informed me. He picked it up again, sending a line of pain up my arm. I jumped. Tetsu's hand went out to me, jumping with me. Sawai-san squeezed his shoulder.

"I don't like the sluggish response he's making to my light," the other paramedic whispered to the one seeing to my wrist. Maybe he hadn't meant for me to hear that.

"Okay, let's get him on a board. Who will be traveling with us?" The one seeing to my wrist asked.

"I will," Tetsu said, jumping up from the bed. "Oh, I have to get his purse."

"I've got it. Here," Yami said, leaning over the other side of the bed. My red purse appeared, and he handed it to him.

"Thank you. Okay, we're ready now. You'll meet us there?"

"Of course we will. I'll get us a cab."

"I'll pay for it. That's so much money," Tetsu fussed, opening my purse. Yami's hands were immediately up, protesting.

"Don't worry about the money. That's the last thing you should be thinking about. It's fine."

"Okay."

One of the paramedics left the room, and the other waited with me. Everyone was waiting. Silent. In this, I peered up at the ceiling, wondering at the world. How far I've really fallen.

In the end, we were at the hospital for four hours. My wrist was x-rayed, and it was a sprain. No broken bone. Tetsu was so relieved. They splinted it, and wrapped it. No concussion, either. That was a relief, too. But, for such a simple fall to cause a sprain?

Yokohara-sensei was called, and she was glad there was no broken bone. "The body is weaker when it has the flu, in all respects. I'm not surprised he got hurt from this. Sana, are you listening? Stop trying to do so much. Your body is healing from the flu. That's pretty serious. I know we always say, 'oh, it's just the flu', but we shouldn't disregard it. The flu is pretty serious."

That made sense. But, it didn't solve all of my worries about myself. This feeling, this dread. Older people fall and hurt themselves like this. I'm only thirty-four. It shouldn't be like this.

It shouldn't be like this.

Tetsu was holding me in my propped up hospital bed now. Almost time to go home, the nurse had gone to get the discharge papers. Yami went to go find something to eat, trying to act casual. I had seen the disturbed look on his face, though. He was deeply worried, just like I was.

The door opened, and instead of the nurse, he came in the room. He was smiling, a look of wonder on his face. I saw why immediately. My hands went up, and I winced, my wrist buzzing in pain. My other hand made grabbing motions, however.

"Oh, what, you want this sugar free chocolate that I found?" Yami asked, holding it close to his chest, teasing me. "I bought it for myself, too bad. I bet it's really delicious. I'm going to eat it all. Watch."

Sawai-san gripped the sides of her chair harshly, leaning forward. "Yuuhi, if you tease him right now, you can forget about the potential violence tomorrow from Lyra. I'll leap out of this chair, and-"

"Okay, okay, chill out," Yami chuckled. "I'm just trying to make him feel better. Here, I found this. They have it in the vending machine on the third floor now. Good to remember."

Somehow, I found myself smiling. How strange. Just a few moments ago, I'd felt myself going into despair. Worrying about myself. But now, I could smile?

He handed the chocolate to Tetsu, and in front of me, Tetsu opened it with patience. They were little, round, shiny disks. Gently, he took one out of the bag and lifted it to my lips. I took it in, and it filled my mouth with beautiful flavor. I closed my eyes, suddenly so happy.

So strange, how something so simple can make it all better. Something so simple, making me see things a completely different way. How things didn't seem so bad, with a little chocolate.

"Taste good?" Tetsu asked, craning to see me. I turned to his face, so close to mine. I nodded, finally smiling. He smiled with me, and it seemed so long since he had. It sent relief through me to see.

His arm squeezed me around my middle, and I relaxed on him, strangely so happy now.