lava

Hmm...

Want me to get a washbowl first, then, so you can wash your face and stuff?

(Nods)

Just give me a moment.

(Pulls at a corner of Lava's hem)

Oh. Is there anything else?

(Mouths a 'thank you')

Nothing to thank me for. You got ill. I'm off for a couple days. It pretty much works out.

Uh, where'd that washbowl from before go?

Phew... finally, all done...

Jeez, nursing's rougher than I thought. I don't feel cool at all.

If you asked me to do this in front of everyone else, I'd refuse point blank.

Are you full?

(Nods)

Then you can go back to sleep now.

Close your eyes, and get some proper rest.

I'll wash out the bowl, and then I'll go do the dishes, and then—not sure.

Eh, anyhow, for now that's that. If you need anything, set the alarm on this clock to go off. I'll come right over when I hear it.

Be good.

(Pats Hibiscus's face)

Mmnn... brush, washing-up liquid.

(Did I give Hibiscus's face a pat just then?)

Mum and dad'll miss you.

Don't forget to write to us.

Be good.

Hmph...

(Mum and dad love treating us like that.)

(Not sure if they've gotten the letter from last week yet.)

(Mm... is that how Hibiscus treats me too?)

You need to eat healthy meals.

Be good.

(Ugh...)

(Whenever she acts like that, chances are she's trying to boss me around.)

(I don't know if that one bowl of meat porridge was enough to fill her.)

(Should I peel her a piece of fruit too?)

(Or maybe roast some meat?)

(I really wanna set up a stove right by her bed and barbecue meat for myself.)

(Make her starve drooling.)

(Let's go with peeling fruit, yeah...)

I sliced some fruit for you. Do you want it?

Zzz...

Sleeping pretty heavy, huh.

Weird, actually, how she doesn't look all that loathsome when she's asleep.

(Pinches Hibiscus's face)

Zzz...

Still running high.

Hope she'll recover a little soon. That way I can prank her with a completely clean conscience.

Haaah... I've been busy half the day. I'm a little tired myself now...

Guess I can nap a little by her side...

Zzz...

Tick—tick—tick—tick—

Tick—tick—tick—tick—

Tick—tick—tick—tick—

Huh?!

Tick—tick—tick—tick—

Bang.

Did that wake you up? Sorry...

It's the alarm I set for your porridge.

I...

Do you want it right now, or in a bit?

Now, I guess.

Lemme get it.

Ah-ah-ah, don't get up. You knocked out all the way from yesterday to today and now you want to be up and about?

Lie—down—for—me.

Weagh...

(When did Hibiscus get this strong?)

I asked around a little. It was Pith who got you into this state after taking you out for special training.

This isn't Miss Pith's fault.

This was going to be a high-intensity training session, anyway. It might look pretty ruthless at first, but nothing ever starts smooth. I'll be fine after I'm used to it.

Still, you can't wreck yourself with training like this...

I think it's worth it. I can feel how I'm getting stronger, Originium Arts precision or otherwise, training like this.

Besides...

Besides?

I was warned about this training, going into it. It'd be majorly intense, it'd be tough making it through and I'd need a good mentality and so on.

I told the instructors: 'It's fine. My sister's a medic. Even if I end up half dead, as long as I still have breath in me, she'll bring me back.'

More or less how it went. You get the idea.

Lava.

What?

I'll overlook it this time, but if you end up like this after special training again, I'll officially raise dissent with the HR department.

You don't need to—

I don't care what kind of improvement you might get out of this. It only matters to me whether this is going to damage your health.

No matter what, you can't...

I'm sorry...

Hibiscus? Sis?

Don't—don't cry. C'mon, look at how big you are.

Do you know how worried I was when I found you?!

I'm alright, aren't I...?

Just a little overdraft on my strength. And a few grazes.

No, not this...

Do you still remember... how you ended up at Rhodes Island...?

That...

I helped a bunch of merchants repel some bandits, and someone noticed I was an Infected...

Then their caravan dumped me... and I remember someone or other bashed my head in. Then I passed out.

And when I woke up again, I was aboard Rhodes Island.

And somebody'd healed my injuries.

I heard an operator in the field picked me up on the way back? Lucky thing I was only minorly injured. Wasn't much trouble for others.

They were heavy injuries...

Huh?

I thought, after I lost touch with you, the next time we met, you'd still be the same awkward you, but...

Then you were on the operating table, Lava—burnt up like a fireball...