With all the strength your tired body can muster, you open the door. Its been years since a flu has gotten the better of you, and while you planned to sleep it away, the high fever just wasn't helping.

And neither was the incessant ringing from your doorbell, apparently. With the door open,you are greeted with the visage of a short girl you have known for years wearing her trademark beret,dress and scowl. Perhaps the only different thing, is that she has a facemask that leaks out a muffled voice.

"Yeah...just like i imagined...You didnt take anything for it, right?"

"Shigure"

Your voice comes out like a croak. Usually you address her with an insult, but today you cant just muster the energy to fight with your college nemesis. What's she doing here anyway?

A soft palm lands in your chest and slowly pushes you inside, as she steps in. You try and complain, but as soon as your mouth opens, a wet cough escapes and you look away to try and not spread germs all over her even though its funny to fake sneeze over her so she gets mad.

Another cough follows, and then a few more inundate the apartment. Her soft hand pats your back while the door gets closed. You close your eyes, irritated by the coughs and suddenly feel some distortion going

"Easy there"

You open your eyes and you are no longer in the entrance. You are halfway through the apartment, and your muted sense of smell can make out a delectable perfume walking alongside you for just a split second before your eyes close again and you feel yourself spin for minutes and minutes as your feet drag.

Only when the spinning stops, you open your eyes. There's something cold and refreshing on your forehead, and your eyes just slide to the right.

Her delicate fingers, usually closed around a pen or around your neck, are fiddling with a thermometer, while her green eyes attently read the prospect. Maybe its the fever, but you feel yourself chuckling at the situation of her sitting next to your bed.

Shigure Ui...taking care of you. Heh

That's pretty funny. Dreams are weird man.

She notices your chuckle, and her eyes snap to yours. Weirdly, there's warmth in them, instead of the usual disdain and annoyance.

"How you feeling?"

Her soft voice says it all. This is a dream, Shigure always talks to you like you are a bumbling idiot, doing the bare minimum to bask how much she dislikes your existence. You also answer the same way, but since this is a dream there is no need to be mean to her...right?

"Really bad"

In a surprising gesture, her hand extends and brushes some locks of your hair, eyes softly looking over you. The cool sensation fades away, as she removes a sopping wet hand towel

"I have some medicine, but you cant take it on an empty stomach. Think you can stomach a soup?"

You lick your lips, and in seconds a hand is on your nape and a glass of water is reaching your lips. You drink, just realizing how much you needed it, before nodding. She lets you down in the bed, and you close your eyes for just a second.

"Here. Sit up first"

Your eyes open up, you groan in pain as she helps you sit up and a small bed table you could swear you lost lands on your lap. Shigure dissapears, and then reappears.

The smell of chicken. She blows on a spoon, and it tastes fantastic...You dont remember buying soup.

And then...darkness

Your eyes open. The morning light is hitting you in the face and causing a small headache.

that's right...last night you...no..yesterday! you spent the whole day with the flu. It was really bad...you had to call a college pal and tell them to say you were under the w-

A flash of blonde hair passes through your eyes. You sit up in the bed.

She....that...No....

Your eyes snap to the night table. Aside from your phone and other stuff, there's cold medicine. You dont remember taking that...but you also dont remember taking anything at all.

The bed covers fly in the air as you rush to the bathroom. The thermometer is there, and there's a towel in the wash...
The kitchen looks exactly like you left it last time your memories snapped it: A mess of pots and spoons. Your fridge is mostly empty, but there's some chicken scraps in a lone tupperware.

When did you put that there? Was...that dream...?

No...

No it cant be. You rush back to your room and decide to solve this conundrum. You grab your phone and punch in a number you have written in public urinals so many times that its completely ingrained in your brain.

One Ring.

Two Rings.

Three...

Four...

click

"Hello?"

The voice behind the call sounds absolutely demolished. You didnt look at the time, but it shouldnt be that early...right?

"Shigure! Did you come to my house?"

Silence. The person behind the line is clearly out of it

"What?"

"Did you come to my house, nurse me to health, feed me soup and took care for me?"

Silence again, followed by a sigh

"Wh-Listen I...I dont care. I think i have the flu...everything hurts. Can you tell the professor i wont be showing up to class today?"

You exhale, not realizing how much tension you were holding. So it was a dream after all huh.

"Yeah, sure"

"Thanks."

She hangs the call, and you take a moment to take another deep breath of relief.

But as soon as that passes, you furrow your brow. She didn't...she didn't insult you? Not a comment? Nothing?.

She must be completely knocked out. Maybe...Maybe you need to check if she's doing alright.