Sick of You
Nemo finds herself sick again, spurring memories of a similar time she was sick in her childhood.
Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop.
Anemo Nemo startled awake from her feverish dreams to the sound of a knife rhythmically hitting a cutting board. A familiar voice was very faintly audible, singing a familiar tune roughly to the beat and... somewhere in the approximate area of the key. She snorted as well as she could with her clogged nose, lifting her head off the pillow. Is that... Ugh, that idiot!
She opened her mouth to speak, but only a weak hiss of breath came out. Her throat hurt and her voice was gone, so she couldn't call out... Her phone would have to suffice. She took it from her nightstand, typing out a quick message.
Akoya Matama
🎵 SCHOOL IDOL MATAMA-CHAN SWEEP
7:39 AM
Where are you??
Helloooo
Nemoooo
If it's Leber stuff you have to tell me!! I won't let you do it by yourself
9:46 AM
home.
really sick.
No!! That sucks!! I was going to show you my new songs today...
yeah. well. doctor says I have the flu.
It's the flu? Keep that away from me!!
Get better soon, geez
12:33 PM
hey dumbass, don't cut yourself trying to sing your own theme song while making me takoyaki.
The chopping stopped, and a second later, the dots appeared. So it was Matama out there. Of course it was - who else had a key and was dumb enough to come here in the middle of the school day?
Akoya Matama
🎵 SCHOOL IDOL MATAMA-CHAN SWEEP
What are you talking about?
I'm at SCHOOL, STUDYING
Who wants to make you takoyaki anyway??
During a school day??
I wouldn't cut class for you
You'd just get me sick with your flu thing and I wouldn't be able to sing anymore, ummm, no thanks!!
(ï¿¢_ï¿¢)
uh huh.
guess there's some other Loco Musica fan who got into my house while my mom's at work who just happened to stop chopping when I texted you.
come save me from her, Loco-chan~
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISE!!
lol.
Don't complain, or you're not getting any
thanks.
Nemo smiled at her phone, at least as long as she could hold her head up. Which wasn't long - her fever made her dizzy. She lay her head back against the pillow, considering for a moment before putting her thumbs back to the keyboard.
Akoya Matama
🎵 SCHOOL IDOL MATAMA-CHAN SWEEP
you can sing if you want to, I don't mind.
... seriously, don't cut yourself though.
I don't want you bleeding on my kitchen floor and making me clean it up.
She tucked her phone under her pillow, feeling it vibrate again and again with more of Matama's complaining. She truthfully wasn't afraid that Matama would cut herself; the girl was quite good at cooking, much better than at singing. The bigger danger was that she'd miss some notes.
Ah, who am I kidding, it's more like there's a risk she might hit some notes... heh.
The song started up again, this time full-throated. And with every familiar imperfection plain to hear.
Drowsy and delirious and soothed by the comfortable memory, Nemo let her eyes slowly close. This wasn't the first time Matama had come over to take care of her while she was sick. No, that had been a long time ago... a long time ago... A faint smile came to her lips as she recalled it, her mind drifting away into the memory.
The first knock came out of nowhere and scared Nemo, and she paused her game, abandoned her controller and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her head. Mom's still at work... Someone scary might be here...
But after a moment, no second knock came. ... Maybe it was a hallucination. Her mom never had friends over, and she didn't have friends to have over. Not friends who would come and visit, anyway. Matama played with her at school sometimes, but that was just for recess at school - they weren't really friends, right?
"Mrs. Anemo!" Matama's high-pitched voice came through the door. She was panting heavily, and banged on it again. "Mrs. Anemo... can I come in? I have... printouts for Nemo!"
It really is her... Nemo thought, shocked. ... I have to let her in. Mom's at work...
The excitement of realizing that a friend had come to visit her - even if it was just for handing over assignments - carried her out of bed and to the door. She reached up on tiptoe, unlocking it.
A breathless Matama wearing a bicycle helmet waited outside. "Hi Nemo," she said, waving and struggling to catch her breath. "I have your printouts for school... No one else was gonna bring them... so I did."
"Oh, OK." Nemo leaned against the doorframe, the weariness of her illness rapidly returning. "Thanks."
Matama pushed her way past Nemo, stepping out of her shoes and leaving her bike outside. "I need a drink..."
Nemo carefully shut the door and hurried after her. "Hey, where's your mom?"
"She's at home! Where's your mom?" Matama poked her head into the fridge. "Do you have juice?"
"She's at work... It's rude to come into someone's house without asking..." Nemo complained, making her way over to Matama. She squeezed past Matama, reaching into the juice drawer and pulling out one of the cans. "Here. I'm only allowed to have one juice a day, but if I drink juice now I'm gonna throw up, so you can have mine."
"Gross." Matama gratefully accepted the drink, popping the top and chugging it. She stifled a burp. "Can I come in your room?"
She wants to come in my room? It's a real playdate, Nemo thought, ecstatic. We can play together! Aloud, she only said "Sure, I guess."
The two girls sat down in front of the paused battle screen. Nemo still felt off after her little adventure to retrieve Matama.
Matama examined the characters on screen curiously. "What's this game? What's wrong with that lady's arm?"
"It's cursed... with darkness," Nemo said in an ominous voice. "She eats people with it."
"That's weird," Matama complained. "I don't like it."
Nemo's face reddened, and she looked away, feeling slightly dizzy. So much for playing it together. "Well, what do you want to do, then?"
"I made a song for you!" Matama dug in her backpack, brandishing a sheet of paper. "Here, I'll sing it for you now." She cleared her throat, launching into another of her trademark off-key, meterless tunes. "Nemo is sick, I better go quick, cause she's my friend, and I don't want her to end..."
Laughter burst out of Nemo before she could stop it, making her head spin. "That's so dumb!"
"Well I made it for you, so you better like it," Matama huffed. "You interrupted me! I'm not done!"
"Okay, okay," Nemo said, quieting down. The laughter had left her stomach feeling uneasy. But... she did say we're friends... and she did make this for me, so I guess I sh... Ulgh... She could feel a chill run through her body, and her mouth flooded with drool. Uh oh...
"She's at home all alone... So I gotta ride my bike and... hey, Nemo, are you okay?"
Nemo got to her feet, deeply pale. "I don't feel so good..." With only a moment's hesitation, she ran toward the bathroom.
The mashed-up remnants of the rice soup she'd eaten that afternoon reemerged with a vengeance as her body was racked with painful motions. Tears came to her eyes as she heaved. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this,
"Hey, watch out, you're gonna get it in your hair," Matama said, appearing beside her and pulling her hair back. "Geez... was my singing really that bad?"
Nemo wanted to shake her head and reassure her friend, but another wave rippled through her and she had to focus her attention forward. She felt terrible, crying in front of Matama. Little kid stuff.
But Matama didn't seem to mind. She patted Nemo's head softly, singing the "Nemo is sick" song again but quieter.
It was... weirdly comforting. And somehow, that only made her cry harder.
Until, at last, her stomach was empty again and she was exhausted.
Matama reached up, pulling the flush lever for her. "You should go to bed. That's what my mom always says when I'm sick."
Nemo didn't argue, leaning on Matama as her classmate led her back to her bed. She climbed in, and to her surprise, Matama climbed in right behind her.
"Somebody's gotta take care of you, specially if your mom's not home," Matama clucked, cuddling up next to her. "I'll sing you back to health."
There was no strength left in Nemo to complain. And besides, it felt nice. Having Matama sing her a song, even a terrible one, that was just for her, all about her...
The sniffling stopped. She relaxed.
And slowly, gradually...
... she drifted off to sleep, Matama's off-key lullaby carrying her there.
clunk
The sound of a plate hitting the nightstand woke Nemo from her reverie. Matama moved near-silently toward the door - a feat that Nemo knew all too well was a great challenge for the noisy girl.
"Matama," she whispered hoarsely. "Matama, wait."
"Ugh, you woke up anyway, and I was being so quiet," Matama complained, pouting. She came to sit beside Nemo on the bed. "Fine... what is it?"
"I was thinking about the first time you came over," Nemo whispered. "When you sneaked over with your bike, and my mom found you sleeping in my bed."
Matama giggled softly, her head dipping shyly. "... Yeah, I remember that. My mom made me promise never to go anywhere without telling her ever again. She was so mad."
"Especially after you came home and threw up on her." Nemo sat up, reaching over to the plate and popping one of the takoyaki balls in her mouth.
With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Matama feigned bopping Nemo on the head. "I keep telling you, I didn't throw up on her! She was just taking me to the bathroom when I had to barf. It was an accident."
Nemo finished chewing and swallowed - a painful affair in her condition, but well worth it for Matama's takoyaki. "An accident where you threw up on her. These are really good, Matama..."
"You'd better be grateful," Matama insisted with a scowl. "It's dangerous for my voice for me to get the flu, you know. I shouldn't be here."
"I know." Nemo peeked up at Matama. "But you are, so... thanks."
A spectacular scarlet flush flooded Matama's cheeks, and she looked down at the ground. "Somebody has to take care of you. Loco Musica can't sing without her Leber-chan in the audience."
"Did you tell the others that I'm sick?" Nemo asked. She probably should have done it herself, but... well, she knew telling Matama would get the information to them one way or another eventually.
"Oh, yeah! That's right, Utena said she's going to bring Korisu over after school," Matama said, clapping her hands.
Nemo stared at her girlfriend in confusion. "... What? Why? So those two can get sick too?"
"Uhhhh... I dunno why."
"You didn't ask? You're useless," Nemo whispered, clearing her throat and reaching for another ball.
Matama puffed out her cheeks. "Hey! I made you that takoyaki! And filled up your water." She prodded Nemo's ribs. "And you shouldn't be talking and clearing your throat like that so much, anyway. It's bad for your throat, dummy."
"Oh." Nemo fell silent, chewing on her takoyaki. "Hey, Matama."
"What?"
"Can you sing for me again?" Nemo asked, finishing the last of the takoyaki and laying her head back down. "It makes me feel better when I'm sick."
Matama looked over at her. "... Well... I do have some new songs to practice..." She sighed dramatically. "Okay, I suppose I can give you a little private concert... but no complaining. You have to take care of your throat!"
Nemo nodded silently, looking up at her with expectant eyes.
Once again, Matama launched into song. This time, though, Nemo stayed awake to the very end, never looking away.