Capítulo 8: Our Faith
As the sun shone across the Butterfly Mansion, sparking that a new day had arrived, Shinobu Kocho lay dormant, inside the medical ward of the colossal structure. Her eyes were closed and her expression was one of peace. Hands resting by her sides, and the silky, smooth blanket covering most of her body, she was sleeping silently. On the other hand, the room she was in was bustling with activity. The light smokey grey concrete walls were mostly covered by pinned boards, which held much-needed information. There are dark hardwood bedside tables with two drawers each next to each bed and under the windows, which were covered with many gifts and cards.
"Are her vitals and stats progressing?"
Aoki asked in a stern tone, causing the other Butterfly girls to rush and check. They crowded around Shinobu's body and began to look over the various boards.
"No ma'am! They are stable, just like yesterday!"
Naho replied, the other two nodding as well. The serious expression Aoki wore didn't waver at the good news. Instead, she stomped her foot on the ground and looked down. The three assistants glanced at each other in worry. Aoki hadn't been acting like her normal self. She was harsher than normal, even almost refusing to treat one of the other Slayers due to them asking a simple question.
"M-Ma'am?"
Sumi stuttered out, stepping forwards while the other two shook their heads. Before Sumi could speak again, Aoki pointed to the door with a trembling hand.
"G-Go work on the others."
She said in a low voice. The tone made shivers run up each of the assistant's spines. They nodded and bowed slightly, before sprinting out of the infirmary room.
As soon as they closed the door behind them, Aoki let out a choked sob. She fell to her knees and cried softly. Wrapping her arms around herself, translucent tears ran down her cheeks and she hiccuped. Seeing Shinobu in that state made her heart shatter into a million pieces, like glass. Shinobu was one of the people who kept her going. Kept her wanting to move forward. A week of this torture. A week of having to see the person who helped her life grow brighter. B-
A sudden knock at the door caused Aoki to snap out of her thoughts. She realized the warm trail of tears that were on her cheeks and she wiped them away quickly. She stood up and, still cradling herself, walked towards the door. Her eyes were reddened and her body was trembling slightly. Shakingly, she grabbed the door handle and slid the door open.
"What do you want? Shinobu-sama is resting-"
Aoki's remark was cut short when she realized who was at the door. Her breathing began to get regulated and she looked down to the floor.
Giyuu Tomioka...
The male had been coming to the room every other day for the past week. He would sit in the chair next to Shinobu's bed and silently accompany her. The hours he stayed were irregular and confounding. Sometimes, he would whisper to her in a hushed tone, as if he was afraid she would hear. Other times, he would graze his hand against hers, only to remove it as soon as he did. He was always gentle with the way he approached her. It was different from the way they usually communicated to each other before.
"I came here to-"
"Yeah, I know. Take your time, but don't touch anything."
Aoki interrupted him by replying in a strict tone. Besides her voice wavering a little, she sounded just like her regular self. Her eyes were still trained on the ground as she walked past Giyuu and down the silent corridor. Sighing, Giyuu looked back at the younger female as she went away. He knew how hard it was for them, but decided not to say anything. He wasn't the best at comforting so he never tried to. Closing the door behind him, he looked towards Shinobu as she peacefully slept, and his expression saddened.
If only he had been there to save her.
"Look at him," Sumi whispered, her voice low and directed at the other two assistants. "he's been there all night." Her finger was pointed in the direction of where Shinobu's bed was. She was still lying in the same position as the day before, though someone else was accompanying her. Beside her, Giyuu had crossed his arms over the mattress and laid his head down. One of his hands were gently wrapped around Shinobu's. "Should we wake him?" Kiyo asked, causing the other two to shake their heads frantically.
This was one of the first times they had been able to see Giyuu in a state of peace. His face was free of it's natural, cold aura and he looked relaxed.
"Let's just check on her while being quiet. Come on!" Naho exclaimed in a hushed tone. She gestured the other two to follow her as she began to sneak into the room. Their footsteps were inaudible, except for the groan of the floor every now and then. Naho was the first to reach Shinobu's bed. She pointed to the pinned boards across the room and mouthed demands to the others, who immediately followed her orders. As they were walking over to the opposing wall, Naho looked down at Shinobu and felt herself smile. The sight of her and Giyuu sleeping together peacefully was heart fluttering.
She knelt down and gently pressed her fingers against the older female's wrist. As she checked her pulse, she looked over at the clipboard on the desk next to her. "Naho! What is her pulse?" Sumi asked from across the room, Kiyo flicking her for being a bit loud. Naho put one finger up and waited. After she was sure that Shinobu's pulse was constant and clear, she turned to the other two and gave them a smile.
"Looking good-"
Then she felt a sudden, but short jerking movement. Her gaze landed the hand that she was grabbing. Did she actually feel something? Naho shook the thought out of her mind and was about to focus back on the task at hand when she saw something the corner of her eye movements. It was a slight motion, not much. Naho trained her eyes on Shinobu's hand and narrowed her eyes. Then, she saw the older female's fingers twitch.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked a few times. Before she could say anything, her own hand was grasped weakly by Shinobu unconsciously. Tears welled up in Naho's eyes as she placed a hand over her quivering mouth. She had moved. For the first time, in an entire week, she had made movement. Naho removed her hand from over her mouth and turned towards the other two girls.
"Girls! S-Shinobu moved! She grabbed my hand!"
This immediately made Kiyo and Sumi rush over to the bedside. They looked with widened eyes at Shinobu and watched as her fingers twitched once more. "O-Oh my god, she did!" Sumi exclaimed, hugging herself as tears ran down her cheeks. All of their forgotten hope had been restored. Kiyo was the only one who had decided to take action. "We need to report to Aoki-sama!" She stated, stepping away from the bedside and turning towards the door. She stumbled out and began to run down the corridor, hoping that Aoki was somewhere nearby.
Naho continued to grip onto Shinobu's hand lightly as Sumi went to edit the charts and boards. Shinobu was still laying in her same position, but her face seemed to be more tense than usual. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed and her muscles were tighter. Sumi had just finished writing down the new status when the infirmary door was slammed open.
Aoki was standing in the doorway with Kiyo behind her. The older female didn't say anything as she quickly walked towards Shinobu's bed. Her expression was one of confusion, for it wasn't her usual strict look, but more of a warm one. She sat on the edge of the mattress and opened her hand towards Naho. Naho nodded and gently placed Shinobu's hand in Aoki's, then backing away and standing besides Sumi and Kiyo.
"Shinobu, I don't know if you can hear me, but just know that we're doing our best to bring you back to us. Just rest and let us take care of you. We'll leave you alone with Giyuu-kun now, okay? Remember that we love you with all of our heart. Have sweet dreams."
Aoki's words brought tears to the three girls eyes. They cried softly and hugged each other, the sight causing Aoki to smile softly. She lightly kissed the back of Shinobu's hand and then leaned forwards to kiss her on her forehead. She had hope that she would wake up soon. If not soon, then they would still wait for her. No matter how long it would take.
"Don't worry, she's going to wake up soon. You have to have faith in her."
Everyone's attention turned to the deep and neutral voice that had spoken. Giyuu was sitting up now, looking at Shinobu while still holding her hand. His grip was tighter than when he was sleeping. Then, he had locked eyes with Aoki, who had been surprised that he had woken up. Their gaze was held with an utmost of respect. They both nodded and didn't move their attention elsewhere.
"She has our faith."
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