Usagi is...the most horriblest friend ever.
While she's been off moping about Mamoru, Makoto's been holed up in the clinic.
Bored. Sad. Lonely. Achy.
Sigh.
Stupid Usagi!
So, she sneaks in, a plate of home-made cookies in one hand (don't worry, Mama Ikuko made them!) and one of her stuffed bunnies in the other.
Quiet, creeping along into the room, she doesn't know if her friend is awake or not.
Super Stealthy Ninja Usagi!
She leans over the bed and whispers in a soft, quiet (LOUD) voice.
"Mako-chan, are you awake?"
Makoto has indeed been bored out of her mind. If she'd been allowed to go home instead of having to stay at the clinic, she'd almost certainly have given up on resting by now - it's such a terrible time to be out of commission and she's been restless, chafing to be up and *doing* something - but until the doctor gives her the okay to check out, there's been little else she can do to fill the time but alternately worry and try to sleep.
She was trying to sleep when Usagi came in, but the sound of her friend's voice rouses her immediately. "Usagi-chan!"
Oh, good! Mako-chan's awake!
Wait, did she wake her up?
Ooops...
"Sorry! I was just going to sit here until you woke up. I brought cookies! And a friend!"
She perches on the mattress, holding out both her offerings. "They're not as good as yours, but don't worry, Mama made the cookies, not me. And also, look! I brought you Mr. Hopplesworth to cuddle and tell secrets to."
With her help, Mr. Hopplesworth waves a bunny paw.
Then she's chewing her lip and rubbing her hand on her neck. She hopes this isn't a habit after the bruises are better!
"I'm so sorry I haven't come by sooner. I really should have! How are you?"
Once she's levered herself up to sit more or less upright, Makoto promptly leans to throw her arms around Usagi, stuffed bunny and all. "It's okay, Usagi-chan," she says. "You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm fine, really."
When she sits back again, she spreads her arms to demonstrate the lack of bandages. There's a lingering mark on the side of her face that's pink with new skin, but it's fading. "See? Dr. Shelby won't give me the ok yet, but I'm sure it'll be soon..."
Her voice trails off as she takes a closer look at her friend, brows drawing together in worry when her eyes settle on those bruises. "What about you, Usagi-chan? Are you all right?"
There's a small whimper from Usagi as she burrows deeper into Makoto's hug. "But still!"
When she pulls back, her fingers probe skin, new and old alike. She has to make sure! "Good. When you get out of here, I promise to help you make cookies! And by help, I mean watch! Unless you don't want to make cookies."
Then she's shifting in place, both over the concern and the fact that Makoto probably doesn't know yet. She knows she herself didn't want to worry the girl while she recovered. (Though maybe she was just delaying the inevitable...)
"Um...yeah. I mean no. I mean...I will be. Maybe." She sighs and looks at her hands. "The orphanage was a trap. Mamo-chan was taken, he attacked us, and I couldn't heal him. Well I did, but it killed him." She toys with the blanket. "The good news is the princess was revealed because of that."
Mako sits still while Usagi pokes at her, letting herself be checked out until her friend is assured. If Usagi ends up poking a particularly tender spot of mostly-healed, well, she mostly manages to suppress the wince.
The fidgeting on Usagi's part doesn't do a lot to make Makoto less worried, and her concerned expression only grows as she listens to the explanation. It goes by so quickly and so simply - coming from Usagi, of all people, and Mako well knows how high her friend's emotions can run - that for a little while it doesn't make any sense. The words might as well have been a foreign language.
It... killed him?
No. Surely not. Bracing her hands in her lap, Makoto leans forward, ducks her head down to try to meet Usagi's eyes as though she can find in them an explanation that will make sense. "Usagi-chan...?"
Usagi can't avoid the look, and she raises her eyes to meet Makoto's. For a moment she's quiet because she's trying hard not to cry. Again. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. He was your friend and--"
She has to cut off, because now she is crying. And she tries to be quiet about it, which just results in breathless, keening sobs. She tells herself it's for Makoto, because crying for others is still okay!
Her hug is, too, even if her hands are pressing tightly against her chest.
"It hurts, Mako-chan!" Well, she can no longer pretend now, can she? "I want to see him!"
When the tears break, that's when it finally sinks in, and Makoto knows it's real. And her heart breaks, both for Usagi and for herself.
"...I know." Her voice murmurs, low and a little shaky, as she wraps her arms around Usagi again. Her hand gently strokes the other girl's back, trying to soothe, even as tears begin to sting her own eyes. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. I'm so sorry."
It's all she can say. There's no promising that it'll be all right, not after something like this... and then, the inescapable thought follows: would it have happened if she hadn't been stuck here, out of the fight?
If she'd been there, would it have changed anything?
She hugs Usagi a little more tightly, until they've both cried it out.
It takes her a while to stop. She's been holding it in for days when normally she cries when she needs to right away.
When she does pull away, she's still sniffling a bit as she brushes her hand over Makoto's face, helping to dry away the tears.
Finally, she sighs, and offers a watery smile.
She doesn't explain her wild hopes that maybe it hadn't been him. After all, taste and oddities aside, it had felt like him, especially when he'd died.
"Are you okay?"
"I... don't know," Makoto admits, even as she's reaching out to fix Usagi's mussed bangs and wipe the tear-tracks from her face just like Usagi did for her. Even though she can't ignore the truth that Usagi's told her, there's still a part of her that hasn't accepted it yet. It'll take a while before it really feels wholly real. "I will be," is the best that Mako can say. "I'm more worried about you, Usagi-chan."
"No, don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" Well, she'll have a new definition of fine. "Besides. I'll have all those cats to keep me company when I grow older."
From most people, this may be a joke. Usagi is serious.
Then she's looking at the blanket again, poking it, for a different reason this time, though. "Also, I'll probably be too busy doing princessy stuff."
This, too, takes a moment to sink in before Makoto's eyes widen suddenly in surprise and delayed understanding. "The princess--!?"
The words break off, and she doesn't finish the question - that's right, Usagi said just a little while ago that the princess was revealed. She hadn't said who, and while on one level it's utterly shocking to put two and two together...
After a moment, Makoto lets out a weak little laugh. "I'm shocked, but it's weird... there's a part of me that isn't surprised it all. It's like there was a part of my memory that got unlocked somehow and I didn't realize until just now. But, geez, that must be a lot for you to deal with all of a sudden, Usagi-chan. Are you really okay?" Pausing for a moment, Makoto looks closely at Usagi's face, her own brow creasing in concern. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there."
Usagi, of course, deals with the most important part of that first. "No, you had to be here to get better." A firm, decisive nod.
And then she's shrugging. "I don't know, I don't feel any different. Except I was kind of stuck for a few days and was all glowy. And my hair's longer. But I just wrap the odangos a few more times, so!"
Of course, she knows what Makoto meant. But of course, she's making it a skill of ignoring things.
Mako doesn't exactly seem convinced, but she doesn't press. Not now, at least. "Okay," she says, with a little nod. "It's good if you don't feel any different. But... if it gets to be too much, tell me, okay? I'll have your back, no matter what."
Her smile is genuine. "I will!"
She leans against Makoto again, this time in a happier way. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was very worried. Not that I don't think you wouldn't be okay! I know you're strong. It's just, I'm still allowed to worry. So there."
In spite of everything, Makoto finds herself laughing a little at that 'so there'. "I'm just sorry I gave you a reason to be worried. But," she adds, curling a companionable arm around her friend, "I really am better now. Especially since you came to see me. I'll be back on my feet in no time for sure!"
She'll have to be, she tells herself inwardly. This is no time to be lying around as an invalid.
Usagi snuggles against Makoto, feeling as content as she could be. "Well, take the time you need! For some reason, it's been pretty quiet on the Dark Kingdom front since the orphanage. And since I have problems with nightmares, I can come visit you at night, too!" She taps her chin in thought. "I think a lot of people are having bad dreams for some reason. What about you?"
"Hmm..." She has to think about it, the corners of her mouth tucking downward slightly in contemplation. "I'm not sure," Makoto admits after a moment. "I feel like I've been dreaming a lot, but I don't really remember it after I wake up. They might be bad dreams, but I couldn't tell you what they were about or anything."
She's quiet for a little longer, thinking again, before she turns a worried look toward Usagi. "You're having a lot of nightmares? --Well, I guess you would be. Are you getting enough sleep?"
"I'm glad you don't remember them." She does. They are very scary.
In answer to Makoto's question, Usagi yawns, wide and jaw-crackingly long. "Um...yes? Cat naps. Dozes. Things like that. And the other day I slept for five whole hours!"
She sighs and snuggles closer. "I don't want to sleep. I keep seeing things. If I could sleep without dreaming, I would."
"Usagi-chan..." Makoto's voice draws the name out, gently chiding. "You'll get sick if you keep on going without sleep." Normally, she thinks, Usagi can sleep almost anywhere. The dreams must be really bad. Her worried frown grows a little deeper.
"Do you think it would help if you stayed over?" she asks. "I wouldn't mind."
Usagi mimics. "Mako-chaaaaan." She sighs. "I know. And I'm trying, promise."
Another yawn. Mako-chan is so comfy.
"Maybe not sleep, but...mmm, cookies."
Usagi can still fall asleep anywhere. But only when she forgets she's trying not to.