(kazu,Chase, Mia.)

Kauzmi sat in her bed, looking out the window. It had only been yesterday since she had arrived, hadn't it? Kazumi had gotten a long night's rest. She was awake now, and her body felt heavy and she felt just plain tired. So in the nutshell, she felt pretty crappy. Her head hurt and if she'd try to get up she'd just feel dizzy. SO she sat there, staring drowsily out the window. The weird thing about Kazumi was she actually looked pretty darn cute when she was tired and messy. She appeared to be just like a little child. Another thing kazumi had discovered, was she was actually pretty good at drawing. She had been doodling on a piece of paper she had found and an old pen. On it she had drawn cows and sheep and cats and people. It was porbably about 8:30 AM, which was later than kazumi usually slept, and she felt to groggy to get out of bed.

Chase walked back through his house, fully dressed and glasses propped on his nose. He opened the back door and headed towards the guest house. He expected Kazumi to be sleeping. Mono was associated with extreme fatigue, he had learned after staying up late to read in some encyclopedia the night before.

He didn't bother to knock on the front door, but very, very slowly opened the bedroom door. "Kazu?" he asked softly. "Are you awake?"

"Hn?" "Ya." she said slowly turning her head toward the opening door. Kazu looked, well just plain awful! The effects of the mono were really starting to kick in. Kauzmi's skin was already naturally fair, but the sickness made it to a scary white, making her brown hair appeared darker than it was before. Kazu still managed to force a smile though. "You can come in." she said in a hoarse voice.

Chase entered. "You're awake," he said, surprised. She looked frail, like one of those porcelain dolls that Amelia had been obsessed with until she realized how easily they broke. The bedcovers were rumpled and showed signs of a fitful night's sleep. "Feeling any better?" It was a stupid question, but he had nothing else to ask. It felt strange to be checking in on a girl...in his own house. He felt like he was intruding. "You need anything? A drink? Pillows?"

Kazumi laughed, but it was dry and rough. "No, i'm fine." she replied. "Ah! i made the list by the way." Kazu leaned over and grabbed something off the nightstand, and held it out for chase to take. "I'll be ok, whatever i need i can get, i promise i'll be careful." 'By the way, if you see Mia today, can she come over? I'd really like to see her!"

Mia made her way to Chase's house, carefully not travelling by Rooftop to keep from being a noisy nuisance.
It was eerily sombre, as if the world had stopped to cry for the ill girl who waited inside.

Quickly slipping into the doorframe, she knocked lightly against the door and waited for a response, unable to find a smile from anywhere inside her.
"It's me." She called through the door, knowing Chase would likely be tending to a bedridden Kazumi.

Chase looked at the list. "Looks pretty straightforward," he said, nodding as he scanned it. "And no, you shouldn't be getting out of bed. You need to rest. I'm serious. You're going to make yourself sicker if you move around too much." He frowned. "Seriously, I am perfectly fine with being your own personal butler. I will bring you everything you need. There is a store attached to my home, okay? There's a million things I can get for you." He laughed.

"I think Mia's coming over later. She's going to help me out with your farm."

"Alright!" Kazumi said smiling. "Well, if you insist i like Peaches, apples, and oranges (preferably clementines) and banannas" "I also like ramen soup." Kazu hugged her knees to her chest and smiled widely. "That's probably all about i can eat right now." 'I'll only bother you if it's a dire emergency, promise." 'Ah! also, have Mia get a few pairs of clothes out of my closet, you also might want to take the horses for a ride" "It's a pretty day." 'And the tools for the garden are in the tool shed."

Chase laughed out loud. "OK," he said, nodding. "I'll get you your fruit right now, and Mia and I will leave once she gets here. After she says hi, I guess." He wondered how contagious Kazumi was, but decided it wasn't entirely important. "I'll tell her about the clothes, though I doubt she'll know which ones to take. Water all the crops in the field, right?"

Kazu nodded. "And make sure to weed!" Kazu yawned. "Oh ya, i need to take those pills, don't I?" "i hope they aren't pain killers." "If mono doesn't kill me, those things sure as heck will." "Umm, got any more paper?" Kazu asked staring down at the paper she had doodles on. She had filled it more than she had thought. Kazumi heard a light knock at the door and heard a familiar voice. "MIA!" She said as loudly as her scratchy voice would allow her. Her eyes lit up.

Mia heard the faintest voice from inside the house. Kazumi.
Fiddling with the doorknob, she established it was unlocked, and let herself in.
It was quiet.

She was used to Chase's house being a little quiet, sometimes, but there was always a sense of warmth and happiness.
Now, all she could feel was a crippling sense of melancholy.
Quickly making her way to where she guessed Kazumi was, she slipped into the doorframe, and there lay the bedridden girl.
"Hi, Kazu." She smiled, trying to force a cheer in her tone.

"Mia you came! I'm so happy!" A wide smile spread across Kazumi's face. Despite her pitiful appearance, Kazumi seemed to get a little life back in her. "Ah! i hope i didn't pull you away from anything important." Kazumi studied over Mia's face. "I didn't make you worry......did i? If i did i'm sorry...."

Mia nodded, smiling as she approached the ill Kazumi.
It just didn't look right, such a bubbly, lively girl in such a deathly pallor.

"Of course I came." She replied softly, kneeling down by the bed.
It was so strange, seeing her trapped in bed, it sent shivers up Mia's spine.
"Need anything?" She asked quickly, trying to remember she was basically waiting on Kazumi for now, at least, until she felt better.

"AH! no, i'm ok." Kazu said waving her hands. "Chase is going to get some things for me so i think i'm good." "Besides, i'm not really used to asking people for things....it makes me feel a bit selfish.." Kazumi blushed red, which was clearly easy to see with her pale skin. "Um, but i would like you to stay here with me for a bit..." 'If that's not asking to much..."

Mia sat herself down beside the bed, making herself comfortable.
Briefly, she wondered where Chase had gotten to; she hadn't seen him anywhere in the house anway.
"Of course I'll stay." She stated, grinning.

"Deary me, Kazu, what've you gotten yourself into now?" She asked teasingly, laughing. It was hard to make light of a situation when the liveliest person you knew lay there, right in front of you, white as a cloud.

Kazumi chuckled. "Don't worry, i'll be fine! Promise!" "In fact, i should be apologizing to you for practicality stoning your husband and then dragging him off!" "Once i get better, i'll treat you to ice cream, promise." Kazu made an 'x' over her heart. "Cross my heart and hope to.....well, y'know."

Mia laughed.
"That's okay, I understa-- Wait, husband?" She stammered, feeling a stubborn blush creeping up onto her cheeks. She hadn't quite thought that far yet, it made her a little shy.

Quickly, she looked for something to change the topic to.
"Y'know, Lady's growing fast. I can go get her for you." She suggested, hoping an energetic kitten might just be the thing to brighten the day and shoo away the melancholy.

Kauzmi's eyes brightened. "wahhhh! i'd like that a lot!" she said clasping her hands together. She didn't seem to notice the sudden change in subject. "Is it ok though? Maybe she won't remember me..." Kazu lightly coughed into her fist. "Ummm i hate to ask you this, but while you're up, can you please get me some water...?"