cogitationbox | (no subject)

[For the first month Law had Kyoko coming to his office once a week for a check-up. The first week he ran labs of all kinds to make sure her body was doing everything it was supposed to (she whined and complained the entire time). After that it was all very routine -- checking her heart, her breathing, her blood pressure, and her reflexes. He asked all the standard questions, followed all the standard procedures. It was a precaution and nothing more.

This was a different world. The rules he was used to back home might not have applied quite like he was used to. Not only that, but Kyoko's body had been without her soul for so long that he just wanted to make sure nothing had the chance to go wrong.

All in all she was in great health. She had some lingering cuts and bruises from her previous fights that she could no longer magic away, but other than that there was nothing wrong with her. She was a perfectly healthy fourteen year old girl.

And he was glad. So, so very glad. Kyoko was able to start living a normal life again. She'd told him that she even started going back to school (something her little brother had been thrilled about). Seeing her smiling and happy and living was wonderful. It filled him with a sense of pride, a sense of fulfillment that he'd never felt before.

He did something worthwhile. He did something that would have made Cora-san proud.

After that first month she started to develop a slight pallid look to her skin. It might have been nothing to worry about, perhaps she had caught a bit of a bug, but nonetheless Law advised her to come back two weeks. She complained, of course. After all, he had promised her that after the first month he would only have her come back once a month, but her health and well-being was more important than a minor inconvenience and a short visit to the doctor.

Two weeks later and here they are. Kyoko up on the examination table while Law busied himself with taking her vitals.

She still looked pale.]

How are you feeling, Kyoko? Any better?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kyoko shakes her head, but offers no argument in response. He's wrong. There's so much that she needs to apologize for--everything that she is, everything that she can never be--, but she wants him to be right. If he's not, she wants to believe him.

Just for a little while she can. His tight grip means that she's alright, still in one piece. His kind words mean can mean that she's still loved. Still worth something.]

...

Can you stay with me for awhile longer?

[Her voice is quiet, timid, almost certain that he'll say no. She clings tighter in response to that unspoken answer with an equally silent request.

Don't let go. Please.]

[He has no intention of saying no. No intention of going anywhere or doing anything other than make sure Kyoko was okay. He's the one who did this. He's the one who got her hopes up and gave her the ability to her live her life as a normal teenager for the first time in a long, long time and he's the one who took it all away.

He's responsible for this and he wasn't about to let her down again.]

Of course. As long as you need.

[And he won't let go, either.]