Chapter Text
It had been a long night of research, sewing, double-checking measurements, and troubleshooting the school’s embroidery machine, but Rakshata was still very excited. She surveyed the eight dress forms she had stuffed into her dorm room with not a small amount of pride. Each one was designed for a different member of the club in mind, and yet they all came together in a single cohesive whole. The costume theme had been embellishments, and these dresses fit that to a T! She even got to cover her dress in sticker decals!
She deliberately ignored the time on the digital clock in the corner. So what if it was three in the morning? The Y.G. International Idol Club had entrusted her with their costumes for the next show, and she would deliver! She still had so many ideas! And the zigzags on Leo’s scarf weren’t going to sew themselves!
These costumes were going to be absolutely perfect. Rakshata was sure of it.
-
“Rakshata, are you alright?”
Rakshata snapped out of a daze she didn’t know she’d been in. Jennifer was standing over her, looking quite concerned.
Rakshata chuckled awkwardly. “Um, why do you ask?”
“You’ve been kneeling there for five minutes and you’ve only got one shoe on. Are you good?”
“She does look a bit pale, now that you mention it, Jenny.” Rebecca poked her head out from behind her locker door. “Ra-ra, are you up to school today?”
“Um…” Rakshata didn’t know. She had come down with a headache this morning, but she couldn’t feel it anymore, so the medicine she’d taken must have kicked in. Her throat wasn’t sore or scratchy, her nose was clear, and she didn’t feel feverish. She was still quite tired, but that was to be expected on only two hours’ sleep, and Rakshata was certain she could manage it. “I believe I’m alright. I’ll let you know if anything changes, though. Thank you for checking in.”
“Of course!” Rebecca replied.
“We’re here for you, girl,” Jennifer added. “Now come on, get your other shoe on. We’ll walk you to class.”
-
Rakshata was perhaps two hours into the school day before her headache returned with a vengeance. The dull ache she’d woken up to this morning had spread to the rest of her body, and there was a burning pain behind her eyes so intense that it made her ears ring. The letters and numbers on the algebra notes in front of her were swimming off the page. She was so very cold, the sleeves of her sweater doing nothing to stop her shivers. But she couldn’t close her eyes to ease the pain, or she feared she’d fall right to sleep at her desk.
It was official. Rakshata was sick, it was absolutely her own fault, and she needed to see the nurse.
She just had to find the strength to move first. Hopefully her mouth could manage to form the words she needed.
She just… had to stand up.
-
Jenny was right to be worried, Rebecca thought. Rakshata normally had a quiet grace about her, and absolutely none of that serenity had been with Rakshata at the shoe lockers this morning. She had looked progressively worse as class wore on, even from where Rebecca sat two rows behind her. Her eyes were glassy, her face had a sickly sheen, and her hands shook when she’d attempted to write notes. The poor dear looked exhausted, and it simply wasn’t right that she was in class and not in bed.
Rebecca may have been paying more attention to her friend than she was to their teachers, but it was for a very good cause! The gods wouldn’t be so cruel as to punish a concerned friend with a bad grade, would they?
Finally, the morning’s classes finished and lunch break began. Rebecca popped up from her desk like she was spring-loaded, determined to drag Rakshata kicking and screaming to the nurse’s office. “Rakshata Basu, this has gone on long enough!”
Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, Rakshata didn’t have any energy to spare putting up a fight. She could barely turn her head to respond. “Rebecca, I don’t feel well.”
“I can see that.” Rebecca plucked Rakshata’s schoolbag from where it hung on her chair. “You and I are going to the nurse’s office right this instant! Here, take my hand.”
Rakshata, to her credit, did attempt to follow Rebecca’s command. But it appeared she did not have the strength to stay upright for long, stumbling forward into Rebecca’s arms.
“Put your arm around my shoulder, Ra-ra,” Rebecca instructed her gently. “I’ll carry you out if I have to.”
“You’re too kind, Rebecca…” Rakshata mumbled, as the two of them began stumbling toward the classroom door. “Thank you…”
Rakshata wasn’t doing very much to stay upright, in Rebecca’s opinion, as they shuffled their way out the door. “Are you holding up alright?”
Rakshata didn’t respond.
“Rakshata? Ra-ra? You alright?”
And then Rakshata’s legs gave out. Not expecting the weight of a second-year to be placed entirely on her, Rebecca tumbled to the ground holding Rakshata’s body.
“Rakshata? Rakshata!” Rakshata could barely manage a mumble in response. “RAKSHATAAAAAA!”
Rebecca had to take matters into her own hands. Using all her idol strength, Rebecca swept Rakshata into a bridal carry and sprinted away.
“Don’t worry, Rakshata! I will save you! The Buddha himself will answer our prayers!”
-
Yukari was pulled out of an English worksheet by her phone buzzing in her purse. ZenBecky, Rebecca’s username in their club group chat, had posted- oh my goodness, 20 messages!?
Yukari quickly scrolled through the text log. Rakshata was ill? She had collapsed in the hallway? Rebecca had to carry her to the nurse’s office? How awful! Yukari had to do something!
<I’ll be right there.> She typed. <Please wait for me!>
“Professor, may I be excused, please?” Yukari said, in careful English. She was still in class, after all, and the teacher had noticed her frantic typing.
“Where are you going, Miss Saotome?” the teacher asked.
Yukari thought hard for the right words to say. “My friend is sick. May I please-”
The teacher sighed, taking pity on Yukari’s frantic tone. “You’re excused, Miss Saotome.”
“Thank you!”
Yukari rushed out of her classroom and made it to the nurse’s office in record time. Rebecca was curled up on a plastic chair, still typing furiously, next to Rakshata’s cot. The nurse tsked at Yukari’s abrupt entrance, but she’d treated enough of the Idol Club’s injuries to know that they were always this dramatic. “Please be quiet, Saotome-san, for Basu-san’s sake.”
“Sorry!” Yukari whispered. “Is she sick?”
“She has a migraine, that’s all,” the nurse replied. “Unpleasant, but nothing pain medication and rest can’t solve. Now, would you two mind taking her back to the dorms? She needs a nice dark room and some water. Nurse’s orders.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Rebecca said. Yukari nodded.
The two of them carefully approached Rakshata. “Rakshata-chan?” Yukari said gently. “It’s Yukari and Rebecca. We’re here to bring you back to you room, okay?”
“Sorry for causing so much trouble…” Rakshata mumbled.
“Nonsense, Ra-ra.” Rebecca said. “Friends take care of friends.”
-
Rakshata became aware of herself again a few hours later. She had been tucked up in bed in her dorm room, all the curtains had been drawn, the dress forms had been pushed into a corner, and Yukari was sitting close by. The darkness and quietness of the room soothed her headache slightly, with only the glint from under the curtains causing any pain.
“Rakshata-chan, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”
“Hi, Yukari-san. Not well, sorry. It’s my fault.”
Yukari sighed. “How would getting sick be your fault?”
Rakshata pulled up her blanket bashfully. “I may have pulled an all-nighter when I didn’t need to, because I wanted to work on our costumes, and I made you all worry. So, I’m sorry.”
“We all makes mistakes, Rakshata-chan, and I’m not mad. I know you’ll learn from this. Besides, I think your headache is punishment enough.”
“Mhm. Can I have some water, please?”
“Already by your bed.”
Rakshata carefully took the cup from her bedside table and drank. “Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble. I’ll be here until Jenny comes over. We’ll be by your side until you feel better.”
“Thank you, Yukari-san.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Jenny’s delivery service! Open up!”
“Hi, Jennifer,” Rakshata called weakly. “Come in.”
Yukari opened the door with an exaggerated huff. “Jennifer-san, be quiet!” Somehow, Yukari made a whisper sound like a rebuke. “Do you even know what a migraine is!?”
“Uh, yeah!” Jennifer replied, though she still lowered her voice at Yukari’s request. “They run in my family. I brought nice bland stuff for dinner so it doesn’t aggravate Rakshata’s head.”
Before the door had even shut behind her, Jennifer rushed to Rakshata’s bedside and felt her forehead. “No fever, good. You can never tell with these things. Now stay put. I’ll make you some tea.” Jennifer scooted to the kitchenette and brought out boxes of teabags. “Jasmine or orange pekoe?”
“Jasmine, please.”
Jennifer nodded and put the kettle on. She then pointed at Yukari. “Oh, before you go, Yukari. Did the nurse make her eat anything, or should I make some toast too?”
“Please feed her,” Yukari replied. “I have a sneaking suspicion she didn’t eat today.”
Oh, Yukari was right. Rakshata had been working so hard on the dresses that she had forgotten to eat breakfast today. Whoops.
Jennifer took in Rakshata’s guilty expression and fake-pouted. “No wonder your head hurts! No worries, though! Dr. Jenny’s here to take care of you.”
“Seems you’re in good hands, Rakshata-chan,” Yukari said. “Bye now!”
“Bye-bye!” Jennifer called as Yukari gently shut the door. “Did the nurse give you anything for your head?”
“Um, just some Tylenol, I think.”
“Cool.” Jennifer pulled a comically large bottle of ibuprofen out of her purse. “You can take two of these with dinner, then.”
“Jennifer, I know I’m the sick one, but I worry about you.”
Jennifer paused as she shook the pills out of the bottle. “What? They’re only 200 milligrams each. They’ll make you feel better, promise.”
“If you say so. I trust you, Jennifer.”
The two were quiet for a while as Jennifer prepared dinner. Rakshata still felt guilty for causing such a fuss, but what was she to do? It would be equally rude, if not more so, to rebuff everyone’s help.
“Um, Jennifer?” Rakshata asked eventually.
“What’s up? You need anything?”
“I never got to thank Rebecca for helping me. Could you tell her?”
“I’ll let her know.” The kettle finally boiled, and Jennifer poured the water into the waiting mugs. “You’re too sweet, you know that? You’re the one laid up and you’re still trying to make it up to people.”
“Part of my sweet idol charm, I suppose,” Rakshata said.
Jennifer rolled her eyes and handed Rakshata her tea. The scent thankfully wasn’t overpowering to her aching head.
Then Jennifer took her other hand. “We’ll look out for you no matter what, honey." She gave Rakshata a wry smile. "I’d just like it better if you asked instead of collapsing, okay?”
Rakshata squeezed back. “…Okay. I'll keep you in mind.”