As soon as she saw him having trouble with the glass of water, Mayako reached out to help him, but he had taken care of it himself. She felt a little relieved by that and sat down. It was unfortunate; she had forgotten that Fenix still needed to go through physical therapy before he could do all that much. Until he was through with that, his body would essentially be relearning how to move, as his muscles became reacquainted with the act of actually moving. He could be helped through the process quite a bit, fortunately; Mayako had just never needed to do it--she'd probably not be the primary care for him, anyways. Post-coma patients were a tricky bunch that required more care than she was used to.

Once it seemed that he was going to have trouble eating, Mayako edged closer. How could she possibly help him with that? He had a spoon, a knife, and a fork--the basic essentials for eating around here.

"H-here . . ." Mayako leaned closer to him.

It would have been easier to sit on his bed with him, but he needed that space. Comfort was always helpful! Since Fenix couldn't eat on his own, only because he couldn't move his arms correctly, Mayako figured that it'd be best if she fed him. That's what Rebbecca would have done, right? She used a spoon to gather together a good medley of ingredients and held it close to his lips. It might have been a little embarrassing for him, but it wasn't going to be permanent.

At first, Fenix just stared at the spoon hovering in front of him--his first thought, oddly, was that she was having some for herself. But she didn't move it towards her lips, but rather his.

This must be a joke. But it wasn't, and he knew it. Clearly he couldn't feed himself yet, which embarrassed him to no end. He may not have been as bad as Kaiser, but he still had his pride.

Without eating, though, he wasn't going to regain the strength he needed to feed himself. Quite a conundrum. He had no choice but accept outside help to solve the matter; he'd just have to swallow his pride.

"T-Thanks," he mumbled after a few seconds hesitation, placing his mouth around the spoon and clumsily taking the bit. On second thought, I'm pretty sure Zach would enjoy being fed by a girl. And he had to admit it would be a lot worse if it was a guy feeding him.

As he swallowed the bite, his eyes widened in surprise--it was good. Really good. Far better than food served at a hospital had any right to bed. Regardless of how embarrassing eating it would be, he wanted more.

"It's really good," he commented, looking up at her expectantly.

"Th-thank you," replied Mayako, smiling.

Over the time she had been volunteering at the clinic, she had gotten used to the compliments to her cooking, as she often cooked for patients at scheduled times--which actually took a lot of slack off Rebbecca and Urikuse. Nonetheless, she was still flattered every time, and the girl was too humble to ever come out and claim to a stranger (or even a friend) that her cooking was something special, even though it really was. Nonetheless, this was something she had made in around ten minutes. Given the time to prepare an entire meal . . . well, Fenix was likely to not complain about the food he was going to receive during his stay in the clinic, that was for sure.

Maybe she really did have what it took to become a nurse. This was actually relatively easy. She hadn't thought that something like feeding another person would actually be easy to do, but Fenix was taking it well, and it was just like she was feeding herself, except with a different direction, and she had to be mindful of the other person--not forceful in the slightest, allowing him to lean forward just a bit to eat, with her not moving the spoon at all until he pulled back from it. That made things so much easier. By the time the dessert was finished off, she was relatively comfortable with it--with Mr. Black, that is.

"Feeling any better . . .?" Mayako asked as she stood up straight, ready to take the tray away once he finished his water.

"Yeah," Fenix replied as he shakily finished his water. The food tasted extremely good (though after five months in a coma, gruel would have probably tasted great), but more importantly he had something in his stomach to digest, and his throat was much better.

With any luck, I'll at least be able to feed myself tomorrow.

The questions he had earlier entered into his mind again, and unable to think of any good transition he just came right out and asked. "Where are we?" After a moment, he realized he might need to clarify. "I mean as in, what city? Am I still in Galaens?"

He didn't know--if he'd really been in a coma for five months, they could have moved him practically anywhere on the continent. He wasn't aware of how much care was required of coma patients--for all he knew, he more or less just slept for a long time.

Maybe I should learn more about first aid. Since he could always use healing magic for light stuff, I've never bothered to learn.

The water was finished off and the dessert was done, so there was no more need to have the tray getting in Mr. Black's way--well, at least, aesthetically in the way. It wasn't like it was hindering his movement anymore than it already was. Mayako moved it over to another bed, just for comfort's sake.

"Galaens?" she asked, before shaking her head. "No, you're a couple of hours north of Galaens, in Hillcrest."

An hour by horse, several hours on foot. Going to Galaens was something they didn't often do, if only because of how far out it was, and they especially didn't visit a place like Rangeki, which was further south on the same road. Nonetheless, there were only a couple of people in the village who made regular trips to Galaens--business, family, friends and the like.

"Galaens is a lot bigger of a town than this, b-but they have r-really bad health care. Th-this is the Tsukimono Clinic, p-probably the best clinic you'll find in miles . . ." Mayako then paused for a moment, "A-and I don't say that because I work here. Um, a-actually, I'm just a volunteer."

"Aha. Well it's a good thing I'm here, then." He didn't have any particular attachment to Galaens; it was just the last place he'd been, and he figured as the most likely place he still was. To someone who traveled as much as he did, a few hours away wasn't very far, either, so it didn't bother him much.

"Though, I don't think I've heard of Hillcrest before," he noted aloud. For good reason, though; he and Kaiser usually avoided Cizok, so they didn't have any reason to come this way.

He didn't care much that she was a volunteer, though, and it actually made more sense given how old she looked. There was no way someone her age could be an actual trained nurse.

"So...what time is it?" It was another abrupt transition, but it was another question weighing on his mind. Perhaps it was odd for a patient to ask so many questions, but his was an odd situation, and it was in his nature to want to know as much about his circumstances as possible.

"I-it's understandable, actually," Mayako stated in regards to Fenix never hearing of Hillcrest, "Th-this is just a farming village. Um, we used to have a popular religious hub, b-but . . . th-that's gone, now . . ."

And she sounded sad about that. Her eyes were downcast and tone soft, mellow, bordering on silent towards the end of the statement--but it didn't keep her from continuing with the statement.

"W-we're just lucky that the Tsukimonos are kind enough to stay here."

Mayako was more than willing to get off of the subject, though, and instead focused on Fenix's question about time. She glanced around. Usually, the place was lit by sunlight alone, but since there were lit candles and lamps everywhere, and half of them were blown out, it was more than enough to suggest to her that they were in the after-hours time. Though, Fenix hadn't been around the clinic (consciously) long enough to realize that. Mayako stifled a yawn just then, and suddenly found it difficult to not see the neighboring bed as an enticing work of production.

She had trouble hiding the sleepiness in her tone, too. "The time? I-it's . . . about three in the morning, last time I ch-checked. I-it's probably later than that, now."

Fenix didn't respond to the comment about there being religion (it sounded like a sad subject) but he did reach down to his chest to feel for his pendant. It reminded him of his own home, the church that now served as a sort of orphanage.

It was still there, which was odd. The doctors surely had to remove it while working on him, so someone must have replaced it on him. He pulled it out from under his hospital gown so he could look closer at it. He wasn't sure what he believed as far as religion went. Kaiser disdained organized religion and made no secret of it, and his pendant was less a testament of his faith so much as a memento of his home and the man who raised him. Still, he couldn't help but feel some warmth at the thought of being in churches.

He was brought out of his reverie by her answer to his question. "Three in the morning?" He looked at her a little more closely, and saw that she was pretty clearly tired. Was she always up this late, or was it just because of him?

"I'm fine now--you don't have to stay up for my sake." It wasn't as though he was going anywhere, and now that he'd eaten he was feeling a bit tired himself. As much as he really didn't want to sleep any more than he already had, he probably needed the rest, and the time would pass quicker than if he were awake.

"I-it's okay," Mayako replied before yawning again, ". . . . . I can stay awake until you're asleep."

There was a good chance that she couldn't back that claim. Fenix was much less tired than she was. Mayako had been awake all day, from early in the morning, to late at night.

"I-it's important, you know?" Mayako asked tiredly, "Th-that someone is here to watch you, just in case y-you fall back into a coma, o-or, um, y-your body has problems with m-moving or anything--o-or if you have to go to the b-bathroom. Tsukimono-sama should be awake soon, though, s-so . . . even if I go to sleep and sleep in, s-someone will still be able to monitor y-you."

Truthfully, it hadn't been recommended or anything. Mayako was just going off of everything she knew about comas, which was actually very little. Since it wasn't expected that Fenix Black would be waking up anytime in the near future, it was one of the subjects that they'd get to later, and he just so happened to wake up before they had that chance.

"I'll be fine," Fenix replied. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. The food'll take some time digest, anyway." Really, the bathroom issue was his only worry. He just ate, and as far as he knew it'd be unlikely for him to fall back into a coma. Unless there was something they weren't telling him about his condition, he didn't see why he'd need to be supervised constantly anyway.

Unless they think I'm going to do something stupid like try and get up and leave on my own.

"You like you're about to sleep on your feet anyway," he noted, laying back down. He wasn't too tired yet, but he didn't have anything else to do but relax and try and sleep, as he didn't want to keep Mayako up with more questions.

"B-but . . ." Mayako trailed off.

She thought for a moment about what Rebbecca or Urikuse would say. Of course, keeping an eye on a recently awoken coma patient was important, but if she couldn't do it successfully, would she be doing more harm than good? Possibly, but if she could outlast, then all would be well! It was a matter of responsibility in the end, and she had every intention of living up to it!

"O-okay, how about this?"

Mayako edged closer to the unoccupied neighboring bed, took the tray she had set upon it, and moved it over to the next bed. She then returned to the bed neighboring Fenix's, and plopped down like a laborer that had just gone through a double shift with no break. She lay upon her side, facing Fenix, and kept her half-open eyes on him.

"I'll lay here a-and try to stay awake, a-and you rest--b-but if I go to sleep before you, a-and you need something, I'm right here to help," Mayako stated her plan tiredly. She was definitely going to wind up going to sleep before Fenix, that much was for sure.

"Suit yourself." It didn't particularly matter to him where she slept, but he did think it was kind of odd that she was sleeping here rather than going home. Especially as she claimed to be a volunteer. She was apparently very dedicated.

Won't the doctors find it odd, though? He'd gotten a glimpse of one of them, but had been too out of it to pay much attention at the time.

He closed his own eyes, not really intending to sleep but just relaxing. Mayako, huh? She's recovered pretty well, even it has been five months.

Five months...I wonder how everyone's doing... Now he wasn't thinking of his recent comrades, but rather the familiar faces back at the church, the children and teens that occupied and took care of the place.

Suit yourself? But . . . but she was just trying to help! If he needed help in the middle of the night, he'd be able to wake her up--like, if he had to go to the bathroom or something, she was right there. He'd just have to raise his voice and she'd wake right up. Mayako was a super-light sleeper, so it wasn't like he was going to have to call for her more than once.

So . . . he didn't have to be mean about it. Maybe it was the fact that he had just woken up, though. She'd certainly have been grumpy after a five month long sleep, too. He probably had good reason to be grumpy, then. But still . . .

"H-hey . . ." Mayako pouted, "Y-you don't have to say it so mean . . ."

Though she put on a good sad voice and a pout, Mayako was way too tired to be taken seriously. In fact, it actually wouldn't be much more than a couple of minutes before no further responses came from her, and the girl was sound asleep.

Fenix turned his head to look at her, confused. "Mean...?"

Dammit, this always happens. He hadn't meant to be rude--he was just stating what he thought, that it didn't really matter to him if she stayed with him or not. Maybe his wording was off...or did she take offense to the idea that someone would be indifferent to her?

Normally he didn't bother correcting himself, but seeing as she'd been extremely nice to him (and fixed him a very good dessert) he felt like he should apologize. Besides, it was never a good idea to piss off those in charge of caring for oneself.

But by the time he mulled over the words enough to be fairly certain he wasn't going to be rude again, she was sound asleep. I guess I'll just apologize when she wakes up.

The night (or rather morning) passed uneventfully, save for one thing. Just as Mayako was becoming awake, she'd be aware of a presence--someone else in the room, watching them. But by the time she came fully to her senses it would be gone without a trace.

Mayako was usually rather quick in getting up. She was concerned enough with personal hygiene that if she didn't wake up, get dressed, brush her teeth, and take care of everything else she needed to (shaving her legs, washing her hair, etc.), she'd feel especially unclean after twenty minutes or so of just laying in bed. Today was an off day, though, if only because she was laying in a hospital bed--oddly reminiscent of days past, when sleeping for excessive periods of time was perfectly fine. It was too bad she was too depressed at the time to enjoy it . . .

When Mayako was finally conscious enough to be aware of the area around her, and sit up accordingly, it finally hit her that she had fallen asleep--and that it was morning, and that most of the lamps and candles were blown out to let the natural sunlight in. And that, for a brief moment, she and Fenix had not been alone in the room. Was it just a passing post-dream thought, or did that really happen? Mayako glanced to Fenix, who seemed to be sleeping well. It was either her imagination or one of the Tsukimonos, either or.

Nonetheless, getting up and getting ready to work was imperative. She got off of the bed rather quickly, but forgot that there were used dishes on a tray on a nearby bed. Groggily, she left the room, walking down the hall with a bit of a stomp of her legs--of her legs not wanting to move all that much. If she weighed more, someone might have actually heard it.

"Tsukimono-sama?" Mayako called out once she was closer to the interior of the Tsukimono household than she was the clinic.