My, My, Imai! Vol. I

Hatori:
When Hatori woke the next morning, it was right out on the porch to his study where he had fallen asleep that night while watching the snow fall. The ground was white and everything was covered with it, and even his eyelashes had frosted together from the cold he slept through. How silly it would be if he were to fall ill after always being against going in the chilly nights with all his patients.

Stiff and completely numb, he had a hard time standing up and kept the blankets wrapped tight about him. Nose and cheeks red, his lips were a pale shade of blue, and he was certain that he would have gotten some form of frost bite if it hadn't been for the extra blanket that had somehow found him.

Squinting some, it took a great deal of effort to roll the chair through the sliding door that had been left open, keeping the room the same temperature as outside. Thankfully, the Main House had an exceptional heating system, and the frost would be knocked of everything with a matter of minutes.

Ayame:
It wasn't until later in the day that there was a sound knock on Hatori's door.

"Oh, Ha~a'ri! I have a surprise for you!"

Ayame's loud and booming voice rang in through the closed door. He had no idea that Hatori had been out in the cold all night; he'd been far too busy that morning finishing things up with Imai.. Who he was getting along with a little better than before, but things were still quite shaky.

Imai:
Imai felt strange as she stood with Ayame outside of the Hatori's door. Really, she felt so odd in such an extravagant costume that she almost didn't want to wear it; the idea of getting too much attention wasn't her cup of tea.

But she was eager to let Hatori see it, at the very least. She hoped that he would like it, no matter how flashy it seemed compared to her typical, bland robes.

Hatori:
The doctor winced, wrapped up tight in the blankets still as he turned his head up slowly and in Ayame's general direction. It hurt to move still even though it had been hours, but at least the color had come back more to his face and he wasn't shivering nearly as much now that he had had himself a couple cups of coffee. Over all, he was a bit on the cranky side, and made a face at his cousin before he even knew what it was.

"Can it wait?" he murmured, closing his eyes again and turning away.

Oi, he felt completely run down, as anyone would having spent the night outside on the night that hosted the first snow of winter.

Imai:
Imai's voice was half muffled by the closed door.

"Ayame-san... We should leave him be for now; I don't think he's feeling very well--"

Ayame:
"Nonsense! The surprise we have for him will make his heart leap with joy!"

Imai:
"I seriously doubt it... We should let it stay a surprise until Christmas. It's not fair to everybody else, right?"

Ayame:
"I won't hear it! We've gone through so much trouble already! And there's more to it than just showing off your pretty little outfit!"

Imai:
"Why do you have to come up with the most embarrassing things to say?"

Ayame:
"It's my job, Sweetheart; get over it. Ha~a~a'ri..! We're coming i~i~in!"

Imai:
Imai looked thoroughly embarrassed when Ayame opened the door and nudged her into Hatori's office. It had all been the snake's idea, and while Imai thought that it was a nice thing to do, she didn't think she'd be the one doing it!

"R... Really... I think he wants to be left alone for awhile, Ayame-san..!"

She was stunning. The outfit that Ayame had been making was already finished, and she was clad in it as part of the 'surprise' Ayame had come up with for Hatori. It was a Chinese-style kimono with a high-set collar. The primary color of it was a deep emerald green, which set off her hair in the perfect colors of Christmas. The sleeves of the dress were long and sheer, set as a slightly lighter color of green as they belled out, long enough to hide her hands. The hem of the sleeves were designed to look as though they were the petals of a great flower. A highly decorative, golden frog-clasp kept the collar of the outfit together with a hidden zipper in the back. Her hair had been put up in a tight bun at the back of her head, decorated with tinkling chopsticks. She felt like as though she were going to an extremely strange wedding; she knew she'd be FAR overdressed for the party, and she dreaded to think of what Ayame had in store for her New Year's outfit.

In her hands, she held a tray that had not only a cup of coffee, but also a hot breakfast.

Really, it had all been Ayame's idea!

Hatori:
Hatori didn't have any particular reaction when the girl was suddenly shoved into his office before him, eyes squinted still as he stared out from the folds of the blankets he kept about him still. Really, it was too bad that Ayame hadn't finished a night sooner so that he would really be able to appreciate it.

"It's nice," was the best that either of them got and the doctor gave up on squinting and just closed his eyes instead.

The light of the room hurt, head feeling as if it were being held under water. The breakfast didn't smell or even look the slightest bit appetizing, making him silently wish that people would ask before turning to do something of that sort for him. He hated letting it go to waste.

Imai:
Imai, of course, while slightly disappointed at Hatori's lack of interest, knew that while anybody was sick, they only held interest in feeling better.

She turned to Ayame with a scolding look.

"I told you he was sick and we should've waited until Christmas. The surprise is all spoiled."

She turned fully around and held the tray out to Ayame.

"Go take this to the kitchen; somebody will eat it."

Ayame:
"But what about Ha'ri? The DOCTOR can't be sick!"

Imai:
"He'll be fine.. He's a DOCTOR. Come on, now, let's leave him alone..!"

Ayame:
"But who will take care of him? If he's sick, he shouldn't be doing anything! You should take care of him, Imai!"

Imai:
"It'd be a cold day in Hell when a doctor wants his patients to take care of him. Come on.."

She was already starting to usher Ayame toward the door. They were getting along better, at least. Turning her head over her shoulder, she offered Hatori an apologetic look for having disturbed him. It was rather funny how the two of them didn't need words to communicate on the occasion.

Hatori:
"..."

Except that Hatori hadn't even been looking at her when they both made way to leave him in peace. He wasn't exactly sick, just... Not feeling quite himself and didn't want to have to deal with any unnecessary noise that people like Ayame and Shigure brought with them-- Even though he LOVED them dearly.

The doctor would wait for a few moments there in his seat, waiting for everyone to be away before he stood and departed his office, taking the borrowed blankets with him all the way to where he had a bed; an actual bedroom and a place to stay.

He would feel guilty for brushing off Imai later after he wasn't too tired to do so. And from how he laid himself down, he could still watch the snow falling against the windows.

Shigure:
"Well, well! Who's this beautiful thing coming down the hallway? Is that my little cousin? I can't tell; she's so beautiful and bright that I can't see a thing!"

Imai:
"Flattery gets you nowhere, Gure-ni-san... Oh! Don't go to see Hatori-san today. He isn't feeling well."

Shigure:
"Oh.."

Shigure had been called back by Imai's words just as he was about to head off for a visit to his friend. His reply to it was one of full understanding... If only he knew how unwell Hatori really was feeling.

Imai:
"He stayed outside all last night."

Shigure:
"What for?"

Imai:
"Watching the snow. He does it every winter, but this year he fell asleep outside and didn't come back in, I guess. He'll be better before Christmas, but I doubt he'll be feeling his best."

Shigure:
"Obviously.."