>Chuckle. She's fussing again. But... suppose we can let her.
>"All right, I promise."
>Ichirin gives you a smile, then nods. "Thank you. Rest well."
>Then with that, she turns and leaves the room.
>You slowly nibble on the rest of your snack until you feel you've had enough, then settle back into bed. Thoughts drift about in your head: memories of your ordeal in the spider caverns, the youkai's fate and the village's future, and above it all, your own affliction and the death-sentence it carries. Despite all that you've said and the conviction that earnestly accompanied it, the thought of having but a few weeks left to live weighs more heavily upon you than all the fatigue in your body. It's nearly too much to take in, too grave to be real. Not in your life, not now. And how many of those weeks would be spent in misery, too infirmed to even act? You know these are useless thoughts and you try to banish them, but they refuse to leave your side for long. Again and again, this tableaux of memories, fears, and possible futures runs through your mind, slowly growing blurred and incoherent.
>At some point you must have fallen asleep, because before you know it, the room is black and Ichirin is by your side once more. You feel barely conscious, peering at her through half-closed eyes. She smiles gently at you.