"You didn't have to interrupt your first day at work to take care of me, Sister," Melina murmured hoarsely, barely above a whisper. Her eyes, reddened by fever, remained half-closed as she lay back on the bed she shared with her younger sister. "I could have managed on my own… first impressions are important…"
"Meli, you're burning with fever and can barely open your eyes. Whatever you say, and whether you like it or not, you need me," Erika replied gently, sitting beside her and resting a knee on the mattress to get closer. She carefully replaced the damp cloth resting on her sister's forehead with a fresh one, wringing it out between her hands before replacing it. "Nothing in the world is more important to me than you two. Besides, I didn't miss anything important; today was just preparation day at the bakery, a sort of orientation… Nothing I can't make up for."
"But… ahg… ahg…" The small alpha tried to protest, but a series of dry coughs interrupted her words. She brought a hand to her chest, frowning in discomfort.
"See?" Erika frowned at her, suppressing the pain of seeing her like this. "I'm sure if Rose hadn't managed to call me, you would have locked the bathroom door with a couple of ice cubes and suffered in silence until I returned."
Melina shifted her gaze to the wall. Her lips trembled, and although she tried to remain firm, she couldn't completely hide her weakness.
"Melina…" Erika lowered her voice, her tone becoming more intimate, more laden with that irreducible love that defined her. "We've talked about this. I don't like you suffering in silence at all… You don't have to carry anything alone. Not while I'm here."
"I… don't like it either… your… ahg…" she coughed again, frustrated by how unresponsive her body was. "(Damn it… I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to protect them. And now I'm supposed to become a worthy alpha of this household? A fever strikes me like a spoiled child…)"
Melina gritted her teeth, hating her weakness with silent rage at herself.
"I'm going to make you something to eat," Erika announced, gently stroking her cheek. "Nothing heavy, just something to help you regain your strength… I'll be right back."
She leaned down and placed a kiss on her sister's sweaty forehead. As she pulled back, she let a small wave of calming pheromones flow through her, just enough to calm her breathing and help her sleep.
"And listen to me carefully, young lady… if you get up or do anything stupid while I'm gone, I'm going to be really angry."
"O-Okay…" the girl whispered, her voice so fragile that Erika felt something inside her break.
"That's my second-in-command," she murmured tenderly, smiling at her weak nod. Then she left the room with soft steps, closing the door with the utmost care.
In the hallway, Erika bumped into a small figure pacing back and forth, clearly nervously biting her nails.
"Rose," she said softly but firmly. "I told you not to do that, honey. You could hurt yourself."
The little girl stood still when she saw her. Her eyes were moist, her pupils trembling as if she were expecting bad news. Without thinking twice, Erika picked her up, wrapping her in a warm, protective hug.
"Is Meli going to be okay?" the little girl asked, burying her face in Erika's neck. Her small voice trembled, and her fingers clung tightly to her older sister's neck, seeking comfort.
"Shh… Of course, she will love it," Erika murmured, slowly stroking her back. "Our sister is too stubborn and brave to let something like this keep her sidelined for long. This is just a bump in the road."
"But she looked so bad… she was trembling… and you weren't there… and… and I."
"I know… I know… I'm sorry you got so scared," Erika said gently, feeling guilt gnawing at her chest. "But I'm here now. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."
"Really?"
"Really."
Erika began to rock her gently like she did when she was even younger.
"How about we make her something nice to make her feel better?" Erika suggested in her ear, knowing she needed a distraction.
"With honey?"
"And a touch of vanilla, just the way she likes it."
"Yes!" Rose exclaimed, perking up immediately.
.
.
.
Cooking with Rose was slow but therapeutic. Erika allowed her to pour the honey into the mixture, stir with a wooden spoon, and even taste the mixture before serving. The kitchen was a mess, with flour on the floor and sticky drops on the table, but it didn't matter.
When they returned to the room, Melina was still awake, though her eyes were closed.
Erika patiently offered her what she had prepared little by little. The little girl ate silently, half asleep, while Rose, at her side, watched solemnly.
Little by little, the fever began to subside. Erika could feel Melina's breathing slowing, becoming more steady. Finally, the girl fell into a deep sleep, her lips parted and her forehead free of sweat.
Rose yawned immediately afterward, prompting Erika to carry her to bed and tuck her in, placing a kiss on her forehead.
When she sat up, the white-haired girl noticed how tired she felt, but also how grateful she was that things hadn't gotten worse.
Determined, the eldest Belion sister placed a lounge chair inside the room, next to Melina's bed with a light sheet and some pillows.
She didn't plan to be as close as possible in case something happened.
She spent the night alternating between microsleeps and wakefulness. Waking up every so often to check that the fever hadn't returned, that Melina wasn't trembling or breathing heavily, she would touch her forehead, take her pulse, and then go back to sleep for just a few minutes, in a kind of endless routine.
What Erika didn't notice was that, during one of those checks, Melina woke up briefly.
The little girl didn't say a word, only opening her eyes just enough to see her disheveled, exhausted, with her arms crossed over her chest, a blanket that no longer covered her completely.
The little girl sat up slowly, careful not to make a sound. She walked barefoot across the rug to the lounge chair where her older sister was sleeping, lifted the fallen sheet, and gently covered her body.
Finally, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Then she returned to her bed just as carefully, falling asleep moments later.