8. Take off your clothes.
Faize noticed Lymle limped around the Calnus. She didn’t grimace or whine, though Faize thought he saw a pinched look in her face as she tottered unevenly to the kitchen nook. Every time Faize attempted to ask how Lymle felt, the Lemurisan turned her head with disdain.

“Go away, Faize.”

Of course, Faize would do no such thing; it’s not that he was particularly worried about Lymle. Simply put, Lymle would be a burden if she couldn’t perform her best when it came to battle. At least, that’s what Faize told himself every time he crossed paths with her.

Faize cornered Lymle in a corridor. Lymle looked in each direction for an escape route, though Faize blocked every possible passage. “Lymle, I know something’s wrong. You have a tendency to favor your left leg, and you walk with a slight limp. Why don’t you go to the infirmary or ask someone to help you?”

Finally forced to confront Faize’s questions, Lymle looked up at Faize and stomped her good foot on the ground. “Let me go, Faize. I don’t wanna go to the infirmary. It smells funny.”

Faize knelt down so that he was about Lymle’s level, before he said, “There is nothing to be afraid of. I will take you there if you need someone.”

Lymle crossed her arms and made a slight huff. “I don’t wanna go together with dumb Faize. I don’t wanna go. I hate it.”

“If you don’t want to go to the infirmary, then,” Faize said, standing up and taking Lymle’s tiny hand and leading her down the corridor. “We’ll go to my room. We’ll fix you up there.”

Lymle stared up at Faize, before she gave a reluctant nod and followed him. Faize made sure to slow down his pace so that it matched Lymle’s. Faize had to say that Lymle was a stalwart young girl who pressed on, despite the pain no doubt afflicting her. Once they made their way to Faize’s sleeping quarters, Faize set Lymle down on the edge of his bed. He carefully took off her shoes, set them aside, and said, “Lymle…I’ll need you to take off your stockings. I need to get a look at whatever’s ailing you.”

“This is weird…’kay?” Lymle fidgeted on the bed.

“I understand that it must be…awkward, but it’s the only thing I require you take off. I’ll turn around and won’t look. All right?”

Lymle looked at Faize, before she nodded slightly. “Don’t look, ‘kay?”

“I won’t.”

Faize turned around, looking out the window that provided a picturesque view of outer space. He heard the hushed whisper of fabric being slipped off.

“Faize can look now,” Lymle said. She shifted again on the edge of the bed.

Faize turned, before he gently lifted the leg that bothered Lymle. Lymle winced, though she didn’t cry out. She then assumed that unnatural stillness that always made Faize think of her as a doll. Faize then lightly applied pressure on Lymle’s leg, until he found the spot where Lymle fractured her leg. Faize nodded, before he temporarily left to get some bandages and dressings, and came back to wrap them around Lymle’s leg. Once he finished, Faize said, “There. I advise you to rest as much as possible. Your leg will need some time to heal. If you…need anything, then I shall get it for you.”

Lymle looked towards Faize, before she said, “Thank you…Faize. I’ll be fine, ‘kay?”

“Of course. Oh…and one final thing…”

Faize then knelt down again, before his lips brushed against the cast around Lymle’s leg. Lymle stiffened, before a slight blush suffused life into her cheeks. “That was really weird…’kay?”

“Ah, excuse me,” Faize said, standing up and bowing a little in apology. “Miss Reimi said that kissing ‘boo-boos’ helps make it better. That’s all.”

Lymle stepped off the bed, coming to her feet, before she lightly hit Faize on the head.

“You’re a dummy, Faize.”