For Chloe

Jenny hadn’t touched her laptop for a week. It shouldn’t have been difficult. She had many hobbies that had nothing to do with the internet, and she’d get back to them once her treatment was finished. I just have to be patient until then. A few days without looking at a screen won’t kill me.

But that wasn’t why Jenny decided to grab her laptop and turn it on. “Chloe.”

I’m just going to check her main page to see if she’s announced anything. It’ll only take a few seconds, and I won’t look for Mugetsu. The screen chimed, peppering Jenny with email notifications as she went into her favorites and smiled. “Lucky. She’s going to have another stream today. I’m so lucky…”

She could see Mugetsu’s face forming behind the screen but began reading through other user’s comments. I’m not going to play your game, Mugetsu. I’m going to relax and wait for Chloe. Jenny winced as she accidentally pressed the mouse too hard, making a tiny bead of blood bloom on the pad before slowly trickling over the edges.

“Jenny?” She shook her head, pressing her finger into her mouth and scrolling with her other hand. You’re not here.

Mugetsu’s eyes widened, almost comically large, as he stared at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. She had comments to read. I’m fine. I’ve been away from my friends for too long.

“Say something, Jenny. What did they do to you? You just had a treatment, didn’t you? So why do you look like…”

She released her finger with a pop and stared at it in disgust. “It’s still bleeding,” she muttered.

“That’s because your skin is too thin! Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

“No.” The mirror is in the bathroom, and… Jenny frowned as she stared at the open door leading to it. The floor was the same as she remembered. But she couldn’t recall the last time she used it. Jenny looked around the room, fighting back a yawn as the gentle beeping and buzzing of electronics attempted to lull her to sleep.

It took too long for Jenny to notice what was different. “My chair is gone.”

Mugetsu frowned, eyes changing to green as he shook his head. “I don’t remember you having a chair before, but it has been a week since we’ve talked.”

“I had one,” Jenny insisted while pressing her bleeding finger against the blanket… only to become mesmerized by the pale red stain slowly spreading into the fabric. “I used it all the time.”

“Then it must still be close to your room, right? Look, I’m sorry I scared you. I really am. But little cuts like that aren’t supposed to keep bleeding. Don’t you have a call button or something?”

Jenny shook her head. “Someone will come. I’m the only one here… Miss Yumi will check on me soon.”

“Will you stop relying on Miss Yumi and talk to me for one second? I know you’re smarter than this, Jenny. You need help, and”-

“How?”

“Huh?”

Jenny lifted her finger to show Mugetsu and nearly choked on a sob. “How is this supposed to help me?”

When did I become so weak? I sound like a baby. I’m so pathetic! Mugetsu sighed and whispered. “It’s not. They’re not interested in helping you. You didn’t need help in the first place because you weren’t sick. These “treatments” are why you’re like this now… Do you understand?”

“No.” Jenny leaned back against the pillow, letting her hand fall to her stomach. The blanket is already stained. What’s the point in trying to keep it clean now?

“Are you still unable to walk?”

“Yep.”

“And you don’t have a way to call for help?”

Jenny shook her head. “Even screaming won’t work this time. The nurse’s station is on the bottom floor.”

“And which floor are we on?”

“Hmm, fourth, I think?”

Mugestu snorted and shook his head in disgust. “That doesn’t sound safe, Jenny. Do you really want to lie there and risk it?”

She shrugged. “I’m tired. I want to watch Chloe’s stream.”

“That stream isn’t coming on for hours.”

“Mhm. But I can read the comments or do something else to pass the time.”

“You look like you’re going to pass out, Jenny… Jenny?”

“What?” Silence stretched between them until Jenny reluctantly met Mugetsu’s gaze. “What?”

“You’re going to die.” Jenny blinked, wanting to tune him out but unable to look away as he continued. “If you stay an obedient sheep, you’ll die. Staying in that bed and waiting for a livestream is fine. But I promise you, you’ll never live to see the next one at this rate. You need to decide what you want to do.”

Jenny looked at her finger, now covered in several streaks of drying blood, as fresh crimson beads slowly continued to drip out. She touched it against her chest and stared at him. “The doctors told me to take it easy at this stage.”

“All you did was put a little pressure into your finger, Jenny.”

She nodded and looked at the edge of the bed. A shiny guardrail hemmed her in, making Jenny think of a cradle… or a cage. “How do I avoid cutting myself again?”

Mugestu’s eyes widened in relief as he grinned at her. “Normally, I’d say go slow. The doctors shouldn’t want you dead. They’ve used this procedure on countless people. It’s a source of pride for them… But you can’t afford to take your time here.”

“They replaced the lock. I watched them.” Where the old lock had been a seamless part of the door, the new one was smooth on Jenny’s side, with a bronze padlock keeping it shut from the outside. “One of the doctors let me hold it while the others replaced the doorknob.”

“And how did that make you feel, Jenny?”

She shrugged, watching a fresh red stream reach her inner wrist. Everyone always said red looks good on me. Jenny scooted to the rail and chuckled before asking. “What happens if I die on the floor? This hospital room wasn’t pristine when I arrived, but it’s still pretty big. It took me several steps to cross it when I was healthy.”

“That isn’t a hospital room. It’s a prison.”

Jenny looked back at him in shock. “Am I a criminal then?”

“No.” Mugetsu insisted as he stared back at her with a small smile. “But you’re about to be. Don’t worry about the lock. I’ll take care of everything, but you must get to the door, Jenny. All of this means nothing if you can’t do that much yourself.”

“You really want me to go that badly?”

“I think you should die on your own terms instead of relying on someone else’s mercy. Mind you, this would have been easier last week. But at least you’re finally ready to listen to reason.”

Jenny snorted and looked back at the rail. “Personally, I think dying in bed sounds better than dying on a floor.”

“I agree. A lot of things sound better on paper. But that doesn’t mean you should simply accept them… What if I make you a deal?”

“What kind of deal?” I’m already willing to throw myself out of bed. What else can he want?

Mugetsu’s eyes gleamed a piercing white as he hummed before nodding to himself. “How about I help you find Chloe once you’re out of the room? You like her, right? Isn’t she the reason you turned on the laptop, knowing that I’m in here waiting for you?”

Jenny shrugged and sighed. “I like her content, and I was bored… it’s been a week…”

“A whole week of you slowly fading away,” Mugetsu whispered. “I think you deserve a reward, don’t you? Something to help you keep going from here on in?”

“I’m not going to stalk Chloe. I care too much about her to ever overstep her boundaries.”

“You’re not going to stalk her. You’re going to meet her. It’ll be fine. I’ll take care of all the details and give you two plenty of time to get to know each other. I’m not some kind of sick jerk that gets his kicks off of manipulating people, you know?”

“Didn’t you say you were my imaginary friend when we met?”

Mugetsu grinned, all rectangular teeth gleaming in delight as he nodded. “Imaginary friends doesn’t always mean someone in your head, Jenny. Believe it or not. That term has evolved over the years.”

“So, what does it mean now?”

“That I’m someone who cares about you, even though you haven’t seen me face to face… It’s almost like I’m your fan. Just like you’re Chloe’s fan, you can understand that comparison, right?”