So, now I didn’t have to do my chores again. That was a plus.

And not long after Asahi was gone, I heard my phone buzz and found an incoming call from Celia Norn. “Celia! How are you? Did you grab what I asked for?”

She wasn’t using her human disguise right then, and I tapped on my cheek a few times with one finger until she got the hint.

Celia ‘shifted’ into the body she used last time, then rolled her eyes. “Happy now?” She asked.

“Yes. What if somebody else picked up? Or what if there were people around me?” I asked. “Earth doesn’t know about swappers or any other extraterrestrial life yet.”

Her cheeks turned a little rosy, “Alright, so that’s fair.” She mumbled, “That’s why you’re the best, always thinking about what’s around you and not just what you’re doing.”

“You’re right,” I said. Tilting my head back and resting a hand on my chest, I agreed, “I am the best. But I’m always happy to help out a colleague, is that what you’re calling about, or did you get what I asked for?”

She huffed, “I don’t always need help, you know. Yes, I got what you asked for, and since I finished a job first I wondered…”

I wasn’t going to make her ask. I knew what was coming. So I interrupted her and said in a slightly higher pitch, “Great! So does that mean you’ll be able to take a few days off and hang out here? When was the last time you really even used some of your vacation time? How much do you have built up?”

“A lot.” She acknowledged and pursed her thin lips together. “I just… never had anything I wanted to do before…”

“How about a story about a human swapper and his romantic shenanigans after his father gets him engaged to a bunch of women at once?” I asked.

“Humans have swappers?” She asked.

“No. But that’s what makes this one interesting, he only ‘swaps’ from male to female and back again, but only when he’s splashed with cold or hot water. Shenanigans ensue.” I told her, and for the first time, a little of that anxiety left her eyes.

“I’ll have lots of snacks, of course, I have other things I need to do…” I said, and explained the details of my shifts at Toriyamas’s.

“That’s unfortunate, but this will break a few rules, you know.” She pointed out.

“Meh, not for you.” I gave her a dismissive wave of my hand and looked over at my kitchen where Jin used to often sit and try to study. The last session had been only a few days, really. Barely anything, but I was so used to helping him that it felt strange for him not to stop by after cram and say a few words. I don’t know why, but it just felt wrong to let his mother die on him when he was this age. I’ve seen a lot of people die over the years, from more races in the galaxy than I care to name.

But I never got involved.

I wasn’t supposed to be involved now… but here I was.

Celia shrugged, “If you’re okay with it, but don’t blame me if you get caught.”

“I’d blame only myself if I were that sloppy.” I said after Celia drew my attention back to her before I could fully drift off into my own thoughts. I smiled to show her I was fine, “The people here have some silly superstitions, I’m just going to play into that, and they’ll have one more nonsensical story nobody can verify or debunk, and it’ll be fine. So,” I cleared my throat and shifted gears, “when will you get here?”

“Tomorrow morning.” Celia answered, “I can’t jump as far as you, so it takes a little longer, otherwise I’d be there now.”

“Not a problem, just teleport through my front door when you get here if I don’t answer. I’ll leave directions on how to use my t.v. and microwave, help yourself to my snacks, I’ll be up in the evening.” I promised, and Celia gave a nod at me that bounced her dark hair around behind her.

She scratched her head a little and gave me a quirky look, her lips shifting a little to one side, “You are strange. I think your habit of these vacations has loosened a few screws in your head.”

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“Yeah, yeah, don’t overthink it, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said and wiggled my fingers at her in a wave and hung up.

I briefly considered going to visit Suki in the hospital… but there was no point.

I yawned and went toward my bedroom. “I can’t do anything for her as things are. What good is it to just sit around?” I asked myself, and there was no answer but “None.”

I stripped off my pajamas, closed my eyes, and let myself fall forward into the mattress. I had just enough strength of will to scooch myself on my belly up to the pillow, lift my head, and flop it back down again.

Burrowing under the blankets, I savored that ‘cold’ feeling of mattress and pillow and curled up to savor the slow spread of warmth that would eventually surround me.

Before I slept though, for reasons I wasn’t able to really pin down, I thought of Jin’s mother again, lying alone and hooked up to machines in that awful white room listening to footsteps outside her permanently open door. Nothing to do but lie there and hope to stay unconscious as long as possible.

Jin was a good boy. Too good. ‘He’d leave after visiting hours were over. That’s how he is, always following the rules and trying not to cause trouble for anyone.’

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you I had my own opinions on that way of doing things.

It was chilly in there, last time I visited. The blanket was probably too thin.

She wasn’t shivering, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Welcome to Shinjai… I run the store on the first floor, since you don’t seem to have much, come by and I’ll let you sign out what you need and just pay me later…” I remembered the way she sounded when she said that. Honestly, I did not think anyone could sound that damn… perky to a complete stranger.

I wasn’t the nicest then, either, if I’m being honest.

I sighed into my blanket and got up out of bed. I really wanted to be lazy but… ‘Just a few minutes, in and out. Just drop off a blanket.’ I told myself and threw on a pair of white pajamas, then went to my closet and grabbed a short but thick blue blanket out of the back, it was one she’d let me have when I moved in.

I’d always meant to return it… now was as good a time as any.

Getting there and sneaking in the same as before was as easy as you’d expect. Humans are no match for a magic swapper.

I was still in a hurry though, so I didn’t waste time, my lazy cozy bed was in that ‘perfect comfy’ state and every second I delayed, that perfect comfy state would decline just a little bit more.

“Kayobi… is that… isn’t it after hours?” Suki asked. “I’m sorry, the drugs, it’s like I’m seeing things sometimes…” She tilted her head, she had a thin tube in her throat still and it was definitely slurring her words a bit, her eyes were bleary and unfocused. “I can’t… I can’t really see well… you look funny, a fuzzy blur… but who else would break the rules… it’s good to see you. Even if you’re not here. Imaginary company… beats none… since I won’t last much longer… for the best… it hurts a lot… I don’t like it… I just want it to stop…”

“No. I’m not Kayobi. Just an angel passing by. Kayobi would never break the rules.” I teased her a little and patted her hand. It was veiny, thin, she’d seemingly aged a hundred years, at least to my eyes. She wasn’t shaking before, but she was now.

“I’m just bringing you a blanket for right now. Sleep well, and before you know it, you’ll be up on your feet again in no time, just like you were when you helped out that silly meddling neighbor of yours who is allegedly none too fond of convention.” I tried to smile at her, but I doubt it would have mattered.

The eye evolved similarly on many worlds, and I’d seen enough people dying to know what that look in their eyes meant. It meant they weren’t seeing much at all, even if she hadn’t told me as much, I’d have figured it out.

I pulled the blanket out from under my arm as I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. I shifted my form to that of their traditional angel, and draped the blanket over her. I gave it a quick snap to spread it out wide and let it drift down over her body.

“You will be fine. Just be patient.” I promised and ran my hand over her head just as the doctor and nurse came into view in the doorway.

“Who ar-” Their words cut off at the sight of my big white wings, and I cast my spell of invisibility, sounding the words out slowly so I would ‘fade’ rather than simply snap out of view. Then I stepped out of the way to let them rush to where I stood, and covered my mouth to keep back my laughter at their consternation and confusion.

The chaos I caused was… pretty damn funny, if you ask me. Suki wasn’t able to say much, just that an angel came by and told her she’d be fine. Those who saw me, believed, those who didn’t, called it a delusion, only for the first group to point out the blanket and ask the second group where it had come from.

I left after a few minutes, I mean confusion can only be so funny for so long, and I was about to bust my gut laughing at them anyway, so I returned to my little apartment again, resumed my human shape, and fell back into bed.

Only then did I let my laughter out in long peels, kicking and thrashing as I cackled away at my mischief making magic, until I was finally ready to sleep.

And when I did, wouldn’t you know it? That ‘perfect comfy’ was somehow better.