Division

Chapter 11: Dog of the Year

The next morning was tiresome as usual; waking up at school-time despite it being winter break, being unable to return to sleep, and giving in to make chicken flavored ramen. The breakfast of champions for young Rika. She was halfway through her bowl before a familiar husky made his way into the kitchen, arms outstretched and his mouth wide open in an audible yawn. His gash was still covered with a bandage, and blood had seeped out from under it, seemingly drying overnight to become this hard and easily breakable solid. His yawn ended, and he cleared his eyes of fresh tears to look at Rika, her face over her steaming bowl of noodles. She took slurps of them via chopsticks before looking up, chuckling.
"Hey bro," she said, breaking the silence. Milo smiled and grabbed two bottles of water, Rika glancing to the time; 7:59. Almost pill time. He handed the water to her, smiling affectionately before taking a seat beside her, silently swallowing his pills down before he watched Rika do the same. The Lynx continued to feast on her ramen.
"Hey sis." he finally replied. Rika put her arm around him, pulling the husky in close for warmth, he sheepishly wagging his tail and smiling widely.
"Want me to make you anything?" Rika asked. Milo seemed to perk his ears, smiling wider.
"M-Mac and cheese, p-please!" he asked. Rika nodded and went into the kitchen, preparing the things needed to make her surrogate brother his favorite dish; to her knowledge, anyway. When she had finished, she handed the bowl to Milo, looking in his silverware drawer, revealing a spoon and handing that to him too. When she saw down, Milo paused the consumption of his noodles to caress her back, Rika purring.
"Thank you, sis," he said. Rika smiled at him, turning back to her noodles after a while.
"Not a problem, bro. How's your cut healing up?" she asked. Milo shrugged, gulping.
"W-Wanna help me t-tear this off?" he asked. Rika seemed to widen her eyes at the thought, growing concerned in seconds.
"I hope I don't offend you...but...Even a quick rip would seem like it would make you cry in pain. It genuinely surprised me when the worst that came out of yesterday's healing was a hiss and some tight grips," she said. Milo smiled fondly and held her paw.
"I'm a big boy, sis. I just want to see if it's gotten any better." he requested. Rika sighed slightly and positioned his head for the tear, using her claw to lift a corner of the bandage off while using her other hand to hold Milo's other cheek still.
"Ready?" She asked. Milo gripped her leg, seeming to brace himself.
"Ready," he replied. Using all her effort, she pulled the sticking gauze off of Milo's injured cheek as fast as she could manage, the poor husky still emitting a sudden loud whimper as it happened. Rika examined the bandage that stuck to her claw, finding dried blood absorbed and done with on the inside. Tossing the bandage in the trash, she examined Milo's now exposed wound. The dried blood made a difficult path for new blood to come out, leading to very little doing so. Nonetheless, the wound had healed somewhat well over the last night. Milo had clear tears welling in his eyes, trying to muster a brave and painless face for Rika's sake.
"H-How does it look?" he asked. Rika hugged him, petting behind his ear and hearing his fluffy tail make more sounds as it waved back and forth.
"It looks fine to me, best bro. Sorry for hurting you," she sighed. Milo chuckled.
"It was either me doing it or you. I think you made it less painful. I don't have the tolerance to do it myself. I should be thanking you sis." he said with a smile. Rika smiled and pet his ear again, hearing the wag of his tail once more.
"Not a problem, bro," she replied. They sat in silence for a while, Milo suddenly piping up.
"H-Hey...Uh...S-Sis?" he asked. Rika looked at him, her cerulean eyes calm and observant.
"Yeah?" she replied. Milo smiled.
"Y-You know h-how you've been s-stressed and u-upset and stuff?" he asked. Rika gave a responsive nod, prompting Milo to continue.
"W-Well, I know this hiking trail that leads to a r-really beautiful bluff!" He said rather happily.
"...A hike?" Rika asked skeptically, her mouth half-full of chicken flavored instant ramen. Milo nodded, his tail seems to wag slightly.
"Yeah! Y-You've been through s-so much these past few days. W-We all need an opportunity to unwind. When I s-saw that it was forty degrees outside a-at the highest, I thought I could take you on one of my favorite hiking trails f-from when I was a kid!" he said with a toothy but adorable grin. Rika seemed defeated, turning back to her bowl of noodles.
"Milo...I have work today..." she said somberly. Milo's expression became somewhat grim.
"Surrounded by n-needles a-and scissors a-and sewing machines...?" he asked. Rika looked at him, chuckling weakly.
"Yeah, it's a sewing store. You okay?" she asked, subtly concerned. Milo seemed to look straight into her eyes, they filled with wariness.
"Let me come with you." he ask-demanded. Rika perked her ears.
"Why?" she asked. Milo held her paws, flattening his ears.
"...After what you did last week...I...I need some reassurance that you'll be okay. I'm able to do that here and when we're on our little adventures, but at work, you're out of my reach," he explained. Rika could hear the tears in his voice, feeling her stomach ache slightly. "I can't bear to see your face get so flushed and void of color like that again; I can't bear another ride in an ambulance or see you passed out on a hospital bed knowing you willingly embraced death. It horrifies me to the bone. I love you as a friend like I've never loved anyone else. Losing you would shatter me on all fronts," he said, keeping his composure despite the sadness and worry behind his voice. Rika reciprocated, rubbing his cheek.
"Aw, bro...I-I'm sorry...You can come with if you want," she replied. Milo smiled and hugged Rika tightly, petting her back and finding comfort in her relaxed purrs.
"Thanks, sis," he responded. Rika hugged back, petting his back.
"Anything for my best bro."