Through Thick and Thin- Diluc x (female) Reader

Chapter 46: Bubu Pharmacy

As I walked up the somewhat absurd amount of stairs, I could hear a child complaining to their mother. "Mommy! The medicine tastes bad, I don't want any!"
"Now now," their mother said, trying to console her. "That's no way to appreciate Mr. Baizhus hard work, is it?"
Their conversation faded out as I stepped into the doorway. I had expected to see someone behind the counter, and was surprised when nobody was there. I looked around, a little confused. It was the middle of the day, they weren't closed, were they?
"Hello?" I called out, still searching for an employee. "Is anyone here?"
"Welcome to Bubu Pharmacy..." said a quiet and slow voice from behind the counter. I stepped closer, and looked over the wooden surface. "How... can I help?"
Behind was a little girl with purple hair and clothing. On her hat sat a cryo vision. Another young girl with a vision? Wait, there's something else on the hat... hanging over one of her dull eyes was a talisman of sorts.
"A talisman?" I asked, trying to confirm my suspicion. As I looked closer, I notced there were wrappings on her legs. Was she...
"My name is... Qiqi," she said, sounding somewhat devoid of emotion. "I am... a zombie."
"A-a zombie?" I said, a little nervous. But she wasn't going around biting anyone...
"And I... forgot what comes next..." that's right. Although I didn't know much about zombies, they had poor memory. However, they were supposed to be receiving orders. So who was ordering her around?
"I'm... y/n," I said, wondering if what she said was true. Were zombies even real? I had thought they were only legends. "Someone I know has a fever, and is very pale. Do you know what medicine I should use?"
I said the words simply, wondering if she even understood me. "Y/n... A fever. Pale..." she looked under the counter, and I heard the rustle of papers before she peeked her head up again. "Use violetgrass and lotus seed medicine."
"Can I buy some?" I asked, glad there was something that would help. "Do I need a prescription?"
"A prescription for... the medicine?" Qiqi asked. Was she struggling to remember? "No."
She turned and looked through the various vials of medicines until she pulled out one with a strange liquid inside. She read the label carefully. "Lotus seed... and violetgrass?"
I nodded. "Yes, thank you Qiqi."
She set it on the counter, and I read the label for the amount needed for the transaction. As I set the mora on the counter, Qiqi looked to me again. "What's... your name again?"
She had forgotten my name so quickly. "Oh, my name is y/n."
"Y/n..." Qiqi repeated my name, and then brought out a pencil and a notebook from under the counter. She began to scribble, although I wasn't sure what.
"May I ask what you're writing?"
"Y/n..." Qiqi said again, and then looked up at me. She seemed to study me for a second before returning to her book. "I'm... writing your name and... what you look like."
"Why?" I said curiously, and also a little nervously. She was a zombie, after all.
"So I don't... forget. Again," Qiqi said. Although she was monotone, I felt an aura of slight sadness from her.
"I'm not a local, I'm leaving Liyue in a few days," I said, surprised that she wanted to remember me. "So... why?"
"Because... you did not run when I said I was dead," she said, much more clearly than other times she had spoken. "You have... a vision like me. That's another reason... I don't want to forget," Her voice returned to its grogginess and slow speed.
I nodded, somewhat understanding. "I hope you have a good day, Qiqi."
She looked up at me, putting her notebook away. "Bye."
I waved a little to her before grabbing the medicine and returning to the hotel. So many strange things were happening today. First, I had met four vision holders, and then a god died. Then, I met two more vision holders. One was a fatui harbinger, and the other one was a zombie...
I sighed. Today was a long one, and I just wanted to enjoy a nice lunch with Diluc and Aether. Oh, and I suppose Paimon too.
As I walked into the room, Diluc had fallen asleep. So quickly, too. I was gone no longer than ten minutes.
I studied him for a second. In his sleep, he seemed to be trembling a little. Was it shivers from his fever? I had never seen him sleep so lightly. I wondered if he could even get rest that way.
Diluc also seemed a little sweaty, which confirmed that he was shivering from his fever. Even so, he had covered himself with blankets. It must had been one of those fevers where you feel cold, but in reality you were extremely hot.
Resting the back of my hand on his forehead, he flinched a little in his sleep. He was burning up. I concentrated some of my elemental energy to my hand, trying to cool him down.
Diluc woke up quickly, the cold temperature couldn't have been very pleasant to him. "That's... really cold," he said, his eyes darting to my hand. Diluc shivered a little more, and started to move away from my hand.
"I'm sorry Diluc, but you're burning up," I said, feeling guilty for waking him up. "I got you some medicine, you should take it."
I moved my hand away, and expected him to sit up. I was a little surprised when he still laid there, watching me closely. "You shouldn't... see me like this."
"I've seen you in worse shape, Diluc," I said, turning to grab the medicine. I picked up the vial, reading it over. "Let's see... it says you've gotta drink the whole thing."
"That little thing?" He asked, eying the small vial.
"Yeah. You've gotta sit up, though," I said, looking over to him. He looked away, staying put. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm... cold," he admitted, pulling the blanket further over his shoulder.
"It's that bad?" Diluc looked away in shame. It's not a bad thing to admit you're sick... I thought to myself. Was he afraid to show weakness? "Well, you've gotta take it or you won't get better. Here," I unscrewed the lid, holding the vial to his mouth.
He glanced at it, a little surprised I had held it up to him. "Come on, you've got to get a little better before we go get lunch," I said, rolling my eyes a moving it closer.
"Fine..." he said, letting me guide the vial to his lips. I tilted it quickly, letting the liquid flow into his mouth. He swallowed it and began to cough a little, startling me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, holding the now empty vial in my hand.
"It tastes... really bad," Diluc said, pounding his chest. "It better work."
He laid his head down again, clearing his throat. "Man, that kid wasn't kidding," I said, remembering the little girl on the steps. "It must taste really gross if it made you cough like that."
Diluc sighed, bringing the covers up to his chin. "I'm sorry that I got like this."
"Are you kidding?" I said, setting the vial on the nightstand. "Come on, how is this your fault?"
"Maybe it's not, but..." he turned over, facing the other side of the bed. "You should be enjoying Liyue. If I hadn't gotten sick..."
I sighed in exasperation, walking around to the opposite side of the bed to face him. "I don't care about exploring Liyue," I sat down, and he looked up to me hesitantly. "It's not worth it if you aren't there with me. Just let me help you get better so we can do that... okay?"
He nodded, blinking his eyes slowly. Before I knew it, he had fallen asleep again. I worried if Childe would be here soon, but it would probably be a bit before he came anyways. So, I would let Diluc sleep.
Maybe what he needed was rest, and a good meal. Soon, his shivering slowed until it was gone, and he stopped sweating. His breathing evened out over time, and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.