The Devil and The Plague

Chapter Two

Emi POV

"Maou?!" My throat scratched. "What's wrong? Maou! Maou! Wake up, you devil! C'mon now you can't do this to me!" Hot tears stung my eyes, worried I would be blamed for this. I knew he couldn't afford an ambulance but I could barely care for myself let alone someone else! I reached for my phone to make the call when a neighbor happened by.

"Does he live here?" He asked.

"No." My voice broke. "He was just bringing me medicine and he passed out all of a sudden! Can you help me bring him in, so he isn't halfway in the hallway?"

"Sure thing!" The neighbor man lifted Maou pretty easily and laid him down on my sofa. "I'm an EMT if you want me to check him over for you? I'll let you know if he needs an ambulance before you call for one."

"Would you? That would be amazing!" I doubled over with a coughing fit.

"Take it easy. When was the last time you took medicine?"

"Three hours ago."

"Do you have any hot tea?"

"Yeah. Should I drink some?"

"It'll help clear the mucus out of your throat. Might even help you breathe better depending on how bad the buildup is." He explained.

"Okay. I'll put the kettle on." I hobbled over to the kitchen while he checked up on Maou. "Will be okay without an ambulance? Or do I need to call him one?"

"I'd say let him rest here for the time being. He isn't displaying any symptoms of illness, if I were to guess, he's overworked. How much does he work, do you know?"

"His primary job is a shift manager at MgR's but he also takes on side jobs a lot. I mean a LOT. He has two other adults to provide for as the sole income provider of his household. I'm not sure how he does it to be honest. I don't think I would be willing to do that myself." I cleared my throat and thanked him for checking Maou out for me. "How much do I owe you for this checkup?"

"On the house." He smiled. "Don't worry about it. However, you should probably prepare a place for him to live in your apartment until the mandates are over. He can't go out tomorrow and I don't see him going anywhere in the state that he's in."

"Right, I forgot about that. I don't have enough food for two people." I muttered to myself hoping my neighbor wouldn't hear me. "Thanks again. Be safe, and I hope I didn't get you sick coming in here." We said our goodbyes and he went on to his apartment after telling me if Maou gets worse call for an ambulance.

The kettle whistled loudly waking Maou up. He tried to sit up... his arms trembled under his weight forcing him back down onto the sofa. My phone startled me almost making me spill my boiling tea everywhere!

"Hello?" I answered.

"Emi, have you seen my Lord?" Ashiya asked frantically. "He should have been back by now."

"Listen to me carefully. Don't panic." I waited for him to calm down. "Maou is here with me. And he's going to stay here until the mandates are over in two weeks. I need you to bring us some food or we won't make it through. I'll pay everything back and explain a little more when you get here."

"Okay... as long as you pay for your food I guess I can do that." Ashiya sighed. "At least answer me this, is he okay?"

"That's what I need to explain when you get here. At least part of it."

"I'll be there in a little while." We hung up and waited for a couple of hours until Ashiya finally arrived with a bunch of ingredients and a few ready-made meals. "Sire!" He ran in dropping everything after seeing Maou on the sofa. "What happened?"

"My neighbor who works as an EMT checked him out. He's fine. But he's overworked. Had he passed out anywhere else he could have easily been killed, understand? He was on busy roads, in dangerous neighborhoods, in the pharmacy with a bunch of valuable medicine. He could have been robbed, maimed, or maybe even kidnapped by human traffickers! He can't keep going like this Ashiya, one of you has to step up and start earning income. Share the burden instead of letting Maou shoulder it all. His body is so freaking weak right now he can't sit up on his own!" I had no idea why I was getting so angry, so worked up, especially on the literal Devil's behalf. But I couldn't help it. I couldn't stand seeing the Devil so weak and helpless. Seeing him defenseless on my sofa made me not want to kill him.

"I understand. Urushihara actually took some initiative while King Satan was away today. He found himself an online job. This way he's making money and doesn't have to leave home. I can also continue my role at home. I'll take my leave then. Please care for him... I hadn't realized how overworked he was." Ashiya sniffed. "I'm sorry for the burden on you Emi... keep your money. Just please take care of him until he's well enough to move on his own." He didn't look at me but I knew by the way he hung his head, Ashiya was crying as he left the apartment.

I sat down with my tea and relaxed while Maou slept. It was only for a moment but panic set in when I realized he wasn't breathing right. It was ragged and labored. I tried my best to prop him up on a couple of pillows which seemed to help a little.

"Maou? Are you okay?" I nudged him for no response. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent and seemed darker than before.