Nooooo, why does this show always have to make me so sad? ;_;
This scene always hurt so much for me because the look of sheer terror in the top right panel takes me back to Shizuka crying before her operation, and I think looking at Mai she remembers facing thoughts of “what if I never wake up."
Not only that, but Mai means so much to both of them now that if something happened…it would destroy them. I don’t think either of them would know how to cope with that after losing so much in the divorce. </3 Feels train.
Oh yeah, geez, that does make it hurt even more… I hadn’t even thought of her relating it to her operation fears but that definitely sounds like something she might do, and it’s a very easy thing to be scared of. And I agree that Jou and Shizuka would take it the hardest if Mai never came back to them. Poor Jou especially would probably blame himself forever for it. :(