by HDA Roberts
"Lady Palmyra!" Demise all but screamed.
My sister looked down and her eyes went wide. She flew to my side, held up by her Will. She landed next to us and I felt Life Magic begin to flow into my aching chest.
"Oh God..." she whispered as she went to work.
"That's reassuring," I tried to say. All that came out was a bloody gurgle.
"Hold on, Little Brother," Palmyra said, her hands glowing brightly, "You're going to be alright. Just hold on, please..."
I tried to do as she asked, but darkness surrounded me, and I couldn't fight it for very long.
Chapter 25
It took me a while to come out of it again.
When I finally did... I wished I hadn't.
My chest was on fire, and I opened my eyes to see a hospital room. It was clean and quiet. I was hooked up to monitors and drips. There were a couple of tubes in places where only Cathy had any right touching me, and another in my nose.
I coughed, which turned into a fit.
Warm hands appeared on my shoulders, supporting me as I coughed. A glass of water was pressed to my lips and I took a sip.
"I'm never letting you out of my sight again. You can't be trusted," Cassandra said, stroking my hair as she helped me back to a flat position.
I tried to say 'Hello', but my voice came out as a rasp.
"I know. Blessed silence for a while," Cassandra said, "I think I prefer you like this."
I glared. She smiled sadly.
She gave me a tiny whiteboard and a marker.
Everyone alright? I wrote.
"Of course. You're the only idiot who got caught in the trap," she said, perching on the bed next to me.
Magic feels fuzzy.
"It would. Don't touch it yet, it's helping to keep you alive. Palmyra did something that turned it inward."
Voice?
"A couple of days, Palmyra fixed the deep damage, but there's a lot of inflammation that needs to go down. Same with your lungs. Don't get up for a while."
With this many tubes?
She snorted.
How bad was it?
She looked away, "You... you died a couple of times. Your heart stopped. That Demon toxin shredded your lungs. Palmyra barely got you going again. It took her three days to fix you up, what with that Life Siphon damage."
Three days?!
"Yeah. Your parents aren't happy. I finally got them to go home this morning. They were exhausted. Tethys and Kandi are around here somewhere, too, probably violating the chapel."
Feel like an idiot.
"As well you bloody should!" she snapped, "Sticking your face in a bloody trap!"
Not my fault? I offered.
"How? How is it not your fault?"
Fair point.
"It's good you were out for the first couple of days. I wanted to kick your arse."
I smiled.
Phone?
She rummaged in my bedside table and came out with my mobile. Texts from Bill and Cathy. None in the last three days after an initial flurry when I disappeared. I texted them telling them that I was awake and laid back while Cassandra watched me like a hawk. There were missed calls from Price. I would have called her, but... well, couldn't speak.
What?
The gaze had been getting a little intense.
"Nothing."
Sure?
"Yep."
Where's Demise?
"She's alright, she's elsewhere. Hopkins will explain the details when she turns up, but, essentially, you're off the hook. No longer a Danger; Palmyra and Hopkins read the other two the riot act, and they agreed to give you the benefit of the doubt at long bloody last. Demise went home."
Well, that was a nice surprise! Though, funnily enough, now that Demise was gone, I found that I actually quite missed her. I was a bit conflicted, so I shrugged and relaxed a little. I coughed from time to time. We chatted a bit, but to be honest, I felt like total crap. Even the effort of operating the pen was tiring me out. A doctor came in, for all the use he was going to be. He talked to me, made sure I stayed in bed. No unnecessary movement. I didn't argue.
Tethys and Kandi came in while I was dozing.
"He woke up," Cassandra said and I opened my eyes to see two of my most favourite people, who wrapped me up in a huge hug that immediately made me feel miles better.
"Well, you idiot," Tethys said as Kandi crawled onto the bed and sat up next to me.
Does rather look that way.
Kandi snorted and started playing with my phone. She has her own, but apparently mine's nicer. I know, crazy, but still lovable.
"I contacted Price on your behalf. I'm confident that she was just as fooled as you were."
Reassuring.
"She expressed an interest in visiting you," Tethys said with an evil grin, "Her little friend, too."
Not until I can cast fireballs again!
Tethys smiled and held my hand while Kandi yawned and leant on my shoulder.
"So are you just like... the worst Archon?" Kandi asked.
I turned to tickle her and was quickly overpowered, Kandi was probably stronger than me at the best of times, but right then it was just laughable. She straddled my waist and pushed my hands down above my head.
"Kandi, he's sick, and that is just all sorts of arousing," Tethys said, picking the little redhead up by her sides and plopping her down in a chair.
"You're no fun!" Kandi said.
"You know that's not true, but if you kill him now, we can't play with him later," Tethys said, tweaking her assistant's nose.
Kandi pouted adorably and I looked at my phone. No replies to my texts. Odd.
Tethys took Kandi's spot on the bed and looked at the phone.
"Worried?" she asked.
I shook my head.
Tethys shrugged and my friends chatted. I fell asleep again.
When I woke up, it was much later. My parents were sitting in with me, and I smiled at the sight of them.
"Hi Matty," Mother said. Normally, my mother is the most reasonable, gentlest person you could hope to meet. But she was an unholy terror when one of her sons got so much as a boo-boo.
My father was solid and utterly dependable, dark haired with a wicked sense of humour. He was the most moral man I knew; the person I became is mostly down to trying to live up to the example he set for me.
He looked worried, his eyes tired. He squeezed my arm while my mother buried me in a hug.
"How are you feeling?" Father asked.
I gave him a thumbs-up.
"Liar," Mother said, plumping my pillow.
I smiled. It was so good to see them.
Sorry I scared you, I wrote on my board.
"Jen told us you were getting better," Mother said, "but that you'd need a few days here. What happened, Matty? Why were you even there?!"
She was upset, and her eyes were moist.
My job. Don't like it much.
"Mathew, you're eighteen years old! You haven't even finished school yet!" Mother said, "How is this your job?!"
Okay, this part isn't my job. This was a cock-up.
Ran out of space.
My job is more along the lines of poking around and directing-
And again.
-more qualified people in the direction of the problem. This was really-
This was getting ridiculous.
-more of an aberration.
Cassandra and Tethys had ducked out and left me to try and explain this mess on my own, the bastards. Kandi was actually waiting at the door, waving, with an evil grin on her face, making the occasional crude gesture that made me smile.
They quizzed me on what had happened, and I provided them with a very watered down version, one which didn't make me look like a complete idiot. After that, I was tired again, and didn't even notice that I was falling asleep until I woke up the next day.
Hospital food was horrific as always, which made me very grateful for Cassandra who brought in sandwiches and treats
every day. One of my parents was always with me. Cassandra or Tethys was always in the building, often with Kandi. Cassandra watched over me while I slept, often holding my hand. It made me feel safe.
My voice came back on the second day after I woke up. Bill had texted back.
Cathy hadn't. She didn't pick up when I called, either. Bill didn't know why, or claimed that he didn't.
Palmyra came by that day, I mean she came by when I was awake, she'd been in and out a lot since my snafu.
"Wow, you look terrible," she said with a smile.
I glared and she hugged me before pecking my cheek.
"Thanks for putting me back together again," I said, my voice a little dry, but it was working.
"It's rather becoming my hobby," she said, putting her hand on my chest. She grimaced.
"That good, huh?" I asked.
"The poison you breathed in dissolved big chunks of your lungs," she said, patting my chest lightly, "I neutralised it and stabilised you as best I could; but because you're so low on Living Energy, I couldn't use a lot of the usual shortcuts. Currently, you're working on about sixty percent lung capacity, and expending the resources needed to do the repair left you badly vulnerable to infections, one of which is starting to take root in your left lung.
Cassandra looked worried and stood next to me so she could hold my hand.
"I've cast a series of spells to enhance your stamina and speed up the replenishment of your Living Energy, but I can't risk just get rid of the infection in your state, you're going to have to ride it out, and that's going to be very unpleasant for you."
"But I'll live?" I said.
"Of course," she said with a smile.
I nodded, "Maybe they'll give me the good drugs?"
"They will provide you with everything they can to help," she said, "but you have to stay here, where they can monitor, and I can come quickly if I have to. This is going to be really rough, Matty."
"Hey, alive is alive," I said, "I can't complain."
"That's a first," Cassandra muttered.
I glared again, she smiled.
Palmyra filled me in on a few details. She talked about the meeting the other four had attended to discuss me. Kron wasn't willing to let go of the fact that Sutton and I were at odds, but she was willing to admit that I had acted with enough integrity to get me off the Danger List, even if she still wasn't very fond of me. Killian had apparently sat with Demise for hours, going through every detail of our time together until he was satisfied that I was safe. It had been he who had finally convinced Kron.
Hopkins was apparently very miffed with me for nearly getting killed again and would be along to express that displeasure shortly, God save me.
Palmyra got on well with my parents, who couldn't say enough nice things about her after she'd left. Everyone liked Palmyra, but my parents were bordering on worship for the woman who kept patching their son back together.
Cathy came on the third day. Cassandra left to give us some privacy. I smiled at her, and saw that she wasn't in a good way. Her eyes were wet and downcast, her hair was mess, her nose was red, her complexion blotchy.
I reached for her, but she wouldn't come any closer. I let my hand drop to the bed as she stood there. She took a breath and looked me in the eye. She looked like she'd been gathering herself for a plunge.
"How are you?" she asked, her voice neutral, almost cold.
"Better," I lied, "What's the matter, Cath? Are you alright?"
I wanted so much to go to her, but there were too many things stuck in me.
She swallowed and sucked in a shuddering breath.
"No, I'm not," she said, her eyes darting away again, "I'm here... I'm here because I can't, anymore, Matty. I can't do it. I can't wake up every morning and wonder if you're going to be alive at breakfast. I can't deal with that fear anymore... I'm sorry, I just can't."
I swallowed; the monitor beeped alarmingly as her words sank like a pick into my soul and my body started going haywire in response.
"What... what are you saying?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Mathew, I love you," she said, her voice cracking, "but I can't be with you. I can't give my heart to you and wait around for the day that you die. Because I'll die with you."
I could see the way this was going, and I simply didn't know what to do.
"Cath, please," I whispered, almost desperately, "You're... you're my reason. You're why I can get up and do what I need to do, because you're there, because you are the person I love, the one that makes me believe that humanity isn't just a collection of monsters in waiting. Please, Cathy, please don't do this."
"You're the reason I have to force myself to get up," she countered, "You make me terrified to pick up my phone in case it's someone telling me you're dead or hurt. I can't bear it, Matty. You're the best man I know, but I'm not like you. I'm not strong enough."
"Yes, you are!" I said, trying to get up. She backed away, "Please, Cathy..."
She put up a hand.
"This isn't a sudden thing. I've thought about this," she said.
Tears ran down my cheeks, she wouldn't look at me.
"I'm breaking up with you Matty," she said finally, sobbing, "I want to be clear. I haven't been coerced. I made this choice, the right choice for me. You need someone who's able to cope with who you are. That's not me. I want a quiet life, husband, kids, career, a life. Not this Magical horror show."
"I want those things, too!" I said, my heart pounding, my soul aching. Tears were flowing freely as I pulled the sheets off and pulled at tubes and patches.
"But you can't have them," she said, "Your life is Magic and monsters and duty. I don't want to be cruel, Matty, don't force me to be. Do that one last thing for me?"
"Cathy..." I sobbed.
"Do you understand what I'm telling you?" she said, her voice cracking.
"Can't we just talk?" I asked, "Just for a while? Please, just let me talk to you."
"No. You won't talk me out of it. And I don't want you to," she said, her back straightening, "Don't call. Don't text. I won't pick up, I won't reply. I'm assuming that you're going to Stonebridge University if you get the grades, which you will. I'll be going elsewhere. This is goodbye, Matty."
No...
She finally broke down. She turned and ran from the room, leaving me half disconnected from wailing monitors as I pulled things off me. Blood flowed from IV holes, heart monitors left red patches of skin. I pulled out the nasal cannula and took a good grip on the things in my private parts.
I had to get to her. I had to change her mind.
She can't have meant it, she couldn't...
Cassandra came in as I was psyching myself up to yank out the tube in my man-bits.
"What happened? Cathy looked like she'd committed a murd- What are you doing?!" she said running for me.
"Help me catch up to her, please," I said desperately. I couldn't see for tears. It hurt so much, but there was still a chance, there had to be...
There had to be...
"Matty," she said as I started pulling.
She put her hands on mine, "Matty, listen to me," she said.
I looked at her, "She was moving fast. In your state, you'd never catch her now. If you tried, there's a good chance you get another infection or injury that finishes you."
"Then give me back my Magic!" I said, "Please, Cassie, please?"
"What happened?" she said softly, "Tell me."
I did, haltingly, my voice breaking and trembling.
By the time I was half way done, Cassandra had pulled me into a hug and was holding me so tightly, like she could squeeze the pain out of me.
"What can I do? Ask me anything, Matty, tell me what I can do."
Tears were running down her face. She was likely getting a colossal taste of my emotions as well.
"You'd better arrange for some relief," I said softly, "I can't shield, Cassie."
Which meant I couldn't stop her from getting a continuous bl
ast of everything I was feeling.
"I'm not leaving you," she said, "No way in hell."
She wiped furiously at her tears, but they were just replaced by more and more.
"Just for a while," I said, "until I get my head together, I'll be alright."
I coughed heavily, turning my head away.
Concentrate, focus, breathe.
Was actually having trouble breathing...
Alarms were sounding and nurses came in to see the mess. Sorting it out wasn't pleasant. They had to stab in a new IV, replace the stickers on my chest, and the cannula in my nose... and they had to adjust the catheter I'd half pulled out.
Learned my lesson right there. No leaving until they let me.
But the pain distracted me a little. Cassandra was sitting in the corner, crying openly as she shared my pain. Finally, the nurses were done, they warned me not to do it again, told me off and left me to it.
"Please go home, Cassie," I said, "I can't bear to watch you like that and know it's my fault."
"It's not your fault!" she said, standing up, her voice as shaky as mine, taking my hand, "It's hers! Who dumps someone while they're in the hospital?"
A new spike of agony to add to the growing pile.
"Oh God, sorry, I didn't mean... I'm just going to wait outside for a bit, okay?"
"Out of range, okay?" I said, "I'll make it an order."
"You're not the boss of me," she said, leaning in and kissing my forehead, "I'll see you in a while, okay?"
I nodded.
She left.
I cried.
It was the worst night of my life. All the lives I'd imagined for myself had Cathy in them. She was my anchor, my rock, the foundation on which happiness was going to be built. And she was gone. I tried to work through explanations, excuses, some reason why she'd have done this. But all I had were her words, which roared through my mind like a forest fire.
My parents came back and I put on a good face for them, but that was about all I could manage, and I simply went quiet, and then silent.
I wanted to sleep, but I was coughing too much. So I simply sat, staring at the wall.
Tethys came in with Kandi and they sat on the seat next to my bed. They knew. Cassandra must have told them. Tethys looked like she wanted to kill something. Kandi looked like she was going to cry, too.