Master Maker

Chapter 16- Glow of the Reaper

Greg

“stop!” she shouted “why are you pushing this? Why do you even care?” unfortunately for Greg, he did still care, he hardly ever stopped. His biggest mistake to date was letting her go, regardless of what she had done. She stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, her face was a mask, he couldn’t read her at all anymore. She used to be an open book, not just him but to her mother as well. She was becoming a stranger to those that were closest to her.

“look Matt said she had spent those days playing some game and you were playing with him”

“And?” she was being more and more impatient, constantly looking for something, probably someone would be more accurate in this instant.

“so? He was hospitalized, for dehydration and somehow you are just fine?”

“I'm not an i***t I know how to look after myself” Greg eyed her. Giving him a quick full once over, she had lost so much weight from the last time he had seen her. Which felt like months ago, if he was completely honest with himself.

“Greg!” she bellowed “I don't have time for this s**t, just getting through my classes so I can leave”

Greg felt defeated his once awkward but happy girl was fading so quickly and no one else seemed to notice it as much as he could, he let her shove past him, watching her as she made her way to the building, maybe it hadn't been the best idea to ambush her so early n the day. Although he doubted that she would be any different if he had done it at any other time.

Greg had left the campus early that day he had to go see his friend, with everything that had been happening he just needed something that was somewhat normal. He stopped outside the hospital. Sitting in his parked car for a minute or two before he made a  move. Greg walked through the doors of the hospital to the round desk that stood in the foyer.

“can I help you, honey?” the old woman at the desk asked him, she was small and her glasses looked too big for her face. she smiled and blinked up at him.

“I’m looking a friend’s room,” Greg said softly

“Oh I see, what’s his name?”

“Matt Days” she looked down at a list on her table, after what felt like a series of minutes and humming noises, she answered

“ah, he is in the room, 2-14. Down that passage, you'll find ward 2” Greg hesitated before he moved, “Big glass door with a two on it” she added, possibly thinking she was being helpful. He slowly made his way in the direction that the old woman had pointed him to, the thing bugging Greg was that in two months this was the hospital that he had been accepted to work in, a hospital that now held his friend. He took a deep breath and walk down the passage, stopping at the door marked as Ward 2. He pushed through and walked to room 2-14.

Mrs. Days was sitting by her son's side, she was clutching something beaded in her hands while holding his hand in both of hers. Her eyes were bloodshot, though Greg could not tell if it had been from lack of sleep or if it had been from crying. She looked up at him as he walked in and gave him a small sad smile.

“they say his kidneys are giving in,” she said in a shaky voice, “the swelling on his brain has gone down but not by much” her voice broke on the last word. Greg looked at Matt he looked uncomfortable, all the wires he was hooked up to, made him look like he was a science experiment.

“Mrs. Days”

“Betty” she corrected him softly, her eyes on her son

“Mrs. Days” Greg said again, she looked up at him, why don’t you take a break, go get something to eat or drink. It won't help if you neglect yourself as well. She looked back at her boy that lay in the bed unmoving, eventually nodding and walking out the room. Greg sat down and looked at his friend, his skin had gone ashy grey. He was breathing on his own but he was hooked up to all sorts of feeding tubes, heart monitoring equipment, and some other machines that he should actually know the function of., Lilith was always better at this. She was going to make a great doctor when she finally finished. Greg's mind took him back to the unsettling sight of her this morning, if she makes it through this unhealthy habit he thought to himself.

“you know that chick you winked at the other day,” Greg said softly to Matt, “well she seems down in the dumps” Greg half laughed at his words “word got around quickly on campus, another one of us in a coma” Greg frowned at the memory of Kieth’s girlfriend telling everyone that she could that he had gone into a coma. He got up slowly and walked out of the room, to his knowledge, Kieth should be here as well. Greg walked up to the small desk in the ward, a young nurse was behind it she held up her finger as soon as she saw Greg and finished up with the conversation that was happing on the phone. He leaned on the counter as he waited

“can I help you?” the nurse asked in a soft but sweet voice,

“yeah I was wondering if you could tell me if Keith is in this ward?” she looked down in a book and looked back up at him

“he is,” she said slowly “are you a family member?”

“well, no” Greg answered truthfully, “he, ah I am a friend” okay not completely true, he hardly knew the guy but he wanted to take a peek at what had caused the coma, there was no way that Greg believed it had been a car accident,

“Unfortunately the family doesn’t want anyone seeing him unless they have a family tie,” she said getting up. Greg nodded his understanding and began walking back to Matt’s room.

“good morning Lucis,” he heard the nurses voice

“any change” that voice made Greg’s hair stand on end, he turned slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of the nurse shaking her head, and then leading him two or three doors down to a room. He walked back into Matt’s room and took a seat again.

Greg had been telling Matt about a new prank that he had come up with

“once you are out of here, well set it all up” he whispered feeling a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed and looked up as Mrs. Days entered the room again she had a small smile on her face, that faded quickly the sound of rushing feet and beeping sounded behind her. Greg stood up rushing to the door and following a few of the staff members, to what he realized was Kieth's room, he stood in the doorway as doctors and nurses were fussing around. It happed in slow motion the beeping sound started to fade into a solid deadline beep, he swallowed hard as he realized everyone was standing back.

“time of death,” a male Docter said slowly, Greg turned away looking towards the entrance of the ward there stood Loki.

Something funny was going on he wanted to find out what

Lucis

That big oaf of an i***t, Docter wanna be was starting to get on his nerves. Lilith had messaged Lucis after the meathead had corned her this morning before her first class. Maybe it was time he got Justin to get Greg into the game, at least then the meathead wouldn’t be so worried about Lilith anymore. Lucis thought about that for a few seconds, no he didn’t think that would do, he would have to get rid of some other way. although Lilith had been doing a good job getting him to leave her alone. Lucis smiled at the thought of who she had become, she had gone from a pathetic finger biting girl to a somewhat fierce fire-filled woman. He entered the hospital and ignored the old lady in the middle of the round desk as she waved at him. She was starting to recognize him and that was becoming an issue.

Lucis had been looking down at his phone as he entered the ward, looking up he was surprised to see the meathead at the nurse's desk, more surprised that he was asking about Keith, what connection did he have with him? He listened closely as his walk slowed, smiley when the nurse refused him to see Keith. The meathead walked towards another door as Lucis got to the Nurse’s desk. He followed her to the room, taking note that he was being watched. Lucis smiled to himself, quickly straightening out his face when the nurse turned to him

“he is doing worse today, I hope your prayer will help him soon father,” she said before walking away. Lucis walked into the room closing opening the curtain that had been drawn around Keith. He lay in the bed, his skin grey, a sign that more organs have started to shut down. Lucis looked at the boy as he came closer, placing his hand on the boy’s chest, his hand started glowing a bright red color, the glow moving around Keith’s body as though it were a snake.

“Sorry, dear boy” Lucis voice was low and had a metallic sound to it “the time has finally come. The glowing snake shoved through Keith’s chest and his heart rate increased setting off the heart monitor. Lucis stood back as doctors and nurses rushed in, and he silently slipped out the room, making his way to the door and out the hospital