Master Maker

Chapter 23 - Two for One

I tossed and turned that night. I had no idea what day it was. I felt thirsty and when I moved the room seemed to go past in slow-motion. I sat up, putting my head on my knees. The bed moved slightly and I felt a hand on my head.

“you okay?” Lucis asked

‘hmmm’ I peeked up at him through my hair “feel a bit sick” I whispered he kissed my forehead and I think he left the bed cause I heard feet against the marble floor. I closed my eyes trying to will m mind to stop spinning, I heard the sound of the door closing and looked up slightly, Lucis was holding a glass of some milky liquid. I turned my face away from him but he was persistent and moved again so that the glass was in my view, I took it with a shaky and took a sip, whatever was in it was sweet. I downed the liquid and laid back down on the bed, I was facing towards the glass wall watching the water world go about its life during the night hours. Lucis moved closer to me pulling me into his arms and holding me tightly to his body

“feel better?” he whispered oddly enough I did, but it didn’t stop a nagging feeling I had.

“I need to ask you something,” Lucis said kissing my head I looked back at him

“what” he smiled and chuckled

“It can wait, get some sleep” I turned so that I had my face nuzzled against his neck

                                                                          *****

I ran through the halls of the hospital everything was going in slow motion, the phone call from my mother was replaying in my head

Flashback

“mom hang on-“ I was cut off again by her frantic words

“no slowdown-“ and again

“I can't hear-“ and again

“MOM!” I shouted she went silent except for some sobbing noises “now slowly” she took in a deep breath and started again. I listened to her in-between sobs my phone fell from my hand and I sunk to my knees, Lucis came running worry plastered on his face, he picked up my phone from the ground, hearing my mothers voice coming from the speaker

“Hello?” he said quickly his eyes darting from the floor to me as he listened. He killed the call and got up, throwing the phone onto the bed and walking towards the cupboard. He placed something on the bed and came back to me, his thumbs wiped my cheeks before he picked me up. I didn’t even know that I had started crying. Lucis pulled off the baggy shirt that I had on and helped me get dressed. I suddenly snapped out of it pushing past Lucis and grabbing my shoes

“meet you in the car” he whispered and disappeared up the stairs

I got to the ward that the old lady by the front desk pointed me to, I stood outside the glass doors marked with a 2, staring through it at the man that stood down the hall. I took a deep breath and went in. half running, half walking to the desk that was in the ward.

“Amanda” was all I could stammer out as I looked at the nurse, she looked at a list and got up. She said something, at least I think she did because her mouth moved but I didn't hear anything I followed her to a room. Pushing past her and walking slowly over to the bed. Amanda's mother was sitting next to the bed, her head down on the bed, my mother was standing behind her, a hand on her friend's shoulder as she sobbed silently. I touched the end of the bed putting my hand on her foot.

Pipes and tubes were in her nose, in her mouth. Amanda played in the bed unmoving. You would have thought she was asleep, it was the machines and the medical equipment that broke that illusion.

Lucis handed my mother something and said something. She had then somehow got Amanda’s mother to get up and they both walked out. I walked to the side of the bed sitting in the chair, staring at the shell that was now Amanda

“How did this happen,” asked, at that moment Justin came running into the room. I looked at him feeling the tears run down my cheeks again.

“what happened” I hissed at him, “were you not with her” I snapped

“Not the whole time” he admitted, his head hanging as he looked at the floor. “she had to go home after the quest with the Hag, I tried to make sure she…” he broke off looking up at her and then backing up against the wall, taking in a huge breath that ended on a sob and knocking his head back.  I looked back at Amanda,

“how many days ago was that” I whispered

“altogether from the first to the last, 10 days” it was Lucis that answered

“why hasn’t this happened to me yet?” I asked in a hushed voice, no one answered me

“answer me” I hissed standing up and looking at Lucis

“I make sure, you eat and drink at least once a day while we are busy, Justin did what he could” I sat back down looking at Amanda,

“she irritated me, sometimes” I smiled “but she was always there for me” we all sat in silence for a while. Lucis moved so that he standing next to Justin, they spoke to each other softly as I stroked Amanda's arm, our mothers returned with coffee and stood on the other side of the bed opposite me

“who knew dehydration could be this bad” Amanda’s mother said a bubble of laughter escaped her throat and it quickly turned to sobs again

There was a loud beeping coming from outside the room, nurses and doctors were rushing to the room next door to us, I got up to see what the hell was going on that was when our eyes met.

Greg had been shoved out the door and was now standing in the hall looking bewildered. He looked as though he couldn’t catch his breath. Without thinking I ran out of Amanda's room into the room next to, there on the bed was Matt, the doters frantically working on him, trying to restart his heart. I looked back to see Greg staring at me, another loud beeping caught my attention. My heart sank

“No,” I whispered as I moved out of Matts room and back into Amanda’s, Doctors and Nurses were already filling p in the room

“No, no, NO” I shouted, “Amanda, no, not yet!” I shouted as Lucis held me around y waist pulling me back, a nurse was escorting Amanda's mother out of the room along with my mother

“No, let go” I broke free from Lucis and stood behind the doctors and nurses that rushed around trying to get what they needed.

A minute passed by…

10 munites…

25…

“time of death”  a doctor called a time but my mind went numb, my brain was refusing to respond to what my ears were hearing. She was gone. No this had to be a joke, a sick, sick joke. That was it, this was all an elaborate hoax. The doctors cleared the room, Amanda’s face was now covered with a white sheet, not thinking I pulled the sheet from her face, the pipes, and tubes were gone now, her face was pale. I touched her face, tears streamed from my eyes, falling onto her face as put my forehead against hers. I heard footsteps come into the room, I ignored them. Lifting my head as sniffed holding Amanda’s face in my hands, I would never hear her stupid laugh gain, or hear what gossip she had,

“you stupid, stupid girl” I whispered “why did you do this” I sniffed again wiping my tears from Amanda’s face “silly girl, you should have known better” I half laughed through a sob.

“Little Demon, we have to go” I heard Lucis’ voice but I ignored him and kept speaking to Amanda

“Lucis” I heard Justin's voice it was soft and full of concern. Lucis took me by the waist and pulled me back, I fought against his grip trying to stay close to my friend.

“no,” I said fighting harder and kept my hands outreached towards Amanda’s lifeless body.  

“Lucis, NO!” I shouted as he pulled me to his arms and carried me out of the room like a baby.

“Take me back I shouted” hitting my fist into his chest, he carried on walking not even flinching as my hand came down on his chest,

“shhh,” he cooed holding me tighter.