"...It'll hasten the fonon seperation."
The words echoed in her head. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
She pushed away from the wall suddenly, her head spinning as her feet carried her rapidly away and up the stairs. She walked on, her mind repeating the words from before as if trying to make sense of them. Eventually, she came to the end of a hallway, unsure of the path she had taken to get there but falling against the wall in the end, breathing deeply. She had not even noticed her heavy breathing as she walked.
The image of the red head laying still as death on the roof of the Tower of Rem entered her mind. At that time she had stood petrified as soon as the light had lifted and all she could do was wait with baited breathe. She had released the breathe trapped in her throat when he had started to show signs of life as he slowly sat up, his hands going to his head in apparent pain. Guy's shaking arms finally released her shoulders but even then she wasn't spurred into motion. She had been stuck in place until Natalia shouted Asch's name. Side by side, she ran with the blonde princess to reach the two nobles. As she neared Luke, he slowly stood up before turning on his heels to face her, his hands going behind his back as his eyes lifted and met hers.
She hadn't seen the pain hidden in the emerald eyes.
The sight of his still body had scared her to her wits end. She had promised to watch him change and hadn't thought that she would end up being forced to watch his death instead. She nearly moved to hug him in her happiness at his continued life. Then, at the Colonel's request that Luke have a Doctor look at him, the fear returned in full force. As they rode in the Albiore, she had not been able to take her eyes off Luke as Jade's concern filled her head. Everyone in the machine was giving him similar glaces throughout the ride. The fear had only been put to rest when Luke had come out the doctor's door, an easy smile gracing his face. He had told them all he was fine; that he would BE fine. The others had laughed easily and had left for dinner without a backwards glance. However, something had kept her from fully leaving. Now as she as she pushed off the wall she was leaning against to find the room she was sharing with Natalia and Anise, she couldn't deny the pain she had again ignored in his eyes.
He didn't want anyone to know.
He had lied to them all.
Her arms tightened around the blue furred cheagle that was trapped within her crossed arms. "Tear?" his quiet, high pitched voice asked into the silent, darkened hallway. She looked down at the small creature; his own large eyes were moistened and confused. "Is Master okay?" Tear stopped moving, the door to her room just around the corner, as she hugged the small cheagle tightly.
"He will be fine," she whispered after a moment, hoping the words would resound with certainty. However, Meiu's ears sagged and even she couldn't deny the pain that her words brought. Although the cheagle did not fully understand, he understood enough. They both knew. They had heard Jade's words loud and clear.
After a moment she gripped the door handle, her hand shaking as she turned the knob and entered the room. She halted in the door frame; however, as she was met with three sets of eyes. Natalia sat on the edge of the white sheeted bed, her arms slung comfortably over Anise's shoulders. The young girl's face was burrowed into the princess's side. Guy was leaning against the wall just opposite them, his arms crossed and his head angled towards the floor. Tear couldn't see his expression and so could only guess that his hidden hands were clenched tightly into fists if his tensed frame was any indication. The silence in the room continued, no noise aside from the heavy breathing that filled the space.
"You don't have to tell us," he suddenly said, raising his head. Her eyes widened as she met his gaze. Although his expression and tone appeared outwardly blank, his eyes showed pure anguish; she had never see such an emotion on the Malkuth Noble's face. "But tell me at least this," he paused and pushed away from the wall. He walked towards her as if the question had left his mind and he only meant to leave the room. She moved to the side to allow him through the door but before walking out he stopped. He stood there silently beside her, still facing the hallway when his sudden voice made Tear jump. "Is it as bad as we think?" His quiet question filled the silence. Anise and Natalia both tensed on the bed. Anise's face peaked out from Natalia's tunic which she now held in a death like grip. Tear's shoulder's tensed but she refused to turn and look at the blonde. She wanted to say yes, to utter the words that she had heard and tell them all the truth. However, as she opened her mouth to respond, she found herself unable to form the words. They all waited in the thickening silence while Tear was forced to hear, over and over, his whispered resigned voice.
"I don't want them to know..."
"I see," Guy said, his voice a normal level as if they had just had a typical conversation. "Goodnight," the door finally closed. After a moment Tear walked towards her bed next to Natalia's, ignoring the gazes she felt.
They wanted to ask.
They wanted to demand an answer.
However, Tear had seen it in their eyes that they were too afraid to know.
She sat down on her bed and opened her arms to let Meiu jump down onto the mattress. He looked up at Tear, cocking his head to the side in question. She met his gaze and shook her head before pushing him towards the pillow where he promptly layed down and fell asleep. She turned away then, from the other occupants of the room, in order to look out the window. She sat there until Natalia and Anise finally began to move, the silence accompanied by their soft footsteps and the shifting of the mattresses and sheets.
"What did the doctor say?"
"He said that I was perfectly fine"
The overhead light was shut off and a quiet "goodnight" resounded throughout the room. Tear looked down at her still gloved hands, barely making out their shape in the darkness. She realized that they were shaking and she quickly laced her fingers together to stop the movement.
She said: I will be alright, I will fight the miasma in my body.
He said: I was alright, the incident is over and done with.
She said: I will be fine.
He said: I was fine.
She had survived, so why couldn't he?
As the night wore on, three were left to lay and dwell on what was to come while the fourth sat silenetly and cried for the information that she solely knew and the information that she wished she could forget.