Disclaimer: No I don't own... blah blah... Chaos Walking... blah blah blah. Now. To the story!
"'...and so, my dearest son, I fear that things are changing for the worst. I can only hope that they get better and soon...'" I stopped reading and glanced at Todd. I couldn't bear to see him like this, silent and unmoving. I pressed my lips together as I thought about the past year. Thirteen months. Todd had been the first person on New World to say a nice word to me.
We ran from Aaron-
He saved me, and I saved him-
He was the boy that couldn't kill-
And he became the man that would kill, for me-
I shut my eyes as the tiniest of tears slid down my cheek and landed on Todd's lips.
He loved me-
And I love him-
But now he's asleep-
In a coma-
And I don't know when he's going to wake up.
I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. This was no time for crying. I had to be strong, for Todd. For the new settlers. For me.
I turned at a knock on the door and watched as Ben came in.
How is he? came his Noise, enveloping me like a blanket.
"The same" I said.
The sky would really like to see him he urged.
"No!" I snapped.
"Viola" Ben sighed, using his voice for the first time. "He feels bad about what he did, how was he to know that it was Todd?"
"I don't care" I sobbed. "I just want Todd back."
And with that I started to cry. I curled into a small ball on my chair and cried. Ben walked over, his Noise trying to sooth me but I could also hear his underlying fear of Todd never waking up. Ben gently wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his shirt, staining it with my tears.
"I need him back Ben, I'll go crazy without him."
"I know, I know"-
Ben stopped speaking and stared at Todd. His normally calm Noise started to fill with askings about Todd.
Is he awake? and Did he just move? But the one that caught my attention was Is that his Noise I hear? I opened my eyes and turned to Todd just in time to see his eyelids flicker.
"Todd?" I asked daring to hope that Ben was right.
And then I heard it-
One word-
One precious word that I'd been waiting by his bed to hear-
Viola?
I scrambled out of Ben's arms and knelt by Todd's bed.
"Todd? Todd?" God, I sounded like Manchee used to.
Viola Todd's Noise grew louder and louder until it filled the whole room. Viola Viola Viola! his Noise cried and his eyes opened and he said the first word I'd heard from him in weeks.
"Viola."
He said it in a sigh, as if he were relieved, as if I had been the one in a coma and not him. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into the hollow of his neck. I felt his arms slowly close around my back like he didn't know if was OK or not.
"Todd, Todd, Todd" I repeated, convincing myself that this was real.
Todd was quiet, but his Noise was saying everything that he wasn't. She's OK and I'm alive and Viola, Viola E-A-D-E. I smiled against his chest, comforted by the fact that he was there, and he was alive.