Bleary, tired eyes fluttered open, immediately stung by the bright morning sun streaming through the window. Outside the birds chirped their carefree song from their perches and a gentle wind swayed the leaves of a nearby tree, but very little of that registered with the woman who lay sprawled out in her bed, her lilac eyes dull and tired. With a few more blinks she forced herself into alertness and with a begrudging groan she looked up to her nightstand.
"Nine twenty-four… I'm late for work… why didn't my alarm go off?" She was groggy and too out of it to panic about her tardiness. Her gray tank-top clung to her skin with the sweat that soaked her entire body, her blanket was bunched up down at her feet. With long, deep sigh she rolled onto her back, running her fingers through her extremely short blonde hair that was cut into a pixie cut. 'Shit… Ozpin's gonna be pissed.'
"Oh well, fuck that guy anyway." She mumbled bitterly to herself as she stared up at the ceiling, the fan above her head was still, not because she forgot to turn it on, but because it was broken. 'And fucking maintanence hasn't done a thing about it. This place is such a dump.'
"Huo… I wonder if she's already up? Nah, she'd be jumping on me by now, guess we both slept in." Another irritated grumble rumbled from her throat as she slowly at up. With a long, deep yawn she stretched her hands up into the air, twisting her body as her muscles extended, a satisfying breath escaping her lips as she relaxed. She gave a small indifferent shrug as she swung her feet off the side of the bed, her orange boxers comfortably airy down there given the heat. She reached for her Scroll on her nightstand, ready to offer up some bullshit excuse for being late… until she noticed the date.
"Right… it's Wednesday." Her eyes dulled again and her voice had a weak cold to it as her arm limply fell to her side with the Scroll in hand. 'I guess I should get ready then… it's gonna be a long day.'
Giving a soft shake of her head she dropped her Scroll onto the bed as she stood up. Walking over to the window she closed the curtain with an irritated flourish, nearly pulling the railing from the top of the window. Muttering incomprehensible profanities under her breath she made her way to the closet, the grated metal doors slid open, revealing a disheveled mess of clothes with only a few outfits nearly hung up while the rest were strewn around the small closet floor in a pile deep enough to wade through. Normally she barely cared, but today, she reached for one of the few neatly pressed outfits that hung in clear bags for special occasions; this was a special occasion.
Pulling her shirt from her body let her sweat soaked skin cool as it was exposed to the open air. She carelessly threw her tank-top onto the floor by her bed, exacerbating the growing mess in her small, cramped bedroom. Her hand hesitated as she reached for one specific outfit, it was largely black and white, but through the bag one could see hints of red and yellow in the mix. Gulping down the weight of the emotions that froze her hand in place, she pushed forward and pulled out her clothes. 'I wish I had a cigarette…'
Ring-ring-ring-ring!*
Her heart skipped a beat and she nearly dropped her outfit as spun around to the sudden sound coming from the Scroll on her bed. The device frantically vibrated, screaming at her to be picked though half of her wanted to smash the dumb thing into a million peices. 'But that would be expensive to replace. As it is we can't even afford to keep the AC on.'
With more rambling profanities she marched over to her Scroll, praying that Huo wasn't woken up by the noise. She threw herself onto the bed, scrambling to answer the Scroll as she threw aside her nice clothes, hitting the answer button while she listened for the sound of the little firebrand running around the house… thankfully, all was quiet. With a sigh of relief, she put the Scroll to her ear.
"Hey Thistle, you scared the crap out of me." She rolled onto her back, getting comfortable as she spoke with her friend.
"Sorry Yang, did I wake you? I saw you didn't come into work, got worried. I know you hate this place almost as much as I do but you're never late." Thistle's genuine concern made Yang suspicious for a moment but she brushed it off, she gave up on trying to understand Thistle after the first three months of working with her.
"Nah, I took today off, had this cleared with Oz for months." Yang smiled, glad to hear from her friend, it brightened up an extremely dark day, not that she would ever admit that.
"Oh… right, it's that time of year isn't it? I guess that's today then?" Her tone grew soft and sincere with empathy, Yang wasn't sure if that made things better or worse. She kinda counted on Thistle to be the least empathetic person she knew, someone she could be around where neither would have to hold anything back.
"Yeah… it's today. Don't worry, I'm fine, Huo and I are just taking a day trip then we relax for the rest of the day." Yang turned her gaze to the bag of clothes and then at herself, her bare chest glistening with sweat. 'Maybe I'll take a shower before I get ready, probably should make sure Huo gets cleaned up, then breakfast then dress then leave… or maybe breakfast, bathe, dress then leave.'
"Speaking of little Xiao Long, is she up? If so tell her I said hi." The cheerful and playful spark was immediately back in Thistle's voice, nothing really phased her for long.
"No, she's still asleep I think." Yang turned a cautious ear to her door… nope, still nothing.
"You think?! Bwahahahahahaha! Holy shit, I wish I had a parent like you when I was a kid!" Thistle's uncontrollable bout of laughter rang loudly in Yang's ear, pulling the phone away until she was finished.
"Yeah well, maybe next time I see you I can give you a spanking if you don't behave." Yang smirked, eagerly awaiting her friend's reaction.
"Don't threaten me with a good time Yang, you're just provoking me to be naughty." The sultry, flirtatious tone in her voice sent a pleasant shiver down Yang's spine, sending her mind into places too fun to dwell on long given she had to be ready soon and didn't exactly have the time to get off.
"Wait, it's after nine, aren't you in class?" Yang's smile grew wider as the realization dawned on her. 'That bitch better not have me on speaker.'
"Yeah, I'm in class, you should see the looks on their faces right now, it's priceless!" A few barely suppressed snorts of laughter came from the other end of the phone.
"You're terrible, I wish I had a teacher like you when I was at Beacon." Yang couldn't help but laugh along, especially imagining the looks on the students faces as they listened in to their conversation.
"Well maybe I can give you some private lessons, make you stay after class for a one on one session." Her voice literally couldn't have sounded more seductive and if she were in the room Yang probably would be all over her by this point. Still, all she could do was shake her head and smile.
"I should probably hang up before you get fired." It took a lot for her to keep a level head, but she pulled through.
"You really think they'll fire me from this dump? I'm the best they have and Ozpin knows it. My students consistently score high on combat finals and I personally have kicked so much ass for that man he has to put up with my shit!" That was Thistle in a nutshell. The thing was, she really was the best they had, her combat scores at graduation topped the charts and her teaching skills were unorthodox but effective. They really did have to put up with her shit.
"Well, I'm a lot more expendable so I'm gonna go before you get me in trouble." Yang's position at Beacon was mostly a deal out of pity. She wasn't bad at her job, but she wasn't a superstar like Thistle.
"Alright, you should probably get going soon. Will I see you tonight?" Thistle's tone took a dramatic shift as she sounded hopeful and worried at the same time.
"Maybe, I don't know if I'll be in the mood after the day I'm going to have." Yang smile faded as she reminded herself just what that day was about.
"Well, if you want to numb the pain I'm always down for getting wasted with you, assuming you can find a babysitter." Her voice took on a compassionate and friendly note, but Thistle knew there wasn't really anything more she could do to help her friend.
"That might be fun, I'll let you know. Now get back your lazy ass back to work, I have stuff to do." Yang gave a halfhearted smile, Thistle's presence really lighting up the darkness that clouded her heart, but knowing what was to come was still gripping her chest with a cold, somber void that nothing could fill.
"Fine, geez you sound like my mother, major turn off Xiao Long. Well, have as good of a day as you can I guess. See ya round." Yang could practically hear her shrugging.
"See ya."
Click!*
There Yang lay, alone in her small bed half naked, sweaty and dreading the day before her. Her Scroll slipped out of her hand as she brought them up, rubbing her face vigorously with a long, drawn out exhale. Part of her, a shameful part of her, just wanted to stay in, spend time with her daughter and just forget about everything else… but she couldn't. 'I owe them at least thing much, no matter how much it hurts.'
"Time to get ready."
The burner erupted into a steady blue flame that washed over the bottom of the cast iron skillet. A soft humming filled the kitchen as Yang poured a tablespoon of oil into the pan. She wore a dirty white apron over a random t-shirt and she still hadn't changed out of her boxers. Their kitchen was small but it was just enough room to work, it had an open design with a small island between it and the living room. A cheap tile floors showed the signs of age and wear and tear, largely from them. They had lived in their modest two bedroom apartment for going on three years, it wasn't much but it was home.
"Mommy is it almost ready?" A little girl whined as she walked into the kitchen, sleepily rubbing her sapphire blue eyes. She had shoulder length curly blonde hair slightly darker skin that her mother. She wore a blue polkadotted onesie with a little red bow on the side of her head clipping her bangs back.
"Sorry sweetie, I haven't even poured the batter in yet, it'll be about five more minutes. Did you wash your hands yet?" Yang couldn't help but smile, her little ray of sunshine was the only thing keeping her going on her worst days, and this definitely qualified as a worst day. The five year old was her whole world, Yang would always say that Huo saved her life, and that was no understatement.
"Yes…" Huo dragged her word a few seconds too long, making her mother look at her suspiciously only to find her daughter looking anywhere but her.
"Really? Because I think you're fibbing." Yang smiled at her, turning down the flame on the stove as she put her hands on her hips. "I'll ask you one more time little missy, did you wash your hands?"
"I didn't…" Huo stared up at her mom, her brilliant blue eyes glistening as she tried her hardest to be too cute to scold. She figured she had about a fifty-fifty chance of that working.
"Well how about this, you wash your hands and I'll let you help me pour the batter in. Do you wanna help Mommy make breakfast for us? Pretty please, it would be a big help." Yang turned her daughter's tactics against her, making an equally adorable pouty face, her shimmering lilac stare clashing with her daughter's like some epic but adorable anime fight scene, or at least, that's how Yang saw it in her head.
"Fine…" Huo conceded, shaking her little head as she walked over to the island where the kitchen sink was.
"Thank you sweetie!" Yang smiled cheerfully, enjoying her hard fought victory as she walked over to her daughter. Putting her hands under Huo's arms Yang lifted the little girl with zero effort, lifting her up to the sink before wrapping one arm around her chest, supporting her small body while her other hand turned the sink on and grabbed the soap.
"Make sure you wash your hands really good." Yang gently reminded her child as she poured a few drops of dish soap into her tiny hands before holding her up a little higher and leaning forward so her daughter could reach the rushing stream of water. Huo worked up a soapy lather as she rubbed her hands together under the water for a lot longer than she needed to, seeming mesmerized by the glistening bubbles.
"Hey, hold your hands out flat and bring them together side by side." Huo paused, turning her head up to her mother, looking up at her smiling face before she too smiled, giving a hum and a nod before pulling her hands back and putting them together like Yang told her to.
"Watch this." Yang held her daughter tight as she made an ring with her thumb and index finger before pressing the "O" shape into Huo's soapy hands, rubbing it around before pulling away, a membrane of soap and water stretched in the circle within her thumb and finger, a rainbow flowed within it as the morning sun shined through it from the window behind them. Yang slowly and carefully brought her hand to her mouth before blowing on it gently. Huo watched in absolute delight and unbridled amusement as a large bubble popped out from her mother's hand, floating whimsically in the air.
"Woah… that's so cool!" Huo gasped in astonishment, reaching her sudsy finger out towards the bubble, booping it, but her wet hand couldn't pop it. Instead, the child blew at it as hard as she could, sending it flying into the living room.
"We can play with more bubbles later but let's finish washing our hands so we can eat, you're hungry right?" Her heart was as light at that bubble, her daughter's wonder at such a simple thing gave her a new outlook on so many things, simple things became magical and it was beautiful to experience and be a part of.
"Mhm!" Huo giggled one more time as she looked to the bubble before rinsing her hands off, splashing around a bit before her mom cut off her fun, turning the faucet off with their water bill in mind.
"Now dry your hands and we can get breakfast started, then we take a bath and get ready to go out okay?" Yang smiled as she placed her daughter back on her feet on the floor, crouching down to the child's eye level as she handed her a paper towel.
"Where are we going?" Huo tilted her head as she dried off her fingers, keeping her curious eyes on her mom.
"We're going to see my old team and your Aunt Ruby. You remember her right? We saw her this time last year." Yang still tried to keep up her smile, but she was helpless to hide the sorrow in her heart, her eyes, and her voice… and Huo picked up on it instantly.
"Don't be sad Mommy." Huo frowned, closing the distance between them before wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck, holding her as tight as she could. "I remember so don't be sad, I like seeing Auntie Ruby."
"Huo…" Yang's eyes were wide and as she felt her little girl's comforting touch, she felt a long and well constructed damn in her heart began to break, tears pooled in her lilac eyes as her heart ached with an intensity she could barely tolerate. With a soft, shaky breath Yang fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around her daughter, holding her in a warm, safe embrace. 'I'm sorry Huo… I didn't want you to see me like this. I'm sorry.'
"Thank you," Yang's voice was dull and cold as she handed her Lien over to the cab driver, throwing in a little extra. She wore a beautiful black and white dress that flowed down to below her knees with strips of bright red lining the hem and the straps at her shoulders. At her feet were white heels and around her neck was a silver yellow topaz necklace. "We won't be long, less than fifteen minutes."
"That's alright, I've got AC. Hey, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss." The man's condolences caught Yang off guard, her eyes widening for a moment before dulling back down. 'Right, of course he could tell…'
"Thank you…" She nodded respectfully before opening the passenger door. Her daughter sat in a car seat, safely buckled in and playing with a game on her mom's Scroll, completely taken in and likely unaware that the even arrived.
"Come on sweetie, it's time to get out, grab the flowers for Mommy okay?" Yang smiled wistfully as she undid her Huo's buckles, setting her free as she took back her Scroll.
"Okay!" Huo replied in a cheerful, sing-song voice. The little girl wore a similar dress to her mother's but it was less somber, with red at the straps, black at her chest, white flowing down to a gradient of yellow at the hem. Huo beamed brightly as she reached over her carseat, grabbing two beautiful flowers, one white and pure as snow, the other deep and black like shadows. "Here you go!"
"Why don't you carry one, I'm sure they would like to get a flower from you. I'll let you choose; black or white?" Yang gently patted her head, smoothing out her hair and more than anything, feeling comforted by the loving touches they exchanged. It was the only comfort she had, she knew she would be inconsolable and completely broken down if Huo wasn't with her.
"Hmmm…" Huo looked down at the flowers, one in each fist, her mind seemingly working very hard to decide as her eyes darted back and forth. "I want… the black one!"
"That's a good choice." Yang carefully took the white flower from her daughter's hand. Closing her eyes she brought the white flower to her nose smelling the sweet, subtle scent of the petals before opening her eyes back up. "Hold on tight to it and be careful okay."
"I will!" Huo gave an affirming nod, her grip tightening around the green stem of her flower making extra special sure she wouldn't drop it.
"Hold my hand okay, it's not a long walk." Yang closed the cab door behind her as she took Huo's small, warm hand in her own. She stared out far into the distance, her mind wandering back in time, to a place that was at once too painful to bear and too profound, too life altering to escape. Giving a soft shake of her head, Yang took the first and hardest step forward. With only a few more steps, Yang and Huo crossed through an old iron gate leading into a peaceful and quiet cemetery.
Lush green grass covered the grounds of the cemetery, the landscape was beautiful and warm, natural flowers gave splashes of color to the sea of green and gray. Trees wavered in the summer breeze, casting shade over the polished stone markers, a perfect balance of light and shadow. It was a beautiful place to lay to rest those who had fallen in battle, a site dedicated to preserving the memories of heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. So many found this to be their final resting place, and even those who were buried elsewhere found a marker in this sacred ground, memorializing their lives and what they gave up so those who didn't fight could live in peace.
'Are we living in peace though? What did their sacrifices really mean? They lost everything but the fight goes on. I see them, the students I teach, I see them and I know I'm helping prepare them to face life or death situations. I know that some of my students will die no matter what I teach them, some day, I may very well be visiting their marker here, in this place, where heroes are laid to rest.' Her grip tightened around her daughter's hand, holding it tight as they walked down the stone path through the countless graves.
'We're just tools in an endless war, living and dying to fight for an uneasy status quo. That's what so many have fought and died for. Summer… the woman who raised Ruby and me, she died for the same thing, our own mother died for some secret mission, something Ozpin was involved in, something that she knew would be dangerous. She had us, she had a family and- and she just left us! Ruby never recovered, Dad never recovered, losing her broke us, but she knew that was the consequence if she died! I am never, never going back in the field… I won't leave my daughter the way Summer left us. I'm going to change this depressing cycle, I'm putting myself and my family first, not the fight, not the mission, my daughter comes first!'
"Mommy you're hurting my hand!" At Huo's cry Yang snapped out of herself, her eyes burning crimson and her aura flaring, but all of that faded as she looked to her little girl.
"I'm sorry Huo, are you okay?" Her eyes cooled back to lilac before her daughter could answer she brought up the tiny hand held in her own, kissing it tenderly before putting it to her forehead. "I love you."
"It just hurt a little bit don't worry. I love you too." Her smile was as bright and warm as the summer sun. As Yang looked down at her daughter, she couldn't help but feel that her smile had the same pure glow that… that her sister's did. Ruby and Huo had a lot in common, from their smile to their energy to their optimism. They were both simple souls as Ozpin would put it… and it was something Yang cherished about them both.
"Come on, just a little further, we're almost there." Yang gave one more tender kiss to the back of Huo's hand before standing up, holding her a little more gently, keeping her mind from wandering to darker places as they walked through the cemetery.
Yang felt her flower getting so much heavier, nearly as heavy as her cold and weary heart, as they approached two small and unassuming markers. Mother and daughter stopped before them. On the right, the stone was emblazoned with a distinctive snowflake emblem, the make of the Schnee family and the company the bore their namesake. On the right, was a nearly identical marker, this one had a familiar flower polished into the stone, shining in the sun.
'Blake Belladonna; From Shadows to Light.'
'Weiss Schnee; Ascends with Honor and Love.'
"This is it…" Yang's voice was little more than a soft, choked whisper as she looked down numbly at the memorials to her fallen friends. Their remains were taken by their families after their deaths so there was nothing of them here but their names…
"These were your friends?" Huo looked down at the stones and though Yang couldn't be sure if she really understood what it all meant, as she fell down into the depths of despair, she felt a small hand hold tighter to hers, an anchor in the storm of her heart.
"Th-they were so much more than that Huo… they were my team, my family. I loved them… I loved them with all my heart, after everything we had been through, they couldn't be anything less to me than family. I wish… I wish they were still here, they would have loved you. Weiss would dote on you, she would show you that softer side of her that was so elusive but so warm that bringing it out was something to be treasured. Blake would want to show you so many things, she would read with you, she tell you stories, she would teach you lessons that she wished she had learned when she was your age. They would love you…" She couldn't hold it in, the damn broke into a million pieces and her heart broke along with it. Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling onto the hot stone below, soaking into the ground. She held on to her daughter's hand as she trembled, all the pain she had locked away flooding her mind and strangling her heart.
'I miss you… I miss you both so much. I- I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't save you… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. I was right there but all I could do- all I could do was watch! Damn it! I don't want you to be gone! For so long it was just me and Ruby… then you both came into our lives, we were a team, sure we had hard times but the longer we fought together, the more I came to realize, Ruby and I weren't alone. I put my life in your hands without hesitation more times than I remember. It was the first time I opened my heart to anyone, after losing Summer, after finding out that Raven had abandoned us, I closed myself off, only Ruby was allowed in and sometimes I even kept her at arm's length. You both… you both broke through, you didn't care about any of that, you just wanted me to be okay, you just wanted to get close and I couldn't stop you. So I let you in… and- and I let you- I let you both die! Damn it! Damn it!... damn it…'
"Mommy don't cry!" Without hesitation Huo threw herself at her mother, the small child only able to hug around her waist, but she hugged her mother as hard as she could, shaking her gently. "They wouldn't want you to cry, they would want you to smile!"
In an instant, her trembling stopped, her tear strained eyes looking down at the little girl that held her. 'I'm being selfish… aren't I?'
"She's right you know." A voice spoke up from behind them, cold and stern on the surface but Yang could immediately feel the empathy and caring hidden just underneath the ice.
"Winter?" Yang slowly turned around, Huo still clinging to her but her daughter also looking at the woman with snow white hair and soft blue eyes. She was dressed in a formal military uniform standard for ceremonies in the Atlesian military. In her hands she held a small bouquet of white flowers.
"Weiss always spoke highly of you, she would probably reprimand you for making your daughter worry like that." Winter smiled softly at the child as she walked up to join them in front of the memorial markers. Squatting down she pulled out a white flower from her bouquet and extended it out to the little girl. "My sister would love to get a flower from you, would you be so kind as to give this to her?"
"Y-yes ma'am." Huo nodded, moving slightly back, putting her mother between her and Winter before shyly taking the white flower from her hand.
"You're right, I could just imagine Weiss chewing me out right now. Blake would probably give me a hard time too." With a bittersweet laugh she wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to Wither. "I'm surprised to see you here, isn't Weiss buried back in Atlas?"
"Yes, she is, but I'm here on official military business so this is the best I could do. Besides… she always liked it here in Vale. I would imagine she would rather have been buried here, but father demanded that her remains be brought back home." For a moment, a bitter anger flashed across her cold eyes, but only for a moment.
"I'm glad you're here… I was kinda hoping, but I didn't think you would really be here. It's good to see you again." A wistful smile formed from her lips as she looked down at the white flower in her hand. "Are you free tonight?"
"I will be here in Vale for the next week, if you need company, you have my number. I'd like that… so do call." Winter walked past Yang, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder before kneeling down in front of her little sister's marker, brushing it tenderly with her fingers before placing her bouquet down before it, closing her eyes and bowing her head, giving the deceased a moment of silence, her love and thought going out to them, wherever their souls may rest.
"Goodbye little sister… I will miss you always." Her voice was a barely audible whisper as she opened her eyes, taking a small handful of flowers out of the bunch, placing them carefully on Blake's grave. "Thank you for taking care of her in life."
"The world lost something that day, something great that it could never get back… but what we lost was so much greater." Yang knelt down beside winter, placing her white flower before her stone. "You were an amazing person Weiss, you drove me crazy and made me fight harder, you made everyone around you better for knowing you, and I was lucky to have you by my side."
"Huo, come put your white flower on Weiss' memorial stone." Yang smiled, moving aside so her daughter could do so. Huo looked at her flower for a long moment before falling on all fours, carefully making sure the flower didn't get damaged. She reached out with one hand and then dropped the white flower with her mother's and Winter's.
"I really wish you could have met her…" Yang felt tears pooling in her eyes again, but she bit them back, turning to Blake's stone. "Blake… what can I say? I loved you, I still love you. You were my friend, my partner, my family. You were the first person I let in, you saw me for who I was and it didn't change a thing for you. You've changed my life… and I'll carry on, no matter how much it hurts."
With a long and solemn sigh, Yang placed her hand on the hot stone, brushing her palm against the smooth polished rock. Huo looked up to her mother and then back down to the marker before sitting up. Huo delicately placed the flower down in front of the stone before moving her hand on top of her mother's. The three of them sat in silence as they payed their respects to true heroes and wonderful, amazing people.
"Are you going to see Ruby?" Winter broke the silence as she slowly stood up, her soft gaze fixed on her sister's marker.
"Yeah… I am." Yang followed her, getting on her feet, holding her daughter's hand to help pull her up.
"You're strong, I don't know if I could do it. I admire that about you." Winter turned her eyes to the woman before her. Yang Xiao Long had changed so much since she first met the reckless thrill seeking child. She was an adult now, a beautiful and more mature young woman, more focused one what's important to her, she had firm grasp on her life. The two had become closer since their mutual loss, though her work kept them apart for long stretches of time, she greatly enjoyed her company when they could be together.
"I don't know about strong, some days it feels like I've only got one thing keeping me going. I have to be better, for her." Yang smiled lovingly down at the little girl that held her leg, gently stroking the top of her head. "I'm just doing what I have to."
"You're a good mother Yang, she's lucky." Winter gave a caring and genuine grin. "I look forward to seeing you tonight."
"Yeah, me too." Yang nodded, feeling the darkness in her heart again ebb. She was surrounded by love… sometimes it was just hard to see.
The three of them walked together back down the path, leaving irreplaceable pieces of their hearts behind with the ones they lost, but holding tight to the love they gained, in whatever form it took. The lives of those grieving a loss is a quest to find something to hold fragments of their broken hearts together. Love worked like nothing else.
"Right this way." A woman in scrubs ushered Yang and her daughter down the busy halls. The sound of beeping filled the air, the scent was unnaturally clean as the atmosphere in the building was perpetually filtered. Huo held onto mother's hand as she looked around the busy place, she had been here a few times before, but all the people in white coats captivated her.
"We're sorry, we had to move her room to make space for other patients but rest assured she's still being taken excellent care of." The nurse assured, her tone cheerful and reassuring but something in her eyes made Yang uneasy, she could just feel something was off.
"It's alright, I understand." What else could she do but brush it aside? So she swallowed her suspicions and followed along.
"She's in here, take all the time you need." The woman stopped at a door at the end of the hall, a room that looked just like any other, the same light brown wooden door and polished metal handle. From within Yang could hear the sound of machines running and another steady beeping.
"Thank you." Yang gave a nod, telling the woman that they were fine on their own now. Taking the hint the nurse left them, giving them their privacy.
As Yang reached for the doorknob her hand hesitated, freezing inches above the handle. A tight, tense feeling gripped her chest and her gaze grew cold and distant. This is how it was for her, every time she came here, she just couldn't get to the door without freezing up, as though denial of what lay behind the door somehow made it cease to exist, as if not seeing it would make it better. She knew, deep in her heart, that nothing she would do could ever make it okay, whether she faced it or not.
"Are you okay?" Huo tightened her grip on her mother's hand, she could sense the darkness that plagued her, even if she couldn't understand it.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Yang sighed, breathing away her anxiety the best she could. "Come on, let's go in."
She gritted her teeth, forcing her way through her hesitation, like a repulsive force was pushing her hand away from the door, but still, she pushed past it. As she grabbed the handle, she took a long, deep breath, holding her daughter's small, warm hand just a little tighter before she opened the door.
The room was cool and clean, the walls were painted white and the tiles on the floor were alternating between white, red and green in simple patterns. It wasn't big, a little smaller than her bedroom at home, but it was enough for the bare minimum. At the opposite end of the room opposite the door, a young woman slept in a hospital bed, a blanket pulled up to her chest, her hospital gown showing at her shoulders. An IV dripped a clear fluid into her a tube that ran straight into her heart. Her body was hooked up to so many machines that kept her body functioning; feeding her, breathing for her, keeping her heart beating. Her hair was long, longer than Yang's had been at its longest, it was black and lustrous with scarlet red at its tips.
"Hey Ruby… it's been a while."
original work by snowiebearsnarl gifted to me to continue