Feeeeeels! (Todd's POV)
It was like breaking the surface of a lake. Like finally getting a first breath of air after ages underwater, and my first thought, not 'where am I?' or 'what's going on?'. My first question was 'where's Viola?'. Ben was there waiting for me and as soon as I sat up I was in his arms my noise yelling BEN all over the place, afterwards I wanted to be so thankful he was waiting for me and for him to explain what happened but I had to ask… 'Ben, where's Viola?' and he went awful quiet. He got that look on his face where he don't wanna tell me somethin' but he's gotta. He put his hand on my shoulder. 'Ben?' an' I curse my voice for goin' all high but he's not talkin' and that's never somethin' good. Never.
'Todd, I want you to know, Viola waited right here in this chair for months…' Well I couldn't expect her to wait forever could I? (I always thought-) She deserves better (I thought she would be here).
'Is she with Lee? I wouldn't mind.' (Yes I would) Ben wouldn't look me in the eye.
'No Todd, she's not with Lee. Basically, a few months ago there was a flu. It was real bad and it affected everyone, we were going to have real trouble so Viola went with a team of settlers to go and look for a cure. We thought it would be good for her to go and get some fresh air, just for a week. She didn't want to go, she wanted to stay with you but I told her that if anything happened I would tell her immediately, so she went… oh Todd I'm so sorry.'
'Ben, what happened?' panic started seeping into my noise, worry flying everywhere.
'She got the cure, it was a plant in a cave a few hundred miles away but the entrance was small, she was the only one who could get in and she got it! Oh Todd she did so well, she was just crawling out when the cave roof… I guess it must have been loose…'
'Ben. What happened?' My noise was scrambling around the room like a trapped lion. I'm going to faint. I'm going to faint. (She can't have)I'm going to faint. (There's no way-)'Ben?'
'Todd she was a hero. Oh god Todd I'm so sorry- oh god. I'm so sorry.' but I can't hear him. I can't breathe I can't breathe I can't breathe. I'm dreaming. I have to be. I'm still asleep and this is just a horrible nightmare. Viola you can't be gone. Viola. Viola. Viola. You can't leave me now. I'm back Viola! Come and see me I'm back! Viola please don't have left me… I wish I could just fall back asleep.
I wish I could just fall back asleep forever.