Hey how's it going? Just got bored and decided to upload a new story. You'll notice I use the same chars in my stories but don't worry about that. I'm not good at creating new ones. LOL! Anyway point out to me if you see any serious spelling errors. I like fixin' them cuz I'm somewhat a perfectionist. Anyway hope you like; reviews are always appreciated but flames are frowned upon.
Lord Hood sat at his desk. It had been twelve years since the end of the War and the treaty with the Sangheili was signed. Humans were now only focused on fixing their destroyed planets and repopulating…at least that's what most humans were focused on. Hood on the other hand had something else on his mind.
His phone suddenly started ringing. He picked it up slowly. "Hello…?"
"Mister Hood, this is Jasmine from the hospital." A female voice spoke.
Hood's blood ran cold. "Hello Nurse Jasmine. How's Angelica doing?"
"She's taken a bad turn again. We have her in the critical Wing and…we're not certain if she's going to make it through the night."
He stood up out of his chair quickly. "I'm on my way." He said before hanging up the phone. He got on his uniform and walked out to where the Pelicans were docked. He was about to board one when a familiar voice spoke to him.
"Lord Hood, where are you off to in such a rush?"
He turned slowly and saw a Sangheili in gold ornate armor. "I know I have a meeting with you today Arbiter, but I'm afraid I have to cancel it."
"And why is that?" The Arbiter asked.
"Someone very close to me is very sick and has been in the Hospital for a long time. I just got a call that their condition has turned for the worst…and there's a good chance they won't make it through the night. I have to get to the hospital now." He replied as he began to step onto the Pelican.
The Arbiter reached and placed a hand on his shoulder; stopping him. "One of my Phantoms would be faster. We should get going."
At the Hospital…
"How is she Doctor?" Lord Hood asked a middle-aged woman with short dark hair. She looked at him and the Arbiter with her hazel eyes.
"We've managed to stabilize her condition, but she can still slip into cardiac arrest at any moment. We'll be up all night to look after her…but if her condition doesn't improve there's a good chance she'll pass sometime this week."
Lord Hood's eyes drifted to the ground and he nodded slowly. "I…understand… May I see her?"
"Yes, but please be very quiet. She's really sensitive to light and sound at the moment so we have the lights dimmed and made sure the machines make as little noise a possible." She replied before walking off down the hall.
Thel looked at Lord Hood. "What disease does this female have?"
"There's no official name for it, but most refer to it as the Blanco Virus."
"Blanco…Virus?" He asked curiously.
Lord Hood nodded as he opened the door and quietly walked in with Thel right behind him. "The first symptom is that the color pigments in a person's body die and disappear causing the person to turn albino. Then their white blood cell count slowly begins to drop along with their immunity. They become weak and sometimes their vision can go bad. They have breathing problems and can also become very sensitive to light and sound and temperature.
"Usually a person doesn't survive more than a year with the virus, but Angelica has survived roughly nine years with it… She was diagnosed with it when she was ten. Since then she has been in this hospital."
"What of her parents?" The Arbiter asked.
"Dead, both of them; her father was a Spartan and her mother was a Scientist who worked closely with Dr. Halsey. She has no siblings; no family members."
"Then what are you to her if you are not related?"
Lord Hood paused and looked down. "I met her a few years ago just by accident. We talked and she asked if I'd come visit her again. Soon she began calling me Uncle Hood and she's been in my life ever since."
They both stopped when they saw a beautiful 19-year-old girl lying silently on a bed. Her hair was long and as white as snow; her skin was pale. Lord Hood walked over quietly and sat in the chair beside her bed. He saw all the wires attached from her body to the machines around her. Each one had a specific purpose. He sighed and gently stroked her hand.
"That's right Angie…keep fighting it off."
Thel watched Lord Hood and Angelica with interest. Any Sangheili who became this sick would rather die than live with the help of machinery. Every day he was reminded who different the human culture was from his. He stood beside Hood and looked Angie over. She was sweating a little and seemed to be having breathing problems. There was a strange plastic mask that was over her nose and mouth. It was attached to a tube which was hooked up to a machine that looked like it had an accordion inside it. He assumed it was helping her breath easier.
"U-Uncle Hood…?" a soft voice cooed.
Lord Hood looked up quickly. "Angie?"
Thel and Hood looked to see Angelica's eyes flutter open a little, revealing her crimson colored orbs. She looked at Hood and smiled weakly.
"Thank God… I was worried about you kid." He smiled back.
"I'm sorry… I worried you." She whispered. She then noticed Thel and smiled. "Uncle Hood, who's the person standing beside you…? He's really tall…"
"This is the Arbiter; he's a friend of mine." Lord Hood replied as he looked up at Thel.
"I can't see you too well, Mister Arbiter. At the moment I can only see a silhouette… Can you come a little closer?" She asked the Sangheili.
Thel paused for a moment and watched as Lord Hood moved back so he could come closer. Thel got down on one knee and looked at her. "Is this better?"
Angelica slowly reached up and touched his helmet. Thel paused as her hand glided along his helmet before coming to rest on his right mandibles.
"You're a Sangheili…just like my Able." She smiled.
"Able?" The Arbiter asked curiously.
Her hand slowly slid back down and rested beside her.
"Who is this Sangheili you speak of?" Thel asked again.
Angelica only smiled. "He's my guardian angel…"