I am nothing without you
A friend's distress
Soul arrived back at the apartment and he hung up his jacket. He couldn't get Maka out of his head, but if she still wasn't back in a few hours, he was going to demand answers. His cell phone rang loudly, and he had to dig around the couch to find it. He looked at the caller ID. Lord Death.
"Hello?" Soul answered it.
"Soul, I need you to come to the academy right away. I have something serious to tell you." Lord Death quickly blurted out. Maka? Soul wondered. He hung up the phone and was once again out the door. He ran as fast as he could, taking the steps three at a time. He arrived at the front door and slung them open. But he didn't expect to see Death Scythe standing there. He looked solemn.
"I must be getting good at imitating his voice." Death Scythe sighed.
"Wait it was you who called me here?!" Soul asked angered. "Do you know where Maka is?" Soul blurted out. Death Scythe turned away from him, flinching.
"I do know where she is." Death Scythe sighed. Soul stood there, he wanted to know so badly, it was cutting into him like a knife, the silence was about to drive him insane.
"Well?" Soul finally asked. Death Scythe turned to face him, his own face was tired and sunken.
"Infirmary." Death Scythe breathed out. Soul's breathing caught and he took in a loud stream of air. He went to go past Death Scythe, but was grabbed by the upper arm, and before he knew it was thrown against a wall. Death Scythe used his forearm to pin Soul against the wall. "Why didn't you know that? Why weren't you there to protect her Soul? That is your job! To protect my baby girl!" Death Scythe was screaming in his face. Soul was taking it, he didn't know what else to do. When Death Scythe finally released Soul he stood there almost stunned, out of breath. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He asked Soul.
"Is she going to be ok?" He asked quietly. Death Scythe was shocked. Soul turned and headed for the infirmary, at first walking but his steps became wider and he broke into a run. He reached the doors. Is this what Maka felt like, standing here when I got injured? Soul thought as he gripped the fabric over his chest. His wound had long healed now, but he felt a burning sensation over the scar tissue. He opened the door slowly, and he heard the beeping of a machine.
"I guess Death Scythe does whatever he wants to do now." Stein commented without turning around. He was fixing a mask over Maka's face. Soul walked slowly to her side, at the sight of her laying there, he collapsed into a chair.
"What is wrong with her?" He asked, without taking his eyes off of his unconscious meister.
"No one knows, we took some blood and we are running tests now, but other than that, we will just have to wait and see." Stein commented as he took a seat back behind the desk. He was writing notes in a chart, and Soul assumed it was Maka's. "She collapsed this morning, and she has yet to regain consciousness." Stein added. This made Soul flinch. I just talked to her this morning. He thought to himself. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Why is this happening?" Soul asked, more of a rhetorical question, but one Stein felt obligated to answer.
"I don't know Soul. Once again, we have to wait for the blood work to come back. Then we will know what we are dealing with." Stein said, he dropped his pen and ran his hand over his face. He got up from his chair and left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Maka?" Soul asked. He squeezed her hand hard for a second and then released it. "Maka, you have to wake up. Come on, you have been sleeping for long enough. Maka?" He began pleading with her. "I won't leave my dirty socks on the floor anymore, and I won't make you always cook." He looked up at Maka's sleeping face and it looked peaceful. "Damn it, you have to wake up. I am nothing without you!" He yelled it, but there was no reaction. Nothing came from Maka, not a groan or an eye blink. The machines beeped continually with no change. Soul put one hand over her legs which were covered with a blanket and rested his head on the edge of the bed. "Maka, please." He whispered. Two little tears hit the floor, and Soul let them drop. He was done with being strong. He just wanted anything, even for Maka to hit him over the head with a book again, anything that was Maka like. More and more tears hit the floor and while Soul kept his other hand holding onto Maka's, he fell into a sleep.
"Soul?" A voice chimed. Soul shot straight up,
"Maka?" He asked, looking at the still unconscious girl. It was then he realized the voice came from behind him. His eyes burned, and he knew he was crying until he fell asleep last night. He still had a hold on Maka's hand. He turned and saw Liz and Patty standing beside him, Kid was not far behind them.
"Come on Soul, we are all going to get something to eat." Patty said in her usual perky tone of voice. Soul looked again at Maka, then to the machines. He shook his head.
"I'm fine." He commented. He took his hand from Maka's and stretched his arms upward.
"I talked to my father and he has excused you from classes today." Kid said. Soul looked at him with a thankful glance and let out a small smile.
"We will be back later." Liz said, she put her hand on Soul's shoulder and they all piled out of the room. Stein came past them and back into the room.
"I came back last night, but you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you." Stein said to Soul.
"Have you gotten the results back yet?" Soul asked, half-awake still. He rubbed his eyes again. Stein shook his head.
"This is just a waiting game at this point." Stein commented, he walked over and grabbed onto Maka's hand. He put his fingers on her wrist and looked at the clock on the wall. "Her pulse is holding steady, she just isn't ready to wake up yet." Stein said. "Don't do this to yourself Soul, you had no idea. I gave Death Scythe a strict talking to last night. He apologizes for how he acted, but you know, this is his daughter." Soul just shook his head, he understood. He just cared about Maka, not Death Scythe.
"It's fine Stein. When will we get the results back?" Soul asked, as he finished stretching.
"It should be any time now, they will call me." Stein commented, "But until then, I have a class to teach. Are you ok here?" Stein asked. Soul nodded his head, and Stein exited the room. So many visitors today. Soul thought.
"You know that Maka, you have a lot of people who care about you. I think it is time you stop the worrying and wake up." Soul commented, looking at Maka. The mask over her face fogged up with every breath she took. Her eyes were resting comfortably, and her eye lashes against her pale skin were dark and beautiful. Soul got up and pushed her hair off of her shoulders. There was a knock at the door, and Soul quickly sat back down.
"Hello?" A voice called as the door opened slowly. Black Star and Tsubaki came in. Tsubaki was carrying a flower and a card.
"We thought we would stop by and you know, see how she was doing." Black Star commented. Tsubaki put the flower on the end table and looked hard at Maka.
"Has there been any change?" She asked, and Soul shook his head.
"No, but Stein said that the blood results should be back today." He looked at Black Star who was standing in the corner almost trying not to show emotion.
"Do you remember that last mission we went on?" He asked quietly. Soul and Tsubaki both looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah, against the guy who controlled the soul eating spiders?" Tsubaki asked. Black Star nodded.
"Do you think she could have gotten like bitten or something?" He asked. Soul looked from Black Star to Maka.
"I would have known, I was with her." He commented. "But it was a nice theory." Soul almost whispered. Wait, she has been acting strange since then. "Black Star, go tell the Stein the same thing you just told me!" Soul shouted, he jumped out of his chair and pulled the blanket off of Maka quickly. Sending the card Tsubaki put on the blanket flying.
"What are you doing?" Tsubaki asked hurriedly, she jumped to Maka's aid and went to pull the blanket back up.
"Wait!" Soul shouted. He spotted something dark on her leg, something that looked like a bruise, but it was black, and there were puncture marks in the middle. "Go Black Star!" Soul shouted. Tsubaki came closer and looked at it. Black Star hurried out of the room, running as fast as he could.
"She got bit?" Tsubaki asked. She looked at Soul.
"I had no idea, I mean, she did at one point dodge an attack that sent those spiders flying everywhere." Soul thought back. "But I thought we got them all." Moments later, Black Star returned with Stein at his side. Stein ran over and pushed Soul out of the way, he examined the mark and snapped his fingers.
"Tsubaki and Black Star, I need you to go tell Lord Death to call and ask about that man. Soul, I need you to go home and retrieve Maka's meister clothes, if it bit her, it might still be on there." Stein ordered and everyone dispersed. Soul took off in one direction while the others took off the other way. I will save you Maka. Soul thought as his feet carried him through the double doors at the front of the academy.