Catherine stared at the glass of water sitting before her. It helped in tuning out the mindless babble Duo produced. Now he was saying something about how he was so worried. To hell with his worrying! She wouldn't have been in any danger if she had been more careful, but she had been careless. She had tried to starve the very life from herself without realizing it. What a fool she had been. Now everyone knew…now she knew that she was a horrible person. She was adorned in the simple gown of a hospital patient, and Duo was in his vile lab coat. That stethoscope around his neck looked ridiculous. They sat in a pair of leather chairs, with a table between them, the room was alabaster, with plenty of windows.
"…Like I was saying, Cat, you really need to let whatever is bothering you go, you can't live like this." She didn't move.
"C'mon Cat, I know you can hear me." She sat unblinking.
He shook his head, his braid following like a rudder, "women…why are they so damned stubborn?"
She looked up and met his eyes at that last statement. "How'd you get in here Duo? I should think they could tell when a person projects death and not life."
He shrugged, "so I relieved a doctor of his coat and a nurse of her tools, so sue me. He's in a locker somewhere, I just don't remember which one." He made a sly grin.
She suppressed a cough, "Why don't you go Duo, it wouldn't help you to associate with such a horrible person such as myself."
He gripped her hands in his, she felt his warmth in her frail fingers, and winced at the pressure. "Because Cat, I care." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped through the pictures before removing one, and placing it facedown before her. He looked at her expectantly, and she sighed and picked it up. She looked, and blinked, and looked some more. Sudden realization hit her, and she let the photo slip from her fingers, it floated to the tabletop.
She looked up at him, "Duo? Do I know her?"
He smiled, "Catherine Bloom, meet Catherine Bloom."
She looked at the picture again. The person who winked back at her was beautiful. The image was vibrant, the lips full, the hair exquisite. The eyes were bluer than the sky, the hair a rich earthy brown. The skin, flawless, like alabaster polished for years upon years. The cheeks were a healthy rose red, and she had her arms wrapped around someone. Her eyes drifted, until she found the familiar face of Duo, with his arm wrapped around her waist, his tongue sticking out at the camera. She shuddered, and a single tear fell from her eye.
She looked at herself, "God, how could I be so wrong…I'm a horrible person!" Her arms were thin, and bony. Her legs were like sticks. She felt her cheeks, and felt the bones beneath, more prominent then the flesh. Her ribs were poking out at her when she lifted her shirt, and her hair was even fading, the curls and luster gone out of them, like the life out of her.
Duo cupped her thin, milky hands in his own, and kissed her brow. "Catherine, I will be here for you, and I will help get back to who you were. But you must say something for me, and for yourself."
She returned his piercing gaze with her own, making no moves to betray herself. Duo gave a long, deep, cleansing breath.
"Repeat after me. I am a strong, beautiful, vibrant woman…" He paused and kissed her hand, "And I love you."
His words caught her like a knife, so unexpected, but yet so true. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and down her wrinkled cheeks. She buried her head in his chest, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
Duo smiled back, "That's ok, Cat." He placed his hand over his heart. "You can say it in here."