Frank died thirty minutes later.
Hazel was there, saw his breath leave his body. He felt his heart beat leave his veins, leave his spirit. She saw the way he became immortal in a different way.
"Why isn't he talking?" Hazel asked. "He's just laying there."
"You gotta give it time." Nico watched as the mother was taken from the room. "You took a couple hours to wake up. They had taken your body and everything."
Hazel's face scrunched up in distaste at the thought. "Please... please don't talk about that."
Nico looked down. "Right... sorry."
"It's okay." Hazel looked up when the door opened. "What are they here for?"
Nico eyed the men as they advanced to the bed. "To take his body."
Hazel closed her eyes. "Tell me when it's over."
Nico sighed as the lifeless body was picked up, leaving before the thin trace of soul on the bed. He could barely see Frank's spirit, could barely tell that he was laying there at all. When the men were gone, Nico put his hand on Hazel's shoulder again. "They're gone. And Frank... he's really weak, Hazel."
Hazel opened her eyes in a sense of fear. She looked to the bed, looked over the spirit laying there. "Why can I barely see him?"
"He's ready to move on." Nico guessed. "But he probably can't without you."
Hazel covered her mouth with her hand. "What can I do?"
Nico shrugged. "Let's just wait for him to wake up. That's the first step."
"Right..." Hazel dropped her hand. "Where's... where's Will? Aren't you lonely without him?"
Nico smiled. "He's probably spying to see where they bury Frank for you. And I've been with him for awhile. It takes a day for me to miss him."
Hazel nodded once before her attention went back to Frank again. She rubbed his arms, spoke in his ear, tried anything she could to wake him up.
