Sorry its taken me so long to update. Getting into a University can be pretty demanding. :(
storygirl636: I know right... it was like... "*Pow* Right in the kisser!" lol sorry. bad joke timing. may they rest in peace.
Solar-Sickness: In my view, the Lich came about as a result of a person exposing themself to the Lich's well of power. The Lich possessed that person. He doesnt have or know of his magical abilities YET. After all, at this point, the Lich is only two months older than Marceline, and, like others, he is going to have to grow to learn those abilities.
Vicchavez007: I know. I blew my own mind when i wrote that chapter. Damn
Disclaimer: I know this chapter is pretty short.
Within the confines of her mind lies Marceline, bedridden and on the verge of death. She has never felt worse in her life so far and she just wanted it all to be over. She was tired of not having a home and of not having a family. Although Simon was the closest thing she had to a family, it still wasn't truly enough to fill the void that her father had left. She of course still loved her father very much, and despite not being there for her, she justified his every action, even though he was never there, even in her times of pain. Every minute, she begged for death, over and over again; and then something happened. The dark room surrounding her began to change, and although she had her eyes shut, she could sense it.
The room suddenly morphed into her old bedroom in their quarantine zone. Suddenly, she felt warmer as she sensed another familiar presence in the same room as her. "Mommy?" she called faintly. "Mommy, is that you?" Marceline's eyes remained shut.
"Yes honey… it's me." She replied. Her voice revitalized Marceline. Upon hearing her mother's gentle voice, her current outlook on life changed. She all of a sudden wanted to live again. She smiled as she heard her mother weep. "I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I should have been there. I shouldn't have relied on your father."
"Mommy… you can't blame everything bad that happens on daddy. It wasn't his fault that this happened." Marceline heard her mother weep even harder. "It was no one's fault, mommy. Sometimes, things happen, and you just have to make the most of it…" Marceline felt the heat of her mother's hands as they touched hers. Marceline gave a weak smile, for it felt really comforting to feel her mother's touch again after so many years.
"Oh honey…" her mother wept. "I never got a chance to tell you this… I'm so proud of you. I wish I was there to tell you that every single day back then…" She gently caressed Marceline's hand with her thumb. "I'm sorry honey… I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay mommy. It's okay…"
Her mother sniffled as Marceline could hear her wipe the tears from her eyes. "Get some rest sweetie… All will be better in the morning…"
"Mommy…" Marceline spoke softly.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Don't go…"
"I won't honey… I'll stay right by your side…"
Marceline took a deep breath, but she couldn't sleep, despite how comfortable she was. "Mommy? Can you sing me a lullaby?" She asked faintly.
Her mother sniffed one last time as she prepared her crackled voice to sing.
You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy
when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear,
how much I love you,
so please don't take
my sunshine away…
so please don't take
my sunshine away…
Inside the infirmary, the doctor is observing Marceline resting, making sure that her vitals remain normal; however she cannot maintain constant overwatch over Marceline. She had fallen asleep numerous times, no matter how much caffeine she ingests. But she had to remain awake, for a lot can go wrong within a few minutes. So, without nothing else to do, she just sat there, staring at her patient, praying that Billy and Simon would return soon.
It had been a few hours since they left. Night had fallen and Marceline's lifeline was coming short. She was just barely hanging on to a thread at this point. Every moment, she prayed for them to bust through that door in a hurry. Every minute, she was disappointed until someone finally came through the door. It wasn't either Simon or Billy, but it was someone else that could help none the less. It was Jonah. Although she wasn't a doctor, she was a nurse before the whole entire world went to shit. She could easily and safely stabilize the patient in a matter of minutes. "Get some rest doctor. I can observe her for now."
The doctor stood up from her chair. "Thank you Jonah. I really needed it."
"No worries. I'll handle it from here."
"I'll be sleeping in the other room." The doctor approached the door. "If they come back…"
"I'll be sure to wake you up." Jonah spoke reassuringly.
The doctor nodded and left the room, leaving Jonah and Marceline, alone.
Jonah took a seat and sat down next to the dying woman. Fucking Billy… What the fuck was he thinking? She thought to herself. To her, it was another mistake, bringing two more survivors into their already starving group. God dammit… what should I do! I can't let this happen. Either our group starves some more… or they die… She buried her head into her hands in frustration. But she's just a young kid… but the group… but she's got her whole life ahead of her… what about the kids in your camp?... your right… she stood up from her seat. I have to do this… for my people.
She placed her hand on the railing to the bed as her hands were hovering over Marceline's nose. Tears shed down from her eyes as she was immediately about to press down. She knew that after this moment, she would never be the same again. She shut her eyes and was about to go through with smothering Marceline until…
"Mommy?" Marceline asked faintly, still panting and sweating. Jonah gasped as she retracted her hand from Marceline's face. "Mommy is that you?"
Jonah didn't hear Marceline speaking to her. She heard someone else. She heard Lilly, her daughter. She held back her tears, questioning her sanity. Lilly? She thought. It can't be true… it just can't be… She looked around the room and even pinched herself. No, she wasn't going insane. It was all real.
"Yes honey… it's me." She wept. She didn't know how to feel. For once after a long, harsh period of time, she felt like she finally had some closure. She wept, over and over for the mistake she believed she made. "I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I should have been there. I shouldn't have relied on your father."
"Mommy… you can't blame everything bad that happens on daddy. It wasn't his fault that this happened." The bedridden girl replied. Jonah wept even harder. She really felt like she was talking to her daughter, years after what happened that fateful day. The sick girl continued. "It was no one's fault, mommy. Sometimes, things happen, and you just have to make the most of it…" Jonah placed her hand onto Marceline's, but in Jonah's heart, she truly believed she was holding Lilly. She believed that somehow, Lilly was channeling herself through Marceline. Marceline gave a weak smile, making Jonah excruciatingly happy as she sobbed even more. Her smile reassured her that Lilly was at peace.
"Oh honey…" Jonah cried. "I never got a chance to tell you this… I'm so proud of you. I wish I was there to tell you that every single day back then…" She gently caressed Marceline's hand with her thumb. "I'm sorry honey… I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay mommy. It's okay…"
She slowly wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke. "Get some rest sweetie… All will be better in the morning…"
"Mommy…" Marceline/Lilly spoke softly.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Don't go…"
"I won't honey… I'll stay right by your side…"
Jonah saw Marceline inhale deeply. The resemblance between Marceline and Lilly was uncanny. Aside from the hair and eye color, they shape was identical. The voice seemed to be the same as well. She thought of Lilly over and over again, indulging herself as she became lost in her past. "Mommy?" Jonah looked down at Marceline/Lilly. "Can you sing me a lullaby?"
Jonah nodded and brushed the tears streaming down her face as she began.
You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy
when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear,
how much I love you,
so please don't take
my sunshine away…
so please don't take
my sunshine away…
Marceline was now sound asleep, but Jonah knew she wouldn't last that much longer. Time was running short. Simon and Billy needed to make it back fast or else they would have to bury Marceline. Jonah stared at the clock, watching the seconds go by…
Tick… Tick… Tick…
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please drop a review and ask a question if youd like and i will answer it in the next installment.