Well here it is: Chapter Four
Maka sat quietly on the window sill of her hospital room. She looked down at the streets below covered with protesters, reporters, and the police force. 'Such a mess', she thought.
By the time the 6 o'clock news was on everybody knew the story. It was running nonstop on channels 3&5. The reporters ate up every detail of the scandal they could get from the police; the city was in a state of shock and panic. It was a widely known fact that Spirit was a fairly famous figure in Death City, his wealth and charities provided the schools with their large budgets and other funds. He was thought to be a loving father and widow, a tad bit of a womanizer and maybe a bit too strict but all in all a decent man. The news of his abusive ways was crushing to the community, but gold to newspaper and magazine reporters everywhere in Nevada. They all couldn't wait to get their greedy grubby life ruining hands on his sweet and innocent little daughter. They all wanted a slice of Maka for dessert after uncovering Spirits dirty little businesses deals and his string of mistresses during the investigation after his arrest. The hospital was flooded with them inside and outside of the building all trying to get into Maka's room to get inside scoop.
She sighed as she leaned her head against the cool glass. The sick Stench of blood flooded her nose when she took a breath. She looked down to see her that her stitches opened again.
*****Flashback
"Wanna play a game, Maka?" Spirit said as he leered at the small figure curled up by the window.
"No papa" came the muffled response cringing away from the light the open door brought in.
"Oh naughty naughty, my sweet baby Maka, you know better than to deny your papa" the red headed man taunted as he grabbed the figure by the ankles and dragged it into the hall behind the doorway to a dimly lit area.
The small figure kicked and screamed the sound muffled by the sack like blanket it was wrapped in, soon the blanket was ripped away to reveal the scarred face of an ash blonde little girl. She stared up at the twisted sneer of Spirit. Her back was on fire from the friction of the carpet, but it felt like it was burning when she was slammed onto an ice cold metal table in the middle of the room. She cried and tried to resist the large hands that were holding her down and buckling straps around her wrists and legs.
He brought over a small tray of tools and set them on a cart near the table. He grabbed a black liquid in a glass vile. He then grabbed a wheeled chair and sat down chest height to the table while adjusting a bright lamp above the helpless girl. "It'll only be a small pinch, Maka baby" Spirit sniggered as he brought a knife to the girls abdomen. "After this you'll be as pretty on the inside and you are out.."
*****End of Flashback
"Miss Maka... Maka?...Maka?" Maka snapped out of her stupor and looked up at the nurse who called her name.
"Yes?" Maka croaked as she turned to face the nurse, her voice hoarse.
"Are you alright?" Questioned the nurse.
Maka observed the nurse. She was a smaller woman with coco skin. She wore simple framed glasses and a pure white face mask around her neck. She had to be in her late 20s but looked older because of her job. There were bandages wrapped around her arms from her shoulder past her scrubs to her wrists. She had a fading tan line of a wedding ring on her left hand as if she had taken it off awhile ago. A small tattoo of a child's name and a red balloon was found on bottom of her wrist just far enough to not be covered by her arm wraps, but could easily be concealed at anytime. Her pale blue scrubs had tiny little green dinosaurs on them as well. Her crystal eyes were warm but hurting. The brown haired beauty had lost a child somewhere down the road of her short unhappy marriage. The nurse used to work in the children's ward but it had become too painful for her so she transferred into the ER, Maka gathered from the playful scrubs and friendly demeanor meant to sooth frightened children.
"Yes" Maka said with a small smile her voice sounding hollow. The nurse looked at her and they connected. Emerald and crystal clashing into each other like a meter to earth. They could both see the signs of hidden hurt in each other. Each of them noticed the sleepless eyes covered by meaningless smiles and tired cheeks.
"Maka, I know you're not and its okay. Your story is heartbreaking. We don't really know how you managed to stay sane in your situation" she looked at Maka with understanding and pity. But as soon as it was there the pity was gone and in its place was an emotion Maka couldn't place. "You are very brave, I can't even imagine..." The nurse stopped, looking slightly sick. Her hands were shaking and Maka could tell she wanted to say more but the nurse quietly excused herself.
Maka thought about what the nurse said. Honestly Maka didn't know how she stayed sane all this time either. Sure she used books to escape but how did she block it all out? Mama. That was how. Mama was nice, Mama was warm. Mama was the only thing Maka had to cling to all those years. Every time she was locked in the cellar Mama was there, comforting Maka with the pictures she drew on the walls. When Maka was left alone in the dark for hours on end, Mama was there with glow stars to brighten up the night. Mama, Maka thought. Mama was why she was sane, why she was still alive. Why she fought that monster every single time even though she wanted to give up. She had to help her; Maka had to stay alive to tell her story. And that was what she was going to do. She had to tell everyone her Mama's story. They have to finally know the truth. No more secrets, no more lies. "I promise Mama, I'm going to make him pay for all he's done to us" Maka whispered into the air as she clenched her teeth and drifted into unconsciousness.
A sudden stirring from her right woke Maka up. Slowly she lifted her bruised body away from the window sill to the sanitized hospital bed. As she climbed into the warmth of the covers she noticed a sleeping brute leaning on the hospital bed with long black dreadlocks covering his face. Maka smiled softly at him.
"What an idiot" she said fondly.
"Just checking up on the ones I care about, that's the kind of man I am" replied a voice behind the thick ropes of hair. He got up from his uncomfortable position from the side of the bed and leaned forward to give Maka a kiss on the forehead.
"They only let me up here after the cops left. You really scared us there, Maka, the whole club was worried" Sid said as he sat back down into the chair by her bedside. He grabbed her hand and held it, then gave it a little squeeze.
"They're all down in the waiting room, along with some friends from school" Sid told her as he leaned back and let go of her hand. Maka was puzzled. Friends? What friends?
"Who?" Maka voiced her confusion. Sid chuckled
"Well Blackstar and five other kids from your school. Soul was the one to bring you here" he explained.
Soul? What soul? Brought me here? Maka tried to remember. After the police arrested Spirit they tried to interrogate her but she was too weak to talk. A white haired man held her close and growled at them. He helped her move away from Spirit and into an ambulance. He held her hand as they put needles in her skin. Soul. Soul was warm, Soul was nice, she could trust him.
"Where is Soul?" Maka questioned wanting the white haired man by her. She liked the warmth he brought her. He made her feel safe, something she never felt anywhere before. Sid got a funny look on his face and gave her a secret smile, as if he knew something she didn't.
"He's in the waiting room, poor boy hasn't left since you got here" Sid chuckled. Just then there was a knock at the door and in came the nurse room before, nurse Naigus but she said to call her Mira.
"Up and at em again I see" she said as she smiled fondly at Maka. She went over to Maka and set a tray down on the table beside the bed.
"Your friends down there are making quiet the ruckus down there" she said as she eyed Sid. Sid's cheeks turned red as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry about that I'll go quiet them down, that's the kind of man I am" he stated proudly as he got up and subtly flexed his muscles in front of the brown haired beauty. She laughed at his antics but gave him a stern look as he left.
"Well well he's a charming one isn't he?" she smirked. Maka laughed and agreed, she told nurse Mira about how Sid was always there for her and was like an older brother to her. The nurse laughed at the stories Maka told her and Maka could tell that the pretty nurse was developing a small crush on her great big dreadlocked brute.
"Well he's certainly a keeper then isn't he?" Mira half joked.
"Yes, he really is" Maka said softly with a smile. After all the jokes and stories died down things grew solemn and nurse Mira looked sullen. She avoided Maka's gaze.
"Mira?" Maka questioned, confused at the sudden change of demeanor. Mira looked at her with anger and pity. She opened her mouth but nothing could come out. Her throat was dry and it seemed to close up on her.
"Mira?" Maka questioned her again. "It's okay Mira, just say it" Maka said softly gazing at Mira's shaking hands. Mira took a deep breath.
"Maka I'm afraid i have some terrible news" Mira said quietly, Maka grabbed the sheets in fistfuls in her hands, but she nodded to tell signal she's listening.
"Remember the 'games' you talked about that Spirit made you play?" Mira knew Maka remembered but Maka shakily nodded her head up and down in a yes motion.
"Your tests showed positive for signs of Black Blood" Maka's eyes grew wide. Black Blood? It couldn't be. Black blood is a myth, a virus that died years ago Maka thought panicking. Black Blood had been a rising epidemic; scientists couldn't figure out what caused it or how to cure it. It grew like a fungus and sprees like the plague. It tore people's minds apart and destroyed the cells from the inside out. It seemed like it was the end to all, but before it got too out of hand it just disappeared. Gone just like that. People called it the phantom virus, no signs of it were ever heard of again. They all just assumed it went extinct.
"What?! How is that possible" Maka cried. Mira cringed, she explained about how a nurse named Medusa was working on a Black Blood cure but soon she became obsessed with it. She took a small child that was diagnosed with Black Blood and experimented on him after hours. No one is the hospital knew what was going on until a supervisor came to shut down her research. Medusa was livid and caused a scene; she took the child with her and vanished into thin air yelling that she'd have her revenge. There had been rumors that she had a partner but no proof was ever found. The authorities believed that spirit had gotten it from her.
Maka was quiet for a very long time after the story. She lived a life of hell and here she was dying the whole time.' Ironic', Maka thought. 'This whole time I've just wanted to die and yet here I am dying, and I want nothing more than to live'.
"How..How long do I have" Maka spoke, her voice breaking at the end. Mira sat down at the side of the bed and grabbed her hand.
"We're guessing six or seven months" Mira said her heartbreaking for Maka. "This virus is a nasty one. It'll suck you dry from the inside out, there will be days when you feel better and days where you think 'this is the end'. It'll start off slow, you'll feel like you're fading into nothing and then the pain will come like a hot branding iron" Mira squeezed Maka's hand tightly and looked directly into her eyes. Crystal orbs burning emerald.
"But you can fight it, I know you can. You're braver than anyone I've ever met and I've only known you for a few hours" Mira said determined as she looked at Maka with a motherly love. Maka squeezed her hand just as tight.
"So am I going to see you in quarantine then?" Maka asked with a joking smile uncertain about what was going to happen to her.
Mira laughed "No baby girl that's the good news actually! The black Blood in your body seems like it's directed to you. It won't budge. The samples we have of your Black Blood won't attach to anything else. They've even tried human skin cells and blood cells, but it just keeps to itself, it doesn't attack them like normal Black Blood cells do. Whatever strain you have, just wants to be with you. You're free to live your life as you want" Mira said warmly. "But you do have to take medications for the symptoms and any pain you might have. Also you're going to have to visit the hospital for checkups every Wednesday so we can keep tabs on the viruses' development and adjust your medications if need be" Mira back tracked still smiling at Maka. Maka breathed a sigh of relief, 'I can still help Mama' she thought. Maka was content in knowing that she would still be able to keep her promise.
"Mira?" Maka asked as she looked up at the nurse as she got up to leave.
"Yes, Maka?" Mira inquired.
"Promise you won't tell anyone?" Maka pleaded. Mira looked taken back. How could Maka keep this a secret from everyone? Mira clasped her hands behind her back, she saw a small tear fall from Maka's eye. 'How could she not promise Maka this', Mira thought, 'So much has been taken from this girl, even her trust in people. I have to. I have to keep her secret.' Mira took a shaky breath in, "Yes, Maka. I Promise".
Authors Note:
Dear readers,
If you're still waiting for this chapter I'm very sorry. I started this fanfic when I was quite a bit younger. Reading the other three chapters was a bit of a challenge with all the mistakes so I can only imagine what you guys thought. A lot has happened these past few years and I'm still not sure whether I'm going to continue this or not, it really just depends on when I have some time to spare to work on it. And trust me all the comments telling me to write more or hurry up with chapters was not rude, it helped motivate me to write this chapter:) Like I said before all comments are welcome.
Until next time,
Alycatt14