The whiteness surrounding me began to dissipate, slowly but surely. Beneath it was a layer of pure black, peeking through between the spots of white. Soon, it had been dissolved fully, leaving me to a black canvas.

Almost suddenly, I could feel my body again. A tingling sensation surrounded me, shooting through my arms, legs, neck, and face… I wiggled my fingers with as much effort as I could, feeling triumphant. And then came the hearing. I heard shuffling, mumbling, and the choked sound of sobbing coming from somewhere. Finally, my eyelids flickered open, staring at a pale blue ceiling. I shifted my back a tiny bit, rustling the sheets beneath me. Suddenly, I saw Dr. Hardy's stern face towering over the cot. I blinked rapidly.

"Marlin?" He asked me. I grinned at him and he returned the favor. Behind him, I saw Jill with a red face and huge, glazed eyes.

"You know where you are, yes?" He asked me as I averted my gaze back towards him. I nodded.

"Forget-Me-Not Valley." I replied plainly, as he bobbed his head up and down.

"Good. How do you feel? Any aches or pains?"

I did a self-check, making sure there was nothing out of place. I shook my head at him.

"All right, that's great." He said, semi-enthusiastically, before stepping aside so Jill could approach me. I heard a door click shut a few moments later as she reached the cot, resting her hands on the sides. Slowly, she touched her clammy hands against mine, squeezing it gently. She looked ashen as she stared down at me in incredulity, her auburn hair swinging over her shoulder.

"I…. I'm sorry." I told her, feeling a sense of pure ignominy. I had done this to her so many times before… and I could see how horribly it has frazzled her. The usual bright twinkle in her eye was long gone by now, replaced with a dull, unrecognizable hue. The bags under her eyes were gray and profound, and they seemed to be permanently etched into her skin. Her cheeks sunk in, and the usual smile on her face wasn't visible anymore. I missed it.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault." She responded, still holding onto my hand.

"Yeah, but I should have known not to push myself when we have something more than just us to jeopardize." I told her simply. She nodded at me, her worn facade crinkling like paper before she looked away, blowing a piece of hair away from her face. I could tell she had something on her mind by the way her forehead creased. She was clearly deep in thought.

"What is it?" I asked her. She sighed.

"It's just… there's this procedure."

I frowned a little, waiting for her to go on. But she just sat there, wordlessly contemplating in her head before opening her mouth once more.

"Dr. Hilliard was here," She said. I could feel my eyebrows raise at the name… my old doctor from the city. Although peculiar, he was very proficient, and he was the one who advised me to come to this town. If it weren't for him, who knew where I would be?

"And… well, he said there was this procedure that could really help you. It's not exactly proven that it will help, but it can't hurt. And he asked me to make the decision on whether to do it or not." She paused for a moment, looking into my eyes carefully. She scratched the back of her neck before continuing, "I said yes."

I looked at her quizzically. Why was she so anxious to tell me this?

"What's the problem, then?" I asked her, growing a little apprehensive myself. She gnawed on her bottom lip.

"He said that it's a very exhausting process. Meaning, you'll be extremely tired and fatigued. And he mentioned something about physical pain, you know, as you recover." She said quickly, refusing to look into my eyes by staring out the window.

"I see." I replied, now understanding her uncertainty. I wanted to ask so many questions to her, but I knew she wouldn't comprehend them. I would have to wait for Dr. Hilliard to come back. So I kept my mouth shut, pressing my chapped lips together firmly.

"Are you okay with it?" She asked me, now finally resting her turbulent eyes on my own. I tried my best to look secure.

"Of course." I told her, voice unwavering although my insides were doing somersaults. The procedure almost scared me, but I knew I had to try it out. I had faith in Dr. Hardy and Dr. Hilliard, so what was there to be nervous about? But my doubts persisted.

Jill smiled genuinely as she leaned in to peck my forehead dotingly. Dr. Hardy appeared in the doorway, looking disgruntled.

"Marlin, you have a few… visitors."

Jill straightened up immediately, staring at the door as Celia and Vesta barged through the door. And from the looks of it, they were quite upset. Celia's face was absolutely gray, not a speck of color was left. Her eyes were cherry around the rims, and she was outwardly frowning. She seemed to be literally falling apart at the seams; it was as if nothing but a few pieces of measly tape and a few dabs of glue were keeping her in one piece. On the other hand, Vesta looked the same in appearance, but the way she moved, the way she flinched when she saw me… it was strange.

"Oh, Marlin!" Celia cried, advancing towards me as Jill gingerly stepped out of the way to go talk to Dr. Hardy. She planted her feet right next to my bed, looking down at me as Vesta stood right behind her with her hands planted on Celia's slender shoulders.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" She asked me hurriedly, tucking hair out of her face that had swung over her shoulders.

"No, I'm fine." I told her reassuringly, but she still quivered in her state of shock. Vesta looked at me with blank eyes, as if she wasn't really looking at me at all. It was almost frightening.

"We were so worried! Oh, and you're so pale. Are you okay? When do you go home?" Celia went on, becoming increasingly hard to understand because of her thick, shaking voice. All I could do was nod as she went on asking questions, but I was barely listening anymore. I looked over at Jill across the room and she looked right back at me.

She grinned just slightly, tilting her head to the side as she did so. I returned the favor. We lingered for just a moment, staring at each other intensely until I remembered my visitors. Celia was carefully wiping the tears from her cheeks, closing her eyes as she did so. Vesta took her strong hands off of Celia's shoulders and stepped out from behind her, approaching my cot.

The way that Vesta was acting made me very uneasy. She didn't look or seem like herself at all. Her normal bright red hair was now shabby and tangled. Her eyes were completely empty as I took a better look at her. My own sister… I had never seen her so lifeless.

"I hope you're feeling okay." She muttered quietly, drumming her shaky fingers on the cot.

"I am. Thanks." I replied, trying to get her to look at me but she practically refused, "Vesta, are you okay?"

She looked down at the floor, licking her lips tentatively. Celia now ripped her eyes away from me and stared up at Vesta as well, waiting for an answer.

"All right, everybody, I think Marlin needs his rest. You can all visit in a few days, okay?" Dr. Hardy interrupted, clearly not noticing our conversation. Vesta turned to him and nodded quickly, before giving me a kiss on the cheek and heading out the door. Celia reached down to squeeze my hand in hers before she turned to leave. Then Jill approached me, looking a bit better than she had before.

"I'll be back tomorrow after the procedure. You'll probably be asleep, but… just know I'll be here with you, okay?"

I smiled at her as she placed her cold hand on my cheek and leaned in to give me a kiss. Her lips shook on mine as she lingered for a second, and then pulled away. One last wave and she was out the door, leaving Dr. Hardy and I to be alone.

"Is it all right if I ask you some questions, doctor?"

He turned to me and nodded earnestly before approaching the bed and grabbing his chart.

"What would you like to know, Marlin?"

I exhaled slowly, searching through the millions of questions swarming in my head.

"What are you specifically going to do?" I inquired quietly, clasping my hands together and twiddling my thumbs nervously. He paused for a moment, creasing and relaxing his forehead until he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Well, I have to be honest about this all, so it won't sound very pretty. We are going to have to replenish the protein product that is missing in your lungs. It's an injection; it will knock you out for a while and will be quite painful when you're awake. After that, we start inhalation treatment to help you breath easier. We need to do the injection once every few days until it's completely replenished, and the inhalation treatment might take a while… It's a repetitive process but it's for the better."

I gulped, feeling a lump rise in my throat as he explained this process. Truly, I was frightened. But I had to at least try it out. There was so much more to risk, especially with a child on the way now… how could I refuse this treatment? I had to stay strong. At least, in front of Jill. I had caused her so much stress, and showing my uncertainty about it all would just worsen the situation.

"I can see you're worried." Dr. Hardy observed. I gave him a crooked smile, trying my best to hide my concern but he just laughed. "It's perfectly normal to be scared."

I sighed, laying my head on the fluffy, white pillow behind me.

"Yeah, but… she's counting on me. What if something goes wrong?"

Dr. Hardy let out an elongated breath and scratched his neck.

"Nothing will go wrong," He assured me, "Please trust me on this. Jill… she's just a little traumatized right now, and we can't blame her. But no matter what happens, if the procedure works or if it doesn't, she'll be okay. And you'll be okay."

The way he said this so confidently and comforting, it made me feel a little better. For the time being.

"I guess you're right." I stated, casting my eyes downwards. He grunted in response.

"Just keep that in mind."

I nodded and looked out the window that was close to me, watching as the tip of the sun gradually disappeared behind a mountain in the distance. The oranges and reds seeped into the room and filled my cot with a plethora of beautiful hues. I could see the radiant white snow forming in the corners of the window, and I longed to touch it. I longed to run outside and be able to taste a sugary snowflake on my tongue. I longed to do so many things that I was banned from doing now… and somehow that gave me the strength to be confident in this procedure. I was ready to be normal again, or at least try.

I stared out that window until the sun had completely set, and the moon began to rise high in the sky. I had been knocked out for a while, yet for some reason I felt my eyes droop with exhaustion. All of the worry and stress must have made me tired. So gradually, I fell into a deep sleep.

I awoke in the morning, before the sun had the chance to come up. It was probably about six or seven in the morning, but Dr. Hilliard was already here. He looked the exact same as I remembered him… short, eccentric, and with a beard that covered up half of his face and neck. He was a character, all right.

"Marlin! It's nice to see you… well, it's nice to see you awake." Dr. Hilliard greeted me, chuckling a little as he did so. I smirked at him as he approached me to shake my hand with vigor.

"It's nice to see you, as well."

"Now, I suppose Dr. Hardy has told you what is going to happen during this procedure, right?" He asked, scratching his enclosed chin. Or maybe he was scratching his jaw? One couldn't tell; his hand was practically wrist-deep in his gray beard.

"Yes, he has."

"Good, good. We want to get started right away. We know you want to see your wife after the procedure… although you will be groggy. I heard about the pregnancy, by the way. Congratulations."

I felt a lump rise in my throat as I tried to grin. Seeing my anxious reaction, he grasped my shoulder tightly in his small hand.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine."

I had heard these words already by Dr. Hardy just last night, yet it still hadn't completely sunk in. I clenched my fists together in anxiousness as the doctor's spoke to each other in hushed tones on the opposite side of the room. I could feel beads of sweat form on my palms and brow as I saw Dr. Hilliard grab a pair of gloves and a jagged, shiny object from the medicine counter. It was a needle.

I gulped uncertainly, hoping that it wouldn't be as painful as it looked. But it was doubtful. The tip was sharp and longer than I expected. I had never liked needles. Something about being practically stabbed with a pointy object was not very appealing to me.

"All right, Marlin. Let's get this over with. Do you want me to count down or…?"

"No… no. That's all right."

He shrugged and approached me with Dr. Hardy behind him, eyeing me carefully. Dr. Hardy grabbed a white cloth off of the medicine counter and doused it in a substance before he carefully lifted the hospital gown I had on and placed the cloth on my thigh. I felt my face grow scarlet but I ignored the embarrassment. Slowly, Dr. Hilliard approached my leg with the needle and I had to look away. At first, there wasn't a huge pain, but as I felt the needle ascend deeper into my leg, I clenched my fist muscles even tighter.

I didn't have time to register anything else. After a while, I could barely feel my leg anymore. And after that, everything else seemed to grow numb as well. First my legs, then my torso and arms, and finally I could barely feel my own face. The last thing I saw before my eyes fluttered to a close were the two doctors, looking concentrated as they discussed something I couldn't hear.

As my world encased itself under a black veil, the only thing I could focus on was the sound of my breathing, deep and heavy as I drifted into a state of unconsciousness.

--

"Marlin? Are you awake?"

I felt my eyelids flicker open and I was face to face with my beautiful wife, Jill. She smiles widely at me when she sees I'm awake, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. A smell wafts from next to me, and I turn my head to see a breakfast plate with my favorite foods: sunny side up eggs, hash browns, and a glass of ice-cold milk.

"How are you feeling this morning?" She asked me, putting the plate of breakfast on my stomach.

"I'm fine," I responded, grabbing the fork and spooning a mouthful of potatoes into my mouth. She grinned.

"Good!"

From behind her, I heard padding footsteps. I furrowed my brow, wondering what that noise was, until my question answered itself. From behind Jill, a tiny hand grasped her jeans and tugged.

"Mommy! Pick me up!" Said a small voice. She laughed melodically and grabbed the child, picking him up and hoisting him onto her waist. I stared in awe at the two. It was my son. My own son.

His eyes were huge, cerulean orbs that stared up at Jill in delight. He had tiny hands and tiny feet with little socks on them. He smiled a toothless smile and bit one of his fingers as Jill snuggled him. I could feel tears forming in my own eyes I looked at him.

"Say good morning to daddy, Aiden!" Jill exclaimed, turning slightly so the boy could face me. He laughed, sticking both of his hands in his mouth and smiling.

"Da!" He shrieked, reaching his spit-covered hands for me. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride build up in me. I pushed my breakfast plate onto the side table next to me and tried to stand so I could hold my baby boy. But something was wrong…

My legs wouldn't budge. I sat up in the bed and tried my hardest to move them but they were heavy as rocks. I touched them with trembling fingers, but I couldn't feel a thing.

"Marlin, what are you doing?" Jill asked me, but I didn't respond. I knew something was weird when Jill brought me breakfast in bed. I felt my breath grow shallow as I gripped the bed sheets in my tremulous hands. I was paralyzed.

There, in the corner of the room, was a rusty wheelchair. How had I not noticed this before? I heard Aiden coo and giggle amidst my panic and my wife's confusion. Brackish tears stung my eyes and threatened to spill over but I willed them not to.

"I… I'm…" I began, but I couldn't choke the word out. My tongue swelled in my mouth as I contemplated what could have happened. Was it the procedure…?

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice alarmed. I didn't answer her. I couldn't even look at her. All I could do was stare at our child, so aloof to everything that was going on around him. I would never get to run around with him, or help him water plants when he's old enough. I will never be able to feel his tiny hands tugging at my own pant leg.

All of these sudden realizations made me woozy. My shallow breathing became worse, and soon I couldn't feel anything at all. I blacked out.

--

"He just stirred a little, he might wake up in a few moments."

…The first thing I felt was a jolt. Not a painful one, but a very subtle nudge back into reality.

"Are you sure he's okay? Did anything go wrong?"

…At first, the voices were muffled. They became clearer and clearer with every syllable sounded out, almost like I was turning the volume up on a radio very slowly.

"From the looks of it, no. When he wakes… well, we'll just have to see."

…And then I felt it. The pain.

"I… ah, all right."

…At first, it started in one tiny spot on my leg. And then it spread like wildfire up and down both of my legs, and then to my stomach and arms.

"Don't worry, Jill. Everything will be just fine."

…The pain wasn't anything like I had experienced before. It was a smoldering commotion that ripped through my body and left me longing to dig my fingernails into the sheets beside me.

"How do you know?"

…But I still couldn't move. I felt like screaming, or maybe just letting out a cry for help. Was something wrong?

"Well, miss, you are his wife. You of all of us should know how tough he is."

…I felt like I was throbbing and pulsating throughout my appendages. The sweltering sensation intensified in my lungs as if I took a stick of blazing fire and stuck it down my throat like the magicians.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

…Another jolt, and I could move again. I wiggled my toes and fingers exultantly even as the pain still persisted.

"Shh… looks like he's waking up."

I licked my lips tentatively and peeled open my eyelids with as much effort as I could stand. My vision was indistinct for a few moments, until I blinked a few times to find the two doctors staring down at me happily. I hadn't noticed that I was still wiggling my toes, realizing that the dream I had wasn't a reality.

"Well, hello! How are you feeling?" Dr. Hilliard asked me. I squinted my eyes several times and tried to force words out of my mouth but they only came out as 'mrrnffh'.

"In pain, I assume." He said plainly, as if he could read my mind. I nodded very slightly before staring back up at the ceiling. The pallid blue wallpaper seemed to shift and sway all around me and I felt the urge to empty the contents of my stomach. The flaming feeling persisted even as I tightened my fists together with as much energy as I had. Which wasn't a lot. Behind the doctors was Jill, rubbing her hands together in worry.

"Is he okay?" She asked. They scratched their foreheads simultaneously as they examined me and the prick in my leg.

"Seems to be fine, but we will need to run tests later to check the protein replenishment in his lungs and see if it worked." Dr. Hardy told her, staring at a chart as he did so. She stared at me in awe, and I wanted so bad to smile at her but I couldn't muster more than a painful smirk.

I tried to move a little from my uncomfortable position on the cot but it was very arduous. My sweat-drenched hospital gown stuck to my back and chest as I wiggled on the cot. Dr. Hardy put a hand on my shoulder and gently said, "Don't try to move right now, Marlin. Just relax."

I took a deep breath and stayed where I was although it was unbearable. The pain hadn't subsided, but for some reason I was feeling sleepy once again. Jill took a step forward and touched my burning flesh with her bitter, calloused hands. She looked down at me with an odd grin on her face, almost as if she believed that everything would be okay.

"You're doing great, Marlin." She said as I felt my eyelids droop in exhaustion, "You're going to be just fine."

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took forever to write… I had a lot of things going on. But now I hope to be reviewing more regularly! I hope you liked this chapter. Review and let me know!