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Raven's secret-keeper
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Sketchbook Story: Mystery Sickness
Chapter 7: Relapse
Raven woke up the next day feeling as she had for the past few days: not entirely healthy, but healthy enough to make it through the day; well, unless the Titan alarm went off. (Luckily, there hadn't been any missions since Raven fell ill. Missions don't happen as often as it seems they would, with Slade disappearing and such.)
She had breakfast, meditated with Dove, and guided Dove in a training session, then went to lunch with a book in her hands and read on the couch after she did the dishes.
And she was walking down the hall to her room when she felt the beginnings of a headache. She sighed and hoped it wasn't going to get too bad, for her sake and Dove's. Then she felt dizzy and held the book loosely at her side. She put the bookmark in and let her arm fall again, and she held her head with her other hand. She began feeling weak. She took a step forward and stumbled.
She took a breath and looked down the hall. She was almost to her room, no need to call –
Suddenly she fell to the ground. She yelped at a shooting pain that cursed up her leg, then she moaned weakly and passed out.
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It was a while before Dove finally found her unconscious.
"Raven?!" She saw Raven's pale skin and slightly flushed face, and her expression of weak pain. Her heart missed a beat and she panicked.
"Oh – Raven?" Dove knelt next to Raven's side and picked up the book that had fallen from Raven's hand. She couldn't help shaking. She whimpered.
She tried to pick up Raven, but she was too heavy. Mercifully, she heard footsteps.
"Hey! Hello! I need help! Raven's unconscious!" She couldn't help the desperation in her voice.
"What?" Beast Boy's head poked around the corner.
"Raven's on the floor, completely unconscious…" Dove would've preferred Robin to Beast Boy, but she decided now wasn't a good time.
"Is she okay?" He walked to Dove's side in hurried, concerned steps.
"I-I don't know…" Dove opened her communicator. "Robin, Raven's on the floor. She fainted. And – aaah…" Dove winced at a painful burst of empathy. "Something's wrong with her… her ankle… ah! Ow..."
"Are you alright?" Robin asked.
"I'll be fine… But Raven – "
"Get her to the hospital wing," he told her.
"Okay…" Dove snapped the communicator shut and groaned. "It's just my empathy," Dove explained breathlessly. "Don't worry about me. We need to get Raven – "
Beast Boy transformed into a horse. Dove nodded, and he kneeled close to the ground. Dove used her powers with quite some effort and managed to get Raven onto his back, then got on herself, holding Raven steady with her hands and arms as he started off.
The entire way there, Dove mumbled reminders and comforts to herself, barely realizing that she was nervously stroking Raven's hair for consolation.
Robin was already there when Dove and Beast Boy arrived at the hospital wing. He helped them set up the monitors' and tests' wires to Raven; Dove was so nervous her hands were incredibly unsteady. Dove told him about Raven's ankle, and they put a cast on it after looking at it and running a couple of tests.
"Is it broken?" Dove asked.
"Yes. Where did you find her?"
"By the hall that's almost right by her room… Um… By the place where you step down."
"That's probably why. She – "
Raven moaned weakly.
"Raven!" Dove ran to the bedside.
"What…" Raven's voice was weak and a little pained. "What happened?"
"I found you on the floor. Are you okay?"
"Maybe... ah!"
"Are you – ? Is it your ankle?"
Raven nodded and exhaled swiftly.
"Um… Your ankle's broken."
"Explains the – ah! – pain…"
"Will you be able to heal yourself?" Dove asked nervously.
"I should…" Raven shifted on the bed and moaned.
"You'll probably need to stay in her for a while," Robin told her. "The way you've been lately…"
"We should let her rest," Dove said.
Robin nodded.
"God luck, Raven… Please, try to rest."
"Dove, just… Don't leave again because I'm hurt."
Dove tilted her head.
"Please."
"Ok… I won't."
"Do you promise?"
Dove nodded. "I promise."
"Good."
"Ok… Come on…" Dove led the others out.
"Hope you get better," Beast Boy said just before the door closed.
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Raven healed her ankle, but that's all she managed to heal. She phased in and out of consciousness, the headache and fever returned, and she lost her appetite once more.
Dove was becoming desperate. She was truly questioning Raven's sincerity when she said she'd be okay. Dove hadn't sensed deception, but is someone lying if the really believe it to be true?
On the third day, Dove's anxiety overturned the table at breakfast, and she decided to stay in the hospital wing by Raven. She was unable to stand wondering how Raven was healing, and if she even was at all. Dove also thought that being in the room with Raven would help adjust Raven to sensing her, and she had a personal fear of something happening to Raven when no one was with her.
Dove suddenly became a sort of messenger for the team. It was always the same: "How's Raven?" "Not better."
Every time she looked at Raven sleeping, she hoped to see contentment, but every time, she was disappointed.
And on her second day of staying with Raven, five days after she had found Raven unconscious, Dove couldn't help thinking, If Raven's really going to get better, why is she only getting worse? Wouldn't her expression at least be calm once in awhile? It never seems to change from listless apathy…
She was beginning to lose hope of Raven healing. She tried to convince herself otherwise, but she failed completely.
The hours dragged on. Every second seemed like days in Dove's anxious, confused mind. She began losing her appetite when she thought about Raven, and lost it completely, all in the same day.
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-Raven's secret-keeper
