The Very Worst Thing

"Most loyal have you been to me,

Most true and faithful unto death.

And, Oh! To raise you up again,

How freely could I yield my breath!"

King Arthur's Death, by Tomas Percy

Police sirens had wailed across the harbor even before the Point Man had been hit. Help had arrived quickly as Arthur lay on the deck. Blood, to much blood, flowing freely form his body. Arthur could hear Ariadne's voice as if from a great distance. As if he were in a well and she was looking down on him. He felt no pain.

He heard shouting. He turned his gaze away from his wife's beautiful face to see Eames waving paramedics on to the ship. See Sybil holding his son. Tears in her eyes. Cobb's worried scowl. Ariadne... He relaxed a little at seeing her face again. Her beautiful face. Leaning over him. Her voice coming to him like an echo.

'This is alright.' He thought with a soft ghost of a smile. 'I can think of worst ways to die.' He kept looking at her face as his vision faded away into white.

'The wost thing has happened.' Ariadne thought. 'The very worst thing.' They Team was in the waiting room at a nameless hospital. Arthur had been taken to emergency surgery.

Cobb and Eames were explaining to the police about the shooting.

She had given them a curt statement about men breaking into the ship. How her husband and her friends had fought them off. The blood on Sybil's clothes were explained away as Arthur's. Either the Keepers in the sleeping hospital didn't know or care to report Hecate's death. No one ever asked the Team anything about her. Names were taken down. Better or worse, they were on the grid again.

She couldn't worry about this now. Arthur had passed out in the Ambulance from the shock, his skin had turned a horrible gray and white. She had seen the gaping hole in his chest. See the blood that now stained the deck of the ship that was their home. That boat had truly been a home to them, as they sailed the world. A peaceful refuge, untainted by the rest of the world.

All she could do was worry. There was nothing else she could do. Her friends were there of course. But they gave her space. They passed the baby back and forth, quite and respectful to her pain.

Almost as if she had been shot, Ariadne felt a sharp pain in her chest thinking about losing her husband. What would she do without him?

Irrationally, her thoughts fled to daily house hold life. Arthur was the only one who understood that security system in Saint Cloud. He paid the house hold bills. She didn't even know where he kept the electric bill.

Then their was their son. How could she raise him without his Father? She knew Cobb and Eames would be there for her. For them. She knew they would not be enough. Never replace his real Father. Arthur loved Alexander deeply. The baby had been such a source of pride for him. He had such plans for their son. His son. Now those plans were in darkness.

What if she was pregnant again? To have a child who would never know it's Father's love. Never have been held in those arms... in those hands. At least Alexander had that. Even if he would never remember it.

As if a flood gate had been released, she found herself overpowered by these thoughts. The Team was at her side as the Architect wept.

Cobb had taken Ariadne to a family waiting room. The Extractor was the only one among them who knew what it meant to lose a spouse. To lose the love of your life, tragically. To lose them with young children who would miss their parent. Ariadne wanted only to be with her baby and listened to Cobb as he promised her that no matter what happened, they would be there for her.

"Tell me what's going on." Eames said. He was in the cafeteria with Sybil and Nolan. The Control still wearing the jacket Arthur had given her to cover up Hecate's blood. It had only been a few hours ago, but it felt like years had passed. Sybil sighed and looked at Nolan.

"I met Percy, on the train to Paris. He was looking for us." She explained. She told the Forger about Hecate, about Robert Fischer still being alive. About going to Circe to find Hecate and the other dangerous Extractors the Witch had trained. She didn't tell him what he really wanted to know.

"Tell me why you left us without your cell phone. Tell me why you didn't call and tell us what was happening." Eames said blowing the steam off his coffee. His body was relaxed as Sybil and Nolan exchanged scared looks.

"Sir," Nolan started but Eames cast the American Point Man a look

"She can answer for herself." The Forger said. Eames gave the young man a half smile. "You'll have to forgive all of us." He said "We have trust issues."

"I was running away." Sybil said

"Why?" Eames asked. His tone was not angry or even surprised.

"I..." She started to say. Her words failed her.

"Because of the time in Limbo?" The Forger asked. She shrugged.

"I know this world is real." She said sadly. She could feel tears spring into her eyes. Her whole running away, making her friends, her family, worry seemed selfish and silly now. Childish even.

She suddenly realized Arthur had been shot because of her. That if she had not run away, they never would have gone to Crete and Arthur never would have been shot.

"I'm sorry." She said feebly. Eames only looked at her.

"Why didn't you call us?" He asked. She shook her head. She didn't know.

"How long have you been cutting?" The Forger asked. She looked up at him in surprise. She felt Nolan take her hand under the table. She wasn't sure if Eames had figured it out or if someone had told him. She met the Forger in the eye and confessed the truth.

"It started about a week after we got back to France." She said. "I felt... numb, all the time." She looked down at her hand on the table. Nolan had given her other hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I can't explain why." She said simply.

"Do you think you have to wake up?" Eames asked.

"No." She told him sadly

"Do you want to kill yourself?" He asked boldly. She didn't look at him then.

"I did." She said "I was planning to."

"Do you still think that's what you have to do?" He asked. She shook her head. Emotions were bursting though her body. Stronger then they had been since before.

She felt very much alive. Alive with pain, anger, and guilt.

Ariadne had cried herself to sleep when the doctor came with the news. Alexander was curled up in his mothers arms. His chubby hands, curled into her long dark hair as the Baby dreamed. The Extractor had just gotten off the phone with Saito and Yori. No matter what happened, the Team would be returning to Japan.

Cobb looked up to see the Doctor, fresh form surgery.

"Are you a Mr. Cobb?" The kindly Greek Doctor asked. The Extractor nodded and braced himself for the worst.

For the very worst thing.