The doctor came to check on Janey later that afternoon. She was asleep on my lap and her breathing had become hoarse and painful to listen to. The doctor smiled at me and began examining her. I watched silently until he finished.

"Well?"

He sighed deeply and dropped the last of his equipment into his bag.

"I'll just tell it to you straight."

I nodded.

"I don't think she'll make it past nightfall… She seems to be struggling to survive again, but it's too late... She's not strong enough… I'm sorry…"

I nodded to him, my stomach clenching. This was my fault wasn't it… The Janey I knew would have beat this disease with her sheer will power in a day or two… This was my fault…

As if he could sense what was going through my mind, the doctor placed a hand on my shoulder.

"There's nothing more anyone could have done," he said gently.

I nodded again, holding Janey close. My vocal chords seemed to have stopped working, my lungs barely functioning. The doctor smiled sadly at me and left to take care of his other patients. I sank back into thought, gently rocking Janey's sleeping form.

Surely there was something I could do.. I was Knives Millions, I built a miniature of Eden, I nearly annhiliated mankind, I wasn't used to giving up. Surely, there was something I could do. The one person I loved more than anything else in the cosmos was in my arms and she was dying. I didn't want to give up and just let her die! I refused to do that. I don't give up, I won't give up, I can't give up…

Wait.

Eden…

I stared down at Janey's still form, mind rushing wildly. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of this sooner. But how exactly to do it? Just push my hand over her heart? On the other hand, maybe the lungs would be better, since that's where the problem was. Maybe both?

I didn't even know if this would work… Then again, what did I have to lose if it didn't? She would definitely die if I didn't, and she just might live if I did.

After effects? If this worked, would she be negatively affected? I couldn't think of anything horrible. Most likely a slowed aging more similar to mine, perhaps a little telekinetic power, but the second was unlikely.

Effects on me? It depended. I didn't really care anyway, as long as Janey was alive.

I took at deep breath to steady myself and gently brushed some hair off Janey's forehead. Leaning forward, I gently kissed her and held her close for a few moments more. If this worked, I might not see her again.

As gently as I could, I placed Janey in a lying position on the bed. She didn't stir, her face even paler in the light of the lowering sun. I sighed deeply and put one hand on her breastbone and the other on the side of her ribs.

"Please let this work," I whispered and retreated within myself, looking for the center.

Not long before the July incident, I had been studying myself and my plant powers. One of the earliest things I had learned was I had a power center. If I withdrew in myself, I could find that power center and draw from it. Practice had allowed me to complete this process within nanoseconds, making it seem that there was no effort on my part what so ever.

It was different this time however. I wasn't sure if I could save her doing this, or how much energy I'd need. Use too much, and I could kill her. I'd have to do with slowly and carefully.

Carefully, painfully slowly, I drew a thread of energy from that center, pulling it down my arms and pooling it into my hands. A mental push sent it swirling into Janey's lungs. I maintained the flow, slowly, carefully pouring my energy into her.

I felt her shift slightly under my fingers. Still alive, good…

She started to cough, dampness hitting the fingers of my left hand. I opened my eyes slightly. It wasn't blood, just mucus. Good, the energy was pushing out the toxins. This might just work. Slowly, I increased the energy flow, letting it fill the lungs and chest cavity. My arms started shaking from the effort and loss of energy. I forced them to stop; I wasn't done yet.

Janey's eyes opened, staring blankly across the room as she continued to cough. Color started spreading across her cheeks, her eyes returning to their normal golden glow. I felt myself smile a little, even as black began eating the corners of my vision.

She gave one last cough and then lay still, her eyes closing and a serene smile spreading across her face. I removed my hands and watched her carefully for life signs, struggling at the same time to remain conscious. Her chest rose and fell with her now smooth breathing, her forehead was cool and dry. A healthy blush had crept back into her skin. I smiled in relief and let my head hang, even as she stirred.

"Knives?"

Her beautiful golden eyes stared up at me, happy, but slightly confused.

"Knives, what did you do? The pain in my chest… It's gone."

I weakly reached out a hand and patted hers.

"Oh, good… I'm… glad…"

With a small contented sigh, I stopped fighting the dark clouds swimming across my vision and let myself slump against the bed.

"Knives? Knives?! KNIVES!!"

That was the last thing I heard before sinking down into nothingness.

..-.-..

.w.

I don't own Trigun. Nightow does.