Chapter 26:

Um, just to let you know Nikki that this isn't a Shane/Claire story at all but I will write one soon just for you!

(just letting you know that although Claire is inthe story, she will not be narrating – the person who is will have SOANDSO's POV)

Myrnin's POV

I hum as I make the bacon and eggs that Claire worked so hard for me to learn: oh how I love her –I can really see the rest of my life with her. The only problem being that she isn't a vampire: still we'll find a way to overcome it. I look over at the calendar and see that tomorrow I am to go and get measured for a suit for the position of 'father of the bride' given to me by Amelie because she isn't exactly going to want Bishop for all the reasons in the world (and not just in Morganville, the many years before) and we have been friends for many years.

I hear a crash from the bedroom but don't think anything of it: after all, my ears are very sensitive so Claire may have just stood up or something. Ah, I did used to miss the days of complete silence, just being able to read my books, free from annoyance: only having Amelie visit. But I was slowly getting iller and iller, unable to continue the research I was doing into the disease. Sometimes I miss the life, but then I look at my life now and I think that I couldn't go back even for a minute because I love Claire and everyone here in my life, too much. To return to that time of hatred, of killing anybody and anyone, to having noone want me that would be unbearable. I continue making the breakfast, scooping the food from the pans onto plates. I then place these on the trays I set up earlier, pour fresh coffee into the waiting mugs (Claire's very milky, mine almost black) and balance the trays on my arms. Not a problem for someone with my reflexes!

With my back I push open the bedroom door, as I do most days given Claire stays because of the racket Michael makes. Well I am glad that he has begun to move on from 'Goth Girl' because, lets face it, they weren't exactly a long lasting couple were they?

I walk backwards into the room, feeling the warmth of Claire come at me from the moment the door opens. I turn around… oh. My. God. What's happened to her?

"Claire, CLAIRE!" I shout and she doesn't respond: oh my god, she isn't breathing! Is there any puncture marks - no – broken neck – no – bleeding to the head – no. why isn't she breathing?

"Come on Claire!" I yell at her, pumping at her chest (gently) to try and get her heart going, come on. Minutes pass and I need her to wake up but she won't.

"Claire, make it through, we'll work it out together whatever it is," I encourage her, giving mouth-to-mouth every half minute after chest compressions.

She cannot die. I love her too much to let her just fade away for no reason: she will not die today, she will not die, she cannot die today, I will not let her.

"Sweetheart, please wake up!" I beg of her, but she does not respond. Her skin is going from creamy white to a tinge of blue – she is suffering from a lack of oxygen – I cannot get it into her fast enough given I don't have much.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and speed dial Amelie.

"Myrnin, how are you?" Amelie's friendly voice comes out on loudspeaker.

"Oh Amelie, come, come quickly. It's Claire, I was making breakfast and I heard a crash but then I came in and she is on the floor," I babble, "She isn't breathing, she is going blue and, oh Amelie, I think she is going to die!" my voice breaks on the last word before I double my efforts to get Claire back.

"Myrnin, what do you mean?" she asks, confused – it's not like Amelie to be confused, then again she is probably with Sam and distracted. Not an image I want in my head, or anything. Claire, come back to me! Come on!

"I mean, Amelie, that Claire is on the floor and dying because I don't know, she is just going blue!" I reply and then, somehow, Amelie is stood next to me – she must have been moving when I was talking and came through the portal.

"Claire, come on, I need you, remember," Amelie is saying softly to her, whilst I continue pumping away. She is up by her head, on her knees, one hand cradling her face, the other holding her limp and lifeless hand.

"Yes, I need my maid of honour to help me. But more than that Claire, I need the one female friend I have ever had, I need you to be here," Amelie breaks down, sort of, letting loose more sensitive information to a girl who is unconscious than I have ever heard her (besides to me)

"Come on Claire!" I say, getting furious. Sam walks through the door and hurries to shut the blinds on the window – the sun hasn't irritated Amelie or I but Sam, he is young.

"Jesus, what's happened?" he asks, blanching when he sees Claire.

"We don't know, she just collapsed," I reply and he runs off to the portal to fetch someone or something. Moments later he and Michael come through – that's who he's gone to get – and Michael looks stunned at Claire on the floor.

"No, come on Claire, you cannot abandon me too!" he moans, falling to his knees besides Amelie and me.

"Sam, will you please go and fetch Theo Goldman from his house over the way – it's on the network, Founder house 09," Amelie says, strained and Sam rushes off. Amelie looks so upset, but also calculating before realising something with a complete and utter shock.

Before I can ask her what it is, Michael stands up and runs for the living room/lab – why? – before he returns with her favourite throw. I guess he figured it out with the concentration of her scent on it – he really is progressing that boy. But no, Claire, come on keep fighting!

"Claire, you can do it sweetheart, just come on, let your heart beat, breathe!" I beg and stop chest compressions for a moment to see if she responds. When she doesn't, I break down into sobs, and Amelie motions Michael to continue the CPR.

"Myrnin, she will be fine," Amelie says to me comfortingly, moving to give me a hug to attempt to soothe me. I cannot respond, only make muffled noises and then Theo arrives with his medicine bag. Michael moves out of the way and Theo begins checking different measurements on Claire, before running out of the room.

"Continue CPR!" he calls back to us and Michael does just that, pumping, pumping, pumping, breaths, pump – the cycle continues. Theo returns with a huge machine – surely… no. it cannot be…

"She needs a life support machine," he says gravely, "She is unable to output on her own. I fear from the different examinations I have just done that her internal organs are shutting down one by one." As he says this, he is attaching all the tubes to my girlfriend, no, she cannot be dying.

"NO!" I yell, shocking the dimmed room, and stand up to move over closer to Claire.

"Come on, you can do it, come on Claire, breathe!" I urge her, but she doesn't respond… just laying there and not doing anything for herself.

"Why is this happening?" Michael asks Theo who hesitates before shrugging.

"I have absolutely no idea why a perfectly healthy 19 year old girl's organs begin to fail," Theo says, looking extremely sad that this is the case.

"I do," someone calls: Amelie. How will she know.

"I know exactly what is wrong with her," she continues, "And she has less than 12 hours to live!"

Now, this chapter I liked. I got about 7 reviews in total in the last couple of hours so please review this one and tell me both your opinions on it, and also what you think is up!

Nikki – I will write you a story, remind me!

Don't forget, review!

Also, please vote my poll!

Vicky xx