Chapter 5
Slowly the filly began to wake, moaning softly as the pain started to return. Her eyes fluttered open, glancing around nervously. Where am I?
The sound of someone breathing heavily made her look down, the kitten asleep beside her neck with a mask on her face and some kind of tubing going to her arm. What's happened to her? What's going on? She found she could lift her head with some effort and somehow she managed to get on her stomach. She whinced, her body aching from the movement. Gently she nudged the kitten, sniffing her softly. 'Remi? Remi?'
The sound of Ashima calling her woke the kitten, the kittens eyes opening. 'Ashima, your awake!'
She chuckled, nudging the kitten with her muzzle and the kitten pressed against her shoulder. 'Ow, ow.'
'Sorry-' Remi cringed, pulling away from the filly. 'I didnt mean to hurt you.'
'It's okay, I know you didn't mean it.' She looked at the kitten. 'What's going on Remi, what's with the stuff on you? I thought you were okay-'
The kitten sighed, looking up at the filly. 'I-I'm dying Ashima.'
The filly felt like her whole world came crashing down around her, looking at the kitten in shock and horror. 'W-Whats wrong? What's going on Remi? What have they done to you-'
'Ashima, calm down.' The kitten interrupted. 'Please.' She waited for a moment until the filly was calm. 'Ashima, I've been sick for a very long time, now the time has come for me to join my family.'
'W-what?'
'I've got leukemia Ashima, I've probably had it for a long time.' She replied, nuzzling her. 'I don't have very long Ashima.'
Ashima couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Oh, Remi-'
'Hey, don't go crying on me.' She replied softly. 'You've been the best friend I've had, I love you so much. You've been a sister to me.'
'Remi-'
'Hey, no crying.' The kitten wiped a tear off the filly's cheek. 'I don't want you crying. I don't like seeing you crying.'
'No tears.' The filly choked back a sob. 'How long have you got?'
'Not long.'
Ashima wrapped her head and neck around the kitten, holding her tightly. No, no, no! She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry but all she could do was sit there. This wasn't something she could fight, a threat that was visible. Sickness wasn't something you could fight. It was an invisible enemy you couldn't extinguish through strength or wit. It came silently, deadly. This couldn't really be happening, could it?
'I asked the Captain to look after you, since you've always looked after me. He'll keep his word.' Remi snuggled down close to Ashima, it was getting harder for her to breathe. 'Don't you worry about me, I'll be back where I belong, with my family.'
'Remi-'
'I said no crying.' The kitten replied weakly. 'You know I don't like you crying.'
'I. Know.' The filly sniffled, nuzzling the kitten. 'I'm going to miss you.'
'I'll always be watching over you-' She was getting tired, so so tired. Her eyelids were drooping as she struggled to breathe even with the mask on her face. 'I love you Ashima.'
'I love you too.' The filly held the kitten tighter, the kitten taking one last breath then she was still. No no no! As she looked down though, she knew the kitten was gone. She nudged the kitten gently, tears rolling down her face. It wasn't true, was it? It was all just a horrible dream that she would wake up from. Somehow though she knew she was just kidding herself. The kitten was really gone.
Peso and Barnacles walked back into the room, Peso's face falling as he saw what had happened. The kittens heart monitor was showing no activity, the kitten was gone. The filly didn't even seem to notice them as they walked over, Peso turning off the oxygen to the kitten.
'I'm sorry Ashima.' Barnacles said gently after they'd been there sometime. 'I'm sorry.'
The filly nodded then shook the tears off her face and looked up at him. 'Thank you.'
'Do you want me to get her ready for burial?' Peso asked softly.
She nodded. 'Wrap her in pink, it's her favorite color.'
'I'll see what I can do.' He promised, gently picking up the small kitten. Taking the mask off her face he placed it aside then unhooked her from the machines. The filly watched sadly and as he unhooked the last line the filly knickered softly and he brought Remi closer to her, the filly nuzzling the kitten one last time.
'Bye Remi.' She nuzzled the still-warm kitten with her soft muzzle for a moment then Peso took her away.
Barnacles mouthed to Peso he was staying with the filly and he walked over closer to her slowly. He didn't know what to say, he was at a loss for words. The filly sobbed once, watching as the medic disappeared with the body behind a curtain then looked away. He could see the pain and grief in the filly's eyes, she was trying not to cry. 'It'll be okay.' He gently assured her. 'It'll be alright.'
'Captain-' The filly sniffled then couldn't hold back the tears any longer, burying her face against his chest.
The polar bear was taken aback for a moment then placed his arms around the filly as she cried. 'You'll be okay.'
The atmosphere was sober as the Octonauts gathered a little while later, outside the Octopod. Ashima, in the Gup A with Peso watched on sadly as the polar bear and cat dug a little hole in the ocean floor.
Tears dripped down her face as she looked at the little pink bundle in the dog's arms. Peso hadn't been able to find a pink blanket but once the dog, as she found out was called Dashi, heard about it she'd given one of her own to bury the kitten in. It was a little unnerving to see the whole crew there to bury the kitten, she hadn't been expecting it at all.
Barnacles was speaking, she could hear it through the radio but she wasn't listening. More tears flowed down her face as Dashi handed Remi to the Captain and he placed her in the hole. The penguin had his flipper on her neck but she hardly seemed to notice as she watched the burial. Somehow it didn't seem real yet she knew it was very real.
They finished burying her, the bunny placing flowers she had no idea where they'd come from on the new grave. The Captain and Dashi said a few more words then fell silent. One by one the crew began to leave, the Captain the last one to go.
'Would you like some time with her by yourself?' Peso asked softly after a little while, driving the Gup slowly down closer to the grave. The filly nodded and he patted her neck. 'I'll head to the back.'
Ashima didn't even hear him leave, her eyes fixed on the little mound on the ocean floor. Remi had been her anchor, the reason for her existence after her arrival at the orphanage and now she was gone. What did she have left?
