Chapter 4
Serena runs to school hoping that she we run into Heather. All during the vacation, they had not been able to meet up. When she had called Heather's house, she had been told that Heather had decided to stay longer with her relatives. Serena had spent the entire break lonely and had found she was thinking about home on more then one occasion.
Serena runs through the gates and straight toward her and Heather's meeting spot. When she arrives, she sees one of her teachers and her counselor standing there. She stops running and walks calmly over to them. She stops when she gets just in front of them. She can see the sad looks that are on both of their faces.
"Are you looking for me Mr. Quincy and Ms Clark?" Serena asks quietly.
"Serena, please have a seat." Ms Clark says as she points to the space on the bench between herself and Mr. Quincy. "We need to talk."
Serena sits down and a feeling of dread fills her. "Something must be wrong." She thinks to herself. "No one back home knows where I am, so how could they find me to tell me something was wrong."
"Serena, many people did not know that Heather was a very sick person." Serena's head turns to look at Mr. Quincy. "She did not want anyone to treat her different, so only the faculty knew and who ever she told, but I doubt she told anyone."
"Heather is sick." Serena says with a dumbfounded voice. "She never seemed sick."
"Her parents had said that over the last few months she had been doing better, but over the break she got worse."
"What is wrong with her?" Serena asks in a daze.
"She has been battling a rare disease on and off since she was two, but the doctors have not been able to help her."
"Where is she?" Serena asks.
Ms Clark places her hand on Serena' shoulder. "That is why I am here. She has been asking for you since this morning."
Serena and Ms Clark head for her car.
*****
Merlin limps slowly up the stairs of Mamoru's apartment complex. He has used all of his energy to make it back to Tokyo. He is using the last little bit of his reserves to try to make it to the door of the apartment. He lifts his paw to scratch the door to announce his arrival. He is able to scratch the door once before he collapses to the ground.
*****
Serena takes a deep breath and opens the door to the hospital room. As the door opens, Serena's heart sinks. She walks in and lets the door close behind her. She feels the tears run down her face as she stares at the bed. "Heather looks so helpless and small." She thinks to herself.
She wipes away the tears and walks toward her friend. When she gets near, she pulls a chair over and sits next to Heather. She takes Heather's hand in hers and closes her eyes.
"Serena." Serena's eyes fly open as she hears her name being called.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I had started to feel so much better when you and I met. Besides, I knew that you already had enough problems." Heather smiles a sad smile to Serena. "You wouldn't talk about them, but I knew they were there. It was always in your eyes."
"You'll get better, won't you." Serena asks.
"No, not this time." Heather rolls her head so that she can look at the ceiling. "I have been sick all my life." Heather whispers. "I had given up on ever being normal, but then you came around. You treated me like a person."
"Heather." Serena whispers.
"Let me finish." Heather says softly. "You are a good friend, and I will always be thankful for the few months of being normal." She rolls her head to look at Serena once more. "Thank you, Serena." She says with her eyes half shut.
Serena watches as her friend falls asleep. She lays her head on the edge of the bed and silently weeps.
*****
Kaylee, Kayla, and Mamoru are headed back from their ritual walk to the Crown Arcade. Today's excursion had not gone well at all. Before today, Mamoru had always been good about avoiding Raye, Ami, Minako and Makoto, but his luck ran out today. He had run into all of them. The worst one had been Raye. She was with a new girl and they were at the soda shop in the Crown Arcade. There was no escaping her wrath.
He could not get the ordeal out of his mind. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize that Kayla was tugging on his arm.
"Mamoru!" She yells as she tugs as hard as she can.
Mamoru shakes his head and brings himself out of the dazed state he is in. He looks down at Kayla. "What is it?" He asks in a kind voice. He sees that she is pointing behind them.
Mamoru looks and sees Kaylee standing there. A far away look is on her face. He walks back over to her and kneels down in front of her. "Lee, what's wrong?"
She looks at him with far away eyes. "Something is wrong, Endy." She shakes her and tries to clear it. "Merlin." She whispers. "Merlin!" She screams as she begins to run toward the apartment.
Mamoru and Kayla follow close behind her.
*****
Serena stands by the hospital room window. She watches as the sun begins to rise. She glances toward the bed and sees that Heather is still sleeping. Thoughts of the last battle fill her mind. The youma that had put her to sleep and seeing Tuxedo Kamen's blue eyes looking down at her. She remembered seeing a brief hint of relief in his eyes, but then the relief had changed.
"Serena." Heather whispers, bringing Serena out of her daze.
Serena walks over and sits down in the chair next to Heather. "What's wrong?" Serena asks.
"We cannot always hide from the past, and yet we cannot meet the future with open arms. Take what joy you can get in this life, but remember that there will also be pain with that joy. They are both things we must experience hand in hand. You never know when this life may end."
"I wish there was something I could do for you." Serena whispers.
Heather's eyes begin to close. "Be yourself and enjoy what is left of your life." Heather's eyes finish closing.
Within a few moments, the room is filled with doctors. A nurse quickly escorts Serena out of the room as the doctors try to revive Heather.
*****
Merlin slowly opens his eyes. As his eyes begin to focus, he sees that there is someone lying next to him. He tries to sit up, but pain races through his body.
"Lay still and rest, Merlin." He hears a comforting and familiar voice. "If you don't, you will wake Kaylee. She has been tending to you since yesterday."
"Luna." He whispers. He feels her cuddle up next to him.
"I will be here when you wake." She licks the top of his head very gently. "Everything will be okay, now."
Merlin slowly sinks back into a deep sleep, but his sleep is troubled with the thoughts of Sailor Storm and Princess Serenity.