Jondy knew Asha was dying. Her friend hadn't moved. She had woken up a day
ago her eyes were fixed upon the ceiling without blinking. Jondy had tried
talking her out of it, tried accusing her and begging her and nothing had
worked.
Jondy could guess at what kept Asha in her state of vegetation.
Zack hadn't come back.
In all of the years she had known Asha she had never seen her friend this
dedicated to a cause-and Jondy knew from experience that Asha was dedicated
to many underdog causes.
She turned her friends hand over, tracing the engorged veins in her hand.
Suddenly Asha arched up, in pain, her eyes wild and unfocused.
She began to scream in one long breath and Jondy backed away horrified.
"Ash?" nurses and doctors rushed in, brushing Jondy away and hooking her up
to more tubes.
The as quickly as it had come Asha went silent.
Jondy didn't dare move, Asha's head turned to face her with a blank stare.
One tear dripped onto the pillow.
Jondy sat before the large coke machine and watched as it filled her cup. She didn't really see it until the black liquid gently sloshed over the side. Everything seemed stilled as if she were trapped in slow motion everything she did seemed to stretch forever. "Jondy?" The voice caused the world to slam into her at an alarming pace and for a minute she was dazed. "Zack" her voice was deadpanned, unemotional. Her big brother stood before her, for the first time he looked almost nervous. "What do you want?" she asked, not really caring but needing something to say. C.0 Zack shrugged, "Honestly? I don't know. But I trusted my instincts and they lead me here" Jondy softened slightly. He was trying. "Jondy tell me what to do?" He sat down beside her looking at the floor. "I don't have any answers anymore. " Jondy cocked her head in the direction of Asha's hospital room. "That's the only way you're going to get them"
Zack figured he was possessed or at the least out of his head. He had sworn to himself he wouldn't come back here. Wouldn't let the weakness get him. Asha stared at him blankly as if all of her emotions had been drained from her in one of those tubes that linked in and out of her body. Lydecker would have been proud. Zack knelt beside her, her eyes moved but nothing else did. "Asha" he was interrupted by a flurry of movement Asha was making a number of gestures with her fingers, Zack's mind caught on quickly, she couldn't talk so she was using sign language. "Why did you leave?" Zack grimaced. Nothing like starting with the easy questions but then Asha had always been in his face, always wanted the truth. "I don't know why" Asha gestured again and Zack rolled his eyes angrily "Alright, alright! I left because we can't be together" Asha just stared at him this time. Zack felt her gaze even though he had turned his eyes away from her. He was lying again. Lying to the one person he shouldn't.
Asha wouldn't here him lie to her, she had heard it before, she needed his help. Not pity. She made to turn away but the severe pain in her side stopped her cold. She forced out a silent cry since she could no longer form words. "You want the truth?" His sudden vehemence surprised her, caused her to look at him. "I don't know how to stop this Asha I don't know how to stop loving you and I'm scared. So scared that I can't think straight and I do things I would never ordinary do. So tell me what to do Asha because I'm lost." Asha began to move her fingers and Zack had to work to interpret them efficiently. "Time will make the pain go away" That he didn't understand. "Time apart will make us stronger" Zack scowled "Asha Ive spent time apart from you and it didn't help." Asha furiously gestured again. "You were right" Zack grabbed her fingers, stopping her tirade. "Look Asha I tried this and it didn't work, and you know what I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not being able to stay in one place and have a relationship Max was right we're more then soldiers." He felt empowered as if he had suddenly seen the light. Asha pried her fingers away "You were right, it was a stupid, idiotic dream of children. Look at the real world Zack. It's over" But Zack just smiled at her. "I don't believe that Ash. I'm not giving up on us" Placing a short kiss on her forehead he left.
Jondy sat before the large coke machine and watched as it filled her cup. She didn't really see it until the black liquid gently sloshed over the side. Everything seemed stilled as if she were trapped in slow motion everything she did seemed to stretch forever. "Jondy?" The voice caused the world to slam into her at an alarming pace and for a minute she was dazed. "Zack" her voice was deadpanned, unemotional. Her big brother stood before her, for the first time he looked almost nervous. "What do you want?" she asked, not really caring but needing something to say. C.0 Zack shrugged, "Honestly? I don't know. But I trusted my instincts and they lead me here" Jondy softened slightly. He was trying. "Jondy tell me what to do?" He sat down beside her looking at the floor. "I don't have any answers anymore. " Jondy cocked her head in the direction of Asha's hospital room. "That's the only way you're going to get them"
Zack figured he was possessed or at the least out of his head. He had sworn to himself he wouldn't come back here. Wouldn't let the weakness get him. Asha stared at him blankly as if all of her emotions had been drained from her in one of those tubes that linked in and out of her body. Lydecker would have been proud. Zack knelt beside her, her eyes moved but nothing else did. "Asha" he was interrupted by a flurry of movement Asha was making a number of gestures with her fingers, Zack's mind caught on quickly, she couldn't talk so she was using sign language. "Why did you leave?" Zack grimaced. Nothing like starting with the easy questions but then Asha had always been in his face, always wanted the truth. "I don't know why" Asha gestured again and Zack rolled his eyes angrily "Alright, alright! I left because we can't be together" Asha just stared at him this time. Zack felt her gaze even though he had turned his eyes away from her. He was lying again. Lying to the one person he shouldn't.
Asha wouldn't here him lie to her, she had heard it before, she needed his help. Not pity. She made to turn away but the severe pain in her side stopped her cold. She forced out a silent cry since she could no longer form words. "You want the truth?" His sudden vehemence surprised her, caused her to look at him. "I don't know how to stop this Asha I don't know how to stop loving you and I'm scared. So scared that I can't think straight and I do things I would never ordinary do. So tell me what to do Asha because I'm lost." Asha began to move her fingers and Zack had to work to interpret them efficiently. "Time will make the pain go away" That he didn't understand. "Time apart will make us stronger" Zack scowled "Asha Ive spent time apart from you and it didn't help." Asha furiously gestured again. "You were right" Zack grabbed her fingers, stopping her tirade. "Look Asha I tried this and it didn't work, and you know what I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not being able to stay in one place and have a relationship Max was right we're more then soldiers." He felt empowered as if he had suddenly seen the light. Asha pried her fingers away "You were right, it was a stupid, idiotic dream of children. Look at the real world Zack. It's over" But Zack just smiled at her. "I don't believe that Ash. I'm not giving up on us" Placing a short kiss on her forehead he left.
