One Last Triumph
A young wizards fanfiction

Prologue
Time of Truth

Kit lied on his bed, a pounding headache ringing in his ears. He had taken Tylenol, but it hadn't helped. On top of this headache he was exhausted. He was tired of all the time. He accounted it to all the running around he had been doing lately, but somehow, in his heart he knew it was decidedly more then that.

And he was scared. Breath came hard to him, he was pallid and weak. His grades had been slipping because of the headaches. He couldn't concentrate on his homework or the tests. He slept in class. His mother had asked him about his grades, but Kit had just told her some lame excuse.

He didn't want to tell her the truth. How scared he felt. And that discussion had marked a turning point in his family. He no longer got along with them. They fought all the time and the shouting did nothing to quiet his headaches.

In the past, he thought they were nothing. He got them sometimes, but everyone did. Now he knew it was something else. He had started throwing up whenever he got them, but he hid that as best he could.

A single tear rolled down on his cheek, his breath was shallow and rapid. He knew he was probably sick. He didn't want to go to a doctor or have the manual confirm it for sure. Then he knew it would be true. But he didn't know how much longer he could keep his symptoms hidden from his family. He had seen his mama look at him with concern the last night at dinner, but she hadn't said anything. Kit figured this was because she was scared he would blow a fuse. Their family was always on the verge of a fight now. They were constantly on the edge. A stranger could feel the tension in their house.

But as the headache mounted, Kit knew he would have to say something soon. He got his chance not a moment later.

"Kit?" his mother asked quietly, "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Kit hesitated. He saw the worry in his mother's eyes, her eyes focused on his weary face.

"Kit, tell me what's bothering you, please" she begged, her eyes filling with tears.

When he spoke, his breathing was again shallow, "Mama, I'm sick," he began, then took a deep labored breath, "I get headaches all the time and I'm always so tired." Tears were now welling up in his eyes, "It's hard to breathe. And, and sometimes I throw up when I get the headaches." Kit's mother's eyes just stared at him for a long time. Then, "Oh, Kit," she said and hugged him. "We're going to the hospital." Kit knew then that his mom was really worried. And so was he. He had been worried for weeks. It was time however to find out the truth.

The Rodriguez family would not like the result, however.