A few hours later, Maxie returned with a bowl of soup, "Wake her up, she needs to eat this……"
Mark gently shook Arinia awake, "Wake up, Arinia……. You need to eat….."
Arinia stirred slightly, and tried to sit up to eat. However, she was so weak that she couldn't sit up. So Maxie gave the bowl of soup to Mark, and helped her sit up. Maxie then sat beside her, and leaned her up against him so that Mark could feed her easily. Mark became very angry when Maxie leaned her up against him because he felt that Maxie was trying to take advantage of poor Arinia in her state of weakness.
Mark exclaimed, "Get your dirty hands off Arinia!"
Maxie replied, "Look, boy, I'm only trying to help her! If you haven't noticed, she'll die if she doesn't eat something……."
Mark now said, "How do I know if you're lying?"
Arinia opened her eyes, "Mark, what's going on?"
Mark replied, "It's okay, Arinia…… Everything's ok, let Maxie help you……"
Arinia looked confused, "Huh? I still don't understand."
Now Maxie said, "Let me help you, child, you must trust me……"
Arinia replied, "Okay……" Soon after she said that, she shivered.
Now Maxie said, "Oh, my! You're shivering……. Here let me cover you……" Maxie covered Arinia with a blanket.
Mark asked Maxie, "Is she okay, Maxie?"
Maxie placed a hand on her forehead, "No! She has just developed a fever!….. She's burning up!….."
Arinia now said, "Why me?" Then she coughed after she had spoken.
Mark dropped the bowl of soup; he was immensely worried about Arinia.
Maxie laid Arinia back down, "Arinia you must rest…… You have a fever….."
Now Mark asked, "Is there anything you can do for her?"
Maxie replied, "I can put her in the infirmary, but that's about it……. Come on, if there's a time she needs a
doctor it's now!"
Mark scooped Arinia up into his arms and followed Maxie out of her cell.
"Mark…… I'm not feeling that well……"
Maxie now said, "We must hurry, her condition is getting worse……"
Now Mark said, "We must take her to a hospital……. She's getting worse by the minute!"
Maxie replied, "I won't allow her to be taken to a hospital. She either get better here, or she will die."
Mark exclaimed, "How can you be so inhuman!?"
Maxie replied, "Look, Arinia's none of my concern. I could care less if she dies."
Mark was shocked, "You……… Monster!"
Arinia moaned in Mark's arms. Mark looked frightened, "Arinia…….. Please hang in there…… Please………." Tears came out of Mark's eyes.
Now Maxie said, "You're wasting your time, she's not going to make it."
"Now Mark said, "If anything happens to Arinia, I will hold you responsible!"
Maxie replied, "Don't be stupid, Arinia's fate rests in my hands. I have the final say!"
Now Mark said, "Please……. I beg of you……… I'll do anything you want……… I'll…….. Be your lackey………. But please save Arinia's life………."
Maxie grinned evilly, "Anything?"
Mark replied softly, "Yes……."
Now Maxie said, I can't hear you boy! Speak up!"
"I said yes……." Mark said.
"Yes, what?" Maxie asked.
"I…… I mean, yes sir………" Mark said.
Now Maxie said, "Now that's more like it!" He started to laugh.
Arinia shifted in Mark's arms and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll always be with you no matter what happens."
Now Mark looked down at Arinia, "Me, leave you behind!? No way! We're gonna get through this together! I'm not gonna leave you in your current state."
Now Maxie smirked and said, "Maybe it's best that you let her die, she won't make it anyway……."
"You're nothing, but a heartless monster!!!!" Mark exclaimed.
Now Arinia said, "Mark……. What's gonna happen to me?"
"It's okay, sweetheart, you'll be fine……" Mark replied.
Now Maxie said, "This is so sweet, it's disgusting……… Don't make me take her from you!"
"I won't let you!" Mark exclaimed.
Maxie reached into his pocket and withdrew a knife, which he laid against Arinia's neck.
"Oh, no!" Mark exclaimed.
Arinia trembled in fear; she didn't want to die.
Now Maxie grinned evilly and said, "Now let go of the girl, or she will die quickly! What's it gonna be, boy?"
Mark gave up, "Ok…… I'll let her go…… But please don't kill her……" Mark set Arinia back on her feet, and tried to support her somewhat.
Now Maxie said, "Ha! What difference does it make? She will die eventually……" Maxie laughed madly, then he pocketed the knife and scooped Arinia up into his arms.
Now Mark asked, "What are you gonna do to her?"
"I'm gonna put her in the infirmary." Maxie replied.
Now Mark asked, "Does she have a chance of surviving?"
"I don't know……. She appears to have a little energy every so often, so I think she might recover, but I really can't say for sure." Maxie replied.
Now Mark said, "She needs a doctor now, before it's too late!"
"She'll get one, now quit badgering me, or I'll let her die." Maxie said while starting to get annoyed.
"Ok, fine! But you better keep your end of the bargain……." Mark replied.
Now Maxie said, "Yes! I give you my word, now be quiet before I change my mind! My patience is growing thin!"
Mark looked at his love in Maxie's arms, "Hang in there, Arinia……."
Arinia tried to speak, "Mark…….." Then she coughed and moaned.
Mark exclaimed, "Arinia, please hang in there!"
Now Maxie said, "Arinia, don't try to talk. You're using up the strength you need to recover……"
Arinia tried again, "Mark…… Help…… Me……."
"Shh! You need to keep your strength, sweetheart……."
Arinia fell silent. They continued walking until they came to the infirmary doors. Mark opened them and Maxie carried Arinia into the infirmary, then he carried her over to a bed. Mark pulled the covers back, and Maxie laid her down on the bed, and Mark pulled the covers up around her.
Maxie looked at Mark, "Stay put, if I find you gone when I come back with the doctor, I'll kill Arinia……"
"I understand…….. I won't go anywhere." Mark replied.
Maxie left the room to go get the doctor.
Mark walked over to Arinia, "Arinia, how are you feeling?" Mark asked her.
"I feel terrible…… I feel like I just got hit by a dozen soccer balls……"
Mark chuckled, "Shh……. I love you, Arinia! Do me a favor and beat this illness!" Mark bent over and kissed her on her forehead.
Maxie returned with the doctor, "Okay, move away from Arinia, boy……"
Mark moved away from Arinia, and the doctor walked over to her and began giving her a check-up. The doctor took Arinia's hand, and pricked her finger, and took some of her blood. Then he took a bandaid, and gently wrapped it around her finger to stop the flow of her precious blood.
"So doctor how is she?" Maxie asked.
"I'll be frank with you, Maxie, it's a miracle that she's still alive……."
Mark gasped in horror.
"That's not good…… Can you save her?" Maxie asked grimly.
"I'll do what I can for her……. I'll need to analyze her blood to know what I should do to save her." The doctor said.
"You do that." Maxie said.
The doctor left the room to go examine her blood.
"Come here, boy." Maxie said.
Mark walked over to Maxie.
"I want you to come with me. Arinia needs her rest, and she wants to talk to you. So you need to leave her for a while."
Mark looked at Arinia; she didn't want him to leave her.
"Don't worry, child, I won't make him leave you until you fall asleep. Arinia relaxed and closed her eyes, and she fell asleep in a couple of minutes. Mark pulled the covers up around Arinia some more, and kissed Arinia once more before he followed Maxie out of the infirmary.
Mark thought to himself, "When this is over, I'm not going to let Arinia out of my sight for a while."
They both left, and Arinia continued to sleep peacefully.