Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. I'm just borrowing the characters for
awhile. I'll return them good as new- promise!!
Meryl's head hurt. She didn't think people were supposed to have headaches in the afterlife, but then again, she might be wrong. Her hand touched her temple and she winced. That hurt all right. She remembered placing the gun next to her temple, and then... then he had leaped at her, his hand closing over hers, turning the gun so the stock... ah. He had knocked her out- that cheating bastard! Was he trying to get out of the bargain? She'd see about that! But first-
Meryl opened her eyes. A pair of icy blue eyes were looking into hers. The eyes were narrowed- cold and angry looking. "Mr. Knives?" she faltered, ideas of smacking the double-crossing jerk fading from her mind.
"No. It's me." Vash's voice answered as she focused on his dark blond hair. She closed her eyes again. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts." She could still feel him glaring at her. His voice was angry too, she thought.
"I'm not surprised. You've got quite a bump. Open your eyes so I can see if...."
"No."
"No?"
"Not until you stop looking at me that way. It hurts. If you want to glare put on your glasses or something. Please?"
"I'm sorry Meryl," Vash's tone changed from angry to contrite. "You really had me worried. I thought you were dead."
"No. He hit me with my derringer. What a jerk!" Meryl's eyes opened again, blazing with fury.
"You were going to shoot yourself."
"I know. We had a deal. Of course he tried to get out of it."
"No, he didn't." Vash smiled faintly. "He told me that I had 50 years of peace- thanks to you."
"Really? He must've known I wasn't... huh." Meryl touched her temple and frowned at the pain. "Maybe he wanted me to do it later? I guess this would give me time to get some things settled- put my affairs in order and all..." She wondered aloud.
"You aren't going to do it at all." Vash countered icily. "Understand?"
"But Vash, I made a deal...." Vash leaned over her threateningly.
"I don't give a damn! Listen to me: You are not going to do this! Got it?"
"What are you so mad about?" Meryl squinted at him.
"What?!" Vash sputtered for a moment. "What am I so mad about?! Why the HELL WOULDN'T I BE MAD?!?!" His voice rose louder and louder as he spoke.
"Don't yell," Meryl touched her forehead and winced. "It hurts."
"Mr. Vash," Millie's voice was calm and soothing, but her grip on his shoulder was firm. "Why don't you go outside with Nicholas? You can yell at Meryl when she's feeling better, okay? Right now she needs to rest."
"But..." Vash found himself outside the room before he realized it. Wolfwood was leaning against the wall, smoking.
"Don't argue with Millie, it's not healthy." Wolfwood said matter-of- factly. "She's right. You can yell at Meryl later."
"I wasn't yelling."
"Of course not, Vash." Wolfwood gave him an amused look. "Just speaking loudly, right?" Vash leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"I don't understand that girl at all," Vash muttered.
"Are you feeling better, Meryl?" Millie asked as she sat down on the bed. "Your eyes are a bit dilated- you probably have a concussion. We'll call the doctor."
"I'm fine." Meryl grumbled as she propped herself up against the headboard. "Hey, this isn't my room."
"I'm afraid Mr. Knives trashed your room a bit. I'll get it cleaned up. This is Mr. Vash's room."
"Why was he so upset, Millie? I thought he'd be happy to have Knives leave him in peace for awhile...." Millie sighed.
"Really Meryl, do you think Mr. Vash wants peace so much that he'd let you die for it?"
"Let me? It was my choice, not his."
"I said that too, but he said it wasn't worth it." She looked straight into Meryl's eyes. "Mr. Vash was very upset when he thought you were dead. So please, be patient with him?" Meryl nodded, winced at the pain, and grimaced.
"All right Millie."
"Your head hurts a lot?"
"Yes." Millie got up from the bed and opened the door. "Meryl's head really hurts and her eyes are dilated. Can one of you go get a doctor?"
"I can help her," Meryl heard Vash say quietly. "I won't yell, I promise."
"All right," Millie agreed. "Nicholas, can you help me clean up her room?"
"Of course," Millie stepped out and Vash stepped back in. The door closed behind him. He sat down next to Meryl and gently put his hands on her head. His fingers slid gently over the bump on her temple, making Meryl wince.
"It doesn't feel cracked here," he murmured, his hands sliding up and over her head.
"Ow!" Vash's fingers had found another tinier bump on the back of her head.
"That's where you hit the ground."
"It hurts."
"I imagine it does. Do you remember your name?"
"Huh?"
"You don't?"
"Of course I do. Meryl Stryfe."
"And I am?"
"Vash the Stampede."
"Where are you from?"
"October Town." Meryl frowned at him. "Why are you asking me these questions?"
"Just making sure the fall didn't rattle something important. Can you count to ten?"
"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10." Meryl recited. "How do I know you aren't just fooling around?"
"You don't." Vash smiled at her. "You'll just have to trust me." His fingers were still in her hair, gently caressing and Meryl felt the pain begin to ease. "What happened to us on the sand steamer?"
"Which one? The one with BDN or the one with the feud over the satellite?"
"Good," Vash replied. "You remember both." The pain was definitely lessening.
"Of course. It's hard to forget being hijacked, running around with guns and explosions like that."
"Which time was that?"
"Both times." Meryl smiled. "But it was the second time that we heard you singing that awful song about slaughtering people." Vash laughed.
"Yeah, I was trying to scare them. You know- be Vash the Stampede." His fingers continued their circling. "Is the pain less?"
"Yes. How are you doing that?"
"It's amazing what you pick up over the years." Vash smiled at her. "Your pupils are going back to normal. You'll want to go to sleep, but you can't for awhile."
"I know," Meryl sighed. "I've had a concussion before. When they did let me sleep I had to be woken up every hour on the hour. It sucked."
"I know- but we'll do it. How'd you get a concussion before?"
"My brother told me girls couldn't climb trees. So I climbed one."
"And proved him right by falling out of it."
"Yes, but then I got up and climbed it anyway."
"With a concussion?" Vash was amazed.
"I didn't know I had one. I was a stubborn child."
"That explains a lot." He muttered.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." Millie poked her head in.
"We cleaned the room but the mattress is a lost cause. We'll have to get another room."
"No need," Vash replied as Meryl groaned. "Meryl has to have somebody watch her tonight. She can stay here."
"But you won't get any sleep if you're watching her, Mr. Vash. Don't you want me to help you?"
"I'll be fine. I'll sleep tomorrow and you can watch her then, okay?"
"Okay!" Millie nodded. "We'll go get you some dinner."
"Thanks." Vash looked at Meryl as the door closed. "No arguments?"
"Why would I?" Meryl replied.
"I can think of at least three that I expected you to come up with."
"Can any of them be countered with wanting to leave Millie and Wolfwood with some time together?" Vash was silent for a moment.
"Mostly, yeah. But what harm will one night apart do?"
"And what if tomorrow is our last day?" Vash tilted her head up so she was looking into his eyes.
"Today was almost yours." Meryl smiled.
"I know, but yesterday was a good day. We had a good time traveling- you and Wolfwood telling jokes, Millie making us sing all those old songs, sharing our lunch with that family on the road. It would've been a nice last day."
"Meryl...." Vash's hands let her go.
"Yes, when Knives took me...That wasn't nice. I was scared. Really scared." Meryl twisted the blankets in her hands. "He's hurt you so many times- I couldn't let him hurt you more- not when I could do something to stop it. It seemed like such a little thing..."
"A little thing?" Vash repeated. "Meryl- don't you think it would hurt me to lose you?" Meryl looked up at him, eyes wide, surprise evident on her face. Why did she look surprised? Vash wondered. I told her I loved her- sort of.
"Well, I... I knew you'd be upset. You're upset anytime Knives kills someone because of you. But 50 years of peace..."
"Is not worth your life!" Oops, volume. Vash frowned at her and changed the subject. "How does your head feel now?"
"Still hurts but not as bad." Meryl touched the base of her skull gently with her fingertips. "Really bad here."
"Here let me..." Vash moved so that he was sitting behind her. "Now where does it hurt?" Vash's fingers followed hers, working slowly and gently to soothe away the remaining pains. Meryl sighed in relief and relaxed only to straighten again with a hiss of pain. "What?"
"I forgot, when he grabbed me..." Meryl touched her lower back. "He punched me right there. I think he was trying for a stomach shot but I turned at the last moment." Vash tugged her shirt out of her skirt, exposing her back. "Hey!"
"It's bruised." Vash said as he touched it lightly. "Did he hit you anyplace else?"
"I don't think so."
"You aren't sure?" Vash stood up, tugging her with him.
"Hey!"
"Relax. I'm walking you to the bathroom. Go in, check yourself and clean up. I'll wait out here." Meryl made it to the bathroom okay and closed the door. She hastily stripped, checking out the bruise in the mirror. She had to lean against the sink as a wave of dizziness washed over her.
"Yuck." There were some small circular bruises on her arms that puzzled her until she remembered that was where Knives had grabbed her. There were a few long scratches on her legs from the bushes he dragged her through. On the whole she had gotten off lightly. There was a tap on the door. Meryl grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it.
"It's me, Millie."
"Oh, come in." Millie slid in with Meryl's case and her nightgown.
"Vash said you were getting cleaned up so I brought these in. We have dinner too, but I'll make sure they don't eat your part."
"Thanks Millie."
"You look a bit white, Meryl." Millie's hands caught her as the room started to spin again. "Sit down." She lowered Meryl to the edge of the tub.
"I'm fine Millie. Go eat."
"But Meryl..."
"I'll be fine. I'll call if I need you, okay?" Millie left after a few doubtful looks. Meryl carefully got a wet washcloth and cleaned herself up, stopping several times to let the dizziness pass. She managed to get her nightgown on and close up her case again but bending over the case set her head spinning again. She knelt down on the floor and pressed her head against the cabinets. Maybe she needed to call Millie to help her up again. Suddenly hands touched her shoulders.
"Meryl! Meryl?"
"Vash?" He was bent over her as Millie stood in the doorway. His arms scooped her up off the floor. She leaned against him gratefully as he picked her up. "I'm really dizzy."
"Does your head hurt?"
"No. It doesn't hurt. It's just spinning." She closed her eyes and slid her arms around him. "Don't drop me."
"I won't." He carried her over to the bed and sat down, holding her on his lap.
"Is she all right?" Millie asked.
"She shouldn't be this dizzy," Vash replied. "Meryl!" Her eyes opened again. "Focus on me."
"I...I can't..." Meryl closed her eyes again. "It's all blurry..."
"Meryl- does it hurt anywhere?"
"No... just a sinking feeling here..." She touched her chest. "And so dizzy...." Vash put his forehead against hers.
"You're warm... a fever. But why?" He looked at Millie. "Get me some cool cloths." She handed him one a minute later and he put it against Meryl's forehead. She began to shiver.
"Mr. Vash? Should I get a doctor?"
"Yes." Millie vanished down the stairs as Vash tucked Meryl into bed.
"This is really odd." Wolfwood leaned over the other side, exchanging the cloth on Meryl's forehead for a cooler one.
"It's Knives." Vash replied. "He's done something to her." He didn't hear Wolfwood's reply. He thought hard for a moment. Knives had been having a hard time controlling that body. What if it had been the original owner that had knocked Meryl out- not Knives? But then why just leave her there? Unless he had done something else to her... something that would kill her slowly... He let himself relax, using his other senses to examine Meryl. And he found it in the palm of her left hand. Knives had put a drain on Meryl's life. The drain was pulling her life out of her, like a plant used a drain to feed it's energy into the processors. The drain had started off small- taking only a little bit at a time, but it was growing even as Vash watched...
"Vash!" Wolfwood touched his shoulder. "Aren't you listening to me?"
"He's killing her." Vash looked up at Wolfwood, pain in his eyes.
"Vash, it's okay." Meryl spoke softly, her violet eyes dark and shadowed. "I want to do this- for you. Please?" Her hand tightened on his, her life leaking through his fingers.
"NO!" Vash shouted at her. "How can you even ask...?" He choked suddenly as Meryl's eyes closed and he felt her life ebb faster.
"Mr. Wolfwood..." Meryl whispered, "pray for me...." Her other hand reached out to Wolfwood. He took it gently, his voice already beginning a prayer...
"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum..."
"Hail Mary, full of grace..." Meryl's voice echoed weakly. Her life was slipping through his fingers. She was going to leave him...Vash choked, grief tearing at him.
"Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostræ..."
"Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death...." Death. She was dying... Like Rem...
"I won't lose another one to Knives. I WON'T!!" His eyes glowed blue and his hand tightened on hers. He began to glow, radiating like a plant. Wolfwood stumbled away from the bed, a hand up over his eyes. Vash's glow spread down to Meryl, making her cry out.
Wolfwood took his hand away from his eyes and blinked, trying to get the spots to go away. Vash was lying next to Meryl, both of them pale and waxy looking. He started to go to the bed and was shoved to the side by Millie and the doctor.
"Well, they both seem okay to me. This young lady's fever is gone, and the young man just seems exhausted. Let them rest and if they don't wake up by tomorrow morning, come get me."
Vash opened his eyes and sat up. "I'm okay doc. Just fainted."
"Just fainted?" Wolfwood repeated incredulously.
"Yep." Vash smiled. "Is there any dinner left, Millie? I'm starved!"
"It's on the table." Millie thanked the doctor and showed him out. "Mr. Vash, is Meryl...?"
"She'll be okay." Vash had already sat down at the table. "Don't worry. She'll wake up in a bit."
As he ate, Vash insisted that Wolfwood and Millie get some sleep. He was perfectly able to watch Meryl. After assuring Millie that he would call her if he needed her, they left. Vash took off his vest and boots but left the rest of his clothes on. He put his pistol under the pillow and laid down next to Meryl, cradling her carefully against him. He could feel the drain, when he thought about it, slowly dripping like a leaky faucet, tugging on his life. This is what getting older must feel like, he thought sleepily. Your life disappearing slowly, a little bit at a time....
Meryl's head hurt. She didn't think people were supposed to have headaches in the afterlife, but then again, she might be wrong. Her hand touched her temple and she winced. That hurt all right. She remembered placing the gun next to her temple, and then... then he had leaped at her, his hand closing over hers, turning the gun so the stock... ah. He had knocked her out- that cheating bastard! Was he trying to get out of the bargain? She'd see about that! But first-
Meryl opened her eyes. A pair of icy blue eyes were looking into hers. The eyes were narrowed- cold and angry looking. "Mr. Knives?" she faltered, ideas of smacking the double-crossing jerk fading from her mind.
"No. It's me." Vash's voice answered as she focused on his dark blond hair. She closed her eyes again. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts." She could still feel him glaring at her. His voice was angry too, she thought.
"I'm not surprised. You've got quite a bump. Open your eyes so I can see if...."
"No."
"No?"
"Not until you stop looking at me that way. It hurts. If you want to glare put on your glasses or something. Please?"
"I'm sorry Meryl," Vash's tone changed from angry to contrite. "You really had me worried. I thought you were dead."
"No. He hit me with my derringer. What a jerk!" Meryl's eyes opened again, blazing with fury.
"You were going to shoot yourself."
"I know. We had a deal. Of course he tried to get out of it."
"No, he didn't." Vash smiled faintly. "He told me that I had 50 years of peace- thanks to you."
"Really? He must've known I wasn't... huh." Meryl touched her temple and frowned at the pain. "Maybe he wanted me to do it later? I guess this would give me time to get some things settled- put my affairs in order and all..." She wondered aloud.
"You aren't going to do it at all." Vash countered icily. "Understand?"
"But Vash, I made a deal...." Vash leaned over her threateningly.
"I don't give a damn! Listen to me: You are not going to do this! Got it?"
"What are you so mad about?" Meryl squinted at him.
"What?!" Vash sputtered for a moment. "What am I so mad about?! Why the HELL WOULDN'T I BE MAD?!?!" His voice rose louder and louder as he spoke.
"Don't yell," Meryl touched her forehead and winced. "It hurts."
"Mr. Vash," Millie's voice was calm and soothing, but her grip on his shoulder was firm. "Why don't you go outside with Nicholas? You can yell at Meryl when she's feeling better, okay? Right now she needs to rest."
"But..." Vash found himself outside the room before he realized it. Wolfwood was leaning against the wall, smoking.
"Don't argue with Millie, it's not healthy." Wolfwood said matter-of- factly. "She's right. You can yell at Meryl later."
"I wasn't yelling."
"Of course not, Vash." Wolfwood gave him an amused look. "Just speaking loudly, right?" Vash leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"I don't understand that girl at all," Vash muttered.
"Are you feeling better, Meryl?" Millie asked as she sat down on the bed. "Your eyes are a bit dilated- you probably have a concussion. We'll call the doctor."
"I'm fine." Meryl grumbled as she propped herself up against the headboard. "Hey, this isn't my room."
"I'm afraid Mr. Knives trashed your room a bit. I'll get it cleaned up. This is Mr. Vash's room."
"Why was he so upset, Millie? I thought he'd be happy to have Knives leave him in peace for awhile...." Millie sighed.
"Really Meryl, do you think Mr. Vash wants peace so much that he'd let you die for it?"
"Let me? It was my choice, not his."
"I said that too, but he said it wasn't worth it." She looked straight into Meryl's eyes. "Mr. Vash was very upset when he thought you were dead. So please, be patient with him?" Meryl nodded, winced at the pain, and grimaced.
"All right Millie."
"Your head hurts a lot?"
"Yes." Millie got up from the bed and opened the door. "Meryl's head really hurts and her eyes are dilated. Can one of you go get a doctor?"
"I can help her," Meryl heard Vash say quietly. "I won't yell, I promise."
"All right," Millie agreed. "Nicholas, can you help me clean up her room?"
"Of course," Millie stepped out and Vash stepped back in. The door closed behind him. He sat down next to Meryl and gently put his hands on her head. His fingers slid gently over the bump on her temple, making Meryl wince.
"It doesn't feel cracked here," he murmured, his hands sliding up and over her head.
"Ow!" Vash's fingers had found another tinier bump on the back of her head.
"That's where you hit the ground."
"It hurts."
"I imagine it does. Do you remember your name?"
"Huh?"
"You don't?"
"Of course I do. Meryl Stryfe."
"And I am?"
"Vash the Stampede."
"Where are you from?"
"October Town." Meryl frowned at him. "Why are you asking me these questions?"
"Just making sure the fall didn't rattle something important. Can you count to ten?"
"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10." Meryl recited. "How do I know you aren't just fooling around?"
"You don't." Vash smiled at her. "You'll just have to trust me." His fingers were still in her hair, gently caressing and Meryl felt the pain begin to ease. "What happened to us on the sand steamer?"
"Which one? The one with BDN or the one with the feud over the satellite?"
"Good," Vash replied. "You remember both." The pain was definitely lessening.
"Of course. It's hard to forget being hijacked, running around with guns and explosions like that."
"Which time was that?"
"Both times." Meryl smiled. "But it was the second time that we heard you singing that awful song about slaughtering people." Vash laughed.
"Yeah, I was trying to scare them. You know- be Vash the Stampede." His fingers continued their circling. "Is the pain less?"
"Yes. How are you doing that?"
"It's amazing what you pick up over the years." Vash smiled at her. "Your pupils are going back to normal. You'll want to go to sleep, but you can't for awhile."
"I know," Meryl sighed. "I've had a concussion before. When they did let me sleep I had to be woken up every hour on the hour. It sucked."
"I know- but we'll do it. How'd you get a concussion before?"
"My brother told me girls couldn't climb trees. So I climbed one."
"And proved him right by falling out of it."
"Yes, but then I got up and climbed it anyway."
"With a concussion?" Vash was amazed.
"I didn't know I had one. I was a stubborn child."
"That explains a lot." He muttered.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." Millie poked her head in.
"We cleaned the room but the mattress is a lost cause. We'll have to get another room."
"No need," Vash replied as Meryl groaned. "Meryl has to have somebody watch her tonight. She can stay here."
"But you won't get any sleep if you're watching her, Mr. Vash. Don't you want me to help you?"
"I'll be fine. I'll sleep tomorrow and you can watch her then, okay?"
"Okay!" Millie nodded. "We'll go get you some dinner."
"Thanks." Vash looked at Meryl as the door closed. "No arguments?"
"Why would I?" Meryl replied.
"I can think of at least three that I expected you to come up with."
"Can any of them be countered with wanting to leave Millie and Wolfwood with some time together?" Vash was silent for a moment.
"Mostly, yeah. But what harm will one night apart do?"
"And what if tomorrow is our last day?" Vash tilted her head up so she was looking into his eyes.
"Today was almost yours." Meryl smiled.
"I know, but yesterday was a good day. We had a good time traveling- you and Wolfwood telling jokes, Millie making us sing all those old songs, sharing our lunch with that family on the road. It would've been a nice last day."
"Meryl...." Vash's hands let her go.
"Yes, when Knives took me...That wasn't nice. I was scared. Really scared." Meryl twisted the blankets in her hands. "He's hurt you so many times- I couldn't let him hurt you more- not when I could do something to stop it. It seemed like such a little thing..."
"A little thing?" Vash repeated. "Meryl- don't you think it would hurt me to lose you?" Meryl looked up at him, eyes wide, surprise evident on her face. Why did she look surprised? Vash wondered. I told her I loved her- sort of.
"Well, I... I knew you'd be upset. You're upset anytime Knives kills someone because of you. But 50 years of peace..."
"Is not worth your life!" Oops, volume. Vash frowned at her and changed the subject. "How does your head feel now?"
"Still hurts but not as bad." Meryl touched the base of her skull gently with her fingertips. "Really bad here."
"Here let me..." Vash moved so that he was sitting behind her. "Now where does it hurt?" Vash's fingers followed hers, working slowly and gently to soothe away the remaining pains. Meryl sighed in relief and relaxed only to straighten again with a hiss of pain. "What?"
"I forgot, when he grabbed me..." Meryl touched her lower back. "He punched me right there. I think he was trying for a stomach shot but I turned at the last moment." Vash tugged her shirt out of her skirt, exposing her back. "Hey!"
"It's bruised." Vash said as he touched it lightly. "Did he hit you anyplace else?"
"I don't think so."
"You aren't sure?" Vash stood up, tugging her with him.
"Hey!"
"Relax. I'm walking you to the bathroom. Go in, check yourself and clean up. I'll wait out here." Meryl made it to the bathroom okay and closed the door. She hastily stripped, checking out the bruise in the mirror. She had to lean against the sink as a wave of dizziness washed over her.
"Yuck." There were some small circular bruises on her arms that puzzled her until she remembered that was where Knives had grabbed her. There were a few long scratches on her legs from the bushes he dragged her through. On the whole she had gotten off lightly. There was a tap on the door. Meryl grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it.
"It's me, Millie."
"Oh, come in." Millie slid in with Meryl's case and her nightgown.
"Vash said you were getting cleaned up so I brought these in. We have dinner too, but I'll make sure they don't eat your part."
"Thanks Millie."
"You look a bit white, Meryl." Millie's hands caught her as the room started to spin again. "Sit down." She lowered Meryl to the edge of the tub.
"I'm fine Millie. Go eat."
"But Meryl..."
"I'll be fine. I'll call if I need you, okay?" Millie left after a few doubtful looks. Meryl carefully got a wet washcloth and cleaned herself up, stopping several times to let the dizziness pass. She managed to get her nightgown on and close up her case again but bending over the case set her head spinning again. She knelt down on the floor and pressed her head against the cabinets. Maybe she needed to call Millie to help her up again. Suddenly hands touched her shoulders.
"Meryl! Meryl?"
"Vash?" He was bent over her as Millie stood in the doorway. His arms scooped her up off the floor. She leaned against him gratefully as he picked her up. "I'm really dizzy."
"Does your head hurt?"
"No. It doesn't hurt. It's just spinning." She closed her eyes and slid her arms around him. "Don't drop me."
"I won't." He carried her over to the bed and sat down, holding her on his lap.
"Is she all right?" Millie asked.
"She shouldn't be this dizzy," Vash replied. "Meryl!" Her eyes opened again. "Focus on me."
"I...I can't..." Meryl closed her eyes again. "It's all blurry..."
"Meryl- does it hurt anywhere?"
"No... just a sinking feeling here..." She touched her chest. "And so dizzy...." Vash put his forehead against hers.
"You're warm... a fever. But why?" He looked at Millie. "Get me some cool cloths." She handed him one a minute later and he put it against Meryl's forehead. She began to shiver.
"Mr. Vash? Should I get a doctor?"
"Yes." Millie vanished down the stairs as Vash tucked Meryl into bed.
"This is really odd." Wolfwood leaned over the other side, exchanging the cloth on Meryl's forehead for a cooler one.
"It's Knives." Vash replied. "He's done something to her." He didn't hear Wolfwood's reply. He thought hard for a moment. Knives had been having a hard time controlling that body. What if it had been the original owner that had knocked Meryl out- not Knives? But then why just leave her there? Unless he had done something else to her... something that would kill her slowly... He let himself relax, using his other senses to examine Meryl. And he found it in the palm of her left hand. Knives had put a drain on Meryl's life. The drain was pulling her life out of her, like a plant used a drain to feed it's energy into the processors. The drain had started off small- taking only a little bit at a time, but it was growing even as Vash watched...
"Vash!" Wolfwood touched his shoulder. "Aren't you listening to me?"
"He's killing her." Vash looked up at Wolfwood, pain in his eyes.
"Vash, it's okay." Meryl spoke softly, her violet eyes dark and shadowed. "I want to do this- for you. Please?" Her hand tightened on his, her life leaking through his fingers.
"NO!" Vash shouted at her. "How can you even ask...?" He choked suddenly as Meryl's eyes closed and he felt her life ebb faster.
"Mr. Wolfwood..." Meryl whispered, "pray for me...." Her other hand reached out to Wolfwood. He took it gently, his voice already beginning a prayer...
"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum..."
"Hail Mary, full of grace..." Meryl's voice echoed weakly. Her life was slipping through his fingers. She was going to leave him...Vash choked, grief tearing at him.
"Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostræ..."
"Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death...." Death. She was dying... Like Rem...
"I won't lose another one to Knives. I WON'T!!" His eyes glowed blue and his hand tightened on hers. He began to glow, radiating like a plant. Wolfwood stumbled away from the bed, a hand up over his eyes. Vash's glow spread down to Meryl, making her cry out.
Wolfwood took his hand away from his eyes and blinked, trying to get the spots to go away. Vash was lying next to Meryl, both of them pale and waxy looking. He started to go to the bed and was shoved to the side by Millie and the doctor.
"Well, they both seem okay to me. This young lady's fever is gone, and the young man just seems exhausted. Let them rest and if they don't wake up by tomorrow morning, come get me."
Vash opened his eyes and sat up. "I'm okay doc. Just fainted."
"Just fainted?" Wolfwood repeated incredulously.
"Yep." Vash smiled. "Is there any dinner left, Millie? I'm starved!"
"It's on the table." Millie thanked the doctor and showed him out. "Mr. Vash, is Meryl...?"
"She'll be okay." Vash had already sat down at the table. "Don't worry. She'll wake up in a bit."
As he ate, Vash insisted that Wolfwood and Millie get some sleep. He was perfectly able to watch Meryl. After assuring Millie that he would call her if he needed her, they left. Vash took off his vest and boots but left the rest of his clothes on. He put his pistol under the pillow and laid down next to Meryl, cradling her carefully against him. He could feel the drain, when he thought about it, slowly dripping like a leaky faucet, tugging on his life. This is what getting older must feel like, he thought sleepily. Your life disappearing slowly, a little bit at a time....