Jackie: It's late at night. The kids, my hubby… Even my cats are asleep, and what am I doing? Working out, researching web service programming in JAVA, and writing fanfiction. Personally, I think sleep is highly over rated.

Chapter 7;

Two weeks later…

Knives studied the board with a scowl. Since he had learned to take Mira seriously as an opponent they had been evenly matched. This was fairly troubling to him since he'd had 130 years to get as good as he was. She insisted on making small talk during their matches, and through this he had learned that both her brother and her father had been chess champions before they were caught in the crossfire of a shoot out. That made him smile less each time he thought about it, which was equally troubling.

In fact, a lot of things were changing too quickly for his comfort. He was finding it easier to fake smiling, consideration, and his conversations with Mira were less civil and more chummy. He looked less forward to Vash's daily company, and more forward to being alone with Mira. He moved his piece and looked across the board at her.

She seemed to look worse every day. Even with the machine to breathe for her, her breath came in uneven gasps. She had lost much of her definition and daily sponge baths could not disguise her need for some real grooming. Her voice was less melodic and more of a harsh whisper. However, she had not lost her stubborn will and the light in her large gray eyes.

Knives couldn't understand why she wasn't getting better, and he took less and less pleasure in the fact that she was suffering. She was a gentle person. Knives found it hard to believe that she would have hurt one single person in her life time. That seemed a very bitter irony to Knives; the few redeeming members of the human race seemed to be those that were chosen to suffer.

Mira moved, "check… mate…"

Mira wiped some sweat from her brow. She had been sweating heavily for the past two days and no longer asked anyone to get her blanket for her. Her skin had become clammy, and she seemed to tire easily. Knives pushed the idea that she might die into the back of his mind.

Knives started to set up the board again, but Mira shook her head no. She laid back against her pillows and closed her eyes. She whispered, "Hard to breathe… Chest hurts… Tired…"

Knives nodded and put the game away. He laid back in his bed and decided to take a nap.

When he woke he touched his wounds, or rather where his wounds had been. He hadn't told Vash yet, and frowned at the thought of it. Why did leaving Mira here alone seem so horrible? Just then an alarm went off.

Knives eyes flung over to Mira who was convulsing in her bed and coughing up a thick white liquid into her face mask. Instantly it seemed the nurses and doctors were upon her. They flung the center curtain closed and Knives flung it open again.

"What's wrong with her?" Knives demanded.

"Mr. Knives," One doctor said as they were releasing the breaks on the wheels of the cot, "You are not related to her so I--"

Knives grabbed the man by the collar as the other doctor and three nurses wheeled her away. The doctor's crew was too busy to notice the scene that took place behind them. Knives lifted the man off the ground and said, "Tell me what is wrong with her! Where are you taking, Mira?"

The doctor punched Knives in the face. Knives was inhumanly strong, of course, but the fact that the doctor had done it shocked him to the point that Knives dropped him. Knives touched his cheek and growled, "FILTHY INSECT! HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME!"

Knives drew back his hand to strike the doctor. The doctor did not flinch or cower. He stood toe to toe with Knives and said, "You are delaying me. If you care so much about her you should let me get to surgery so I can help her."

Knives twitched and something inside him broke down. It was like all the gears that drove him had come to a sudden halt. The doctor turned and raced after his team. Knives stood there, staring at where the doctor had been. Knives felt numb. For the first time in his very long life, he was powerless. There was nothing he could do for Mira, and he knew it. His best hope was the doctor, a human, who had struck him.

He began to shiver. His couldn't even make himself drop his hand. Knives just stood there, staring at blank space. Nothing in his long life compared to the anguish he was feeling. The picture of Mira thrashing in her bed, coughing and gasping for air, kept replaying in his mind. Nothing… Absolutely nothing had ever torn at his soul as much as the thought of her not coming back. Why did it distress him so? Could he be… In love? With a human?

Knives found his mobility restored, but he felt so heavy. It was like his weight had somehow doubled. He walked over to his bed and sat down hard. He stared at the dust ring around the empty rectangle were her cot had been. For the first time in 130 years, he cried.

Later…

It was dark when Knives opened his eyes. Vash was sitting in a chair beside him watching him with a curious look on his face. Vash smiled softly and asked, "You okay bro?"

Knives looked over to where Mira's cot should be and found that they had not yet brung her back. Knives whimpered, "No."

Vash's eyes went wide with shock. He had never heard Knives whimper. Knives didn't look at Vash as he said, "Bring her back… I'll do anything you want if you just bring her back."

Vash shot up like spring weeds and gaped at his brother. Vash rubbed his eyes, pinched himself and then checked Knives for a fever. Vash sat down hard and said, "It true. You said it. Is that why you were crying in your sleep? Because of Mira?"

Knives turned his head in shame. This was not what he needed right now, but he knew he deserved it. He braced himself for what he knew Vash would say. I told you so. Humans deserve a chance. Now it's your turn to see what you have put me through. Now it is your turn to watch someone you love die.

But those words never came. Vash grabbed Knives by the shoulders and hugged him like Knives had done for Vash when they were younger. Knives couldn't control himself, and he sobbed into Vash's chest. Vash cradled his twin like that for several moments and then moved away, handing his brother some tissue. Knives nodded his thanks.

Both brothers turned to the door as they heard the creaking sound of rusty wheels. An old motherly-looking nurse wheeled Mira in, followed by a young female doctor still in her surgery scrubs.

The doctor worked her pen feverishly across the paper on her clipboard and then hung it at the foot of Mira's bed. She was about to leave when Knives asked, "How is she? Where are the doctors that took her this afternoon?"

"The surgery took four doctors and eight hours to complete," She answered, "All of her wounds were severely infected. One of them had nearly filled her right lung with puss. It no wonder she hadn't been getting any better."

"Is she going to be alright?" Knives asked.

"I don't know," The doctor answered, "We suctioned out most of her wounds and cut away a large amount of dead tissue. In the process of the surgery she lost a lot of blood. We are starting her on a broad spectrum antibiotic to fight the infections, but your guess is as good as mine."

Knives nodded and the doctor left with the nurse. Knives no longer cared that Vash was there watching him. Knives stood up and walked over to Mira. With trembling hands Knives brushed back her chestnut hair. He nearly began to cry again as he said, "You are going to make it, because you are too stubborn to give up. As mean as I was to you when I first came here, you kept pressing. You didn't give up on me, and you will NOT give up on yourself or so help me I'll… Please, Mira, please don't give up."

Vash walked over and put his hand on Knives's shoulder. Vash gave it a little pat as he said, "I'm sure she'll make it, bro. If she can change you, she can do anything."

……………………….

Jackie: And… GOODNIGHT!