Curriculum 14: Hold On

"Gareas! Hurry! It's Arie! Something's wrong with her!" came a loud voice from down the hallway.

"What in the-... Rusai!" he said in confusion as he spotted his friend dashing towards him. 'Arie..?' he thought as his eyes widened and he ran towards Rusai. He ran into and grabbed onto him by the shirt collar. "What is it! What's happened, Rusai? Where's Arie!" he demanded, having a one track mind set on Arie. Sweat dropped down his forehead as he shook Rusai violently for an answer.

As Arie kept her position on the floor her condition only got worse. This time she collapsed completely onto the ground, her breathing slowed to a gasp. 'No...' she thought as her consciousness was slowly slipping. Her eyes were shifting between black and grey. The trick to her sight and foresight was the fact that they showed and represented her current physical and emotional status.

"It...wasn't...my fault..." Rusai gasped, managing to barely speak through all the shaking. "You have...to...hurry!" Rusai was hoping that Garaes would put him down before Arie got any worse...

"Arie, you have to stay awake!" Hiead exclaimed. He took Arie and gently put her onto the bed. "Just hold on, I'm sure Rusai will be back any moment..." Hiead stated, trying to reassure Arie and himself at the same time.

Gareas eyes widened as he ceased his assault on Rusai. He gently let him go and dropped his head in disgrace as he let his thoughts override his feelings.

"I'm sorry, Rusai..." he said as he turned away from him. "Please, what is going on..?" he asked as he turned to face him.

Arie heard Hiead's voice call out to her. She knew she had to hold on a little longer. After all she could use a miracle, for her luck lately had been twisted. She opened her eyes a little wider as she struggled to ease her breathing patterns. Her gasping continued as her attempt fail.

"H-...hel... p..." she whispered in between her gasps as her vision blurred and she could no longer see what was in the room.

Rusai had made a quick and brief explanation of what had happened back in Hiead's room.

"So you see, something's wrong with her! We have to hurry!" Rusai pleaded, gesturing towards the room where Arie lay.

Hiead was beginning to get very concerned. 'Where the hell are you Rusai?' he thought, while trying to help Arie retain her hold on life. Hiead was almost tempted to run out there for himself to see if that could bring much faster help, but that would mean he would have to leave Arie and in her condition that could yield fatal results. Hiead decided against it and watched as the clock ticked time away. With everything riding on these last few moments, and time as their unforgiving enemy, everything was riding on this one last chance...

Gareas nodded as he made his way back to the room along with Rusai. 'Damn...' he thought to himself. 'Why did I have to act out like that, what if Arie...? ...No! I can't think that way. Right now all that matters is that we get there!' he thought as he made his way to the room and was relieved to see the door. He burst through the door, breathing heavily from his swift dash.

"Arie!" he yelled rushing to her side. "Arie, I'm here..." he said again, softly.

Arie struggled but opened her eyes and focused her vision enough to see who laid by her side.

"Ga...ru... y...ou...c..ame... back..." she stammered between her gasping. Her condition was still bad but it had calmed somewhat.

"Of course..." he said to her. "I'm so sorry I left your side, Arie..." with that he gently took hold of her hand and squeezed it tenderly. "Hold on..."

"I-... I'm... sorr-... ah..." with her last attempt at an apology she slowly slipped into a coma. Her breathing began to settle some, but a fever began to appear as her cheeks turned red. Gareas simply sat by her side, not knowing what to do now.

"We have to get her to the sick bay immediately!" Hiead stated. "We can't just leave her like this, she could die!" Rusai nodded in agreement and was starting to help out Hiead.

"Come on Garaes, Arie needs you! Don't tell me you're gonna sit here while she suffers like this! We need your help!" Rusai exclaimed, trying to get Garaes to cooperate. "Listen, I'm worried about her too, but if we don't get to sick bay soon, then we won't have anyone to worry about! We can't lose her!"

Gareas shook his head in disagreement.

"It's not something that can be helped that easily, Rusai... I know my symptoms and sicknesses and the signs she's showing are completely curable. She needs rest and support right now, that's all..." he said to them both quite sternly. Gareas was never one for seriousness but when it came down to it, if Gareas was serious there was no doubt about what he spoke of.

"Huh..?" Gareas questioned as he felt a squeeze on his hand. He turned around to find that Arie had opened her eyes slightly as she turned to face them. A weak smile crept over her face as her eyes sparkled in their normal colors once more.

"This... is..." she began to state softly through her tired lips. "My curse..."

Hiead returned to his normal state, showing almost no sign of emotion whatsoever, while Rusai breathed out a sigh of relief.

"As long as I know that she's gonna be alright..." Rusai muttered, thankful that the worst hadn't happened, although the only thing on his mind at the moment were Arie's words 'This...is...my curse...' Rusai kept on wondering about it, but then decided on asking Arie herself whenever she got better. Right now, after facing so many events in one day, Rusai fell asleep on Hiead's bed, exhausted and relieved at the same time...