Stein P.O.V
This uneasy feeling spreads faster throughout my body as I look at Maka's fragile body across from me. The surgery was a success but somehow I don't feel like it was. Could it be that i haven't had my afternoon smoke? No, I don't let something like that get to me but something isn't settling well with me. I hear footsteps coming closer to me as I slowly turn my head to see Naigus passing through the white curtain. Her demeanor suddenly changed from serenity to worrisome. I never had an assistant with me while I dissected but anyone can see she is worried about Maka's condition; guess that makes two of us.
"Spirit gave you a hard time?" I question as she shakes her head.
"I didn't see him yet. Stein, what's her prognosis?" Naigus ask worriedly. I stay silent as I ponder whether to give her false hope or the bitter truth that Maka may not make it pass the 24 hours. I hang my head low to gain back my composure then slowly raise it to meet her eyes.
"She's stable and the surgery was a success but her survival rate is quite slim. She still hasn't waken up yet." I answer as I focus my attention towards Maka. Her skin is paler than before due to the blood loss. I bury my hand into my hair as I try to think of saying my next sentence without sounding heartless. However, the situation is grave and Soul can't be alone.
"I think Soul might need to see Lord Death." I propose as Naigus' eyes widen
"You think he needs a replacement?" Naigus whispers as she fears Maka might hear her but Maka shows no sign of moving.
"The only thing that kept her stable was that sac she was in and removing her lifeline caused her body to go into shock. Her body is severely damaged and although I rectify the situation, her body is trying now to adjust to the aftermath which currently is still unknown whether she will make it." I answer truthfully.
Somehow, the words hurt me the most as I feel a wave of grief swell inside me. The madness is overshadowed with grief as I realize that one of my students may die and I couldn't do anything to save them. Years of practicing surgery means nothing when a dead patient is staring blankly at you with fear and disappointment. No matter how successful you are, one dead patient can instantly bring your ego to the ground. I look around for something to call Lord Death and stumble upon a small mirror; I write down his number as I feel Naigus presence behind me.
"Please get Spirit in here." I demand as Naigus nods her head then leaves me alone with Lord Death. I turn my head to see Lord Death's mask staring at me.
"Hello, hello, how did it go?" Lord Death greets cheerfully.
"She made it, but I believe you might have to talk to Soul about getting a new partner." I say watching his cheerful demeanor fade in front of me. He looks around then leans in closer to the mirror.
"How long?" Lord Death whispers
"Undetermined, the first 24 hour are crucial. We lost her for a moment but she came back to us." I answer as I remember holding her heart in my hand.
"Have him see me immediately when you see him." Lord Death announces as I nod my head.
The call ends as I stare blankly at the mirror while letting my mind wonder until one thought sent a shiver down my spine: Did I really try to save her? I place the mirror on top of the steel counter top then started to wheel Maka into the other room. She's unresponsive as I mover her bed and IV poles and I start to wonder is she's dead but her heart monitor is beeping slowly.
Regular story line: DWMA
Naigus leaves the dispensary only to be greeted with worried eyes and a tension so thick it could suffocate anyone. Naigus notices Soul looking at her with his red eyes as her heart twitches from the pain he will have to endure soon.
"Spirit, may I borrow you for a moment?" Naigus ask as Spirit's eyes widen
"What, why? Is everything okay?!" Spirit ask urgently as he fears the worst has come.
"Your daughter's life depends on it, so may I borrow you for a moment?" Naigus repeats as Spirit walks towards Naigus. His legs feel like weights as he gets closer to her hoping that his daughter isn't gone.
"Please tell me she's alright." Spirit begs as he leans towards Naigus ear. She closes her eyes to keep her composure.
"We'll discuss this inside." Naigus answers
"Hold up! Our friend was there for hours and you can't tell us what happened?" Black Star questions angrily
"Calm down, Black Star, If you stay quiet you will find out what happened." Stein answers as Spirit timidly looks away from Stein. Naigus and Spirit enter the room as Stein looks at his students.
"Okay, what gives?! Is my partner okay?!" Soul ask angrily as Tsubaki places her hand on his shoulder then squeezes it to remind him to stay calm. Stein grabs a cigarette from his pocket then places it in his mouth.
"It was touch and go but we were able to stabilize her." Stein announces
"Touch and go?" Soul mutters as his eye sight becomes blurry and his body suddenly starts to get numb.
"For a moment, her heart stopped beating due to the immense amount of stress her body is in right now. It truly is a miracle she was able to survive it." Stein continues. Tsubaki musters the courage in her body to ask Stein what happened but she fears his answer might be something she doesn't want to hear.
"What exactly did happen to her body?" Tsubaki ask
"Chaos." Stein says as he bites harder onto the cigarette.
"That's putting it lightly." Liz comments as Patty nods her head vigorously.
"Maka's body suffered extensive internal damage from that attack. Her sternum was fractured which caused her to break two rib and a collapsed lung. Her lung is bruised with a minor puncture wound and her heart has one puncture wound as well. Her heart suffered the most due to the sternum fracture; her right ventricle was ruptured. Thus causing her to lose a large amount of blood." Stein explains as he watches the faces of his students start to show signs of fear of what will become of their friend.
"What's the outcome?" Kid questions as he fears what the answer could be.
"She has shown no signs of waking up. We don't know how that sac affected her, so her future is still undetermined." Stein explains sadly as Kid looks down on the ground. Kid begins to wonder if only he had gotten her to the dispensary faster and maybe she would have been awake. A guilty conscious takes over his mind as Stein's words sink into his head.
"May we see her?" Tsubaki asked timidly.
"Just remain calm and don't be too alarm when you see her. We can do have one visitor or two at a time, so who's first?" Stein ask as Soul hesitates to speak or raise his hand. His body is frozen as he feels everyone eyes on him but when Black Star raises his hand, Soul starts to relax.
"Alright, it's time for the great Black Star to give Maka a speech so great that she will wake up to applaud me." Black Star announces as Tsubaki shakes her head.
"Oh, Soul, Lord Death wants to see you immediately." Stein adds as Soul walks towards Stein.
"I'm not leaving my partner." Soul argues as Stein glares Soul.
"Do you really want to keep Lord Death waiting? Do you plan on seeing her next?" Stein questions as Soul feels a lump forming in his throat. He wants to clear things up with her but keeping Lord Death waiting isn't appealing especially if he does the infamous Reaper Chop. Soul balls his hands into a fist then looks away from Stein's glare.
"Fine, I'll go." Soul announces as he leaves the group with his heavy heart and his head now pounding.
Stein turns his attention towards Tsubaki then nudges his head towards the door. She knew he was afraid how loud Black Star is going to be inside. Black Star and Tsubaki enters the room while Stein closes the door behind them.
Regular Story line
Black Star and Tsubaki enters the room to see Spirit on the bed with a white gauze wrapped on his arm. He looks sleepy and pale but his eyes are red, could it be from the crying?
"I tried to give more but Naigus kept stopping me." Spirit mumbles quietly as he fights to keep his eyes open. Black Star notices the blood bag above Maka's head.
"I told you we only needed enough for today, we're going to ask Lord Death to grant us permission to have two more bags." Naigus reminds him as she finishes cleaning up the area.
"Did you speak to her?" Tsubaki ask as she turns around to see Spirit sleeping soundly on the bed
"Must be feeling exhausted from today." Naigus comments as she watches Spirit snoring for a moment then remains silent.
"I expect a standing ovation from her." Black Star whines as Tsubaki sighs.
"I'll give you privacy now." Naigus comments as she leaves the room. Once the door shuts, Black Star turns around to see Spirit sleeping soundly then turns his attention to Maka. He heads towards a nearby chair and drags it to her bedside. Her heart monitor is beeping steadily as Black Star watches the line go up and down.
"Are you alright?" Tsubaki ask as Black Star stares at Maka.
"I don't know. I thought it was going to be easy to talk to her." Black Star answers as Tsubaki places her hand on his back.
"Talk to her like you normally do. She can still hear you, Black Star." Tsubaki mentions as Black Star nods his head. Looking at his friend fighting for to stay awake makes Black Star feel uneasy.
"I know that whatever you say will be fine." Tsubaki adds with a warm smiles as she glances back at Maka.
"You know how much it pains me to see you like this. You better make it out alive, Maka. I won't forgive you if you die on us. We still need you to defeat Asura and although I can handle him by myself, I would like to have you fight with me." Black Star warns as he watches Maka making no attempt to speak or open her eyes.
"Come on, wake up already!" Black Star shouts as he clutches onto her bed sheets. Maka's eyes remain shut as Black Star slaps on the bed hoping it would wake her but nothing. Anger wells up inside him as he watches her not budging to move.
"Black Star, please don't shout." Tsubaki pleas as she looks at Maka's body. She can't imagine that war going on inside her body and how fragile the human body can be when something breaks down.
"You're stronger than you think, Maka. Don't go, Maka, please?" Tsubaki begs as she begins to start to cry. Black Star reaches for Tsubaki's hand then gives her a reassuring squeeze. The contact leaves her speechless as she looks into his eyes to see he is hurting as well.
"We're waiting for you to come back." Black Star whispers as he notices she is struggling to breathe properly but she's fighting. Black Star gets up from the chair then leaves the room with Tsubaki following behind him. Tsubaki turns her head back to see Maka still isn't moving then closes her eyes to fight back her tears.
"How was she?" Patty questions as Black Star and Tsubaki leave the room.
"The same." Black Star answers sadly as he lowers his head to avoid everyone's gaze. Kid looks at him and wonders if Black Star reached his breaking point as well.
"I'll go next." Liz announces as Patty's eyes shine brightly. Stein nods his head and gives her the go to enter the room.
"Me too." Patty say happily.
Dispensary
Liz and Patty enter the room timidly to see both Maka and Spirit with their eyes closed. Liz walks cautiously towards Maka's bed with two IV poles surrounding her; one has blood and the other is to keep her hydrated. Liz notices how calm her sister is and wonders if she is going to be okay afterwards.
"You okay?" Liz ask as Patty nods her head. Liz spies a chair besides Maka and sits on it while Patty stands behind her.
"Hey, Maka, I'm going to put my hand next to yours, okay? If you can hear me can you squeeze it?" Liz ask as he delicately places her hand on Maka's hand. She waits for a moment then fears that she might have pushed her luck.
"We know you're trying your best to fight and we're happy that you made it out, so don't give up. We really want to see you smile again and I think so does Soul. You can't lose do you hear me!" Liz says as she grips Maka's hand tightly.
"It's okay, Maka. Take your time and don't push yourself." Patty reassures as she waits for Maka to respond but nothing happens. Patty and Liz leave the room with a heavy heart and overwhelming worrisome thoughts.
A potential new partner for Soul and his partner not waking up yet. Hope you're enjoying the story so far! :) Please if you have a chance leave a review and stay tuned for Soul's and Kid's visit.