Chapter Eleven: Good Morning, Good Night; Hello, Goodbye

"Doctor, How is he?" Luke looked at the doctor with pleading eyes.

"Well… his heart became very weak." The doctor sighed. "There's a possibility he might not make it." The doctor patted his shoulder and walked away. They each stood and entered the room, where Zeno was laid across a bed unconscious.

"What did he mean by 'test subject' and 'replicas were never supposed to last this long'?" Anise turned to Sync and Arietta.

"Van told us that he was a weak child when he found him. He wasn't very athletic and was always coughing blood. He knew he had the potential to become a God General, but he was too fragile. That's the real reason why he was never a official God General." Sync explained. "At the time, Dist was working on replicating real people, and decided it would be a good opportunity to start small. He replicated a heart he found and replaced it with his old one."

"Was it successful?"

"In some ways. He was still coughing blood, but it wasn't as bad and he could go into combat. Two years ago, it became worse and worse again. That's when Van told him he should hide himself among the crowds." Arietta answered.

"What if we replicate another heart?" Luke concluded. "If we do that, he can survive… right, Jade?"

"If we do that, we'll be breaking the law." Jade scolded. "I think we should see how it turns out."

"What if he dies Colonel?" Anise sobbed. "Are you really that heartless?"

"For the one who killed his old friend. I guess I am." Jade hid his face under his bangs and exited. Anise curled her fingers into a fist, trembling.

"Guy! Shouldn't you be saying something?" Anise fumed. "You should care more than anybody!" Her tears trickled down her face as she lifted her sleeve to cover her eyes. Arietta linked arms with Anise and lead her out of the room.

"'More than anybody'?" Natalia turned her face to look at Guy. Guy sat in the chair next to Zeno's bed and hid his face in his hands. Natalia shifted her eyes to the floor and gently pushed the others out of the room. Guy sat quietly while he listened the machine track the rhythm of Zeno's heart. Suddenly, he felt a dent in his face and removed his hands.

"Hey." Zeno had his eyes opened and his light brown hair resting on the side of his face.

"Are you alive?" Guy joked.

"Barely." Zeno lightly laughed. "How come its only you?"

"Natalia kicked the others out of the room. Good job. You made your 'special someone' cry." Guy said sarcastically.

"It's alright. Anise is a tough cookie." He sighed. "She has friends and most of all, family to help her."

"You do too." Guy leaned back on he chair. "Right here."

"Family? Yuck. Don't tell me Emperor Peony named your rapig's baby after me." Zeno stuck his tongue out and smiled.

"Really?" Guy reached into his pocket and handed Zeno the picture. "I thought it was more like this." Zeno held it in both hands and examined the back. Mary, Gailardia and Zeno... me? He quickly flipped it over and held it to the light. He looked at the top two faces, and then ran his finger over the rip. Zeno placed his hand on the same crescent moon shaped birthmark as in the picture and slowly turned his head.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Guy curled his lips and smirked.

"I wonder, aniki."

"Good to hear. But…" Guy pushed himself out of the chair and opened the door. "I think you have a visitor." Anise bit her lip and hid her hands behind her back. Her head was held low as she shifted her feet uneasily and walked in.

"Good morning." Zeno lifted his hand as a greeting.

"Its afternoon you moron." Anise revealed a bouquet of flowers behind her back and placed them on the table across the bed. She stood silently and fiddled with her fingers.

"Just so you know, I don't plan on dying." Zeno struggled to sit straight, destroying the awkward silence.

"Then don't." Anise mumbled.

"Since when were you in charge of my life?" Zeno pulled the skin under his eye and shut the other making a "bleh" sound. Anise trembled, restraining herself from giggling. "You think I'm going to give up that easily?"

"It sounded like that when you were coughing up blood in the toilet."

"Yeah, but once I flushed it, I couldn't feel so serious staring at the toilet." Zeno lifted his arms and crossed them behind his head. Anise dug into her pocket and pulled his black glossy stone. Her feet tapped against the tiles as she walked to his side. She sat on the bed and placed the stone into his hands…" He whispered. He shook his hair out of his face and looked into her brown eyes. "I remember when my mother placed his in my hands and how she gently said 'your sister and brother are praying for you. Don't let what's important slip by your hands.'" Zeno rested his head on her shoulder. "Of course, I don't think I'd let that happen." He lifted his face to meet hers and enclosed the space between them.

Don't let the important things slip by your hands.

Grasp them tightly, and never

let go…