Chapter 7

Over the next week Tigress kept a watchful eye on Felix. His condition was getting worse each day. So it wasn't just physical injuries from extensive training, but soon, he started to fall ill due to fatigue. It was subtle at first, short on breath, easily tired… But as the week progress, it started to get worse and Tigress became more and more worried, not to mention the rest of the masters. By the end of the week, it got bad enough that little Lynx had gone up to him and asked if he was ok. Of course he gave her the same response as he did everyone else.

"I'm fine…just a little…tired…that's all." Felix smiled and patted Lynx on the head. "Don't worry about me…"

That night, Tigress went straight to the training hall to check on Felix. As expected, Felix was still there training. Where most would've been bed-ridden, Felix managed to continue training. Felix treaded slowly across The Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, carefully dodging the swinging clubs, but they were all near misses. Tigress could see that he was in no condition to do any of this, and yet, here he was. Slowly but surely, his reactions were getting slower and slower. Eventually, one of the spiked clubs caught him squarely in the chest and knocked him off the course and straight into the wall. Tigress gave a small gasp of shock, and quickly clapped her hand to her mouth, but it was too late. Felix's eyes snapped up to where Tigress was hiding.

"W-who's there?!" Felix called, getting shakily to his feet, long slashes on his arms and chest.

Tigress kept quiet, not wanting to be discovered.

Felix's eye's darted around in the general area where Tigress was hiding. Then, Felix stomped on one of the serpent logs and knocked it off of the course and into the air and kicked it towards where Tigress hid. Tigress quickly avoided the flying log and dropped to the ground.

"Felix! Calm down! It's just me!" Tigress said quickly, hands raised in sign of submission.

But Felix seemed to not have heard her or managed to distinguish that it was Tigress, for he ran at hear and threw a punch at her. Tigress easily dodged the near drunken form, but her concern for Felix's well being prevented her from striking back.

"Felix! It's me! Tigress! Don't you recognize me?!" Tigress cried out, ducking Felix's swing.

Felix leapt back and for a second, Tigress thought he had finally recognized her, but he leapt up, leg held high. Tigress yelp and leapt back as far as she could. Felix brought his foot down where Tigress was a moment before, cracking the ground and sending splinters of wood everywhere.

Tigress felt her back hit the wall and saw Felix get up and prowl forward. She was cornered. She had no choice…if she wanted to get out of this unscathed, she had to strike back and Felix was loosing too much blood from the gashes on his body from the swinging clubs. When Felix ran at Tigress, Tigress got low, and when he got close enough, she stuck him hard in the chest with the palm of her hand. Felix coughed, flecks of blood flying from his mouth, and he fell forward, unconscious.

Panting slightly, Tigress fell to her knees and quickly turned Felix onto his back and held her ear to his chest. There was a heart beat. Tigress sighed. It was the first time she had tried a move like that and if she wasn't careful she could've… Tigress got up and carefully slung one of Felix's arms around her neck and carefully held him up. If it weren't for all her Kung Fu training, Tigress felt she'd collapse under Felix's weight. Tigress carried Felix all the way to the bunk house and into her room. She set him down on her bed. She was at a loss of what to do after though. She didn't know anything to do with medical treatments.

Tears started to well up in Tigress' eyes. This was all her fault. If she didn't try to keep Felix from getting close to her…

"I'm sorry…" Tigress whimpered to Felix's unconscious form. "This is all my fault…I was being selfish…you promised me…that you'd always be there for me… and that you'd never let anything bad happen to me…and yet…I was just too scared. I just couldn't allow myself to fall in love again…so I tried my best to distance myself from you…but it only just made it worse…slowly…I just…got harder and harder on you…I don't know who was I trying to convince…you…or me...It must've hurt…yet you stayed here…you kept your promise…even when I pushed you away…you were always here, waiting. I wish I could've seen it sooner…maybe this could've all been avoided. But I know now…you are no Tai Lung. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you this myself…but I'm afraid…that I've fallen in love…with…you…"

Tigress smiled weakly and placed a hand on Felix's cheek. "I'm such a weakling…I'm forced to confess to you when you can't hear me…and I've caused you so much pain. I don't want to cause you any more…" Tigress bent down low and gently brushed her lips on Felix's. Tears fell down her face. "I don't want to push you away anymore…this is tearing me apart…I can't stand not having you around…I need you with me…"