Kindred Spirits

Chapter Nine: Creeping Death

~ o ~

Great is the weapon that cuts on it's own

- The Ancestor, Darkest Dungeon

~ o ~

The Following Night- A Hospital In Paris

"What the hell is going on?!" cried Sombra.
"It's just as I feared...going that long without sufficient oxygen going to her cells is what's killing her now." said Aiden.

I could barely make out the words they were saying as I struggled to remain conscious.

"What're they gonna do about it?" snapped Sombra.
"I don't know...which is why I'm hoping Dr. Ziegler will answer my message." he replied.

Wait...Angela Ziegler was coming here?

I tried to raise my hand but he immediately came to my side, holding it gently in both of his as he gave me a concerned look.

"Save your strength. You need all of it to stay alive." he said.
"What...what's happening to me?" I asked.

He sighed deeply.

"If Dr. Ziegler comes, we'll find out for certain...but for now, just rest...okay?"

His voice was a mix between concern and worry and I knew the only reason why he wasn't shedding tears or allowing his face to contort was because he was trying to remain strong for me. I gripped his hands and nodded, conceding to his plights as I closed my eyes...

~ o ~

"Mr. Beuclair. You have a visitor." said the nurse.

I quickly made my way through the door to see the woman I was praying to see.

"Hello Aiden. It's good to see you again." she said with a bright smile.

I shook her head and offered her a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much for coming Dr. Ziegler...I don't know what I would've done if you didn't show up." I replied.
"A friend of Overwatch is a friend of mine. Your daughter has also helped with research efforts to combat Talon's biological weapon so the least we can do is help your friend." she replied.

Dr. Angela Ziegler was likely the greatest medical mind in the world, after having saved countless lives with her exploits in the field as well as research. If anyone was going to be able to figure out a way to save Amélie, it would be her. I then led her into the room...and she gasped at what she saw.

"Is...that...Amélie Lacroix?" she gasped.
"Yes it is." I replied.

Sombra immediately got to her feet, looking at Dr. Ziegler as if she were an enemy. However, I raised my hand and she immediately backed down, taking her seat without a word.

"I...believed her to be dead. I thought Talon assassinated her years ago." she explained.
"They kidnapped her and had her undergo neural reconditioning, which turned her into a killer. After she killed her husband, they took her once again and altered her physiology...which is why I called for you." I explained.

I showed her a picture of Amélie, two months ago when she acquired a new passport to travel to Venice with. I then looked back at her...with her skin now looking yellow.

"It looks to me that Talon removed the sinoatrial node from her heart and replaced it with a pacemaker. She entered cardiac arrest and I had to use a taser to keep her heart beating until the ambulance arrived. I...don't know what can be done; my knowledge ends there." I explained.

The doctor nodded and placed a hand on her chin.

"Do you have any scans of her heart?" she asked.

I nodded and pointed to the desk next to Amélie. She quickly made her way over to it and began to carefully examine the scans. She nodded her head slowly before looking down at Amélie's sleeping form.

"This is definitely a severe case of hypoxia. And judging from the scans, you're correct when you say that Talon removed her sinoatrial node. That's the part of the heart that acts as the natural pacemaker and without it, the body cannot impart a rhythm for the heart to follow and as a result, the body will become starved of oxygen and will eventually die." she explained.

She then pointed to the small abnormality.

"The alterations Talon made allowed the presence of a pacemaker. This pacemaker would allow the heart to beat at a rate fast enough to keep her alive but slow enough to assist in her sniping accuracy. Because her heart rate is so slow, it also deadened her ability to receive hormones throughout her body...have you ever noticed her lacking emotion?" she asked.

Both Sombra and I nodded in unison.

"Well. It seems the pacemaker had an additional function: releasing a biochemical compound that will speed her heart rate up during sleep. That is the reason she was able to survive so long but maintain her blue skin and pinpoint accuracy. It seems the device is no longer active; she's sleeping and her skin is degrading with the condition. She doesn't have much time before her cells completely die." she continued.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Is there anything that can be done to save her?" I asked.
"There is no chance of regenerating the sinoatrial node at this stage; it's too risky and will put a significant amount of stress on her already weak body...the only option we have is for her to receive a heart transplant. The chances of her surviving the surgery are not good; her body is too starved of oxygen and may not survive surgical conditions...but it's much better than the chances of surviving the regeneration procedure." she explained.

I cursed under my breath as Sombra immediately came to my side and held my hand.

"Her blood type is also AB negative...the rarest in the world. It will be difficult to find a donor, especially on such short notice." continued the doctor.

My eyes widened as I heard the type she spoke. I looked at her.

"I'm AB negative. Will my heart work?" I asked.

Sombra shook her head vigorously at the thought but Dr. Ziegler nodded slowly with her hand on her chin.

"...Theoretically it could. But then you'd have to be put on life support and in a chemically induced coma to remain alive until we can get a new heart for you." she warned.

I turned to Sombra, who tearfully shook her head.

"No! You can't! You might not survive!" she cried.

I let out a deep breath as I looked down at the floor.

"I can talk to my friends here to oversee the procedure personally. I can guarantee your survival for a limited time...but I do not know if you'll find a donor in time for your body to recover and adapt completely to the new heart...so there is a chance that you will not survive. But there's also a very high chance that she will survive with your heart." she said.

I clenched my hands tightly before nodding. I was terrified and felt extremely selfish; the decision I was about to make didn't take into account that Nicole stood a chance of losing me, nor did it take into account Sombra who was probably crying her eyes out next to me. I now held Amélie's life in my hands.

"Will we have a time limit like with most heart transplants?" I asked.
"No. Neither of you have heart diseases so if both organs are healthy, it will not affect your lifespan in the slightest. Modern medicine has evolved to a point where we can take care of everything short of surviving the surgery." she explained.

Feeling more relief, but still very fearful...I nodded.

"...I'll do it." I said.
"Have you lost your mind?!" cried Sombra.

Dr. Ziegler nodded reluctantly, clearly not a fan of the idea as well.

"I'll see if I can pull some strings at Overwatch's medical facilities to find you a healthy heart. For now, I'll take over everything concerning Amélie's treatment. I suggest you talk to her about the idea because I can't imagine her being alright with taking your heart without knowing." she said.

I then turned to Sombra, who was crying next to me. I gave her a hug, causing her to cling to me as if for dear life.

"I have to try Sombra. For her sake." I said.

She shook her head vigorously.

"...There's no other way? That doesn't involve risking your life?!" she cried.

I shook my head slowly and sighed.

"Give me a minute with her?" I asked.

The doctor and hacker nodded before taking their leave from the room and shutting the door. I then made my way to Amélie's side, holding her hand in mind and rubbing it gently. She slowly stirred, looking at me with dreamy eyes.

"...I was dreaming." she whispered.
"About what?" I asked.
"Life...a normal life." she replied.

My heart wrenched violently at her words as I struggled to keep my composure.

"It was nice...peaceful, no longer having to worry about killing others. And it was full of smiles." she continued.

It felt horrible to have to tell her the bad news...but she had to know.

"Dr. Ziegler came and told us all of our options...both of them are dangerous." I said.

Her yellow eyes focused on mine, evidently noticing the sadness behind my blank face.

"Tell me." she urged.
"The first option is for her to attempt to repair the missing part of your heart that allows your brain to create a steady rhythm...however, she's let us know that the process is incredibly dangerous and that you'd have a very slim chance of survival." I explained.

She looked visibly shocked at the revelation and let out a heavy breath.

"What's the other option?" she asked.
"The second one would be for you to get a heart transplant. However, because you have such a rare blood type...it will be difficult to find you a donor, especially on such short notice." I replied.

I took a deep breath and squeezed her hand.

"However. I have your blood type. I can donate my heart to you." I said.
"Out of the question." she snapped.

Her face looked positively venomous, but not because she wasn't used to kindness...but because she wasn't in the least open to the idea of me risking my life for her again.

"We don't have any other option. I'm not willing to place a bet on a 20% chance of survival with the first procedure." I said firmly.
"So I'm supposed to let a doctor remove your heart and give it to me? Are you out of your damned mind?!" she growled.

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"If I can save your life Amélie, I'm going to do whatever I can. If you don't get a transplant soon, you'll be beyond even Dr. Ziegler's help." I explained.

She shook her head vigorously.

"I'm not willing to risk your life for the sake of mine Aiden. Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?"

Her tone turned to a deeply saddened one and soon, I saw tears begin to run down her cheeks.

"You're all that I have left in this world Aiden...I can't bear to live in a world without you..." she sobbed.
"I won't die. Dr. Ziegler said that she would be able to keep me alive until a donor can be found. She's going to do everything she can to expedite the process. But I won't make a move that you aren't alright with."

It pained me greatly to listen to her wishes, but I ultimately didn't want her to hate me. There was no way she would've forgiven me if she survived because she took my heart without knowing and she would likely curse me right down to the grave if I didn't survive myself. Feeling emotion begin to overwhelm me, I gripped her hand tightly.

"Amélie...when Gerard asked me to take care of you in the event that he passed away, I swore to him that I would do everything within my power to keep you safe and make you happy. Your life is in danger and if there's something I can do to help you, I'm going to do it without a second thought. Yes, it's due a lot in part to the promise I made to my best friend...but you mean a lot to me too; we're friends." I explained.

My words seemed to be hitting home as her eyes softened and her grip began to tighten.

"Apart from Nicole and Sombra...you're all I have left in this world. There's nothing I won't do to protect all three of you. Let me do this for you Amélie. Dr. Ziegler will take good care of the two of us and I know she won't fail to find me a donor." I urged.

She shut her eyes tightly, clearly considering the idea before shaking her head.

"...How long will this buy me?" she asked.
"If the heart is healthy, you'll be able to live a full life. I've taken good care of my body throughout my life so I'm sure you'll be able to live the rest of your life. Because neither of us have heart diseases, I should be able to live a normal life as well should a healthy donor be found for me." I explained.

It was clearly difficult for her to process all of this...but she slowly seemed to surrender to the idea until finally, she nodded.

"Promise me something...if you do, I'll authorize the procedure." she said.
"Name it." I replied.

She gestured me to scoot closer. Once I did, she sat up and held my hand with both of hers.

"...If we both survive, I want you to remove that implant in your body. The one that allows you to tap into your killer persona." she said.

I looked at her in disbelief, thinking that she would want the opposite considering how dangerous I could be if I wasn't in control.

"Why?" I asked.
"Because you don't need a machine to control your instincts. You're a strong man Aiden...and I know you can fight it all on your own." she said.

I took a deep breath, still remembering the time two months ago when I very nearly attempted to kill her when I lost control. I then felt her hand on my cheek and much to my surprise, she was smiling...a very genuine smile.

"S'il vous plaît?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Alright. I'll have Dr. Ziegler remove it." I replied.

She smiled before laying back.

"If we both survive...we need to talk. Okay?" she asked.

I knew what she was referring to as I nodded in agreement.

"You have my word." I replied.

She closed her eyes as I let go of her hand. After giving her one last look, I turned to the door and left the room to see Dr. Ziegler speaking to some of the hospital staff. It took a few minutes, but she eventually turned to face me.

"What did she say?" she asked.
"She agreed to it. What's the next step?" I replied.

She took a deep breath before turning to Sombra.

"In the event that something goes wrong...you two should say your goodbyes." she suggested.

She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You have good friends Aiden. Keep them close to you." she urged.

She left Sombra and I alone. The hacker walked up to me before giving me a deep hug.

"How did this escalate so quickly? Where did yesterday go?" she sighed.
"Luck hasn't really been on our side as of late." I replied.

She shook her head before flicking me hard on the forehead.

"You say all of this so casually when you're about to risk your life...how do you do it mijo?" she asked.

I shook my head and let out a deep breath.

"I decided that I would spend the rest of my life atoning for all the lives I've taken...and I guess I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't care for her deeply." I replied.

She smiled at me.

"You really do care about her don't you?"

I sighed deeply and turned away.

"...I know that was the last thing you wanted to hear after the past month." I whispered.
"Oh please cabron. You think I'm gonna be jealous of a sweetheart like the spider?" she teased.

For some reason, I couldn't believe that she was alright with this. Every fiber of her being wanted to stop me from going through with the plan...but she held my hands.

"I knew from about the second week that your heart was with her...and I support it." she said.

I shook my head slowly.

"But-"
"No buts mijo. She needs you a lot more than I do...besides, you've already found a place in my heart as my closest friend." she said.

She leaned up and kissed my cheek.

"If you feel you have to do it...then I can't stop you. I just hope you know what you're doing." she urged.

I nodded slowly.

"So do I."

One Hour Later

"Is everything ready?" asked Mercy.
"We're ready to proceed Dr. Ziegler." replied one of the three doctors.

She nodded slowly before looking down at Aiden, who was still conscious.

"I've already spoken to my contacts at Overwatch. They'll have a healthy heart delivered to the hospital within a few hours. We won't have to keep you on life support for long." she said.

The assassin nodded slowly before looking across from him. There, was Widowmaker...fully asleep.

"Do everything you can to save her...please Dr. Ziegler." he begged.

Tears began to stream down his face as the doctor held his hand.

"I'll see to it personally. You're in good hands." she replied with an assuring smile.

Satisfied that he could trust the doctor, Aiden allowed the anesthetic to take effect and soon, he too fell asleep. Mercy then turned to Sombra, who was still at his side up until now.

"I'll have to ask you to leave; we don't want a single distraction while undertaking this operation." she said.

The hacker nodded in agreement before stroking Aiden's hand.

"Take care of him doc. I'll never forgive you if something goes wrong." she warned.

Unlike before when Mercy tried to give an assuring look, she gave Sombra a serious one.

"Saving lives is what I do and I won't make any compromises here. I'll promise you that." she said.

Sombra smiled slightly at the doctor's determined face before making herself scarce. After applying gloves and a mask, Mercy turned to the doctors assisting her.

"Let's make this happen everyone. No one is dying tonight." she said firmly.
"Yes ma'am!"