Scenario 6- ''You Can't Go I...''

That day was a battle like any other in the string of battles that year.

The sun was shining, and the skies were clear, and below the ground gleamed bright red with the blood of men.

Neal fought and healed at the same time, switching off between the two acts sporadically.

Kel, his best friend and secret love, as well as Baird, his father and Tortall's chief healer, were both worried about this and tried to persuade him not to do it. However he couldn't be convinced, as Tortall needed both of these skills.

Kel could have predicted what would happen, easily, though she prayed to the gods that it wouldn't. What happened was her worst nightmare.

Neal was healing a soldier when an arrow flew through his chest.

Kel didn't notice at first. She was too busy fighting a soldier of her own, a fight that was heavily and narrowly fought, until she finally saw a weakness and defeated the soldier.

Then she saw him. Splayed out on the ground and covered in blood, he lay there motionless. It was then and there that her heart flew out of her chest, landing on her sleeve for all to see.

''Neal!'' she screamed.

She ran to him, as fast as she could, mindless of how dangerous it was to do so.

Her head went dizzy with panic, and it was when she sat beside him that she forced herself to clear her head.

This was easy to do for she was a natural at it and did it so many times in the past.

She did everything her training told her to do, that she could do considering that she wasn't a healer.

His eyes were closing and he was losing blood fast.

But he couldn't go. He was her everything. He was the heart that beat inside her (the heart that beat so fast when he came near her) and kept her going. He was her light, and he shone so brightly in her heart. He was the beam that kept her upright. First and foremost, he was her very best friend. He was all of this and he didn't even know it. He couldn't go.

She did all she was supposed to do but she was losing him fast and she could feel it.

''Neal,'' she whispered, her voice shaky with suppressed sobs and desperateness, ''you can't go I....''

She wanted to say so badly the words that she could never say, despite how badly she wanted to, needed to.

She had those words, he had to know in case he...

''I love you.''

She said it in a rush, the speed of the words as fast as her beating heart.

''I love you,'' she repeated, the second time easier to say, ''so wake up.''

His eyelids flickered open. ''Kel...'' he whispered his voice hoarse.

''Neal,'' she whispered, immediately assuming that he hadn't heard her, ''I'm going to go up and get you to your father.''

''Kel..'' he whispered again.

''What is it, Neal?'' she asked, her voice a strange combination of worry and calm.

''I love you, too,'' he said.

Kel couldn't help but smile for a moment, and Neal couldn't either.

But as soon as that happy moment came, it went.

''I have to get you to your father,'' she said, picking him up.

''Kel..''

''What?''

''I...'' he began.

''Hold on, Neal,'' Kel said, her voice pleading, ''hold on.''

''Kel...''

Kel didn't answer, just searched for Baird. The blood was beginning to soak through the cloth that she tried to wrap around his wounds. Every second was crucial, and every second wasted was a second closer to...

She banished that thought from her mind.

She found Baird, and ran to him.

''Baird, it's Neal,'' she said, trying desperately to keep her voice calm, ''he's been hit.''

A flicker of worry lit Baird's eye, and increased when he saw Neal's state.

Kel watched Baird's futile attempts at saving his son. She knew what would happen even before she saw the tears well up in the healer's eyes.

''He's lost too much blood,'' Baird said with a shaky voice.

It was then Kel realized that Neal's eyes were closed and his body unmoving.

''No,'' she whispered.

She looked at him for a couple of moments before an impulse hit her.

Now or maybe never, she told herself.

Somehow her lips landed on his and she kissed him hard.

She kissed him until she saw his eyes flutter once more.

''Neal, stay with me,'' she whispered, ''please.''

Neal smiled sadly, a smile that caused a flash of hopelessness and desperateness flood her.

''Stay, please,'' she whispered, ''for everyone, for me, for us. I need you, Neal. We all need you.''

Neal smiled sadly, and seeing that he was about to let go, she kissed him.

Her kiss was a desperate attempt to keep him alive, with a hint of farewell at knowing how futile her efforts were.

His kiss was a desperate attempt to hang on, but more than that it was a farewell knowing how futile his own attempts were.

Then the inevitable happened. He stopped kissing back and his skin went cold.

She felt this and knew what just happened but still kept up the hope that he was alive.

When she felt it though, she pulled away. ''Come on, Neal,'' she whispered, ''stay alive. Please.''

When nothing happened, she shook his shoulders.

''Come on, Neal,'' she whispered.

Then she checked his pulse and felt nothing.

''No, no, no Neal,'' she begged.

''He's dead, Kel,'' Baird said, tears in his eyes.

The truth was bad enough to know, but to hear it said…

She broke down sobbing.

''Kel…'' a crackly voice said.

She turned around quickly, hoping it was Neal. She felt disappointment flood her when she saw it was his father instead, whose voice was crackling from tears(not from being an inch from death).

She looked at him briefly, and they shared glances that told what their mouths couldn't.

Kel loved Neal, and had for a long time.

Baird was alright with that.

They both had no idea what they were going to do with Neal dead.

That being said(or felt), Kel got up. She knew what she had to do, despite what had happened.

So she went to fight to half-heartedly finish the battle she started, her tears blurring her vision of the battlefield.

''Neal, you shouldn't do this,'' she had told him.

''Kel, I have to,'' he said, ''Tortall needs both of my skills.''

''Neal, please, no,'' she said, pleading, ''don't do it. Even your father said it wasn't safe.''

He gave her a look of regret and reluctance. ''I know. And I know the risks I'm taking, too. But I must, Kel, I simply must.''

A look of desperation crossed her face. He couldn't do both, it was too dangerous. She knew Tortall needed him but she did, too. And she still needed to tell him…

''Neal…'' she began.

''Kel, don't start,'' he said, ''it won't do any good.''

Kel felt the urge to cry. Maybe if she burst out in tears in front of him, he might change his mind. But most likely it would just make her look like a fool, and make him go out to war feeling guilty.

She put on her Yamani mask, being extra careful to obey no expression whatsoever.

The Yamani mask did no good for Neal, who knew the only reason she used it was to be strong for him. She saw that awareness darken his face, and felt a twinge of guilt stir with her fear.

''Kel…''

She cut him off. ''Neal, you're the best friend I ever had, and probably the best I ever will have,'' she said, the only show of emotion the twitch of her lip, '' I just want you to know that.

His face softened. ''You, too, Kel,'' he said.

''And I…''she began, attempting to admit that he was so much more than that to her, and failing.

''What?'' he asked.

''Never mind,'' she said automatically, before her mind could stop her, ''just keep safe. Promise me you'll keep safe.''

''I will, Kel,'' he said, ''I promise I will.''

OK, so I'm not sure if I should have added the aftermath of the battle, and the shock of what was between her and Neal from the others. I decided that would be too hard, and would be irrelevant to the theme of this story. If you think otherwise, review and tell me. I'm sorry for how long it took to update the story, but I just got back to middle school and… SO MUCH HOMEWORK. I worked really hard to get this out so please review.