Final chapter... and it is hopefully a tear jerker of a chapter... let's begin...
Chapter 22:
Yang was sitting at the table poking at the rice her dad had made. It had been a tradition that he would make special egg fried rice every year he was off on the days leading up to Christmas. Which was were the main worry was coming from... he did it three days a year.
Those three days Ruby would normally be excited and never miss those days... but she came home late, and not only that was still in bed. Something that was strange. No matter how tired she would always be down with everyone... but it was just Yang, Tai, Summer and her Nǎinai... but no Ruby.
Seeing her just picking at one of her favourite breakfasts, Tai spoke up. "What is wrong Yang...?"
"It is just strange... Rubes isn't down here... something she would never miss... she has been down here exhausted after five minutes of sleep... so I find it odd she isn't down here." Yang said bringing attention to what she considered to be the current elephant in the room. Causing Tai and Summer both to share a glance at each other.
Summer quickly stood up just as Tai was about to. "I'll go check on her... Yang is right... we both called her... in Mandarin and English... she should have been down here." Summer spoke quickly walking away from the table she, had to admit it was an odd thing.
She quietly walked up the stairs just in case Ruby was in some deep sleep. She knocked on the door in front of her, hoping that it was really just her sleeping. "Little Rose? You up? Breakfast is getting cold." Summer spoke opening the door to see Ruby curled up in a ball facing the wall. She let out a sigh of relief as she entered the room and took a seat next to Ruby.
Gently grasping Ruby's shoulder she began to gently shake Ruby as she spoke, "Ruby... come on sweetie... it is time to get up..." Summer noticed looking at the small stretch of skin along her neck noticing some bruises, the type she recognised a little too well. She noticed some odd patterns in the way Ruby's chest was expanding.
Ruby's eyes fluttered open causing her to smile at the sight of her mother, she quickly pulled her blanket up to cover her neck, hoping her mother didn't see the marks Cinder had taken to giving her over the last few days. "Mom...? What are you doing in here?" Ruby asked, as she rolled onto her back.
"We called up a few times... your dad made his special wok rice... and it is going cold now... that was nearly fifteen minutes ago..." Summer spoke as she rubbed Ruby's arm. Ruby frowned a little. "Sorry... I just was really tired... hell I don't even remember falling asleep... I'll be down in a minute." Ruby muttered as she her mom smiled.
Summer reached out and ruffled her hair and stood up. "Are you feeling okay? I just noticed your breathing seemed off..." Summer spoke, as she walked to the door as Ruby swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Just short of breath every now and then... but considering what you told me and what I could read... that is to be expected." Ruby spoke reaching down to grab her crutches.
Ruby's placement of each crutch was careful. She was feeling faint. Her breathes had been coming in short ever since last night and her chest just felt unnaturally tight. "Oh... and if you and Cinder are going to get any more intimate please stop getting hickeys on your neck. If you must at least get them somewhere that can easily be covered." Summer spoke as she began to leave the room closely followed by Ruby. "That's gross mom. I don't need to hear tha-"
Summer just barely placed her foot on the first step down when she saw Ruby fall over. Summer was quickly beside Ruby trying to see what was wrong when Ruby's muscles began to spasm. "TAI! CALL AN AMBULANCE! RUBY IS CONVULSING!" Summer shouted as she tried to secure Ruby so she doesn't risk hurting herself.
Once Ruby was on her side she quickly opened Ruby's mouth just in case she would vomit, and quickly just braced Ruby. She had a creeping fear. One she didn't want to entertain this close to Christmas if at all. But right now she had no choice. She began to check for Ruby's pulse as she heard some panicked feet racing up.
She could see the blonde hair of her husband quickly coming to a stop next to Ruby. "Her pulse is faint, and appears her breath is coming in an unusual pattern." Summer spoke as Tai quickly finished getting her in the recovery position. He knew his thoughts were the exact same as his wife's. "They are ten minutes out. But if she stops breathing, we are going to have a hard choice. Run the risk of her choking or pray she'll start to breath again."
"We can deal with choking." Summer bit sharply, she didn't mean to... but it was true... she would rather risk Ruby choking over a small chance she may be able to breathe again.
Ruby shot up coughing into her elbow. Her chest still felt tight. And she felt a distinct tube intruding her nostrils. She knew exactly what it meant too. It meant she was in the hospital. Her head was killing her, and she could tell, without the assisted breathing... she was having issues with that as well.
She looked around and saw no one in the room. She began to cough as she reached out with a shaky hand, slowly, after multiple corrections she was able to reach a single finger out and pressed the nurse button. She had no idea what was causing this. All she knew was that she was in pain and needed an explanation.
The light behind Ruby went on as she heard a muffled bell sound coming in through the walls. She could see moonlight coming in from the windows. 'How long was I out? I hope I didn't cause anyone to worry...' Ruby thought as a familiar blonde doctor came in.
"Ruby... good thing you are awake... your parents just left though... you've been out like all day..." Sun asked walking over to Ruby and taking a seat on the side of her bed. He pulled out a small flashlight and shined it into Ruby's eyes causing her to pull back a little and squinting. "Sorry Ruby... I may not be Elie, but I need to run some quick tests... are you feeling strange?"
Ruby was unsure how to describe it. "My chest feels tight... I know if I didn't have this assisted breathing, I'd be screwed but even now it is hard... and it was a lot harder than normal to reach out and press the call nurse button." Ruby spoke as Sun let out a hum. "Can you do me a favour and point at the chair in the corner over there with the both hands... saving the one you used to press the button for last?" Sun asked moving out of the way so Ruby would have an unobstructed view.
Ruby reached over easily while extending her right index finger pointing to the chair. Ruby then attempted to point with her left hand. After what felt like half an hour Sun stopped her. "I've seen enough Ruby... I need to go call your family... and talk to some people... Just try to get some more rest... it is one thirty in the morning on Christmas Eve." Sun spoke walking over to the door. "Okay Sun... just don't pussy foot around the subject if it is too hard to talk about... kinda like you are doing now..." Ruby demanded as Sun frowned.
He had thought he was doing it subtly, but he should have figured Ruby would have seen through it. She had spent enough times in hospitals to know when someone is trying to dodge a subject. He walked back into the room. "It is just my opinion is one, that when I mention it to your mom... I may need to go make room in the morgue. I think you may have had some damage to you cerebellum and the medulla oblongata from the tumour... which would explain all your symptoms... which is a very bad thing... a very, very bad thing."
"On a scale from the ending to Camp Camp to the ending of Red versus Blue... how bad is very very bad?" Ruby asked pulling herself back up. She needed to know. "Easily, the entirety of 'Birdemic 2'... Ruby... it means that Jim's prediction of three months was a massive overestimation."
"Change of plans... I no longer want to know the rest... it is too much of a mood damper... it is Christmas in less than twenty four hours. I'm going to sleep... just do me a favour and if I flat line don't you dare let me die... I want to see Christmas... Cinder is trying to find me a stuffed kinkajou. And I want to see her succeed." Ruby huffed laying back down. It was more than just wanting to see Cinder succeed in her quest, or even the mood getting dampened... but it was just that she knew if she started to entertain those dark thoughts again... it would end in one place... a place she promised her family and Weiss she would never venture.
She closed her eyes, as she heard the door open and close. 'It is just from being over stimulated... my mind is just exhausted... it isn't my cancer... I trust Jim's estimation.' Ruby thought as she let darkness take over. She knew sleep would make her feel better.
Next time when Ruby woke up, she could hear some soft mutterings. She looked quickly around to see her parents, her Nǎinai, Yang, Weiss and even Cinder. Ruby had to admit the extra few hours sleep actually did help loosen up her chest and the breathing came easier.
"Xiǎo méiguī! Nǐ gǎnjué zěnme yàng? Wǒmen hěn dānxīn!" Her Nǎinai yelled running up to her and hugging her tightly. Ruby tensed up as she felt the caring hug wrap around her. She had no idea what spawned that... she wasn't unconscious that long. "Wǒ hěn hǎo..." Ruby spoke when the elderly woman pulled back, she continued seeing Cinder and Weiss look as if wanting to ask the same question she decided to beat them, "And you two... before you ask the exact same question... I'm okay."
Ruby attempted to reach over to the bed controls with her left hand. After a few minutes she reached the button to raise the back of the bed which she pressed to move her into a sitting position. She could see both her parents tensing up at the sight. Ruby just flashed them what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Māmā, wǒmen xūyào gěi tā yīxiē kōngjiān." Tai spoke walking up to his mother and pulling her back so Ruby could at least relax slightly at being in a more opened room. Summer walked over and quickly hugged her.
"Mom... that goes for you too... you can't suffocate me just yet... the air I'm getting will only get me so far." Ruby joked as Summer frowned and kissed the top of her head. "I've told you countless times Little Rose... a mother never stops worrying about her children. And after Sun called this morning... that worry increased." Summer spoke in a soft hushed tone to Ruby. She quickly walked back to where she was previously sitting.
Ruby rolled her eyes as Cinder smiled a little at Ruby. "How goes your quest in finding a mythical plushie Kinkajou? I hope it is going well." Ruby asked trying to change the subject in everyone's mind from being concerned about her to the fact it was Christmas in only a handful amount of hours.
Cinder knew what Ruby was trying to do. She had seen it already once. Someone close to dying trying to make it easier for her. Deciding to play along with her girlfriend's intentions, "I went to literally every place that sold stuffed animals within an hour drive of the town... had to start making one. And it will be done by tomorrow. Don't worry."
"Speaking of which actually, are you positive you are okay? I still have a lot of work left to do to finish the kinkajou." Cinder asked standing up with her chair and walked closer to Ruby with her crutches.
"I'm going to name him Mì xióng... got to keep the naming rule alive..." Ruby spoke as Cinder leaned down as Ruby wrapped her in a hug. She was just able to plant a kiss on Ruby's cheek which she returned in kind. "Have fun Cinder... you'll know where I'll be... looks like I'll be spending Christmas here." Ruby continued as Cinder began to go towards the door.
"Bye Ruby. I'll try and get it here before Christmas just so you can have some fun." Cinder joked as Ruby laughed. "Bye Cinder... don't have too much fun. I know I won't." Ruby continued to joke as Cinder left.
'That just feels weird... it kind of felt like the final time I'll see her... damn Sun... got me doubting everything. I need to smack him next time I see him. Jim is right. He is always right.'
Cinder winced as she accidentally stabbed her finger once more with the needle. She was just about to toss the pelt she was creating when she heard her dad laugh at her. He walked in holding two mugs of what Cinder just knew was hot cocoa, and placed one down in front of her as he took a seat next to her.
"Why is sewing so goddamn hard!? Mom made it always look so easy." Cinder asked hysterically as Roman took a drink of the hot liquid, smiling as Cinder began to scowl more at what she considered the hardest thing to ever make in her life. And she even built an engine from spare parts when she was eleven... but sewing a simple stuffed animal for her girlfriend was still harder.
"Your mother had been sewing, knitting, crocheting and the like since she was about the same age as you when you followed me into the garage to help. So she had a lot of experience. But that looks great... what is it meant to be... a raccoon or something?" Roman asked as Cinder glared at him.
She let out a huff as she started to look at it. "It is meant to be something called a kinkajou... she wanted one... and hard to believe the cute animals that they are... there isn't a single place that sells them." Cinder spoke as she began to turn the animal right side out to look at it.
Despite it being her first attempt at sewing something like this, but she had to admit it was rather decent looking. The only problem she was having was trying to remember her mother's basic lessons at something like this so the stitches would be invisible.
"I have no idea what that is... but I know Red will like it. Just because you made it for her. And it looks like it is nearly done. You just need to relax. Drink your cocoa and I'll help you stuff it and we can drop it off with her. I mean we still have an hour until Christmas officially, then an entire day. We still have our traditions... including our mugs of hot cocoa, and watching the Muppet Christmas carol... so let's do that first." Roman demanded as Cinder just glared harder.
"Fine... but I still don't feel right about continuing the tradition. It just feels wrong without mom..." Cinder pouted placing the soon to be stuffed animal down and grabbed the mug that was made for her. She may enjoy the movie, she even enjoyed hot cocoa... but the movie, the hot cocoa, and the time of year... it brought up memories of her mother, ones she didn't want to be tainted.
Constantly demanding on Christmas Eve no matter what happened, they would sit down, watch the exact same movie, and drink hot cocoa. And ever since her death it was slowly becoming easier, but now after seeing Ruby in the hospital appearing like she was barely alive, it stirred up more than just her feelings about Ruby... but also reminding her so much of her mother.
"Come on Cinnamon Bun... your mother would want the tradition alive. No matter what. She would smack the both of us if she knew we stopped the tradition."
"You mean she would smack you... she would guilt trip me. Mom perfected the guilt tripping on you when you two dated, and by the time I came around she knew exactly what to do." Cinder corrected as Roman clicked play on the dvd.
They both just laid back on the couch, Cinder rested her head on Roman's shoulder as they both just laid back and watched the movie begin. Only interrupted by Cinder's phone vibrating and playing her ringtone loudly. Both letting out an annoyed groan as Cinder leaned forward to check her phone. She shrugged her shoulders, as her dad reached and paused the dvd.
"Ruby?" Cinder asked, curious as to why the girl would call at this time. It was eleven at night after all.
"No... and despite how much I hate you... I owe my friendship to Ruby to call you and she is the only one here with your number. You best get back to the hospital... it doesn't look good... she has already flat lined three times." Cinder recognised a distinct voice she had a slight hatred of.
"Okay Weiss... I'll be there as soon as I can."
Cinder hung up her phone and turned to her dad who must have heard what was said because he was already standing and grabbing his car keys. Cinder needed Ruby to be okay. She was meant to be fine for another two and a half months at least... she had no idea why she was in denial, but what she did know was she needed those two and a half months with Ruby.
Ruby jumped a little as she felt another electrical shock course through her chest. A Tube having been placed down her throat just so they can pump in air for her. The large rubber pump finally getting moved from the tube connecting it to her lungs. Her chest was in a whole new type of pain.
"Three times you've caused panic Ruby. Can we not have a fourth?" Elie asked placing the paddles back onto the crash cart, she could see Ruby wanting to make some sarcastic response, but something was holding her back. "How long this time?"
Elie walked back over to Ruby, frowning a little at the question. "Nearly three minutes... it is getting longer and longer. Any more... and you might not make it to Christmas... can you make those ten minute." She spoke as Ruby frowned. She knew it was true... but she would not stop fighting, until she could see Cinder again. She didn't care how many times she would need to bat death himself away.
Ruby could just barely see her parents getting held back, as Elie walked over and opened the door. Ruby could see her parents relaxing as they were allowed back into the room. She supposed the only decent thing was she hadn't coughed once in the last hour. But she also had flat lined and nearly died for a total of ten minutes.
It even got to the point they didn't bother removing the tube just in case she would flat line another time. She could see Yang had been crying again, causing Ruby to frown. "Yang, you big dummy... stop crying... I'm not dying... we still have that bet from when we were little kids about who gets married first. I can't let you win on a technicality." Ruby joked causing Yang to chuckle as she rubbed her eyes.
Weiss walked over and hugged Ruby, "Don't die Ruby... I still need you for my family's annual New Year's Eve party... it wouldn't be the same without you." Weiss demanded as Ruby herself chuckled. It felt like she really needed that affirmation, but she just knew it wasn't going to be as easy as wishing it.
Every time she was brought back it became harder and harder. Her lungs and heart burned, and she just doubted if she was to flat line again that they would be able to bring her back from death's door. After all few people make it to being brought back a third time.
"Again... I still need to win my bet with Yang..." Ruby joked as she looked out the window leading to the hall the brunette that seemed to have stolen her heart. Walking as fast as she could into the room.
Ruby's mood just seemed to brighten up by ten fold. Something that didn't go by unnoticed by the entire group inside with her. She was genuinely happy that Cinder was there, but just partially curious as to who had called her. But she also didn't really care. Cinder was there.
"Hey... Cinnamon Bun..." Ruby spoke as she tried to breath, just barely succeeding. "Hey Ruby... I heard you were trying to die on me before I could even finish your present." Cinder joked leaning over so she could plan a kiss on Ruby's cheek.
Ruby smile just seemed to brighten more. "I can't do that... not yet... I'm still meant to have at least two months. How goes making my Mì xióng?" Ruby asked hoping Cinder would figure out what she was trying to do. She needed the subject change.
"I was nearly done when Weiss called me. It just needs to be stuffed and then closed... only stabbed myself with a needle five times today. So that is a plus... my dad is parking and going to bring it up so I can finish it... so it won't be much longer." Cinder spoke as Summer brought over a seat for Cinder to sit down. She quickly thanked Summer as she took the seat.
Her one good leg was burning, but she was at least glad that everything at least appeared alright. Excluding the tube that was just sticking out of Ruby's mouth, she had no idea what it was for, but considering what Weiss had told her... she could assume it was something important.
"I guess Weiss does like you." Ruby spoke as Weiss glared at her. "I don't... I just thought you would like to see her. After all three flat lines is bad." Weiss continued as Summer took her seat again. She was glad that the children were at least confident enough to talk amongst each other.
"I'm just sorry I took so long... I mean... it took me nearly an hour to get here." Cinder spoke grabbing hold of Ruby's hand squeezing it. "Just don't die on me Ruby... you still owe two months... so please don't die"
"Wouldn't... dream... of it..." Ruby spoke, on a shaky inhale. "I... mean... we still... have... tim-"
The blaring sound was all that followed Ruby's half constructed sentence. No other sound. Before Cinder knew it, a few doctors and what she could assume were nurses came in and quickly set to work.
Cinder just stared as they connect a blue ball like object to the tube that was in Ruby's mouth and began to pump it. The sight of Ruby's chest expanding was a slight comfort. Tai and Summer began to fight as everyone was removed from the room.
They all just could only stare in through the window. Roman came running up seeing every one standing outside and froze. He could just barely make out the flat green line dragging across the screen.
Elie quickly pulled the paddles out as a nurse squirted some gel on it as she began to rub them together. She pressed them to Ruby's bear chest and shouted 'clear' as she discharged the paddles. She looked at the monitor and frowned. She quickly pressed them to Ruby again and discharged them in the same manner.
The time flew inside the room. A constant pattern of pumping air into the girl's lungs and trying to jump start her heart. But on the outside time seemed to come to a crawl. Everyone seemed to just pray.
Everyone knew the time was their friend but also their enemy... the longer that passes the harder it is for her to be brought back. 'Come on Ruby... you've got to pull through... even if it is the only thing you got me for Christmas... I'll be happy... just give me Christmas.' Cinder thought as she gripped her crutches tightly.
She could hear every discharge of electricity coming from the open door. And with each one, she can see the odds of that becoming less and less likely.
That was when her world seemed to stop. With just two words. 'Call it.'
"One minute past midnight December Twenty Fifth."
Author's Note:
Oh... who saw that ending coming? Now aren't you curious about the epilogue? I can assure it will most likely be shorter... but also sadder... now I'm off to bed after a quick edit... it is half three as of now.