Ophelia-help

"We're almost there Ophelia."

Ophelia, who wanted her mother to call the four year old Lia, nods her little blond head. She'd heard her mother talk about the hospital run by her big immortal brother all her life. Lia knew her mother has been sick on and off with some sort of disease ever since she was a babe. According to her mother, Lia is the only thing keeping her alive and Lia doesn't think she can keep her mother's spirits up much longer.

Soon, Lia sees the entrance open and guarded by blond blue eyed adolescents who look much like her. They inspected Lia and her mother briefly before making a silent agreement.

The one on the right took the hand of her mother and the left held her back. Lia panicked and started kicking the girl and screaming for her mother. The girl held her and started humming a sweet song. This caused little Lia to start crying tears and for her mother.

"Be calm dear sister, you will see your mother again."

She did see her mother again, wrapped in a burial shroud she and her sister, now guardian named Rada, had made. The cause of death, an attack on her lungs. Her siblings said she should have died over four years ago. Lia promises her mother she will not let another person die when she can stop it.

Lia held true to her word and Rada started teaching her the ways of healers. Lia quickly learned all the herbs, ailments, treatments, and types of people who come and go from the hospital. She passed all her tests and training by the time she was seven, but most still said she was too young.

Lia brought this up with Rada one day as they were heading off to lunch. "Why do they think that Rada? I've done everything that they had to do."

Rada sighs and looks down at Lia. "Sometimes people get jealous of what other people can do or have."

"Why would they be jealous of me?"

Rada sweetly laughs and shakes her head. "You just said why."

Lia makes an oh face and starts laughing with Rada at her being clueless.

The ten year old doesn't know what has got into Rada. She's been talking with some son of a trader who delivers their herbs and supplies. He seems like nice enough guy who is only seventeen, a year older than Rada, but has his whole life figured out.

Eventually, Lia becomes curious enough to spy on the two of them. She follows them to the entrance where they stargaze and hold hands. The give away is when Rada leans over to kiss him. Lia has seen enough and heads back to the room she shares with Rada.

She never thought Rada would end up as one of those people. The people who seduce others for a free ticket away from the hospital because they're too cowardice to ask the immortal son of Apollo to be released from their service.

The girl returns with a smile to find Lia crossing her arms on her bed. Her smile fades.

"What's got into you Lia?"

She doesn't speak for a while, but her voice is cold when she does. "How long have you wanted to leave?"

Rada looks confused. "What are you trying to say?"

"How long have you been seeing the trader in training?"

Rada face turns pale then comforting. "You saw me and Hadwin outside." Lia nods because there's no reason to lie about. "The reason I've hid that from you is because I didn't want you to think I'm a slut."

"But-"

"I love him Ophelia and yes, some day I will leave the hospital to spend the rest of my life with Hadwin. Until that day comes I will be a healer and when I leave I will tell you before hand and ask our brother for permission. Even after I leave I will still be a healer because that's what I was born to do and not just be some pretty face."

Lia is silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I was being stupid for not trusting you."

She never thought Hadwin would end up as one of her patients, but the fates work in mysterious ways. He's been bitten by a poisonous creature and Rada is trying to spot the poison from reaching is major organs. If she were alone without Lia, Hadwin would already be dead and gone.

Lia is putting every bit of her power into healing him and it seems to be the only thing working to cure him. She sees him improve, but doing this is draining Lia and she knows what the price of this patient will be. She remembers her promise to her mother and Rada's dream of getting marriage.

Then, Lia sees Hadwin healthy and poison free. She smiles at the two hugging and hopes they enjoy their life together. Rada then screams and rushes over to her. Lia then falls back into Rada's arms and into the darkness known as death.

Nina feels dizzy and faint when she comes to. She is seeing a pattern of dead or absent parents throughout her lives and hopes that gets better in the ones to follow.

Lia was talented and extremely motivated as seen in her journey to become a healer. She was also very selfless when it came to her patients because of her mother's death.

She returned to the floor and counted the lives. This next one is number seven, so she's still got a long way to go. She yawns and drifts off to the sound off children laughing and incense.

Rada- Silena B.

Hadwin- Charles B.

Warning: This chapter and the next life are short, but life eight will be longer.