For the next 2 weeks (A/N: Remember, the ultimatum was another death after the first. Coma is not the same as death.), Calvin was greatly depressed. His girlfriend was still in a coma from one of XANA's attacks and Calvin still blamed himself for it. On the weekends, he would spend the night at the hospital and sleep next to her. Otherwise, he'd be in his dorm room, thinking about her.
One day, Calvin came downstairs to the lunch room and got his breakfast. The rest of his friends joined him; Ami was the first to speak.
"Hey Calvin." She said. "Feeling any better?"
"He's been like this for two weeks." Dennis said. "Why would he be any better?"
"I know. I wish I could help." Sam said. He then turned to Calvin. "You know if you want, you can have my helping."
"Don't pity me!" Calvin shouted as he walked away.
"Well, jeez. Sorry for trying to help." Sam said.
Like always, first period was with Mr. Xavier. Calvin and the rest of the class were given an assignment and he finished it within a few minutes. With nothing to do, Calvin just sat there with his face buried in his arms. Just then, he heard someone walk right next to him. Calvin turned around and saw Mr. Xavier standing next to him.
"I'm sorry about your friend, Calvin." He said. "I really am."
Calvin didn't say anything.
"Do you want to take a break? Maybe walk around and get your mind off things?" He asked. Calvin just shook his head.
"Suit yourself." Mr. Xavier said as he walked away. He then whispered quietly to himself with a sound of sadness: "Damn you, XANA."
Next period was with Ms. Hertz. Today the class was taking a trip to a botanical garden that Calvin was looking forward to seeing and she was already explaining the agenda for the trip. Just then, Sammy walked up behind Calvin.
"Hey Stern." She said. "Tough break about your girlfriend. But hey, it's not like she liked you anyway."
Calvin didn't say anything; he just clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He then quickly turned around and punched her right in the eye. She then fell down.
"What is your problem?" She shouted.
"Calvin Stern!" Ms. Hertz, who had seen the whole thing, said. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior! Now go back to the room and stay in there until we get back!"
"Yes Ma'am." Calvin said as he walked away. Sammy then looked up to see Sam and a couple other students staring at her angrily.
"Are you proud of yourself?" Sam asked.
"Really Sammy. That was a very cruel and unnecessary thing to say!" Another student said.
"What is your problem?" Another asked. "What has Calvin ever done to you?"
They then walked away; Sammy just got up and didn't say anything.
A few hours later, class had ended and Calvin, still depressed, headed up to his room to get his work done. Just then he saw Sam and Ami come up to him.
"Hey, Calvin." Ami said.
"What do you want?"
"I just want you to know that if you're still upset, you can always talk to someone."
"I don't need to talk to anyone." Calvin said. "I'm just fine."
"No you're not." Sam said. "You've been moping for two weeks, the least you can do is have someone help you."
"No one can help me!" Calvin said. "Antea's dying and it's all my fault! How do you fix that?"
"Calvin, please." Ami said softly. "We just want to…"
"Just shut up!" Calvin said shoving her to the ground. Ami just burst into tears and ran down the hallway. Everyone who saw the commotion just stared at him.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Sam asked. Calvin didn't say anything, he just ran away and into his room. After a few minutes, he just lay in his bed and threw the covers over him. A few minutes later, he heard a loud knocking at his door.
"Calvin, it's Rumiko! Open up!" He heard his sister, Rumiko, shout. Calvin just opened the door to find Rumiko glaring at him angrily with her arms folded, blocking the doorway.
"Go away, Rumiko. I'm not in the mood."
"How about I don't 'go away' and you let me in?" She said as she walked in the room and closed the door. "Sit down."
"Rumiko, I…"
"Sit!" Rumiko ordered. Calvin just sat down on the bed, looking at the ground.
"I heard you yelled at Ami and you pushed her to the ground." She said still angry. "Tell me that that's not true."
"Fine, it's not true." Calvin said.
"Don't give me that! You know exactly what I mean!" Rumiko said raising her voice. "God dammit, Calvin! What the hell were you thinking? She's your little sister; you had no right to do that to her, regardless of how you are feeling! And you are so lucky that I don't tell Mom, Ulrich, or the principal about…"
"You know what, Rumiko?" Calvin said sitting up straight. "I get it! I feel bad enough about this already, so the least you can do is quit rubbing it in! Alright?" He then laid back down facing the wall. Rumiko then softened up.
"Hey Calvin, I…" She said no longer angry. She tried to place a hand on him, but he just moved away. "Hey, come here." Calvin then sat up. Rumiko then sat next to him.
"Look, I'm sorry." She said placing a hand on his shoulder. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. But you know it's wrong to hit people, especially your little sister." Calvin just continued staring at the ground.
"Aw, honey." She said. "I know you're upset. But please, Calvin, you're only hurting yourself. Not to mention all the people who are trying to help you."
"I know, Rumiko." Calvin said. "I just can't get over it, though. She's dying right now, and I can't do a thing about it. Everyone tells me I should have faith. But how can I when the odds are against both me and her?"
"Everyone's right, Calvin." Rumiko said. "You just need to be strong and not lose hope, and…Hey, are you crying?"
"No." Calvin said obviously holding back tears. "You know I'm stronger than that. You know I…" Rumiko just put a finger to his mouth.
"Calvin, it's okay." She said. "No one's gonna laugh at you." Just then, for the first time in many years, he immediately burst out crying.
"Come here." Rumiko said bringing her little brother to her lap and cradling him in her arms. Calvin then wrapped his arms around her and sobbed in her shoulder.
"I know, Calvin, I know." She whispered, rocking him back and forth and stroking his hair.
"Please stop, Rumiko." Calvin said muffled in her shoulder. "I'm not a baby anymore."
"But you'll always be my baby brother." She whispered. Calvin just continued sobbing as Rumiko continued rocking.
"Shh. It's okay." She whispered. "Just breathe and let it all out." But so far, nothing of a positive response.
"It wasn't your fault." She said. "Please listen. It wasn't your fault."
For the next half hour, she just continued rocking him and whispering more words of comfort. After a while, she noticed that Calvin had fallen asleep. She just set him down on his bed and tucked him in. She then quietly left the room. As she walked out, she saw Sam and Ami waiting by the door.
"Is he going to be alright?" Ami asked.
"He's sleeping." Rumiko said. "And I wouldn't want to wake him up at this rate."
"Man, I feel so sorry for him." Sam said. "I think I'll room in with Dennis tonight."
"Yeah, Ami and I should get back to our dorm. If Jim catches us up here, we'll never hear the end of it."
A few hours later, Calvin woke up and headed to the restroom. He then turned on the sink and splashed water on his face. He then faced the mirror.
"Come on, man. Get it together." He said to himself. Just then, he heard a voice.
"Hello, again." Calvin looked up to see his reflection talking to him.
"Why are you here?" Calvin asked.
"I heard about today." XANA said. "About how you snapped at your friends, how you punched that one Della Robbia girl. I even saw you hit your own kin. Even after your first friend, you've exposed your weak side."
"Valuing life and expressing concern is not weakness." Calvin said.
"Maybe. But you've succumbed to this misfortune and allowed yourself to be consumed by your own guilt. That's what makes you weak."
"Just…" Calvin said on the verge of anger.
"You've considered yourself strong. But yet it's only a matter of time. The guilt and emotional pain will be so great that it will eventually lea…"
"SHUT UP!" Calvin shouted as he slammed his fist at the mirror, which broke into pieces. Calvin just lay on the ground. He looked at his hand and saw that his knuckles were bleeding; he also looked and saw one of the shards of mirror on the floor. He grabbed the shard and ran into one of the toilet stalls and locked the door. He then placed the shard to his wrist.
'Why not?' Calvin thought. 'I'm already about to lose my friends, both physically and metaphorically. It might as well end with dignity, instead of wasting away in some gutter or something.' He then began slicing.
For ten minutes he ran the shard over the same wound to prevent it from healing to quick. He then felt as if the room was spinning and his vision was becoming blurred. In a short time he passed out. The last thing he heard were footsteps coming to the bathroom.
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