Stand by Me by Fullmetal Pyromaniac
Chapter Three:
Wednesday was the day that the club was off, Gowther, Ban, Diane and King all resided in the respite centre and Wednesday was when they all got their checkups and weren't aloud to leave their wards. At least until six o'clock but by then it would be too late to start the club.
Elizabeth had been getting on well with her story, each of the Sins story was incredibly detailed. Even each ones writing was interesting, Bans writing was surprisingly neat. His letters were pointed, Dianes was a little shaky, her letters were round and Kings was odd. When he actually wrote it was hard to read, that's why he'd asked Diane for help. Gowthers wrote cursively, it was beautiful.
The doctors appointment that morning has been boring as usual, just Arthur asking her questions about symptoms and how she was feeling. Merlin stood in the background with her clipboard, writing notes.
One unusual thing that has happened was that a young woman with strawberry blonde hair, similar to Arthur's, walked in during the appointment with a sickly plastic smile indented on her face. Merlin introduced her as Vivian, her apprentice in medicine.
Elizabeth didn't like the look of her.
However the appointment was over almost as soon as it had begun. Arthur kept giving Merlin sympathetic looks and although she was behind Elizabeth, she knew Merlin was giving him the same look. Pity.
"Everything's looking good, Elizabeth" Arthur had said, smiling reassuringly.
"I'm going to book you a group appointment with your sisters" Vivian seemed to come alert "...and father to throughly go through the process and treatment of your illness should you need treatment. You're also going to be there so we can see if your illness is getting worse"
Elizabeth brightened and sat up straighter, "You mean after that appointment I might be able to go home?"
"Maybe" Arthur said quickly, "We're not sure yet"
Elizabeth composed herself and nodded, "Thank you, Doctor Arthur"
Arthur grinned revealing sharp teeth, "It's no problem, Elizabeth. I have to say you must be the easiest and most laid back patient I've ever had. Even Meliodas is more of a handful"
"Meliodas is very nice though, even if he is a bit brash sometimes" Elizabeth chuckled. Arthur nodded in agreement.
"He is one of the kindest people I've met, next to you of course. Well, I'm sure Meliodas told me to keep your appointment short so you'd have more time with him so I'll let you get back to him" and Arthur winked.
Blushing, Elizabeth left the room, avoiding Vivians keen gaze.
...
Elizabeth stumbled back to her room, her steps getting more and more wobbly. She steadied herself and walked into her room and took her phone out of the drawer. her phone buzzed in her hand with a text.
-Margaret xxx
- Hello Ellie, how are you? Really sorry but Veronica, Gil and I all have work today. Father on bed rest. We'll be in tomorrow so spend the day with the friends that you mentioned to father, you seem to really like them. We're so proud! Love you lots xxx
Elizabeth smiled and quickly tapped a reply, remembering Arthur's words about Meliodas, and put her phone away. After all, Meliodas was waiting.
The corridor was long and silent, Elizabeth carefully walked down the hall to the right, looking subtly into each room for Meliodas. Until she released she was headed the wrong way.
Mentally slapping herself, Elizabeth turned and walked back the way. In the room next to hers was Meliodas.
She nervously knocked on the door and Meliodas faced her. As soon as he saw her, he grinned from ear to ear.
"Hey Elizabeth! I wasn't expecting you today" he chirped, Elizabeth blushed a rosy pink and looked at the floor.
"Well, my sisters are both working and the clubs not on today. You don't really get any visitors either" she trailed off, "So I thought I'd visit, you've been in my room anyway so it's fair that I see yours"
Meliodas smirked, "It's a fair deal" he shrugged, "but unfortunately you're not in my room for the reason I'd hoped"
Elizabeth turned red. "M-M-Meliodas! We're still underage!"
"I'm sixteen, I could do that" he said casually, Elizabeth's blush calmed down but not by much.
"I'm underage though!" She cried. Meliodas laughed, clutching his stomach.
"I'm kidding, Elizabeth, though we can always come back to this conversation when you're older" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Anyway, you're making me nervous, come sit next to me" Meliodas scooched over and patted the empty space next to him. Her legs stopped aching. It had become such a regular occurrence that she barely noticed it anymore.
Elizabeth nodded and gently sat next to him, resting her head on the white wall behind her. Their arms were pressed together and she could feel Meliodas' chest slowly rise and fall.
"How long have you known everyone, the sins I mean?" Elizabeth asked softly after at least fifteen minutes of silence. Meliodas hummed as if in thought.
"About...six or seven years, maybe? I don't know. It's been so long"
Elizabeth blanked. "Meliodas, how long have you been here?" she asked tentatively
"See, everyone arrived about the same time. We just didn't know each other, but we were equally messed up"
He dodged her question skillfully.
"I think the first I met was Ban. Then Escanor and Merlin, then Diane and King and finally Gowther. We all became pretty close, I didn't see much of Escanor though. He was always in the Respite Centre whilst I was here, I have Merlin and Arthur so it's not bad"
Elizabeth wanted to push him about his stay here but decided against it. "You have me now too, remember that" she added. Meliodas smiled.
"Of course, how could i forget my favourite visitor?"
Elizabeth giggled. "I've only been here three days and this is the first I've visited you. All the others you came to me"
"Still, you're my favourite" he said. Elizabeth smiled but it faltered when she realised, apart from Merlin, she was his only visitor.
"Does any of your family not visit you?" Meliodas stiffened.
"No. I was never very close with my siblings. My father too. When I was admitted here, they stopped acknowledging me altogether"
"Oh..." She whispered, lost for words. "Well, it doesn't matter about them" she proclaimed.
"Huh?"
"I may only have known you for a short while but I consider you my friend. If not, my best friend. You don't need them, you have the sins, me and my family. I've told them so much about you, they must be sick of it. My father and my sisters all want to meet you, so does my sisters boyfriend Gilthunder. Next time they're in I'll bring them to meet you"
Meliodas' face turned from shock to ecstatic. "Thank you, Elizabeth. That means a lot, a whole lot"
Elizabeth smiled and the two were engulfed in a comfortable silence once again.
"I might be getting out in a few weeks" Elizabeth said, Meliodas nodded.
"Oh"
Sensing his disappointment, Elizabeth quickly added, "It's a maybe but even if I do. I'll still visit you. I don't know how severe my illness is but I don't think it's too bad"
Meliodas groaned and covered his face with his forearm.
"We're getting into the depressing stuff here, let's talk about something more cheerful"
"Ah, sorry, Meliodas" Elizabeth replied sheepishly.
"Nah, it's okay. So, tell me something no one knows about you"
...
Five hours and several conversations later it was night, the moon shine brightly from Meliodas' window. Meliodas had fallen asleep on Elizabeth's shoulder. She gently lifted his head and placed it on the white pillows, smiling gently as he nuzzled into the pillow more.
Elizabeth placed a light kiss on his forehead and closed the door softly behind her. A dim light came from the end of the corridor making it easier to see. Someone was outside her door. Elizabeth squinted slightly and her guess was confirmed.
It was Diane.
Sure enough, the brunette was sitting in her wheelchair in pink pyjamas outside Elizabeths room.
"Diane? What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked. Diane raised her head and glared at her.
"Listen Elizabeth. I want you to know that you're only in our club because the captain and boys want you there. If I was captain you wouldn't be aloud in"
Elizabeth could only stare in shock at Diane. Where was this coming from?
"We're not friends, okay! You're just a stuck up princess who knows nothing. Especially about the captain, so don't think you're special" she snapped and promptly turned around and wheeled herself away.
Emptiness clawed at Elizabeth's stomach. Her legs felt weak and her heart heavy. Was this what it wants like to have friends? Being a sheltered girl, Elizabeth hadn't had much contact with people other than her sisters and their boyfriends.
Climbing into bed, Elizabeth gazed outside. Her mood ruined. She fell into a dreamless abyss and slept until morning.
End of Chapter three.
Warning. Warning. Ruby cannot write tension or arguments for shit.
Im not dead, in case you're unaware, Scottish schools went back on Wednesday and being a higher student I have had a billion pieces of homework and no energy to write so updated for A-Z of Melizabeth will be spontaneous and unexpected.
okay, I'll see you later!
-Ruby xxx
