Stand By Me by Fullmetal Pyromaniac
Chapter eighteen
That morning, Vivian came in to see Elizabeth earlier than she had ever done before. Her short hair was placed into loose curls, her violet eyes seemed wider, her eyelashes were darker, and her lips were painted crimson. Elizabeth couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but when her lips were permanently pulled into a fake grin or sneer, it was difficult to say so.
"Good morning, Elizabeth, how are you doing today?" Vivian asked saccharine sweetly. Elizabeth smiled nervously.
"I'm doing okay, thank you" she replied, Vivian grinned, showing all her pearly white teeth. It was unsettling, to say the least. She nodded and began checking Elizabeth's legs with great care, scrutinising every wince that Elizabeth made whenever she hit a sensitive part of her leg. Despite Vivian's change in behaviour, Elizabeth began to like her a little more.
The tests were finished, and Vivian wrote the results down on her clipboard with a grin.
"Well Elizabeth, everything is as it should be, I'll be back later to do another checkup" Elizabeth frowned.
"But I thought the tests were only to be conducted once a day?" She asked, Vivian laughed, almost condescendingly.
"Oh dear, I do value your health, and I want to help you all I can before I go back to university"
Elizabeth was taken aback, "Oh. Thank you"
"It's no problem, I'll be back in a little while" Vivian gave her a small wave, which Elizabeth returned.
She smiled, maybe Vivian wasn't too bad after all. Maybe they'd just got off on the wrong foot. Maybe Vivian had realised her behaviour towards Elizabeth was uncivilised and mean, so perhaps she was striving to be a better per-
"Oh, by the way" Vivian said just before she left, "Do you know when Gilthunder's coming in today?"
"No, I don't" Elizabeth told her, immediately Vivian's nice façade dropped. Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled, and her smile dropped.
"Oh" she said, walking out and slamming the door behind her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, there was always an ulterior motive.
...
Being friends with Gilthunder had its upsides and downsides. Gilthunder himself was an only child in a family of doctors, he was training to be one himself. His light pink hair was popular among all genders, his gentle gaze attracted much attention, he was very pastel. Though he wasn't any push over, regularly fighting to keep people weaker or younger than himself out of trouble. He was a kind soul that anyone would be blessed to have as a friend.
However Margaret had been on the receiving end of the downsides to his friendship many times. Elizabeth had lost count over the many 'friends' of Margarets she had met, all simply trying to get to Gilthunder. Her sweet and forgiving nature had given her more trouble than Elizabeth could handle, but it was always Gilthunder who helped her through it all.
Not to mention that the Lyones sisters were pretty well-off, and all three had experienced people using them for their money. Even little Elizabeth, who had been eight years old and desperate for a friend, someone borrowed one of her favourite toys and had never given it back, even passing it off as her own. Gilthunder had tried to get it back, but whilst trying to wrench it from the thief's grasp it had torn into two unfixable pieces. Elizabeth had told everyone that it was okay, that it was just a toy and that she had others, just as good ones. But the feeling of being used and losing a favourite toy weighed down on her for months.
Margaret and Gilthunder walked into Elizabeth's room round about twelve in the afternoon. Margaret brought a couple of new books with her, The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger, while Gilthunder brought Elizabeth's chess and checkers board. The one that was handcrafted, and which Veronica had forgotten to bring her on several occasions.
The chat was good, Margaret was getting on well at her new job, and Gilthunder had nearly finished his neurology and psychology courses. The three caught up while drinking awful coffee and lukewarm tea. It was good, it was pleasant.
Then, Vivian came in.
...
With a scowl, Vivian opened the door without warning, Margaret, Gilthunder, and Elizabeth all snapped their gaze to the door, where Vivian stood. The second she noticed Gilthunder, her posture straightened, her smile grew larger, and her eye lashes never stopped fluttering.
"Oh Elizabeth, you never told me your family was here" She cooed, sounding vaguely threatening.
"You weren't here when they arrived, Merlin was notified though" She explained. Vivian's smile grew tense.
"Ah right" Vivian said dismissively, then opened her eyes wide in mock surprise. "Oh my word Margaret Lyones, is that you? I didn't know you had a younger sister, oh of course, I forgot Elizabeth wasn't your real sister, silly me"
You could cut the tension with a knife, Margaret and Gilthunder sat up defensively.
"We haven't spoken in years, Vivian, even then I'm sure you would have remembered her, how many people have the last name 'Lyones'?. Besides, our little sister's not one to be forgotten easily" he smiled gently at Elizabeth, who felt her heart burst, Margaret leaned her head on Gilthunder's shoulder.
"Ellie's so brave, I-"
" 'Our...little sister?' " Vivian asked, smiling but teeth clenched. Gilthunder nodded, holding up his and Margaret's hands, both with a matching engagement band.
"Margaret and I are engaged, so technically she's my little sister, our little sister. But anyway, it's been good to see yo-"
Vivian let out a shrill laugh, waving her hand almost hysterically.
"We've got so much catching up to do, Gil, we haven't spoken since high school after all. And you're engaged, how...wonderful"
...
It had been fifteen minutes, and already the visit was a disaster, Vivian had sat next to Gilthunder and was very sneakily moving closer to him. Margaret had kept a firm hold of his hand, often swiping a finger over his gold band for reassurance.
"And of course, Elizabeth's been doing so well lately, haven't you?"
"I-" Elizabeth started, but was cut off.
"She's my favourite patient, always so kind, and so obedient. Gosh, I wish all my patients were like her" Vivian gushed, moving ever closer to Gil.
"Her treatment's so difficult, but I find her will to live so...inspiring" She whispered, leaning into Gilthunder, "Don't you?"
"Yes. Yes. I do" He replied abruptly, Vivian jumped and moved back slightly.
"I'm glad my sister is doing so well" Margaret added, souring Vivian's look.
"Mmm, yes, especially when she's fighting so hard" Margaret paled a little bit, Elizabeth gave her a strange look, which Margaret avoided neatly.
"Her leg exercises require so much strength out of her, which of course, you wouldn't know"
"I do actually" Margaret retorted, "My mother went through the exact same treatment"
Vivian rested her head on her hand and smiled, "Oh? and how did she end up?"
Margaret gasped and ducked her head, while Gilthunder narrowed his eyes. Elizabeth glared at Vivian, who just grinned, mad as a hatter.
"She...died"
"How unfortunate" was the only reply from Vivian. "It's a shame, for Elizabeth that is, when was the last time she saw her own sister?"
"We've both been working, to help the hospital pay for her treatment" Gilthunder told Vivian sharply, she recoiled in her seat.
"I-I- You, my sweet Gil, you've been helping everyone, Elizabeth, the hospital" She fluttered her eye lashes and seductively whispered, "and me...but what's she been doing? Lounging in her fathers riches? Spoiled brat"
"Stop it!" Shouted Elizabeth from her bed,
"Margaret has been working to provide therapy for people with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and people who have had illnesses like Elizabeth's. So don't you dare say that my fiancée has done nothing" Vivian moved back from him, eyes brimmed with tears, Elizabeth silently scoffed.
"I'm going to report you to Merlin and Arthur, then I'm getting Elizabeth a new nurse, and you will never speak to my family again" he seethed, pressing a kiss to Margaret's forehead and swiftly walking out.
"It's all your fault" Vivian said after a minute.
"Excuse me?" Margaret replied, Vivian turned to her, eyes blazing.
"I love Gilthunder! More than you, more than anybody! After all, why would he love a stupid, lying, manipulative, slutty, whore such as yourself"
Margaret let out a choked sob, Elizabeth stood up out of her bed and strode forward towards Vivian, feeling the rage build in her, she shouted as lous as she could.
"Enough!"
Vivian fell to the floor, wide eyed, and with a loud thump, Elizabeth towered above her with adrenaline coursing throughout her veins. Her arms were held defensively by her side, "No one insults my sister" she snapped. Vivian stared at her, then began laughing, sitting on the hospital floor.
"That's amazing" She cried out, wiping a tear from her poisonous eyes. Suddenly she grinned manically at Elizabeth, "You've got a lot of courage, and a lot of strength. For a dead girl walking"
Margaret cried out, begging Vivian to stop, it all faded into the background and Elizabeth felt numb.
Dead girl walking?
"No. I'm not a dead girl walking, I'm getting better" Elizabeth growled out.
"Are you really? Well, Margaret, am I a liar? Is Elizabeth getting better?" Vivian smirked, Elizabeth turned to her sister, who was crying, shaking, and white as a ghost.
"It's not true, right sister? I'm not dying, Viv-Vivian's lying isn't she?" No answer..."Tell me!" Elizabeth shouted.
Margaret hid her mouth behind her hands and let out a solitary sob, one that told Elizabeth everything she needed to know.
"I-We- We wanted to tell you, you were fine until your f-fall" Margaret sobbed, "Then...then we realised you were slowly getting worse. You were so happy, I-I-I couldn't tell you"
Elizabeth's heart clenched with betrayal. Gilthunder came storming down the hallway with Merlin and Arthur slightly behind him. When he noticed Margaret crying and Elizabeth looking paler than a ghost, his expression grew thunderous.
"Vivian, what did you do?" Gilthunder asked, his voice deadly calm. Vivian gulped, pouting her lips at him.
"I was only trying to help, just trying to help expose Elizabeth's lying sister" her eyes filled with tears, "I just wanted Elizabeth to know the truth that was being kept from her, is that too much to ask? I just wanted you to realise what a good person I am"
"Yes" Gilthunder snapped, "Trying to hurt Margaret through Elizabeth is lower than anything I've ever seen you do. I don't want anything to do with you ever again"
She seemed to get the message, eyes widened with hurt and fear, Vivian hung her head in shame.
"Do you know he was in on it too" Vivian told Elizabeth, her head still hung, but with a smirk playing on her ruby lips, Gilthunder's eyes widened. "So was Merlin, and Arthur. And your other sister. they were all lying, you're practically dead already. It's only a matter of time. I'd say weeks, maybe even days - with the state of your legs- until you're six feet underground"
Vomit rose up in Elizabeth's throat, burning it. She couldn't breathe in a room full of people with knives in her back.
She was dying, dying, dying, dying. They had all known, yet no one had told her. Her breaths sped up, she didn't feel like crying for once, she just felt angry.
"I'm not dying!" she yelled, she couldn't be, "Why- why are you lying to me?" angry tears slipped down her face.
Smirking, Vivian sat crossed legged on the floor of the hospital,
"Dead girl walking, dead girl walking" she sang like a bully from their childhood, eyes filled with joy. Elizabeth grew angrier and angrier with every word, until it boiled over and burned everyone in her rage.
She spun around, and began to run.
"No! Elizabeth wait, let me explain!" Margaret cried, voice thick with tears. Merlin and Arthur tried to call her back before she injured herself more. When Elizabeth reached the intersection where the corridor split to the club room, Elizabeth's legs burned like hellfire, and she found herself lying on the floor once again.
It was all so blurry, people shouting at her, Vivian's cackling, the sounds of footsteps. Elizabeth pushed herself up on her hands, moving her legs gingerly underneath herself so she could stand up.
"...Elizabeth?"
A small voice sounded from down the corridor, deep, friendly. Meliodas. Eyes wide, mouth slightly gaping. Using his confusion as motivation, he couldn't see her like this, she sprinted down the halls until the voices and betrayal became a distant memory, but a clear one.
Elizabeth wasn't going to make it to the Boar Hat after all...
End of chapter eighteen.
A.N. A guest notified me that it had been 2 weeks, honestly I thought it'd been longer. I apologise for the wait, my intentions are to write a few chapters simultaneously so I don't finish more, I've nearly completed three. I still don't have a schedule and by the time I've written all and posted most chapters I'll post the rest quite quickly.
So how are you all? Good? Good! I'm actually in biology right now, I've just finished a test. :P
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope it was as dramatic as I hoped it would be.
My thought process last year was "hey, imagine if Elizabeth had a secret illness and she and Meliodas found out and she maybe died. I'd love to read that..." and so I wrote it. Originally Meliodas was meant to be there too, but you'll see next chapter.
Read! Review! Follow! And Favourite! Thank you to all those who have done so, so far!
Check me out on twitter Fullmetal_RUBY, and I'll see you next update!
Lots of love,
Ruby xxxx
