Fight No More Never–– Day 5 (February 6, 2317)

[Lithium]

Camri

Camri inhaled deeply and woke slightly, then turned over to try and get back to sleep. Sunlight streamed in through the window, whose curtains had not been closed. She opened her eyes fully and looked out at the gray, drizzly world just outside their apartment.

Droplets of rain dripped from the roof and clung to the tree branches. There were some icicles that were melting slowly but surely.

She rolled back over to face Sol, but she was missing. In her place was a depression from where she slept and a tangled mess of sheets.

Pulling herself from the bed, she reached up as high as she could to stretch and she yawned. Her vision went blurry as the tears from the yawn fogged her vision.

She rubbed her eyes and stepped out of the room, then slumped to the coffee machine and loaded it with grounds and pushed a button. It brew quickly and after adding cream and a little bit of sugar to it, she brought it to her lips and drank it in.

Sol left her alone until the coffee was half-way gone. She said, "How did you sleep?"

"Like an iceberg."

[Cytherea]

Sydny woke up slowly. He blinked sleepily, but then quickly pulled the blankets over his head.

"I don't want to move." he groaned under his blankets. He was becoming used to the pain; it was becoming duller and duller. He felt sick from cold. With trouble, he crawled out of bed and limped to the closet. The cold gnawed at his hands and bare feet as he walked. "There's gotta be an extra blanket around here somewhere..."

[Lithium]

Sol's acutely tuned ears picked up the sound of movement from Sydny's room. "Sounds like Sydny's up."

Camri shivered. "Is the heater out again?"

Sol shrugged. "I have no idea."

[Cytherea]

Sydny

Sydny finally found a blanket, but by the time he spread it over his bed, he gave up the idea of even going back to sleep. It hurt enough even to somehow get back into the bed.

He glanced in the full-length mirror. He was getting used to his sickly white skin, but not his red lips. Intrigued, he walked closer to the mirror.

Suddenly, he felt very, very sick. He clutched at his stomach and grabbed part of his bed for support. The world was spinning, and his mind was whirling. He reeled forward. Blood poured from his mouth, and he closed his eyes tight from the pain. He felt like he was dying, then being given a second chance, just to be killed again. Finally, the blood stopped coming, and he gasped for breath. The taste of blood lingered in his mouth dreadfully, and his stomach ached so. He crumpled onto his bed. He couldn't escape the pain, and he didn't know how to fix it. He definitely didn't want to throw up again. Blood trickled from his mouth onto his white cheek. He let out a cry of pain, unashamed of any who might hear him. He needed someone to hear him.

"Why won't I just die!" Sydny cried out, hysterical from the pain.

Olivia

Olivia slowly forced her eyes open. Cold sunlight streamed through her open window and poured over her face. She slumped back into bed and gave a short moan of protest.

"Why am I so sore...?" She muttered. Then, she opened her eyes wide as she remembered everything from yesterday, but the excitement quickly died. "Oh... that's right. I'm an I.S. And that crazy woman turned Camri and I both into an I.S."

She got out of bed and sat down in front of her mirror. She pulled out her brush and started stroking her silky blonde hair.

[Lithium]

Sol rushed to Sydny's room at the first hacking cough. She burst through the door and rushed to Sydny's side as he cried out, "Why won't I just die!"

"Don't talk like that," Sol said. Camri came into the room, her eyes wide with shock and worry. Sol turned to her.

"Grab some blankets, sterile gloves and my portable."

Camri stood, staring at the blood on the floor and dripped on his lips and chin.

"Now!" Sol shouted.

Camri dashed out, grabbed the blankets and gloves from the closet, and Sol's portable from her bedside table.

She gave it to her and while Sol snapped the gloves on and wrapped the blankets around Sydny, she instructed Camri, "Call for an ambulance. He's bleeding internally."

"Can't you––"

"Just do it!"

Camri's fingers fumbled over the touch pad. She hit talk and someone picked up.

"Sub-911. Please state your emergency."

"One of my friends–– he's internally bleeding."

"Is he conscious?"

"At the moment, yes."

"Please do not move from the area. We are pinpointing your location," the answerer paused. "Do you have a medic or someone trained to administer first aid to monitor him until the medic crew arrives?"

"Yes. We do."

"Don't move him. Medics are on the way."

"Thank you so much."

The call ended and Camri turned to Sol. "They're on the way."

[Cytherea]

Sydny

Sydny vaguely heard Sol's voice. He wanted to feel relieved that someone had heard him, but the pain wouldn't allow it. More blood trickled from his mouth.

Some blankets were wrapped around him comfortingly. He willingly retrieved the warmth they offered, and tried to use it to dull the pain. His stomach was twisting and pulling, and he almost threw up again, but stopped just in time. He coughed violently, and his sides ached. His heart was pounding in his chest. He'd never felt so... given up. He truly wanted to escape the pain, but whenever he tried to close his eyes and drift away, another jolt would sharpen his agony.

He thought he saw Camri... what was she doing? He heard Sol's voice, but it seemed slow and didn't make sense to him, like a garbled message of a different tongue.

Sydny closed his eyes, and then had to fight the urge to reel. He could feel the blood rushing up to his mouth. He could feel it in his mouth now. He was too tired to throw up, he told himself. But his body seemed to insist upon it. He tried to pull himself to the edge of the bed. But then suddenly, the urge had left him. He coughed again, and sent some blood onto his pillow. He closed his eyes shut tight, and forced himself to swallow.

He heard Camri say something, and then Sol saying it to him. He had absolutely no idea what it was. He opened his eyes.

"What?" he coughed.

"Don't talk, and don't move. The medics are on their way." Sol said firmly yet gently. "They're going to help you."

Sydny tried to understand everything she said, and when she was finished, he hoped he had gotten the important parts.

Help is coming...

[Lithium]

Camri mostly paced down on the street while she waited for the ambulance. The cold bit at her skin, and her bare feet and she cursed herself for forgetting to put warm clothes on.

The ambulance pulled up, screaming. Camri fought the urge to cover her ears and she told one of them as he hopped out, "He's this way. Please hurry!"

She raced up the stairs, leading the crew of three medics to their apartment.

Sol was scrubbing the blood out of the carpet and she looked up as they came through the door.

"Ma'am, would you mind stepping back, we need to put him on a stretcher."

She nodded and they quickly pulled out a little cube that unfolded into a stretcher, which they put Sydny on, strapped him into and then hurriedly carried him down the stairs and transferred him to the bed inside the ambulance.

"I need to go with him," Camri said emphatically. "He––"

"Just get in," the brown haired woman said before disappearing into the back. Camri hauled herself into the cabin and the doors swung shut behind her.

She was barefoot, without a coat, in her pajamas, riding in an ambulance to the hospital with a boy she hardly knew, but was already attached to, just after she had been attacked and turned into some kind of fish-woman thing and... She slumped over and sighed in tired defeat.

It was almost too much.

[Cytherea]

Sydny eased in and out of consciousness. He heard the din of the sirens well, even in his weary state.

They must be coming for me... he realized. This time the pain wasn't as bad, and he was able to feel relieved that he was going to a place where someone could help him.

He felt himself being moved onto a stretcher, and then confining straps were placed over his body. He was carried out of the house, and into the ambulance. The noise was almost deafening.

He slipped from consciousness, and the next thing he saw was Camri's face. She looked so calm, so serene. There were clouds around her, and she seemed to glow.

"Did the ambulance crash...?" he managed weakly.

[Lithium]

"No, thank, God," Camri said with a smile. She reached forward and stroked his hair. Her fingers trailed across his face, then she blushed and pulled her hand away.

The medic woman raised an eyebrow and fiddled with her machines and with Sydny's IV before looking away.

"Sorry," Camri murmured. "How are you feeling? Better?"

[Cytherea]

He managed a smile. The glow faded from around her as she stroked his hair. Excitement seemed to dull the pain for just a moment.

"Eh... I've been better. He glanced at the IV in his arm as he felt something start to flow through his veins. "Much better." he glanced up at her face and then looked at her for a long time. A confused look suddenly crossed his face.

"What... what are you doing here?"

[Lithium]

"I had to come with you," Camri said, smiling comfortingly. "You're gonna be all right. They'll take good care of you."

'Sir, since you're awake, do you have your medical ID or access to your information chip?" the woman asked. "We need it to register you for the hospital so we have access to your insurance, if you have any."

[Cytherea]

Sydny thought for a moment. His mind was getting hazy again.

"Yeah..." he coughed lightly. He fumbled around in his jeans pocket and brought out a worn, cheaply made wallet. His hand shook and he dropped it to the floor. "I don't have insurance.Do I have to be-" he coughed again. "Do I have to be strapped down?" His coughing got worse, and he quickly forced himself to say no more. The thought of throwing up again... a wave of nausea swept over him and he swallowed hard. His eyelids fluttered shut as he concentrated on keeping the blood from his mouth.

[Lithium]

"Just relax, Sir. You don't need insurance. We'll be at the hospital shortly." She took the card and scanned it. "We have a medical account known as the Fletcher fund for seriously injured patients. It'll all be taken care of."

Camri smiled at the woman and said, "Thank you, ma'am."

The woman nodded. "Now, there must have been a previous injury. What was––"

"He was stabbed."

"How long ago?"

"Three or four days ago?"

"Was he stable until just now"

"He appeared to be," Camri said.

"Did he ever appear to recover fully?" the woman wrote notes into the tablet she held.

"No. He––"

The car came to a complete stop and the doors flew open.

"He's bleeding internally. Get him in to the ICU to see Dr. Jayne," the woman barked.

Camri stood and watched helplessly as they rushed Sydny out of the van and into the hospital, then down the hall. She tried to run to follow him, but the woman stopped her. "Ma'am, I have to ask you to help me finish my report while we contact his parents or guardians. Does he see them often?"

"I don't know," Camri said. "Is he going to be okay? Will he––"

"What's that on your neck?"

Camri clamped her hands to them. "Just some tattoos," she said quickly.

[Cytherea]

Sydny was whisked away yet again. This time, he was taken into the hospital. All he could do was either close his eyes or watch the white tiled ceiling fly by. He was brought into a room with darker tiling. A man with greying hair looked down at him.

"Hey there." he smiled at Sydny. "I'm going to check you over really quickly, and then we're going to see if we need to proceed with surgery or not. I want you to relax, and tell me if this hurts."

The man pushed lightly, but firmly on Sydny's stomach. Sydny lurched forward, throwing up blood again. He heard the doctors and nurses exclaiming dimly. He fell backwards, and darkness finally claimed him.

[Cytherea]

Olivia hurriedly got ready. She glanced at her watch.

Already 8:50... I'd better start on my way.

She slipped on a different jacket, and grabbed Archer's before locking the door behind her.

She thought about the many strange things that had been happening lately. Becoming an I.S., losing her job... there was talk of war in the streets. She considered her new I.S. traits as interesting, but also confusing. She had heard that, usually, when someone becomes an I.S., they experience immense pain.

So why didn't I? Maybe Archer will explain it too...

She walked up to Camri's house and knocked on the door.

[Lithium]

Archer

He had been called by Sol about thirty minutes ago, right after they had carried Sid... Sinbad... Sydny.. (whatever that kid's name was) out of their apartment. Grabbing the cup of hot water and dropping in an instant tea pod, he brought the cup over to Sol, who was huddled up on the couch in a warm, fuzzy blanket.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"No problem," Archer said, stroking her hair comfortingly. "What else are fake brothers for?"

There was a knock at the door and Sol started to get up. He pushed her back onto the couch.

"Stay here. I'll get it."

He walked to the door and opened it and there stood the beautiful, lithe, incredible-- (SHUT UP BRAIN! he shouted at himself)-- Olivia.

"Hey," he said softly before letting the door swing open and going back to Sol. His heart rate had picked up and he shook his mane of golden brown hair into its messy place.

[Cytherea]

"Hello." Olivia said cheerfully as she saw Archer. She walked inside and shut the door behind her. Walking in, she dropped Archer's coat and her purse onto the floor when she saw Sol's face. She rushed to her side and gently took her hand.

"What's wrong, Sol?" she asked earnestly. "What's the matter?"

[Hwin]

Clover yawned and stretched. Something soft was wrapped around her and her ears picked up the crackle of a warm fire in a fireplace. "I don't want to wake up," she moaned, "everything is so nice and warm." Cringing, Clover opened her tired eyes for the first time and winked. For a moment she wondered what had happened to her cold living quarters outside but then yesterday's event came rushed back into her mind. Rosie's and her new friend, Tucker, the house he had let them stay in, Mrs. Kay. Jumping off of the couch, she shook her messy blonde hair out and wrapped the fleece blanket around her. Walking to the kitchen, Clover spotted a little white note covered with someone's handwriting. Tucker's most likely, Clover thought to herself. It read:
Dear Clover and Rosie,
I have gone with Mrs. Kay this morning to see her off on her missions trip across town. The sweet woman is always helping people out and I wanted to make sure she got off okay.
She insisted you help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I should be back soon...
Tucker

Clover's stomach rumbled as she placed the note on the counter. "Rosie! Are you awake yet?" she called as she sleepily make her way over to the fridge.

[Lithium]

Sol bit back a sob and held in tears. "Sydny had a relapse. He started coughing up blood and now Camri is with him at the hospital. Oh! I hope he's all right!"

Archer frowned. "Has she changed anymore?"

Sol shook her head. "Not that I could see. Although... her fingers were a bit... strange." She chewed her lower lip in thought and anxiety. "Are you doing all right now, Olivia?"

[Cytherea]

Rosie

Rosie heard someone call out her name. She quickly finished drying her hair and came out of the bathroom. She found Clover in the kitchen.

"Good morning Clover! Before I fell asleep last night, she told me that I was welcome to use her shower, and that you were too." she smiled at her friend and sat in a chair around the table. "Did you sleep well?"

Olivia

"I'm doing fine. I've been feeling really... tense, though. Probably just one of my new I.S. traits. I hope anyway." Olivia said. "I mainly have... lots of questions." she looked up at Archer with a sad smile. "I guess this sudden problem means no lesson today. That's all right." she let out a sigh before turning back to Sol. She took her hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled at her.

"We shouldn't dwell on bad things the whole day. The doctors know what they're doing, and I'm sure Sydny will be just fine. Especially because Camri went with him. She'll make sure they do what's right for him."

[Hwin]

Clover:

"You bet! I don't think I've ever slept so wonderfully." Clover sang as she grabbed some already cut fruit from the fridge and dished it out in two bowls with some yogurt and granola she found. Setting a bowl in front of Rosie, Clover took a seat across from her. "A shower does sound nice right about now. I'll take one after I eat."

There was a creak of a door and in a moment Tucker was in the doorway. His cheeks were red and vibrant from the crisp, cool air and his eyes sparkled. Clover kicked Rosie under the table and smiled.


Tucker:

Tucker hurried inside the little house. Hanging his jacket on the hook, he walked over to the kitchen but stopped in the doorway. My she's pretty, he thought to himself when he laid eye's on Rosie. He bit his lip, which was forming into a smile.

"Do you mind if I join you for some breakfast?"

Clover hopped up, her bowl already empty. "Of course! I'm already finished but Rosie just got here. I'll be off to shower, if that's all right." She bounced her blonde hair and flashed Rosie a teasing grin.

"Go right ahead, Clover!" Tucker smiled. Grabbing a bowl, he took a seat next to Rosie.

[Cytherea]

Rosie watched Clover go, and smiled at her friend's sense of humor. She had indeed noticed Tucker's face when he entered, and remembering it again, she blushed. Tucker got a bowl and then sat down beside her. She stole a glance at his face again, and found herself staring at him. His face curved so delightfully, and his eyes were still sparkling. Quickly, she jostled her thoughts from him and took a bite of her parfait.

"That was very nice of you to walk with Mrs. Kay." she began shyly. She turned to look at him again. "Do you--" she smiled and quickly looked down. "Do you suppose Mrs. Kay would mind if you were to play for Clover and I? We so want to hear you." she finished, looking up into his eyes again.

[Hwin]

Tucker's eyes met hers. There was such a sweetness and honesty in her voice. "It would be my honor to play for you." He flashed her a smile and rested his arm on the back rest of her seat. Tucker ate a bit of his breakfast but it was hard to keep his mind off of Rosie. Something about her...her blue eyes and gentle personality. Just thinking about her made his face brighten up, his heart feel alive, his...okay Tucker, stay focused. You just met her yesterday.

"What would you most like to hear?"

[Cytherea]

"Oh, well..." Rosie thought hard for a minute. She loved music, but the names had always escaped her. "How about the one where... the one where the intro starts like, duhduhduhduhduh, duhduhduhduhduh," she tapped her spoon on the side of her bowl as she tried to describe it. "Duh, duh, DUHduh, duh..."

Rosie suddenly realized how silly she must sound. She bit her lip to smother a giggle, and blushed bright red.

"I'm sorry, I can't always remember the names..." she searched wildly for it. "Oh! Something like... Sonata No. 11 in A Minor? No... A Major." she smiled happily, pleased with herself for remembering. "Can you play it?"

[Lithium]

Archer smiled at Olivia's words and turned to her again. "I can always teach Camri later. Come on. We're going to go to my training ring. I've got a time set up for us."