Lights | A Forever Fanfiction

Chapter Nine: Fracture

For a good long while, I expected him not to return. But he did. Dr. Morgan returned exactly an hour later, wearing new clothes and everything. I stared at him as he sat back down. He had died, and now... here he was. Alive. He was breathing, he was... the same.

"How is this possible?" I demanded.

"I don't know."

"My mother is immortal, too?"

"Yes." We watched each other in silence as I processed the information.

"What happened to her? Why is she all crazy now? And why would you tell me all this?"

"She... a person..." He paused, trying to find the right words, as though he were afraid his words would hurt me. "She got in with a bad sort of people. They somehow discovered her immortality, and they - the Maverick, I think they're called - captured her. I don't know what they did to her. I haven't heard from her in five years."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I repeated.

"Because you're like your mother. You are stubborn, and you always get your way. I can see it in you. You have your father's looks, but you have her personality. Or, the personality she maintained before she..." His voice trailed off, as if it were painful to continue. This led me to believe their relationship was more than a 'friendly acquaintance' type of thing.

"No," I said, getting up and pacing.

"No?" he asked, startled. "But- "

"No. There's another reason. There has to be. It doesn't make sense, unless..." I whirled around and faced him. "Did you sleep with my mother?"

"No," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm not that sort of person."

"How am I supposed to know that?" I sighed. "So, what is the other thing, the little nagging reason why you're telling me this?"

He hesitated. I fumed silently. Finally, he spoke. "Because I believe it can be inherited."

I burst into bitter laughter. This was too much. "So I'm immortal, too? I'm not testing it, thank you."

"No, I wasn't going to suggest anything like that. Hmm... The curse only appears when you are first killed." He glanced away. "Those of us who are afflicted with it really know almost nothing about the curse. I'm sorry."

"I need to process this, I need to breathe, I need to not freak out," I mumbled, pacing around a bit more before finally sitting down. As I spaced out, staring at my mother's hand. It twitched slightly, and I glanced briefly at her eyelids. They were fluttering, moving. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was distracted by the realisation of how different we were. Sure, we had the same blonde hair, but... not only did I have brown eyes and thin lips, I was nothing like her. I wasn't delusional, a coward. There is no running from the truth. Instead, you should seek it.

"She's waking up," I finally said, shaking my head to clear the tumult of jumbled thoughts jumping around in my head. "Can we go?"

"Yes, let's." Dr. Morgan ushered us outside, and I solemnly walked back to Jo's room. Just as I was about to go inside, Dr. Morgan stopped me. "Lights-"

"Don't tell her, I get it. Top secret, blah blah blah. I'm not entirely stupid," I snapped. I saw hurt flicker in his eyes and I sighed. "Sorry, I'm just... tired. I just need sleep, right now." I went in, the unsettling feeling of Dr. Morgan's eyes on my back. Jo and Hanson were asleep, their hands intertwined. I smiled fondly. They were really close to each other. It's always nice to have someone to lean on, and I was glad Jo had Hanson.

Sleepiness washed over me. Who knew how late it was, and I really just wanted to pass out. I yawned and fell into one of the chairs. Slowly, I slipped into the depths of a deep, dreamless sleep.

I awoke at dawn, as a gentle curtain of pale sunlight settled over the snow on the roof. I stared outside, lost in the depths and nuances of thought, as Jo stirred beside me. I glanced over to see that Hanson had already left for work. Dr. Morgan was gone, too, though I wasn't sure if he had gone back to the morgue.

"You're still here?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Do I look like I have anywhere better to be?" I said, fond sarcasticness slipping out with the question.

"School, maybe?" she chuckled. "Thank you, Lights."

"Mhmm." I glanced outside as the sunlight became harsh and glaring, reflecting off of the snow with intensity. It made me think of last night, and my head began to throb.

"Go to school, Lights," Jo said. "You should really go. I'm fine."

"I-" She cut me off with a sarcastic glance. "Fine. You're right, I can't afford to fall behind." She smiled and patted my hand as I got up.

"See you later, Lights." She closed her eyes, probably drifting off into dreamland once more.

"Bye," I muttered. I strode silently away, slinging my backpack over my shoulders. I needed to do something, anything. I wanted to find out who was behind all of this, and it sure as hell didn't involve spending my day stuck inside of a suffocating classroom.

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