The Green Guardian

Chapter 37: Tears of Hope

Song: "Full Sail" - Ryan Farish

        Mateo came to soon after Maria hit the hay. He gasped for air when he felt something cold on his chest. Krysta was listening to his lungs with her stethoscope.

"Hi, Anthony," said her sweet voice. "Forgive me. I'm just trying to figure out why your health has plummeted since you reached Stage 2 of the illness."

Mateo took the stethoscope's chest piece off him. "It's cold."

"Oh, sorry." Krysta breathed on it to warm it up. She then put it back to his right breast.

"What's that?" Mateo pointed at the photo of the ultrasound results on his dresser. It had fallen since he jiggled the dresser a little in his sleep.

Krysta picked up the photo and handed it to him. "This is a gift from Maria."

Mateo clutched it with both hands. Tears shimmered in the corners of his eyes. "Izzy," he cooed. "Maria, thank you." He brushed his finger across the image of his unborn child.

Krysta giggled. "She thought the baby would brighten your day." Her smile faded. "Now, I need to look at your rash." She started to take the photo out of Mateo's grasp, but he snatched it away.

"No! She's my child!" He hugged the ultrasound close to him.

"I know it's hard, but I need to treat you," Krysta elucidated.

"Forget it. I'm not going to let you take her," Mateo growled back. He sounded like an upset dog.

Krysta was amazed by how much he loved his child. He must have gotten it from his mom. "I'm just going to put the photo on your dresser. I'll return it after the examination."

Mateo turned onto his side. Sweat stuck to the few hairs he had on his back. He shook his head to protest. "No, I love her. She's my baby. Not yours."

"But, Mateo..."

"Just leave me alone!" he snapped, coughing.

"Okay, okay." Krysta backed away from him. "I'm just going to hang out in this corner here." Besides, she needed some time to come up with a diagnosis for Mateo's plummeting health.

Krysta knew something else was going on. Mateo was fighting a secondary illness, too, which he most likely picked up during his last mission. He had to help a whole village of sickly elves. Krysta guessed that the secondary illness was some sort of lung infection. That was what the elves had.

She felt so guilty, not only with herself but also with the Ranger Union's rash decision. Mateo was only human, and they were treating him like a slave. Horrendous. What could she do to make it up to him?

Mateo took the mask off. It was hard to see Izzy over it. "Izzy, I'm sorry," he apologized, "but even in death, I will love you to the moon and back. No, the stars and back."

Krysta returned to his bed. She began to pick up the mask, but Mateo stopped her.

"It's okay, Krysta. I'm ready to die."

"You're not dying on my account," Krysta angrily stated. "You're too young. You're even younger than me."

"But I'm ready," Mateo argued.

"You're not going to," Krysta repeated.

Under his covers, Mateo clenched his fist. Fine, if that was the way Krysta wanted to play, then he would starve himself to death, stab himself–whatever he had to do to never wear that stupid mask again.