Withering World [MCSM Fanfiction]

HABITATION: Chapter 31

Jesse

A fresh pain, black and thorny, swings at my insides. None of my caretakers will tell me neither how far in the Wither process I'm in or my predicted expiry even if I'm fervent to know. My condition has gotten to the point where every move I make aches a little bit more and what's worse is that I regret not having Petra here to empathize with me.

This morning, I tried holding a pen - it ended ridiculously. Although I know it myself, no one will tell me that my deterioration is worse than they make it seem. I'd prefer if they stated the facts; not these deadly white lies.

The door swings open and a familiar figure in red walks through. Thankfully, she didn't knock. Most days I have to preserve my weak voice for more important things than just permitting people to enter.

But it's Olivia, my dear friend I haven't seen in weeks! I internally rejoice, for I thought I was gonna suffer alone until my end.

"Oh Jesse, I'm sorry it took so long."

"That's okay. You're here now-" A series of coughs unleash from my lungs and out of my throat. My gag reflex activates, drowning me in air.

She pats my back, stroking it harshly to calm my raspy episode. "You okay?"

"Man, I hate this." The feeling of burning embers in my throat dies while Olivia takes out a bottle filled with a bold, pink elixir. Her steady hands uncork the healing potion and hold it to my lips. I tilt back my head and swallow. "Thank you," I say after a temporary strength fills my body.

"Anytime." Pity is stitched across her face when she smiles.

"So, did you just come here to slow my sickness down?"

"Not primarily, no." Her eyes bear some sort of news though they remain neutral, so I can't tell whether it's good or bad. "We've made an advancement, but it's not to do with the cure."

"What about?"

Olivia hasn't even said anything, yet her contagious grin becomes my new beacon of hope. If she's trying to hide her elation, it backfires since she hands me the document and then paces all over the hospital room. Tauntingly, her shadow revolves around her stature as she bolts around. I break my gaze from it before getting dizzy.

"We know exactly how the Wither parasite works. Also, we're distributing research leaflets about Wither to patients who are willing to know more about their condition." Soon her merriment disappears, austerity invading her speech. "Obviously, this doesn't mean I can- you know- heal you, but I think it'd be worth looking at if I were a patient."

'STAGES OF WITHER' the front of the leaflet reads.

The engineer spills out her knowledge as if she were to transform my room into a research pod. "'WITHER' in the research department is now used as an acronym. There are six letters, so we've come up with six parts and each part represents a new stage."

Giving me space to read the rest, she signals the end of her talk with a nod. I look down at the document in my lap.

~~~~~~
[STAGES OF WITHER]

•|Weakening|(Instant): Occurs on impact. Parasites make their way into contact cells, inflicting damage to prepare the area for reproduction. The affected flesh starts to stiffen.

•|Inflammation|(approx. 1 day after infection): The parasites reproduce in the host's affected area, killing off healthy cells surrounding them. This causes discoloration in the skin and swelling in nearby blood vessels.
Symptoms: Pale, clammy skin; violet blood vessel webbing; soreness; coughing; feeling feverish.