SHIELD Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains

:: Fade ::

Genesis could deny it all he liked, but there were signs Robert's health was gradually declining faster than he would have wanted.

The easiest way to have noticed it was in realizing that Robert was beginning to forget things easily. Very simple, mundane things like whether he had already taken his prescription pills or whether he ate breakfast that morning. Even his sense of time was degrading and it was growing difficult for him to remember what day it was, even to differentiate between today and the day before. The only reason he knew what time it was was thanks to the clock hanging in the room.

The former commander coped better with the changes on days when Robert's mind wasn't so scattered. Still, the now frequent unpredictable fluctuations in the old man's health didn't ease Genesis' heart as he was faced the situation alone without Hazel's help. What had hurt the most, though, was the fact he could feel Robert's life slowly fade away all thanks to his connection to the Lifestream.

To the former SOLDIER, it was like being close to a warm campfire. The warmth he knew was Robert's life force slowly dimmed and grew colder. There wasn't really a way to prolong the remaining kindling fire. It was only a matter of time before the flames would go out.

Genesis never considered himself as the most patient of all people, but he tried his best in reminding Robert when to eat or rest without getting angry too quickly. He also kept his feelings in check and made sure Robert was as happy as he could be.

If there was one thing that Genesis wanted it was for Robert; he could, at least, go with a smile and no regrets when his life completely faded.