Death's Exception

Chapter Forty-One

She is frail. She looks older every second. Her chest rises and falls with great difficulty, every breath she takes a deliberate decision. Her hand clasps onto mine as if I am the only thing keeping her conscious. Her body works to keep itself functioning. Blankets are draped over her legs for the false sense of cold she feels despite her burning forehead. She stares, unblinking, at the ceiling, illuminated only by a lamp that casts yellow shadows. Her breathing is irregular, each breath either sharp or slow. Her face is void of all expression except for the occasional grimace, or tear that slips down her cheek or nose. She is silent. Her mind can only be bothered with the determination it takes to continue living. She is even paler than before, which makes her look as if she is simply a living corpse. She chews down on her cheek, and swallows her own blood. Her hands shake, and her legs wobble. Her eyes wander to my face only long enough to glance at me with huge, sad eyes. Her brow furrows, undoubtedly wondering what it will be like to die.

"Do you believe in afterlife?" She coughs out.

"Yes." I lie. She nods, and smiles.

"We have been there, yeah? Do you remember the lights. They were so beautiful." My eyes soften. I know she must have created something to cope with the four years she spent dead.

"They were beautiful. I can't wait to see them again." Melody's eyes suddenly widen, and she seizes my hand with both hands. Her chest rises and falls quickly.

"I remember how much it hurts to die, Rory. Oh, Rory. Please." She begs me and I just sit there, staring at her. I do not know what to do. At this point I feel like there is no longer anything I am able to do to comfort her, and it hurts. Carter walks in drowsily. He between Melody and me and analyzes the situation.

"Do you want me to get Titus?" I nod. It is somewhere around three in the morning, and I hate to wake him. But he needs to be here. For Melody. For me. I kiss Melody's hand, and close my eyes tightly. She pouts out her lip and winces with pain.

"I miss him." She groans.

"Who do you miss?"

"My husband. I wish he would have let me get in touch with him." My heart reaches out to her. I understand the feeling. The feeling of getting cut off completely from my past. The terrible feeling of not knowing where my mother, or my father is. The terrible feeling that I could have had siblings that may still be out there. They may even still miss me. I grit my teeth and a new hatred for Dr. Finley fills my lungs.

"Funny you say that." Titus walks in, bearing a cell phone. He puts his arm around me, and I feel better already with him here. "I did some research, and I found his cell-phone number. Care to give him a call?" Her eyes light up. She sits up with great difficulty, and grabs the phone. She punches the 'call' button. The phone rings loudly on speaker.

It rings

and rings

and rings

"Hello?" A deep voice answers the phone. Melody's face lights up, and she almost forgets to respond. Her eyes swim in the happiest tears you could ever dream of seeing. Titus grabs my arm, and motions towards the door. I nod, holding back a sob. Titus lays on the couch, and I join him. His arm is under my head, and I turn to be face to face with him. He gazes at me as if I am the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. I know that this can't be true. I am probably closer to the most ugly thing he has ever seen. His breathing is deep and slow.

"You are so great." I whisper, referring to him finding the number for Melody. He smirks.

"Sometimes." His voice is smooth, and slurred. I can tell how exhausted he is. He closes his eyes, and pulls me into him.

"Keep in mind that this is my mother's household." Carter flips on the light, and plops down into a chair. Titus sighs.

"Shut up, Carter." He nods his head towards where Melody's room is.

"You realize how stupid that was." Titus pulls his arm from under my head, and stands up.

"Carter."

"No way he will believe her. He will probably call her crazy and hang up."

"Carter!" Titus fumes. Carter's mouth shuts. "You need to stop. I realize this is a really hard time for you, and, yeah, I am struggling too, but that does not give you the excuse-"

"SHE ISN'T YOUR MUM," Carter stands to face Titus. "You keep acting like you are going through the same amount of pain as I am, but you can't feel how terrible I do. There is no way you do! She was my only family. My only blasted family."

"And what do you qualify Lilly as, then?" The room falls silent. Titus shakes his head over and over, and covers his face with his hands. Carter continues to stand, staring at the ground.

"We are family." I squeak. "We have each other." Carter sneers.

"Oh, yes. You two will go off and get married and how much of a family will we be then? You don't understand, Rory. I am alone." Titus drops his hands, and looks at Carter as if he had just crossed the line.

"Carter, you need to learn to shut the heck up!" I do know what it is like to be alone, actually. I have no one. Not even a mother to mourn the death of. I slowly stand. Titus tries to grab my arm, but I walk out of the room into Melody's room again. Where she is weakly smiling in her bed.

"I love you. I am sorry you have to go through losing me twice." The voice, crying, responds.

"Oh, my love. My beautiful love. As much as it hurts to lose you, I never regret the time I had the privilege of loving you. You are worth all of the pain you put me through. All of it. I love you, Millie Destiel."