When The Darkness Comes

Terrible Things

Everyone (except a comatose Raphael) jumped when they heard a knock on the door. It was Magnus who went to answer it, as it was his loft. When he opened the door, he saw a tired looking Catarina offering a gentle smile. He immediately greeted her with a hug.

"I️ got here as soon as I️ could," she said, reciprocating the embrace.

"Thank you," Magnus whispered before letting go and moving aside to allow her to enter the apartment.

When she found herself in the living area, she looked toward the kitchen and then back at Magnus.

"Can I️ speak to you privately?" she asked quietly, although Simon could still here with his vampire hearing.

Magnus turned his head toward Simon and raised his eyebrows, shooting him a knowing look that essentially meant "no listening in with your supernatural hearing." Simon responded with a resigned sigh and leaned back in the seat that he was on the edge of. It was with this that Magnus proceeded to escort Catarina into the kitchen.

"Any ideas as to why he isn't healing?" she asked.

Magnus pressed his lips together and solemnly nodded.

"I️ don't for sure, but I️ do know that when Raphael goes to a dark place he has some trouble with...eating. I️ suspect that he doesn't have enough blood in his system for his body to regenerate," Magnus explained.

Catarina nodded. She tried to maintain a neutral expression, but Magnus could see the concern painted across her face. He especially knew that it was bad when she gestured for him to take a seat and did the same thing herself.

Magnus interlaced his fingers in front of him and nervously gazed at his own hands, taking a deep breath and attempting to remain calm. He then looked up at Catarina and met her gaze, giving a slight nod to indicate that he was ready to hear the news.

"It seems to me that his body is most likely trying to regenerate, but, without blood, he isn't able to, but as long as his body keeps trying to heal without any success, he'll only continue to get weaker," she said in the same tone she uses to break bad news to families at the hospital. It was nothing she wasn't used to and nothing she hadn't already done countless times before, but it still always hurt to see the pained expressions on facing or have to console those who broke down into tears. It was even more difficult, however, having to do this to a close friend of hers. 

While he was trying his hardest to mask it, she knew how much pain Magnus was in.

Magnus cleared his throat before speaking.

"So what do we do? How do we save him?" Magnus asked.

Catarina sighed. Denial. It was the first stage of grief.

Gently, she took one of Magnus' hands in her own.

"Magnus, I know how much he means to you," she began, speaking slowly.

"Then help me save him. Please," Magnus pleaded.

Catarina had known Magnus for many years. She'd seen him during some of his best times as well as his worst, but she had never heard that amount of desperation in his voice. It was clear that he couldn't bear to lose Raphael, and she was uncertain how he would ever be able to recover from losing him.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"There is something that I️ can do. I️ could block his natural healing process and then continue working on him, but there's no guarantee that he would survive it," she said, placing on emphasis on the fact that he may not survive. Magnus nodded, offering up a slight pathetic smile as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"I️'ve been alive for many years, Catarina. There is no guarantee of anything, but we have to at least try," he said.

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"There's just something that I️ need to take care of first," he announced.

Catarina nodded.

"Of course."

—

As tempted as Simon was, he had resisted the urge to listen in to the conversation. Instead, he was by Raphael's side. He had asked Alec to have a moment alone with him, which Alec respected.

He began to take deep breaths. He didn't know exactly why he was so nervous.

"I don't know if you can actually hear me or anything, and, if you can, I'm probably not the best person to try and coax you back to the land of the semi living. This probably the absolute lamest thing that I️ could possibly say, but I'm sorry. There's like probably a whole laundry list of things that I️ should apologize for but I️ just," Simon trailed off, beginning to fidget with his trembling hands and looking down at them.

He attempted to collect himself once again, taking more deep breaths that he didn't technically need until regaining the ability to physically face Raphael again.

"I️ don't know what to say or where I'm going with this. Maybe you should wake up just to finally witness the moment where Simon Lewis is speechless," he said, chuckling slightly to himself as he wiped a tear from his face.

He then took one of Raphael's hands in his.

"I know it's cliché, but after I️ died I️ realized how much I️ just took life for granted, and then I️ managed to turn around and do the same exact thing to you," he continued, not even bothering to wipe away the guilty tears as they fell.

"Look, I don't know how I'm supposed to make it up to. I don't even know where to begin at this point, but you gotta give me a chance, Raph. You gotta let me try. Just please," he said, choking up even more.

"Please come back," Simon whispered.

Catarina walked in to see Simon crouched next to Raphael crying as he desperately repeated the words "come back" over and over again like a mantra.

She approached him carefully, coming up from behind and gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

Simon jumped up immediately, springing to his feet and sloppily wiping the tears of his face with his sleeve.

"Sorry," he said quickly.

Catarina shook her head.

"Don't be," she said warmly. "Is it alright if I️ take a look at him?"

Simon nodded and stepped to the side.

It wasn't long before Magnus walked in looking tired. He approached Simon.

"Thank you so much for bringing Raphael here. You should probably go and get some rest," Magnus said.

"Are you sure? I️ really want to just make sure that he's-"

"He'll be fine, and he'll still be here in the morning," Magnus replied.

Simon simply nodded, resigned, before exiting.

Catarina rose to her feet once again.

"You need a moment alone with him?" she asked.

Magnus nodded, to which she replied by slipping back into the kitchen.

He knelt down next Raphael and gently placed a hand on his singed cheek.

"I️ wish you would've come to me," Magnus said. "I️ wish you would you realize that you don't have to face everything alone. I know how hard it can be to bear the weight of immortality."

He then grasped Raphael's hand.

"I'm not going to pretend that I know exactly what you're going through. Afterall, the concept of family has always been strange to me. I️ had been on my own for such a long time. I️ remember when you came into my life. You were annoying, stubborn, sarcastic, and self righteous, not to mention that you and Ragnor were the worst of two. I️ taught you about the downworld, but I️ don't think you ever realized how much you taught me. You're like a son to me; you know that. You taught me what family means, and I'll always be grateful for you, and I'll always love you."