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ITS BEEN SIX AGONIZING MONTHS since Anastasia has been back to Avonlea; where she left her friends and normal life behind- now all she knows is medicine and sickness.
Her family had decided to take a trip to visit her uncle to celebrate being newly wedded when her brother became very ill. Many doctors, fights, tears, and pain later, her brother was slowly slipping away.
"Ana, can we please go outside?" Her little brother Theo watched longingly as a group of kids played 'tag' in the pretty streets of Paris.
"Theo, you know what mother said." Her tone was soft, upset that she couldn't give him what he wanted.
"But- I miss being out" Theo was cut off by his own coughing fit, his chest erupting in pain.
"Theo!" Anastasia rushed you her sibling, letting her book fall to the ground as she took him in her arms and sat him down in his bed. "Copy me, Theo. Slowly." She breathed slowly watching her brother copy her steps.
"I'm ok, Ana. Promise."
Anastasia's eyes glistened, she wishes that was the case. "You will be. Don't you worry."
━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
Nightfall came faster than usual that night. Anastasia's peaceful sleep was interrupted by her mother's cry. "David!"
Ana rushed out of bed and raced down the halls, almost colliding with her father as they both reached the door simultaneously. "What's the matter, dear?" Her father asked quietly, afraid of the answer.
"Please, go get Henry;" she took a look at her sweaty son who's breaths were shallow. "We're losing him." She whispered.
David rushed off to the other side of his brother's home, desperately praying that Henry will be able to save him.
"Ana." Theo reaches weakly towards the door, watching tears stream down his sister's face.
She rushed to his bedside, taking a hold of his hand gently. "I'm here."
"Can we go outside now?" He whispered but his voice still managed to crack.
She looks at him with a broken smile. "In the morning, when you're better, we'll sit outside on the porch together, I promise."
"Can we fly my rocket?" His eyes glimmered for just a second as Anastasia and her mother laughed at his obsession with the toy. "I want to go on the moon someday, Ana. You'll come with right?"
The younger boy couldn't see himself doing anything without his big sister. She gave him the imagination he has now, the dreams he wished to accomplish. Anastasia was a big inspiration to Theo and anyone could tell.
"Well it would be quite rude for you to visit the moon without your big sister, now wouldn't it?" She teased and tapped his nose.
"Hey!" Ava, her mother, held both of them close. "You have to bring me too."
The three laughed together for a short time before Theo began to cough violently, blood spluttering out of his mouth. "Oh, my!" Ana stood up and grabbed some cloth as Ava sat him up.
David and Henry rush into the room momentarily and Henry wasted no time in assisting Theo. Anastasia hides behind her dad holding onto his pajama shirt as she cries. "Dad? I-Is he going to-"
David looked down with tears as he patted her head. "I hope not, sweetheart."
"David, that's my child! I can't lose him!" Ava wails as she watches her poor son cry in pain.
"We're not going to lose him!" David was firm but his voice was unsure- skeptical if you will.
Henry stood up as he got Theo to calm down. "Ava, David-" his eyes glance at Anastasia who's wide eyes are begging him to help. "He's suffering, I don't think Theo will make it through tonight."
"Henry, please!" Ava grabbed his hand. "That's my baby over there. Help him."
Henry's eyes watered. "And that's my nephew over there. As his doctor, I've done everything I could. All we can do now is hope."
━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
Hope. What a foolish thing to believe in.
Anastasia was bitter to the world right now. How dare they take such an innocent soul? Her own brother. Who was she to protect now? Who will go with her on the wild imaginary adventures?
Ava stood in the doorway watching Ana stare outside while Henry and David brought their bags to the front. "Theo wouldn't want to see you like this."
Anastasia's heart skipped a beat. "He's not here, mother."
Ava took a deep breath as she took small steps to her child. "He's here, Anastasia" She stood in front of her and pointed to her heart "he's right here."
Ana's eyes glistened as tears pooled at the bottom, her dark eyelashes blinking rapidly. "I want him here." She pointed next to her.
"Me too, baby." Ava pulled Anastasia in her arms letting her daughter cry. "Me too."
