Ghost

36 - Lingchi

- Oliver's POV -

"Bucky get me a damp cloth!" Aurora demanded. Charlie nodded and sprinted into the kitchen, returning seconds later, handing her a slightly wet dish towel. "Regina help her!" My angel shouted desperatly as she wiped the blood from her mother's hand and mouth.

"She can't." Jane whispered and grabbed my angel's shaking hands.

"She's a great doctor momma, she can figure this out and she can make you better!" She was panicking. Her voice trembling like her hands. Tears began to flow. Not just from my angel but Regina as well.

*FLASHBACK*

"Give it to me straight."  I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.

"It's not good. She has Wegener granulomatosis. An autoimmune disease that affects the lungs and kidneys. I would have been able to treat it if we caught it in its early stages, but it seems she has been suffering from this for years."

"Is there nothing we can do? Surgery? Medications? Anything!?" My mind is racing. Searching for any answer other than the one I fear I might get anyway.

"All we can do is make the time she has left comfortable for her. I can abate the symptoms and give her pain meds but treatment in this late of the stages would do no good. I've explained everything to her and she seems to be accepting of what is to come. I'm sorry Oliver." I hear Regina sniffle. "We are headed back to the house. She wants to be the one to tell Aurora and her brothers the news. We'll see you in a bit." When she hung up the phone my heart sank to the floor.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

"Listen to me baby." Jane winced as Regina and I helped her sit up striaght. Griffin, Max and Ethan walk in from outside and see my angel on the floor in tears. Griffin and Max rush over to her and Jane. Griffin kneeled down and took Aurora in his arms.

"Sissy, what's wrong?" Griffin stroked her hair and turned to Jane. "Mom, why is she crying?" Max took a seat next to Jane and held her hand.

"I want all three of you to listen to me carefully." She wheezed a shallow breath. "I know I wasn't the mother you deserved, but not a single day went by that I didn't think about you. I never stopped loving you. I did what I thought was best at the time and I will forever regret giving you up like I did."

"Momma please, your scaring me. What's going on?" Tears began to pour from him as he clutched onto Jane's hand harder.

"I'm dying. My body isn't working like it should."

"No! Regina can..." Max began but Jane stopped him.

"There's nothing she can do baby." Jane cupped his face. "Whatever time I have left with you, I want to make the most of it." She turned to Aurora and reached for her hands. Aurora took them and sat down next to her sobbing.

"Momma you can't die. We just got you back. You can't leave us again." She sobbed harder and wrapped her arms around Jane.

"I will never leave you again my sweet baby girl. No matter where I go, I will always be right here." Jane pointed to Aurora's heart. Happy entered the room and no words were needed. He felt the heaviness in the air and walked over to my angel, kissing her on the head and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and went back to hugging Jane. He walked over to me.