(no subject)
Thanks to
dragon_faere
for beta-ing!
Title: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Rating: PG
Summary: "Cyclonia has been defeated, the war is long over, but not all stories have a happy ending" Pairing inside
Warning: Character death
It wasn't supposed to end like this. She looked down at his still form, her hand resting on his still-warm cheek. She felt an overwhelming urge to scream at the injustice of it all, it wasn't fair, he was just fifty-five years old, they should have had years ahead of them. And now she was a widow at forty.
They had been married just over fifteen years. Pneumonia, the doctors said.
It had all started so innocently. He developed a persistent nagging cough. He shrugged off her concern, ignored her pleas to see a doctor, told her it was only a cough and it would pass.
She had woken during the night and found him struggling to breathe. Stork, who was always welcome, was staying on the terra for a few days in order to avail of the natural hot springs. He was quickly roused to action and flew them to the nearest Terra with adequate medical facilities. He rested quietly in one of the spare rooms in The Condor whilst she watched over him.
Stork, although curious, stayed on the bridge and didn't hover around them; she made a note to thank him later. She doubted Finn would have been as accommodating had he been there. By the time he was admitted into hospital, he was barely able to stand. It was shocking how weak he had become.
It had been awful to see him lying there hooked up to a drip with an oxygen mask to help him breathe. That morning she thought he showed signs of recovery. Though in a weakened state, he smirked and had spoken of the last time he had been in the hospital after a spill from his ride during the Atmos Great Race. He ended up with a busted collarbone and broken femur. She sighed and told him in no certain terms that he was too weak to engage in sexual activities. With a mock moodiness in his tone, he told her to get some sleep. Exhausted, she laid her head on his chest and held him close to her.
It was late evening when she woke. Immediately she could tell he was worse, his breathing was more laboured and he could barely lift his head. She wanted to go and get a doctor but he asked her to stay with him. Looking back, she wondered if he knew that he was dying at the time. He looked at her tenderly, a soft smile on his face as he brushed some stray strands from her face. He pulled down his oxygen mask and told her he loved her and then spoke of the first time he had seen her. He replaced his oxygen mask and sank back into the pillow.
She took his hand, held it to her face, and he smiled gently at her. After a few minutes she noticed that he was looking right at her, but not seeing her. He was looking at something past her that only he could see. She had been so used to his wheezing breath as part of the background noise that the sudden silence confused her at first before the horrific realisation dawned on her.
Letting go of his hand, she ran into the corridor and screamed for help. They worked on him for twenty minutes as she looked on, tears running down her face, silently willing him to live but the doctor in charge finally conceded defeat. Looking at her watch, the doctor stated "Time of death" only to be interrupted with a distraught "No, you can't" and pushed roughly aside.
Pumping his chest, she tried to breathe life back into him. The doctor pulled her back, told her he was dead. She turned on her viciously, accused her of not doing more to save him because she was one of those who hated him because of what he once was.
She was rewarded by a sharp slap across her face. The doctor angrily declared she didn't hate him, her brother had been one of those who had been recruited as a Talon under false pretences, he saved him from Snipe's mace when the talon commander got a little too zealous with his ‘smushing’.
"He was a war hero," the doctor declared, "but he's gone now. If I could save him, I would"
The trauma team silently left the room. He had died at half past eleven in the evening.
She thought back to the final assault on Cyclonis' citadel. He had been spying for the Sky Knight Council for several months at that point. Cyclonis had trusted him; he’d proven his worth over and over again with the capture of several prominent Sky Knights and in some cases, entire squadrons. One of the Rex Guardians would not be flying again for several months after being in receipt of a broken arm. After the final briefing was held in secret on some obscure terra, he took her aside and lightly brushed his mouth against hers, wishing her good luck. She had not been surprised, not really. Over the months as they secretly worked together they came to be on friendly terms.
She was engaged in single combat with Snipe when she tripped over a fallen crossbow. He emerged from the shadows, his blade red with blood. Snipe stood aside and smirked at him as he drew near.
"All yours," Snipe said with a laugh.
"Thank you," he replied, running Snipe through.
HE had been badly injured shortly afterwards when he shielded her from falling rubble as part of the ceiling collapsed on top of them. When they were dug out, the battle was over and Cyclonia had fallen. He was unconscious and fell into a coma. The doctors had not expected him to live, but he woke after two weeks and eventually made an almost complete recovery.
Four months after victory the Rex Guardians held a ball in their citadel on Terra Rex. All of the Sky Knight squadrons who could make it attended. He did not think she shared his feelings as she gave him no indication of reciprocating them since he kissed her and he did not press the issue. How wrong he had been; when he went to talk to her, she asked him to accompany her to her room on the pretence she needed a wrap because she was cold. Once there, she revealed her feelings to him. She kissed him with a need wrought of long desire. They had spent the night making love.
The next morning Aerrow stopped her in a hallway and confessed his feelings for her only to learn her heart belonged to another. Spurned and angry, Aerrow poured scorn on her new relationship and told her how disgusting it was. His tirade earned him a broken nose. He had not been invited to their wedding a year later.
When she fell pregnant three years into their marriage he was delighted and revealed another aspect if his personality, uber-protective daddy. He hired a physician to monitor every stage of her pregnancy and practically pitched a fit every time she showed even a hint of nausea or dizziness.
Their daughter, their precious daughter, she was beautiful and they both adored her. They were devastated when she died in a tragic accident when she was only seven. It had taken their little girl's death for her to reconcile with Aerrow over the hurtful comments he had made after the celebration on Terra Rex.
She had been their only child. In less than five years she had lost the two people who meant the most to her in the Atmos, she had nothing left now. She sat down, her back against the wall and wept.
The doctor returned an hour later holding a radio phone and asked her if there was anyone she needed to call. Thanking her, she took the phone and the doctor left her alone once more. Crossing over to the bed she laid a kiss on her beloved’s cold forehead and before she reached down and closed his eyes forever. He was still smiling.
With a trembling hand she dialed the necessary number and tried unsuccessfully to hold back her tears at the grumpy, sleepy voice at the other end of the phone.
"Spitz," she said, her voice trembling. "It's Starling."
dragon_faere
for beta-ing!
Title: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Rating: PG
Summary: "Cyclonia has been defeated, the war is long over, but not all stories have a happy ending" Pairing inside
Warning: Character death
It wasn't supposed to end like this. She looked down at his still form, her hand resting on his still-warm cheek. She felt an overwhelming urge to scream at the injustice of it all, it wasn't fair, he was just fifty-five years old, they should have had years ahead of them. And now she was a widow at forty.
They had been married just over fifteen years. Pneumonia, the doctors said.
It had all started so innocently. He developed a persistent nagging cough. He shrugged off her concern, ignored her pleas to see a doctor, told her it was only a cough and it would pass.
She had woken during the night and found him struggling to breathe. Stork, who was always welcome, was staying on the terra for a few days in order to avail of the natural hot springs. He was quickly roused to action and flew them to the nearest Terra with adequate medical facilities. He rested quietly in one of the spare rooms in The Condor whilst she watched over him.
Stork, although curious, stayed on the bridge and didn't hover around them; she made a note to thank him later. She doubted Finn would have been as accommodating had he been there. By the time he was admitted into hospital, he was barely able to stand. It was shocking how weak he had become.
It had been awful to see him lying there hooked up to a drip with an oxygen mask to help him breathe. That morning she thought he showed signs of recovery. Though in a weakened state, he smirked and had spoken of the last time he had been in the hospital after a spill from his ride during the Atmos Great Race. He ended up with a busted collarbone and broken femur. She sighed and told him in no certain terms that he was too weak to engage in sexual activities. With a mock moodiness in his tone, he told her to get some sleep. Exhausted, she laid her head on his chest and held him close to her.
It was late evening when she woke. Immediately she could tell he was worse, his breathing was more laboured and he could barely lift his head. She wanted to go and get a doctor but he asked her to stay with him. Looking back, she wondered if he knew that he was dying at the time. He looked at her tenderly, a soft smile on his face as he brushed some stray strands from her face. He pulled down his oxygen mask and told her he loved her and then spoke of the first time he had seen her. He replaced his oxygen mask and sank back into the pillow.
She took his hand, held it to her face, and he smiled gently at her. After a few minutes she noticed that he was looking right at her, but not seeing her. He was looking at something past her that only he could see. She had been so used to his wheezing breath as part of the background noise that the sudden silence confused her at first before the horrific realisation dawned on her.
Letting go of his hand, she ran into the corridor and screamed for help. They worked on him for twenty minutes as she looked on, tears running down her face, silently willing him to live but the doctor in charge finally conceded defeat. Looking at her watch, the doctor stated "Time of death" only to be interrupted with a distraught "No, you can't" and pushed roughly aside.
Pumping his chest, she tried to breathe life back into him. The doctor pulled her back, told her he was dead. She turned on her viciously, accused her of not doing more to save him because she was one of those who hated him because of what he once was.
She was rewarded by a sharp slap across her face. The doctor angrily declared she didn't hate him, her brother had been one of those who had been recruited as a Talon under false pretences, he saved him from Snipe's mace when the talon commander got a little too zealous with his ‘smushing’.
"He was a war hero," the doctor declared, "but he's gone now. If I could save him, I would"
The trauma team silently left the room. He had died at half past eleven in the evening.
She thought back to the final assault on Cyclonis' citadel. He had been spying for the Sky Knight Council for several months at that point. Cyclonis had trusted him; he’d proven his worth over and over again with the capture of several prominent Sky Knights and in some cases, entire squadrons. One of the Rex Guardians would not be flying again for several months after being in receipt of a broken arm. After the final briefing was held in secret on some obscure terra, he took her aside and lightly brushed his mouth against hers, wishing her good luck. She had not been surprised, not really. Over the months as they secretly worked together they came to be on friendly terms.
She was engaged in single combat with Snipe when she tripped over a fallen crossbow. He emerged from the shadows, his blade red with blood. Snipe stood aside and smirked at him as he drew near.
"All yours," Snipe said with a laugh.
"Thank you," he replied, running Snipe through.
HE had been badly injured shortly afterwards when he shielded her from falling rubble as part of the ceiling collapsed on top of them. When they were dug out, the battle was over and Cyclonia had fallen. He was unconscious and fell into a coma. The doctors had not expected him to live, but he woke after two weeks and eventually made an almost complete recovery.
Four months after victory the Rex Guardians held a ball in their citadel on Terra Rex. All of the Sky Knight squadrons who could make it attended. He did not think she shared his feelings as she gave him no indication of reciprocating them since he kissed her and he did not press the issue. How wrong he had been; when he went to talk to her, she asked him to accompany her to her room on the pretence she needed a wrap because she was cold. Once there, she revealed her feelings to him. She kissed him with a need wrought of long desire. They had spent the night making love.
The next morning Aerrow stopped her in a hallway and confessed his feelings for her only to learn her heart belonged to another. Spurned and angry, Aerrow poured scorn on her new relationship and told her how disgusting it was. His tirade earned him a broken nose. He had not been invited to their wedding a year later.
When she fell pregnant three years into their marriage he was delighted and revealed another aspect if his personality, uber-protective daddy. He hired a physician to monitor every stage of her pregnancy and practically pitched a fit every time she showed even a hint of nausea or dizziness.
Their daughter, their precious daughter, she was beautiful and they both adored her. They were devastated when she died in a tragic accident when she was only seven. It had taken their little girl's death for her to reconcile with Aerrow over the hurtful comments he had made after the celebration on Terra Rex.
She had been their only child. In less than five years she had lost the two people who meant the most to her in the Atmos, she had nothing left now. She sat down, her back against the wall and wept.
The doctor returned an hour later holding a radio phone and asked her if there was anyone she needed to call. Thanking her, she took the phone and the doctor left her alone once more. Crossing over to the bed she laid a kiss on her beloved’s cold forehead and before she reached down and closed his eyes forever. He was still smiling.
With a trembling hand she dialed the necessary number and tried unsuccessfully to hold back her tears at the grumpy, sleepy voice at the other end of the phone.
"Spitz," she said, her voice trembling. "It's Starling."