there is no such thing as forgiveness.

    He’s coughing, coughing too much. There’s blood dripping down his mouth and from underneath the visor, landing on his shirt and hands. He’s really breaking down this time. 

    “Chell--” He reaches up on the counter, grasping the edge in attempt to pull his weak body up from where he sits on the floor. “The bottle of medication, the little bottle--!!”

    He thinks he placed on the counter. He can’t see it, and he’s unable to reach wherever it is. His heart hurts, pounds like the pounding in his head--and oh Lord, he can hardly breathe. 

    He wanted at laugh at her apparent ‘comment’. If he wanted to kill himself like that he would have used something far more practical than measly tie. Not that he wanted to kill himself. 

   “Alright, stop trying to kill me. It’s just something you wear, understand? Like a hair tie, or a hat,” he explained. 

    It surprised him what little she knew of the world. What he gathered from her so far was already rather alarming. She had an unnecessary surgery that removed her voice. She seems to be very distrustful towards everyone. There were numerous possibilities; abandoned, runaway--even brought up in a horrible home where she wasn’t allowed out much. Terrible situations. 

    He needed to understand. 

sorry i haven’t been too active!! i just finished a move, so I’m here now.

Maya looked at the picture on her phone and grinned. His smile in the picture was so genuine, so happy. Seeing Diego smile filled Maya’s chest with warmth. She hadn’t seen him so happy…well, ever. 

Frankly; she hadn’t been this happy since her wedding to Miles. Granted, she had been very happy, but not as happy as she was right now. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was glad to not be pregnant anymore. 

The medium leaned back on her bed again and closed her eyes for a moment. She let out a yawn. Perhaps she was more tired than she thought she was. Giving birth was a tiring activity, after all. She forced herself to stay awake, though. She could take a nap once Diego was gone. She wanted to be awake so that they could spend some time together.

“So…how have you been feeling?” Maya asked. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around lately.” 

    Diego snorted at her yawn, agreeing with her. He was tired too, hence why he drank numerous amount of coffee in a single day. Before the incident, he just liked the taste of the bitter delicacy. Now, he drinks it to stay awake. Bodily aches left him in a constant state of fatigue, accompanied with dull headaches. It served as a better form of medication that his real one. 

    “Mentally? Better. I’ve been in better spirits since being around the manor--pun and all.”

    It wasn’t a huge change in mental state of mind, but Maya didn’t need to know that. His presence there wasn’t the reason for the slight change, either. Rather, it was what followed just before his last heart attack. He finally saw and accepted that someone wanted him alive. Thought he should be alive. Although he didn’t necessarily agree--he did for her sake. He had to. 

    He’s improved, that’s all that mattered. 

“Is… Is he supposed to feed me?”

“I mean, he’s my boss – not my dad. Not even Mr. Gavin–” He paused then, realizing the statement wouldn’t be true if he finished it; his former mentor and boss had taken him out for lunch from time to time. He shook his head and decided to take a different approach. “I don’t think Mr. Wright does much better himself; I really don’t think he’s holding out on us.”

    How ignorant of Wright. Why would have younger folks like the one before him under his care--his supervision, no less, and not give them some sort of compensation. If Apollo really worked under Wright’s wing, he didn’t seem to be faring well. Not that Godot was doing any better, but at least he’d offer a nice cup of dark, bitter coffee. 

    “Right--got me there. But what if you were to pass out, hm?” He scoffs, rolling his blind eyes. “How about I share some of what I have? It’s not much--but it’s something.”