Cranberry with Malt
Author: Nikki
Challenge: Cranberry #14 (Death)
Toppings/Extras: Malt ("Bye, bye, bye, all this dog-eared innocence. I can't pretend that I can tell you what is going to happen next or how to be. But you have no idea about me. Do you?" - The Graveyard Near the House, Airborne Toxic Event)
Word Count: 593
Rating: PG
Notes: Takes place in October 2016. Warning for character death, and major sadness.
Story: Phase; the title of this is "A Heartache No One Can Heal."
Summary: Angie's death.
Notes: I'm pretty annoyed at my characters for not giving me anything solo to write in weeks, and then suddenly shoving this on me. Hopefully, reading this as emotional to the reader as it was for me to write. I FEEL LIKE JOSS WHEDON.
Constructive criticism is very welcome.
*
Angie had told the doctors weeks ago that she wanted to be at home. She never finished the rest of the sentence, that she wanted to be at home when she left, but everyone knew. So, she was. Angie was resting on the bed when Rayne walked back into the bedroom. Even though Angie's eyes were closed, she moved slowly, quietly as she walked over to the side of the bed. Sudden movements and loud noises made Angie nauseous now.
Angie didn't open her eyes when Rayne sat on the floor and leaned forward to gently rest her arms against the bed. Rayne was surprised when she slowly raise a hand to softly run it through Rayne's hair, just once, after a few moments. "You were gone," she whispered.
"I thought you were sleeping," Rayne answered, just as softly. "I thought I'd give you some quiet."
The corners of Angie's lips turned up. "You know I can't sleep without you." Slowly, Angie opened her eyes to look at Rayne, and for a moment, she was there behind the fog of drugs and cancer, this strong woman she loved trapped in a weak, weak shell. "I love you," Angie told her, before she seemed to fade again and her eyes drifted closed.
There was a click that Rayne all too well recognized as the sound of the button from Angie's morphine drip, and she briefly closed her eyes. "I know, baby. I love you too, so much."
After a few minutes of silence, she thought Angie had fallen back asleep. Rayne looked up when Angie softly spoke again. "Do you know when I fell in love with you?"
Rayne smiled, though she couldn't help but think it fell short. "The moment you saw me."
It surprised her when Angie just barely shook her head. "Yeah. But I didn't notice it... After I dropped you off that night, you kissed me." Her voice was a little labored as she continued, and Rayne was torn between telling her to rest and letting her talk for as long as she could. "And then... you went inside."
"You love me because I didn't sleep with you?"
"No," Angie murmured, her eyes falling closed. The click of the morphine was loud in the room. "Because you left me." Rayne could hear her not trying to slur her words. "And I... still wanted you. If you had been any other girl..."
As much as she absolutely hated it, Rayne felt tears start to burn behind her eyes. "I never left you, Angie."
That small, weak smile - if it weren't part of Angie, she would hate that as well - returned. "No. You didn't." The smile disappeared. "I wish..."
Rayne cut her off with a fierce whisper. "Don't wish."
Slowly, Angie raised a hand to Rayne's cheek, and she leaned into the barely there touch. "Are you still my girl?" she asked.
Pain rushed through her, making her feel like everything inside her was cracked. Something twisted in her throat, leaving her voice pale and sad and very, very true. "I'll always be your girl."
Something in Angie seemed to relax, and she slowly let her hand fall back to the bed. "I'm so tired, Rayne," she murmured, barely audible.
"Sleep," Rayne managed to whisper, but Angie already was. She didn't know how long she sat there, listening to her breathe. There seemed to be a pause, before it happened, and Angie - her Angie, tall and strong, and here - flashed through Rayne's mind.
And then she was gone.
Challenge: Cranberry #14 (Death)
Toppings/Extras: Malt ("Bye, bye, bye, all this dog-eared innocence. I can't pretend that I can tell you what is going to happen next or how to be. But you have no idea about me. Do you?" - The Graveyard Near the House, Airborne Toxic Event)
Word Count: 593
Rating: PG
Notes: Takes place in October 2016. Warning for character death, and major sadness.
Story: Phase; the title of this is "A Heartache No One Can Heal."
Summary: Angie's death.
Notes: I'm pretty annoyed at my characters for not giving me anything solo to write in weeks, and then suddenly shoving this on me. Hopefully, reading this as emotional to the reader as it was for me to write. I FEEL LIKE JOSS WHEDON.
Constructive criticism is very welcome.
*
Angie had told the doctors weeks ago that she wanted to be at home. She never finished the rest of the sentence, that she wanted to be at home when she left, but everyone knew. So, she was. Angie was resting on the bed when Rayne walked back into the bedroom. Even though Angie's eyes were closed, she moved slowly, quietly as she walked over to the side of the bed. Sudden movements and loud noises made Angie nauseous now.
Angie didn't open her eyes when Rayne sat on the floor and leaned forward to gently rest her arms against the bed. Rayne was surprised when she slowly raise a hand to softly run it through Rayne's hair, just once, after a few moments. "You were gone," she whispered.
"I thought you were sleeping," Rayne answered, just as softly. "I thought I'd give you some quiet."
The corners of Angie's lips turned up. "You know I can't sleep without you." Slowly, Angie opened her eyes to look at Rayne, and for a moment, she was there behind the fog of drugs and cancer, this strong woman she loved trapped in a weak, weak shell. "I love you," Angie told her, before she seemed to fade again and her eyes drifted closed.
There was a click that Rayne all too well recognized as the sound of the button from Angie's morphine drip, and she briefly closed her eyes. "I know, baby. I love you too, so much."
After a few minutes of silence, she thought Angie had fallen back asleep. Rayne looked up when Angie softly spoke again. "Do you know when I fell in love with you?"
Rayne smiled, though she couldn't help but think it fell short. "The moment you saw me."
It surprised her when Angie just barely shook her head. "Yeah. But I didn't notice it... After I dropped you off that night, you kissed me." Her voice was a little labored as she continued, and Rayne was torn between telling her to rest and letting her talk for as long as she could. "And then... you went inside."
"You love me because I didn't sleep with you?"
"No," Angie murmured, her eyes falling closed. The click of the morphine was loud in the room. "Because you left me." Rayne could hear her not trying to slur her words. "And I... still wanted you. If you had been any other girl..."
As much as she absolutely hated it, Rayne felt tears start to burn behind her eyes. "I never left you, Angie."
That small, weak smile - if it weren't part of Angie, she would hate that as well - returned. "No. You didn't." The smile disappeared. "I wish..."
Rayne cut her off with a fierce whisper. "Don't wish."
Slowly, Angie raised a hand to Rayne's cheek, and she leaned into the barely there touch. "Are you still my girl?" she asked.
Pain rushed through her, making her feel like everything inside her was cracked. Something twisted in her throat, leaving her voice pale and sad and very, very true. "I'll always be your girl."
Something in Angie seemed to relax, and she slowly let her hand fall back to the bed. "I'm so tired, Rayne," she murmured, barely audible.
"Sleep," Rayne managed to whisper, but Angie already was. She didn't know how long she sat there, listening to her breathe. There seemed to be a pause, before it happened, and Angie - her Angie, tall and strong, and here - flashed through Rayne's mind.
And then she was gone.