Welcome to Gaia! ::

Xander stood in Hannah’s room with her clipboard in hand reading it. It told him what treatments she received and at what times, not that he didn’t know, but he checked it often because he didn’t want to see anything go amiss with her. Hannah was very important to him, he never imagined when he took on her case just what that would entail, but that didn’t mean he would change it.

The clipboard was placed back on it’s hook and he headed over to her bed, standing by it for a second and just watching over her. He gave a heavy sigh, both Hannah and Lily were currently in the hospital. Neither situation was doing his nerves any favors. He was tired and spent far too much time shuffling between the girls rooms. At least Hannah had woken up, and they knew what was wrong with her. Lily was something else entirely. He dreaded telling Hannah what was going on, but he knew he had too in case the unthinkable happened. He informed more and more people everyday. but it was a little different with Hannah.

After a moment he brushed a periwinkle strand of hair away from her forehead, “Hannah. Hannah wake up. It’s time for you to take your medicine.”

Heavy lids parted ever so slightly in response to the gentle calling at her side. True the pain medicine she had been given the night before had a drowsy side effect but given how long Hannah had slept, it should have worn off several hours ago which meant she was finally able to rest on her own.

Neither nurse Kimple nor the doctor on call the night before had anything to report. No night terrors or incidences of her waking up in a cold sweat; it seemed like she was starting to calm down which was surprising after all she and the other captives had been through.

The fog of sleep took its sweet time lifting but soon tired blue eyes were looking up at him and not past him.

Curly read hair tied back in a ponytail, dark toned skin and chrysocolla colored eyes soon came into focus and had she been able to, Hannah would have undoubtedly spoken the wrong name Shang. As it was, her mouth felt uncomfortably dry, almost like it was filled with cotton; one of the many reasons she hated hospitals, waking up thirsty was never fun.

Her chest rose and fell in what could only be perceived as a sigh or an attempt at banishing the last remnants sleep. The corners of her lips lifted just as a quiet sound escaped her though her lips did not move.

Xander gave a smile, a rare one reserved for those who were allowed to see him fully unguarded. It was a smile that spoke of relief and caring, something he couldn’t help seeing Hannah wake up because sometimes they simply couldn't wake his sister. “Hello,” he said softly taking a seat on the side of the bed, sorry to wake you. I would have let you sleep, but I need you to take these and I need check how you are doing.”

He wanted to say also that he needed to talk to her, but he thought it would be better to wait until she was a little more awake. It wasn’t the best news, it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have, but Hannah likely wouldn’t forgive him if he neglected to tell her. He had no idea what was up with Lily, nobody did.

“Are you feeling okay? Did you sleep well?”

Hannah nodded her head in a silent reply, “yea…” she paused to clear her throat only to wince from the action. “Yeah, I’m... I’m okay.” It wasn’t so much as her trying to lie about how she felt as opposed to trying to some how convince herself that she could be feeling a whole lot worse. The medicine dampened a good chunk of the pain but an uncomfortable ache still lingered; guess that meant she was definitely still alive.

Shifting where she reclined to a more comfortable position, Hannah accepted the small plastic cup and glass of water. At least they weren’t horse pills like the iron supplements she had to take when they first believed her to be anemic. When those went down sideways oh man it hurt.

As he took the cup from her to set on the table beside her bed, Hannah caught a glimpse of the look in his eyes which made her heart ache. She was no fool, nor was she blind to the obvious; something was wrong. The reassuring smile that everything would be okay was all but absent and the weariness in his composure told of sleepless night; if anything it was how her parents both looked when she saw them before falling asleep last night.

“Are you okay?” Hannah asked him with genuine concern. Not only was he her doctor, but a friend and, to a degree, an older brother. He was there for most of her visits to the hospital, he was there when she awakened as a senshi, he had been there for her so many times how could she choose to ignore the elephant in the room after all he had done.

Xander nodded when she said she was okay, then sat back while she took her medicine. It was true he looked haggard. He had a lot to deal with between family and friends and his sisters friend, plus work. Currently he was almost never not at the hospital and barely sleeping. He gave something of a tired chuckle at her question.

“Do I look that bad? I shaved this morning, at least,” he said not that he grew much facial hair, “and I am okay, as okay as I can be given the situations. I just relieved you are okay, knowing that has relieved some of my stress.”

He was skirting around the big question at the moment, the one she was really asking. The question of what wrong? How did one just come out and say I think my sister is dying. It wasn’t an easy mouthful.

He gave her a tired and wary look. “I have something important I think you should know.”

His attempts at easing her worry by making light of the question only seemed to make it worse. True he did look some what relieved, but behind that he looked… hopeless. It was an expression she had wore many times in her recent past when something had become so overbearing that she could feel the crushing weight of it upon her chest. When all she wanted to do was open up to someone only to come to the conclusion of ‘what’s the point’.

No, he was doing what she had just done; trying to convince himself that things weren't as bad as they otherwise could be. Wise beyond her years and knowing when comfort was needed Hannah looked up at him with searching eyes and spoke of patience and understanding.

“What’s going on?” She finally asked when it seemed he had been waiting for her reply “What happened?”

Xander’s face took on a slightly devastated expression and he quickly looked away trying to school his expression. He looked up at the ceiling before looking back to Hannah and sighed, “sometime just before new years Lily got sick. She went into the hospital new years eve and no one can figure out what is wrong with her.”

He looked down at his hand and his lap, “she has been here since then and has only progressively gotten worse and despite every test and every effort we have no answers. My little sister appears to be just slipping away before my very eyes and it seems like there is nothing anyone can do.”

He gave her a watery smile and reached out to run a hand over her hair, “she’s fighting though. Lily is a fighter and she won’t give up or give in. I know she won’t.”

Though she was still looking in Xanders direction as he spoke, her gaze was set somewhere far off in the distance. Lily…? The sound of her friends name was like a distant cry for help in the back of her mind; far away and out of sight.

Hannah’s brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief as a maelstrom of questions consumed her mind. Dying? No… she can’t… but she, she was suppose to… why. Small whimpering sounds escaped her barely parted lips.

It would be easy to blame the medicine or her current situation for her duress but it would only be a lie.

Her breathing was shallow as her body trembled slightly beside Dr.Jacobs and silent tears rolled down her pale cheeks. “You’re lying…you have” to help her… Hannah’s mind finished. “… Lily… she can’t…” Sentences did not come easy to one who could barely hold onto a thought and so she repeated the last two words out of desperation “She can't...” die…

In her heart she knew he had been doing all he could but she could not help by say what she had said. Too many times had she lost someone she had become close to. Another patient two rooms down from where she had been staying had once seemed to be in remission only to learn they had passed away two days later. Lily could not be among them too, as the senshi of prayer she couldn’t say goodbye, not yet… not without trying.

“What - What can we do?” Hannah looked up at him imploringly, eyes rimmed red from freshly fallen tears.

Xander found himself fighting tears, trying very hard not to break down himself at her response, it was hard not to just drop his head into his hands and sob for the hopelessness he really felt. Lily was Maia, who fought in this nighttime war for years, surviving every hurdle thrown at her. This illness, this unknown. It was trying to take her.

“I …,” he said not entirely sure how to respond to her. “We just have to stay strong for her. Visit her and talk to her. She is sleeping a lot and currently often not awake. I don't think she has the energy, but we can be there for her and with her even if she isn't awake to see it.”

He sighed, “I’m sorry Hannah. I want to say that I can save her. That I know what is wrong with her, but no one seems to. They’ve moved her to diagnostics and the way things are looking, she could possibly end up in the ICU or …”


The coma ward … dead … he couldn’t finish the sentence. He ran his hand across Hannah’s head once more and wiped her tears with his sleeve. “Chin up, she needs us.”

There was no need for Dr Jacobs to finish his sentence, Hannah knew full well what the final possibility would be without it being voiced. It was something that often sat in the recesses of most peoples minds when a cherished or loved one was brought to the hospital.

Given the condition she was already in, calming the emotions she felt took much doing and after several minutes of remembering how to breath the tears finally stopped.

“I-if whatever is making her sick is unknown and might not have a cure… could it have been caused by an attack? A fight with a terrorist...” A word she used in reference of the other ‘war’ which left a sour taste in her mouth. But she knew full well that the scope in which an individual's power could fall into was seemingly limitless. “Has anyone tried to heal her with… you know?” magic

“I honestly do not know, but I think she would have mentioned it if that was the case.” He looked at the chart on the wall, Hannah chart, but still something he was sure Hannah was familiar with and sighed. “She doesn't appear to have any physical injuries at all. As far as anyone can tell, she should be perfectly healthy, but she isn't. They can’t find anything. I’m not ruling out magic, but there is simply no way for us to tell.”

He sighed sitting on the bed and looking at his sister, “no one has tried to heal her with magic as far as I know, but it's a risky thing to even try. Because of the cities terrorist levels so to speak the hospital is heavily monitored. I also only know two healing senshi, one of which should not be trying any sort of thing any time soon.”

He was certain Hannah would know he was referring to her, though it was not as though she could attempt it when he had her pen, closer than she could even imagine, right in his pants pocket with Maia’s.

He was right, whether she admitted it out loud or not, there was no denying what he said was true. No doubt, after what happened at the fun house, security measures would be in place to keep ‘terrorist activities’ low.

Hannah’s shoulders slumped in apparent defeat as her gaze fixated on an arbitrary point on the blanket currently draped over her legs.

“Some risks are worth taking.” she finally replied in a hushed voice. Times like this the possible benefits far outweighed the risks in her book. “Giving up is the only sure way to fail,” a quote she had read online once while she was bored and tired of working on homework. “I don’t want to feel like I’ve failed Lily by not even trying.”

Xander sighed and nodded, he knew that some risks were worth taking. Lily was very ill, but at the moment he wasn’t about to risk Hannah’s health or risk the other senshi’s job. Lily would be upset if something happened and she was feel it was her fault, not only that to risk so much for something that might not work. It was a hard decision to make.

“For now, it's best to leave be. I will think about it in the mean time, but please do not try anything. Lily would tell you if she we’re awake to leave well enough alone for now. She is a fighter and she will keep fighting.”

He have her shoulder a pat, “you haven’t failed her. Be strong for her and that’s enough for the moment.”

Hannah nodded her head, understanding the importance of what he said but it didn’t lessen that dull ache she felt by being helpless and stuck in another part of the hospital. Strength was often something she prayed for since

“When can I go see her?” If Lily’s situation really was as bad as Xander had described, the window of opportunity for Hannah to see her friend was quickly closing.

Xander smiled, “you can visit her in about a weeks time hopefully. I will let her know you are going to come visit her. If she is awake I bet it will make her smile. Why don’t we get something light for you to eat right now. I’m sorry Ive had to give you so much basically awful information to tell you.”

He stood and moved around the bed giving Hannah a soft smile, “you’re a trooper Hannah.”

Before he left, she gave him a weak smile. Sadness still surrounded her but that was expected given the news she had been awoken to.

When the door shut behind him as he left her room, the sound of an ambulance siren approaching drew her attention outside. The streets were bustling with cars and pedestrians going about their day without a care in the world. If only you all knew she thought as her mind began to wonder to events yet to come. Hopefully this is the begining

“Lord, please watch over Lily and Dr. Jacobs.” It was a small yet sincere prayer but one she wished for with all her heart. For all they had done for her over the years, for now this was the least Hannah could do till she was feeling well enough to visit her friend.