Word Count: 1,021

It’d been a few days since the world went black, Fiona hadn’t kept track of how many really, it didn’t matter if it was one or a hundred... Everyone was sleeping, the hospital over flowing, and some victims still coming in, Fiona wasn’t sure if they were still being found or if they just dropped. Fiona Crowley sighed, a Johnny cash song coming on her grandson’s Ipod, she’d been listening to it as he slept on.

Finally one of the nurses convinced her to go get some rest; they’d call her if anything changed. Fiona had been home only to feed the dog and make sure he was okay. Merlin apparently was lucky, so were most of the people on their particular street that hadn’t been out in town.

Her eyes closed as tears rolled down her cheeks. It was still afternoon, she walked home. She was sniffling occasionally; she knew what she had to do. She didn’t want to do it. Her cell phone was dug out, looking to see if there had been any missed calls. There hadn’t been, she sucked in a breath as she paused on a street corner to make sure all was safe before crossing. Her eyes were on the cell phone now as she walked slow, dialing the number that she knew would be the worst nightmare anyone could dial.

She’d always been a strong woman; the phone shook in her hand as she hit the call button, placing the phone to her ear. When the other end picked up, she sobbed into the phone, “Glenda, Glenda, i-i-it’s just horrible!”

The older woman sobbed, as Mrs. Crowley on the other side of the world blinked in shock trying to calm her mother-in-law down. “Fiona, Fiona, what’s wrong? Please, calm down, tell me what’s happened.”

When she heard why Fiona was calling the phone dropped, the pale woman, the ‘good witch’ cried. “No… no, we just got him back.” She said in desperate choked sobs. Her husband was frozen in the doorway getting home from a late night at the ‘office’, froze like a deer in the headlights.

Glenda looked up at him, tears streaming, “Honey...” she said as he rushed to her side she looked at the phone, causing him to look at it as well and he picked it up.

“H-Hello?” He asked almost scared to hear what had upset his wife.

Fiona sniffled again, “Conway, there’s something wrong with Azzo.” She said softly, “He’s in the hospital out cold...”

Choked sobbing came from her side of the line.

“Out… cold?” The older man couldn’t believe it, how could he be out cold? “What happened!?”

“I-I don’t know, I... I just... I don’t know... half the city dropped.” She said clearly distressed. “Half the city... and, and, Azzo too.”

Conway’s free hand rose to his hair running through it, he was lost as to what to do. Who was to blame? Whose throat could he threaten to slit if they didn’t fix it? Who could he go to? Where could he go? The man’s body shook, with a rage, but he knew he couldn’t leave base again for a while, what could he do?

“Mother, I’ll fix it.” He said in his stern calm-raging voice, the one that always caused his mother to flinch.

Fiona sighed, “Don’t... Pleaseee don’t do anything to jeopardize your career.” She begged, tears still running down her face, but there was no answer, only a I’ll talk to you later mother just a moment later before the click of phone being hung up could be heard.

Fiona walked the streets until she tired enough to call a cab. From there she made him wait so she could feed Merlin, and then she took the cab back to the hospital. The cabby was watching her, her cheeks were puffy, eyes red, it was clear she’d been crying. “Ma’am, far from it to be for me to sticking my nose into your business...” He started, with a pause, “but are you okay?”

Fiona just shook her head as they pulled back up to the hospital. He watched her as she got out, and paid for the ride. “For what it’s worth...” He trailed off looking up at the hospital, “I hope things turn out okay.” He’d seen too many kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and other people heading to the hospital the whole town almost seemed to have a melancholy feel too it.

Fiona made the trek back to Azzo’s room and sat down in the chair, it wasn’t all that comfy, but it was better than being away from her grandson. She slept there head resting on his bed, as one of the nurses came back by to see she was back. There was a soft sigh, she never left his side, they’d have to watch her though, and hopefully she didn’t pass out from exhaustion they didn’t have any more room.

The next morning, high heels clicked over the floor, Glinda was dressed in black, her fair hair up in a loose bun that allowed some hair to fall to her shoulders. She had gotten a ticket for the first flight out of the base in Korea and headed to Density City. She was a woman on a mission, when she saw Fiona there asleep on the chair her face contorted into a frown, and softly she woke up the woman. The younger woman drove Fiona home and made her promise to stay there and get some actual sleep.

When Glenda returned to Azzo’s side she looked at him, “We just got you back...” She whispered, eyes closed as she stood by his bedside, without his father, her hand on his, “We can’t lose you again. We won’t lose you again, you understand right?” She said as she sunk into the chair that the older woman was sitting in not that long ago, hoping for an answer any sign that he even had heard her. His father couldn’t get off but she had no obligations unlike him, he wasn’t going to be the one fighting this battle.