Forever in Music// Dnf

12.

And then she was gone. It wasn't big, it wasn't dramatic. It wasn't like the end of a movie, when tears flow out of your eyes and never stop until you're in the car, hugging your friend, and sipping the barley flavored coke-ice water. It just... happened. It was just death. A death that hurts. In unspoken words, felt by unfallen tears.

George didn't pretend to smile, he just sat down. Looking anywhere but the heart rate monitor and the faces of anyone. The only sound in the room was an unsettling Beep Beep Beep from Niki's monitor. Dream just held her hand. She still had two days, but, given the fact that a lot of her bones were broken, she didn't wake up, and looked like a ghost, she wouldn't come out of the hospital. She probably wouldn't even wake up.

It was just one loss to another, and then you're supposed to move on.

But how do you move on, when everyone you've gotten close to, even if you barely know them, is dead, dying, or immune to death. As if it was a sickness... a disease you could catch. Death the irritating, inevitable, annoying thing as it was.

Hours passed, and nobody spoke, besides doctors coming in periodically. And Dream's almost constant crying. Soon, the sun rose, and nothing changed. Minx had been wheeled out of their room, and it was just two immortal lovers, and one of them's mortal sister. The sun rose higher, and George left the room, walking to a nearby vending machine. He bought snacks and walked back, slowly.

He didn't want to go back to the room. The room one of his friends has just died in. He didn't want to return to Dream's crying face, and Niki's unmoving body. But he had to. To be there for the man he loved. So he turned the silver door handle, and stepped into the room. Voices. Dream's voice. Niki's voice. Frail, and shaky.

"Why did you jump..." George stepped into the room. "Why did you follow her?"

"I had to. I couldn't let her fall by herself. That's just the same as leaving her alone, or ditching her, and I'm never going to do that again." George didn't know what she meant. But it didn't matter. He knew what she felt.

"Niki... You're saying you would rather jump off a cliff with your best friend, then let her go, and live your last days happily...?" Dream stood up, sincerely, but trying to understand.

"If it means she isn't feeling alone, yes. So I did." Niki took a breath, looking at the heart monitor. "I would jump for you too, you know. If you jumped, even though you can't die, I would jump as well." She closed her eyes

"I know... I just don't want you to die. I don't want to be alone." Dream thought back to the day Niki stopped him from going to fight Techno, and instead made him hang out with George. If not for that, nothing would be the same. He would've never met his soulmate.

"You won't be alone." She smiled at George, opening her eyes again. "You found your match."

Dream looked at George. Then moved over a chair, closer to him. George handed Dream a can of coke, and a chocolate granola bar. He took them.

"We both know you'll be fine without me. You'll live forever with him. You won't have to worry about time." Niki looked back to Dream. "We both knew this would happen. You don't have to be sad I'll-"

"Never really be gone?" Dream interrupted her. "I know that's what you say. But... I can't help knowing that I'll go on, and eventually forget you, and just be timeless. Ageless. Immortal." He looked at George, but didn't say anything more.

"Dream, I'm sorry, but it's not my choice. I love you. Just know that." Niki closed her eyes again, breathing softly. She drifted back to sleep.

Morning turned to Noon, Noon turned to night, night turned to 11:58. Dream stood up and walked over to Niki. His tears were dry, but his sadness hung over his head like a rainstorm.