Always Forever (Catradora)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Catra

"Does this look under control to you?"

Xeva's words sliced angrily against her skin, nearly drawing blood from the simplicity of it... the person who had originally been hacking up blood was keeled over, a woman leaning over them and hushing them. Tears dribbled from their eyes as they sobbed uncontrollably, grasping onto the woman's shirt.

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die!" They exclaimed, before erupting into another fit of coughs. This time, the blood that escaped their lips spread against the woman's shirt and stained it a crimson shade.

I don't want to die!

Catra's ears flattened as she could feel the gazes of numerous people setting on her. Her appearance was so clean and not-sick... she must've stuck out like a sore thumb.

The woman hushing the person didn't even glance upwards as she ran her hand up and down their back. "It's okay... it's okay..." she muttered, her eyes dulling as Xeva watched in silence.

"I don't want to die... I don't want to leave... it's too soon—it's... it's too soon," they mumbled, bits of blood bubbling at their lips as they spoke before breaking off and dribbling down to the ground to create a puddle that began to spread outwards slowly. Their hands shook as they rocked themselves back and forth.

Catra's throat closed up, refusing to take in any more of the rotten air that suffocated her nostrils as she could feel her consciousness threatening to break.

"Xeva... we can't... we can't just let this happen," her voice trembled as she spoke, following her hands that simply could not sit still. The terror that was enveloping them was costing their inner and outer functions, refusing to allow them to operate properly.

Xeva's eyes flickered at the statement... he turned slightly. "Come on, let's head back," he muttered, turning from the scene and beginning to make his way back up the staircase.

Something flared up inside of Catra, causing her body to move without her consent as she latched onto Xeva's arm and pulled him back, gesturing to the scene behind them. "How can you be so numb?! This is not something to just... just walk away from!" Catra was well aware of how more and more she was beginning to sound like Adora everyday. Well... when you're around someone like that so much, their ideals begin to rub off on you.

Xeva's body ran still. "Then do tell me," he began, causing Catra to tilt her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. He clenched and unclenched his fist, "Tell me how. We have no medication for it, no way to hospitalize any of them and even if we did... they don't have the money for it!" He spat, his tail flicking as Catra's jaw clenched.

"Oh, so now you have to have money to be alive? How fair!" She replied harshly as Xeva shook his head, bringing his hand to his face.

"You just don't get it... do you? I have no power here, Catra... I can't... I can't do anything," he mumbled, allowing the words to barely fall from his lips. Catra immediately felt herself loosen. She hadn't... she hadn't even thought of his position. Hadn't even considered what situation he'd been in and how much he was able and unable to control about this...

Her ears flattened slightly, partially from guilt and partially from the thought of not knowing what to do. It was driving her insane. "...I'm sorry... it's just..." she glanced up at the people who were slugging about, their eyes devoid of any hope or life that might've once resided within them. "Is there really nothing we can do?" she whispered, the words floating from her lips and wisping off into the air around her. Dissipating as if they had never truly existed in the first place.