Purple Sunrise

Thirty-Two

John sat on the edge of the bed as to not disturb her much.

"How have you been getting on?" He sincerely asked her.

"Not too well, I've read a lot of passages about many unknown, virus's, Flu's, even some plaques. But nothing with the same symptoms as Lily has as of yet." Rose paused.

"How is she doing now?" Her voice was small, filled with concern.

John shook his head, not needing to answer any more than that. Lily's health hadn't changed.

"At least it isn't getting any worse." She shrugged weakly. It was the best that they all could hope for, for now.

John smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"She will be okay. Lily is one of the strongest, most stubborn people I have ever had the pleasure to come across, if anyone will beat this, she will."

Not much was said for a while after that; they both sat there, in their own worlds not wanting to talk anymore but wanting some sort of comfort. Rose's thoughts centred purely around what Lily had, what she had been up to for the last couple of days hoping that it might give her some sort of clue as to what was going on.

Nothing.

Rose kept on coming up empty of how this could've happened, or why it would happen to such a sweet girl. Not wanting her thoughts to get any deeper, Rose sighed before 0pening the Journal back up to read more.

..I am beginning to get tired from having to write these sorts of entries. But another one of us has fallen ill yet again...

She had re-read the sentence 4 times before giving up. Her mind just wouldn't concentrate to be able to read any more.

"I need sleep." Rose announced to John.

She waited for him to nod, getting up and walking out of her room before turning the light off; not bothering to get changed and closing her eyes.

Rose's dreams were filled with Lily playing, laughing, and making snow angels in the mud, before turning to a sickly pale colour, hair limp, hands wrapped around her middle. The dream coming in different forms, but always on the same primase.

Rose sat bolt upright, breathing heavy with sweat coursing down the spine in her back. Gulping loudly, she rubbed her eyes believing that this would help to get the nightmares to leave. She leapt out of bed almost running into Lily's room to check on her; letting out a deep breath with half a laugh as she gazed. Lily was sound asleep on the bed.

Rose tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear gently, waking Lily up in the process.

"I didn't mean to wake you, go back to sleep." She whispered. Lily grabbed her sleeve, pulling her closer to her.

"Please don't go." Lily croaked out, it was the best that she could do, with her throat being so dry and hot. It felt as if someone had poured boiling ash down it. She coughed, wincing from the pain it caused in her head.

"I'll just be a minute, let me go get you something to drink." Lily saw her beam down at her before Rose had left her in the empty room. Lily wasn't happy in there, all alone yet again. The emptiness creeping up inside, not wanting to let go with the despair of being so ill. She was miserable.

It wasn't long until Rose stepped back into the room, lightly manoeuvring to the bed with a glass of water in one hand, and milk in the other. Lily grinned at her, staring from one hand to the other in hopes that the milk would be for her.

"Which one looks more appealing?" She asked.

"The milk." Lily held out her hands, wiggling her fingers expectantly waiting for the cool glass to touch them and close around the glass. Gulping it down, Lily felt her throat soothe, burning that much less. Her chest feeling as heavy as the weight of a thousand trees sitting on it. The pain radiating through the rest of her body, feeling as if someone had taken all the heat and shoving blasts of freezing air through them.