What Fades Away

chapter 19: my love

a/n: this is it! the end is here. this is the first fic I was brave enough to write and while it's not perfect or exactly what I wanted, it has been so much fun. thanks everyone for loving this story with me and for all your support.

There will be an short epilogue dropping next week...remember to like, comment, and share!

For once, Mara is warm.

A tingly, all over warmth that she can feel spreading from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She tries to open her eyes but all that's there is darkness. Every movement seems like it's slowed, like she's moving through thick sludge in an attempt just to raise her fingers. It's frustrating and she growls, but it only echoes in her head.

A sudden beeping fills her ears, a soft sound that normally she might find grating but this time it's almost soothing. The scent of coffee and sweetness fills her nose and it makes Mara's mouth water and her heart pound. It means she's alive.

The tingling in her body is now just an ache as her muscles and joints are brought back to life, blood pumping through them a little faster as everything starts to wake up.

Her eyelids crack open to the spotless white ceiling tiles above her bed. The beeping is louder now, more clear as her senses return and she takes in the sights and sounds around her. The room is larger than any other hospital room she's been in, soft lighting and colors doing their job of soothing her addled brain. It feels like someone hit her with a frying pan like in one of those cartoons. She manages to move her fingertips slightly and feels something soft and silky against her skin.

Kate's head lays on the edge of the bed at Mara's hand, mouth slightly open as she snores beside a table holding a half drunk cup of coffee and what's left of a cinnamon donut. Mara's fingers can barely reach her and she needs to wake Kate up, but her entire body feels like jello. It takes an exhausting amount of effort just to speak, lips dry and cracked from lack of use.

"Sleeping on the job already?" Mara rasps, her voice hoarse.There's a burning in her throat and she winces as little shocks of pain shoot down her neck and into her chest.

Kate opens her eyes quickly and sits up, wiping a little bit of drool from her mouth. She blinks rapidly before giving Mara a blinding grin as tears well up in her eyes.

"Finally!" Kate chokes out, a laugh breaking through her crumpled expression. Tears threaten to fall from her wide eyes as she grabs Mara's hand. There are dark circles under her eyes, making her already pale skin seem even more so. She's wearing an old sweatshirt of Mara's and black leggings, her long limbs pulled close to her body as she scoots closer to her sister.

"Stop it!" Mara whines the best she can with the worst sore throat she can imagine. "If you cry, I'll cry too and it's gonna hurt."

"I've been crying for like four days," Kate snorts, wiping her eyes. "You've got some catching up to do. I should probably call Dr. Palmer."

Mara grabs her hand as it reaches for the call button.

"Not yet," she murmurs. "I'm not ready to be poked at."

A chuckle passes Kate's lips as she stands up to pour Mara water.

"How are you feeling though?" Kate asks softly, passing her the halfway filled cup.

"Like I almost died," Mara replies with a groan, trying to inch herself upward to a sitting position.

"Well you've been out for about a week. Dr. Palmer said your body had gone into shock from the blood loss. And the broken bones. And the general fucked-up nature of it all."