Aftermath ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter fifty-one

Ominis' Perceptive

Anne was getting worse. 

"I'm fine," She lied as if she was reminding my mind.

Anne had barely left her bed the past two days as if she had completely run out of energy. Her coughing fits growing more extreme time. 

Even as I lay next to her and stroked her hair I could feel the way that she shook under three different blankets. She had struggled to breathe more and more each day but still acted as if I couldn't hear it.  

"We can go speak with a doctor if you want?" I offer for the thousandth time.

"There is nothing they can do anymore," Anne sighed with a heavy heart.

The last time she had seen a doctor they had told her that the only thing that they would be able to do was make her comfortable until the end. They recommended spending the rest of her time with her family and loved ones. 

She hadn't forgiven them yet for losing hope in her. 

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked quietly, "I can go find something that you can stomach. Or I can get your sketchbook if you'd like?"

"No, I just need to rest. I'll be fine." She lied again. 

This time her voice grew weaker as if she knew I wasn't ever going to believe her. It wasn't that she was trying to lie to us about her condition. She was lying to herself. If she told her that she'd be fine, then maybe she would believe it herself.

A few bad days started to sting together. At first, dinner was skipped when her stomach wouldn't settle. Then breakfast wouldn't stay down either. 

The only thing she had in the past day and a half was peppermint tea. At least that had managed to not come back up.

Anne normally tried to keep her mind busy by drawing. It gave her something to focus on and think about other than how she was feeling physically. The book had gone untouched for a few days now which worried me more. 

"Maybe you should go check with Amelia? See how much longer she might need?" Anne asked meekly. 

"I'll be fast," I promised kissing the top of her head. There was nothing that made me more anxious than leaving her in the house alone. 

As I began to leave the room, Anne's voice was hushed as it rose from the depth of the blankets, "Hey, Ominis," She called out, "I love you."

"I love you too," I quickly said back.

Even though the words broke my heart. She wouldn't admit it yet I could tell how scared she was becoming.

I walked to the house as fast as possible while taking deep breaths to stay calm. I didn't want them to feel nervous about how bad Anne was getting, although both seemed aware of the situation. 

Amelia had insisted that she was almost ready and Sebastian had been attempting to help talk her through the last of it. I didn't want my anxiousness to spread to them as well. 

Since Marvolo had shown up suddenly, Sebastian and I took turns making us that one of us was with each girl at any given time. Anne shouldn't have been left alone for too long in case she needed something. Especially as she just kept getting worse. 

And now that the Ministry likely had placed a trace on Amelia with her blood, we feared that anyone could show up at any moment. Although we didn't want to say that to her directly. 

"Amelia, I think that's a bad idea. There has to be something else?" Sebastian's voice echoed nervously from the backroom as I entered. 

If Sebastian thought something was a bad idea, then it must really be awful. It was concerning to hear him as a voice of reason.