Disrepair

Chapter 8

With her new job, and being very happy about it, she continues down the street with a light skip in her step. Coming down the street, she can't help but see that there's a faded silhouette ahead of her, the figure being covered by the fog. She doesn't think much about it, until the person calls out her name.

"Who's there?" Sai asks, stopping still.

"I guess it's been a while since Olivia needed you. Sorry to bump into you like this, but she does need our help" the person answers.

"And who are you?" Sai asks.

"I'm Marco, Marco Rieve" he answers. "I only know of you by name because she was looking for you. I think it's kind of nice to meet you, someone who's not afraid to be out here."

"Not everyone has to be afraid now, the thing is anyone can be out here wherever they'd like. I was thinking of leaving Olivia to her own work, I was planning on telling her that I quit tomorrow. What does she need now?" Sai responds.

"It's about Kylie, she hasn't been feeling well lately. Olivia says her health has been declining, she doesn't know why. Olivia and the others have asked her if she wears her protection outside, to which she always says 'yes'. But now, she's been looking more and more like a corpse" Marco tells her.

"And she needs my help, why?" Sai asks once more.

"Kylie won't talk with them, or listen to them. I don't know her, but as a girl I'm thinking maybe you could talk to her. It might not work, but you could try for her. At least consider it" Marco answers. He tosses a thick piece of folded paper towards her, which Sai quickly picks up to read. Before the gas dissolves it, she reads Kylie's address.

She doesn't have plans, or anything to do, so Sai figures she can complete Marco's favor. She walks down the road and soon comes to the right spot, she comes up the stairs and knocks on the door.

"Hey Sai, thanks for coming" Bethany says after opening the door.

"Olivia sent him to find me, didn't she?" Sai asks as she comes past her. "He told me she wasn't feeling well, is it from the toxic gas?"

"That's what we're starting to think, but Kylie won't admit anything" Bethany replies.

Sai enters Kylie's room, shutting the door. It's dark inside, all the lights are off and the blinds and curtains are closed. The bed is empty, the blankets a mess on it, hanging over the edge. Sai takes a few steps across the room towards the far wall, and she sees Kylie. She's on the floor, her back against the wall. She sits in a two foot wide gap between the bed and the wall, with part of the blanket over her.

"Hey there Kylie, I heard you're not feeling well. Mind if I stay here for a bit?" Sai asks. She doesn't get a response, so she sits down across from her, with her back to the wall. "I don't know much, but there's only one way you could have gotten sick. And that's slow exposure to the toxic gasses in our city. You told them you were staying safe, but your health is declining every day, and you're getting worse."

Kylie speaks up, in a low, quiet and sickly voice. "I-I didn't want to hurt them...more than I already have. This problem, it's because of me."

"So why did you do this to yourself?" Sai asks.

"I did this...because I deserve it. D-do you have any idea...what it's like, to know you're the c-cause of countless deaths?" Kylie asks her in return. "If I had only done my job that day...none of this would have happened."

"But you're killing yourself, this isn't right Kylie. Your friends, family, they all love you and still want to see you living. People have forgiven what you've done, isn't that good enough for you?" Sai responds.

"No-not everyone, Sai" Kylie says, weakly lifting up her hand.

Sai sees a few envelopes in her hand, she reaches over and takes them. Opening each one, Sai reads them. Each letter contains hate messages, from people who blame her and want her dead because the toxin has taken some of their own families away.

"You see? I'm not forgiven...online, there's more. Lots more. I can't e-escape it. If I live, people will c-come for me. But if I die, hundreds of others will be p-put at ease" Kylie tells her.

"You can't give up and die just for that. Listen, we can still find a way to help you, to get you healthy again. Please, if not because of what I say, do it for your friends. Olivia, Bethany, and the others who are here. Isn't it worth anything to you to keep living for them?" Sai asks, trying to reason with her.

"I-I'm sorry, Sai. I've made my choice. Please leave" Kylie requests.

Sai stands up, wiping a tear from her eye. She opens the door, spotting Kylie's friends waiting. Sai doesn't really want to tell them what their friend had said, she shakes her head slightly and walks past them towards the door. Olivia and the others don't have to think hard on what that means, only a pit in their stomachs as they now know Kylie will be dead. Sai leaves their home, walking down the stairs. Her eyes are still tearing up a little, it's not easy when someone in front of you is dying, and refusing help.

"Sai, wait!" Olivia calls out, running towards her. She comes up and hugs her tight. "Thank you for trying to talk to her, it means a lot to me, to us all."

"You're welcome...I'm sorry for your loss" Sai replies, hugging her back. A few moments later she lets go. "Can you please tell me what Kylie said to you? I know she would never have told me herself, but I have to know."

"She's gone Olivia, what she said isn't any different from what you were told by her before" Sai says.

"Please, Sai, please. It's her final words, I don't care what she said and if it's different or not, I want to know what she told you before taking her last breath" Olivia tells her, holding onto Sai's arm to keep her from leaving.

"Kylie didn't say much to me, it wasn't a long conversation. She said she didn't want to hurt you, or the others. She feels as if she already hurt you enough already by her actions. I would assume she's been feeling guilty this whole time, her mistake in the lab caused countless deaths. I read some of her mail too when she gave it to me. If you read it, you'll understand" Sai says as she turns away.

"Wait, she didn't say anything else to you?" Olivia asks.

"No. She wanted to die because of how guilty she felt, that no one would forgive her for what she did. She exposed herself over time to this gas" Sai answers, gesturing around her. "She wanted to kill herself."

"Don't you say that Sai, you don't know her!" Olivia replies as she starts to cry.

"And you do? You talked to Marco, a stranger to you basically, and asked him to get my help with this. You did Olivia. You. Kylie thought of you as her friends, if that were as true as it is then she would have told you what was on her mind, and she wouldn't have spoken a word to me. If you knew her so well, you could have convinced her yourself instead of turning to someone Kylie never even knew!" Sai tells her, choking back her own tears. "Look, Kylie was a good person. She had her own reasons, and it's true she wanted to kill herself for it. You may not like it, but you can't deny it. The damage is done, you can't fix it."

Olivia doesn't reply, instead she retreats back inside to be with the others. Sai turns back and leaves for home. Once there, she texts Olivia that she can't help with her relief work anymore, then she deletes her number. She sits on the couch now out of boredom and lets the day pass by.