History of the Black Elixir (Rewrite)

Chapter Eleven

"Go find my father! Hurry!"

Daman carried his mother to bed, his heart throbbing from panic.

"Please, Mother, please don't do this..."

He looked her over, trying to put his doctor skills to use, but it was hard when tears were brimming in his eyes. He was not ready to lose her. He needed her still. He saw no outward injuries, so it meant it was something internal. Did she eat something poisonous? Did she hit her head? All he knew is that he was reading in the lounge when a maid screamed for him. She had simply collapsed in the kitchen while organizing things, and she had not woken up since.

Mr. Lee rushed in almost an hour later looking extremely frazzled. He threw his case down and made his own examinations.

"I didn't see anything on the outside. Do you know if she fell or hurt herself somehow? The maids said she had mentioned she was having chest pain."

Daman had a terrible idea of what it could be, but he hoped he was wrong. He wanted her to be ok. He wanted her to live. His hopes were violently crushed as his father slowly knelt down and kissed her pale cheek.

"I'm sorry, my dearest. I hope you rest well. I love you always..."

"Father, she is ok isn't she?"

His father looked at him solemnly. Daman took a step back. He did not like that look. He would have nothing of it. She would be just fine. They were the best doctors in town for goodness sakes! She would be fine!

"No, no- she'll be ok! Look, we should examine her again! Maybe we missed something!"

Daman began to hold her face to look at her again, but her cheeks were cold. Panic rose inside of him as he trembled. He gently shook her, trying to get her to show any signs of life. A small grunt or even just a breath to signal she was ok. Tears began to streak down his cheeks as his father placed a sympathetic hand on Daman's arm to stop him.

"Let her sleep..."

"No! I won't! You can't just give up on ehr like this!"

"Daman! Listen to me!"

He grabbed Daman's shoulders and jolted him to snap him out of it.

"She's gone, Daman. Let her go."

He embraced Daman tightly as they both wept over the loss together. The body was removed and buried in the cemetery behind the city church. The funeral was not a big one, though many came. There were flowers covering her grave given from all of her past students, friends, neighbors, and even some who were not fond of her. All visited her grave to pay their respects. All seemed to hold respect or love for their beautiful Mrs. Lee.

On daman's birthday, which was so poorly placed only a week later, he visited her grave once again. He saw her on a daily basis, every evening, to tell her about all of the events she missed that day. He would cry over her, and then leave to repeat the dreaded, lonely cycle again. Although when he was alone he grieved, when he was with his father, he forced a smile to try and cheer him up. He told his father to try and relax for a while and that he would take care of all of the work for him. Mr. Lee used this time to remember his beloved wife and the times they shared together.

At her grave, Daman sat against the nearby tree, telling her about the young patient he had today. A small bluebird, not much bigger than his own shoe, landed in front of him on the gravestone. It sang softly to him as he sat frozen in place.

"M...mother?"

The bird continued to sing to him sweetly as if trying to make him feel better. Tears brimmed in his eyes again as he let himself believe it was his mothers spirit, taking the form of a bluebird. Though Daman did not believe in magic, he believed his mother's story with all his heart. He knew without a doubt that she was watching him.