"Why can't I see her Max?!" Sharkboy's voice is demanding.
"Sharkboy, we've been over this. She doesn't want you to see her sick. She wants you to remember her happy and healthy." Max says, keeping as calm as possible.
"SHE IS NOT GOING TO DIE!!!" Sharkboy explodes.
"Calm down." Max says although he knows it won't do any good.
"Lava Girl needs me! She's all alone in there! I want to be there for her! I..." Sharkboy's voice suddenly softens before he continues. "I love her." He says
"I know you do. That's why you need to stay here and..." Max is suddenly cut off by a shrieking scream.
"SHARKBOY!!!!" Lava Girl's voice echoes off the walls.
"Lava Girl! I'm coming Lava Girl!" Sharkboy says and makes a break for the door of Lava Girl's room but Max blocks him from opening it.
"Sharkboy! She's just having a nightmare!" Max says. Another scream comes from behind the door.
"Sharkie help me!" Lava Girl's voice sounds desperate.
"Listen to her Max! She needs me!" Sharkboy says, trying to get past Max.
"She's fine. She'll wake up and she'll be fine." Max says. A blood-curdling scream slips through the door and echoes off the walls. Sharkboy's eyes widen and he shoves Max aside using all of his strength to get Max as far away from the door as possible.
"No Sharkboy! Don't!" Max pleads but its too late. Sharkboy has already opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. Sharkboy's jaw drops when he sees Lava Girl. He steps further into the room and looks closer at her. Lava Girl is laying in her bed, hooked up to a million different tubes and wires, each one attached to one of the several machines at her bedside. Sharkboy steps closer and what he sees horrifies him. Lava Girl, his best friend and one true love, is almost unrecognizable. Only two days before, Lava Girl was as bright and happy as ever. But now, she is pale and thin. Sharkboy questions touching her hand and at first he hesitates. But when he does, her usually burning molten lava skin is as cold as ice. Sharkboy stumbles back, shocked by how sick she really is.
"Sharkboy!" Max whispers hastily. Sharkboy turns back to look at him. "You can't be in here." Max says.
"I'm not leaving Max." Sharkboy says in a normal volume.
"Will you keep your voice down?! You're gunna wake her up" Max whispers. Sharkboy turns back around and steps toward Lava Girl. He takes her icy hand in his and kisses her cold, damp forehead gently. She is almost too still.
"Lava Girl..." Sharkboy says quietly. Lava Girl stirs slightly in her sleep and Sharkboy squeezes her hand lightly. Lava Girl's eyelids twitch and squeeze together before slowly fluttering open.
"Sharkie...no..." Lava Girl says in a raspy, breathy, almost whispering voice. "You...you shouldn't be in here..." She says.
"Well you can't get rid of me now." Sharkboy says.
"I didn't want you to see me like...like this." Lava Girl says, so weak that she can barely speak.
"I know Lava Girl...but I wasn't going to let you do this alone." Sharkboy says.
"But Sharkie..." Lava Girl starts but Sharkboy cuts her off.
"But nothing Lava Girl. I am going to be here for you no matter what." Sharkboy says. Lava Girl realizes that there is no arguing with Sharkboy and smiles a little before a sudden wave of cold takes over her body. She shivers. "You ok?" Sharkboy asks.
"Yea...just a little cold." Lava Girl says.
"Move over." Sharkboy says. Lava Girl is confused but still attempts to shift her body over. After a few seconds, she realizes that she is too weak to move.
"I...I can't." Lava Girl says.
"Ok then." Sharkboy says. He gently lifts Lava Girl up off her bed, moves her over, slides into the bed next to her and pulled her in close. Lava Girl, with all her strength, manages to wrap her arms around Sharkboy's chest. "Better?" Sharkboy asks.
"Much better." Lava Girl says.
"I love you Lava Girl." Sharkboy says.
"I love you Sharkboy." Lava Girl says. Sharkboy kisses the top if Lava Girl's head. Lava Girl quickly falls asleep in Sharkboy's arms and Sharkboy doses off soon after.
Shark boy is suddenly awakened by a rapid beeping noise. Sharkboy soon realizes that the sound is coming from the heart monitor next to the bed. Sharkboy begins frantically searching for a detached wire or some other explanations for a malfunction of the machine. Suddenly, the rapid beeps turn into a long, steady, single tone.
"No no no no no no no." Sharkboy says, panicking. "Lava Girl? Lava Girl!!" Sharkboy says, frantic. "MAX!!!!!!!" He yells, shill holing Lava Girl in his shaking arms.
"What? What's going on?" Max says.
"Max, you have to bring her back!! Please Max!!!" Sharkboy says, tears rolling down his face. Max walks over to the bed and feels Lava Girl's neck for a pulse but all he feels is her cold skin against his fingers.
"I'm sorry Sharkboy. She's gone." Max says.
"DO CPR! DO SOMETHING!! ANYTHING!!!!!!" Sharkboy says.
"There's nothing I can do Sharkboy. I'm sorry." Max says, and leaves the room.
Sharkboy pulls Lava Girl's lifeless body to his chest and sobs,
"I'll never let you go."
