Descendant's Consequences

Turn for the Worse

          "Mal, you're going to be alright. I promise, you need to calm down." I snap behind her ears until she stops struggling and blinks at me.

"Jay, what's going- why are you on top of me?" Mal asks. I look at her and she sighs. "It happened again?"

I nod. Mal lays back and peers up. There are heavy bags under her eyes, her cheeks shallowing in. She's so weak right now. "Mal, maybe we should reconsider not telling the others. They deserve to know." Mal shakes her head. I dab her forehead with a cool cloth and she whimpers slightly. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"My head, it hurts."

I make her look at me and nod. "Your concussion is still really bad. I'm gonna go get the nurse." I make sure the restraints are secure before leaving. My phone rings just as I walk out. "Hello?" I ask.

"Jay, hey!" Ben says. He sounds cheerier than usual, which seems impossible. "I was calling to see how Mal is; we just got out of the conference and Mal won't pick up."

"Oh, yeah. We've kinda been hiding her phone from her. She shouldn't be staring as screens forever with the concussion and all. I can pass you over to her if you'd like?"

"Please," Ben agrees.

I walk back in and Mal looks at me. "Why are you back already?"

"Someone finished at his conference and wants to talk to you," I inform. She smiles and I hand her the phone. The long chained restraints allow her to put it to her ear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Mal❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ben?" I ask. I put on a front to keep him from hearing how bad I feel.

"Mal, hey sweetie. How do you feel?" Ben replies.

I groan and he chuckles lightly. Smiling, I roll onto my back. "My head hurts all the time, my arm stings. They still won't let me walk around at all."

"I'm sure you'll be alright, Mal. It's been five days. There are seventeen days left until I get home. When I do get home, we'll spend time together just cuddling and it'll just be the two of us. You'll probably be annoyed with the others by then and want some time alone."

"I already want some alone time," I tell him. "But that's not going to happen. Please just come home when you can. I miss you."

Ben chuckles. "I miss you too. Seventeen days; count them down." He quiet for a moment before saying. "I better go; I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"I'll be waiting, Benny-boo!" I laugh.

"Can we find something else to call me? You saying that reminds me of Audrey a little too much," Ben comments.

"Alright," I reply. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"I love you, bye Sweetie."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Ben❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I walk over to my parents and look at them. "How's Mal?" Dad asks.

"She's in a little pain from the headache and broken arm but she's pushing through it," I tell them. "She wants me back there with her but understands I need to be here."

Mom nods. "We could try to get a video call for you two on her birthday."

I shake my head immediately. "No, that might make it worse. Her concussion is pretty bad and Jay said they'd been hiding her phone from her. I actually had to call Jay to get through to her. We're both counting down the days until I'm home and I'm going to spend my first day back with her."

Dad nods and I sit down. "We know that you miss her but part of being King involves the chance that you have to spend a while away from family. I remember it was hard for me to be away from your mother when she was pregnant with you. The doctors said she shouldn't travel too much but I had matters to attend to across the country."

I nod and look them. "I never thought my life would change so much. Before the coronation I was with someone who was practically groomed for being queen. My life was on a straight course where everything was laid out and prepared for me. Now, I can't imagine my life without Mal."

Mom and Dad smile and look at each other. "That's how we felt when we were married. You two will make a fine couple."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Jay❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The nurse is in her office, reading something on her computer. "Excuse me, nurse?" She looks up. "Mal's talking about her head hurting and I think it's her concussion acting up, would you mind?" I trial off, hoping she picks up where I left off.

She nods. "I'll be there in a moment."

When I get back to Mal's room, she's arching off the bed. Her scream's piercing the air as pain ravages through her body. Her eyes glow for a moment and she calms a little before returning to her state of pain. "Mal!" I scream. I lean over her and try to get her to look at me. Her magic lashes out, sending me flying into the wall. I get back up, careful of her magic reacting around her. "Mal!" The nurse runs in a moment later, startled by my screams. She gets a needle, injecting it into Mal's IV. She calms down, her magic retracts and she falls limp against the bed. "What happened?" I demand.

The nurse shakes her head. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this. I need to run some tests." I sit beside Mal and move the hair from her face. She looks like she's in so much pain. "Her fever is spiking. Jay, can you get a cold wash cloth and rest it on her forehead?" I nod and run off, returning quickly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The nurse spends two hours trying to help her but nothing seems to be working. "Nothing is effecting what's happening to her. Perhaps we should turn to a magical approach."

I shake my head. "No- no magic. What's happening to her is effecting her magic; what if it makes it worse?"

The nurse nods. "You're right. For the time being, we'll keep her on some pain killers and work on lowering her fever before she gets permanent damage."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ben calls each day and each day, I tell him Mal's either asleep or her headache is really nagging on her. He gets more anxious each day to talk to her. On Mal's birthday, Ben calls again but I just ignore his call. Mal's gotten worse over the past three days.

Her fever hasn't gone down at all. She becomes more violent, trying to get free from the restraints. Each time she zones out, it becomes harder to bring her back to reality. Her magic lashes out at me each time; burns cover my arms from each spark but I stay there with her. I watch out the window as I try to calm her, waiting for the stupid sun to set and the day to end.

The nurse has been trying to restrict the amount of painkillers she'sgiving Mal while keeping her unconscious most of the time.Wgy8��8nZ