Fallen From Grace (#Wattys2017)

Chapter XXXVII

Eleanora was now admitted into the hospital, and she's been there for a little over a month now. There was never a moment when Apollyon wasn't by her side. It was believed that either he spent everyday and night by her bedside, or it was believed that he left after she fell asleep and was back before she awoke. But, whatever the case, he was always there without fail.

Her health was deteriorating more and more and at one point her hallucinations got so bad she had screamed at the sight of Apollyon, calling him a monster when he had come to her room with a bouquet of flowers. It hurt him, and it frightened him at the same time. He could physically see her dying away. And he wasn't ready to let go. He wasn't strong enough to let her go. After that hallucination had subsided and they had given her medications to stabilise her mental state, Apollyon was allowed to go in once more.

He put on the broadest smile he possibly could, as his eyes squinted with its wideness, hiding the tears that formed there. Apollyon placed a kiss on the back of her hand, as he greeted her a good morning and settled down on the seat beside her. He didn't speak of her hallucinations and he didn't utter a word about being called a monster by his own girlfriend. Instead, they talked about their visit to Quebec, and the long drive there and the frustration Eleanora felt at not knowing where they were headed. It brought back happy memories, of happier times, and happier days with no cancer looming over them like a death watch.

"I wanna go out." Eleanora whispered so softly, obviously not having meant for Apollyon to hear it, as she longingly gazed out at the vast sky from her bedroom window. "I wanna feel the sun against my skin again. I've becoming so Vitamin-D. D for 'deprived'."

Apollyon chortled at her words, his laugh growing louder at the petulant pout he was giving her. As his laughter subsided, he stood up from his seat beside her bed, and settled down on the bed beside her. Draping and arm over her shoulder, he pulled her into his side, interlacing his free hand with hers as he placed a kiss on her temple, thinking about how much had come to pass over the past month.

The doctors had given her a drug to decrease the rate of deterioration and she was on a sporadic mild dosage of pain killers. Eleanora had to drop out of school and so did Apollyon, giving the principle the excuse that they was moving away. The staff was so nice that they hosted a farewell party for the both of them. Eleanora had smiled and enjoyed herself, but Apollyon was constantly on edge, because this 'farewell' party was most likely the last time they would be ever see her. No coincidental encounters ten years later when everyone has graduated and are in their desired field of profession, happily married with kids. They all had that luxury...Eleanora didn't. 

Apollyon softly hummed in Eleanora's ear, soothing her to sleep before he untangled himself from her, standing up and walking out the hospital bedroom. Apollyon opened the balcony doors, stepping out into the slightly chilled air, grasping the metallic railing as he heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat as exhaustion washed over him. The smile on his face vanishing as his heart ached in his chest, the back of his eyes stinging with tears as a lump formed in his throat, threatening to suffocate him.

With shaking hands, he reached into his jean's pocket, his fingers grasping the cigarette box. Opening it, he fitted one between his lips before he lit it with trembling fingers, taking a slow drag from the cancer in his hands, allowing the charred taste to swirl in his mouth before he blew it out into the air.

"Those things will kill you." A voice spoke up from behind him as Apollyon took another drag from the cigarette, holding the smoke in his mouth for a moment longer before exhaling.

"That's the point." He spoke with a cold edge to his voice as he took another inhale as he noticed a figure stand beside him in his peripheral view.