Halo: Awake and Alive (Book 2, Arbiter x Female human series.)

Her demise

Cassie stared blankly at her. Bria felt like kicking herself, she knew she shouldn't have blurted it out like that. It was too late now... she waited for what Cassie was going to say next.

"What do you mean, you're dying?" Cassie spits out the words.

Bria's shoulders slumped. "It's kind of hard to explain. I-I have something that's a part of me, that's eating me alive." Bria noticed that Thel seemed irritated.

Cassie looked close to tears. "Like cancer or something?" She took a shaky breath. "Y-you can't die. I just got you back..."

Thel marched right off the pelican once it landed. What was his problem? Bria sighed and followed him.

"Thel?" She said. He wouldn't turn around. "Thel, What is your problem??"

He quickly turned around to meet her eyes.

"I'm constantly reminded that you could die at any second now." He said.

She frowned.

"I promised to find you a cure. And now I'm not sure if I can hold onto that promise." He added.

"I'm sorry..." she began.

"Why do you apologize?" He said, but she had no words. She could only wrap her arms around him and try to stop herself from crying.

He was breathing heavily. "We shouldn't...."

"Hey," this time she interrupted him. "No matter what will happen, I will always love you." She backed up to look at him, but he was looking away.

"Look at me." She placed her hand on the side of his face. He turned to meet her eyes. "I love you. Okay?" 

He nodded slowly and grabbed her hand. "And I love you." He held onto her hand like it was the last time he got to.

She gave him a smile and noticed one of the pelicans with that child that they saved in it. "Go make sure Cassie gets settled in and patched up. I got to go check on someone." She walked away to go check on the kid.

A medic was carrying the child, who seemed like he was sleeping. Bria approached.

"Is he doing okay?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am, he just passed out from shock." The medic said.

"Are you his mother?" A lady in a white coat said.

"Oh, no. I just wanted to make sure he's okay." She replied.

"Oh..." the lady frowned. "I'm really hoping to find his parents soon. We don't want to drop him off at the nearest planet."

"His parents are gone." Bria said.

"That's unfortunate." The lady replied.

Then Bria had the craziest idea. Ever since she met this kid, she's felt a connection.

"I could take care of him." She said.

The lady tilted her head. "You want to raise the child?" She asked.

Bria happily nodded her head.

"It's better than dropping him off at the nearest planet, Yes?"

The lady smiled. "Indeed. I guess you can take care of him until we figure out what to do with him."

Bria nodded once. "Thank you. Let me know when he is awake."

"Bria!" Bria quickly turned around to see who said her name. Cassie ran up to her.

Bria put her finger on her lips and shushed Cassie. "You can't just say my name like that."

"Why not?" Cassie was confused.

"Because no one knows who I am, but Thel. And I prefer if we kept it that way." She replied.

Again Cassie asked. "Why?"

"Because the UNSC loves to get into personal business. And if they found out about me, I don't know what they would do." She said.

"But Bria, the stuff you did wasn't your fault." Cassie said.

Bria took a breath. "If only it wasn't."

"I'm sorry, Br- uh... friend. I won't say your name." She patted Bria on the back.

Bria saw Thel out of the corner of her eye. She gave him a small smile. He followed them shortly after.

"So, where are we going?" Cassie asked her.

"We're going to go to my living quarters. I'll let you stay with me for the time being." She said.

"Cool. You have your own room." Cassie seemed like a little girl in an amusement park. She has always been the childish one.

Bria felt like her walking was slowing down. But she wasn't purposely trying to do it. She felt weird inside, her heart seemed a bit off. Not like it was beating fast, but maybe it was beating too slow? She breathed slowly trying to calm down, but her panicking was only getting worse. Her vision doubled and she was starting to get dizzy. Uh oh. Was she going to have another one of her episodes?

Her eyes rolled up and she began to lose her balance.

"Bria?" Both Cassie and Thel said at the same time. They were confused about why she just suddenly stopped walking. Then she began to fall. Cassie tried to catch her but Thel beat her to it. He caught her and gently sat on the ground with her. She wasn't responding.

"Bria? Bria? Wake up." Cassie said while gently slapping her face. Bria didn't flinch. Cassie looked up at Thel who looked terrified. "Is she?..." no. Cassie didn't want to finish that sentence. Bria couldn't be dead. Not yet.

Cassie leaned over and pressed her fingers to her throat. Her heart was still beating and Bria was breathing slowly. She wasn't dead, but it didn't seem like she was alive either.

"No..." Thel whispered. He still looked terrified.

"She's still breathing." Cassie reassured him.

"She might not be soon..." Without any other words, he picked Bria up and carried her. He wasn't going to lose her. Not today. Not ever.