Death's Blessing

Chapter 5

***Ithis, Des age 12***

"Des! Get up! You have to be at Medics in 10 minutes!" Life called after beating on the door for the 3rd time that morning.

"I'm not going!"

"Yes you are, now come on! Don't make me come in there!" Life said.

"No!"

Life sighed, "Why don't you want to go?"

"I just don't! Go away!"

"Do I need to go get your father?" Life asked in warning. Des didn't reply this time. "Come on, son. Open the door."

"I don't want to..." Des said weakly.

"Why not? If something is wrong, you should tell me. I can't help if I don't know." Life said gently.

"You can't help. No one can."

"Ok, now you are worrying me. Open the door, Des. I'm not going to ask again." Life said. He heard a heavy sigh then Des opened the door and stared down at the floor. "Now, tell me what's wrong." Life said, ruffling the boys hair.

Des looked up at his papa with sad eyes, "Look at me papa. Can't you see it?"

Life looked his son over, "See what?"

Des sighed again and took Life's hand, dragging him over to the large standing mirror, "Look." He said. He held Life's arm up and pushed both of their sleeves up, "Now you see?"

Life studied their arms for a moment then pulled Des over to the window for better light. Then he lifted Des face up and looked him over, he definitely had a greenish tint to his skin, "Ok, are you sick?"

"No. I'm not sick."

"Theeeennnnn...what did you do?"

"I didn't DO anything! I'm turning green!" Des wailed.

Life had to bite his tongue to keep from making a comment about Martians. "What's wrong with you taking a bit after me?"

"Ahhh...nothing, I just...I mean...AHHH!" Des yelled and stalked into his bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Life sighed, "I'll go get your father." He muttered as he walked out of the room. He went downstairs to the kitchen where Death was finishing up their breakfast, "Des needs you. He's turning green."

Death paused and gave Life an odd look, "Pardon?"

"He's having a crisis. His skin is turning green."

"Is he sick?"

"He says no but...he's definitely got a slight greenish tint to his skin tone now." Life said shrugging. "I don't see the problem, personally. What's wrong with him looking more like me?"

"He's really green?"

"Greenish. It's very light, really hard to see."

Death sighed, "Alright. I'll go talk to him. You know how he is."

"Yes. He's just like you when it comes to his appearance. Very particular." Life said with a grin.

"You have never complained about my being particular about my appearance."

"How can I when I walk with the most beautiful god in Ithis and Nim on my arm?" Life replied and grabbed Death around the waist as he walked past.

Death struggled playfully to get away but ended up just turning to face his capturer, "What do you want from me?"

"Your love."

"You have that."

"Your laughter."