Aversion to Iron

Chapter 45

The infirmary was eerily empty, only one other bed occupied. He knew who lay there.
He didn't want to face reality.
Instead Mumbo ambled in and curled up on the bed furthest away from Grian, his back to his friend so he didn't have to look.
Ignorance was bliss here.

He heard a gasp from behind him, footsteps approaching from Grians bed before they stopped.

"Dust- you...the wings....what happened after I left?" Blues voice sounded above him.
He shook his head 'no' the words refusing to come and he couldn't muster up the energy to make them, so physically and emotionally drained from earlier.

Lemur thankfully answered on his behalf. "He said a crystal exploded."
A hand tapped her wrist, and a paper was slid into her hand, crumpled and rough around the edges, but still intact.
Grians notes.

She read it over once. Then twice.
A smile grew on her face.
"Red found an answer."

"He what?!!"

"He found the solution we've been searching for." She laughed happily.

"How do you know it'll work?" Blue asked hesitantly, casting a glance back at Grians bed.

"It's Red we're on about. Of course it'll work. If anything, Dust here only proved it. Energy seeks a place to reside in. His idea will work." Lemur reassured, her voice so steady and confident. Like she was pinning all her hopes onto this one piece of paper and praying for the best.

Mumbo fished about in his pockets a bit more, wordlessly handing over the previously-dead crystals to the researcher.
Though now, they crackled with energy, charged by the explosion and glowing merrily.
Nothing like the dangerous sparks that came from the crystal in the runes. These were much tamer- much safer- than that.

They kept talking above his head, the words dissolving into meaningless sounds and he ran his hand back and forth over the sheets beneath him.
The sheets bunched up as he pushed his hand out before rushing back at him as he pulled his hand close.
Out. In. Out. In.
The fabric was stiff and slowly wore down as Mumbo repeated the action.

Was this world even worth saving?
Did it deserve to survive when it cost Grian his life?
Though if Grian found the answer, he supposed that it meant that Thorn would let them walk away.
But would the world be any better? Did they do the right thing? Did this world still need a seelie fae on the throne beside Thorn?
Mumbo didn't know.
He felt lost, unsure who to upend his questions onto now that Grian was gone.

What would the hermits think if the first thing they saw when Mumbo came back was the wings on his back and the body of a friend in his arms?
What would Scar think?

When did the lights go out?
When did it get dark?
The sheets felt soft now- how long was he running his hand over them?
When had Lemur and Blue left?

Mumbo climbed out of the bed and slowly walked over to Grians, sitting in the chair that Blue had been in for ages. He slid his hand into his friends, squeezing it tight with the delusion that Grian would squeeze back.

No.
His hand remained cold and still, eyes shut to the world as he lay in the bed.
Lifeless.

Dead.

He sat there a long while, contemplating what to do.

"I'm sorry, G." He murmured softly, lips barely parting to let the words escape into the cool night air. He rest his head on the edge of the bed, eyes trained on his hand still holding Grians.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time.
"I hope you know how much your friendship means to me. So I should be thanking you, really. Thank you for the amazing memories. This world- however corrupt it is- is beautiful. I'm...I'm glad I got to see it with you, G. I'm glad you like your mural on your door, and I'm glad I got to really know you before you...before all this." Mumbo continued, tears clouding his vision.
"Thanks for being the best, G. I couldn't have asked for a better friend"