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The coming storm((feb 12))

Lilith sighed as she stretched in front of the fire at the Gangplank, her tail gently swaying as she kept warm in the cozy and welcoming bar.  Her eyes closed as she listened to the coming and goings at the plank before jumping a bit startled as she realised Momoe had brought her a hot chocolate.  It was something new to her so she gratefully accepted, taking the cup and blushing while she sipped it.

She relaxes a bit resting as the night goes by, not moving from her pillow in front of the fire as she sees people coming and going, her cough sometimes getting attention as she tries not to bother anyone with it.  But later in the night she had a coughing fit that seemed to catch the attention of Petra who leaned over to whisper to Arnold, “I think Lilith’s got consumption.”

Arnold perked his ears from his position on the couch he had taken to sleeping on, ”She does?”

Petra nodded, stating that she had seen the disease in action in Falun.  “If her rags bloody, she’s got it.”  Lilith twitches her ears as she listened quietly.  Arnold approached her very quietly, and she groaned as he called out her name.

“I’d like you to come to the hospital with me.  To…see about those medicines you have there and your cough.”

Lilith lowered her ears and bit at her lip nervously, “..Oy will be ok.”  

Momoe and Petra both looked at her sympathetically, and tried to encourage her to follow Arnold, “It’ll be ok Lilith.. I went to the ‘opital once, it weren’t nothin..they got rock candy there, ain’t that right Mr. Arnold?”

“We have some candy there yes,” He replied.  He added looking at Lilith very tired, “I’d rather not have to chase you across the city asking…”

Lilith sighs and nods as she listens to Momoe and Petra and gets up slowly having been convinced, though stil tense about this, not wanting her secret out.  But… there were things she needed.  She was gonna need help or her limited supply of medicine would run out and without it her body would give out.  As she nods and heads out the door with Arnold. As she hears Momoe and Petra talk to each other as they left, wishing her the best.

As Lilith walked with Arnold past the docks he stopped suddenly, and sat on his back legs and turned to her.  “Hold on a moment…”  She nodded and looked at him expectantly, as he asked, “Do you have another name, Lilith?”

She blinked a bit, ”W..why do you ask?”

He paused for a moment, and then shrugged, “I’m just curious.”

Lilith thinks a bit and looks down, “Someone used to call me Erebus now and then, but correct himself when he did.  Oy was not sure why.”

That was not the last time that Arnold paused along their way and asked her a question.  He stopped at a park, the Theater, a bridge, and every time he asked a question.  While they were resting one time Lilith had taken out her handkerchief to cough.  When she finished the cat pointed to it slowly, “Can I see that?”

Lilith blinked and her ears dropped forward as she held onto it a moment before she showed him the cloth, exposing the blood on it to the cat.  

Arnold glanced at it and sighed quietly, apologetically, “That means you probably have consumption, Lilith.”

Lilith blinked, and straightened up protesting, “But its not…..” Arnold looked at her sudden change surprised, and Lilith tensed before she continued reluctantly, “It’s not… it’s part of ….it’s complicated…”

“Most often coughing up blood is associated with…that.  We at least need to find out….in case you’re a danger to others.”

Lilith whimpered nervously and shook her head, “No…. oy am not a danger, oy know it!”

“Let’s get to the hospital, from there I can get the doctors to run a simple test,” he started to stand up again, but then went back to the ground gripping his head.

Lilith trembled inwardly at the thought of more strange doctors poking and prodding at her as she closes her eyes, trying to shut out those memories, as she opened them she blinked, “Y…you ok?” She asks as she tilts her head looking to Arnold.

Arnold explained that he was still recovering from an injury, which was the real reason they had stopped so many times on the way.  “It’s not far now though.”

She looked at the stitches on his head tensely, afraid to ask him who or what had been hunting him, and then followed him the rest of the way to the hospital. Her mind on what she knew, what she feared, and herself, part of her was always wondering why she was never… hunted.

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