The Mysterious Demon

-Dominic’s POV-

I guess having both of my brothers and living my happily ever after was too much to ask for huh?

For a while, I laid there in my darkness, fully aware of why. Besides, I was the one who decided to live it out this way. I was the one to choose. When I realised there must have been something wrong, I went to the hospital and that’s when I found out,

My heart was failing.

I was told that I had to stay in the hospital for testing and treatment. I was told to quit smoking and drinking. I was told to stop fighting but of course, I could never agree to that. I told them I’d carry on living that same life, that I wouldn’t change it for the world.

And so it became a secret. A secret only Xavier and I shared.

But what Xavier didn’t know was that my habits grew more frequent. Things had gotten worse since my first hospital appointment which was back near when I had gotten hit by the car. So back then there was obviously going to be matters I deemed more important than my internal health issues. In my opinion anyway.

So I kept it on a low. I didn’t tell my brother I was suffering. I didn’t tell my brother, my friends, that my life could end at any given moment. I didn’t tell any of them and part of me regrets that the most. I should have told them. I should have stopped. I shouldn’t have ignored it.

Now that I look back in this dark world of mine, I couldn’t help but wish -not to be able to go back and tell them but- to be able to see their faces one last time.

Suddenly, my dark world was starting to fill with light. I couldn’t help but be internally joyed at the fact that wishing may not be a waste of time after all.

A soft groan escaped my lips as I blinked a couple of times before looking up at a ceiling. I was awake. In the corner of the room I was in, not too far from me, I could hear a machine sounding a steady beat, the beat of my heart. It was slow but still pumping. Hearing this allowed for a small smile land on my face. I still had a chance.

“Miss Secter?” Not this again, I think as I turn to the nurse who came into the room after a bit. “Just Dominic is fine,” I replied and she smiled back at me. “I’m glad to see you awake, there are some people who have been waiting to see you, should I let them in?” she asked and I nodded back.

Not long after the door opened again quickly to reveal the faces of my brothers. “Dominic!” they both called out in unison and ran over to both sides of the bed that I was in. They were followed by the rest of the guys as well as Xavier who stood at the very end of the bed.

Arthur held my right hand whilst Nick looked over at me in worry. I looked at all of their faces to see some relief but also a lot of sleep deprivation. “You all look like shit,” I coaked and a crowd of chuckles follow it. “You don’t look that much better than us sweetheart,” Jake says back and I sighed, laughing gently to myself.

The room was silent for some time before Blake spoke up with the lowest tone I’ve ever heard him speak. He asked a question I’m sure almost everyone in the room was impatient to hear the answer to. “Dominic, what’s going on?” He asked. I stayed quiet for a little bit, looking at Xavier who looked back at me. It seemed that he hadn’t told them yet about my condition which I was thankful for.

“I’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer for a while and I’m dying.” I blur out. This lie probably being my worst but for it came out just believable enough for them not to question it. I could tell Xavier was looking at me suspiciously but didn’t say anything out loud either.

The truth was that that it wasn’t lung cancer I had. If I did things would have been a little more simple. No, instead my heart was being suffocated by my lungs and due to the fat that already surrounds it, my heartbeat is irregular and could stop at any given moment. It would have probably been easier for everyone if I did die now than have to live in fear that it could come upon me unexpectedly. But, I don’t have that pleasure.

“How long did you know?” Zack asked and I let a little smirk arise onto my face, “for a while” I replied, trying to sound as casual as I could but, as I suspected, my calmness made another mad.

“How long is a while, Dominic?!” Nick shouted from next to me, making me cringe slightly due to his raised voice but I relaxed again when I felt something wet hit my hand. I looked up at him to see his eyes shut closed tightly and figure all slumped, his anger had turned into sadness and tears made their way down his face. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, voice soft this time, near a whisper, and cracking in between. It saddened me slightly to see them all this way. I hadn’t thought anyone would care. I thought people wouldn’t notice and would forget and yet here stood people who made me want to carry on living.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” I answered. Regret. The regret was suffocating me. I wanted to stay with these people. But I couldn’t. I noticed that the monitor at the end of the room was beating slightly slower than before.

“But look, I want to tell you all something important.” I started to say and they all waited. I looked in Arthurs direction. He was still holding my hand but knelt on the floor, shaking his head in what I think was denial over the whole situation. I used my hand to slowly lift his head and grinned at him once our eyes met. “Never show weakness,” I said. Repeating the words that he once would say to me over every day.

I then looked at Xavier, he looked fairly calm in comparison to everyone else which put me a ease a bit until I saw his hands, they were held right against the bed frame, knuckles white. I guess he’s worried about me too. “Always show strength,” we follow this rule together. Always.

I then turned to Jason who was stood next to Arthur. “Keep on living,” I wanted to talk to Jason more. The kill-off of the gang. The guy that would never tell others that… he could be suffering. I didn’t have the opportunity but I hoped that this would be better than nothing.

“Get through the pain,” I told Zack after that. I got to know him more from being around Nick. He helped me when I was struggling with my sanity but through that, I could tell that he was struggling too. Everyone had their way of coping, I just hoped his was strong enough.

I then turned to Jake who had already been grinning at me before I even got to him. This made me laugh a little, sadly still. “Always be yourself.” Jake’s caring and fun nature were ones that I had hoped to see developed.

Then I turned to Blake, unlike Jake, there was no smile to be seen. He wasn’t even able to look at me. Similarly to both Arthur and Nick, he was crying but his back was turned to me and all I could see was his shaking figure. Jake put a hand on his shoulder, motioning him to turn around but he just shrugged it off. The smile on my face staid present, “Keep on loving.” I told him and that made his whole body freeze. He still didn’t turn though so I looked at my last person.

Nick now stared intensely into my eyes and I stared back into his. Our grey eyes connecting like they had when we first met. Connecting our blood once again. “And never give up.” Never give up learning. Never give up fighting. Never give up until you succeed.

I hoped he got that message because breathing was difficult now and I couldn’t form those sentences but there was still one thing I wanted to say. One thing I was desperate to get out.

I looked at all of them, Blake now half-turned to my direction so he could see me too but wouldn’t look at me in the eye like I had wished. In any case, I drew in a breath and said, “I lov-”

A gasp was drawn into my mouth the second after. I couldn’t breathe, I was in pain, I couldn’t move. Just when I could have said the words I had always wanted to say without fear. Things just couldn’t be perfect.

The last thing I saw were doctors surrounding me before I was in my darkness again

—

“We’ve managed to save her again but we don’t know how long she’ll have before the next drift. They’re drawing more frequent. I’m afraid we’ll have to force her to stay in the hospital if she is to survive.”

There was some quiet shuffling before something warm took a hold of my hand.

“Hear that Demon? So, what will it be?”

My mind still hadn’t registered what exactly was happening, I couldn’t think properly or form proper thoughts but I did know one thing for sure and so I roughly ordered,

“Tell them it’s done.”

I could tell he was looking down at me with hesitance. I looked back at his blurred figure and saw him nodding his head.

“Whatever you wish.”

-Nickolas’ POV-

My heart was racing with panic inside of my ribcage. Why? Why did it have to be now? Why did it have to be when we all could have achieved happiness? Why? God damn it! Why?!

I was shaken out of my thoughts when there was a slight grip on my shoulder. It was Arthur, looking down at me with red eyes that had cried more tears that I had. The 24-year-old had set his whole life aside for Dominic and now he was losing her. We shared the same pain of worry for our sister.

“I wanted to tell you stories about her, stories you wouldn’t know about because you didn’t grow up together.” He started and paused to see if I wanted him to continue. I smiled gently at him and nodded. The rest of the guys sat down next to me in the waiting room and also started paying attention to him.

“When my parents first adopted Dominic, she wouldn’t cry at all. She hardly ever did. When she was able to she would laugh and stay happy and in turn, it would always bring joy to my family. I can’t forget Dominic’s first word. She said, “Boda” and I remember being so happy hearing her call me her brother.”

I watched him smile as he reminisced what I’m sure was a fond memory and it also made me smile with him.

“I was always very protective of her and responsible. We did everything together. She was always interested in what I would do too. I introduced her to William and Xavier and soon started training her. She was and is one of the strongest girls I know.”

I nodded in agreeance. She made me change my perception on a lot of things and had hoped to keep doing so.

“She would get bullied back when we were living in London but one day in year six she beat the bully’s ass and came home so pleased with herself that I couldn’t get mad at her for using her training on a harmless kid. She was so tough but also… really caring. She saw the light in everyone.. was able to see the humour in every situation. She’d remind me that when she joked around with me whilst tending to my wounds after my street fights. I love my sister like I’m sure you do too.”C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.

After that he wiped his eyes before looking down, his eyes visibly turning a shade darker as his whole body became tense.

“That fucking gang took everything from me. I knew I was being targetted so I gave my sister my necklace beforehand but it was worse than that. I scarred us both. For her, I was forced to take away our parents, the only people she had family left after me. For me not only was it that which had broken me,”

he held his chest in pain and I put a hand on his shoulder in support.

“But I had also had to spy on Dominic whilst unable to get closer to her ever again. I watched as the light in her eyes faded. The only times they’d come back was when she was street fighting and”

He looked up at me and then grinned. He put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair more than it had been already. “With you.” He looked at the rest of the lads, “All of you. You all brought back that light inside of her and I’m very thankful.”

“Aw shucks, it was nothin’!” Zack exclaimed which made us all laugh. Something we definitely needed at that moment. But the moment was short.

“Mr Secter?” My eyes travelled to where I was called. Everyone silenced as I got up and faced the Doctor.

“How is she?” I asked impatiently, scared.

The doctor looked at me for a couple of seconds before sighing. He was going to carry on and say something when Xavier came up from behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder which made the doctor look back at him in silence.

“Dominic’s…” he paused and looked down, defeat clear in his eyes.

No- it couldn’t be. Don’t tell me she’s-

“Gone.”

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