Ch 30

The infirmary was cool and bright with the rays of the mid-day sun. Stein stood in the doorway of a recovery room smiling warmly as he watched two teens sleep. Maka's surgery had been a complete success and now she slept peacefully. Her loyal weapon sat by her side, his hand wrapped around hers and his head resting on her bed as he slept. Soft breathing and snoring filled the air-conditioned atmosphere adding to the peace. Stein was grateful for this momentary still.

Late last night he had been shocked to find Soul battered, soaked through with blood and clutching the body of what he had assumed at first glance to be a very dead Maka standing on the doorstep to his laboratory. To his relief, Maka was alive but only for the time being if something wasn't done immediately. Stein had stabilized her at the lab then called for Nygus and together they had moved her to the Shibusen infirmary which had cleaner operating rooms and recovery rooms.

He smiled at the sleeping pair. He would never tell Soul to his face but he could admit it to himself; he was proud of the young Death Scythe. He had acted recklessly and risked everything but somehow he had managed to find his meister and save her life. A task that many far more experienced Death Weapons before him had failed. They still had a long way to go, but the pair was well on their way to surpassing Spirit and Kami. He quietly closed the door and walked towards the exit. Nygus would kill him if she caught him smoking indoors again.

/

Maka felt like she was floating in a vast sea of ink with no sense of time. This was different than all the other times Medusa had poisoned her. It felt so much like a dream but at the same time it didn't. She couldn't see, hear, or feel anything but her mind felt clear. Did this mean she was dead? Suddenly, pain pierced the dark and settled in her chest. She tried to recoil against the pain but she still could not move. The pain was so intense it took her breath away but thankfully it quickly faded into a dull throb.

It was still dark around her, but somehow it seemed less intense. She could feel her body again but it felt like lead and refused to move. Her chest ached, her head pounded and her eyelids felt like they were tied to weights. She moaned a little with discomfort and fought to open her eyes. Reluctantly, they slid open and she was almost immediately blinded by the stark white room. She blinked against the bright sunlight and the room slowly came into focus. Now she was confused, less about where she was and more about how she had gotten here. Belatedly, she felt a hand covering her right. She felt its owner stir, giving her hand a squeeze before letting out a loud yawn. She moved her eyes to look at her companion. Of course it was Soul. The sight of him made her so happy but she also felt a pang of guilt when she realized she had woken him.

"I really do need to move some of my stuff here…" Muttered Soul as he let Maka's hand go and rubbed the sleep from his ruby eyes. When he removed his hands, his eyes were cloudy and unfocused. Immediately, he looked at his meister. His crimson orbs widened as they focused on Maka's forest green eyes.

"Maka!" He cried, lunging forward and pulling her into a tight hug. She gasped lightly as the hug agitated whatever was wrong with her chest sending a wave of pain though her body. Soul seemed to sense her discomfort and released her a bit with a muttered "Sorry" but he didn't lose contact with her.

"I'm happy to see you too, Soul, but I don't understand. Medusa told me I would die this time."

"Baka, I told you not to believe her." Soul said with a small smile and he nuzzled his nose against her forehead. She returned his smile with a small exhausted smile of her own. Soul was right, as always.

"Soul? What happened?" Soul hung his head, hiding his eyes behind his bangs and sat down. He took one of Maka's hands and held it in both of his, stroking it nervously as if for comfort.

"Soul?" Maka asked. Filled with concern for her weapon, she tried to sit up but the persistent throbbing forced her to remain where she was.

Soul took a deep, steadying breath. He knew she would find out eventually and that it was better she heard from him but he was still scared. He knew deep in his heart that this was the end of their partnership. It broke his heart but he knew it was what was best for her and he loved her enough to let her go. Sadly and with deep but shaky resolve, he began to tell her the events of the last 14 hrs.

/

A short, tense silence followed Soul's account. To him, it felt like an eternity. He just sat, staring at the floor and gently squeezed Maka's hand, looking for comfort he knew he didn't deserve.

"It's ok Soul" Maka said, breaking the silence. She had listened to his entire story in silence. Any expression that she may have had was missed as Soul told his whole story to the sterile tile infirmary floor. Her comment, however, was shocking enough to tear his gaze from the floor and return it to her pale, gently smiling face. He simply didn't understand. Was she forgiving him? How could she be so calm about this? He, her weapon, the person whom was supposed to protect her with his life, had very nearly ended hers.

"Maka, I almost killed you!"

"But you didn't! You even saved me! I forgive you, I still love you, and I still want to be your meister."

"No, you can't Maka! I-I almost lost you again! We can't keep doing this. What if we aren't as lucky next time?

"Then we just have to get stronger so that doesn't happen….. together" Maka carefully emphasized the last word. Soul stared at her in disbelief. After all that had happened she refused to leave him and refused to stop fighting. A thousand different emotions pulled him in different directions as he stared at her with disbelieving eyes. How could she be so stupid and so wonderful at the same time? At a loss of what to do, Soul closed the gap between them and kissed her with passion. Well, there was no point fighting with her. She would just get her way in the end anyway like she always did. If she insisted on staying with him then he would just have to keep getting stronger.

He broke away from their kiss to look her in the eyes again only to find that she had fallen back asleep. He yawned deeply. He needed more rest too. He squeezed her hand as he laid his head down beside her ready for another nap. Just before sleep overtook him, he smiled and whispered,

"Next time, Maka. We'll get Medusa next time."