A Dance With Death

|| Chapter 23 - Control ||

                  

Griffith and Althea explain a few things to Ava about her new form. They're sitting on the bench in front of the new room where Ava's body has been shifted to. I stand a few steps away from them, to their left, so that I don't disturb the reapers' process of explaining facts to a soul. Joseph, Cass and her son have gone out for a while. The number of people in the hospital has gradually increased as the morning light grows brighter.

The reapers leave out the facts concerning the Order, or about Caius. They just tell her that she will not die and the doctors can heal her. They even tell her that her case is not something that they've seen before. They simply assure her that she's going to be fine. It's good that they're not telling her the complete truth. The less she knows, the better it is for her.

Ava listens to them patiently, unlike me, who had bombarded poor Althea with questions. Either Ava's soul's behaviour is similar to that of a normal soul or she's a person with enough patience even in real life.

"And that man over there," Althea says pointing towards me, "is someone like you. He's going through almost the same thing. Except his body is in a coma."

I feel Ava's curious eyes on me. I smile at her. She smiles back and stands up, so do the reapers. Then she narrows her eyes, as if she has found something strange about me. I start feeling strange, unsure of how to act.

"What's wrong?" Althea asks.

Ava's face then relaxes and reveals an expression that I was accustomed to seeing a few years back -- surprise and excitement mixed together.

Oh damn.

"You--" She paces hurriedly towards me and stops just a feet away from me. "You're Zayn Malik." Her jaw drops and she clasps her mouth shut with her hand. "Oh my God," her muffled voice says.

I grin awkwardly at her. "Uh, hi . . . I guess?"

She drops her hand and glances at the two reapers, who are now smiling. "He's Zayn Malik," she says to them. And then looking back at me she says, "He was in an accident. He's in a coma. I'm in the same building as Zayn Malik. What's going on?"

"I feel strange when someone calls me by my complete name so--"

"I'm talking to Zayn Malik?!"

"No. You're talking to his soul."

She just stares at me.

"Ava?"

"You know my name. You said my name."

"Yes, I did." I am glad she's no longer referring to me in the third person.

"Why is this day so weird?"

"Welcome to my world."

"My sister should be jealous."

I laugh. "Not really. I'm not what I used to be."

"I don't care. You're still Zayn Malik."

I laugh again. I really like this girl now. It's strange how she's suddenly no longer concerned about her life being in danger but is concerned more about seeing Zayn Malik.

- - -

After some time of a rather amusing interaction with Ava, Althea asks her whether she wants some time with her body, like she had asked me. Ava nods and goes inside her room with Althea. After everything, she deserves some time with herself.

I back away from the door and sit down on a bench. It's not like I'm tired but I still behave in a humane manner. It feels uncomfortable standing for a long time, even if I can't feel my legs.