I'm Dying, Mate.

(4) The Mark

"I see, that is good news then" her words were forced but her eyes held gratitude at the doctor. She is known to be good at being polite and what not

"I'll call you once we transfer Iona to her room" The doctor smiles at us and left when a nurse calls for him

Then Mother turns to glare at me with all the hatred she can muster. "If you dare take her away from me to give to those blasted elders, I swear I would forget that I ever had sons and take her farther away from all of you"

"You wouldn—"

"Oh, I would" then for some sort of miracle, her eyes softens and I see the pain in it. The kind of pain I've only seen once and that's when the elders took us. "I can't lost another child of mine. Not by death or by something else. Iona is different, she's the only thing left from Dianna"

Stunned, I couldn't say anything. The others seems to be as stunned as me. I feel Farah's hand on my shoulder and the sparks of our bond rousing me from my stupor.

"Mom" I whisper

"Don't call me that" she softy says. "Mother, would be fine"

Then she turns to leave

IONA

Ididn'tknow what happened after the field of flowers and the burning. I was still thankful that I woke up from the pain filled dream, no matter how beautiful it was. I open my eyes to see the familiar white ceilings of the hospital.

The ceiling looks like an old friend, it wasn't disorienting at all like what other people told me. It was comforting to know that I was back in the security of people who knew how to handle my dying body. It's because that I'm in the hospital that I'm not in pain anymore and for that I'm thankful.

I hear a lullaby. It was familiar and warm, something I knew I listened to, for a while now. I look around and see Mammie by the window which was her usual seat. She was cutting apples to look like rabbits and singing the lullaby I've heard whenever it's my birthday.

"Mam-Mammie" my voice broke and I feel the dryness of my throat.

She looks at me, eyes wide with surprise and relief. "Iona" she smiles and pulls the chair with her to my side. The plate of rabbit apples on her lap while I see tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Aw, Mammie" I whisper, voice still scratchy.

"Water, you need water" she turns to the night stand where the pitcher of water and a glass was there. She gives me the cold glass and I gratefully drank it with one hand to support its weight. I can't seem to move my other arm just yet.

"Iona" Mammie says between sobs "I was so scared you'll never wake up"

"What happened Mammie?" I ask looking around the room and oddly enough we were alone. My uncles and cousins weren't there, it felt strange without them there. Not even the hotheaded uncle Fredo

"The doctor said you're stable at least. You're fine for now and that..." mammie let's out a whine in her throat. Too scared or to hurt to continue "you're dying" she whispers as if saying so would stop it from happening.

"I'm sorry for worrying you and not being able to call. I wanted to spend some days alone for a while, you know? Doing things on my own since it's been a while that I have been able to do that"

"No need to say sorry" she smiles, tears still trailing her cheeks. "I understand, let me get that" she takes the glass away from me and kisses my cheeks.

I've grown used to of Mammie crying, she is always crying. She is so fragile that I often watch the words that I say to her, fearing she'd cry with one wrong word.