Bloodborn (sequel to 'Lucky 13')

Chapter 34: Broken to the core

Third person's POV

Catherine wiped away her tears as she entered Emily's bedroom.

Emily looked up from her toys and smiled immediately upon seeing her zaezzes. "Play?" She clapped her hands cheerfully.

Catherine breathed in and out before sitting on the ground in front of little Emily. "We need to talk," She looked Emily right in the eyes. "About mommy."

Emily's smile dropped instantly as she suddenly could see the sadness in her zaezzes' eyes. She would wonder why she didn't notice that before now, but she didn't care.

"Your mommy got attacked by evil people," Catherine looked down, unable to look her daughter in the eyes as she was a spitting image of Lily. "She didn't make it."

Emily looked down, breathing in and out faster as sniffles appeared. She looked up, at her zaezzes and put her arms up to her.

But Catherine wasn't having this. "I'm sorry." She got up and left.

And Emily, she was left alone in her room. No zaezzes, no mommy, no one. No one there to comfort her, to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. All she had were the plushies and toys her mom used to play with, with her. And suddenly, she hated all those toys and plushies, as they reminded her of what she had lost.

_______________________

Vernon knocked on the front door, which was opened relatively fast as his presence was asked. "I came as fast as I could," He said as he entered. He turned around, to face Marianne, and stopped. "W-What happened?"

Marianne simply shook her head.

Vernon gulped. "Don't tell me she..." He didn't even have to finish that line as Marianne nodded already. Vernon looked away and let out a breath. For a moment, he didn't know what to think. He turned to look at Marianne. "How?"

Marianne wiped her nose. "She, uhm, lost too much blood," She sniffled. "She died during surgery."

Vernon cursed.

And Marianne noticed just how much he seemed to care. And she wondered if he cared because his daughter lost her wife and true love, or because of something else.

Vernon looked at Marianne again. "Where is she?"

"Lily?"

He shook his head. "Catherine."

"Upstairs," Marianne wiped her tears away yet again, something she had been doing a lot this past hour. "She's telling Emily."

"Oh God..." Vernon then left and hurried upstairs. Once again he didn't know where anything was in the house, but he knew how to find Catherine. He opened a door and saw Catherine laying in a bed, crying while holding on to a pillow. Vernon assumed that that was the pillow Lily always slept on.

He entered the room and walked to his daughter. The closer he went, the more he could see how devasted she was. How broken and miserable she was. And he knew exactly how she was feeling, as he had been there too.

He gently sat down on the bed, sitting right next to Catherine's laying form. And Catherine didn't seem to bother. She was too consumed by sadness.

Vernon gently placed his hand on his daughter's back, caressing it gently. But Catherine wouldn't allow that to happen, she pushed him away immediately. "Leave me alone!"

Vernon got up. "Catherine, I'm only trying to - "

"She's dead because of you!" Catherine got up too, standing right in front of her father. "You left her to die! You took her from me like you took mom from me!"

"Catherine, I'm - "

"I don't care what you are feeling right now!"

Vernon sighed as he realized his daughter was too overcome by sadness that she couldn't reason with anyone anymore. And he knew he'd better just leave her be but, for some reason, he couldn't. He had this urge to comfort her, to help her and support her, to be there for her.

Catherine looked down, seemingly calming down. She looked at her hands, gently rubbing her wedding ring. And she went to sit down on her bed, crying once more.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Catherine," Vernon said softly. "I assure you that I wouldn't have left her if I had seen a way out of that situation, but she did what every great mother would do," He said to which Catherine looked up at him. "She died protecting her child. She gave her own life to save Emily's. You should be proud of her."

Catherine didn't say anything, but she seemed to listen. And Vernon sensed that this was his chance to comfort her.

"I'm sorry for what has happened. Lily didn't deserve this," He looked down then. "She was an amazing person, a good soul. She was one of the few humans I'd consider being truly good."

Catherine looked down again, but didn't say anything.

Vernon sighed. "I did what Lily wanted, and Emily's safe. But I can't help but feel bad for what has happened," He sniffled as tears started forming in his eyes now too. "I loved that girl so much, like my own daughter," He shook his head. "And now she's gone, because of the freaking CAT."

Catherine looked away.

"Catherine," He walked to her and knelt in front of her. "Please," He took her hand in his, looking for some way to comfort his daughter. "I want to help you, and little Emily, but you have to let me."

Catherine looked down then, at their joint hands. Vernon thought she'd pull back, but she didn't. She simply was looking at their hands.

"Tell me what I can do to help you," He showed her a small smile, a smile he hoped would give her some kind of support. "Anything, whatever you like, and I'll do it."

Catherine then looked at him, right in his eyes, and she held his gaze. In her eyes was nothing but sadness. And Vernon could clearly see how broken his daughter was within her core.

"I'll do anything."

"Bring my haewa back," Catherine then looked down and sniffled. "I can't go on without her." She then fell back to crying.

And Vernon's heart broke even more. He got up, wanting to wrap his arms around his daughter, but was stopped by her once again.

She didn't even look at him, she simply continued crying. "I wish you died instead."

Vernon gulped but decided not to respond to that anymore. He slowly got up and left Catherine, as he knew she really didn't need him.