The Other Wayland

It's a Cruel Waiting Game

Joe's POV 

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Jace yelled as Magnus looked unusually pale and resigned. 

"Whatever he did to her, he overloaded her immune system, it can't fight off the demon blood that he infected her with. My own demonic nature is not helping, you need to take her somewhere with very little demon contamination and I don't know if it will even help, it might just offer a little relief to her body being somewhere more angelic than demonic. This is something she's got to fight on her own. I've made her more comfortable, there's no more pain and I've given her a little bit of an immune boost but there's nothing more I can do," He said sadly.  Jace immediately got up, punched the wall and stormed out of the building. I watched as he went, knowing I'd react the same if I hadn't been here before. I knew it was coming, my head knew this was the outcome but my heart desperately wanted Magnus to be able to heal her. It was a blow to have her back and then for her to be barely living. A cruel twist of fate, I'd gotten her back only for her to be ripped away from me moments later. 

"Do you think she'll pull through this time?" I asked gravely. I didn't want to think about her not making it. I didn't even want to accept it was a possibility but I had to. This wasn't something that could be removed and flushed out like before, this was in her bloodstream, hitting her, again and again, every time her heartbeat. This could be it, this could be the time I have to say goodbye to her and I had to accept it and try to carry on until it became a reality. 

"I'm not sure," He answered after a time. He hadn't thought about it, why would he? "Normally, I would say, yes, she's healthy, strong, active but given the fact that he could have done anything to her and the weight she's lost, I can't say for sure. What I can say is if we don't move her somewhere else she's not got a chance." He said grimly. 

"The city of bones?" I suggested it was the only place I could think of that would take her in and where she could even have a chance of pulling through. 

"It's worth a try. Anything is better than being here with me," Magnus said, he sank onto the sofa, "I wish I could tell you that it's going to be okay, I wish I could fool myself into believing that she's going to be the same after all of this if she pulls through, but I can't. She's already fragile, and this could send her spiralling," 

"She's been spiralling for years, she's good at hiding it for the most part but I know her. She's become more reckless, more impulsive, more daring, just more willing to have fun. Almost as if she knew she might not have long. The last year has been the most daring, fun, ridiculous, memorable year of my life. We have done some crazy things, stupid things, scary things but I wouldn't have it any other way. I have done things with her I would never have done without her, I have loved because of her, I've loved her, and I think she must have known deep down that this was coming, that we wouldn't have long together. " I said smiling sadly, my mind made up. 

"You talk like she's already gone," Magnus said quietly looking more sad as time passed. 

"When she gets through this, I'm going to take up the offer to go back to Edinburgh," I explained, "I've been thinking about it every since she went missing," 

"Why?" Magnus asked me surprised. 

"She was doing really well here, I think she's finally found somewhere she can call home, she has a family here," I sighed sadly, I hadn't vocalised it out loud before and I could see the judgment on his face, "I need to give her space to settle in, to grow without me, to live without me. I am the reason that she is laying in that bed, on the verge of death. I won't be the reason she puts herself in danger anymore. I want her safe, and that clearly won't happen when I'm around for her to throw herself into danger in the name of protecting me." 

"She won't take it well," Magnus stated as if I didn't already know that. 

"As if I think she'll take it well. She's going to throw a hissy fit and won't let me go without a fight. It's time, we both know that,"  I shrugged. Magnus stared at me, I guessed it was a surprise to him that I would even consider leaving Liza but it was the safest option for her.  "I'm going to get in contact with the silent brothers," 

***

Joe's POV

She had been laying still in tiny hospital like bed for weeks, almost a month now and yet there was been no change. She laid still, night and day with only her eyes moving. I dreaded to think what was happening in her head. 

"Anything?" I asked Jace as he walked out of her room in the city of bones. It wasn't a pleasant place at all but it was the only place we could think of that would allow her immune system to relax. This place was grim. The quiet was almost deafening. 

"Nothing, she seems less... I don't know, she seems more still today," He said sighing, "I never though I would have to watch her slowly dying," 

"She's not dying," I insisted. I would not allow them to lose hope. She was going to be okay. I could feel it. "She is going to be fine, she just needs time,"

"How much more time Joe?" He asked me, his voice though as if he didn't want her to hear what he was saying, "How much time do we give her? This," He waved a hand at her room, "This isn't right. You know she wouldn't want this, in fact, I think this would be her worst hell."

"She isn't dying," I insisted again, "Magnus said..." 

"Magnus hasn't seen her in weeks," He snapped, he had a sad look on his face and his eyes were full of pity. I wasn't falling for it, I wasn't going to be convinced that Liza wasn't coming back to me.  

"We can't keep going on like this. The brothers say that her body won't  cope for much longer. We have to prepare for it, Joe, I know you don't  want to talk about it but we have to." Jace said to me quietly before giving my shoulder a squeeze and living the small, uncomfortably silent ward. I walked into her room and Jace was right, she seemed more still but not in a liveless way, more so in a peaceful way.

"Hey, I'm here again. It feels so stupid talking to you when you can't respond. I don't know if you can hear me and even if you could, what use is it? You just keep laying there still no matter what I say." I sat back in the chair, "Maybe Jace is right," I sighed and look up at the white ceiling. "Maybe I should just let you go, there isn't much more we can do to help you anymore. It's all up to you, Love," I reached for her hand, holding it loosely in mine, scared, no, terrified of her breaking if I wasn't gentle, "But I won't stop fighting for you, not until you stop fighting. You never stopped fighting for me, for us. You got yourself into this mess for me, I'm the reason that you are here. So keep fighting, Love, you need to keep going and I won't stop going either. Keep fighting now and you won't have to fight anymore. I'll make sure if it,"
***
Joe's POV

I stayed with Liza for a little over an hour before Clary appeared to take over. We never let her be alone for too long. I bid Clary goodbye after relaying all the current updates to her. Dark had descended on New York but I didn't mind. I liked the quiet and the peacefulness. It was comforting somehow. I was walking through the park on my way home before I was stopped by a young fae.

"Joseph Linscott?" He asked, the Fae have always been rather wary of me, staying away when Liza had many a fae friend, she seemed to attract them.  "You are Elizabeth's?"

"Umm, yes, I guess so..." I trailed off studying the man before me, he was tall with pointed ears and carried himself with an air of beauty and danger.

"The Seelie queen requests your presence," He said coolly before leading me away from the path and into the realm.