The Toils (Book Two)

VIII. The Pinch

Ben shuffled his feet against the dirt ground. Staring at his feet, he had nothing to argue back.
"You're right", he conceded, "and it's not fair - but you'll be exacerbating it by going now".
"Tell her I'm sorry", Eldore repeated, "tell her I love her, and that I'll make sure Rebury stays safe".
Eldore clambered back onto his horse, gave it a tap, and with a swoosh of air, he was gone.
Shultz shook his head, disappointed. With his body hunched, he roamed back into the lakehouse and closed the door behind him.
Harreina stood at the top of the stairs, looking down the stairwell at him with a pallid face washed in sadness.
"How much did you hear?", Ben asked up at her.
"Everything...", Harreina croaked.
"Go back to bed, Miss, we can talk about it in the morning", Shultz walked left past the staircase and entered the small bedroom that'd once been occupied by Toff Baumann.

He couldn't sleep, though. Anger at Eldore Greene coursed through his veins.
Before he knew it, it was 6 o'clock, and a strange banging noise was coming from the floor above.
Hesitantly, he climbed out of bed, pushed the door open, and half-jogged up the staircase.
Pushing open Harreinas bedroom door, Ben was confronted with a horrendous sight.
Violently convulsing atop her blankets, Harreina was foaming at the mouth. The sound of her teeth clashing against one and other blasted through his ears as Ben tried to roll her onto her side.
The attempt was futile - his tiny arms versus Harreinas heft was a David and Goliath battle.
As quickly as it began - it was over, and Harreina was out cold. Sweat formed across her skin, and though unconscious, she was shivering.
The clatter of the lakehouse door closing could be heard from the ground floor - "SIRENE?", Ben called out.
"Yeah", her voice rang out.
Her footsteps jogging up the stairwell grew louder as she ascended.
"What's up- JESUS!", she cried out, seeing the doctor cradling Harreinas' head.
"She's had a seizure", Shultz told her frantically, "we need to roll her onto her side".
Sirene didn't bother lurking, she crossed the floor and gave Ben a hand shifting Harreina into the recovery position.
Once Harreina was safely on her side, the pair of them moved out into the hallway on the other side of the bedroom door.
"What the fuck happened?", Sirene asked, panting slightly.
Ben sniffed loudly, "I dunno, I was in bed and heard her seizing from downstairs", he puffed.
"What does this mean, Ben?", Sirene asked with a tint of worry in her voice.
"It means she's getting worse", Ben stated the obvious.
"She was blind less than a week ago, now she can see again-".
"It means nothing. We have no idea how long she's actually been sick for, we only know how long she's had the symptoms", Shultz said.
"What're the options?", Sirene peered around, knowing the answer before it came.
"There aren't any", Shultz said bluntly, "basically wait for her condition to deteriorate, consider euthanasia".
"Absolutely fucking not", Sirene coughed, "do you have any idea what that'll look like?".
"I do".
"People will think I did it to get her out the way", Sirene steppe forward.
"Yeah, I know".
"If she's going to be euthanized she needs to make it clear to the other candidates that it's her decision", Sirene insisted.
"She might never wake up, Sirene", Shultz warned her.
"Well then she'll have to die on her own", Sirene shrugged, "people are already on the verge of a full-blown riot. You wanna risk that spilling over?".
"Are you actually worried about how this looks as opposed to whether or not it's the right decision?", Ben asked disgustedly.
"Yes", Sirenes' eyes opened wide.
"You're being selfish".
"It's not selfish to want to keep the country from falling apart", Sirene defended herself.
"It's selfish keeping her alive when her quality of life is virtually nonexistent!", Shultz's' voice raised a notch.
"Quality of life?", Sirene scoffed. "The people out there are starving to death because any food we have is pledged to Motueka, Gossfordshire and Zedeylia!".
"I'm not interested in the politics!", Ben cut back. "I care about the dying woman on the other side of that God-damned door!".
"Well then you'd better make sure she wakes up soon, so she can speak with the other candidates and make it clear that her death is her decision", Siriene sneered.
In one swift motion, she twisted on her heel and sauntered down the stairs, leaving Ben alone on the landing.