Zombie, Zombie, Zombie [Giselle, Candice]

Shit.
It was hard to really focus in this damn place. She swallowed loudly as she stared up at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the hubbub out in the hallways that crept in through the open door. A few small beads of sweat on her brow as she sat in her daze. A washbin full of blood was on the table next to her bed, and a few stray drops stained her blankets. She'd have to ask the damn nurses to get her new ones. But she was just too tired. Her eyes drifting toward the little call bell.

She couldn't be assed to do it now. Maybe she'd ring it when things quieted down later in the night. If she rang it now it was gonna just annoy her till they showed up.

She sighed, glancing toward her phone. She'd let Liltotto and Candice know about what was going on, but frankly, she didn't know what was gonna happen from there. She didn't know what was going to happen period.

What a thought that was. Eighteen hundred years old.... and for the first time, she wasn't getting better. At least when she'd been mashed to paste, she hadn't really been conscious while she'd been reforming. But this was a whole different kind of feeling like shit. Go figure...

The sound of Candice's sudden bursting arrival put a tired smile on Giselle's face. Ah, there was no mistaking that soft breeze of movement followed by perfume and anger. "Hey babe." She murmured softly, glancing up and verifying that it indeed was Candice. Thank goodness, that Nurse had NOT appreciated being called babe.

Ah, she must have looked worse than she thought. The sudden look of shock on Candice's face ....hurt. She'd hoped for that usual .... sass and pazzaz. That stern, angry smolder and commanding voice she'd seen a couple days ago. It felt like.....forever ago. And suddenly, she felt Candice grasping at her hand, and suddenly her lips thinned, closing her eyes and feeling that first, agonizing pang in her chest. Oh Candice...

She took just a moment... bracing herself before she turned and looked up at the woman, taking a slow and ....steady breath as she gently squeezed the woman's hand back. A handful of jokes bubbled up, only to turn to ash in her mouth. A few....sarcastic lines refused to go past her throat. And for just a moment, she was quiet as she ....struggled with what to say to this woman. That she had more or less told she'd be around forever. And .....

Her mind went back.
How many times had she looked down at someone in this situation?
How many soft expressions had she seen. Assuring. And yet so damn tired. Some of them happy. Some of them scared. Some of them.....in agony. And here she was.

"Candice...." She murmured softly, and slowly sat up to wrap her arms around the woman. She at least had the energy for that, and the nausea had subsided for the time being. A soft, shaky little sigh escaping her as she spoke softly. "It's gonna be alright, deep breaths yea?" She murmured softly. "Cmon, here, take a ....seat. Just be careful of the table hon." She murmured softly, gently rubbing at Candice's back as she ....struggled with what she should say.

What COULD she say?
They knew what was happening. They didn't know WHY it was happening, but that was typical in her experience. They never knew what the fuck they were dealing with. But.....Giselle had a pretty good idea. And ....... she ....unfortunately... didn't think she could lie...and say everything was going to be alright.

She was glad to have her. So close.... and .... ah.

What she would have given.... to see this .....pure side of her. Not innocent...or ...without her quirks. Just....the feelings underneath. The side that she got to see those brief little flashes of now and then. How could she not find them beautiful?
Why did it have to hurt so much to see it now? Gently, she relaxed her hands, giving a soft squeeze to Candice's own as ....that question made her lips thin. What a question that was. Taking a slow and steady breath, Giselle sighd out and leaned in, gently resting her forehead against Candice's as she ....tried to think of what to say.

"Hollow poisoning." She noted softly, closing her eyes. "I can .... get it out. Usually. The docs even have processes for it. But. I took a lot of damage. And ....some of it ... must have gotten in my bones. " She noted softly, biting her lower lip. "All my ...power is in my blood. I could get turned to a pile of paste, but eventually, the blood all comes back together, and I'm back on my feet. If I take too much damage. I turn reishi into blood, and use that to fix myself." She explained softly, her shoulders slumping a little.

"If... I'm forced to that while I'm unconscious. Some of that hollow reishi ...gets turned to blood. And it can make me real sick." She explained. And she wished she could have just ....stopped talking. How simple it would be , to say that she'd just.....get better.



She closed her eyes, and squeezed Candice's hand, a bit more firmly. Failing to control her breathing as she felt a slight sting in her eyes. "There's..... a lot..." Her voice caught in her throat for a moment. As ....explaining it...made it all too real. It was all too much. This ...this sucked. This wasn't fair.

Why. Why now? She'd waited hundreds. A THOUSAND years. to find SOMETHING. Something that could last. Why NOW did this have to happen? Why did she have to say goodbye?
"There's ... too much. There's too much..." Her voice cracked, and she clung to Candice's shoulder. Tears rolling down her cheeks.

She shouldn't have. She should have been stronger. Whhy...why was she so fucking WEAK?! She was scared. She had something to lose. SomeONE to lose! Why. WHY?! FUCKING WHY?! She suddenly grasped onto Candice.. her arms wrapped around the woman as she felt it all hitting her at once. She ...she couldn't andle it.
She was supposed to be strong.
She was supposed to be WISE. SMART.
How many fucking TIMES had she comforted someone?
TOLD them that there was no reason to be afraid?
And now, ...
Now that SHE was the one dying.
It was terrifying. And Candice....
Candice...

She shut her eyes tightly. Pressing her lips shut as she tried to shut her eyes, to block the tears from coming out. "I'm sorry. I'm...I'm so sorry." Her voice came out a whisper. Ashamed that she was falling apart.
That ......EVERYTHING.....was falling apart.

She held tightly onto Candice as the woman clung to her, and she clung right back, both of them crying now, in tears.... practically breaking down in the hospital room, making Giselle glad that there wasn't anyone around to bother them. She just wanted to hold onto Candice, try to ....make up for it. But how did she make up for taking herself away from her? How was she supposed to make up for any of this? She took a slow, shaky attempt at a deep breath, before gently reaching up and touching Candice's cheek, trying to muster up....SOME sort of comfort.

"I know ......I know. But Candice... I..." She swallowed audibly, and held the woman close. "You can make it through this. I barely recognize you from the girl I met in that damn noisy-ass club. You've changed so much... it's damn...amazing. You're more beautiful and lovely every time I see you." She sniffled, gently rubbing along the woman's back, trying to soothe her in whatever little meaningless ways she could.

"I'm not gone yet. And I'm not just gonna ....roll over and let myself die. Okay? We have .... time." She assured the blonde. She honestly didn't know if it was kindness or cruelty to tell her such a thing. That this wouldn't be a sudden process. It would be slow....and she'd probably get worse and worse.

"Come on. This is the city of lights. They got all kinds of drugs to help us get the best outta the time I got left, okay?" It was stupid, maybe even insensitive. But she didn't want this ......to be the end. She didn't want Candice's last memories of her to be this ....sad...hopelessness. She wanted to have SOMETHING. She had to think of ...something.... to give her before this all fell apart.

"I'm not gonna just leave you Candice. I'm gonna stay.... as long as I can. Okay? I promise. I'm not gone yet. Not yet." She assured her, reaching up to wipe those tears with her blanket.

She frowned at that, and lightly swatted Candice's shoulder. "Hey now, that's my girlfriend you're insulting." She insisted, holding Candice tightly and continuing to keep working at those tears. She just wanted them to stop....it was stupid and maybe on some level it was deeply selfish of her. That she just wanted to .... see that sadness leave the woman's face. And .... frowning. Listening to what Candice was saying.

"What do you mean? I wanted to be better for you too. Candice.... don't say things like that. You ARE better." She started to insist, and worry clouded her face for a moment. She didn't want to see Candice put herself down like this. Not now... But what Candice said next caused her to blink in confusion. For a moment, she didn't say anything, just....staring. What was Candice saying? She was trying to figure it out... when Candice leaned in and those lips found her own. And it was all too easy to let herself slip into it. To push those words out of her mind and hold the woman. Trying to ... keep from thinking about it. She kissed her back, until either Candice pulled back or they had to come up for air. Her breathing was a bit heavier, the stress of the encounter clear as she panted, but her grip on Candice never loosened, as that ......worried look stayed on Giselle's face.

"Th-then what should we do? I don't wanna just lay around. If you don't .... want to make the most of it, then what DO you want to do?" She asked, a hint of fear in her voice.