Chapter 1 - Untitled

Maxi get in here now!"
"But Mommy..."
"No Buts! I want you in here now! It's raining and you don't even have the proper clothing on!"
Maxi rolled her eyes, the little six year old wasn't really listening to her mother, she was enjoying the rain. After all it was only water... She let out a loud giggle as she hopped from each of the puddles that were now forming in the front yard.
Her Mother, Ryla, wasn't about to let her youngest child ignore her, and rushed outside, picked the little girl up, and ran back in. She put Maxi down and fixed her with a cold stare, "How many times do I have to tell you...Never go out in the rain without a coat or boots?!"
Maxi looked down at her feet, cheeks burning red with shame, "I'm sorry Mommy... I was just having fun..." She mumbled quietly.
"Well you could have caught your death out there!"
"I know..."
Her voice softened and she bent down to the little girl's level and scooped her into a hug, "I just don't want to lose you Maxi...Your Father, sister and I all love you very much!"
Maxi wrapped her arms around her Mother and nuzzled her face into her shoulder, she felt bad for worrying her, "I know. I love you too Mommy."
Ryla smiled and kissed the top of her daughter's head.
That night when Maxi's parents came to say good night to her, she was complaining of a runny nose and a headache, she didn't look to well either. Her cheeks were a rosy color and she looked a bit pale. Ryla glanced worriedly at her husband, who was kissing the little girl's forehead.
"Tell me a story Daddy." Maxi said in a hoarse voice.
Her father smiled, "Maybe tomorrow night Sweetie, it sounds like you're getting a cold."
She looked up at him with big brown eyes, "Please? I'm fine."
Ayrn shook his head, "No. You need rest so you can get stronger." He paused waiting to see if she remembered.
"Oh right! Then I'll be as smart and strong Kaira and I'll be able to a Ninja like her!" He laughed, "Exactly. So get some rest."
Maxi grinned and shut her eyes, "Good night!" She chirped.
Both her parents kissed her good night then left the room. Ryla sighed and leaned against the wall when came out into the hall. She looked up at her husband, worry in her eyes,
"Aryn...She looks horrible..."
Aryn walked over and kissed her, "No she doesn't, she gets her looks from me." Ryla rolled her eyes and playfully cuffed him across the head, "Not those kind of looks. I mean she looks sick."
He shrugged, "Probably just a cold..." He paused seeing her eyes widen, "But she'll get over it, don't worry."
The next morning, looking back, Ryla wished she didn't have to go through it, but she then thought about how her youngest must have felt. Coughing is what brought the concerned mother to Maxi's room. When she walked in, she nearly started crying, her little girl looked paler than she had ever seen her before, her eyes looked almost dull, and lifeless. But what really scared her the most was that her daughter was shivering even when there were at least three blankets covering the six year old.
"Maxi...Honey..." She called softly.
The little girl opened her eyes and let out a pitful moan, "Mommy...my throat hurts and I'm cold." She shut her eyes when she felt her mother's soft hand against her forehead,
"Your hand's cold."
Ryla took her hand away quickly. She was burning up! She closed her eyes trying to keep from panicing, "Ayrn!" She called after a moment. Her husband soon ran in, detecting worry in her voice.
"What's wrong?"
"I-I think we should take Maxi to a doctor..."
"Why...?"
"She says she's cold...but her forehead's burning..."
Aryn frowned slightly, walked over to his daughter and gently placed his hand on her forehead then the side of her face. He looked at Ryla and sighed, "I think she's got a fever..."
The worried expression on Ryla's face never left, "Let's take her...please. Just to be safe."
He chuckled then nodded “Alright, just to be safe." "I'm sorry to tell you this...but your daughter's caught pneumonia." A young doctor had the unpleasant job of telling Maxi's parents.
Ryla felt as if someone punched her in the stomach, leaving her gasping for air, "S-She's going to live though, right? It's only in the early stages. You caught it in time so she can be cured, right?" She had tears in her eyes now as she looked up at the doctor, not wanting believe their daughter was sick, sicker than they could imagine.
He hung his head, really not wanting to be there, "We'll do our best, but..." He trailed off and sighed, "I suggest you make the next couple of weeks good for her..."
Ryla jumped up so quickly that she nearly knocked over her chair, "No! I don't want to hear that! You're supposed to heal; you can't just leave her to die! She's only six!" She was sobbing now as Aryn reached up and gently, but firmly grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. She pushed him away and let her head fall into her hands, tears flowed down her cheeks. It was bad enough to live in constant fear of something happening to her eldest daughter Kaira. She had been sent to a very good academy to train as a Ninja when she was thirteen. Sure she had been very happy for her when Kaira had told them the news, but she would always think something horrible would happen to her baby. Now she was faced once more with the fact that she was going to lose a daughter, but this time it wouldn't be to ship her off to some Ninja school...No, this time she would be losing one to Death.
The following days after the news were almost torture, knowing that little Maxi had only a few weeks to live unless the doctors could help her. At that current moment she was in isolation, where visits could only be paid through a little window that looked into her room. She lay in her bed, wrapped up in many blankets to help keep her warm. She looked even worse now, her lips, which were quivering from the cold, had turned a purplish color, and her cheeks were a bright red from the fever she still had. She closed her eyes and memories of playing in the rain came back to her like a bad dream. 'I should have listened to you mommy...' She thought when she realized it must have been the rain that made her sick, that and her stubbornness.
A tear slipped down her cheek, she was scared, really scared. She didn't want to die, she wanted to go home and play with her with her friends, she wanted to still be tucked in by her parents... She wanted to be with them... Then there was her sister, Kaira was halfway across the world at the academy, unaware that her little sister was going to be dead soon. Maxi pulled the blankets closer to her body and buried her face into the pillow, "I don't want to die..." She whimpered and pushed herself into a sitting position, "I don't want to die, I don't want to die...I DON'T WANNA DIE!" She was sobbing now, her little body shook with each one that escaped her lips, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE!"
A few doctors heard her yelling and quickly put on some gloves and masks then ran into the room and over to the frightened child, "Calm down." One said and gently took her arms, pushing her back against her pillow. She curled up in a little shivering ball; her blankets were now on the floor from her sudden outburst. The other doctor sat down and rubbed her back gently, this just made Maxi whimper again, he reminded her of her mother, "I don't want to die..." Her breathing was shaky and labored. She certainly hadn't helped her condition.
"Shhh...Just close your eyes and go to sleep." The doctor told her softly, it was the younger one who diagnosed Maxi with the deadly pneumonia. He felt bad that he had to tell her parents and he felt even worse that the little girl laying helpless on the bed, might not live.
Days passed and Maxi showed no sign of improving, in fact she was just getting weaker. But one rainy afternoon her parents, and her sister, (who had come home after receiving a letter that her little sister was deathly sick and came home right away,) were called into the room. The six year old had a oxygen mask over her face, an IV in her arm, and was hooked to life support which beeped every so often. Her family quietly went over to the little girl.
Ryla covered her mouth with her hand, sobbing quietly. Aryn placed his hands on his wife's shoulders rubbing gently, while kissing her cheek. Kaira just stood back, silent tears streaming down her cheeks, she was never too fond of her little sister, but she never wanted this. It was during an examination when she had received the message. She remembered how her eyes had filled with tears after reading it, and then she dropped everything and took off running, as though there was a Dark Ninja after her.
The young doctor walked in with a couple of others, they all looked grim, especially the younger one. He really didn't want to be here.
"How's she doing...?" The younger asked one that was closest to him.
"Not so well...According to the last report, we're losing her...fast." He answered then paused, "Are you alright Tujra?"
Tujra looked up and shook his head, "She's so young...Are you sure this nothing we can do?"
"No I'm afraid not..."
"Oh so we're just going to sit back and watch her die?!?
"Well uh--"
"Well I'm not! I'm actually going to do something about it!" Tujra shoved past the other doctors, ignoring the looks they were giving him, along with the shocked and curious ones he received from Maxi's family. He rolled up his sleeves, tongue out, and a very determined look on his face, "She's not going to die if Tujra Lyrhon has anything to do with it!" He cried and moved over the little girl's side, a thoughtful expression on his face. He then looked up at the other doctors, "Get me some of those healing herbs, don't ask questions, just do it!" The others blinked but one left without a word and returned a moment later with the herbs he requested. Tujra took the oxygen mask of Maxi's face and opened her mouth; he turned to the closest person, "I need someone to hold her mouth open."
Maxi's mother happened to be right next to him and went over, gently opening her little girl's mouth. Tujra put the herbs in a glass of water, then placed a hand at the back of Maxi's head, pushing it up, and slowly poured the water mixed with the herbs, into her mouth. He let out a shaky breath and stepped back. Now all he could do was watch and wait...

"Daddy, Daddy, Please read me a story!" Maxi pleaded, making her brown eyes go big, attempting to get her way this time. It was several days later, the little girl was still in the hospital but she was recovering and it was all thanks to the young doctor who never gave up on her. If it wasn't for his quick thinking (even if it was only luck that was on his side,) Maxi wouldn't be living.
"A story? What kind do you want?" Aryn laughed and smothered her in kisses. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Tell me that one about your team kicking that Dark Ninja's--" She didn't finish as her father placed his hand over her mouth, and gave her a warning look.
Ryla however had heard her daughter and fixed her husband with a glare, "What was she going to say?"
"Uh heh heh heh...Nothing Dear."
"Aryn..."
"Fine..." He lowered his voice so only Ryla could hear, "@$$..."
"That's what I thought..."
All he did was grin, but his expression soon changed to a pained one as Maxi bit down on his hand. He quickly uncovered his mouth.
"@$$!" She said triumphantly.
Ayrn groaned and flinched, getting ready for a slap from his wife. She was glaring at him, and moving her hand downwards--
"Oh yeah! I forgot to show you guys something I drew!" Maxi reached for a colorful drawing that was on her nightstand. She grabbed it then settled back down, "Mommy, Daddy, Kaira, get over here, I wanna show you this." She turned the paper over to reveal a cute little drawing that was titled, 'My Hero is the doctor who saved my life.' It consisted of a room and two people in it, a little girl and a man with a white lab coat on, holding a needle.
Ryla put a hand to her mouth and smiled, tears filling her eyes once more, then without warning she turned and walked out.
Aryn smiled and ruffled her hair, "That's a really good drawing Sweetie."
Kaira just hugged her, happy her little sister was alive, how true those words in the drawing were, that doctor was certainly her Hero.
Ryla soon returned, the young doctor behind her looking extremely confused but happy to be able to visit the little girl he was becoming very attached to. She smiled, "Maxi look who's here!"
Maxi looked up, grinning. She held the drawing out, "I made this for you!"
Tujra took the drawing and studied it then he looked up and gave her a teary smile, "Thanks Maxi..." He murmured wrapping his arms around her in a hug, "Thank you so much."
Maxi wrapped her own arms around his neck, "I love you." She whispered.
Tujra swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath, "I love you too."

End

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