Protector's Bond (Two-Shot)

Chapter 29: The Last Memory (Eli)

Pain.

That was all I felt for the past days.

Darkness.

That was all I saw.

Voices.

That was all I heard.

Junjie's presence. His return.

That was all that motivated me to fight this sickness.

Everyone's panic and sorrow when they heard I was sick.

That was all I sensed.

I really wanted to fight this sickness. The 99 Caverns needs me. The Shane Gang needs me. Burpy needs me. Junjie needs me. They all need me. I'm shocked at how my life and emotions create ripples across SlugTerra. When my dad disappeared, they were all hoping for another Shane. When I went down here and proved myself, they believed me and were satisfied that there was still another Shane. When I took down Dr. Blakk, all of SlugTerra celebrated with us for our massive victory. During the zombie run, they were all hoping I would win, but were still grateful when I handed the trophy to Jun. And when I got sick and just lay down here dying of my own pains, they panicked and hoped I would get better.

And Jun came back from the East! "It was all I could do, even if my arrival is the last thing that would lift your spirits during your final days," he said to me after I awakened. Since I was hooked on the ventilator, I couldn't speak to him. Aww, man, the feeling of something stuck in my throat! I so badly want to get it out, but I can't. If I do, I'll be able to talk to them, to eat, swallow and not complain about my gagging reflexes irritating the tube (listen here, okay? I'm not a doctor. How am I supposed to know if there's a tube or not forced down his throat?) but then my breathing would become ragged once again and I'd be left gasping for air like a drowning slug (not the Aquabeeks, though).

And when I needed the loving touch of a person, there was no need for me to ask them. Jun knows how to read my mind. So he would often sit by my side and stroke my hair, like I was his little brother. But after that, he would turn away and try to hide the fact that he was going to be a little (or a lot) emotional. My heart ached for him. I would often take his hand, stroke the back of it with my palm and smile with that look that said, "Hey, Jun, what are you so worried about? Listen, don't you worry, I'll make it out of this. I know I can beat this all the way down to the Deep Caverns like how I beat the Emperor's ass there."

And I know I will make it. But the constant surgeries to reconstruct my lungs and stabilise my major organs (lungs, heart, stomach but definitely not the brain because one mistake can send me into a coma and then all of SlugTerra would freak out more) are wearing out my body out. Pretty soon I was reduced to flesh, blood and bones. That's it. All I could do was stay in bed, rest, wake up to go to the bathroom, lie back down, wake up, eat, and sleep again. They advised I limit my movements because my major organs might get jostled too much and I might be in pain all ofer again. All my nerves are on edge. A single jerk or shake will cause a chain reaction. But, luckily, everyone was careful around me. Everyone was excited for the day I would be released from the hospital. We even celebrated my 17th in there! I was so glad I lived this long, but who knew I was gonna spend this much time stuck in here? "You'll be out of here, soon." They'd tell me. Or so we thought.

Then, one day, the tables were turned, yet again.

I felt a massive pain in my abdomen that day. The doctors swiftly arrived and brought me to surgery. A CAT scan showed a bloody spot near my stomach, and an MRI scan confirmed our worst fears.

I had a haemorrhage in my stomach.

I don't know what happened next, but I was sedated but like 2 hours later I woke up, back in my room. "Did the surgery go okay?" I asked Jun. I could tell by the way he looked away from me that the surgery did not go okay at all. "There was no surgery at all," he said. "They didn't fix the haemorrhage." I gasped and asked him to explain. "They knew your body was being worn out by the constant reconstructive surgeries, so just before they put the anaesthesia, they cancelled it."

I was going to die.

But why me? I didn't deserve this! Just right there I decided to accept my fate. Even if it meant giving up my life, at least I got to see the beauty of the caverns around here and have a chance to pick up slugslinging and journey around the caverns, have some fun and just enjoy life. But now...it's over. Me at such a young age! I couldn't stop the tears now.

Neither could Burpy. When he heard about this, he knew at once they were going to put me down and lay me to eternal rest. I decided to just surrender. I reached out for him and heard him cry for me. (Not the onions again...) I too had to mourn my own loss and the devastation that was to sweep the caverns after it. I bet Jun will bring it back to the East.

And I knew I was going to die a painful death. My temperature soared. I was so wracked with pain and emotions that all that I can move without experiencing hurt is my neck, my head and my eyes. It was as if I was paralysed from the neck down. I was so scared. The whole Gang surrounded me. Twist, Trixie, Pronto, Kord, Jun, even close friends such as Red Hook, Grendall and Jun's very own Master Lian. And the slugs too. Doc, Burpy, Joo-Joo, Joules, Rookie, Spinner, Bluster, all of them. I looked at the clock. It was 12:44. Then the next minute, the voices of my loved ones all let me do just one thing. "Just let go, Eli Shane," was Junjie's voice calling out to me, his tears falling on my weakened body, dropping on my closing eyelids. "Just let go..."

To all my followers reading this, I'm just so sorry, I had to...😭😭😭