Chapter 2
Lindy slept for the rest of the day and night until she woke up next morning with the worst headache ever. Any sort of movement made it even worse and when she tried to get up, the world started spinning and she felt so weak that she had to hold onto things as she rushed to the bathroom to throw up. She briefly glanced at the mirror and saw no signs of struggle. She checked her body but there were no bruises or cuts. She was too sick to care. She barely got to the kitchen and took a pill. Her headache was clouding her vision and her insides felt rotten and decaying. She stumbled her way back to the bedroom where she came across an unexpected sight. Sentry. In all his shining glory.
“Lindy!” His eyes shine bright with love and childlike excitement.
“Bobby!” She runs to his embrace.
She hugs him tight but he can barely feel it. He pets her hair, caresses her skin and breathes her in. Her heart beats fast as it fills up with love and joy.
“I missed you!” She exclaims.
“Me too, baby!” He answers cutely.
“Are you okay?” He checks her face and eyes.
“Let's lay you down. You're tired, darling.” He puts a blanket around her. “You look so weak, honey, what happened?” He holds her weary hand.
“I don't know.” She brushes it off.
“Where were you?” She asks.
“I don't remember much, I'm sorry.” He seems confused.
“It's okay. I know.” She assures him.
“Did he visit you?” he asks concerned.
“It doesn't matter.” She looks in his eyes lovingly and caresses his cheek.
“What did he do to you?!” He sounds angry and panicky.
So he doesn't know, she thinks. That's why the Void covered his tracks and hid his evidence.
“Did he hurt you? What was it? Tell me!” He panics.
“No-no-no, calm down, it's okay. I'm fine.” She reassures him.
“He infected you… corrupted you from the inside, I can see it.”
“What do you mean?” She almost turns red.
“Whatever he did to you, is killing you from the inside. That's why you're feeling sick. Come here.” He wraps her closely in his embrace.
“Did you really think there would be no toll to pay for yesterday's fun?” She hears echoing through her head.
“What did you..?” She looks at the Sentry.
“What I'm saying is that I can't take it out in one go but I can keep it at bay and purge it bit by bit while I take care of you.”
He has no idea, she thinks to herself and it's frightening her.
Sentry focuses, thoroughly breathes in and out and his hands start glowing with golden light. He places them on top of her head, pressing lightly and pleasantly and slides them down slowly and thoroughly caressing her long strawberry blond hair. He keeps them pressed on her aching forehead for a good minute and lets her soak in the golden energy that seeps in like honey and mellows her down. Then he puts her hair to the side and out of the way and kisses her where her neck meets her shoulders. His warm glowing hands keep sliding down her shoulders, arms and down her spine. Lindy's skin feels like being sun-kissed by her personal little sun. On the inside she feels calming and soothing golden energy spreading around her organs fighting back the disease. She feels like the sun itself is being injected right into her veins. In her head, she swears she hears it singing. He then presses his hands against her chest as he embraces her from behind. His glowing hands right under her nose are blinding her and she covers them with her own cold weary ones and closes her eyes. Healing energy keeps pulsating inside her chest as Sentry whispers softly: “My love… my precious Lindy. I love you, my sweet wife.” Lindy is slowly drifting to sleep, unable to answer. He knows so he murmurs again in case she forgets: “I love you, Lindy.”
A couple of hours have passed as she wakes up coughing and gasping for air. Her headache is back in full swing stinging like pins piercing her skull. She squirms in agony as convulsing pain starts spreading throughout her body. Her eyes roll back and Sentry quickly shakes her back to her senses. She opens her eyes followed by a long terrifying gasp. She starts shrieking in pain and he has to hold her body down. He kindly shushes her and pulls her back with his glowing hands.
“It's okay Lindy, let it all out. I'm right here. Breathe. Breath with me.” He encourages her to breathe deeply and steadily.
“You're strong, baby. You're so brave. Breathe, darling. That's it. Great.”
Her breath slowly levels out and pain gets manageable. She looks up at him and he stares back worried to death inspecting her with his burning eyes glowing in gold. She smiles as his childlike dedication slightly amuses her in a cute way.
“I love you, Sentry.. Bobby.. both,” she chuckles, mildly confused. Sentry can't resist so he leans in and savours her in a passionate and loving kiss. To her, kissing him always feels like tasting a little flame dancing inside her mouth.
“Love you, baby,” he cups her cheeks.
Lindy's still weak as hell and he proceeds to cuddle her lovingly and gently and it makes her heart bloom nonetheless. His energy is something else. In his close proximity she always feels like bathing in the center of the sun. The healing warmth always radiates from him in sparkling glow. Now she is fully wrapped in this unlimited source of bliss and love and it feels like heaven. With his strong arms wrapped around her she feels the safest ever. Yet she knows how dangerous it sounds in their case.
In between those delightful moments, the darkness still creeps in. Fever still comes back but each time less intense and same goes for her headache. She throws up a couple more times and each time she feels lighter and cleaner. Sentry keeps cleansing her from the inside persistently with his golden light and she keeps getting better.
It's been a couple of days they spent together in full bliss. But as Lindy gets healthy and energized, Sentry's mind starts showing cracks…