Chapter 15
By first light the Cats Cradle came down with a mysterious illness.
At first it seemed like the common cold, spreading through the ranks. Then swiftly morphing into a violent flu.
Ava knew something was wrong when she heard the distant sounds of vomiting. She groaned and rolled over to her side, flinging her arm out to wrap around Beatrice. Only to be met with a cold mattress. She shot out of the door in the flash and burst into the common bathroom to find Beatrice, among others, hogging the toilets and vomiting violently.
“oh shit Bea!” Ava cursed as she dove for her lover, dodging the mass of bodies running in and out of the toilets. She knelt down beside her lover, grabbed fist full of her hair and hold it up. “you okay?”
“peachy” Bea groaned.
“how long have you been in here?”
“not long” she answered, puked some more, then added “tried making camila’s tea before the smell sent me in here”. Soon her guts were empty, she pulled back from the toilet and flushed. Turning to her lover as she collapsed against the cubical wall. Hair matted from sweat, her clothes drenched, her skin sickly. She looked at Ava for a moment, judging her lover confused. “you aren’t sick?” she croaked.
“Nope fit and ready for action”
“Well at least that’s one of us” Bea laughed.
“Can you stand?”
“Of course” Bea dismissed lightly. She went to stand then immediately fell.
Ava rushed up and caught her lover, holding her up while Beatrice laughed.
“Woah the sea’s a bit rough today” she tried to take another step away from Ava, but wobbled with one foot in the air and crashed backwards against her lover. “Better get my sea legs in order”
Ava smiled, wrapping her arms around Beatrice’s waist. “Aye Aye captain”
‘well now I get to see bea delirious, not something I wanted to see on my bea list’ Ava thought.
‘a first for sure, but we must get her to bed’ Other Ava comment.
‘Yeah no shit’
“Come on Captain lets get a move on” Ava encouraged.
“Right this way!” Bea stated, wobbling them towards the showers. She abruptly stopped and said “No no this way!” turning around and grabbing hold of the sinks. Using them as a guide as her body started to lean strangely to the left. Pressing against her lover.
“You okay babe?”
“Yep just getting the hang of this boat”
Near the door frame, she suddenly swung her body to the right and broke free of Ava’s grasp. Diving through the door and out into the corridor. Missing racing Sister Warrior’s, but immediately crashing into a statue. She caught hold of the statue, looked up at the face and apologised “sorry about that mam”
Ava fought back a laugh as she walked over to her lover. “Alright let’s get you to bed” She wrapped her arms around her lover and picked her up bridal style. Beatrice yelped at the sudden movement. “You need rest and water”
She looked back at Ava confused and said “I am perfectly fine”
“Your not now, but don’t worry” Ava leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to take care of you my love”
“Well okay then” Bea spoke, resting her head against Ava. “if you say so” she whispered before she passed out in Ava’s arms.
Ava sighed as she continued onto their room. Just as she was at the door, Camila came staggering by, hands pressed against the walls for support. Ava paused and watched her friend confused. “You too?”
“And Serita”
“Mary and Lilith?”
“Not sure, they haven’t left their room yet”
“Mum and her girlfriends are due to be back this morning. Looks like everyone is coming down with this…cold”
Camila shrugged, almost falling over when she did so. She collected herself and pressed her shoulder into the side wall beside Ava and Beatrice’s room. “How are you not affected?”
“I don’t know, the Halo?”
“Lucky you” Camila laughed. “I’m going to make some sweet nettle tea, that should fix it”
“Bea just tried that, said it sent her to the bathroom”
“Well” Camila sighed, she pushed herself off the wall. Straighten her back and held her head up high “I am going to up my game!” she declared.
“How so?” Ava asked.
Camila started strutting forward with a knowing smirk “By adding whisky” she explained.
Ava laughed as she watched her friend proceed past her down the hallway. “Save some for Bea!” she called.
“You got it!”
Ava turned back to their room and wondered inside. Cautiously lowering her lover into bed, twisting the woman onto her side. She teleported away for a moment. Reappearing with a bottle of water, rag and bucket. She drenched the rag in water, then proceeded to wipe down beatrice’s brow. “there we are, just rest now”
Beatrice grunted in her sleep. Till her eyes crept open and she whispered concerned “Hanna?”
“I’ll check, stay here and rest for me my love!”
“if you insist” bea sighed, falling back into sleep.
Ava got up and sprinted for the wall. Phasing through and into her daughter’s bedroom. The girl was awake as always at this time of day. Playing merrily with her toy rabbit, dusty. Ava laughed relieved, skipping over to her daughter. Leaning against the crib. “hey sweetpea, how’s dusty this morning?”
Hanna looked up at her and giggled. Squeezing her dusty down onto her frame with both hands until the poor rabbit’s ears threaten to pop off.
“And you? Do you feel sick?”
Hanna just giggled.
Ava hummed. She scooped up her daughter, holding her upright as she pressed the back of her hand to her daughter's head. “No fever and no signs of vomit, guess it’s just you and me. Wonder how Lilith and Mary are doing?”
Meanwhile in Lilith and Mary’s room was another matter.
Two empty bottles of champagne and a empty bottle of absinth laid out around their bed. Clothes tossed around the room. Their laptop on the end of the bed playing the Buffy Vampire Slayer intro music on loop. Lilith groaned as the clutter of footprints outside drew her awake from peaceful slumber. She got up, growling, massaging her head.
“morning baby girl” Mary croaked from their private bathroom. One of two quarters in Cats Cradle to have their own bathroom. The other, belonging to Mother Superion.
Lilith sighed, shaking her head “If I find the bastard that invented Death in the fucking afternoon, I’ll skin them alive”
Mary laughed before she suddenly was interrupted by a spew of vomit. She coughed her lungs dry, then remarked "don't think it was intended for a drinking game babygirl". She stopped, throwing up another mouthful. "but i will burn that fucker" she croaked.
Lilith turned her head sideways to the bathroom door. “You okay?”
“peachy” Mary grumbled.
Lilith sighed, then got up. “Alright I’m coming” she stumbled her way to Mary, barging through the door and finding her lover hunched over a toilet. She scooped her lover’s hair and held it away from her face. “what happened to you being the high tolerant drinker in this relationship?” Lilith chuckled.
“I still claim the title!” Mary groaned. Soon she pulled away with a deep groan. “Nah I don’t think this is the drinks” she turned away from the toilet and flopped down against the bathroom sink.
“Really?” Lilith asked, dropping Mary’s hair. “That will be a first”
“Well I feel like shit and I’m sick, I never felt like this before”
“Maybe you’re right, it’s not the drinks”
“Yeah feels like im coming down with something else”
“Are you pregnant?” she asked jokingly
Mary paused, looking away contemplating “well I am late”
Lilith’s eyes widen. She dropped to her knees, grabbing Mary’s hands as she asked “are you?”
Mary’s serious face grew wide with a smirk “no” she answered.
Lilith groaned, shoving Mary away. “You bloody jerk”
“Language!”
“Hey!”
The girls laughed before Mary suddenly had another bout of nausea. Sending her straight to the toilet with Lilith catching the woman’s hair. “Be honest though if I was somehow pregnant because of your Other worldly magic, how would you feel about that?”
Lilith sighed, leaning back on her knees. “Well shocked at first would be the first reaction, but….”
Mary pulled away from the toilet, looking up at Lilith concerned.
Lilith thought about it for a moment, before a smile broke out and she shrugged lightly “guess I would be excited for it”
“really, you want to be a mum?”
“That was never apart of the plans, but these past few months looking after Hanna. I wouldn’t be apposed to it per say…” she hummed with a low shrug. “I don’t know Mary, I still think marriage is a waste of time and money, but having a little hellraiser with you, I won’t be apposed to that idea”
Mary smiled as she sat up straighter. “Sometimes I do see that happening you know. You and me with a child or more of our own. Have our own place to ourselves and running a gay bar”
“Gay bar? You thinking of leaving the order”
“Not entirely, but once this Reya bullshit is done, I want to start up a bar. For all the little gay kids to mingle with. Dylan and Edith really inspired me with that hotel of there’s. Maybe I can do the same, but a bar only”
“Add a library into it and I’m in”
“Really?” Mary squeaked surprised.
“Really, we will train here during the day with our sisters, then host the bar at night and sleep inbetween. We throw free books about gay culture into the bar we can educate these little gays”
“Alright then, you and me and a gay bar”
“Together”
“Always”
Lilith shot forward and kissed her lover, then pulled back abruptly gagging for air. “Bloody hell”
“You did just see me throw my guts up, what did you expect!” Mary laughed.
“not that!” Lilith gagged, coughing up a lung as she crawled away from Mary to the sink. “Brush your teeth”
“You first, your breath wasn’t roses today” Mary laughed.
Lilith huffed as she started scrubbing her teeth.
In the kitchen
Ava sauntered in following the sounds of a boiling kettle. “How’s the all magical tea curer going-“ she came to a sudden halt as she rounded the corner and spotted Camila lying on the ground passed out. “SHIT CAM!” she cursed, racing to her friend’s side and carefully rolling the woman onto her back. The woman groaned at the move. Ava dropped her head with a deep sigh “thank the old gods”
“old gods?” Camila croaked. “your mum will be proud”
“I’m sure she would” Ava laughed. She brushed Camila’s hair back then felt her temperature. “what happened cinnamon roll?”
“World started to spin…that was fine until it changed course and I lost my balance”
“Is anything sore? Your neck? Your back?”
“no”
“well that’s lucky, come on up and attem” Ava wrapped her arms around Camila. Picking the girl up with ease and carrying her around the kitchen and up to the island serving table. Sitting her down on one of the stools, then secured her hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving. “okay you stay there and I’ll get yourself some whisky infused sweet nettle tea”
“thank you”
“I wouldn’t be saying that just yet” Ava laughed, pulling her hands away. “I haven’t made it yet”
“I’m sure it will be fine regardless”
“Right then” Ava comment, phasing through the island bench and striding for the pre-boiled kettle and the awaiting mugs of tea and whisky. "shouldn't be too hard"
“While you are doing that, do you mind passing the whisky please?”
“Sure” Ava grabbed hold of the whisky and slid it down. Followed by a glass.
Camila missed catching it the first time. It stopped shortly in front of her. She waved her hand out again, missed it by an inch, then finally picked up the bottle. “Right” she comment triumph. She swizzled off the cap, then poured herself a drink. She swapped the bottle for a glass, raised it up and stated proudly and barely awake “Cheers to us fuck the rest” then downed the whisky in one go.
Ava lost it, almost fell to the ground, crashing back first into the kitchen bench.
Camila slammed the glass back to the bench. She opened her eyes wide and stated “Well now that did it!” all trace of exhaustion and sickness left her voice. She still looked like she setup camp on Death’s door, but with the hot whisky in her veins sparked enough energy within her.
Lilith walked in a second later, looking to her left at Ava, then her right to Camila with the bottle of whisky by her side. “Cheers, must be five o’clock somewhere”
“What you aren’t sick too? Not fair” Camila sighed.
Lilith laughed as she grabbed the whisky bottle “Perks of being a Tarask”
“Are you looking for new recruits?”
Lilith laughed, shaking her head.
Ava finished the teas, handing one to Camila, another two to Lilith and saving one for Beatrice and herself. “So it’s just you, Hanna and I that aren’t sick” Ava comment.
“Seems so”
“Lill can you top up the tea with whisky please” Camila requested.
“Sure, say when” Lilith stated before she started to poor.
At the one ounce mark Lilith gave Camila a suspicious look, Camila continued to eye the glass content. At the second ounce, Camila hummed, but didn’t speak. On the fourth, she finally spoke up and said “When”
“Finally, we almost need a bigger mug” Lilith comment.
“Well the stuff sure works, found her passed out not that long ago and look at her now, almost back to full health” Ava pointed out.
Lilith hummed, she looked to Camila, then proceeded to poor whisky in the other mugs. “fair enough, just how long that will last?”
“Who knows?”
The sounds of glass breaking and a sudden scream sent the three racing out of the kitchen.
They ran down the hallway and found one of the nuns on the ground having a seizure, spewing mass amount of blood from their mouth. Her eyes and ears dripping crimson blood slowly from her face and onto the ground she shock upon. Serita was already on the scene sitting by the poor nun’s side, watching terrified. A broken glass of water sprawled on the ground opposite her. A few more nuns behind her, one being consoled by another.
“what happened?” Ava asked.
“She said she couldn’t get it to stop bleeding, then she fell”
“Is there anything we could do”
Serita looked up at her and shook her head “no”
Soon the nun stopped all movement. Serita pressed two fingers to her pulse and found no pulse. Serita groaned frustrated. She moved the nun on her back, cleaned the airways with the bottom of her shirt. Then started CPR. Every pump of the chest brought more blood spewing abruptly through the dead woman’s mouth.
“How much does this poor thing got!” Serita cursed.
After five minutes of CPR, Serita collapsed back on her knees shaking her head.
Camila moved around her friends to Serita, reaching down and pulling the exhausted girlfriend into her arms.
“What the hell is going on?” Lilith questioned confused.
Ava shook her head “I don’t know”
Another scream followed by a sharp thud made the girls turn around down the hall to the nuns watching them. Finding one in the crowd collapsed sideways and hit her head against the wall, then rolled to her back. The effects of the seizure taking hold. The Nuns around her dropped to their knees to help their convulsing friend. Lilith and Ava raced up and over to the nun.
“You have to turn her on her side!” Serita tried to yell, but exhaustion was taking toll on her body.
“it’s okay” Camila whispered, kissing her forehead. “we’re going to be okay”
“how could this happen?”
“I don’t know”
Just like the first, Lilith and Ava were unable to save the nun once she started to convulse. The woman soon died before their feet. Saturated in her own blood. Ava reached up and closed her eyelids, Lilith removed her jacket and laid it over the dead nun.
“This sickness isn’t a cold, its some kind of virus” Lilith spoke, looking around to the faces of the sick nuns around them.
“and it’s spreading” Ava whispered darkly.
“and killing, how long do they got?”
Ava starred at the ground for a moment, before she looked up to Lilith. She stood up and addressed the crowd with determination, trying to show as little fear as possible. The only effort she could think of to reassure her sisters. It was only unfortunate that her best friends were present and they could see beyond the mask to the terrified woman beneath. “Everyone, I know you are all scared, but we have to work together. The Chapel is going to become our sick bay, all of you spread the word. Lilith and I will get some beds together for your comfort. Camila’s sweet nettle tea to sooth your pain. Mother Superion, my mother and Dr Jillian should be here now and when they get here they will have the cure. Just stay strong, in this life or the next”
“In this life or the next” the entire hallway spoke.
Ava smiled through the fear “Good, now get to work”
The nuns started to vacate the room. Lilith got up and reached out for Ava’s hand, pulling the Halo Bearer’s attention away. “Is Bea and Hanna okay?”
“Bea’s not okay, but Hanna is fine and looking out for her mother”
“I’ll get Mary, she’s not as bad as the others”
“She still has time, see you in the Chapel”
“See you there” with that Lilith vanished into thin air.
Ava sighed, looking around the hallway. She turned to the wall and closed her eyes “Mum” she reached out in a low whisper. “We need you”