I wasn't sure if I was looking at the long lost member of The Who or a homeless man. Either way, this wasn't exactly a creature I'd pin as a doctor. Let alone an anesthesiologist. Next to any fields involving neuro, it's one of the most challenging fields there is. All anesthesiologists are highly intelligent people because they have to know every body like the back of their hand.

          Their job is to distribute and manage anesthetics and pain medication during surgery. It sounds simple, but every creature and body needs different treatment. From the simple things like weight and nationality, to the more complicated things like disease and illness, they have to know how to approach all of it properly. They don't get a second chance either. If they fuck up once, they risk losing the patient. To try to tell me this elf in front of me, who looks like the type to lose his glasses when they're on top of his head, is going to be sitting in on my husband's surgery is a little... nerve-racking.

          Emerson leaned his forearm on the doorframe of his office, "Yes, Remington?"

          He gestured back to us, "JC's here for you."

          "Ah, thank you." His eyes carried over to us. He had one of those smiles that just lingered. It wasn't a full on smile, but he never let his face rest either. "And I see you brought a friend."

          "I hope you don't mind. He's the patient's husband, but he's also a trauma surgeon." JC responded.

          "It's not a problem with me." Emerson stepped out of the doorway to his office and approached me. He grabbed my hand to shake, "Emerson Barrett."

          "Angelo Cerulli." I said.

          There was something oddly endearing about him that I wanted to trust him. He might be a little, okay a lot, unconventional, but he had a sweet charm to him. Who am I to judge a book by their cover? I'm still weary. Just not as much as when I initially saw him.

          "It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in my office." He gestured back towards the door.

          JC let me go ahead of him, then shut the door behind us. This office was just like his; old fashion. There was modern technology but it was built with a rustic feel to it. Aged wood had these gorgeous carvings in them. Like I've said before, elves like their details. It's very romantic actually. When you realize exactly what you're looking at, it's not as much.

          Emerson already had Chris' x-rays up on the light board. He had yet to turn them up but I saw where he had marked them with the patient name. This type of thing... You never think it'll happen to the one you love. You see it happening to those around you or in movies. You just never think it'll be you in that situation. As old as I am, I'll never get over how surreal this can be.

          "I looked over the medical records you sent me. Hallow Hex, it can weaken one's susceptibility to sedation, but on the flip side of that, he is still a vampire. They are rather difficult to keep under." He said, unable to keep his hands still. Emerson was one of those people that just talked with his hands but it added to his eccentricity.

          "Is that your way of telling me it's going to be difficult?" JC asked.

          He titled his hand side to side, his head following the same motion, "It's not going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's certainly not going to be a textbook procedure. I certainly can keep awake for that long and I know how to do my job well. I just want you aware that we're going to have to have good communication during this. I definitely don't want to wake him but I surely don't want to force him into a coma."

          "I'd rather he was comatose for awhile than have him wake up during surgery." I softly responded.

          Emerson walked across the room quickly. He flipped the light switch off, then turned on his heal to turn on the light boards. He sighed, "You never can bring me in on easy surgeries, can you?"

          JC chuckled, "Sorry. This one, it's important. He's a good man that's saved my life before. I owe it to him to return the favor. I'm not too worried about the actual surgery. It's cracking open his chest that concerns me. I've never opened up anyone with Hallow Hex."

          "Direct exploser like that could cause you to get infected." I said.

          "We'll wear masks, of course, but we don't know where the root of it is. Hallow Hex rests in the spine. For all I know, it could be down at his tailbone and it won't affect me at all. Or, it could be directly behind his heart and I could be exposing myself to it's source. Not to mention putting Emerson and the nurses at risk."

          "Life is just a game of roulette. To know that much gives you an advantage." Emerson positively mused. He pointed towards the x-rays, "I don't see anywhere on here where the infection could possibly be rooted, but that's not to say it's not there. It's a tricky disease."

          "I don't know much about it, despite the fact that I got it from Chris. Mine is much lower in my back but I don't know if that would matter much." I said.

          "Usually one strand will attach to one spot, no matter who the host is. I'm almost positive that it's lower down in his back and it's not going to effect us." JC responded, "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is a risky surgery and the chance of death is present, as it is with any heart surgery. Have you discussed whether you want a DNR or not?"

          I didn't even think about it until he said it. There was nothing in my head that would've even made me think he wouldn't survive this surgery. Maybe it's denial or me not wanting to think I could ever lose him. It is a fucking heart surgery. Even for someone who's undead, a vampire still needs a beating heart. One thing goes wrong and he's gone. Quickly.

          "I... We haven't, but I'll talk to him when we get back." I murmured.

          It's hard to keep my voice up when my spirits are down. Hell, I can't even keep my head up for long. One of my arms wrapped around my torso in a self-comforting manor, while the other hand kept fiddling with the key around my neck. It's something I tend to do when I think about him and he's not here. I've noticed Ghost will do it with his binding chains when he's away from Ricky too.

          "Just let me know by morning. I know that's," JC sighed, "Never an easy thing. Nothing about this is easy."

          "Nothing about life is easy if it's worth having. I understand this is a high risk surgery and he means a lot to both of you, but it takes risk to receive reward. I have a good feeling about this, if that'll set your mind at ease some."

          "It does mine, at least. Emerson's gut feelings are never wrong. At least they never have been when I've shared an OR with him." He replied.

          "It helps me some." I said, "I should get back to be with him and discuss things."

          Emerson extended his hand again, "It was a pleasure to meet you. I've got one more operation today, then I'm going to get some much needed rest. I suggest you both do the same. It'll be a long surgery."

          "How long?" I asked.

          "If everything goes according to plan, at the least, for hours. Realistically, six, and even if there's complications, I couldn't see it going past ten." He answered.

          "Alright... Thank you for everything." I offered him the warmest smile I could.

          He returned a rather sympathetic one. JC had a few other things he wanted to discuss with Emerson but I just wanted to get back to Chris. So, I excused myself and began to walk back to their home. The longer I'm here, the more this place is growing on me. I haven't really seen anywhere I could fly though. That's my only problem. It's all cave systems, but there has to be a surface. In paintings of this realm, I've seen a surface depicted. It's not much but it does exist.

          Upon returning to the guest bedroom that Chris rested in, I found Ghost at his bedside. I wanted Chris to rest but I understand if Ghost needed time with one of his best friends. They both looked up at me when I walked in the room. I could see in Chris' eyes that he was getting weaker again. The medication could only last so long before his heart would start to act up again. I leaned over the side of the bed, feeling his forehead. He was whiter than white and he was colder than ice.

          "I'm sorry... I was... I was going to leave him to sleep but we heard him start to cough... And Maxine... She wanted someone... to... to watch him incase it happened again." Ghost gently said.

          "Are you doing okay yourself?" I asked when I heard his delayed speech.

          He sat idol for moment, then responded, "Yeah... Ricky just won't shut the fuck up in my head..."

          "About what?"

          He groaned, "He wants to come here... I get it... Chris is a brother to him but... But I don't want him overwhelmed."

          "I appreciate that. We need to talk in private though, if you wouldn't mind." I responded.

          "Of course." Ghost stood up quickly and excused himself from the room. He was always good about respecting our privacy. If he and Ricky were in the same situation, we'd do the same.

          I picked up Chris' hand and he squeezed my fingers. His eyes were glassed over whenever he would dare to open them. How'd he get so bad so fast again? I've learned this with my patients though. You can't trust that if things get better that they'll stay better. I was only gone maybe an hour and he's gone back downhill again.

          "How'd things go with the anesthesiologist?" He said.

          "Good. He said it'll be a hard surgery but he has a good feeling about it." I replied, "But, it is a heart surgery, which obviously you need your heart to survive. Things could go wrong and I could lose you."

          He shook his head the best he could, "Don't talk about it. It's not going to happen."

          "I don't want it to either, and I sure as fuck don't want to talk about it, but they want to know if you want a DNR."

          Chris started to cough again. I helped him to sit up but there was nothing more I could really do. With each cough, I could hear the fluid down in his lungs. He was wheezing in trying to speak. After a minute, he finally stopped enough to be able to talk, "I don't know what that is."

          I shuttered a sigh, "It's a paper you can sign that says if something goes wrong and they lose you during surgery, you don't want them to resuscitate you. Even though I don't want to lose you if something does happen, I also don't want to risk you getting brain damage or anything like that. It's your choice, but I don't want you to suffer."

          "You want me to?" He rasped out.

          Turning my head away, I tried to blink the tears out of my eyes. I'm supposed to be the strong one since he can't be right now. He was at my bedside, carrying my emotional weight all the way through my recovery after my back and wings were broken. It's only fair I repay him by being the strong one now. I turned back to face him after I gathered my thoughts. My eyes may have strayed but my hand never left his.

          "I think it would be for the best. Usually if someone is cored, they end up with problems that hinder their life. I know you. If you can't be working and active, you don't want to live."

          "Idol hands are the Devil's workshop." Chris responded, "I trust you to make the decision."

          He squeezed on my hand again as he started to cough. This time I could see the veins in his head popping out, it was so bad. I rushed out of the room to find someone to help him. He can't go on like this. Even if the surgery is tomorrow morning, he needs medication or something. Just as I came up to the front, JC was walking in. He saw the urgency in my eyes and instantly rushed back to Chris' room.

          Maxine pushed herself away from her desk and followed. I did as well but I kept my distance. He may be my husband but I need to give the professionals room to work. I know how much it would drive me crazy when family tried to get in my way at the hospital. So, I stayed at the door. Maxine started to put something into his IV. JC went through the motions of trying to clear his airway. It's hard to watch someone you love go through that.

          I turned into the hallway, trying to keep myself from crying. I'm sure Chris wants me right there next to him but it's so difficult for me to watch him go through this. I know it's selfish but fuck, have you ever had to see the love of your life gasping for air? After I got myself settled down and I could hear they had him settled, I turned back into the room.

          "Call Sebastian. Tell him it's urgent. We'll probably need to put a vent in." JC told Maxine.

          A small cry came up from my throat. Just when I thought I had it together, I fucking don't. A vent? That means he's way fucking worse than I thought. Usually people don't want to be on a vent while they're awake. It's too painful. They'll most likely force him into a medical induced coma. I covered my mouth to not make any more noise but the others still looked up at me.

          "I'm sorry." I murmured.

          "It's alright. Max is going to call in a pulmonologist. He works in the same office as Emerson." JC said, "Something keeps blocking Chris' airway. I'm not sure if he needs a vent or not. I hope not."

          "If he does, can you put him under? I don't want him to have to be awake on a vent. It's a fucking nightmare to be conscious on one. I don't want him in that kind of pain." I replied.

          Cautiously I walked around to the side of his bed. Maxine and JC got out of the way to let me get to my husband. Chris used the little energy he had to grab my hand. I don't know how he's even managing to speak right now. After that little episode, I doubt he will again. I leaned over and kissed his forehead. Goddamn it. This came out of nowhere. Although, do we ever expect people we love to suddenly become deathly ill?

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Since a few people have asked now...

Bret Von Dehl, Maxine Miller, JC Charles = The Relapse Symphony
Remington Leigh, Sebastian Danzig, Emerson Barrette = Palaye Royale
Felix Skiver = Echo Black

Tokyo and London are based on two old emo models from the Myspace days named Chris Dakota and Sam Llansing. Though I haven't put a picture of Cecil in yet, he will be based off of Caligo Bassett.

Also, I'm sorry there hasn't been many updates at all lately. I've been really heartbroken lately being away from my BF and it's completely killed my writing inspiration. I'm trying to push through it though. Thank you for your patience and all the nice tweets/messages! I don't know what I'd do without you guys.