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Hospitals were often noisy and frantic, with people rushing in all directions; doctors, nurses, patients and visitors made for crowded hallways. Ordinarily nothing could make a dent in that chaos, but today a wave of respectful silence followed in the wake of one particular visitor. The tall creature in his jagged black cloak was instantly noticeable in any crowd, and the stark white mask was recognizable by even the smallest toddler in Death City.
Most of the staff were used to his presence, but the nurse at the desk on the fourth floor was new. She actually squeaked when she saw him, clutching her clipboard to her chest, her eyes wide. He paused, and looked down at her. "It's all right," he assured her. "I don't bite. I leave that to my Deathscythes." He chuckled.
"Sh-shinigami-sama," she stammered. "Um. C-can I... help you?"
"No, thank you. I know the way," he said, and glided off down the hall once more.
An older, more experienced nurse patted the first one on the shoulder. "Never seen him up close before?" she asked. "It's okay. Everybody gets nervous the first time."
"Is something wrong?" the first nurse asked, looking after him apprehensively. "I mean, is he here to... to collect a soul from someone?"
"You didn't know? One of his very first Deathscythes is here," the second nurse said. "He comes to visit her fairly often."
"Wow, we have a Deathscythe here? I had no idea." The first nurse shook her head. "Wait, I thought they were dead?"
"No, one of them is still alive." The second nurse's smile was sad. "Though he's come in good time. I think this might be his last visit."
Shinigami stepped inside one of the private rooms, and checked to make certain there weren't any nurses or doctors present. The only occupant was the frail old woman in the bed, sleeping peacefully while machines beeped or hummed softly around her. She was tiny and ancient, and looked as if a strong breeze would blow her away.
He locked the door and used a touch of his magic to change all the windows into mirrors. There was only one person left alive in the world who was permitted to see him without his mask, and she was lying in the bed before him. He didn't want anyone else peeking.
When he turned back to her, she had awoken and was staring at him with a bemused smile. "Shinigami-sama?" she said, her voice quivering and soft with age. Her hair was pure white and the colour of her eyes had faded until they were more grey than blue, but it wasn't hard for him to remember what she had looked like at her most beautiful, so many years ago.
He reached up and pushed back his mask and hood, revealing a man seemingly in his early twenties. His stark black hair had three white rings emblazoned around his head, and his golden eyes were warm as he smiled back at her. "Hello, Patti," he murmured, moving forward.
"Kid!" she exclaimed, her whole face lighting up. She lifted a shaky hand, and he took it in both of his own as he sat next to her. "Oh, it's good to see you!" She giggled, a sound that tugged at his heartstrings with the thousands of memories it evoked. "Is Liz coming?"
He hesitated. Sometimes she still remembered everything, but more and more often now when he came to visit she seemed to be living in the past. His own appearance, hardly any older than when she'd met him more than seventy years ago, had to add to her confusion.
Today of all days, there was no reason to remind her of something that would only hurt her. "She'll be here," he lied, keeping his voice steady though his throat ached with unshed tears. Liz had been gone for nearly a year now, and Patti's health had declined rapidly since then. The sisters had never been separated before, and he knew they wouldn't be for much longer. "She's primping. You know how she is. She always has to look her best."
"Especially for you," Patti agreed slyly, and grinned. "Tell me a story while we wait?"
"Of course," he said. He lifted one hand to stroke gently through her wispy hair. "Once upon a time there were two sisters..."
"Were they princesses?" she asked eagerly. "Make them princesses!"
"No, they weren't royalty," he said. "In fact, they were robbers. One day a prince came along, not knowing that they extracted a toll from anyone who travelled through their realm..."
He continued to spin out the story, his heart aching more with every word. He remembered listening to Patti tell this story and others like it to his daughter when Deatha was very small. Sometimes he brought her with him on his visits, but today he'd left her at home with his current Deathscythes watching over her. She was still far too young to understand why her mother and Aunt Patti couldn't live 'forever' like she and her father would.
"...and that's how the two sisters and the prince vanquished the evil spider queen, with the help of all their brave friends," he finished, and she beamed at him.
"Did they live happily ever after with their prince?" she asked.
"They were happy together," he said, his voice growing hoarse though he refused to allow tears to form in his eyes. She would want to know what was wrong, and he didn't want to tell her. "For as long as they lived." 'Ever after' didn't really exist, not for humans. Only for shinigami.
She yawned, her eyelids drooping. "When will Liz get here?" she demanded. "I'm so sleepy."
"Then why don't you take a nap?" he suggested, still stroking her hair. "I'll wake you when she arrives."
"You'll stay?" she asked, suddenly anxious. She squeezed his hand, so weak he barely felt it, and he squeezed hers back carefully.
"I'm not going anywhere," he promised.
"Okay." She smiled sweetly at him. "Love you, Kid."
"I love you too, Patti." He leaned over and kissed her gently, and she sighed and closed her eyes.
She was asleep almost immediately, but he kept his promise and stayed by her side. With another touch of magic he silenced the machines, so he could hear her soft breathing and so the alarms wouldn't bring doctors and nurses running to try to get into the room.
After several minutes her breathing slowed, and her grip on his hand relaxed. He watched her soul flicker and waver, then rise slowly to hover above her body. Once there it strengthened again, becoming just as vibrant as he remembered it being.
Now, when she couldn't see him, he allowed the tears to run freely down his face. He reached out and cupped the soul in his hands, cherishing it for a long moment. "Goodbye, Patti," he whispered. "Give my love to Liz." With a gentle push he sent it on to where it belonged, where he knew Liz was already waiting for her. Someday he would join them there as well, but it would be a very long time in coming. He had a lot of work to do, first.
Standing, he glanced at one of the mirror-windows, studying his own reflection. After a moment he nodded and pulled the hood up and mask down once more, covering his face. This was the last time he would ever remove it. Death the Kid had died with Patti, and only Shinigami remained now.
As he released the magic obscuring the windows and unlocked the door, he thought he heard the ghostly echo of a childish giggle, followed by a warm chuckle he hadn't heard in a year. Beneath his mask, Shinigami smiled through his tears.