Coughing up Blood,; A Regular Occurance.

[Paradox]

Bloodshot, red eyes, looked from one face to another. What was the point of someone like him going to a hospital? Just because the man he had been working on didn't like Hector coughing up blood. "Tch, Humans. Worried about a strangers health? Typical of such a lowly being." Thought the man cruelly as he avoided the motion sensing doors.There was nothing in this world that Hector hated more than the sanitation of a hospital. So clean, so full of people, all of which where either dying, bringing new life into the world, or injured.

" Sir, may I help you?" A nurse asked, unknowingly breathing in the sickening air around Hector. Looking at Hector, his skin pale and yellowy. The man wore a strange, foreign hat, black pants and a long black coat. The coat held a red cloud pattern, fell to his knees, and had a high rising collar which covered up to his nose.

Bloodshot, red eyes, shifted slowly to take in the womans facial features. " Hmph. There's nothing you or anyone call help me with." Came his cold, harsh reply. The woman seemed to jump back a little when Hector stood from the bench he had been sitting on. " I'm sure you'd be more helpful to one of the patients inside." Added the rather unhappy man as he brushed passed her and strolled towards a different bench.

There, upon that lowly wooden bench with a street light above him, Hector sat back down and leaned his head back. It was almost inhuman, the angle his neck had taken on just so he could look at the sky. By now, the puzzled nurse had scampered off into the hospital, slightly frightened by the man she had just encountered. It didn't seem to phase him much that he had frightened yet another hard-working woman away. Women weren't his interest.

His mind seemed to wander off. Thoughts of the past scream at him, driving him up a wall and back down it. Something that seemed to happen frequently. " Perhaps I'm insane." Thought Hector, as he leaned forward with a jerk and began to cough. The coughing rattled his body, shook him violently to the point he needed to lean on the bench's arm for support. When it somed, his hand that had cupped his mouth moved.

In the dim light it appeared something black was dripping from his very palm and to the ground. Running the blood soaked hand down his pant leg as if it were nothing, Hector turned his head and spat some blood to the sidewalk on the left. " Damn it all. Fourth time today." He thought, annoyed with the idea that everyday he was coughing up more and more the liquid which kept him alive. It was a shame really.

[Vaan-kun]

Vaan wandered the street at night, simply to clear his head and maybe get some excercise in. It's also his way of saying 'As long as I do something, it's better than nothing'... also, there was nothing on TV tonight, so this was almost his last option. His other option was to clean up the house, but he only does that once a month, and he'd done it a week ago.

As he walked, he saw a horrifying sight that would make anyone jump out of their skin and run far away... though, he was used to that, but it was still a creepy sight to see. Slowly, and gently, he wa;led towards what looked like a bloody man on a bench, with some of it still dripping from the man's body. He almost felt sick, but he had to be sure he was okay. The thing that bothered him, though, was the fact that he was near a hospital, but he wasn't going in? Maybe he couldn't walk or something?

He walked slowly up to the point he about 3 feet away from the man, and cleared his throat to get his attention. "Um, si, are you alright?" Vaan asked him curiously. "Do you need any help?"

[Paradox]

His head leaned forward, blood still dripping slowly as another cough racked his tired body. He had been through this for years, and it had taken its toll. His eyes stayed on the blood stained pavement. He seemed dazed by the very sight of it. He was very still, as if in a trance, until he was jerked out of it by yet another person asking if he needed help.

He hated repeating himself, or talking to anyone in general. When he looked up, he knew he must look a fright. His skin was constantly pale and drawn, his eyes tired and held a look of tortured knowledge. His lips were stained red by the blood that trickled down his chin, smeared where he tried in vain to wipe it away. He made no move to tidy up his appearance, he couldn't seem to dredge up enough care in him to do so.

" You couldn't help me." He muttered, yet again. Why did people pretend to care? He didn't, so of course no one else should either. "I would move on if I were you." He said silently, but loud enough for the boy to hear. He stood up slowly, grabbing the bench once more for help. His muscles screamed at him to sit back down, he was weak, but he had always known the feeling. A wave of sickness and nausia crashed over him and he gripped the bar of the bench as his eyes closed tightly. He concentrated on keeping the sickness at bay.

When it passed, he saw that he was still not alone. He rebelled against the company. This man didnt know what he was putting himself through when near Hector. "I do not need your help, nor anyone elses!" He said somewhat harshly as he struggled to stop the cough that would undoubtedly send blood to his mouth, gagging him, and forcing the vomit, that he tried so hard not to expel, to the surface. He needed a bed, soon, before his knees buckled and gave way to the force of Hector's weight. "Do you want to be like me?" He asked harshly, spitting the words out through gritted teeth. Although he did not want the man near, he also did not want to infect him as well.

[Vaan-kun]

Vaan simply stood there, not only horrified by the sight of the man, but also of the weakness and sickness his body showed before Vaan. He wanted to run up to the man in assistance, but the man's warning of ending up just like him held him cemented to the ground. The street lights that shone on the bench did not let a single feature on the man's body be hidden from Vaan's.

Vaan toughened up a bit, even though his stomach was screaming in disgust. "Sir, I do not wish to be like you, but, at the exact same time, I do not wish to leave you in this horrible condition..." Vaan said to the man, the light showing a worried face. "I ask you to please find some help, anywhere..."

This reminded him of a dog he once found lying on the street, still breathing, but wheezing in pain. It's tongue was dry, and you could tell that it hadn't moved from that spot in days, obviously from weak muscles. The dog was most likely dying from some sort of disease, but he knew that it would rather die than live through the pain, and has simply gave up. Before his eyes, it had died.