The Vase of Tears [Septhis' POV]

After the whole scene in the desert with the poachers, I began to have faith that Lyvia was starting to come to terms with how the universe works. Her words that day... I didn't expect them. While I roamed the Earth, sometimes I see her there, at the patch of desert wildflowers. I stayed true to my word because every time I saw her there, her words echoed in my head. 

Something had changed in her. 

The next time I crossed paths with her was at the hospital. When I do my work, no one tells me who or what or where. I have a strong gut instinct that guides me. So I began striding to each room, searching for my purpose there. 

I found it in one of the last rooms. In there was a middle aged man hooked to a ventilator. His chest slowly rose and fell, but his eyes were closed and his skin was pallid. That's when I understood the situation: the family must have decided it was finally time to take him off life support. 

My eyes scanned the room, darting across family members and medical equipment until I found Lyvia crouched in a corner with tears streaming down her face. I would've found this typical, given she looked like this every time we met. But this was different. Her breathing was shallow. Her eyes were open wide. Horror was etched into her features. 

I froze in shock. The pain and fear in her eyes was so raw, so exposed, it almost scared me. I felt compelled to walk over to her, so I did. 

"Did you know..." she began quietly, breaking the silence between us. 

She sat and pulled her knees to her chest with trembling arms before she continued. 

"Did you know I couldn't even identify his life force? He's alive...but I...I couldn't even feel it..."

This was the first moment I truly felt sorry for her. Somehow, I could feel her pain, and it hurt in my chest as my heart ached. For her sake. 

"This isn't living," she continued, now hiccupping and sobbing, her delicate form shivering, "This isn't right. It...isn't..."

She became like a vase full of tears that had been knocked off its base. 

And she broke before me. 

All of the little pieces of her being shattering at my feet.

I couldn't stand to watch her much longer, so I turned away. Instead I watched as the doctor and a nurse walked into the room. I watched as the mourning family members walked out, never looking back. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. I walked over to the man's side and reached into his chest, seizing the last fragment of life had left. 

His chest rose for the last time. And fell. I took a few steps back and just stared at him. 

I found myself thinking about the ventilator and life support. I realized that life is treasured so much...Why? I never really asked myself that question before then. I'd seen thousands upon thousands of humans not show appreciation for life. A lot of people could care less whether they or someone else is alive or not. So why, on the other hand, would people go to such lengths to preserve it?

Why?

As I stared hard at the man, I internally beat at my head for the answer. 

Why?

Then Lyvia spoke one last time. 

"Thank you," she whispered. 

And she left, leaving me alone to ask myself the same question again. 

Why?

Why would she ever think to thank me?