Rapture, 2

I use the word 'Missy' in here enough times to sicken most people. This chapter is 16+ for some mild language and slightly intense themes.

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“Missy?” The little hand swept at the air in the space a small cat usually occupied.

“She’s right here, sweetheart.” Two larger hands placed the kitten back down onto the hospital bed. It laid very still as the little girl stroked it gently, careful not to disturb any wires.

Celine Acost was five years old, and she was going to die very soon. The cancer had started in her brain, and progressed very quickly to the point where there was nothing anyone could do any more. Her mother sat next to her bed, staring at the little bald head next to the black ball of fur curled beside it. “Do you want to watch TV, Celly? Super Friends is on.”

Celine’s eyes lit up. Every afternoon at four, she would watch an episode of her favourite show. In truth, it had gone off the air months ago, but she knew every line of the re-runs. The bed lifted slowly until her pair of blue eyes was level with the screen. Missy Donovan purred. The opening song started.

Super Friends, we always stick together

Super Friends, besties forever.

Super Friends, here in any kind of weather.

Earth!

A teenager with long, dark hair flew up the picture on a tree she appeared to be making grow. Celine clapped and smiled.

Water!

A girl in a blue kimono surfed across on a wave.

Fire! Air!

Two identical twins swirled in on a tornado which spurted flames, and then exited.

And… Magic!!

A gorgeous blonde flew in to join the other four girls, leaving a trail of sparkles behind her. She was obviously the leader of the group. Celine gasped with delight and clapped so hard her heart monitor started beeping. “Missy!! Missy Donovan!!!” she squealed loud enough to start a little coughing fit. A nurse came in to calm her down.

Missy Donovan was, besides a cat, a fairly famous teen actor. Little girls everywhere knew her mainly as Leah Looper, the leader of the Super Friends. The four-to-eight audience adored her, but nobody loved her more than Celine Acost. From the hall outside the little girl’s hospital room, the actress Missy Donovan could hear her excitement. Missy was fairly excited herself.  She popped open her pocket compact, checked her lip gloss. She was usually bombarded with fan mail, but Celine’s glitter covered letters had always seemed extra sincere. The nurse walked out of the room and closed the door quietly.

“She just needs a minute. Then you can go right in. If she gets too hyped up we might have to do some monitoring, but don’t be scared if anything like that happens,” the older woman whispered.

“Alright. Just tell me when.” Missy whispered back. The nurse smiled.

“I always had my doubts about you teen stars, but it’s so nice that you’re doing this. You seem like a fine young lady.”

Missy smiled back, secretly a little peeved. People assumed she was some sort of self-centred bitch all the time, but they never… she shook off the thought. Positive mind-set. Positive mind-set meant positive appearance.

The nurse poked her head back into the room and then into the hall again. “You can go ahead in. The cat’s very nice, don’t worry.”

Missy opened the door slowly. She was slightly nervous, which was not the way she usually functioned. Her eyes met Celine’s. The little girl was a twig, pale white with dark bags under her eyes. Her head seemed unnaturally big, tinted purple by the veins running close to the surface. But then she smiled, lifted her babyish mouth into a curve that lit up her entire face. Missy smiled back.

“Hi Celine. I’m Missy Donovan. I got your letters, and I thought I would come visit. They’re very nice. I saved them all.”

Celine squealed at a pitch that was probably too high for the average human to accomplish. “It’s you! It’s you! Is it really you?!” She bounced up and down until she winced in pain and had to stop. Her mother smiled at Missy.

“Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to Celly.”

Missy grinned and walked over to the bed’s side.

 “Can we hug?” Celine asked. “Then I’ll know you’re super for real. I told all my friends in school I’d get to meet you and they all said you were too super famous and I said that you were magic so you could do anything-- ” Missy laughed.

“I don’t know about being magic, but I’m definitely real.” She leaned down and gently hugged the little girl, feeling the thin arms weakly wrap around her. As she pulled away and disentangled herself from the wires around her, she realised she was tearing up. She bit her lip. “Is this your kitty?” she asked, looking at the kitten by Celine’s side.

“Yes! This is Missy Donovan too! I named her after you!” Celine tried to lift the creature up, but her arms simply wouldn’t comply. Missy picked her up.

“What a little cutie.” Missy the cat purred affectionately and licked the human Missy’s nose.

“Oh, I’m sorry. She’s a licker,” Ms. Acosta said.

“No, it’s fine. She’s adorable. Just like her owner.” Missy said, placing the cat back down by Celine. The kitten meowed and padded back towards Missy.

“She likes you.” Celine said, happily. Her little faced clouded and got thoughtful. “You should keep her.”

“Don’t be silly! She’s your kitty. Missy loves you.” Missy said, letting the cat rub its chin on her knuckle.

“I know, it’s just that… well… the nice doctor says that I probably won’t be able to play with her for much longer. And Mommy doesn’t like her. And Daddy has two doggies at his house and Missy hates doggies. So I want her to be happy if I can’t be here. So I think you should have her. She loves you.”

Missy’s throat pinched, and she moved the kitten back towards Celine. “Don’t say that, Celine. You’re going to be…”

Ms. Acost cleared her throat. “Miss Donovan, I actually think that it might be a… might not be a… it would be good. For you to take the cat. If you’re willing. So that way we know she has a good home. Right, Celly?”

Celine nodded, very serious. “Missy and Missy. You’re perfect.”

Missy dabbed at the corner of an eye. “Look, I really… she’s not mine. She loves you both.”

Quite suddenly, Celine coughed violently. Blood sprayed in a fine mist over the white sheets. Her chest heaved and her breath wheezed out slowly. Ms. Acosta screamed. Nurses ran in and the heart monitor beeped wildly. “Stabilise her tachycardia. She’s in arrest. Get the cat the hell out!”

Gloved hands steered Missy away from the room and the little girl dying inside. As the door closed, the kitten slipped out and mewed helplessly. Missy scooped her up and held her close to her heart.

“Alright. It’s alright. She’ll be fine… Missy. She’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t fine. Celine Acost died two hours later in the ICU. Missy Donovan held the kitten close to her heart that night and cried herself to sleep. She held the kitten in her lap at the small funeral. She held the kitten up for the cameras at the press conference afterwards. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Missy and Missy.

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