Faded Blue 1, Harvest Gold 1, Russet 14: all there is

[bookblather]

Title: all there is
Story: In the Heart -- Apocalypse AU
Colors: Faded blue 1 (And a hero he can always be if he'll just realize), harvest gold 1 (falling leaves), russet 14 (weight).
Supplies and Materials: Bichromatic, eraser (apocalypse AU), oils (when the world ends), feathers (start with 3| a sickly child, end with c| raining at night), fabric (this image), modeling clay (red), glitter (damage), novelty beads (All virtue is summed up in dealing justly. - Aristotle).
Word Count: 234
Rating: PG (one naughty word)
Summary: He does all he can, and it never feels like enough.
Warnings: for epidemic disease and death from such, child death.
Notes: I don't know where this came from.


The baby was crying again, batting at the red splotches all over her skin, hiccuping tears into the night. Aaron had set her to sleep in a drawer of his salvaged buearu; now he rolled out of bed and picked her up, rocking her against his chest, her skin fever-hot against his.

She was dying. The older sister who brought her in was already dead, her body burnt because there was no room for graves. Soon the baby would die too, and be burnt in her turn. Every child who came to him came already dead.

He cared for them. He cried for them. It was all he could do in the face of the disease that had already claimed everyone he loved. He didn't even know their names, most of the time.

He felt sometimes like he should keep a record. Well, he already did, but something more meaningful than baby girl, baby boy, toddler girl, teenage boy. He wrote that down, their names if he knew them, their death dates, and he felt he should write something more-- she held his hand tight while she coughed, he held his baby sister right up to the end. He wished he could give them graves, at least.

The baby went on crying in his arms, a high thin wail broken by gasping coughs.

In the dark and dying night outside, it began to rain.

Comments

[isana]

Oh, Aaron. His unwavering determination shines through in this, but it's heartbreaking, seeing that he wants to do more and just can't. The whole inevitability contrasted with that really makes the piece more poignant.

[bookblather]

Thank you very much. Part of what I wanted to get across with this piece is that he's a hero, but doesn't look at himself that way, because he feels like he should be doing so much more. I'm glad that worked.

[shipwreck_light]

Only Aaron would cuddle a dying child and think he could do more.

And we, the readers, adore him for it.

Or we will as soon as we get done blowing our noses.

[bookblather]

Yeah. He's just so... like that.

Thank you.

[dark_kana]

Oh... this is so heartbreaking. Poor Aaron. Holding that child and wishing there was something more he could do...

[bookblather]

Yeah. What can you do when all you can do is comfort them?

Thank you.

[finch]

Oh, break my heart. I want to be able to step back and say, look, you did a great job with the descriptions, I like the sketches of people in the fourth paragraph, they convey so much. And all of that is true. But the emotion is really the showcase.

[bookblather]

Emotion was the center and the heart of this piece, so I'm glad that worked for you, and thank you for the note about descriptions! Thanks for reading.

[kay_brooke]

Oh. Just...poor Aaron. That's all I can say. For him to keep going in the face of everything must take incredible strength.

[bookblather]

A lot of strength, yes, and a lot of momentum; he's gone this far, he can't stop now. Thank you.

[clare_dragonfly]

Oh... heartbreaking.

[bookblather]

Thank you.