“I’m sorry.”
Teekay opened one eye. At the end of his hospital bed was a familiar face, but not one he wanted to see.
“Is it my time?”
“What?”
Teekay sighed. “Is it my time to die?”
“Uh, no…”
The Thantophor seemed different. They had seemed different every time Teekay had encountered them.
“So why are you here and why are you sorry?”
“Because you’re all alone.”
Teekay sighed, then closed his eyes. He wanted to curse the deity’s name for being correct. He was completely alone. He had woken up in this hospital bed alone, and the only interactions he’d had with others were for medical reasons. The literal god of death had been his first visitor.
“As I said, I’m sorry.”
There wasn’t much Teekay could say. “So you’re not here to kill me.”
“No. It’s, as you said, not your time. Not yet anyway.”
“So you are just here to keep me company?”
“I guess so, yes.”
Teekay tried to move his toes but quickly gave up. Both his legs were broken, as were several of his ribs. The bandages and casts meant he couldn’t even sit up and scratch the itch in his feet. He had been offered pain killers, lots and lots of them, but every time Teekay had refused. He wanted to be conscious. He NEEDED to be aware of his surroundings.
“Even when you’re not working, you’re working…” Arkadin muttered.
“Yes, that was the way I was trained!” Teekay snapped, a sharp pain running down his side. “You could be literally anywhere in this universe, why in the void are you here?”
“Because you’re lonely.”
“That cannot possibly be the reason!”
Teekay took several deep breaths. The pain wasn’t subsiding. He wasn’t sure whether he was glad to have some company or annoyed that the only company he had was a death god.
“Well, it is the reason.”
“There are, what, many billions of beings out there, many of which who are currently dying? And you are wasting your time with an angry, pointless, friendless Skyavok who currently cannot move his legs.”
“You kinda can’t move your legs because of my bastard of a step-father.”
“That is not the point!”
“Actually, that is exactly the point.”
“You… feel bad for me?”
“Yes.”
Teekay took another deep breath, this time in a vague attempt to clear his mind. “You feel sorry for me.”
“You kinda remind me of… me.”
“I… I do?”
Arkadin nodded. “The lonely being who throws himself into his work because he has nothing else. Someone who exists solely for other people, because if you left, no one would be able to fill that void and everyone else would be worse off. The difference is that you protect people while I murder them.”
“You say that…” Teekay hesitated. “You do not just murder things. You are not just death, but you are decay. And without decay, plants would not be able to create photosynthesis, we would not be able to grow crops for food and we would not even be able to digest our meals. That is just one of many examples as well.”
“And the same could be said of you and your duties…”
“Yeah, that’s true…” Teekay wasn’t sure where this conversation was going. Why was the god of death being all cutesy with him?
The Thantophor shifted his seat closer to Teekay. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s weird that I’m visiting you…”
“Do you, like, see me as a potential mate?” Teekay suddenly asked. “I know the other deities have all had… flirts… with mortals…”
“Oh no!” Arkadin smiled awkwardly. “Not at all. Relations are icky and awful. I should know. I just wanted for you to not be alone. Because you’re a good being and you don’t deserve the scorn that others throw in your way. Also, I have a gift for you.”
The Thantophor reached down, out of Teekay’s sight. He pulled up a small, well-wrapped box and placed it by the bedside table. Teekay couldn’t reach the box to open it though.
“This is for when you are better.”
“What is it?” Teekay asked. “Because not knowing what that is…”
“It’s a necklace,” Arkadin explained. “One that will protect you. Made from the best parts of me. I can’t give you eternal life but I can give you longevity. It’s the least I can do for you.”
Teekay stared at the gift box, again, completely unsure what to say. “Uh, thank you…”
Arkadin smiled some more, then stood up. “I have some things I have to do, but… would you like me to come back a bit later? Keep you company?”
“If you have time, I guess…”
“I’ll make time. Stay safe.”
“You too…” Teekay muttered as the Thantophor disappeared.