"..yeah, I can't wait to get off here and finally rest. It's been exhausting."

Watery glanced at Firey, his head tilted back and half-lidded eyes gazing at the roof. The blue haired teen rolled her eyes and ruffled Firey's dark green beanie.

"Go to sleep then, stupid. I'm not carrying you out of this subway," she joked, before returning to her phone.

Firey scoffed and pulled his beanie back down. "Doctor said I need to stay awake, unfortunately. No sleeping for me until I'm in the hospital." He gripped the handle of his brown suitcase.

"Not even a power nap?"

"Nope."

Watery huffed, opting for the background conversations of the other subway riders to fill her head. A bit of eavsdropped conversation told her there was an unexpected and dreadful family gathering coming up for someone. It sounded terrible; she felt sorry for them.

"Hey, I'm really about to fall asleep over here," Firey piped up again. "Keep me awake."

"I'm sure a five minute nap won't kill you," Watery sighed. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up when we're there."

Firey made a sound of acknowledgement, and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"I'll just keep myself awake, then."

The subway train glided through the tunnels like scissors on paper, and the occasional blare of another train passed them by. Her friends weren't online anymore, so Watery resigned herself to staring into the dark subway tunnels. So much had changed in the past few months. Firey's leukemia relapse had taken all of them by surprise. Now it was endless medication, hospital visits, constant pity parties, and floods of gifts.

She wanted Firey to get better, she really did, but it was also so exhausting. There were things Watery had said in fits of anger that she never wished she had said, and some nights, she'd lay in bed and wonder if she cared as much as she thought she did. But there was nowhere she wouldn't go, and nothing she wouldn't do for Firey. She'd jump in front of a train if it meant Firey would be cancer-free.

Even if they were only half-siblings, Watery loved Firey so much they might as well been actual siblings. That's why she agreed to move to Toronto with him when he had to transfer hospitals. They depended on each other.

The lights of the subway tunnel winked in and out.

"We have arrived in Toronto!" the conductor's voice boomed over the PA system.

As the speakers squealed with instructions and commuters rose from their seats and shuffled to the doors, Watery roused herself, willing her eyes open. She yawned and grabbed her suitcase and duffel bag, and glanced towards Firey, asleep as she was.

"Firey, we're here," she nudged him. No response. Watery furrowed her brow, but refused to jump to conclusions just yet. She shook Firey with a little more force. "Firey? Come on, wake up."

Nothing.

Watery stifled her breaths to contain her climbing heartbeat. One more try. She took two fingers and pressed them to Firey's neck, to where his pulse should've been beating.

Nothing.

Watery caught her breath in her throat. He was gone. Gone on her watch. It took everything she had to not break down in that subway. Scooping Firey into her arms, Watery left the two suitcases on the train. She'd retrieve them later.

Firey used to be so much heavier.

Holding Firey close to her, Watery stepped onto the platform and, through her tears, searched for a freckled young man with curly, periwinkle hair. Winner was to meet them at the stop. He'd also be the first Watery have to tell.

"Hey!" Winner exclaimed, arms waving and spread out for a hug. His cheerfulness dropped seeing Watery's broken expression, and his gaze was drawn to Firey. "Hey..what's wrong?"

Watery blubbered into a sobbing mess, and any attempted explanation was interrupted by a sniff or sob. Her words were incoherent and ran together. Eventually, she came to lay her forehead on Winner's shoulder, who hugged her and said she didn't have to tell. He could put the pieces together.

"He's..gone.." Watery choked out. "I-... I let him down.." she continued hiccuping. Winner closed his eyes. Firey was so young.

"I'm so sorry, Watery.." he whispered, and pulled out of the hug, urging Watery to hand Firey to him. "Do you have luggage in the subway? I'll call the hospital."