you're the soul that understands;; open - illness

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pixel by tricky

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He kept fancying that Ivan was absorbed in something — something inward and important — that he was striving toward some goal, perhaps very hard to attain.

— Бра́тья Карама́зовы

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Ivan was startled awake by Aurum's howl for help. A vicious shudder raced through his spine, not quite out of fear, but of anticipation. His heart flopped like a dead fish, it threw itself against the walls within his throat. It felt awful, because rarely did Aurum speak like this. The boy's large ears laid flat against his head as he drew himself out of his sleeping spot.

It did not take long for him to find his uncle, Dr. Caustic, and his dear little sister struggling for breath. Ivan's features froze in utter disbelief. He had known his sister had difficulty getting around, but she never gasped for air like this. He was very reserved and quiet when discussing the physical impairments of his siblings — it was not something he liked to talk about. It wasn't his business, but when his sister is suffering like this ...

Suffering. He hated it. He found it in himself to watch Caustic, Caustic of all people, try to help his sister. Was she dying? He didn't know, but it was all too awful. His claws were digging so deeply into the ground that when he whipped around to run and find his parents, one of his nails broke and Ivan left a trail of scarlet blood behind him. He would not stop running until his found his mother or father.