Life with Death, 1.2 (Patreon)

Death stands in the ICU standing over a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. A cap covers the soft head. All it knows of life is Emergence and indignance. Sleep and waking are the same daze.

Blank eyes scan the babe, seeing the tube layered into the cloth, connecting this tiny thing and the beeping machine nearby. It was a hard delivery. Surgery. The doctors would not be surprised that even after the 18 hour ordeal that she might pass any moment.

A shade comes to the Reaper Grim of Skull visage. It looks mournfully at the world of the living it must depart, brought here on black trailing cloak on its final journey to whatever waited beyond the last light that was the Reapers lantern.

It looks down over the babe, mirroring Death for a time. It knows not to speak for now, that it would be improper.

Death finally turns and the two keep walking. The spirit finally musters its wavering voice to ask the question.

"What was that?" It asks Death. "Why did we stop to do that?"

Ever silent to this moment, Death looks back and down from over robed shoulder. "To remind myself why I do this"