"Alright boys, come and get it!" Mr Sir called from the water truck. All the boys quickly jumped out of their holes and assembled in the line. I took my position at the end, slipping my empty canteen of my shoulders. Mr Sir began to serve X-Ray.
"How are the holes today?" He asked us all. Everyone grunted except for me. I was silent. Like always. Done with X-Ray, Mr Sir moved achingly slowly onto Armpit. I kicked the dust around my feet. It poofed up into a small cloud. I sighed quietly and looked up, disappointed. Finally Mr Sir was almost done with Stanley. As quickly as I could, I got my water and drunk a few drops greedily. I knew I had to ration my water but I was so thirsty. That in itself was unusual. After being on the streets with literally nothing, I didn't seem to need as much water as the other boys. Maybe it was the heat. Even though it was early morning, I hadn't been this hot ever. I coughed, throat now dangerously sore. Stanley glanced at me. I offered him a weak smile in response. We both returned to our holes.
Several hours passed and it only got hotter. I realised it wasn't only me feeling the heat. Stanley was panting, cheeks red. X-Ray had sweat running into his eyes but seemed too tired to move it away. Squid and Magnet were leaning heavily on their shovels. Armpit smelt worse than ever, like a dog had taken a crap and died. I drank from my canteen, feeling thirstier than ever. It was almost empty but my hole was only 3 feet wide. I had a long way to go. Groaning, I tried to push my shovel back into the dirt. It fell and I let it lie.
"Is it just me or does anyone else feel terrible?" I heard Stanley say. Pushing myself up against the wall of my hole, I nodded at him. A wave of dizziness and nausea spread over me.
"Dude!" Zigzag commented. "How did you know?"
"Yeah," Squid agreed. "I don't feel great either."
Armpit and Squid nodded. X-Ray blinked and wiped his forehead.
"Same. This is not cool. It's way too hot out here."
We all nodded in agreement. I shut my eyes as my head began to pound sickeningly in my ears.
"I don't think it's the heat." I whispered with knees close to buckling. Everyone stared at me, dumbstruck.
"Zero's talking? Something is totally wrong." Armpit laughed. No-one joined in, not even Zigzag. Stanley came to the edge of my hole.
"Zero, are you OK?" He asked. I looked at him strangely.
"Err… I feel a bit sick." All eyes were on me. I felt uneasy. "Why?"
Stanley felt my forehead. I squirmed away from his cool touch. "Zero, you're really sick. You've got a fever, you're seriously pale and you look like you're about to either be sick or cry."
"I'm fine." I went to pick up my shovel and almost fell over, dizziness and nausea threatening to consume me. Stanley caught me before I fell.
"Easy!" He cried. "Maybe we should…" He didn't finish his sentence because he was left incapable of speech by me punching him in the face. Stanley fell hard on the floor.
"Dude!" Zigzag cried.
"What was that for?" Armpit picked me up and I squirmed, biting his hand.
"Ouch!" He dropped me sharpish and I landed on my feet. I stood up too quickly and wobbled. Stanley stood up, nose bleeding. X-Ray gripped my shoulders.
"What's wrong with you, Zero?" He snarled angrily in my face. The effect was slightly marred by the fact I vomited all over him. He backed away in disgust. I raised my hand to wipe the sick away from my mouth and froze, staring at my hand. I started to shake. Stanley stared at me.
"Zero?" He called, sounding distant or underwater. I didn't know which. My brain was addled by what I saw in front of me.
"ZERO!" He shouted. I continued to stare at my hand. It was disappearing and fast. In seconds, my fingertips were completely gone. I would have panicked but I knew I was about to faint. "Zero!" Stanley shouted again.
"My hand." I croaked quietly, looking at them all. "It's gone." Those were my last words before I blacked out.