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*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Seven: Confused
A/N: Hello! Sorry about the long wait. I finally got this chapter done. Please read and review!
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr.
I open my eyes and listen to the sounds around me. I can still hear the raspy breathing coming from 'Tonio. I rub my eyes and pull the blanket over my head when I hear footsteps.
"Is he ok?" Kevin-voice asks softly.
"Yes," Ji-voice answers. "It's going to be a while before he's walking, but he'll get better.
"Jayden's still in here?"
"After what happened yesterday, I didn't have the heart to try and move him back to his room."
"Antonio looks terrible," a new voice says.
"You're up early," Kevin-voice replies, amused.
"Couldn't sleep. What's the prognosis on Antonio?"
"He'll live. He woke up around midnight briefly. It'll be a while before he can fight though," Ji-voice replies quietly.
"Well, we already have Jayden to look after, adding Antonio in shouldn't be too hard."
"Mike, when you stay stuff like that, it makes me want to smack you into next week," Kevin-voice says.
I shiver a little.
"What? It's true."
"Yes, but you don't have to say it."
"Mike, why don't you go?" Ji-voice suggested.
"Fine. I know when I'm not wanted."
I hear him leave and pull the blanket down a little bit, using it rub my eyes.
"Good morning Jayden," Ji-voice says. I feel him put a hand on my head, making me shudder. I shake my head and he moves it. "Sorry. Are you hungry?" I nod. He holds my hands and tries to pull me to my feet, but I whine in fear and pull back. "Ok, ok," he says, letting go. "I'll being some food to you." He pats my head and I hear him leave.
I shove the blanket off my shoulders, but not before using it to rub my eyes again. I feel around for it, then sit on it, leaning against the wall. I hear footsteps returning and a chuckle. "Well, I see we've figured out how we'd like to sit today. The bowl is just in front of you, the spoon is next to it on the left side. I'm going to take care of Antonio."
I hear him move away and reach out carefully. I feel the metal and rub all of it gently, confirming it was a spoon. I pick it up and feel the warmth of the bowl, pulling it close. I sit cross-legged and put the bowl in my lap. I finger the rim, then dip the spoon in and eat it. I enjoy the taste of the mush.
"Mmmm..." I turn my head towards the noise.
"Antonio?" Ji-voice asks. "Antonio, can you hear me?"
"Mmhm. V-very loud and...clear, Ji. Could you talk a little quieter please?"
"Sorry. How do you feel?"
"Pain. And I can't feel one of my arms."
"Which one?"
"Um...this one."
"Can you move it?"
"Mm..." I jump, clutching my food to keep it from spilling, when I hear sudden outburst if pain.
"Sorry."
"I...I think we scared Jayden."
"Sorry Jayden," Ji-voice says. I eat another spoonful while I hear 'Tonio gasping and moaning. "I'll see about giving you some pain medicine."
"Y-you would be my...my favorite person...Ji."
Ji-voice chuckles. "Probably. Just, keep yourself calm."
"Mm...does sleep count as calm?"
"Do you think you can stay awake long enough to have a drink?"
"Mm..sleepy."
"Come on, you need water." I hear him sipping and coughing, making me tense. A couple seconds later his breathing is deep and calm again. I hear Ji-voice coming. "Keep an eye on him, Jayden." I hear his footsteps leave and I relax a little bit. I'm able to eat the rest of my food in peace while I listen to 'Tonio sleeping.
-Kintsukuroi-
Sometime later I'm sitting with my back pressed against the wall with my legs crossed. I listen to 'Tonio breathing. His breathing sounds strange though. It's not like it was the night before. Now it is uneven and shallow. I hear him start to cough and I worry. "Mmm." I jump a little when he moans. "Mm-"
I turn my head towards the noise even more and clench my fist. I hear him coughing even more. It sounds worse this time. He starts moaning again and I hit my head against the wall. I want to help 'Tonio, but I couldn't do anything in the darkness. I hit my head against the wall again, harder this time. I want to get someone's attention, but I'm afraid to talk.
I bang myself against the wall again, even louder this time. I hear footsteps running and pull the blanket out from under me with difficulty. I pull it over my head, hiding me from view as footsteps enter the room. "What's going on?" Kevin-voice asks. "Jayden I can tell your hiding under the blanket." He sighs. "Oh no, Antonio. Ji!" I hear him mumbling something. "Ji!"
"What?"
"I think Antonio's having a hard time breathing."
Ji-voice is quiet for a minute. "I think it's his broken ribs."
"Well what can we do?! He's coughing up blood!"
"I can try to re-wrap them. It could help ease his breathing. And I hate to say it, but the best thing for him now might be sleep."
"Meaning?"
"We may have to put him to sleep."
"You mean use the 'sleep' symbol I hope. Ji that has the power to knock someone out for years."
"I know. But if his body is controlling everything on instinct it'll keep his brain from overreacting."
Kevin-voice sighs. "I just...it's hard to imagine doing that."
"You can control it so he only sleeps for a few days. It's cruel to let him suffer like this."
Kevin-voice is quiet for a minute. "Yeah, ok. I agree. I don't want him to suffer. We'll put him out for a few days to give him a break from the pain."
"Agreed. So now, you do that, but I have a question."
"Ok..."
"Why is Jayden hiding under a blanket?"
"To be honest, I don't really know why."
I tremble when I hear footsteps coming towards me. I whine when Ji-voice tries to pull it off of me. I clutch it in my hands earnestly. "Ok, fine," he says. "Keep it there. Jayden?" I take the blanket off and offer it towards his voice. "No, it's fine. Keep your blanket. Jayden, we're going to make it so Antonio sleeps for a little while. Do you understand?" I nod.
"Good. Do you want to come with me? I want to change your bandages again." I don't really want to, and I shake my head. "As much as I don't want to force you to do things you don't want to, I have to look at your injuries again." He pulls my arms, and I am on my feet. I feel him wrap an arm around me and guide me.
I walk carefully, next to him. When he sits me down I clench my jeans in my fist. I want to ask him about earlier. Why 'Tonio sleep? I want 'Tonio. I feel him putting something on my wounds. "These are going to scar," he whispers. I hear footsteps running all of a sudden, followed by voices.
"I'm going to kill you Mike!"
"I swear, it wasn't me!"
Ji-voice stops what he's doing. "What in the world-"
The footsteps are suddenly really loud. They run past me, and something pushes me off my seat. I expect to fall on the ground, but instead hit something very hard. My head bangs off it, snapping my neck back. I land on the ground afterwards and cry put in pain. I immediately pull my legs up against my body and cover my throbbing head with my arms.
I start sobbing in shock. I wonder what is did wrong this time.
"Mike! Kevin! Stop running!"
"He-"
"I don't care. You hurt Jayden, and probably scared him! Now both you, go to your rooms!"
"Yes Ji."
"Yes JI."
Both voices sound ashamed and guilty. I hear them walk away, but slower this time. I feel Ji-voice put his hands on my arms gently. "It's ok. It's alright. Mike and Kevin didn't mean to hurt you. They were just...over-excited."
I stayed curled up, crying quietly. All of this is so confusing. Why 'Tonio nice, but others hurt me? Why Ji-voice always trying to trick me? Worse than monsters. Monsters never pretend to be nice. I feel Ji-voice life my head up and places it in his lap. I mumble and shake as he brushes my hair gently with his fingers. "Sh...Sh...it's ok."
He traces my head and touches the wound on it gently. "It's ok. It's just a bump. Mia!"
"Yeah? What happened-"
"Can you get get some ice please? And water. Just...not together."
"Alright. Be right back."
Ji-voice goes back to stroking my face. "It's ok."
I try to stop crying, but I can't. I feel so scared and helpless again, and I can't control it. I hear footsteps returning and try to curl up into a ball.
"Here Ji."
"Thank you." I feel him putting something very cold on my head. Ice, I assume. "Here Jayden, sit up." He helps me into a sitting position and a feel him place something against my lips. "Here, drink this. It's just water." I sip at the water eagerly, gulping it down. He moves the cup and wipes my cheeks. "There, see? It's all better now." It can never better, I think. I shake my head.
"No?" he asks. "Why not?" I gulp and shake my head, putting my hands over my mouth. I can still feel him pressing the ice to my head. "Jayden, you can a talk. I promise, no one will ever hurt you because you talked." I shake me head again, unable to believe him. "It's true." He moves my hand and places it on the ice. "Here hold this in place. There you go. Now, I'll take you to your room, and you can lay down.
"Then I have to have a strict lecture with Mike and Kevin." He leads me to my feet, then we begin walking to my room. I keep the ice against my head. It's cold, but a nice cold. When he pushes me onto a bed...my bed...he takes the ice from my head. "If you get thirsty, just reach gently for the cup. I'll have to find a water bottle you can use so you don't spill anything."
I lay down and he throws a blanket over me. "There you go. Stay here for now. Ok?" I nod and hear him leave. "The door is open, so if you need me...scream or yell, or something." I nod again and try to relax when I can no longer hear his footsteps. I lay in the quiet and darkness for a few minutes before I hear yelling.
"I honestly can't believe you two! You know Jayden is in a fragile state right now! He can't afford, or handle, being pushed into a table! I don't care which of you started it, but both of you are at fault! As his friends, as well we ranger, I expect you to behave better than that!"
I shake in my bed, clutching the blanket. I want him to stop yelling. Yelling scares me. If someone is yelling there's ether pain, or there's going to be. I think about 'Toni, who will be asleep for a few days. I don't know if I can handle all of this knowing he might never be there. I curl up slightly. Please...somebody. Keep me safe.
