Chapter 7

Meditation was the sole key to attain peace. I actually never planned to reach nirvana. I only seek comfort and advice during times of suffering. Storm Shadow as my next-door neighbor was one horrible torture. The other was my fever I caught yesterday. I tried to stifle my coughs and cover myself with extra blankets from the pantry, but sooner or later, it would grow worse. I do not know where I got it from. Maybe the Antarctic winds that blew me cold to my bones? That was a possible answer.

The fever somehow prevented me gaining peace in meditating. All I could do was sleep. A pain ran through my chest. I hacked coughs right away and ran to the bathroom to spit out phlegm. It lasted for a minute. I flopped on my mattress exhaustingly - why was mattress so hot and yet so cold? I pulled the many blankets and tucked myself in. Finally, peaceful, but irritating, sleep.

Bang. Stop it.

Bang. Stop it.

Bang. Stop it!

Reluctantly, I crept out of the mattress and shuffled to slide open the door. Damn. It was Storm Shadow.

"What?"

"It's five in the morning. You should've been prepared. We had to wake up at this schedule every single day. Or did you forget?" There was obvious sarcasm in his words.

"No. I did not forget. Tell the Cobra Commander I would not make it today and some days after." I rubbed my sore eyes and yawned silently away from Storm Shadow. My arm jerked as he pulled me to face him.

"Look, girl! You have to" -

I faced him as he paused to observe me. Storm Shadow said gravely,"What happened to you?" He then placed the back of his hand to my forehead. It was cold. My head moved away from his hand.

"You're burning and sweating. Lay in your bed. I'll get some medication for you."

Gladly, I dropped onto the mattress and rested under the covers as Storm Shadow walked away.

When Storm Shadow woke me up, I had not realize that I even slept. My chest and stomach were not in pain anymore. I looked around. Apparently, I was not in my room but a small private room of the infirmary. The infirmary consisted one level of the base. It was filled with hundreds of Cobras - either the injured, ill, or volunteers. I had not visited it, but words spread like fire. I observed my body; I was still in my regular garments, and there were no needles sticking numbly in my skin. Storm Shadow sat across me, playing with one of his sharp silver stars.

"How long have I slept?" For me, it felt like thirty seconds.

"Two days." Storm Shadow paused. "When did you get the fever?"

"The day before I last saw you."

"Funny. You seemed fine that day."

"I held it in."

"No wonder why you choked a lot. I thought you had gag reflexes around Cobra Commander."

I slightly smiled. "There are hidden cameras everywhere in this base. Cobra Commander could come in right now and punish you for what you said."

Storm Shadow shrugged like it was nothing.

A burn grew in my chest. I coughed it out and wheezed until my breathing returned to normal. "When am I going to finish healing?"

"Tomorrow... if you continue to rest." As soon as he said "rest", I dropped back to the bed and closed my eyes.

"I really should be going, should I?" Of course he should. He is not going to sit there all day doing nothing but giving me company, even when I am not awake.

"Yes."

"Then I won't if that doesn't bother you."

"Of course not," I said sarcastically.

Storm Shadow took it literally, but he did not make any noises in the room to disturb my sleep. I was grateful he was a bit more caring than the others in Cobra since I left the temple. Even if he was serious, mean, and almost filled with crap and nonsense, he can be friendly and social.

But then, what about the time in the pool? Was it supposed to friendly or taunting? Does it even mean anything at all? Maybe it was lust. That thought came out of nowhere. It had to be lust. But, he did not kiss me - just only touched me. And what did I feel when I came in close contact with him in the pool? Lust again. What about right now? I think of him as a friend. What kind of friend specifically? ... I do not know. Exactly. The interrogating "me" was really starting to piss me off in just a few seconds. It was amazing that the emotions can overcome the conscience.

Storm Shadow was a harsh person, a solemn friend, and can possibly be yet a... lover - no, it was too strong - a toyer of emotions. The Storm Shadow I interacted with in the pool was indescribable and held new powerful feelings. I want that Storm Shadow. I needed him.

But, I kept my promise to let go. Mai Wan Qi, let go of desires or else you have to pay the price. Wise man the master was. I still could hear him saying these words over and over again every time I felt a wanting. Besides, Storm Shadow and I were partners-in-hate. We probably do not want to be associated with each other in a relationship. We could tell people all the things we hate about each other and not find anything to like in one another.

I drifted into consciousness. My eyes flew open. Storm Shadow slept in the same chair, a hand on an arm of the chair steadying his head as the other hand held onto the other chair-arm and the same metal star. Maybe a rough friendship would be enough for the both of us.