Worsening condition

Paul's POV

I woke up, feeling hot and sticky.

My head ached horribly, my stomach churned uncomfortable and the wound that I got yesterday stung awfully.

I groaned and rolled slightly, wincing as the muscles in my body protested by sending pain through my body.

My stomach flipped and I had to force down the feeling of gaging.

I felt awful.

I sat up and looked down at myself, seeing that sweat had plastered my clothes to my skin.

I wincing in pain and groaned loudly.

"Paul?" Ash asked, sleepily sitting up.

I peeled my shirt from my body and tossed it aside.

I had to grit my teeth and do this. I had to check on my wound and probably redress it.

Ash rubbed his eyes and looked at me. "Paul, you don't look so good. Your cheeks are all red and you look feverish."

"Probably got infected," I muttered to myself.

I unravelled the bandage and then stared at the wound.

It was a lot worse.

"Paul, that looks really bad," Ash said.

I knew that. It looked infected. Pus was oozing from the wound and it hadn't scabbed over at all.

The bruising had spread further, a purple ring around the scratches.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Ash shake Jaiden and Drew awake.

"Paul doesn't look good," Ash said once they were both awake, "he looks sick."

My head felt like slush. I just wanted to lie down and sleep again, but I knew I had to treat this before it got worse.

"Jaiden, do you have any disinfectant?" I asked.

Jaiden nodded and got up to rummage through his bag.

I used the dirty bandage I had to wipe the pus away from the wound. However, it kept leaking.

"It's really infected," Drew said, "What even happened?"

"I don't really know myself," I replied, "Dawn shot something at me and then this happened."

Jaiden handed me the disinfectant, but I dropped the bottle as sharp pain shot up my arm.

My stomach churned dangerously and I hurried to crawl out, making my way to the bushes before I vomited.

I sat back and then collapsed. I felt so weak.

"Do you want me to do it?" Jaiden asked.

I nodded and instantly regretted it when my brain punished me with sharp pain in my head.

"I feel awful," I admitted.

"You're burning up," Drew said, when he touched my head.

"Your whole body is burning," Jaiden said.

I winced as the disinfectant stung my wound.

"It seems to be the hottest around here," Jaiden said, gesturing to my wound.

I panted slightly, feeling a sweat break out on my body again.

"What's happening?"

That was a female voice.

"Paul doesn't look good."

I focused my eyes, raising my head slightly to see that the girls had gathered around me. All except Midnight, who was glaring at me.

"This purple looks unnatural," Jaiden continued.

I saw the deep frown on his face. He was thinking of possible causes and I could tell he wasn't happy with what he was coming up with.

"We should get moving," Midnight said.

I wiped my mouth and then slowly stood up, my whole body screaming protest.

"Paul, you should probably rest," Dawn said.

"No," I said, "She's right. We need to keep moving or we'll get caught."

"Caught by what?" Midnight ask, her eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked, tilting her head.

I collapsed on the ground, my legs giving way underneath me.

I looked at the wound to see that the purple bruising had spread again. Only I was starting to think that it wasn't bruising anymore. It was streaked up my arm to my shoulder.

"You need to stop moving Paul," Jaiden said, his mouth set in a straight line.

I grunted slightly. "What is it?"

"I'm pretty sure you've been poisoned," Jaiden said.

Midnight's POV

After Jaiden had said Paul had been poisoned, things were set up revolving around what was best for Paul.

That meant that I wasn't moving out anytime soon. So I had to tell Nathan.

But I was having trouble getting away from everyone. It seemed like Drew was constantly watching me.

Something was strange about those boys. I know they were hiding something from us. I didn't know exactly what it was.

Paul was now set in bed though and was asleep again. Sweat covered his body and his shirt had remained off so that they could monitor the progress of what was happening with his wound. It had spread further, all the way down to his fingers.

It was impossible to tell what type of poison it was.

Ash had been sent away to search for a poison antidote back at the last town and Dawn had insisted on going with him.

This meant that I was stuck for now. I needed to get Dawn to Nathan as well if I wanted to take revenge on those people.

Those people who had taken everything I loved. Those people who had abandoned me for their own lives.

I looked over at Paul again. Jaiden was by him with Mina. They were both tending to him.

Mina held a cool cloth to his head while Jaiden was redressing the wound.

"It isn't closing," Jaiden said, sighing

"I think we have to wait for a cure," Mina said, "We can do all we can to keep him alive until then."

Jaiden smiled kindly at her and finished dressing the wound.

I was confused at how he'd managed to become poisoned in the first place. Had he been scratched by something poisonous?

But he'd said that Dawn has opened the wound. So perhaps he'd gone and laid in something poisonous. With the wildlife around, I wouldn't be surprised.

Jaiden sighed and finally came to sit by me next to the ashes of the fire pit.

I didn't look at him. I was embarrassed after what had happened. Why I even bothered to open up to him in the first place was beyond me.

Jaiden's POV

Midnight seemed so cold, but after last night, I was convinced that she wasn't this tough exterior that seemed so heartless.

Last night, she'd been vulnerable. Even for a moment. I'd seen her cry. Those tears weren't fake.

And I'd felt her trembling.

And I was determined to show her that I could help. She said she didn't need it, but I think she was putting it on again.

I wanted to break past that and help her make a friend. She seemed like she didn't have many friends.

I think she would be happy to have a friend. I was very happy now that I had Mina again. Even if she didn't remember me, it was nice to have her back.

So I wanted Midnight to feel the same, but I had to teach her what friendship meant first.

"So do you feel any better after last night?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

I watched her shoulders tense.

"You should forget about last night," she said, not looking at me, "It was a mistake."

I tilted my head at her in slight confusion.

"I let myself make a mistake," Midnight said, poking the ground with a stick she picked up, "It doesn't mean anything. I hate humans. I don't trust you."

"Why do you say something like that?" I asked, "I don't understand why you hate humans and why you can't trust them."

I watched as a small tear slid down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away. However, I had seen it. She was about to cry again.

"When you've walked in my shoes, you'd understand," Midnight said, "but unless you've been betrayed by someone you loved, you can't understand."

"Midnight," I said quietly.

Had she gone through something so terrible? I think I understood that she was hurting. And I was starting to understand why.

I pulled her close to me and put an arm over her shoulders.

She tensed again.

"It's ok," I said, "I won't hurt you."

I felt her shaking again. She was vulnerable.

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice hard.

"It's only a hug," I said, "It what people do when they care."

She stood up abruptly, pushing me away. Her eyes darkened to black as she turned and glared at me angrily.

"Don't even pretend to understand me," she snapped, "You'll never know what it's like."

She stalked off towards the trees and I just watched her go.

"Jaiden!" Mina called.

I smiled at hearing Mina call my name before turning to face her. "Yes?"

"Paul's getting worse," she said.

I ran over quickly as Paul's body jerked violently with a seizure.

The poison was getting worse. I didn't know what poison it was, but it was strong and it worked quickly. I was afraid that if we didn't get an antidote soon that we'd lose Paul very quickly.

I didn't have the courage to tell him or the other two guys…

Paul would die in a short amount of time if we couldn't cure him.

Me: DON'T HATE ME!

Paul: You poisoned me?

Me: Yes I did

Dawn: Ash! We need to hurry.

Ash: Run Dawn!

Me: *laughs* Oh, you'll have to see what happens to Paul

Midnight: But you are quite sick, keeping everyone in suspense.

Me: Hey, I uploaded two chapters in one day. Be proud of me.

Drew: Why is that?

Me: Because it's Easter! So Happy Easter everyone! This is my present. I didn't have an idea for a single oneshot this year, so I just did two chapters in one day!