No 13. Oxygen Mask (360 words)
Bree was aware that see was staring. The wide-eyed, no blinking, intense kind that was bound to make someone uncomfortable. She knew, but she still couldn't help it. Worry was frying her self-control.
"He'll be okay, Bree."
Despite his words, Adam's voice was a quiet murmur, lacking its usual enthusiasm and cheer. Bree didn't need to look to know that his gaze was stuck on the infirmary bed too. Neither of them would look away until Mr. Davenport told them it was okay – that Chase was okay.
As Mr. Davenport looked down at his pad again, murmuring to himself, Chase met his siblings' gazes. He tried to give them a reassuring smile, though it did nothing to ease Bree's nerves. The oxygen mask looked awkward on her brother's face – no, not awkward, wrong. But as her mind flashed back to earlier, to Chase struggling to breathe, Bree was eternally grateful for it.
Soon enough Mr. Davenport put down the pad, said a few more words to Chase – a smile on his face – and come over to Adam and Bree.
"Is he okay?" Adam asked before the man had a chance to say anything.
"Chase will be fine," Mr. Davenport assured. "He'll need to rest and keep the mask on until the toxin is fully out of his body, but he's going to be okay."
The door hadn't even shut behind Mr. Davenport before Adam and Bree were next to their brother.
"I'm fine, you guys," Chase insisted, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. Bree quickly hushed him.
"Don't speak, just rest now," she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead as Adam straightened out the cover over him. Chase seemed to want to argue, but he was already struggling to keep his eyes open.
"You don't need to," Chase did protest as his siblings took their seats on either side of the bed.
"Oh, hush you. You can't tell me what to do," Adam responded quietly, a smile tugging at his lips as Chase lost his fight against sleep. And with the steady rise and fall of her little brother's chest, Bree finally found herself able to look away.