CHAPTER 5: Chemistry and Geometry
Aur 1-6-2
Aximili began morphing, but all at once lost consciousness. Strangely enough, he continued the morph.
Once he was fully human I sat next to him to see if he would wake up. He didn't.
He wasn't even breathing.
I tested his pulse. Nothing. There was no pulse.
He began looking blue, like he was trying to breathe, but couldn't.
What was wrong? Why didn't the morph fix him?
I tested his pulse again. Again there was nothing. What was I supposed to do? This was my chance to escape. But still...
There is something you could do, Ana spoke to me.
What?
It's called CPR. It's where you pump his chest to get his breathing started again.
And then what? I asked her, but she hesitated to continue.
I searched her mind. It was something called mouth to mouth.
Mouth to mouth?!
Not a chance. I would do the CPR, but I was never going to do 'mouth to mouth'. I did not care whether he died or not.
I kneeled next to Aximili. Tested his pulse. Still nothing.
Sighing, I placed both of my hands on his chest and pumped. One... Two... Three!
Still nothing. I waited a few seconds, then decided to try again.
One... Two... Three... Four!
"Come on you stupid Andalite!" I shouted at him, even though I knew he couldn't hear.
His eyes were shut tight, and his hair was matted. His face continued to turn blue, but not the color of Andalite fur. The color of suffocating.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five!
Still nothing.
Just do it, Ana told me quietly. He saved your life countless times. You need to repay his kindness.
I was about to mutter, 'what kindness?', but it was true. He had saved my life from the wolves. And from falling. And from the gorge, even though it was his fault anyway. I sighed. It did not matter anyway, the 'mouth to mouth'. It was a human thing. To Yeerks, it meant nothing. I had to take it that way.
I lowered my mouth onto his and breathed out into it.
I pumped his chest again.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six!
Breathed in deep, then breathed into Aximili's mouth.
"Come on!" I shouted in despair.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven!
I took one more deep breath, filling my lungs to it's capacity with the icy night air, and let it all out into Aximili's mouth.
And that is when he decided to wake up.
His eyes fluttered open in amazement, and he yelled.
I quickly backed away from him because he had yelled in my mouth and startled me.
He coughed tremendously a few times, then looked suspiciously at me. "What do you think you were doing?"
"Saving your life, that's what I was doing," I muttered.
"By kissing me?"
I couldn't help it. I laughed, then rolled my eyes. "No, what I meant was that it's something called CPR. It is where I pump your chest and breathe in air into your mouth so that you may breathe again. Primitive, yes, but I do not exactly have the resources required."
"Ah."
I leaned over and smiled in amusement at him. "Well, are you all right?"
"Yes." He stared up at me. "Why did you save my life?"
I stared at him for one second, keeping my face hard and unemotional. "Because you saved mine." Then I turned and began to walk away.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aximili stand up but he tripped on his own two feet and fell backwards.
I grinned to myself. It was too comical, and it was all I could do to keep myself from bursting out in laughter.
He demorphed and caught up to me. Where do you think you are going?
"The wolves could not have just appeared here. They must have came down from another sector that is easier to go up and down. So that shall be our exit."
What do you mean by 'our' exit?
I stopped and glared at him, shaking my head. "I should have left you to die."
Aximili narrowed his eyes but continued to walk. As should have I.
Clenching my fist out of frustration and anger I hurried to catch up with him, and accidentally my hand brushed up against his. I quickly shot him a look of embarrassment, but he had not seemed to notice, so I looked back into the shadows where our exit lay.
We walked in complete silence. Anyone passing by overhead at the edge of the gorge could feel the hate emanating out of it. Of course, I am not being literal. But can you blame me for the situation I am in?
Finally after what seemed like hours reached a slanted rock that enabled us to climb up easily without killing ourselves.
I looked up. It was almost too perfect. The gorge had become narrower. And as it narrowed, it slanted up. It would be too narrow for Aximili to fit through with his large Andalite body. And if I timed it right, it would take him so long to morph that he would not be able to catch me.
I took this chance. I began to run.
Get back here! Aximili yelled. You can never outrun an Andalite.
"Up this rock, Aximili? I'd like to see you try."
I panted as the slanted rock, which was, in fact, a little steep, climbing and not only using my legs but my arms as well. Finally I was able to reach the top. I sighed a sigh of relief that I was finally out of that wretched gorge.
I looked down at Aximili and grinned as he slid down helplessly and began to morph human. It would take minutes. And in a rush, minutes seem like hours.
"Never outrun an Andalite, huh? I believe, Aximili, that I just did!" I yelled down to him. Then I turned and ran some more.
He didn't know where I lived. And if I kept running at top speed, by the time Aximili finished morphing, climbed out of the gorge, demorphed, and morphed into some winged animal, then I could be so far out of range he wouldn't know where to look. And by the time he would get a clue I'd be long gone.
I got to civilization and stumbled with feigning pain into my host's house. Her mother spun around and gave a cry of alarm. Her father ran and hugged me. For a reason out of spontaneous reaction, and extreme fatigue and exhilaration, I pulled away from her mind, and let my host hug her parents. She explained everything as I had told her, and then was immediately sent up the stairs to rest.
There I climbed into her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
**********************************************
"Hello? Pay attention," Aur 1-6-1, my brother, in his host Derek wavered his hand in front of my face. I realized I'd been daydreaming. Not about something. But someone. It was the next day, my parents had permitted me to go to school. For some reason I wanted to go, although the way I was feeling I did not know why.
I snapped back to reality. "Oh. I apologize."
"You have been day dreaming all day. What exactly happened last night?"
I eyed the bandage that had been wrapped around my/my host's ankle. "I told you, already. I went exploring in the woods, tripped on a root, and fell. I had to limp back home. What is the interrogation for?!" I snapped. I didn't want to tell him about my ordeal with Aximili. For one, he would find any reason at all to blame me for it. And for another, I wanted to take care of Aximili myself. I didn't need anyone's help.
My brother looked taken aback.
"I'm sorry," I said, leaning my head on my hands. "I am just in a bad mood."
"That is alright," My brother smiled a little. "I know how your temper can accelerate."
I flipped my hair back with my hand; it had been on my shoulder and tickling my face; and closed my eyes. I do agree with Ana, human schools begin far too early in the morning.
My brother looked at me once more.
"Are you sure you are all right?"
"Yes, I am fine."
He leaned back and began to read a book. I returned to my studies. We sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the lunch period.
Aur 1-6-2
Aximili began morphing, but all at once lost consciousness. Strangely enough, he continued the morph.
Once he was fully human I sat next to him to see if he would wake up. He didn't.
He wasn't even breathing.
I tested his pulse. Nothing. There was no pulse.
He began looking blue, like he was trying to breathe, but couldn't.
What was wrong? Why didn't the morph fix him?
I tested his pulse again. Again there was nothing. What was I supposed to do? This was my chance to escape. But still...
There is something you could do, Ana spoke to me.
What?
It's called CPR. It's where you pump his chest to get his breathing started again.
And then what? I asked her, but she hesitated to continue.
I searched her mind. It was something called mouth to mouth.
Mouth to mouth?!
Not a chance. I would do the CPR, but I was never going to do 'mouth to mouth'. I did not care whether he died or not.
I kneeled next to Aximili. Tested his pulse. Still nothing.
Sighing, I placed both of my hands on his chest and pumped. One... Two... Three!
Still nothing. I waited a few seconds, then decided to try again.
One... Two... Three... Four!
"Come on you stupid Andalite!" I shouted at him, even though I knew he couldn't hear.
His eyes were shut tight, and his hair was matted. His face continued to turn blue, but not the color of Andalite fur. The color of suffocating.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five!
Still nothing.
Just do it, Ana told me quietly. He saved your life countless times. You need to repay his kindness.
I was about to mutter, 'what kindness?', but it was true. He had saved my life from the wolves. And from falling. And from the gorge, even though it was his fault anyway. I sighed. It did not matter anyway, the 'mouth to mouth'. It was a human thing. To Yeerks, it meant nothing. I had to take it that way.
I lowered my mouth onto his and breathed out into it.
I pumped his chest again.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six!
Breathed in deep, then breathed into Aximili's mouth.
"Come on!" I shouted in despair.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven!
I took one more deep breath, filling my lungs to it's capacity with the icy night air, and let it all out into Aximili's mouth.
And that is when he decided to wake up.
His eyes fluttered open in amazement, and he yelled.
I quickly backed away from him because he had yelled in my mouth and startled me.
He coughed tremendously a few times, then looked suspiciously at me. "What do you think you were doing?"
"Saving your life, that's what I was doing," I muttered.
"By kissing me?"
I couldn't help it. I laughed, then rolled my eyes. "No, what I meant was that it's something called CPR. It is where I pump your chest and breathe in air into your mouth so that you may breathe again. Primitive, yes, but I do not exactly have the resources required."
"Ah."
I leaned over and smiled in amusement at him. "Well, are you all right?"
"Yes." He stared up at me. "Why did you save my life?"
I stared at him for one second, keeping my face hard and unemotional. "Because you saved mine." Then I turned and began to walk away.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aximili stand up but he tripped on his own two feet and fell backwards.
I grinned to myself. It was too comical, and it was all I could do to keep myself from bursting out in laughter.
He demorphed and caught up to me. Where do you think you are going?
"The wolves could not have just appeared here. They must have came down from another sector that is easier to go up and down. So that shall be our exit."
What do you mean by 'our' exit?
I stopped and glared at him, shaking my head. "I should have left you to die."
Aximili narrowed his eyes but continued to walk. As should have I.
Clenching my fist out of frustration and anger I hurried to catch up with him, and accidentally my hand brushed up against his. I quickly shot him a look of embarrassment, but he had not seemed to notice, so I looked back into the shadows where our exit lay.
We walked in complete silence. Anyone passing by overhead at the edge of the gorge could feel the hate emanating out of it. Of course, I am not being literal. But can you blame me for the situation I am in?
Finally after what seemed like hours reached a slanted rock that enabled us to climb up easily without killing ourselves.
I looked up. It was almost too perfect. The gorge had become narrower. And as it narrowed, it slanted up. It would be too narrow for Aximili to fit through with his large Andalite body. And if I timed it right, it would take him so long to morph that he would not be able to catch me.
I took this chance. I began to run.
Get back here! Aximili yelled. You can never outrun an Andalite.
"Up this rock, Aximili? I'd like to see you try."
I panted as the slanted rock, which was, in fact, a little steep, climbing and not only using my legs but my arms as well. Finally I was able to reach the top. I sighed a sigh of relief that I was finally out of that wretched gorge.
I looked down at Aximili and grinned as he slid down helplessly and began to morph human. It would take minutes. And in a rush, minutes seem like hours.
"Never outrun an Andalite, huh? I believe, Aximili, that I just did!" I yelled down to him. Then I turned and ran some more.
He didn't know where I lived. And if I kept running at top speed, by the time Aximili finished morphing, climbed out of the gorge, demorphed, and morphed into some winged animal, then I could be so far out of range he wouldn't know where to look. And by the time he would get a clue I'd be long gone.
I got to civilization and stumbled with feigning pain into my host's house. Her mother spun around and gave a cry of alarm. Her father ran and hugged me. For a reason out of spontaneous reaction, and extreme fatigue and exhilaration, I pulled away from her mind, and let my host hug her parents. She explained everything as I had told her, and then was immediately sent up the stairs to rest.
There I climbed into her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
**********************************************
"Hello? Pay attention," Aur 1-6-1, my brother, in his host Derek wavered his hand in front of my face. I realized I'd been daydreaming. Not about something. But someone. It was the next day, my parents had permitted me to go to school. For some reason I wanted to go, although the way I was feeling I did not know why.
I snapped back to reality. "Oh. I apologize."
"You have been day dreaming all day. What exactly happened last night?"
I eyed the bandage that had been wrapped around my/my host's ankle. "I told you, already. I went exploring in the woods, tripped on a root, and fell. I had to limp back home. What is the interrogation for?!" I snapped. I didn't want to tell him about my ordeal with Aximili. For one, he would find any reason at all to blame me for it. And for another, I wanted to take care of Aximili myself. I didn't need anyone's help.
My brother looked taken aback.
"I'm sorry," I said, leaning my head on my hands. "I am just in a bad mood."
"That is alright," My brother smiled a little. "I know how your temper can accelerate."
I flipped my hair back with my hand; it had been on my shoulder and tickling my face; and closed my eyes. I do agree with Ana, human schools begin far too early in the morning.
My brother looked at me once more.
"Are you sure you are all right?"
"Yes, I am fine."
He leaned back and began to read a book. I returned to my studies. We sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the lunch period.
