Chapter 6
Darkness surrounded them. Leon and Sky had walked what felt like to her 100 miles, but they had finally made it to Highway 60. Leon looked at Sky and began to worry about her condition. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her skin was pale. She was in obvious pain with each breathe. "Sit down on the ground and I'll try to get us a ride."
She shook her head "no". Sky took a few quick breaths and looked up at him, "We need to keep moving. We can try to catch a ride while walking, we don't stop till we get to L.A." She felt as though she may pass out at any moment. It was taking its toll on her.
"Damn it Sky. You can't keep this pace up." He wiped sweat from her face. "We promised each other we'd always be together. You can't leave me now."
Sky pulled in a ragged breath, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving any time soon. Come on let's go." Deep inside she worried if she would make it. With each breath she took a stabbing pain ran through her chest. She put her thumb out hoping for a sane person to pick them up.
Cars whizzed past them without the slightest hesitation. Up ahead a semi was pulled to the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. They quicken their pace towards the cab. Leon stopped before they reach the door, "Hey, wait. Let me talk to the guy first. He might be a serial killer or something. Don't wanna risk it." Sky smiled at him and took a seat on the ground thankful for the break and time to catch her breath. Leon walked up to the front of the truck and found the driver looking over the front right tire. "Excuse me sir. My girlfriend and I need a ride towards L.A. and wondered if you could give us a ride as far as possible."
The older man looked Leon up and down, "Sorry son. I don't give rides."
Leon felt the pressure. He knew that Sky would not make it if they had to walk the whole way and were a sitting target for the cops. "Man please help us. She is sick and I need to get her to a doctor. Please I'm begging you. Look at her."
The driver stepped over to Sky who was resting on the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over. The driver was shocked by what he saw. The driver turns to Leon, "I'll get you to the Los Angeles. Let's get her in the truck and get moving."
Leon thanked the driver. He reached down and pulled Sky into his arms. He placed tender kisses on her cheek and whispered reassurances in her ear. She rested her head against his chest and tried to focus on getting as much oxygen in her lungs as possible. The driver opened the passenger door and Leon climbed up and placed Sky on the seat. He slid onto the seat and moved her onto his lap. She began to drift off as the truck moved forward. Leon could feel the heat coming from her body. Her temp had spiked and he questioned if he made the right choice of taking her away from the hospital.
The highway was empty and it took just under an hour to reach L.A. Leon gently shook Sky to wake her. His shirt was soaked with sweat from where she had slept against him. Leon thanked the driver and offered him ten dollars for the ride, but he refused. They made their way to a nearby gas station. The cool air hit Sky as she opened the door causing a shiver to run through her body. "It's freezing in here."
"Let's get some water and aspirin. See if we can't break that fever." Leon grabbed what they needed and paid the clerk. As they got outside Sky stumbled and he luckily grabbed her inches from the ground. "You're scaring me girl. I think we should head for the nearest hospital. I fucked up bringing you here."
Fearing being taken away from him she pleaded, "No. No hospital. They'll separate us. You promised."
"Ok. Fine but if it happens again you're going. No argument. Now sit your ass down on the curb and takes these."
Sky sighed with frustration, "Leon, look I don't want to sit down. Let's get moving. My cousin lives about ten blocks from here. The sooner we get there the sooner we can rest." He looked away from her hurt by her tone. "I'm sorry. You're taking such good care of me and I'm being really bitchy."
"You bitchy...never." He said sarcastically.
"Watch it boy. I don't care how shitty I feel, I can still kick your ass."
"Damn that fever must be making you delusional. Kick my ass, not even on your best day." She nodded her head. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight. "Really cause it seems like I'm in control right now. "
"Only because I'm letting you. If I wanted to get loose I could."
He let out a deep laugh, "Yep delusional. Which direction is your cousin's house?"
"Why you going to carry me there?" Noticing he had her and wasn't letting go.
"That's not a bad idea. Get on my back and point me in the right direction."
Normally she would have argued with him but she was too weak and tired to walk anymore. He released her from his grip and squatted for her to get on his back. "You know I might get used to you carrying me around." Her arm slipped around his shoulders and he tucked his arms around her knees and they set off in the direction of her cousin's house.
Darkness surrounded them. Leon and Sky had walked what felt like to her 100 miles, but they had finally made it to Highway 60. Leon looked at Sky and began to worry about her condition. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her skin was pale. She was in obvious pain with each breathe. "Sit down on the ground and I'll try to get us a ride."
She shook her head "no". Sky took a few quick breaths and looked up at him, "We need to keep moving. We can try to catch a ride while walking, we don't stop till we get to L.A." She felt as though she may pass out at any moment. It was taking its toll on her.
"Damn it Sky. You can't keep this pace up." He wiped sweat from her face. "We promised each other we'd always be together. You can't leave me now."
Sky pulled in a ragged breath, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving any time soon. Come on let's go." Deep inside she worried if she would make it. With each breath she took a stabbing pain ran through her chest. She put her thumb out hoping for a sane person to pick them up.
Cars whizzed past them without the slightest hesitation. Up ahead a semi was pulled to the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. They quicken their pace towards the cab. Leon stopped before they reach the door, "Hey, wait. Let me talk to the guy first. He might be a serial killer or something. Don't wanna risk it." Sky smiled at him and took a seat on the ground thankful for the break and time to catch her breath. Leon walked up to the front of the truck and found the driver looking over the front right tire. "Excuse me sir. My girlfriend and I need a ride towards L.A. and wondered if you could give us a ride as far as possible."
The older man looked Leon up and down, "Sorry son. I don't give rides."
Leon felt the pressure. He knew that Sky would not make it if they had to walk the whole way and were a sitting target for the cops. "Man please help us. She is sick and I need to get her to a doctor. Please I'm begging you. Look at her."
The driver stepped over to Sky who was resting on the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over. The driver was shocked by what he saw. The driver turns to Leon, "I'll get you to the Los Angeles. Let's get her in the truck and get moving."
Leon thanked the driver. He reached down and pulled Sky into his arms. He placed tender kisses on her cheek and whispered reassurances in her ear. She rested her head against his chest and tried to focus on getting as much oxygen in her lungs as possible. The driver opened the passenger door and Leon climbed up and placed Sky on the seat. He slid onto the seat and moved her onto his lap. She began to drift off as the truck moved forward. Leon could feel the heat coming from her body. Her temp had spiked and he questioned if he made the right choice of taking her away from the hospital.
The highway was empty and it took just under an hour to reach L.A. Leon gently shook Sky to wake her. His shirt was soaked with sweat from where she had slept against him. Leon thanked the driver and offered him ten dollars for the ride, but he refused. They made their way to a nearby gas station. The cool air hit Sky as she opened the door causing a shiver to run through her body. "It's freezing in here."
"Let's get some water and aspirin. See if we can't break that fever." Leon grabbed what they needed and paid the clerk. As they got outside Sky stumbled and he luckily grabbed her inches from the ground. "You're scaring me girl. I think we should head for the nearest hospital. I fucked up bringing you here."
Fearing being taken away from him she pleaded, "No. No hospital. They'll separate us. You promised."
"Ok. Fine but if it happens again you're going. No argument. Now sit your ass down on the curb and takes these."
Sky sighed with frustration, "Leon, look I don't want to sit down. Let's get moving. My cousin lives about ten blocks from here. The sooner we get there the sooner we can rest." He looked away from her hurt by her tone. "I'm sorry. You're taking such good care of me and I'm being really bitchy."
"You bitchy...never." He said sarcastically.
"Watch it boy. I don't care how shitty I feel, I can still kick your ass."
"Damn that fever must be making you delusional. Kick my ass, not even on your best day." She nodded her head. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight. "Really cause it seems like I'm in control right now. "
"Only because I'm letting you. If I wanted to get loose I could."
He let out a deep laugh, "Yep delusional. Which direction is your cousin's house?"
"Why you going to carry me there?" Noticing he had her and wasn't letting go.
"That's not a bad idea. Get on my back and point me in the right direction."
Normally she would have argued with him but she was too weak and tired to walk anymore. He released her from his grip and squatted for her to get on his back. "You know I might get used to you carrying me around." Her arm slipped around his shoulders and he tucked his arms around her knees and they set off in the direction of her cousin's house.