Hi there!
So two things to say:
First, the story is going to cram down a little at the humor at this point. It already has actually if you compare to the first chapter (I wrote that in October last year. And back then I didn't even know it was going to be a longer story). So things get a little more serious in tone. But just a little
( ´∀｀ )b
Second, summer's over and school is a thing. And I've just started Swedish high school, so updates will sadly be less frequent. But don't worry, I've put up a goal to have at least a chapter per month. And I'm aiming at doing more than that.
Now to the fic! (￣▽￣)ゞ
Day 23
It had snowed during the night. A thin powdery white layer covering everything in splotches. The air was icy, so much that their breaths didn't come in clouds anymore.
"You can't make anything of it", Alice remarked. Her naked hands trying to push the snow into a shape. They were pale from the cold.
She was kneeling on the ground, collecting the scarce white spots around her feet.
"Don't you have any gloves, dear?", Delalieu asked, standing above her.
She looked up and shook her head.
"I gave mine to the little brother in the house I live in. His knuckles had started cracking from the cold, so I thought he needed them better than me."
"T-that is very nice of you", Delalieu said.
He watched her for a few more seconds.
He frowned.
"Well, aren't you cold now?", he asked.
She shrugged.
"A little."
Delalieu looked at her pale hands again. Collecting the snow to play with. He didn't doubt they would start to crack from the cold soon.
"Maybe.. you should try to k-keep them warm.. if you d-don't have any gloves."
Light blue eyes looked up at him. He didn't remember them to be blue. They were gray last time he had taken a good look at them. It was the red hue in her cheeks from the cold that brought it out, he realized. And how the paler skin made her locks look darker.
He became lost for a second.
"No, I'm fine", she said.
She looked down again.
"It's a lot colder where I'm from, so I'm used to it."
Delalieu was ready to let it drop. It wasn't his place. But then he remembered how he had reacted the other day. He didn't want that again. Even if she had apologized for scolding him like that. She had been afraid that she had hurt his feelings.
"I don't believe that", he said.
Alice looked up in surprise.
Delalieu crouched down beside the girl, removed the glove he was wearing, and took one of her hands in his.
"You're cold as ice!", He said after noticing her temperature.
"I don't feel cold...", she protested halfheartedly.
"Come on now", he said,"Just feel the difference b-between your and my hand!"
He took his unoccupied hand and reached for her other hand.
"See?", he asked as he felt the girl's hands warm up within his own.
"I guess-", Alice said but had to jerk the second hand away, startling Delalieu. She brought it to her mouth and started coughing into it.
This one lasted a little bit longer than the other day, and by the end of it Delalieu had the same frown as then.
"Are you getting worse?", he asked as soon she could take deep breaths again.
"I'm not!", Alice declared at once.
"It's.. It's just the-"
She coughed again. It sounded as if there was something in her lungs. Something that wanted out.
"You should visit the medical building", he said. He stood up and dunked her between the shoulder blades. Or where he thought the shoulder blades were positioned. Her jacket was so oversized it was hard to tell.
"No", she said, her breathing back to normal once more.
"No?", Delalieu asked in surprise.
"It won't help", she said,"It's the-"
She coughed again. The effort causing her shoulders to jerk as the coughs shook her body.
Delalieu got annoyed at that point. As they were still holding hands (she was only using one hand to shield her coughs) he simply started heading to the medics. Pulling her with him.
She was too occupied coughing to realize where they were heading. Or maybe she didn't have it in her to struggle against when he was trying to help her.
"I'm sorry sir, but we can not examine her."
"Why?", Delalieu demanded, standing outside the medical center. A low brick building. Alice looking at the soldier in the door from behind Delalieu.
"She's s-sick", Delalieu said. As if it wasn't obvious.
"She does not have a citizen-card, sir. You already know this. It's prohibited to give any medical help to intruders, or any normal civilian lacking the privileges. The only reason that she isn't already sent to base is because of Chief commander Warner's orders. But you already know that", the soldier explained. You could tell he didn't actually want to decline a little girl medical help, especially when it was so clear that she was sick in some way. But he was a soldier and the price was high if he disobeyed his orders.
Delalieu was quiet for a few seconds. Blew some air through his moustache. Making it ruffle.
"What if I order you to examine her?", he asked. Eyes in a serious scowl.
The soldier shook his head.
"Sorry, sir. You have to go ask Warner for such an exception."
On ordinary terms Delalieu would actually have that sort of power over the soldiers. But with matters concerning this specific girl. This girl that had showed up in Warner's office one day. There was no one that wanted to act unless it's ordered out by Warner himself. Between Warner's wrath and the interest of one little girl; they rather ask him about it first hand before trying something on their own.
"I told you no", Alice said as they walked away from the medics building. Connected by the hands.
"Martha already tried bringing me there, they said no then, too. But they weren't as polite as they were with you", she added.
Delalieu just nodded, lost in thought.
"Mr Delalieu?", she asked as she didn't get a response.
She leaned forwards and saw that he was staring straight forward, but not really there.
"Delalieu?", she repeated.
This snapped him from his thinking.
"Y-yes miss?", he asked.
She looked at him for a few seconds before walking straight again.
"You shouldn't worry too much", she said.
This confused the elder.
"Hm?"
"Martha says it's probably just a cold, so I shouldn't worry about it".
She looked at him again. Those light blue, but still gray, irises aimed at him again.
"So neither should you. But you can worry a little, if you'd like", she said.
Delalieu raised his eyebrows in a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a feeling of reassurance only children could bring out. But it was gone as soon as it came.
"Something that would make me worry less would be if you stayed inside, dear. Where you can stay warm", he said as they walked.
Alice seemed to think over the proposal.
"I like being warm", she said after a while,"Warm and snug", she added.
Then she had to come to an abrupt stop and cough.
Listening to it it almost sounded like it had gotten worse within the twenty minutes that had gone.
He brought a hand to her forehead, checking the temperature. To his relief she wasn't unusually warm.
"At least you don't have a fever", he said.
"But, let's get you inside", he added and looked around to see if he could find that Martha woman. Since he didn't actually know where Alice was staying.
When he was heading back to base he realized he hadn't tried asking Alice about her last name even once.
This time he actually smacked himself on the forehead.