#cliffhangerresolution
…
Knox's POV
I quickly push my way through the throng of people, desperate to make sure my girlfriend is okay. My heart is pounding in my chest but it slows down when I spot Quinn sitting at the back of an ambulance with an orange shock blanket around her shoulders. She's staring at nothing.
I hurry over to her and put my hand on her shoulder, bending down beside her. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? What happened?"
"My boss died," Quinn says dully. "A robot attacked and Alex sacrificed himself to save me."
I'm horrified. I've met Alex the Armadillo before and I know that it's going to be a long time before it sinks in that he's dead. I sit down beside Quinn and put my arms around her. She leans into my chest and closes her eyes. I rub her shoulders and arms soothingly.
At that moment, Quinn's worried parents show up. They hurriedly ask her the same questions I asked but this time she doesn't answer them. It takes a moment for all of us to realise that she's asleep. I gently pick her up in a bridal lift with the blanket still wrapped around her. "I'm going to take her home," I tell Perry and Priya. "Could you phone the shop and the post office and tell them that she won't be working for at least the next week?"
Priya nods. "I'll do that."
I carry Quinn all the way back to her apartment. Unfortunately, I don't have the keys, so I take her up to my own apartment, where I tuck her into my bed and leave a glass of water by her bed just in case. Then I go and begin making a meal for myself, as it's now almost ten pm and I haven't had time to eat properly since lunch. Finally, I go to sleep on the couch.
…
I wake up at about nine am. Before I can make breakfast, a scream comes from my bedroom. I hurry into the room and find Quinn sitting up in bed, sweating, breathing heavily, and with a terrified look on her face.
Quinn's POV
It felt so real. I can't believe it wasn't real. This is going to be the start of a period of sleepless, nightmare-filled nights, I can tell. I hate it already.
Knox sits down beside me on the bed as I wipe my sweaty forehead. "A nightmare?"
I nod, unable to trust myself to speak. However, I manage to croak, "It was Alex…"
"You don't need to say any more," Knox says, putting his arms around me. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
I give a sniffle. "It wasn't like he was my dad. He was a father-figure in my life, like Perry but more like a mentor and friend than a father. I just can't believe he's really gone."
"Don't try and comprehend it just yet," Knox says. "Just try and get as much sleep as possible if you're tired."
"That's the thing…" I look up at my boyfriend. "I'm physically tired but I've never wanted to sleep less in my life. I'm scared of the nightmares."
"Well, you can't evade sleep forever, but how about for now we just hang out together? Do you feel up to eating something?"
"Can we go for a walk?" I ask timidly.
Knox nods. "Sure. You need any time to get ready?"
"I want to wear a dress."
Knox nods again and leaves the room. I follow him out and go up to my own apartment, remembering the keys in my fur pocket. I carefully avoid Sarah's old dress; it reminds me too much of last night. Instead I go for a special dress Piper gave me for my birthday two years ago. It's a light, floaty, knee-length, pale yellow dress with no sleeves. I really love it because it reminds me of family. I put that on and brush my fur with the jewelled hairbrush Hazel got me when she went on that mission. I still love it; it's a jade black colour with a lovely pearl set into the back of it so that it's slightly raised out. The brush itself is perfect for platypus fur.
When I'm ready, I leave my apartment and immediately see Knox, who's waiting for me, with a backpack on his back. "Ready?"
I nod and wipe my red eyes with the back of my hand as Knox takes my other hand. We leave the apartment building and take a walk in the sunshine. It's fairly warm but there's a lovely cool breeze out which makes me feel a little chilly but not enough for it to bother me. We walk along the street in Bodicote, soaking up nature. Having almost died the night before, I'm a little more appreciative.
I stop as I see something. A tree with perfect symmetrical branches and leaves. The leaves are golden and red, and with the sun behind it, it looks absolutely breathtaking. I stare at it in wonder, wishing I'd brought my sketchpad.
A moment later, Knox takes off his backpack and takes out a sketchpad with my name on it and hands it to me, along with my pencil case full of pencils and colouring pencils. I stare at him. "How did you…?"
"You left them at my place two days ago," Knox replies. "I was just packing up this morning when I saw them and decided to bring them for you in case you saw something like this."
My face breaks out into a beam. "You're the best boyfriend ever."
I sit down opposite the perfect tree and draw for hours. Knox stays beside me the entire time, talking about something random. He knows I have to focus so he knows I'm not really listening but I'm grateful for the company. I really am. It wouldn't be nearly as much tranquil if I was out here drawing on my own.
After about five hours, I show him the picture. I'm extremely proud of it; I've managed to perfectly capture the symmetry and the colours of the tree, with a light effect from behind the tree looking like the sun.
"I want to frame this on my wall," Knox says. "Can I photocopy it?"
"Sure," I say, handing the sketchpad back to him. "Thanks for bringing it."
"No problem," Knox smiles, tucking the sketchpad back into his backpack. "Now, let's go visit your parents and let them know you're okay."
"To OWCA we go, then."
…
I love writing about arty Quinn :)
