Opening her eyes, the horrors of the nightmares vanished, and she was back in her dark room; the room where she at least thought she was safe.
She was happy for not always having to sleep. She didn't have to worry whether she would have a nightmare every night, like the others. Did they have nightmares? She hoped they had peaceful rests, though what Syl, and Zane told her, they didn't most of the time.
Everything was quiet, and calm, like always. Ben's midnight 'bed time' stories were away from her mind. The room showed no sign from the nightmare; it was calm and dark. Nothing stirred. There was never any sign of danger here. It was a great feeling that she never took for granted. She only wished, at times when she thought nothing was ever wrong, and Manticore was far away, she wished someone else could stay. She had Zack for a 'hot minute,' but that didn't count. She expected him, though he always seemed to surprise her anyways.
She sat up, and put her feet to the floor. Slipping on a pajama top, she pulled the cami over her belly, and walked out into the kitchen, and opened the fridge. She was hungry, and knew just the thing to eat. In the fridge, there were some left over tamales from a friend at work, so she heated one up, and went into the living room, where Zack was laying on the floor.
It looked like he planned it, for he was stretched out, on his chest, left arm out straight, the other cradling his face. Even so, why would he be laying on the floor, when there was the couch, or the fire escape?
She hated to feel bitter to him, or about him, but when he opened his mouth, he made it easy for her to say, or think them.
"Zack," she said, a little higher than her normal speech, "Zack." If she knew one thing, then it was not to be too close when waking a sleeping Zack. He was very, very, alert; claimed by him, but she thought him to be very, very, paranoid. Not everyone was out to get him, yet.
"You're talking now," he responded, though he made no point to move, when she stepped over him, and sat on the couch, lurking above him, her feet tucked in under her. She worked on opening the tamale, and watching the steam rise up, and the smell to take over. They were delicious when she first had them, they should be even more so, now that it was reheated.
"Why are you laying on the floor?" she questioned, and took the first forkful to her mouth. It was just as she expected; 'blazin'.
"Why are you sleeping so much? You don't sleep, you were raised to go long periods without it," he spoke on his arm. His eyes didn't open.
She had to wonder if he was in any pain. She didn't once ask him if he needed any help, and she did nothing to help him.
Oh yeah, she had to remind herself, he was being a jerk, and he wanted her nowhere near him. Oh, but when he wanted to be near her, was she supposed to drop everything? He talked about not being close to someone, and then he does that. He confused her, to the point of frustration. It bothered her, and she never knew, when he left, whether he was going to come back or not.
"Why are you laying on the floor?" she questioned again.
"Because I want to," he said.
She shrugged. "Fine," she answered, "I'll join you." So with her plate, she joined him, and sat at his head. She ate in the silence, and looked at his left arm wrapped in a bandage.
She had to ponder what happened, for his body to look like that, and his attitude; though he normally had an attitude, it was just not proper right now. She didn't want to deal with it, and she didn't want it to be the only thing she remembered about the visit.
"Do you want some?" she offered, holding up the fork, with a piece clinging to the prongs.
Zack sat up. He cradled his left arm to his chest.
"Do me this favor, and let me do one thing," she whispered, setting the fork and the plate onto the floor.
He nodded, with dark set eyes, and shut his eyes.
"Good," she heaved a sigh of relief, and crawled onto his lap, completely invading his personal space; though she doubted that he wouldn't mind.
She didn't.
Carefully she removed her pajama cover, leaving herself in the cami again, and made a make shift sling, she made it easy for him to relax his arm, even if it was something 'ghetto.'
Both his arms were scraped and bruised, and though they were already healing, it looked painful. A million different scenarios flashed through her head.
She put her attention to his face. His eyes closed, she put both hands to his cheeks, and inspected the bruises; gently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.
He didn't move a feature.
"I didn't even get my kiss," she whispered.
She really wanted it, too.
"I know," he said, and with his right arm, he gently pushed her away; in more ways than one.
"So," she said shaking it off, "You want some?" She held the plate out to him again.
He nodded, and opened his eyes, and with the plate in his lap he ate the tamale while she watched.
His eyes were red, and he looked like he was in need for sleep, or a vacation. It would do him some good. Somewhere far away, he needed to go, and lay on the beach. He needed a Piña colada; seven Piña colada.
"Why were you sleeping?" he asked again.
"I'm sick," she said, "Plain and simple." She shrugged, and took the plate, and fiddled with the tamale wrapper.
"You felt very warm," he said. Then turned bitter, "We aren't supposed to get sick."
"Guess we got to return me for testing," she joked, though it was no joke at all, and it showed on Zack's face. Who was to say, she could joke about something he worked so hard to accomplish for all of them, and she was making a small joke to include it?
"This is not a joke!" he shouted, "Clearly you-"
She cut in, "People get sick all the time. Look at the time we live in. It's very common. It comes in," she put her hands together, "It takes its course," she moved her hands to the middle, "Then it leaves," she moved her hands to the end. "So don't try to tell me differently, I see it all the time at work."
"Damn it Jondy," he growled, hitting his right palm to the floor hard.
"Damn Zack," she imitated, only she didn't hit her palm on the floor. "Just, just slow your roll. Do you need a drink? I can make you something that would even mellow you out." She put the plate on the floor, brought her legs to her chest, and crossed her arms atop, and put her head on them.
He gave her a hard stare, his dark eyes seemed darker than earlier, like he was getting angrier, and angrier by the minute. Something was building up inside of him, and he was not letting it out.
It was trying, though, and Jondy was just egging it on. And, she would continue to, until she knew what it was, or until he was back to his normal self.
"So do you want it or not?" she offered again.
"No," he said, and stood up. He went into the kitchen, and grabbed his jacket, then back to the living room where he used his one hand to put his shoes on. They were lying by the door, just where her favorite boots were.
"Where are you going?" she stood, angrily, and blocked his exit out, arms and all.
"Move," he said, the angry calm, slowly leaving him. His fists stayed clenched at his sides.
"Zack," she shouted, in his face, "What is the matter with you? You come here, you don't want me to be here, you won't say anything, and now you're ready to storm out. What's the matter Zack? You can tell me. What am I going to do, go tell Lydecker?"
There is went again, another small joke, that went too far in this situation. Sometimes it was best to just not bring it up at all; though her mouth was running away from her, the more bitter he acted toward her.
"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you," he shouted, right in her face, eyes straight ahead, he growled out, "You have a mouth on you today, talking as if that place is some sort, filled with greats. If you want to go back, then leave," he shoved past her, "Just leave me out."
She grabbed his wrist, "Can you just stay?" she pleaded, "You don't have to say anything, just don't leave yet." She held on tight, in case he was going to leave before she finished saying what she needed to say to him.
"Why?" one word, he said. It held the anger, but also the curiosity that he tried to hide. There was always a reason for everything.
"Because I'm glad you're here. I missed you." It was not hard for her to say, and he was going to hear it.
"Drop that feeling, you don't need it. You should not have emotional cling on anybody, at all."
"Maybe you don't, but I do. We don't have a mother, or father. We don't have anyone, but our unit. We escaped. People are after us, and if we need help who do we turn to Zack? We turn to each other, for we are the only ones we can trust in this world."
"You're on your own," he said, but he did turn around, and take off his coat. He still had the night shirt around his arm, which made her smile. He was going to take it with him. One good thing would've come out of this night. He would have something that, whenever he saw it, he would be thinking about her.
Unless he threw it away first, then, like he said before, he would be answering to her question of not wanting to see her face.
"Every time you leave pissed off, I am alone." She answered to his statement, for it was truth.
"If you were at work tonight, this whole thing would not have happened. I would have been gone before you came home."
It hurt, but she wasn't going to let it get to her anymore tonight.
"I'm glad it did," she said and let out a cough, which her hand went to her mouth to cover.
"Why?" He asked.
"I can vent my angers to you, about you, instead of somebody else."
He didn't say anything, but the look on his face read that he was not happy she was 'venting' to other people.
"Well, I'm going back to sleep, cause I'm tired. Since I'm sick, I better sleep, otherwise I'm gonna break, and, well," she cleared her throat, not wanting to do that joke again, "Yeah, well, goodnight."
She didn't want it to sound so weak, or even fake, but it did to her ears. It was for his benefit, and who knows? Maybe he'd stay for three days. It was risky, but it was a chance to be with him for a little bit, before he left, and she was alone again.
He could take a chance. He's been taking one for him, and them all for years now. He'd never stop, and she was glad for that.
Second chapter down, I hope you liked. More Soon. Drop me a review.