Sixty-six

Night descends upon the land fairly quickly. In all fairness, the gloomy weather doesn't help either. Dark clouds hover over the forested land, blanketing the sky in their smokey veil. Overall the atmosphere is rather dreary.

There isn't much to see for hours on end. Exhaustion seeps into my bones, but I can't drift off to sleep so I settle to watch the monotone passing scenery.

Somewhere close to dawn, a stately house peeks over the horizon rising over the canopy of trees. From the road, I only get a glimpse of the roof, but it is big enough to rise above the secular trees.

" That's where I live," Gerald says without taking his eye off the road. In return I hum, generally feeling like death warmed over. I'm in no mood for conversation, but I absently hum while my body clings to life. I'm overtaken by frissons which make my body shake uncontrollably, so sink into the seat trying to keep the tremors to a minimum.

" We should reach Aldore by morning," Gerald says watching me from the corner of his eye.

Once again, I reply with a feeble hum, cold sweat begins to form on my upper lip and brow. I'm dying, slowly, and painfully.

The antibiotics are not working. They wouldn't if it was poison.

" Whatever you do, don't fall asleep," Gerald says with a hint of worry in his voice. I wish I could. I'd sell my soul to the devil himself if I could get a wink of sleep. But I can't.

Leaving aside my deplorable state, I can't stop thinking about Mason, Laira, David and all the others. Something is amiss or Sophie is right and I'm blowing this out of proportion.

It's one of those things that you just know but can't quite put into words. And I just know. It's a gut feeling. And it's not hunger.

The trees begin to blur as Julian steps on the gas, and I know he can tell that I'm declining, fast.

" Almost there," His voice trickles through the delirious haze.

" If I don't make it. Find him," That's all I have to say before I succumb to the darkness.

I hear him calling out to me but no matter how hard I try I can't do the one thing Mason has always asked me to do. Hold on.

I wake up drenched in cold sweat with a frowning face hovering over me. The light is bright but it's coming from somewhere outside the room I'm in. Sea foam-painted walls surround me, while the scent of antiseptic wafts to my nose.

" Hello there, " The nurse says with a trill in his voice," We almost lost you for a second," He adds as he checks the monitors I'm strapped to. There is another drip bag attached to my arm, I feel the pull of stitches all over my body, and a bitter taste coats my tongue. It must be the poison.

" How are you feeling?" He asks as he brings a cup of water to my mouth.

" More dead, than alive," I croak the moment he pulls the glass away. He gives me a wane smile and nods.

" Make sense. The poison has had a wild time with you. There were traces of aconite in your blood. The man thet brought you told us that you were found in the forest surrounding a mining colony. Monkswood is commonly mistaken for other less harmful plants," I know what Monkswood looks like, I wouldn't have touched it. But he chatters on when I don't argue with him.

" Thankfully your body has managed to expel most of it. There are still traces of it in your blood but because of your injuries, your body is struggling to keep up. So, we will keep you under observation until you're in the clear," That is not happening.

" I need to go," I push myself off the metal framed bed, the room spins but only for a second before it settles back to normal.

The nurse pushes me back on the bed," You're not going anywhere. If you leave this hospital there is a good chance you'll die," He shakes his head," Actually, I can guarantee you that," Despite his warnings, I rise from the bed, and thankfully the room doesn't tilt, but my legs can't hold my weight so I collapse back on the bed.

" You don't understand. I need to leave. People need me," My people need me.

He laughs at that, and it's so hollow and a little mocking that it only emboldens me even more.

" Welcome to the world sister. Everyone needs someone. You won't be of any use to anyone if you die," He smirks, and I snatch the drip bag off the poll.

" Screw that," I say as I drag my feet to the door. When I step into the bright halfway, I have to close my eyes because it's painful.

The nurse barks a laugh but follows after me, and grabs my shoulders," Fool," That is all he says as he drags me back into the room.

I hate myself, I hate that I'm not strong enough to fight him off. I hate that I'm so weak that I can barely fucking stand.

Once he lowers me on the bed, he takes the drip bag out of my hand and places it back on the stand.

" Now be a good girl and lie down so we can take care of you, and make you all better," He speaks to me as if I'm a child, nodding along as he speaks.

I can't take it anymore, and I punch him, straight in the nose with all the strength I have left.

His head bobs back as my fist collides with his nose, and I finally feel like the world is right again.

" See, I'm feeling better already. Can I go now?" Once again I rise from the bed and pluck the damn drip back off the stand and walk past him while he rubs his nose? With my strength waning I know I didn't him hard enough to cause any damage. At worst, he will have a mild bruise for a few days.

That's where I'm at. Somebody is going to pay for this.