Twoset Vampire Story

13. Recovery - pale beside you

A/N: Pale beside (someone or something) = To be or seem less important, impressive, or otherwise deficient when compared to someone or something else.

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The boys laid down on the ground of the forest. It was early summer but the mornings in the forest were still quite cool. Eddy's complexion had not improved.  He asked in a slurred speech;

"Brett.. aren't you due for your morning tutoring session..?"

Brett nervously snapped back.

"Yeah, he can wait."

Eddy shook his head, then grimaced with regret as it caused him further dizziness;

"Brett, you should go. You don't want to be late for your morning class. I'll be okay, I'll just rest till I feel better and make my way back on my own."

Brett raised his upper body off the ground and peered into Eddy's face.

"Eddy, I'm not tense because I'm worried about being late for my morning class. I'm worried about you. I made you collapse and you still look like sh*t. I'm not gonna leave you here alone."

Brett got up and shuffled across to Eddy's feet. He grabbed one of Eddy's ankles to lift up his leg, then placed it onto his shoulder.

Eddy looked at Brett anxiously.

"...What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help you drain more blood back to your head by lifting up your legs."

Brett proceeded to lift Eddy's other leg.

Brett then looked at Eddy sternly.

"Eddy..You're lifting your leg. Stop that, I'm supposed to be lifting it. You're supposed to be resting."

"I.. I saw you struggle to lift up my leg. Legs are really heavy. I can't let you carry my weight."

Brett rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'm gonna turn you around so that you can rest your legs against a tree."

"I can move by myself..."

Eddy pushed his elbows against the ground and lifted his head. Immediately his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he was on the verge of passing out again.

"Oh sh*t, Eddy...!"

Brett moved in just in time to catch Eddy's head with his arm as Brett let Eddy's leg fall to the ground. Brett held Eddy's head with one arm, then scooped up the back of his knees with the other and rotated him around, then managed to lift him slightly off the ground to move him towards the closest tree. Brett positioned Eddy near the tree so that his legs were rested straight up against it. He then carefully manoeuvred himself so that he was sitting cross-legged with Eddy's head resting on his lap.

Brett then remembered how comforting Eddy's hand felt on his forehead when Eddy had told Brett one of his mother's bedtime stories. Brett gingerly placed his hand on Eddy's forehead. Eddy opened his eyes. Brett suddenly felt very self-conscious and stammered;

"Um..Eddy, do you have your water bottle strapped to your belt today?"

Eddy still fighting dizziness, closed his eyes again as he nodded.

Brett reached forward and lifted the hem of Eddy's T shirt to check his belt. He removed the small plastic bottle from the belt and popped up the sports bottle nozzle and held it against Eddy's lips.