2132:Phoenix

Chapter 5

 Waking up to stabbing pains was the most awful feeling. I could feel bile rising in my throat as I tried to sit up and heat crashed over me trying to coax my mouth open. I whimpered as I slid onto the cold tile floor hoping to ease the nausea. My ears were ringing now and I knew I was going to throw up if I didn't do something. I heard a door open but lifting my head felt like too much at the moment.

"Lexi." I could hear his quick footsteps, but it was too late. I sprinted to the trash can by the bar, bile rising in my throat.

"Lexi, what on earth..." He stopped as I knelt by the trash can and emptied clear bile into the can. He came up to pull my hair from my face as I tried to calm my gagging fit. His hand found my back when another round of bile came.

"Do you feel hot?" I shook my head and pushed away from the trash can. "I'm going to call my brother," he said calmly, leaving me by the trash can. I felt fine now. I didn't have the usual after-shock shaking. Standing up felt a lot different. Black spots clouded my vision and I was dizzy. I tried to make it to the door but I stumbled into Calepus's room instead. Of course.

"You need to lay down," he said while guiding me back to the bed. "My brother should know how to help." I nodded, drinking the last of the drink from last night.

"May I have some more, please?" I knew exactly what this was, but telling him would only lead to questions and, for whatever reason, I can't lie to him.

"Yeah, of course." He practically ran to get another from the fridge and open it. Hard knocking came from the door.

"Calepus, open this door." The blue-scaled male came rushing in carrying some case. His eyes immediately landed on me, and I pushed back against the wall of the bed. Calepus grabbed his brother's bicep before muttering something to him. The blue-scaled man had the same gray-blue eyes that flashed brightly before returning to normal. The male relaxed in his brother's grasp before calmly moving to sit on the bed next to me. He pulled out a patch from his case. I pulled away as he tried to lay it on my head and he growled.

"Lex," I looked to Calepus leaning against the bar. "Rusillike will do nothing to harm you. He only wants to help." I stared at him for an extra second and he nodded at me. Why am I doing this?

"I'm sorry," I whispered meekly, turning my head back towards Rusillike. He didn't acknowledge me as he laid the strip on my forehead and turned to Calepus.

"What color was the vomit, and was it a straight liquid or have semi-solid stuff in it?" He sounded like a doctor back home.

"It looked clear and liquidy, I didn't realize what was happening till she was face down in the bin though." He pushed slightly on my lower lip with a popsicle stick as a command so I listened.

"What's the last thing she ate?"

"Beats me."

"You haven't fed her," Rusillike questioned angrily, removing the tongue depressor from my mouth.

"She was stressed and tired. Forcing food down her throat didn't seem like a particularly kind thing to do." Rusillike sighed and ran his hand through straight dark brown hair. The brothers' only major similar feature were their eyes, in every other way they seemed opposite. Calepus had perfectly tanned skinned where Rusillike had pale almost porcelain skin. Garnet scales to a striking sky blue. Rusillike was also leaner than Calepus, built for agility. Whereas Calepus had bulging muscles and the build of an ox. They were also close in height but Rusillike seemed taller if only by a half-inch.

"What's the last thing you ate and when?" His eyes had a faint glow return to them as he asked, and it was starting to freak me out. Not the time. It felt like a lifetime ago, being in that coffee shop with Lada and Andrew. Was he alright, did they find him too?

"A donut, maybe around 12:30." He eyed me questioningly before turning to his brother.

"Humans shouldn't go sixteen hours without nourishment or else their stomach empties excess bile it has stored. She's gone about 23 hours without food, and you're an idiot. Take care of her or I will find someone else who will."

"Understood." Calepus nodded respectfully and his brother made his way to the door.

"Where's Lada?" Four eyes landed on me quickly after the sentence escaped my mouth. Honestly, I was surprised it came out too, but there was no turning back now.

"She's eating like you should be doing. I'll have something balanced sent up for her." Then Rusillike left, leaving me and Calepus to a discussion I could sense, and I was not excited about it.

"You didn't seem surprised when he said that." Here we go.

"It's biology. I had a feeling that's what was happening. I didn't know how long I'd been out though."

"Why do you know what that feels like?"

"Who said I did?" His jaw clenched. He wanted to speak, it was written all over his face. He didn't know what to ask though.