Cold Feet

Chapter 2: Warm Repose

Boscha stomps up the steps of the Jubal lodge and stomps through the hallways, all the way to Skara's room. Thalia, Calliope, and Apollo are gathered around the bed, waiting for her. She avoids eye contact as she gently lowers Skara onto her bed.

"My parents are on their way, along with a healer," Thalia says, leaning against the wall.

Boscha nods. "I'll go grab something to bring her temperature down." She exits the room swiftly, without waiting for a reply.

When Boscha returns, she lingers for a moment in the entryway. She watches Apollo bounce with nervous energy at the edge of the bed. Calliope stands next to Thalia by the wall, tapping her finger anxiously against her thigh. Thalia herself has a raven in hand, no doubt waiting for news of her parents' arrival. Boscha's eyes land on Skara, who has been stripped of her heavy snow jacket and her boots. Sweat dampens the neck of her band t-shirt and Boscha frowns.

She moves across the room and sits at Skara's side, laying the ice-pack she'd found in the fridge across her friend's forehead. Distantly, Boscha hears Thalia say something to her siblings. The sound of footsteps and the door closing registers just as Skara mumbles something incoherent in her sleep.

Boscha glances around the room, looking for something to distract her from the guilt she feels weighing down on her chest. She spots a few instruments, a fully-stocked bookshelf, and some art supplies. She isn't feeling too keen on accidentally breaking another one of Skara's instruments and was never much of an artist, so she stands to inspect the bookshelf by the door— "Thorns!" —only for her shin to bump into an open drawer of the dresser placed strategically by the bed. She hisses under her breath at the stinging pain that shoots up her leg. Boscha directs a scowl at Skara out of habit before moving to close the drawer. As she does, her eyes shift down and land on a familiar phial.

"What the-" she cuts herself off as she picks up the empty phial and sniffs it. The stench is enough to make her nose wrinkle and from there it doesn't take much for Boscha to put two and two together. She glances at Skara, her grip on the phial tightening. "I thought you didn't like potions," she mutters.

"Piccolo!" a new voice calls.

Boscha startles, fumbling with the phial in her hands before managing to grasp it. Wolfgang strides into the room, Viola close behind him. Boscha moves hurriedly out of the way, towards the door as the rest of the Jubal family follows their parents inside.

"Where's the healer?" Viola asks as she comes to sit by Skara's side.

"They should be here soon," Thalia returns to her spot against the wall, "I called them half an hour ago."

Wolfgang hovers over Skara, tapping his foot anxiously against the ground. "Do you have any idea what caused this?"

"Nope," Calliope says, arms crossed. "She just collapsed."

"It's alright," Viola replies, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Skara's ear. "The healer will-"

Boscha pipes up, "I do." Everyone in the room turns to face her. She ignores Thalia's scrutinizing gaze and focuses on Wolfgang. "Her immune system's weakened 'cause she's burned out from finals week. She chugged one of my 24 hour energy drinks yesterday and crashed at the snowfield."

"After you dropped a mountain of snow on top of her," Thalia adds helpfully.

"And left her laying there for a good five minutes," Apollo tacks on, eager to be included in the conversation.

Boscha's chest tightens when Wolfgang narrows his eyes at her but she tamps down her discomfort. "I didn't know until now," she says by way of explanation. The words come out hollow. It feels like an excuse.