The Citizen Soldier (DNF)

17) The Hospital

*George POV*

Waking up was almost painful. The headache was still there and I coughed. Then I froze because I realized that whatever I was sleeping on was breathing. Rightfully, I still thought that I was in the forest, and I didn't normally have Clay there, and this kind of thing had happened before with a black bear. My heart was beating too fast.

Then the thing moved, and I saw Clay's hand on my hip, and then the car seat. I was certainly awake now. This wasn't my car, this was Sapnap's. What happened yesterday? I blinked the morning sun out of my eyes, which didn't help my headache. I groaned in annoyance.

"Why is the sun a thing?" I grumbled and turned over in my seat, shifting strangely and being met with Clay's thigh. I sighed, I didn't want to move again. I thought for a solid minute before deciding to turn my head to the back of the driver's seat and just curl up into a sort of ball. I didn't mind riding in Sapnap's car without a seatbelt, I knew that even if he drove like a madman sometimes, he was still an excellent driver and I shouldn't be worried about anything at all when I was in the car with him. Except maybe getting flung out of my seat because he drifted around a car that was going to cause a crash. That was one worry.

I knew that I wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon, but I could just kinda chill. Both Ammon and Bad were asleep, Sapnap was driving and he didn't like to talk while doing that, but the one snuggling Bad was awake. He must have noticed that I was awake as well because he offered a whispered 'hey'.

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm doing okay." I coughed lightly. "But I do have a headache." He nodded.

"Skeppy, he/him. I doubt we've ever been properly introduced."

"George, he/him. I don't believe that we have."

"I would shake your hand but you look comfortable there." I raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, that's the only reason?" He nodded in the affirmative.

"Only reason, scout's honor."

"Okay, if you say so." I didn't exactly buy it, but I couldn't blame him. Relaxing with people is one of the most comfortable things on this earth, as long as both people are okay with it. I shrugged.

"I'm cold." I looked at him.

"I have a cold. I'm really, really hot."

"Interesting. Why do they call it a cold anyway?"

"Maybe because it's an easy disease to catch when you're really, really cold. I have a fever."

"How cold did you get to catch that cold?"

"You take a leisurely swim in that river. It's absolutely freezing." I shivered for emphasis, despite not needing to shiver all that much.

"Wait you're running a fever? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Especially for me, absolutely."

"Why is it so much worse for you?"

"Have you seen how I live? I don't have money for medicine or anything, so I have to just ride out sickness. I also get sick really often during spring and winter. It's not fun, and if it ever gets really bad I have to call Sapnap for help. I don't like calling for help.

"Half the time I can't even afford groceries. I basically live off bread and water bottles. Sap helps me with the water bottles all the time, it's one of the few things that I approve of and he insists on, the water.

"I have a tendency to save people's lives, they go to the river to die, and I help them get back on their feet, t-to an extent. I-I mean it's not like I pay for like, recovery bills or-or anything but I ah, I give them some words of encouragement, a bottle of water, share my name and my pronouns and... show them that human beings can be decent I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. Skeppy looked a bit starstruck.