Pay the Price

Chapter 18- Andreas Zandailias

Christopher shot up as he woke up, panting as the nightmare replayed in his head. The dream replayed the memory of his thirteenth birthday, where he was forced to watch his friend die. He felt his heart race and his head hurt. Despite the air conditioning in the hospital blasting, Christopher felt too hot for comfort.

He realised he was in a hospital bed, and his siblings were sleeping in chairs by the bed. When a stethoscope was put down his shirt and pressed to his chest, he had a full-blown panic attack, startled by the sudden contact. He didn't lash out or anything, but he completely broke down. Knees to his chest, face in his knees as tears ran down his face. Someone put their hand to his back and turned his face to looked at them. Nurse Luciana.

"Everything is okay, dear." She whispered to him, feeling horrible that he was freaking out. "Can you tell me what happened before you fainted? Do you remember anything?" She asked, sitting beside him as Myrah and Connor stayed sleeping. She didn't have their magic to miraculously calm Christopher down.

"I," Christopher began, about to spill everything to her, but then he paused. He was scared she'd think he was crazy and admit him to a psych ward, "don't remember." He stared in front of him. "Can I please go?"

"Dear, I'm so sorry, but I can't let you leave just yet." Luciana said with sympathy. "I need to vaccinate you, have you calm down from your anxiety, and retake your blood pressure." She explained, noticing Christopher's expression change. Panic to downright terror. "What's the matter? Maybe I can help you. You can tell me what's going on."

"There's dangerous people in my home. They killed a boy. Right in front of me." He whispered, starting to tremble. Luciana knew she wasn't going to calm him down anytime soon, so she stood, and just hugged him. She wasn't meant to, particularly if there was a risk that a patient was immunocompromised, but she did it anyway. She already knew Christopher wasn't immunocompromised and had stronger immunity than most.

Almost immediately, Christopher was calmed. He was still sniffling, but he had calmed right down. So, Luciana decided to get everything over with as soon as possible, quickly strapping a monitor to his arm. She turned it on and watched the numbers. While she did, she used a tissue to clean his tears, continuing to help him stay calmed. She'd inform authorities after she treated him.

"One hundred and fifteen over seventy-eight. Your blood pressure is very good." She commented, unstrapping the monitor, putting it to the side. "Alright, I'll be back with the necessary vaccinations for you soon. Remember, you're safe here." She said, leaning him back on the gurney.

She was gone for twenty minutes, and even when she returned, Christopher's siblings were still sleeping. Luciana returned, prepared to give him vaccinations for tetanus, the flu, and whooping cough. She rolled up his sleeve, but as soon as he saw the needle, he panicked again.

"No, no, please no. Please don't stab me." He begged her, backing away. She grabbed his non-broken ankle, pulling him back over. She didn't want to scare him, but he was desperate to get out. To let him leave sooner, she needed to get the vaccines done as soon as possible.

"Shh," she hushed him, "you'll be okay, deary. These are to help you. Count to three with me." She told him as she put on a new pair of gloves and prepared the tetanus vaccine, flicking it. In unison, they started to count, "one", she held up the vaccination, "two", before they could say three, she injected the vaccine into his shoulder. "One down." She put a band-aid on his shoulder. That's when he realised it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. He relaxed.

It went like that two more times, on his other shoulder, and his thigh. However, the second time, they only counted one, and the third, no counting at all.

"Done."

~

"So, who's going to retrieve the boy?" Elizabeth asked as they all sat in the lounge room. "No, Chris, you can't volunteer, your foot is broken." He looked at his hands in shame. "I know you want to help, but you aren't in any condition to do so."