Notebook [Book One]

Eighteen

A loud shrill beep in Aiden's ear was enough to disturb his sleep. The second beep forced his eyes open.

The first thing he saw was Nathan's peaceful face as he slept. Even with blurry, sleep-riddled eyes, he saw changes in the other teen.

His skin's earlier sickly, grey tone had faded and returned to his usual creamy colour, leaving a hint of pink gracing his cheeks. Although his skin remained sticky, Nathan was no longer sweating and nowhere near as burning hot.

His head turned like it always did, cheek pressed against the top of Aiden's head as he continued sleeping.

Blinking rapidly, Aiden became aware of another person in the room.

He glanced to Nathan's left, noticing the small dark-haired woman writing on a clipboard and glancing at her hand's tiny machine.

He couldn't suppress the groan as he stretched his legs, trying to ease his aching muscles, making the young woman turn and smile.

"Good morning," she said, looking back at the flip chart. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I had to take his temperature and do some other checks."

Aiden yawned, sitting up and looking around the room. He first noticed the fluffy blue blanket covering them. It was the blanket from his bed, the one he had cocooned Nathan in the previous day.

The chair he sat in the night before was now covered in his belongings. His parents must have returned through the night as they said they would, leaving his things and going instead of waking him.

Nathan's notebook, a pile of pens, and their mobile phones sat on the chair. Beside the chair were both of their school backpacks, with clothes and cables bursting out.

Aiden's mother packed anything they might need and extra. He was sure he would see his parents in the next few hours, but they were over-prepared for the situation.

"Hmm..." The nurse hummed, flipping the paper back and forth and glancing over at the two boys on the bed.

The sound caught Aiden's attention. 

"Is everything okay?" He asked, looking at the white-haired boy, eyeing him for a problem, his voice laced with concern.

Nathan looked okay. He wasn't twitching or writhing in pain, but then again, he looked okay just hours before he collapsed at the top of the stairs.

The nurse whirled around, noticing the wide-eyed look.

She raised her hands and nodded. "He's fine; it's just strange. There's a note here..." The woman flicked back and forward again, meeting Aiden's eyes quizzically. "It says he's mute. Is that right?"

Aiden raised his eyebrows. Nathan had spoken twice in less than twelve hours, saying his name both times, primarily through sickness and delirium, but it was something.

But other than that, he hadn't spoken for years.

A fuzzy sensation rippled through the younger boy as he thought about the voice he had heard. And the way Nathan behaved the first time he said his name.

The voice was deep. Deeper than Aiden ever expected. If the boy had not been so sick, he would have considered it sexy. Smooth, low and sonorous.

Even if Aiden's name was slurred and dragged out, it sounded better than anything he had ever imagined.

"He hasn't spoken properly for years, but..." Aiden trailed a little, his head cloudy as his heart swelled, thinking about the sound. "He said my name twice yesterday."

He had thought about hearing the older boy's voice all the time, but nothing compared to the real thing.

What worried him was how Nathan gripped his throat, his strained voice, and how he pushed the sounds out; it looked and sounded like it hurt.