Orphic

Spring Nineteen - Cassius

I waited outside, just finishing up a cigarette when Bella finally came out of Elliot's cabin.

"How is he?" I asked, I wasn't really that curious but it had been way too awkward with Bella for me to say nothing.

She glanced back at the dark cabin while she closed the door behind her.

"He'll be fine. He's just shook up." She answered.

He hadn't actually left the Cabin at all since we got back to pelican town. Bella had said he was just tired, Andrew told me he might actually be traumatized. Either way, I refused to go in.

I nodded, ready to head back to the hospital and check up on Andrew before I finally took a break from babysitting everyone.

"Maybe, you should go talk to him. He's probably worried about you y'know."

I laughed, "If he's as mopey as you say he is, I'm not interested. Sounds boring."

~

"So far, upper body movement is recovering well, the lower body is taking a bit longer." Harvey explained.

Clint had woken up early this morning. Either Bella or Harvey were with him at all times. I only popped in when I wanted to talk to Andrew who was hanging around while he waited for something else to do.

"Why don't you just say he's paralyzed." I replied.

I didn't understand the idea of pretending waiting longer would change anything when we all knew the truth.

"It's only been 12 hours."

"He would've been able to move immediately if he was fine. In a few more days he won't be moving his legs at all, even if he does start to shimmy around a bit. We all know it." I argued.

"Cass." Bella flicked my shoulder.

"Actually. There's this drug I wanted to try. it's new. but if it doesn't work at least we can say we tried everything." Harvey announced, rushing behind the counter.

He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me.

"Clonidine won't do anything. It's not his spinal cord. Its his muscles. everything was fucked up because of the poison he encountered." I tossed the paper back onto the counter.

"Is surgery an option?" He asked me.

"I'm not the doctor Harvey." I replied.

"You might as well be. the way you seem to know everything. What about Amantadine? That's meant to wake muscles up isn't it?" Bella suggested.

"You can try it if you find some. That shits impossible to get." Andrew sighed, collapsing into a nearby chair.

"I bet Cass could get some." Bella raised her eyebrows, challenging me.

"No."

"You have too."

"No."

"I'll come with you, it'll be fine, I'm sure he would love to hear from you."

"You're the last person I want to take with me." I snapped.

"Fine then, go alone. But you're going." She left the room, headed back towards Clint and not giving me much of a choice.

"What is she talking about?" Andrew asked after Harvey gave his own awkward goodbye and followed after her.

"An old friend. Had to get those illegal drugs from somewhere when I worked at the hospital."

"Does he still work for the hospital?"

I had been the only one who dealt with him when I was there but it wouldn't be so easy for Lucas to find a new set of hands to do all of his dirty work after I left.