Patient A-3

Chapter 18: Keep Moving Forward

Wrath

Avalyn's so much more fragile than I thought she'd be. She hasn't left her room in weeks, and Cierien hasn't stopped complaining, placing the blame squarely on me since the incident. "She's depressed, Wrath. Something we're both too familiar with. We have to support her."

I respond dismissively, tired of his theatrics. "You bring the girl food every day. That's plenty, I think."

"It's our responsibility. She's deteriorating day by day, and it's our fault," he whines, his eyes growing frantic as tears start to well up.

"This might work in our favor. Let her continue to decline," I offer, fully aware that he will disagree, no matter how accurate my assessment may be. "And anyway, we should be focused on other things, like why it didn't work."

"No, we can't do that. You need to apologize. We can both take care of her and try to lift her spirits. She needs it."

We? Fuck that. I have no intention of apologizing.

"Where do your priorities lie?" I scoff.

"Please, Wrath," he pleads, tears falling down his pretty face.

Well, I certainly can't say no to that.

"Fine," I grumble, rising to my feet and heading toward her room.

Cierien trails behind me, pulling me back just before reaching the door, insisting on entering first. As we approach Avalyn, she barely stirs. If she knew it wasn't only Cierien, she'd probably jump to her feet in fear- a sight I'd very much like to witness. "Time to get up!" I exclaim, causing her to flinch, but she remains unmoved from her spot on the bed. The disappointment is evident on my face.

Cierien settles beside her petite figure, his hands gently tracing down her side. I scowl at the closeness they've acquired. Cierien hasn't spoken with me about it, but it's unmistakable that he has developed feelings for her. The notion oddly irks me. Cierien and I have always maintained a platonic relationship, and I don't particularly care for Avalyn, so I'm unsure why I'm so resentful toward this comforting gesture. "Come on, Av. Let's get you up and into the shower. Then we can fill your belly with some food. How does that sound?" Cierien suggests, smiling down at her.

She doesn't reply, merely drawing the cover over her head, seeking refuge from our presence. My patience wears thin, and I stride closer to her bed, forcefully tugging the blanket from her grip. "You reek. Get up and take care of yourself," I demand. She only curls into a little ball, burying her face in her hands, her body trembling. Cierien moves to cradle her from behind, trying to provide comfort.

Yeah, none of that on my watch.

"I'll strip you naked myself, Avalyn. Get up now!" I snarl in frustration, clenching my jaw tightly in seething anger at her blatant disobedience.

She hesitates before forcing herself up, pointedly avoiding my gaze as she clambers out of bed. "All you have to do is shower. I'll set out something comfortable for you to slip into afterward. I can even help you with brushing your teeth if you'd like. As for food, Wrath is on breakfast duty!" Cierien beams, promptly rising to his feet and stumbling over to her side.

"I am?" I question, furrowing my brows at his statement.

He shoots me a glare, urging me to figure it out as he pulls Avalyn into the bathroom. I've never cooked, let alone prepared a meal for someone else. My tastebuds aren't even designed to appreciate human food, so it's not as though I'll be able to discern whether it's good or not. Working a stove feels like an alien concept, but for Cieren, I'm determined to figure it out.