In Sickness And In Health (Yandere M. Genius x F. Reader x Yandere M. Prince)

Chapter 39: Sprite

Orion was like a newborn. He didn't know exactly where he was going; he just wanted to walk. He walked everywhere. Whether across the hallway or just to grab his own water, he walked, even running sometimes. And though the latter was always a failure due to his lack of energy, he was still filled with great excitement. Presley and Atlas helped them where they could, but, often, he would wait patiently for the (h/c) haired girl to come just to practice with her. Of course, it wasn't so simple.

Echal and Vethela were still at odds about what had happened to Haru. The former refused to forgive the royal family, more so increasing resentment against them in other countries. The latter, on the other hand, attempted to do anything they could, but they were the ones at a disadvantage. That made it a bit difficult for her to go anywhere near the orange-haired boy, especially since she was more worried about Haru. Then again, she did still come occasionally, so Orion was happy.

"I can go so far now!" he boasted, showing off his ability, "I had Atlas time me, too. I can go from this wall to that wall in just a minute and four seconds."

"I'm proud of you, but you look exhausted already."

"No! No, I can do more. I want to walk as much as I can. Watch!"

She understood his motivations. After being bedridden pretty much his entire life, he suddenly learned to walk and do things on his own. It might have also been that he was being praised for those firsts. With concern, she watched him, wondering when he was going to collapse. He kept going from one wall to the next, only to repeat it. All the while, his legs trembled, threatening to give out from under him. He had said he was sore from walking, if only because he never really used his legs before, but the sudden exercise also had some drawbacks. For instance, Orion was now losing weight at an even more dramatic pace.

For the time being, she let him be. He just looked so happy, a stark comparison to the past. Sooner or later, he began huffing and panting, throwing himself on his bed. And though he was taking a break from the walking, he gawked down at his feet and moved them from side to side. A sny smile was on his lips, too, like he was a mermaid that had just gained the appendages. With pride, he tried to extend his own excitement to her, the girl giving him a small grin of approval. That sent him even more over the moon.

"Eat," she said simply, shoving a spoonful of soup in front of him.

Surprisingly, the boy ate. He didn't eat as much as she hoped, as per usual, but he did eat without complaint. The reward of walking seemed to do the trick of encouraging him. When he finished, she noted that he had eaten about one and a half times more than he usually ate. Though he looked a little sick to have eaten that much, he perked up as she asked him about the birds. Atlas moved forward, bringing two baskets full of the animals.

"His highness has been making these nonstop since you've come here last," he grinned, picking up his favorite of the birds, "In total, he's made 260."

"My hands hurt at first, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I think my wish is coming true!"

"Your wish?" the older girl questioned, reaching out for one of the birds only to be surprised at the quality.

"You said if I made a thousand, my wish will come true. I can walk now, so it's definitely working! Isn't it amazing?"

For Orion, hope was probably the best medicine for him. While he had people that could tell him they loved him, and he had access to all the best doctors and treatments, giving him hope was like giving him a placebo. Whether or not it actually had an effect on his body, it affected his mind, and, as a result, the hope he gained gave his body the motivation to repair itself. Even the smile on his face spoke wonders to how he was actually getting along.