The Thrill Of Your Love

Chapter Twenty Six

"I'm sorry about what I said to you before your show, I was tired and I wasn't thinking straight...you weren't thinking straight. Satan...I should have gotten you help earlier I-"

"How is he?!" Copia's voice suddenly interrupted Alice's trembling apologies, whilst his familiar scent enveloped her, replacing the antiseptic smell of the infirmary as he hastily rushed to her side. 

"He's...he's really not good." Alice offered a saddened smile to the man.

The room was filled with the steady beep of heart monitors and the soft hum of medical equipment as Alice sat beside an unconscious Terzo, her fingers gently stroking his raven hair. The complexion of his face was ghastly pale, his normally vibrant features drained of color as he lay motionless and eerily quiet in the hospital bed.

She couldn't help but feel a pang of fear and worry in her chest as she watched over him, her heart heavy with guilt as she played their interactions from the previous night on repeat in her head, much like a broken record. Tubes and wires snaked around him, connecting him to various machines and IV drips, a sight that turned Alice's stomach alone.

"What happened?" Copia asked quietly, taking a seat on the opposite side to Alice.

Alice sighed heavily, her tired eyes betraying the exhaustion she felt. Dark circles marred the skin beneath her eyes from the sleepless night she had spent by Terzo's side. She ran her hand across her jaw, looking back at Terzo's fragile state.

"He collapsed." Her hoarse voice explained softly. "They're still running tests to figure out what's wrong."

"Have you slept at all?" Copia's frowned deepened. She shook her head, her fatigue evident in the way she slumped in her chair.

"No, I couldn't." She admitted quietly.

"Oh, darling." Copia reached out over the bed and squeezed her hand reassuringly, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on her soft skin. "You need to rest too, Alice." He raised his brows. "I'll stay with him. I've taken the morning off from work."

"Don't worry." Alice hesitated, her gaze flickering between Terzo and Copia. "I know how busy you are with all the Yule planning and that conference thing or whatever it is." She protested weakly, unable to hold back a yawn.

"My dear, you think any of that matters to me when my brother is lying unconscious in the infirmary, and his ghuleh hasn't slept in over twenty four hours? Do you know what Terzo would do to me if he were to find out I let you sit here in this state?" Copia offered a small chuckle. "Terzo is family, and so are you." He let go of her hand, stood up and motioned his head towards the door whilst opening his arms. "You need to take care of yourself too. Go get some sleep. I'll be here with him."

"Ok." She whispered, falling into his embrace. "Thank you."

"Of course darling." He kissed the crown of her head, giving her a final squeeze whilst guiding her to the door. "He'll be ok. He always is." He smiled.

Alice nodded and thanked the man again before stumbling out of the private papal ward, closing the old wooden door gently behind herself. Though as she made her way back to their quarters, only then did she realise just how exhausted she truly was, dragging at her steps like her entire body was made of lead. Every movement felt sluggish whilst she could hardly keep her eyes open. She noticed concerned stares and whispers from other siblings in the corridors, their worried gazes following her as she passed by. But she kept her head down, unable to bear any sort of human interaction after the night she'd had.