The Great War

XVIII

I towel dry my hair like a spaz, glad to be clean after being in a hospital. I rub the exhaustion from my face as I leave the bathroom in a fresh shirt. I let out a scream when I see Theo laying on the bed.

"Jesus, you freak." I mumble, he looks up from his phone and his eyes do a double take before looking me up and down. "You do know you have no pants on, right?"

I pause and look down, "I knew that, for sure." I mumble and walk over to my dresser pulling out some sweats.

"Yeah, I can tell."

I roll my eyes and look back at him, seeing him holding his hand over his eyes. Such a gentleman. I pull my pants on and walk over to my bed face planting.

"I'm so exhausted." I mumble into the blanket,

Theo laughs and runs his fingers through my slightly wet hair. "Why not get some sleep."

I huff and sit up glaring at him, "I think I've slept too much." I grumble and scoot back on the bed laying down correctly.

"Or maybe not enough." He pulls me upright by my hands and looks at me. "You look exhausted Daph, you need sleep. I'm sure me and Lilium can figure some stuff out while you do that."

I groan out stubbornly, "But I want to help."

He cups my face with a smile. A smile I've been seeing more often, and I love it. "I know you do but your health matters more in this case. We need you at your best. Get some sleep, please?"

I smile softly at him and cave into sleeping, "Fine, alright. I'll sleep."

He gives me a grin and lets me lay down before getting up. "I'll be in the living room with Lilium, call if you need me."

I nodded and turned onto my side, yawning. I pull the blanket up over my body to get comfortable.

𖤐

I yawn quietly and turn around onto my right side and freeze my eyes widening. In the corner beside the door was a shadow of a person.

"Theo?" I call out in a whisper wondering if it was him. Clearly it wasn't. I sit up and rub my eyes tiredly. "What're you doing?"

The figure takes a step forward and its body seems to crack and bend. My breathing quickens when I realize it isn't him. I grip my blanket in my fist as I keep my eyes on the thing. I feel around the bed for my phone. Which I had tossed onto it when I first got home.

I flicker my eyes away for half a second and when I look back the thing is right in front of me. I let out a whimper, too terrified to even fathom screaming. It looked like the creature from the bathroom accident. It lifts its hand gripping my jaw.

"So pretty...pretty." It whispers in a growl sliding its claws down the base of my throat before gripping it tightly. I gasp out loud in a wheeze and latch onto its wrist. It stands back up from its bent position lifting me with it. I was dangled in the air, my feet swinging trying to touch something as I choked. I slap my hands on its wrist harshly. Even clawing at its arm. Nothing seemed to bother it.

I felt my eyes roll back as I choke out small gasps of air, my body jolting. It felt like my head was gonna explode. Just then the door opens, and the light turns on. The creature drops me, and I slam into the floor with a loud and painful thud, my head cracking against the ground first.

"Daphne?!" I felt my body lock up and start shaking, "Shit! Lilium call 911!" I cry out loud as painful shocks surge throughout my body.

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay." I felt Theo cup my face in his hands turning my head to look at him. "Look at me."

I gasp a few times my body trying to get me to take deep breaths, "You're okay." I could tell how scared he was. I hated when he was scared or sad. The tears in his eyes hurt me more than I could explain.

"I'm sorry for leaving you..." He mumbles, his lip trembling. I give him the best smile I could as my body betrayed me.

"We didn't see what happened, she was just seizing on the floor." I heard Lilium say in a panic haze in the background. Theo brushed loose strands of hair away from my face and gave me a grief ridden smile.

"You always seem to bring trouble to you." He whispers, letting out a shaky breath. "I love you okay? You're gonna be okay." He says, it sounded more like he was trying to comfort himself.

I shakily grab his hand, weakly squeezing it the best I could at the moment. He gives me a small smile and wipes a tear that dripped from his eye trying to conceal the fact he was crying. He always tried to be strong for everyone else, or at least me. I could always see through it, through him. Right now, he didn't need to be strong.

"It's okay..." I whisper and give him a smile as my eyes droop, "We'll be okay, alright? I promise. It's just a small scratch."

He chuckles sorrowfully, "Shut up, Daph."

I squeeze his hand as I close my eyes. "I'll tell you what happened when I wake up okay...?" My head lolls to the side as my strength gives up.

"No, no. Hey, I need you to stay awake, okay?"

I nodded and kept my eyes closed. "Okay." I mumble quietly the sleepiness hitting me in waves making it harder and harder to fight it.

I don't even know why I was so tired. I didn't feel like I was dying. How would death even feel? Would I even know if I was dying?

Theo lifts my face back up to face him forcing me to open my eyes. "I love you. Okay? Please stay awake." I nodded at his words, feeling loopy and disoriented. "Daphne?"

I felt my eyes roll back again as pain pierced my skull with every breath I took. "Daph, look at me." When he didn't get a response, I feel him tap my cheek lightly. "Daphne."

I inhale sharply and look at him through heavy eyes. His eyes reddened and glistening with tears as he stares at me. "I love you too, Theo." I mumble with a grin, letting him know I did hear him.

He nods a few times before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the side of my mouth. But not actually kissing my lips. It was a gesture that made my heart race even in my situation. He looks up when Paramedics rush into the room.