Beware The Water

Naive

Lux had gone to the pharmacy to pick up her birth control and other things like some sweets to refill her desk drawer with at work, as well as eyedrops for Shorter. She found it cute how a tough guy like him struggled putting drops in his eyes and always asked her to do it because he was scared to do it himself.

"Alright this one's for three months and in order to refill it we just need a new prescription sent in by your medical provider." The pharmacist scrolled through her computer and had Lux answer some questions on the keypad before ringing up her medication. "Alright you're all set Miss.Bautista. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Lux almost said her routined "no" but there was a question that she felt the need to have an answer to. "Can you check the status of a prescription for a Mei Sung?"

"Certainly." The woman checked the system to see that the prescription of Clobazam to treat seizures had never been picked up. Same with the inhaler that was also listed. Among with a few other pills to treat Mei's list of illnesses. "We held them for the full two weeks and they were never picked up."

Lux felt her stomach form a knot. Something must have happened between when Mei was discharged and now. That would explain why June never picked up the medications.

On Lux's way to the apartment, she had bumped into Sing who was closing the door behind him. They shared an awkward stare, not knowing what to say to each other. He had been so distant lately. She noticed that he had built up some more muscle on his arms, that she recalled being more on the scrawny side when they had first met. He also had a new addition of minor scaring on his knuckles, as well as a now healed cut on his bottom lip.

"Hi." Lux finally said.

"Hey." Sing looked at the floor and turned around to leave.

"Wait!" Lux shot her arm out, "That's it? I don't see or hear from you in weeks and you just say hey?" Sing shrugged. "Shorter told me that you were fine and for me not to reach out but-"

"Listen Lux." Sing stood with his hands buried in the pockets of his baggy jeans. "I moved on. I just needed some time alone to process all of this shit. I lost my brother. And I don't mean like someone in the gang, my actual brother." He patted his chest with an open palm. "I was betrayed by people that I loved. That I cared about. Now I see why the guys used to always call me soft. I'm not like that anymore. I don't- I don't care. Whether I like it or not this gang is all I have now. This is the line I have to follow because what the hell else am I meant to do?"

"Sing... I've always told you there's so much that you're capa-"

"Save it." He cut her off. "That means nothing to me now. You mean nothing to me now."

Lux felt her eyes start to burn and her chest felt heavy all of the sudden. She couldn't tell if her heart was swelling or breaking. What she did know was that Sing considered her to be someone that turned their backs on him. "Sing..." her voice cracked, "Please don't say that."

Sing noticed Lux's glossed lip quiver and looked away. He always did hate seeing her cry. "I gotta go."

"Wait." She called out only for Sing to keep walking in the opposite direction. Her feet stayed glued to the floor even though she wanted to run after him. Lux's body betrayed her once again as her legs lost feeling and she stumbled back into the wall, sliding slowly to the floor. Her knees curled up close into her chest while tears streamed down her cheeks. "I keep disappointing people." She cried into her hands, "Damn it!" She kicked her legs out, forgetting that the pharmacy bag had fallen in front of her, resulting in an energy drink bursting when it hit the wall. The sticky beverage rained down and ruined Lux's morning even more.