Radicle (Terminal trilogy #2, can stand alone)

24: Tale of stardust

 And then it was later. Impossible to tell how later, of course. There were a number of milestones along the way- suns moving, rainstorms coming, meals eaten. Conversations were had. People watched me. I tried not to keep tallies in my head. But it was a week before I was allowed out of bed.

However, I didn't actually get out of bed for another three days. I was feeling really- terrible, I guess. Weird. Unbalanced? I couldn't quite describe it. I guess the closest thing I had was 'not myself.'

And why?

No reason, really. No reason at all.

I lay in melancholy on someone else's bed, content to barely move and never think. Until, of course, I heard those faithful words, those fighting words, the only motivation I had left:

"Michael will be seeing you soon."

And that is how I knew I had to get out of bed, and I had to get moving. I didn't trust Michael with up keeping his image properly.

So when Cassiel left me alone, I stood up faster than I ought have and stumbled to the floor with head rush. I thought I had recovered from whatever feeling had overtaken me a week prior, but honestly, I couldn't be sure when I'd get better. I wasn't better now though. That became obvious to me immediately.

I was barely dressed, dizzy and driven by a feeling of fight or flight. I was on the first floor of the Church building and I shoved everyone who stood in my way to the floor as I ran outside. There was maybe a commotion behind me because of this, but I was in combat mode. Words meant nothing. Only the actions of the enemy had to be seen and acted upon- never thought about.

But these were not my enemies. These were my brothers. And I was not quite aware of any of them at that moment. It was raining hard, a cold drizzle that smashed against my head and froze my feet.

I ran. And then I ran some more. I just kept running, really. But I was not in a state for it, not at all, and when I fell to the ground I thought I was still standing, still running.

Someone had pinned me down, something sharp was on my back. Someone else came to pick my face off the ground. Someone else rolled me onto my back. Now I wasn't running. I was breathing. Still fast though. Still breathing.

I didn't know these people. What was I doing here, in the rain? Why was I in this community of ruined houses? Who were these people? Why did they matter to me? These were not my brothers. I did not have any brothers.

I was lifted, again, by a girl that I did not know. I was stiff, but not stirring. Breathing, though- she checked my pulse to confirm. She was frowning. I wasn't really sure how I could see her mouth to confirm, but no, she was definitely frowning.

Another man I didn't know stood nearby her, and he looked at me carefully. Frowning too. He brushed my wet hair out of my face. His fingers traced my forehead carefully, actually, almost like he was looking for something to pull at and remove, like a tick.

I watched his mouth for a long time before I realized I did know what he was saying. "Fever. He is ill. He is sick. Do we have any medication in storage? We'll need some."

And the girl said. "We don't. He isn't. He is fine. He hasn't been ill at all. No medication. He is fine."

I didn't comprehend their words for a long time after I understood them, of course.

I was placed in a bed, same one from before. Still a bit warm, I thought, though the rainwater off my skin soon fixed that.

"Nichael." The man asked me. He sat on my bed, taking up my leg space.