Elude

Cured

A/N- Thanks for reading! It's not too hard to vote and comment amiright ;) Remember, I'm updating on Fridays now!

I ask the front desk for access to Caelan's room, then I go up there. He's lying on his bed with his eyes closed, but he's not asleep. "Hey," I say. "You awake?"

He doesn't open his eyes. "Yes." Then he reluctantly gets up. "How did you even get here-- yeah, I don't want to know."

"I made a mistake," I say. "I trusted Jace, I believed that he had changed, after years of torture."

"What he said was true?" Caelan asks. "Did he say anything about me?"

"Well," I say. I stare at the ground. "He told me about the year you were his intern."

"Hmm."

"He mentioned that you're a good liar. I have a question for you... Have you actually forgiven me for trying to kill you? Or are you just lying in order to take me down."

"Oh," Caelan says. "I really don't have a reason to be mad. I mean, I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"How do I know you aren't lying right now?" I ask. I give him a suspicious look.

"Matthew, if I were mad at you, I wouldn't be talking to you! That type of revenge is not what I do. It's what Jace does. Besides, I really don't care-- okay, that part is a lie. I'm still pretty pissed."

"And understandably so," I say. "One more question. Why didn't you say anything when Winter came and took me?"

Caelan shrugs. "Memories," he says.

"Sure," I say. How do I say this? "I was thinking. . . The more people out for revenge on me, the harder it will be."

"Let me guess," he says. "You want Matan, Reilly, and Jake on your side."

I frown. "It sounds impossible, doesn't it?" I ask. Now that he says it. . . "Matan would rather die. Don't you think?"

"Matthew, it is impossible," he says quietly. "But they're doing everything they can to get the cure ready."

"Why wou--" I freeze. No. I suddenly feel like I'm about to pass out. "I have to sit down," I mumble and lower myself to the floor.

"It's Stage I," Caelan says. "You're not contagious yet. The best doctors in the country are working as hard as they can to delay it until a final cure is found."

I still feel dizzy, and I tell Caelan.

"Oh," he says. "It's only been two days since the test, it couldn't be Stage II already. Unless the disease is mutating..."

"Wait," I say. "Jace used to be a doctor." Then I start a fit of coughing.

Caelan just gives me a sympathetic look. "We'd better get you to the hospital."

• • •

My fever has been rising steadily ever since I got to the hospital. The nurse refuses to let me get up, but within a few hours I have no desire to.

Caelan walks into the room and whispers something to the nurse. Moments later she checks my temperature.

She holds the thermometer up. "102."

Caelan doesn't look happy. "Make them send whatever they have so far in. At this rate..."

The nurse finished his sentence. "Only two or three more days. Do you want to start making arrangements?"

I'd tell them to stop talking about my death in front of me, but I can barely move.

Once Caelan leaves, I vomit through coughing. Not a pretty sight. I shut my eyes but can't fall asleep.

"Wake up." Great. Now Jace is here. If I do sit up, I'll get so dizzy that I'll vomit again.

I hear the nurse's footsteps. "Mr. Exlyn, he can't get up."

Now I hear Caelan's voice, and he sounds hostile. "What are you doing here, Jace?" he asks.

Someone walks over to the bed. "I have our latest development for the cure," Jace says.

There's no reply from Caelan. I feel a prick in my arm and my eyes fly open. It hurts a bit, but it's nothing compared to what I'm going through.

"Is everything taken care of?" Jace asks. "Lawyer, grave plot, will..."

"You want me to die," I croak out. My vision starts swimming and I close my eyes again.

"Sooner is better than later," Jace says.

"Get out," Caelan says. The aggression in his words is undeniable.

I feel Jace's weight lift off the bed. "No, no," Jace says. "I'm supposed to stay here for a bit. Why don't you leave?"

The nurse finally speaks up. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but if you continue to disturb our patient, you'll both have to leave."

"Ma'am, please understand that it's my job to be here," Jace says. "I'll leave soon, but I'll be back later today with the other cure."

I open one eye and see Caelan storming towards Jace. I sit up and both of them look in my direction. The nurse looks nervous, hesitating to step in.

Then she looks over at the monitor and gasps. "Get everyone in here," she says. "Please!"

Caelan and Jace exchange a glance and they both dart out of the room.

A few minutes later people are crowding around the hospital bed. Someone warns them not to touch me.

"See the monitor?" the nurse gasps.

"What's going on?" I ask. Nobody answers. "Hello?"

"Did the cure work?" someone asks. "He couldn't have moved onto stage 3 already. Even at the quick rate, that's impossible...."

"Tell me what happened!" I say. I don't feel at all dizzy.

"Matthew," Caelan says. "You're completely fine."

What?

In stage 3, you seem to make a complete recovery before you start coughing up blood, but what the man said is right. There's no way I could be at stage 3.

"Well, what do we do?" someone asks.

"Keep him here for another week," Jace advises. "I think he's fine, but it will take a bit to make sure."

I smile weakly. "Whatever you want, Jace." I'm just glad I'm not dead. If it means staying for a week under Jace's watch, I'll do what I have to.

Am I speaking too soon?