Humanity at Stake (Completed)

Chapter 41

"I am caught off-guard by you
Like a wave I pulled into
It's a feeling I can't fight
Like a wildfire, deep inside" -"Storm" by Ruelle

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Two days had passed since the alchemist had taken care of Leon. The boy had found out the first day that his medicines were bitter and gross in taste, complaining for ages after he took them. Now it was the next day, and Ridge was attempting to give him his medicine.

"Leon, please," he begged, his voice urgent as he edged the new potion towards Leon who was propped up against the wall.

"No," Leon whined, turning his face away from the medicine. "It's brown. It looks and smells like shit. I don't want it." Ridge sighed warily, rubbing his eye with his free hand.

"Please, Leon? This is supposed to make you feel better. If you don't take it you won't heal as quickly as what the alchemist said you would!" Ridge pleaded, his desperate tone getting Leon to turn to peek at the brown substance. A whiff of the scent passed him, causing his nose to wrinkle.

"Nope, uh-uh. I can't do it. No way," Leon answered, turning his face away in time to catch Nova walking passed the door. She paused, looking into the room. Her eyes narrowed, and Leon sent her a sheepish grin. Well, I'm in trouble.

"What's going on in here?" Nova questioned, her eyes darting between the two boys. She had an idea as to what was happening, but she waited for one of the boys to admit it.

"Leon won't take his medicine," Ridge announced, his voice filled with exasperation. Nova rolled her eyes, stepping next to Ridge. She took the potion from his finger, sending him a quick smile.

"Let me," she spoke, excusing the boy from his duty. Ridge sent her a thankful look, leaping up from his spot and leaving the room. Nova turned to Leon, finding him staring at her, his hands folded comfortably in his lap.

"I don't think I mind this change of nurses," he mused with a suggestive look, winking at Nova. She sent him a disbelieving glance, thrusting the vial to his lips.

"Drink it." He complied, his eyes never leaving hers as he raised his good hand, taking the vial from her hand and downing a few gulps. He winced, his eyes closing as his mouth turned down in disgust. He jerked his head away, hanging the glass bottle back to Nova.

"That gross?" Nova asked, putting the cork on it and grabbing the blue one.

"Yeah," he answered, smacking his lips a few times to try to rid the taste from his mouth. His eyes met hers, twinkling with mirth. "But the sweetness of my nurse cancels out the bitterness of the medicine," he continued smoothly. Nova rolled her eyes, holding the blue potion as she set the cover off to the side.

"If that's the case, I'll go get Ridge again. He's a much sweeter person than I am," she fired back, going to stand up to get the male. Leon shot his hand out, gripping her wrist and keeping her from moving.

"Please, can you stay?" Leon inquired, his voice dropping to a serious note. Nova paused, taking in the boy's features before slowly adjusting herself so she was back in the same position as she was when she first gave him his potion.

"Okay," she relented quietly sending him a gentle look. His eyes lit up and a beaming smile stretched across his face. This time he took the vial without fuss, tipping it back and swallowing half of it. His nose wrinkled and he looked like he was attempting to keep his reaction to it hidden.

"Honestly, the pink one isn't too bad. It's a little fishy tasting, but it's kind of sweet," he told her as she capped the blue liquid, grabbing for the pink on.

"I was there when she made these," she revealed to him, a grin on her face as his head tilted slightly with interest. "Trust me, you don't want to know what's in these."

"Now I'm curious," he responded, his eyebrows rising as he gripped the neck of the vial.

"After you finish drink this. I don't want you spitting it out." He relented, knocking back the last concoction with ease. Leon handed it back to her, his thumb swiping over his mouth to get rid of any medicine that didn't go all the way down.

"All right, now give me the dirt. What's in them." She laid the last one down, the cork squeaking as she twisted it down.

"If I tell you, you're not allowed to stop taking them," she told him, shaking a finger at him as she explained. He nodded his head, folding his hands again as he waited expectantly. She shook her head, a giggle slipping out as she held up the brown medicine.

"In this one there was some type of moss. It was like Sea Moss or maybe Mountain. I can't quite remember." Leon shot her look.

"How can you not remember what kind of moss was put into the mixture?" Nova sent him a mean look, shaking the model in his face.

"Because I was preoccupied worrying about a certain someone dying while she busied herself around her shop." Leon blinked at her unexpected reasoning. Before another grin broke out on his face.

"You were worried about me?" he asked with teasing incredulity. A light blush made its way onto Nova's face.

"Well, of course. You're my partner. Why wouldn't I be worried?" It was his turn then to blush, looking down at his hands.

"Partner, eh?" he murmured on his breath, the words passing by Nova. She brought the vial closer to herself, inspecting the contents.

"It also had a special kind of mushroom in it and antlers in it," she managed out, her mouth pursed her mouth to the side in thought.

"Antlers?" he choked out, his eyes widening in shock. "No wonder why I hate that one!"

"I think it has antlers in it anyways," she restated sending Leon an apologetic grin as she picked up the blue one, setting the brown one down.

"This one has some type of fish in it. Sugar and... antlers...? As well?" She clenched her jaw in uncertainty, her eyes darting up to Leon who was looking at her with something in his eyes.

"And of course you'd like the last one!" she exclaimed picking up the pink one quickly. "It has clam meat, which is the fishy taste you talked about, garlic, which you lucked out on because she was considering putting in vampire ashes, and these small pink berries! I couldn't believe the ashes of a vampire could be used for medicinal reasons," Nova conversed, shivering at the thought, Leon chuckled at her actions.

Silence followed after she had finished saying what she thought were the ingredients to the medicines. Leon watched as the red head looked down at the bottle she fiddled with.

"Hey," he started after a while, causing Nova to look up at him, "thanks for saving my life, twice." She looked at him oddly, her brows furrowing.

"Twice?" He nodded his head.

"From when the vampire would have skewed me with her hands, and you sacrificed your bow for me. And for getting the alchemist to save me again," he explained with a small voice. Nova gave him a small smile, resting a hand over his.

"Anytime."