The Scaly Boy (G #3)

Painful Memories

"Are you all the young girl's family?" A doctor stuck her head into the room where the group was still waiting, Tyler had been gone for almost an hour, Anne Marie had run after him just a bit ago.

Dylan's head shot up.

"Can we see her?" Mr. Wales asked.

The woman frowned. "All or you? I don't think so. Just a few of her closest relatives first."

Dylan's throat was dry. "Can...can I?"

Everyone's head turned to him. It was the first thing he had said in hours. Mr. Wales locked eyes with him from across the room.

"Me too." Azmus insisted.

"Is it okay if these two go?" Mr. Wales asked the lady.

She nodded, and gestured for the two of them to come forward.

"Tell us everything." Sabine asked gently.

"I'm sensing now's not the time." James said hesitantly. "But when your other friend comes back, we need to talk."

Mr. Wales nodded. Dylan pushed himself forward and out the door as the nurse led down a few halls to where Icie was. The door opened, and Dylan saw she was lying down with a few IV's in her arm, she was touch looking and ragged, but she smiled gently when the two of them arrived.

"Hey." She smiled weakly. "If it isn't my two favorite boys."

Azmus hopped up on the bed next to her. "How are you feeling?"

Icie raised her hand weakly and made a shaky thumbs up. "Like I've just been gutted by a crocodile mutant."

Dylan could stop staring at her. This room. The smell of washed sheets and antiseptic. Icie seemed to noticed this, she reached down and wrapped her fingers around Dylan's.

"You look really good considering." Azmus noted. 

She laughed, then winced. "Yeah. The surgeons who opened me up are actually pretty cool. They thought I had some weird birth deformity with my ears."

Dylan thought he should say something. He should tell Icie how she brave she was or something. He just couldn't seem to get anything out past his lips. She looked so...frail. Icie tilted her had and looked down at him.

"Dylan? You doing okay? You look paler than me." She asked.

The two of them stared at him. Dylan panicked again as he opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Then his cheeks were wet and he realized he was crying. Icie and Azmus shared a look. Azmus nodded, giving Icie's shoulder a small pat before sliding off the bed and slipping out the door quietly.

Icie returned her attention back to Dylan who wiped his face in embarrassment.

"Hey, come on and sit up here next to me. What's wrong?" She asked, pushing herself up.

Dylan sucked in a breath, he locked the wheels to his chair then lifted himself up onto Icie's bed. Icie reached forward and brushed the hair out of his eyes and wiped the tears from his face.