Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 45: This is Hell

XLV.

But I knew that before I even considered leaving this place, I would figure it out. No matter what it took.

I woke a few hours later, Lauren still wrapped tightly in my arms. She was burning up, even worse so than the sickness that had hit her back in Miami. Dinah had retrieved Ally, and now both girls hovered around the bed worriedly.

"Lauren, I need you to roll over here for a second so I can get a good look." The brunette requested, seating herself down on the edge of the bed. "Lauren?"

I granted Ally an apologetic glance, bringing my arms up and trying to disconnect Lauren from where she was snuggled to my chest, for as adorable as it was, the girl was still unwell. After saying her name a few times, I finally got a set of tired green eyes to peer up at me.

"Ally needs to take a look at you." I informed her, cupping the girl's cheek with my right hand. "You need to sit up and give her a hand."

Lauren just shook her head, snuggling back down and burying her nose to the hollow of my neck. I looked over her shoulder to see that Dinah was sitting at the foot of the bed with a sleepy look on her face, while Ally still stood waiting.

"Alright Mila, this time I really need to change those bandages." Shawn entered the room and pointed to the white roll on the night-table. "Oh, am I interrupting something again?"

"Lauren's sick, and being a baby about it." Dinah yawned, stretching out along the foot of the bed and earning a hearty kick from the base of my heel.

"Dinah, be nice." I muttered down at her, peeling Lauren away and helping her sit up against the back pillows. Face terribly flushed, the girl looked like she was only moments from throwing up.

"Wow, you're right, she doesn't really look good."

"Shawn." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Be nice."

Lauren grumbled to herself, bringing her knee up and using it as a rest for her elbow. "Guys, I really really need quiet right now."

"Alright honey, it's just a fever." Ally placed a hand on the girl's knee. "It could have been caused by any number of things, but most likely just a simple viral infection. Get lots of fluids, rest, and a warm shower will help as well. Stay with Camila and let her take care of you alright? There's a new fledgling in today and he needs to be treated."

"What can he do?" Lauren asked, lifting her head. "Is it anything interesting?"

"Kinda." Ally shrugged. "Normani mentioned something about iron but it was just in passing. I have to head over to the infirmary and find out more. Are you going to be alright here?" She asked, brushing Lauren's arm gently.

"I will." The girl looked over at me, and I pretended that I was focused on Shawn's precise attention to detail on my arm. Ally left the room, leaving just the four of us alone in a relatively awkward quiet.

"This is kinda nice. Its been a while since it's just been the four of us." Dinah sat up, crawling to the top of the bed and resting against the pillow next to Lauren. The green eyed girl took less than a second to slip down and snuggle against her shoulder, curling her arms around her own waist. Dinah smiled, draping an arm around her.

Shawn gave my arm a swift pat, signalling that the bandage process was finished. It was a job well done; the soft fabric secured tight around the scars and reliving the tension in the muscle . I smiled, getting up and pulling him over to the bed where we all nestled together around Lauren.

"You know, you guys never told us about your road trip." Shawn grinned, shuffling up to the foot of the bed and crossing his legs. "Did you do anything fun?"