Toy Soldier {ManxManxMan}

CHAPTER 33

When I woke up again, I could feel even thicker bandages and padding wrapped tightly around my shoulder and chest, my head pillowed against something comfortable yet firm, legs stretched out and propped up slightly. My body was rocking a little, and when I peeled my eyes open I saw the roof of a car above me, a car that was moving.

My head was on Orion's lap, and when I glanced down I noticed Beckett was sitting in the other window seat, my legs propped up on his lap. He had his elbow against the door and his chin in his hand, staring out the window as the gray and white landscape flew by, while Orion stroked his fingers through my hair, his fingers lingering on my forehead.

"He's got a fever now," he noted, eyes on the back of the seat in front of him.

"He'll be alright," Lailani was the one to speak, "We're only a few hours from base, Arthur can fix him up easily."

"I still find this ridiculously convenient," Orion admitted, "The fact you're the Lailani who founded the rebellion with Kailas and the others. What are the odds?"

"We were already hosting our own undercover mission when you guys showed up," Josie said, "It was just coincidence. A lucky one at that. Do you realize just how mad those people are?"

"Uh," Orion glanced over at Beckett, "I think we have a basic understanding."

"If his fever gets worse we can pull over and have Dmitri look over him," Lailani offered, "Hopefully the clean bandages are helping. If we had better equipment then he'd be able to operate, but we're kind of hopping from place to place right now."

"It's fine," Orion smiled weakly, "Pretty sure he's been through worse. Besides, I think the pain medication is helping at the least. He's sleeping pretty well."

I tensed when he set his hand fully on my forehead and grumbled, "Fuck off," I mumbled, and Orion pulled his hand up, "Your stupid hand is too hot."

"Oh, my bad," Orion snorted in amusement, "I run hot."

"Ugh," I groaned and pushed myself into a sitting position, with Orion helping me to stay up with a hand on my back.

"Easy," he ordered, "How are you feeling?"

"I got shot," I mumbled, "Doin great."

"We're almost home, sweetie," Lailani promised from the passenger seat of the car, using a knife to clean under her nails, "Just lie back down, too much stress could make your fever worse."

"Right," I mumbled, looking down to see my left arm was in a sling, thick padded bandages wrapped around my shoulder. I shifted around a little, wincing before throwing my legs over Orion's lap and lying down in Beckett's, reaching out to grab his hand and dragging it onto my forehead, sighing, "Better."

"Rude," Orion complained, and I opened one eye to glare at him.

"His hands are cooler than yours are and I have a fever, don't make me kick you."

Orion held his hands up in defense and Beckett chuckled little, stroking his fingers through my hair, pushing it back out of my face before returning his hand to my forehead. He smiled softly down at me for a moment before looking back out the window.

"Okay, you've changed a little," Josie hummed, "You're a little more violent than you used to be."

Beckett paused his stroking across my forehead and I looked up at him to see his face was tight as he stared out the window. It was kind of a slap of remembrance that Beckett was their cousin. I... probably had a lot to explain. I cared about Beckett, so much, but I doubted anything else could happen between the three of us until I explained the whole connection with Josie I had.