Academy Island

Watched

By the end of the day the camp had been mostly cleaned up, swept, fixed and sorted so that it looked more like a camp rather than a natural disaster had hit it. The boys had worked quickly, seamlessly arranging their movements to work with each other in the most efficient way. It had been fascinating to watch them discreetly as they called across camp to each other, voices ringing through the clearing, managing to cut through each task swiftly and effectively. I had sat through most of it, sorting what they brought me and trying to chat with each one that approached as if I knew how to converse like a normal person. In the few times I'd thought I was alone I'd tried standing, only to be rushed by several of them to get me to sit back down again.

It wasn't hard to figure out that they had an eye on me at all times now. Annoyance buzzed up and had to be tamped down several times so it wouldn't show. I would have to remember to be more careful not to injure myself in future, because having my movements limited was, in a word, annoying.

My ankle ached and I rolled it, testing again to make sure it was still in place. The walk I'd taken this morning hadn't exactly done it any good.

I had almost all of a shedding tangle of thread untangled and wound into a large ball when two pristine pant legs interrupted my vision. I paused my winding and looked up, expecting the greeting I'd gotten used to would do the job for whoever wanted to talk to me now.

His eyes stopped me, rocks of judgement catching every insincere word from my throat. I got lost in the gray pinning me to the ground where I sat until he coughed, putting an elegant but roughened hand out for me to grasp, clearly expected to comply with whatever he wished.

"May I?"

I blinked at him until I realized that what he wanted was the ball I had in my hand. I pressed it to his palm and startled when he nabbed my wrist. I froze, not daring to pull it back out of his grasp, not sure what he wanted. He frowned after a long pause and let me go, straightening and handing the ball back to Kota, who was hovering behind him.

"What has she been eating? Anything?"

I stammered a protest at the question, voice probably too soft for him to hear because I knew by the set of his eyes that he wouldn't like the answer. Kota rubbed at the back of his head.

"We've been trying to get her to eat. The only thing Luke's gotten her to accept is coconut chips."

I nodded. "It's all I could get down without feeling sick."

He hummed, discontent, and all I could do was hold myself together by my elbows while he stared at me. He finally freed me from the staredown by stepping back, allowing Kota to get closer and scoop me up from the ground. I settled in his arms, was jigged into place, carried while the two men walked together back towards the middle of camp. I could smell smoke before we arrived at the fireside, new billows being waved over the tops of our heads and disappearing out towards the sea. Punky was feeding more wood to the smoking pile, while Luke fanned at the sparks that hadn't quite caught yet with an over large palm spray. They both looked up from their tasks as Blackbourne stepped forward, clearing a place for me to be set down. As I was lowered both made to drop what the were doing so they could help, but a hand cut through the air, Blackbourne's words stern.

"Keep to task, boys. Kota, if I may have a word before I leave?"

My attention wandered to the two returning to the fire as I was gently set down, then snapped to the pair leaving earshot, talking quietly with their heads together at the edge of the circle. Kota nodded his head and Blackbourne disappeared without another word. Kota's eyes were on me as he turned back to us, and I could swear he looked as if he'd just been reprimanded. He came to sit beside me and I cleared my throat, squeaked despite it.