Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Eighty Seven

     Baker reached forward to touch Rhett's shoulder consolingly. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You're not in any trouble, Rhett."

     "N-N-No," he stuttered, his entire body trembling to the point where Baker had to help him sit. Rhett's teeth were chattering but his eyes were totally focused and widened with alarm. He looked to Baker for help, who was just looking at Rhett as if he'd grown another head.

     "What's wrong? What's going on with you? Are you having a panic attack?" 

     Rhett tried shaking his head, a chattering sound escaping his lips. "I-I-I d-d-don't k-k-know w-w-what's w-w-wrong w-w-with m-m-me," he managed to squeak out, rolling over so that he could lay on his side to curl up in a ball. He forced himself into a tighter ball by drawing his knees up to his chest and he locked his arms around his knees while Baker watched helplessly. He was wondering if it had been a good idea to try and push the truth out of Rhett, and he was shaking his head while he was internally chiding himself.

     He sat on the ground beside Rhett and held his hand to his arm. It was so odd to see the guy be totally fine one minute to shaking like an earthquake the next. Suddenly a ringing sound pierced the air and Rhett slowly sat up, the trembling ceasing only slightly. He fished in his pocket for his phone and looked at the screen. His heart immediately jumped into his mouth and he quickly answered the phone.

     "Christy?"

     "Rhett! Rhett," she was breathless, and very frantic. "You need to... you need to get here quick," she said, her tone urgent. Rhett's eyes narrowed and he tightened his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering for two seconds.

     "What's wrong?" 

     Christy didn't answer for several seconds, and Rhett could hear talking in the background.

     "I think... I think Link is having a seizure!" 

     Rhett froze, all of the air escaping his lungs in a gasp. Baker had heard what she said loud and clear, and from what Rhett had just confessed to him, they needed to hurry. He grabbed Rhett by the arm and dragged him to his feet.

     "We need to get to wherever he is, now. Tell them to lay him on his side, and make sure he's not near anything that he could hit."

     "Did... Did you hear that?" Rhett stammered as he was being pulled toward the cruiser. He felt like he was walking in a cloud, in a dream. This couldn't possibly be real. The moment was fast approaching where he was going to lose his best friend.

     "They... they said to lay him on his side." 

      Rhett heard Christy cry, and he sat in the seat and buckled in. 

     A rumble of thunder rolled through the atmosphere as Baker started the car, and he leaned forward in his seat to look up at the darkened clouds in the sky. He turned his eyes on Rhett before peeling out of the driveway backwards.

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     Christy watched as Jessie rolled Link over onto his side, clutching the phone tight to her ear. Jessie held him as he convulsed, and Christy felt the tears trailing down her cheeks. She had no idea what was going on. Jessie thought that maybe the fever had just risen too high and he needed to see a doctor right away. The crying sounds he was making ripped Christy's heart to shreds, and she covered her mouth with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. 

     He seemed to convulse even harder, becoming increasingly difficult for Jessie to hold on to him. Her eyes widened with alarm, her heart thundering in her chest as she looked at Link's face. She noticed something trickling out of his nose and the corner of his mouth, and she could swear that it was blood.