Count The Shadows (Prequel to Test the Limits)

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By the time Anti became so exhausted, sore, and cold that he couldn't force himself to keep going, the sun was just starting to rise above the horizon as he used the wall to help him stop.

"It'll be worth it." Anti promised himself as he allowed himself to slump to the ground and take off his skates before giving into his exhaustion.

A few minutes of sleep won't kill me, Anti thought wearily as he closed his eyes, darkness enveloping him instantly.

"What the hell are you still doing here?!?"

Anti was startled awake by Murphy's yelling. Apparently he had fallen asleep on the ice for longer than a few minutes, his skates lying abandoned a few feet from him.

Anti opened his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't since his teeth were chattering so much due to the cold that had seeped into his bones. It didn't help either that he only had socks covering his feet, which were now soaked like his t-shirt and jeans.

He glanced down at his bare arms and found that they were a light blue hue, which he knew was definitely not normal.

"C'mon, let's get you home." Murphy grunted as he carefully scooped Anti up in his arms bridal style. Anti felt Murphy's warm chest against him as he was carried out.

"M-m-m-"

"Shh, you're going to be okay." Murphy promised him softly, his tone reassuring like a parent's.

He wanted to ask if Murphy remembered his skates. He hoped he had.

Anti didn't even realize that he had fallen back asleep until he suddenly woke up to find that he was lying on a large comfortable bed wrapped in what looked like thousands of blankets with a warm washcloth draped across his forehead.

"What were you thinking?"

Anti turned his head slightly to see Murphy standing in the doorway, forest green eyes shining with concern.

"Where am I?" Anti rasped, his voice cracking from lack of use.

"I didn't know where your house was, so I brought you to my place." Murphy explained as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You were at the rink for hours after I left." Murphy shook his head in a mix of disbelief and anger that seemed directed at himself.

"When did you stop?" Murphy demanded.

"Sunrise. I sat down on the ice to take a quick nap after I took off my skates." Anti answered.

"It was noon when I found you! I didn't even know you haven't gone home!" Murphy exclaimed

"I wanted to prove that I was a fast learner." Anti swallowed, hating how weak he felt and sounded. He always prided himself on being independent, yet here he was laying in his coach's bed feeling like he could never be warm again.

"You're so stubborn." Murphy chuckled softly.

"So I've heard." Anti smirked weakly before breaking into a coughing fit.

"You've got one hell of a cold, but nothing too serious thankfully." Murphy told Anti as he stood up and disappeared from the room, quickly returning with a bowl full of steaming chicken soup.

Anti nodded in appreciation, his lungs burning as he continued coughing. It took all of his willpower for him to finally stop so he could eat the soup.

"I shouldn't of let you stay." Murphy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"It's not your fault. Like you said, I'm stubborn." Anti shrugged, careful to not slosh soup out of the bowl and onto the brown covers.