Dark as the Night

21

Tai knelt down in front of her and gently touched her arm. He ducked his head to look up into her face, and frowned. "I'm sorry, he got really carried away. You didn't deserve for him to yell at you like that."

Odessa opened her eyes and pasted on a wan smile. "No, he's right. I guess I got really insecure, thinking that I'm just a hindrance to everyone. The truth is, I'm actually not as sure of myself as I claimed just now."

"We know," he replied softly. "But you try, and that's one of the things we like about you."

Looking into his grey eyes and the warmth shining there, her smile turned shy and apologetic. "I'm really sorry I didn't call you, and I did avoid you like James said, but it's really because I needed to figure some things out," she murmured. "I haven't been sleeping well and have been getting bad headaches a lot lately..." she trailed off. "I've been getting confused easily and it makes me feel useless." She closed her eyes again and massaged her forehead.

Unlike James' intimidating body language, Tai's close proximity was comforting. "It seems he gave you another one," he sighed. "You need to rest. Come on, let me take you home."

Odessa knew he was right but didn't want to leave anything unfinished, even if it was just light duty. "But Leila..." she protested weakly.

"...Will understand," Tai finished. "I'll leave a note for her. Does she know about your headaches?" Odessa nodded. "Then she probably expects it. Remember, you did have a bad concussion recently and maybe between being here and the testing, you're overworking yourself." Suddenly his voice became serious. "Especially if you're not sleeping well. You're Leila's patient first and assistant second. She'll want you home, resting."

He said it with such finality that she couldn't bring herself to argue with him so she sighed instead. "Alright, but let me finish this healing balm first." Tai nodded reluctantly and she stood and touched the oil mixture. It was still warm enough, so she put the oils and vitamins in it, then stirred and poured it into several little vats that she'd sterilized and left waiting on the counter. Finally, she sealed and labeled them then cleaned up. When she was finished, she donned her coat, grabbed her bag, and walked out into the hall. Tai was just emerging from the office.

"I put a note on her desk that I'm taking you home since you don't feel well."

Odessa nodded and went to him. He held his arm out, and she leaned against him gratefully. Tai wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she tentatively wrapped hers around his back, burying her face in his chest and blushing furiously at the thought that she needed Tai's help just to walk.

Tai on the other hand, was quite happy to have Odessa's slender body pressed to his as they left the med center. He could feel her trembling slightly, and her breathing was ragged, making him wonder just how much pain she was in. He felt a little bad about taking pleasure in having her so close. Almost.

Suddenly Odessa's fingers tightened slightly on his other side. He looked down at her quizzically and saw her staring straight ahead, apparently focused intently on walking. Then she spoke. "How long had you been listening to James and me?"

He paused, not ready for her to know that it was basically his fault she'd been verbally assaulted by James. "Um... for the whole thing," he reluctantly admitted. "I told him that I was worried about you since I hadn't seen or spoken to you all week, and then when you were abrupt at lunch today he got upset.

"We went straight to the med center after school to talk to you and see what was up. James went in first and kind of blocked the doorway so I was waiting in the hall. I should have realized he was angry and prevented what happened. I'm sorry." He ducked his head in apology.

Odessa was quiet for a minute and Tai started to really worry that she was angry with him. Then she shrugged and said, "You didn't do anything wrong. Besides," she added contemplatively, "he didn't seem all that angry until he found out Mina was the one who told me to stay away."

"Ah, that." Tai reflected. "It's probably because it's kind of happened before. When we were little and I first came here, James's parents asked him to make me feel welcome. We really got along though and became friends pretty quickly. But I guess Mina got jealous or something, because she told me to stay way from James and that he only played with me because his parents told him to. When James found out what Mina had done, he stopped talking to her for a while, which says a lot because she had been like a sister to him."

"Wow, really?" Odessa asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Her parents were founding members of the camp and Mina, like James, was born here. So they had known each other since they were babies and were really close. Her attempt to isolate him for herself really pissed him off, even then. And now that she's done the same thing again... he was angry at her, not you. Even though she and I don't get along, I actually feel a little bad about what he might do."

----------------

Leila returned to the medical center, catching sight of Tai and Odessa heading toward the dorms in the opposite direction. She smiled at the way he was supporting her. "Well isn't that cute?" she mused, then entered the center and went to the office, spying the note on her desk.

Leila –

Odessa has a migraine so I am taking her home. If you need help, call me and I'll come finish her work for her.

-Tai

Leila threw the note away and chuckled to herself. "Someone has a crush..." she murmured in a sing-song voice. Then she frowned sardonically. So Odessa wouldn't listen to her when she told her to go home, but she'd take Tai's arm and go, huh? She snorted. The power of hormones.

**********

So what would make your little hearts pitter patter more: Tai covered in sweat and sawdust or James being a softie? Which do you think would affect Odessa more and why?

-Evie