Code Name: RUSH (COMPLETE)

28. Madix

Everything was under water. I thrashed desperately, trying to get the feeling back into my body. It didn't feel real. I lurched forward suddenly, which didn't help the tight feeling in my stomach. I couldn't feel if my fingers were responding to me; everything was dark and burned. 

Were my eyes even open? My skin tingled everywhere.

I didn't feel anything grab me, but the pressure around my shoulders grew and my face was pressed against something wet. There was warmth radiating from below me, and beside me. I gave up flailing my legs; if they still had me, if Damion-

Damion.

I leaned closer to the warmth, even though I was sure I wasn't cold and tried to see. Everything was fuzzy, and not because of the dull ache radiating through my skull. My chest was worse, way worse. It was like fire tearing through my body. This had happened before when I thought I had been poisoned. Had I been poisoned again? Whatever that asshat had injected into me wasn't a fucking walk in the park.

Cold fingers touched my cheek and I tried to lean away, but really, it wasn't that bad, especially if it was Damion and I was too tired to move anyway. I could hear him faintly. It took a lot of effort to listen.

"-kay. It's okay. Can you feel my heartbeat? Just focus on that, okay? We're going to get home as soon as I can, and you can see your family again. I promise, Madix, I just need you to breathe, okay?"

He was talking fast and his voice was higher, the way he got when he was worried. Damion never talked fast, even when he had something important to say. I tried my best to nod but my head just lolled back limply. I couldn't make my muscles move again but I didn't want him to be worried. The pain spiked, but this time at the back of my neck. I must have made a noise because the coldness tightened around me.

"I know, I'm going to find some pain medicine as soon as I can find a store. Just try to take deeper breaths."

I couldn't tell if I was trying or not, but Damion's constant stream of words slowed to a trickle. I could feel myself beginning to drift off, and he pulled away from me. I was too tired to protest as I was laid back down.

It could have been a few minutes or a few hours before I woke up a little more. We were moving again, and I was laying across the backseat. The car, the one we "borrowed" from the Walmart parking lot. The sky was getting lighter quickly, it had a pink tinge. Or maybe the world was just that color now. My head pounded in time with my heart, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. I managed to lift my trembling hand over my forehead to wipe away the moister with a twinge of disgust. Damion slowed down and glanced back at me. He let our interlocked fingers separate to dig around the passenger seat. He shoved a handful of napkins at me.

I took them wordlessly and tried to make myself feel less crappy. But every part of my body was made of lead. Wiping the sweat away felt like I was climbing a cliff face with my fingernails as grapples. I cautiously pushed myself up on my elbows and immediately laid back down when the pain in my chest increased. It was hard to breathe like I was trying to suck in air through a pillow. Damion handed me a water bottle. I took a small sip and I might as well have swallowed the ocean.

"How are you feeling?" Damion asked after a while. I grabbed blindly for his hand as I kept drinking. It was the only thing that wasn't shaking.

"Fine," I replied, my voice hoarse. He raised an eyebrow at the automatic response. "Shitty. What the hell did they give me?"

Damion didn't look back, but his hand tightened around mine. That should have been my first clue that something was wrong. "I'm not sure, but you have a fever and your chest sounds congested."