ADRONITIS (II) : tmr minho

9: I could be Sturdy

Leo 9

"I'm really, fine to go back to work," Dawn pleads. I get the feeling she is lying to me, even though she looks straight into my eyes. When she realises that isn't working, she shakes her head and looks back at me. "Please, Leo. I just want things to go back to normal."

I don't know how I can tell her things probably won't go back to normal. Not with that strange girl just around the corner, unconscious. Not until Dawn can talk about what's bothering her.

Clint gave me the power to clear them, after what we voted on last night. He trusts both my medical judgement, and my judgement as a friend. It's still a relationship of equals. If Dawn didn't want to go back to work, I wouldn't make her, even if I technically could.

It's different though, since I don't know that she is ready to return after last night.

"We had to sedate you just a few hours ago," I tell her, sighing. "Ben is still out there."

"I can handle it," she counters, standing up. She isn't shaking, although I can tell something about her seems off. "Listen, Lee, I'm not going to lie and say that didn't shuck me up. It did."

I know it did. She threw up practically a week's worth of food. So, I can't say I'm entirely surprised that the situation hurt her.

She grabs my wrist, and I ignore the itch that over takes me. I just want to make her happy, and if she goes back to work, she'll be happy. So, I take a step back. "He stabbed you."

"It was superficial," she brushes it off, moving the injured hand as if to further her point. When she realises I'm not budging, she sighs. "At least tomorrow?"

I don't want to nod, but I nod anyway.

"And I can eat lunch with the Cooks?"

"Dawn," I warn her. She is pushing, but she only continues to bite her lip, waiting for me to tell her yes.

"Fine," I sigh.

She pulls me in for a tight hug, before pulling back. "You're the best."

In a flash, she is running out the door. I am about to call after her, to tell her lunch isn't for another half hour, but I let her run off. As long as she is back after lunch, I can't be mad.

I might even force myself to eat lunch today. Breakfast and dinner I've managed to nail, since we always eat dinner as a group and since Newt always comes in at breakfast with food for me. Lunch though, I always forget that one. Need to start eating it soon too, or I'll faint again when the next bit of terrible news comes my way.

For now, it is back to Ella and the girl in the coma.

I walk across the hall and open the door to the room they share. Ella stands over the girl's bed. Though she is still, she leers over like a vulture.

"Leave her alone," I pull Ella off of the girl, pushing her down into her own bed.

Ella's eyes are still and glassy, as she stares forward. Somehow, her eyes pass through me. I kneel down in front of the girl, as she sits on her bed frozen in time. I take her small, and delicate fingers into my hand, holding them still.

"Ellie," I've never called her that, but it feels right. The words, to me, seem to be words I've utter a million times before. "Earth to Ellie?"

She looks down at me, though her eyes remain as stagnant. I squeeze her cold hands, even though I don't know if she can feel it. "You okay in there?"