The Indignity of Mortality (Sebasclaude)

8. Claude

It all happened in slow motion: me leaping towards Ciel in unbridled anger, Michaelis' hand under my chin, then this overwhelming pain as my neck was forced backwards. I couldn't move, I couldn't cry out, I couldn't even breathe, as the ground flew towards me, and my vision swam. At first when I landed, I could only think of the pain and the fear and the confusion, which blended into one big... thing, that they probably have word for in German. As my mind devolved into into a state of shock where I barely registered the world around me, and all of my thoughts were abstract and impossible to put into words. After a few seconds, I could finally grasp onto some small ounce of sense and reason, and the pain, fear, and confusion started to separate into distinct-ish sensations, and I forced myself to crack my neck back into place. I saw spots on the edge of my vision, as air rushed into my lungs and suddenly I had control over my body again. Something pressed down against my back, but I was too stupid to move anyway, I just wanted to curl up somewhere quiet and dark to recover. People were saying things - their lips were moving and sounds were coming out, but the first time I actually registered anything in a vaguely coherent way, was when Alois grabbed my arm and pushed me onto my back. His eyes were running badly, and I began to derive some meaning from what he was saying - he seemed to be very concerned. He clutched my hand in his own, comparatively very small ones, and squeezed it gently, while he squeaked out things my head felt too fuzzy to remember. I sat up, my neck aching, and not in a mild way, more like they way really bad cramps ache, but worse, my head spinning.
"Claude! Jesus Christ, please tell me you're alright?!" Alois begged, as he clutched one of my arms. I took a few seconds to remember how to speak, and I just groaned, and even when I did remember how to speak coordinating my tongue with my lips and my teeth felt incredibly awkward and unnatural.
"I'm fine..." Alois tried to strangle me by wrapping his arms around my chest, and did that thing he often did where his eyes ran and he sounded like he was choking; and the first time he had done it I had thought it was some sort of allergic reaction. I stumbled to my feet, swaying slightly, as Alois tried to help me, and did more runny-eyed-choking.
"Are you sure you're alright? We can just go home if you want." I did want to just go home, so I could sleep, and I could avoid people, but I knew Michaelis would never shut up about it and Ciel seemed fairly determined to finish his meeting with Alois.
"No, it's fine. Ciel wants to carry on his meeting, I'll be fine soon. I'm a demon, such injuries don't affect us." Alois stuck his bottom lip out and furrowed his pale brows, but reluctantly made his way towards the room with all the board games in, with me in tow.

I don't remember what Ciel and Alois talked about, it was all a blur (which is what they always say in books, and I suppose it's true) and leaned against the wall and tried not to yawn. I didn't feel like fighting after that, even after Sebastian glared at me a few times, I just wanted to rest. This urge didn't diminish like it usually did, and by the time we'd got home, I'd given Alois his dinner and put him to bed, I gave up on doing anything that night and decided to go to bed.
My bed wasn't particularly comfy - I seldom used it - but by that point it could have been a rock and I would have slept on it. I was grateful Alois didn't say anything about Michaelis and myself fighting, I just dreaded to know how much he'd heard.