Hidden Heroes

T₩ĖŃTŸ~3

The first thing I felt was a wet cloth run down my face. It was extremely cold, but I was in no state to complain. I heard it being dunked in water before washing my arms.

Even with the water being cold, I was still sweating. I moved my hand towards my neck, the water from my face dripping down my collar.

I opened my eyes and looked the person washing me down. Maximus put the cloth in the bucket and leaned back in his chair.

"It's really hot in here. I thought you would need it."

I licked my lips and rubbed my eyes. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Are you doing okay?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Does it look like it?"

"No, it does not," he sighed. He drenched the towel in the water again and folded it on my head. "You have a fever from exerting yourself. You have to watch what you're doing."

I gritted my teeth when he touched the bandage on my forehead.

I finally looked up and the teal colored ceiling. I was in my room. How long was I out?

"Water."

Maximus took a bottle from the dresser and helped me sit up. I chugged it down in one go and took a breath.

"What happened?"

He put me back down and looked out the window. "The villains came out of nowhere. They planned this. Luckily, not that many people died."

"Not that many?"

He covered his eyes. "There was this kid ... This small." He put his hand to about the length of my bedside table. "She was holding one of those cotton candy bags you see at the stands. Her dress was red but you could tell that was just her blood seeping into the clothing."

I thought back to the little girl playing by he fountain with her brother. Where was her brother?

"Did you see a little boy, too?"

"Liz, there was a lot of little boys. I don't know what you're talking about."

"That little girl, she had a brother."

We stayed silent for a few moments. "I didn't see anyone," he said.

I pulled the blanket off of me and motioned for him to help me up. I leaned against the wall and propped my pillow underneath me. My back was stiff and all my muscles were tense, as if there was glass in them.

"What if that happened to me, Max?"

He capped the bottle I drank from and put it aside. "What if what happened to you?"

"What if," I whispered , "What if that tree killed me?"

"Stop," he said. "It didn't so just stop."

"But what if it did? I could have been that girl right now! And that little boy, how does he feel right now? He just lost his sister."

"Shut up! Do you believe I want to think about this right now?" He got off his seat and looked me in the eye. "Not even for a second do I not wonder if you're safe, if you're at school or if your six feet underground!"

"Do you think I don't wonder the same thing?"
He sat in his seat, his features softening.

I felt my throat dry up as I started to speak. "I always wonder where you are when you aren't home by bedtime. You think I'm asleep by 2 in the morning? I'm sitting by my bed, waiting to hear the door unlock downstairs."

I moved my hair out of my face. "I'm a high schooler. You're a superhero. Who do you think has a bigger chance of dying?"

He just stared at me and I scoffed. "Just take me downstairs."