Fervency

CHAPTER: F I F T E E N

"You're real gullible, you know that?"

Both Thomas and Newt laughed at her joke.

"Slim it. She's not even funny." Minho pointed at them.

"I'm gonna get some food" he stopped in front of her, "because I can eat tonight."

"Ouch" Thomas called out. "That hurts me too."

"Good!"

"Is he really going to eat his dinner right now just to prove a point?" Thomas asked Newt.

"Most likely."

The three of them laughed following the runner to the kitchen. There he saw Minho with a heaping plate of food. As soon as he spotted the group he stopped mid stride and gazed over to Elodie.

"How you gonna run with eight fingers, smelly?"

"I don't run on my hands, do I?"

"You really sound like five-year-olds." Thomas shook his head.

"Yeah yeah. I'm gonna check on Alby." Elodie said before hurrying off to the medjack tent.

***

"Elodie?" Clint questioned as she entered the tent.

"Hey, how's he doing?" She looked up at the Medjack with hopeful eyes. Clint's expression melted into a frown and he shook his head.

"Not his best. We had to sedate him so that he doesn't hurt himself."

"Can I see him?" She wondered.

"Sure."

Clint led her to the back, where Alby was laid in a cot and restrained.

"Thanks" she sent him a nod. Clint wandered off to fix up a builder while Elodie took a seat beside Alby. Though he was sedated, he was thrashing in his sleep as if he was having the worlds worst nightmare.

"You idiot..." she sighed. Her stomach twisted with worry. She had just barely met him and now he's like this.

"If you don't survive I'm going to be mad at you"

"Elle?" A voice called from behind her. Startled, she nearly toppled over on Alby. He covered his mouth in attempt to suppress a chuckle but failed miserably.

"Ha-Ha" she mocked him, before turning back to Alby.

"Look...you can't just sit there and worry." he took a seat beside her.

"But I am." she released a dry laugh. His chestnut gaze softened as he gazed down to her, "All you're doing is making yourself feel bad all over again, love. Come help me with the garden. Get your mind off things" he petitioned. Elodie stared at him longer than he expected.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Quickly she stood to her feet and turned away.

"Nothing."

"You sure?" he pressed.

"Just don't call me that" she asserted.

"Call you what?"

"Love." she grumbled, "Alright, Newton?"

He narrowed his gaze at her. It wasn't that he meant for what he said to her in a romantic sense. He would of listened to her, too- if she hadn't mocked his accent.

"Alright, love." He remarked.

"That's it!"

"What?!" he played dumb.