The Other Side - A Jamilton Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty Six

It seemed like a long freezing winter had settled in like an unwelcome guest.

I was cold, just as cold as I always was, but this time there was no refuge. No Thomas to take my hand and chase the blizzard away with his promises of warmth and heat.

Winter doesn't permanently kill plants, but it certainly does make it look like a barren wasteland for three months. And although my spirits weren't entirely crushed, I still wasn't happy just sitting there and watching him.

"How long do you think it'll take him to wake up?" I had asked Angelica.

"Shouldn't take longer than a month," she had returned with all the confidence in the world. "Don't worry Alexander. He's gonna be alright."

I watched the days slowly drain away, counting each one that fled and disappeared into the wind.

Thomas had been confined to what I assumed was the infirmary. It was across the hall from Angelica's room, and she didn't fail in taking charge of helping heal Thomas.

I barely left the infirmary myself, to be honest. Mostly, because I frankly didn't see the point despite the constant urging of Washington to get up and move.

"When will he wake up?" I asked Angelica again. I could tell she was beginning to get annoyed by my constant bothering her, but she didn't say anything about it.

"When he's ready."

"And when will that be?"

"I don't know, Alexander. Why don't you go on a walk?"

I read to him, even though I was pretty sure he couldn't hear me. I found some other books from Earth in the library like Alice in Wonderland or Watership Down. I did it for myself more than I did it for him, because reading to him reinforced the dwindling hope that Thomas was still alive. That he could be saved.

I was afraid. And it wasn't the situational, momentary terror that followed me through the maze.

This haunted my every thought, always at the back of my mind. If I wasn't doing something, I was thinking of Thomas.

It was a cold winter, and the firewood wouldn't light.

I sat on the same cushioned chair, knees brought to my chest as I watched Thomas. The trance he was in was deathlike; he made no movements at all and his pulse was slow and almost nonexistent.

There was a tray of untouched food sitting on the table to my left, still warm but uninviting. The orange and pink rays drifted in through the silky curtains that hardly offered any privacy from the outside world.

Night was falling, but I didn't really feel a need to sleep anymore. Thomas had watched me when I needed him to, so I believe that I should be able to do the same thing for him.

"Hey," muttered a voice from behind me along with the dragging of a chair to where I was sitting. I didn't bother to acknowledge her as Peggy sat down next to me. "How's it going?"

I shrugged, disinterested in talking.

"That good, huh?"

"Look, I'd love to talk, but I'm just not in the mood right now."

I didn't want to see her frown of disapproval that would match up so perfectly with everyone else's as they tried to drag me out of here and away from Thomas, so I didn't bother looking.

"Sure you are," she said, nudging me with her shoulder. Her tone seemed light enough, so I doubt she was frowning yet, but I didn't care to check.