The Silent War

Chapter Two

I rubbed my eyes, trying to open them but they had been sealed shut for a solid eight hours and weren't giving in without a fight. Small flecks of light broke through as I blinked a few times to focus on the dark figure sitting on the chair opposite me.

'You slept well then I see? Josh the Doctor at your service.' I looked up at Josh and smiled as he picked at a piece of French toast. 'Hope you don't mind me eating this, figured you wouldn't want it anyhow. You wouldn't believe how much morphing builds up an appetite.'

I cleared my throat, making sure that I would be able to speak without croaking. 'What time is it?'

Josh took a sip of juice, managing to slurp it down with his mouth still full of toast. 'Early. You didn't really sleep for that long but I guess eight hours in a month is better than nothing. You still look like crap though, seriously you should eat something.'

'Well I had breakfast all set out for me but the cat ate it.' I grinned as I tried to prop myself to a sitting position. My joints were so stiff from lying down that my elbow buckled underneath my weight and I slipped back down onto the pillow.

Josh walked over, reaching out to help me up. I waved my arm for him to go back to the chair. 'I can get myself....'

'Evie, will you shut up and stop being so stubborn!' Josh's tone was forceful, he sounded like Nancy when she got mad. I raised my arms up and let him lift me, trying to be as gracious as I could.

'Thank you.'

Josh moved back to the chair, wearing his cheeky smile as he popped a strawberry in his mouth. 'No problem.'

The two of us sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say next. I looked towards the door, surprised to see that it was still closed. 'How did you get in last night?'

Josh rolled his eyes. 'Through the window. Wasn't easy let me tell you. Ben has been patrolling the front door like a foot soldier; Mum can't even get past the first step, it's like he's obsessed. So I took matters into my own hands and morphed into cat last night and climbed the tree while he was out with Jay-Ry.'

I looked at him confused. 'Out with Jay-Ry? I didn't feel him leave.'

Josh chocked down some juice. 'Man, that's sour. Yeah, he's been going out - begrudgingly mind you, with Jay-Ry a couple of times a week to see what they do. You know, saving humans and all that. You probably didn't realise he was gone cause your energy's all off. Roe said you would be getting weaker and your senses are probably dulled. Not that it matters much; Ben is so freaking intense I can feel him even when he's not here. Stinking up the place with his Guardian dominance - crazy how it works.'

I sighed to myself. All I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep but now that I had spoken to Josh I had to get up and face the music and worse yet face Ben and even worse than that....Rochelle. I am sure she would be waiting for me with a stack of history books and back to back energy reading classes as punishment for having a month of indulging in my 'human' emotions, something I am sure she would not be capable of if she tried.'

Josh cleared his throat. I looked over to see him nervously fidgeting with the cuffs of his sweater. 'I'm sorry I was a bit rude before Eve's. You know, telling you to shut up. I didn't mean to snap - I've just been a bit on edge thinking that.....well you know..... Are you mad at me too?'

I looked at Josh, puzzled as he sat there staring at me with guilty eyes. Finally the suspense of my answer to his question too much to bear.

'You know, like you are with Ben? I swear Eve's I had nothing to do with the whole thing with your Dad. I swear on Thimbles life I didn't know. I would have told you if I did, that's probably why everyone kept me in the dark about it all.'