The Exemption Trials (The Dinas Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter Six

   Xyra checked on Cassian's wound once more, then slumped down in a corner, her legs pulled up to her chest and her head lowered. Her elbows rested on her knees, her hands dangling in front of her like limp noodles. In her head, she just kept replaying things over and over again, wondering how it had all gone downhill so quickly. If the Trials were anything like this, they'd all be dead within minutes - assuming they weren't already before they started.

   She lifted her head enough for her eyes to find Jericho. Her view was partially obscured by hair that she was too lazy to push away, but she could still make out his general condition from what she could see. He looked like absolute crap. Blood seemed to endlessly flow from the bullet hole in his stomach, the liquid life force coating the floor.
She watched as the doctor began stitching up the wound, entranced by the way the dark, scarlet abyss was slowly sealed off by a line of thin twine. It seemed impossible that such a thing could hold the human body together. A simple piece of string. Somehow it was enough to keep a person from loosing their life. At least, she hoped it was.

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   They sat in silence within the enclosed space for days, the doctor - whom she learned was named Doctor Streger - stopping by occasionally to tend to Jericho and Cassian. Time seemed to move at an impossibly slow rate, like someone trying to push their way through thick quicksand. It moved, sure, but it never seemed to really get anywhere. She watched a small clock on the wall - probably placed there to allow their anxiety to grow while waiting for the Trials - as the seconds ticked by. Seconds turned to minutes; to hours; to days - each increment seeming to stretch an eternity. That's how it felt to her, anyway.He

   On the third day, Cassian awoke. 

   At first the blonde-haired boy simply shifted and groaned, moving more in a couple hours than he had in the last few days. For the entire stretch of time, both Jericho and Cassian had been in coma-like states. Now, Cassian stirred. 

   One of the guards brought them food around noon, plopping trays with disgusting gray glop piled on them in front of the ten conscious individuals. They'd stopped bringing Jericho and Cassian food after realizing the boys weren't going to wake up and eat. Xyra kind of envied them for not having to endure the smelly slop.

   As the guard turned to go, Cassian let out another moan, this one louder than most of the previous ones. The guard turned and, to their collective amazement, Cassian slowly but surely sat up, leaning heavily against the wall for support. He was as white as a ghost and looked as if he might pass out again at any moment.

   "My God, get him some food!" One of the others shouted at the guard, waving a hand as if to dismiss the man.

   The guard huffed at being treated in such a disrespectful manner and left the room to retrieve another tray of food, shaking his head and muttering to himself as he went.

   Xyra made her way across the room to the barely conscious boy, crouching in front of him. She slapped his cheek, hard enough to keep him awake but light enough not to leave a mark. "Hey, Cassian, stay with me." She said as he started to nod off again. "The guard's getting you some good and if you pass out you can't eat it. It'll be here any minute. Just stay awake 'til then, alright?"

   Cassian gave a slow, tired nod, his eyes almost closed. She was beginning to think he would pass out again when guard returned, tossing a tray of food across the room at them. The tray skidded and spun over the floor until thudding against the wall beside Cassian, its gloppy contents slopping over the edge and onto the floor. Looking over her shoulder, Xyra could see a trail of the stuff from where the guard had tossed the tray to where she crouched by Cassian.

   The spoon usually accompanying the gray mash lay submerged in the food, only the very tip of the handle sticking out. With delicate fingers, she reached over and grabbed the protruding end, pulling it out. A sucking sound occurred as she removed the spoon, making Xyra gag. She could hear a few of the other prisoner doing the same.
With the spoon successfully removed she shoveled a small mound of the glop on to it and coaxed Cassian to eat, careful not to touch the parts of the spoon that had come in contact with the food. She didn't want that stuff on her hands. 

   After about fifteen minutes Cassian had eaten almost half of what had been piled on the tray; a good portion of gray slop, all things considered. Half the time Xyra had spent trying to get him to open his mouth or shaking him awake after he had slipped into unconsciousness. He was unconscious now, but she'd figured he'd eaten enough and let him rest. Her gaze flickered over to where Jericho lay, still comatose, and she sighed, looking down and running a hand through her hair.

   She hoped he would wake up soon. She didn't know what would happen to him if he didn't.

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