A Boy Called Noah

Chapter Twenty Eight

Amalthea Galanos

(Two weeks later)

"Thea...Honey, you have to eat something...please. You're worrying everyone...go away, Thalia! If I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it!" "Leave her alone, Regina, she has to grieve and get through this in her own time." "Oh, what would you know?!"

Thea silently stares out of her bay window and tears streak down her hollowing cheeks. She makes no attempt to even move toward her door where her mother and sister are fighting. Silence suddenly envelopes the hall and slow and unsteady footsteps shuffle toward her door.

"Thea..."

Thea leaps forward and rips her door open. She gasps at the sight in front of her and tears sting her sensitive eyes. Her hand flies to her mouth and she sobs rather loudly, "Oh, Noah..."

There in front of her stands a very weakened Noah. Ghostly pale and leaning all of his weight on a wooden cane. Noah gently leans forward and wraps a single shaking arm around Thea, "Why, my love, must you scare me so?" Thea's body shakes with sobs and she tightly wraps her arms around Noah's much weaker than before form.

Their audience quietly shuffles away and Thea slowly leads Noah into her bedroom. He makes his way toward her window seat and she quickly closes the door and makes her way to him.

"Noah...how are you here? Why are you here?" Noah places a hand on his heart and feigns hurt, "Tired of me already?" Thea swats at his hand and she is startled for a moment. She tentatively reaches for his hand and slowly draws it into her lap. "Noah, your hands are freezing!" Noah smiles a sad smile, "Yeah, doc said that was going to happen. He didn't say when but mentioned something about lack of blood circulation." His thin shoulders shrug with indifference.

Noah pulls his hand from her warm grasp, "Why have you been locked up in this room for two weeks? You've been worrying everybody...including me. Your brother says you haven't eaten anything...you haven't spoken a word to anyone...Thea...why?"

Thea blows a shaky breath through her nose and stares down at her trembling hands, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare anyone... I just... the thought of you dy-... leaving­ scares the life out of me... I'm terrified of that day..." Noah silently wraps his arms around her shaking shoulders. She leans her body into the embrace and he drags his hand up and down her back in sircular motions.

"I'm not gone yet..."