Sakura Eyes

Chapter 29

Water. I just wanted water.

I could feel my conscious slowly drifting in as the ringing in my ears began sharper, and my mind cleared. My throat was dry bone; it hurt to swallow. God, I have been fainting way too much lately. 

"Damn it!" 

I felt myself flinch from the angry voice.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Justin."

I immediately recognized Tristan's voice.

"I don't even care about that stupid guard..."

Justin.

"...she'll be fine," I felt Tristan hover over me.

"It's been a week," Justin said angrily.

A week?! I've been out that long? I tried to move my body or even my fingers, but it hurt so much to even swallow. A slam besides me surprised me.

"Justin calm down," I heard Tristan warn. "Sakura will be fine. Catherine said she should be waking up today."

I didn't hear Justin respond or make any sound. Tristan sighed deeply.

"Justin get some sleep," Tristan said. "You haven't—"

"I'm fine," Justin curtly replied back. "You go and rest."

"Justin stop being so stubborn," Tristan snapped. "Your eyes are bloodshot, and you literally look like a starved zombie—"

"Okay guys let's not argue over Miss right now," I heard Yuri's voice interrupt. "She's still resting."

I shifted my head a little to the side and opened my eyes slowly. Justin and Tristan were glaring at each other with Yuri in the middle of the two. My mouth trembled open to speak, but I immediately fell into a fit of coughs. Immediately, the three leaned over me, relief washing over their faces.

"Miss," Yuri said, grabbing my hand. "Do you need anything?"

"Sakura," Tristan waved a hand in front of my face. "How are you feeling?"

Justin didn't say anything, but his angry creases in the middle of his eyebrows had disappeared, and a gentle calmness had replaced his stress. 

The three of them had dark rings circled around their eyes, and it seemed to me that they had gotten skinnier. 

"F-fighting," I choked. "Fighting is no good."

"Say that after you fainted because of fighting someone I'd already told you not to," Justin sighed and reached his hand over to gently brush across my forehead. My head started to slightly spin.

"Get some sleep. Rest up. You guys look—"I coughed, my throat still feeling like I'd swallowed a whole bucket of sand. 

"Take care of yourself first," Justin snapped. "You're the one who wouldn't just let me protect you, and stay safe."

Everyone turned their eyes to stare at him in surprise at his sudden change of attitude, but he didn't look like he regretted what he had just said. Instead, he stared at me for a few more seconds before sweeping his cloak behind him and exiting the room. We stared at the door in silence and shock. Slowly, Tristan and Yuri turned back to me.

"Sorry," Tristan rubbed his eyes. "Justin...he's a little grumpy."

I lifted an eyebrow. "You don't say."

"You do know that his parents...?" Tristan trailed off.

"Justin's an o-orphan right?" I cleared my throat. I didn't expect myself to choke up. "Did his parents pass or...?"