Blood and Thunder

Chapter 26 - Old Women Know Many Secrets

Screaming and shouting filled his ears as the world around him came into focus. The cold floor he was laying on smelt of disinfectant and his cheek had slowly become stuck to the surface with his own saliva. His head pounded as his blood raced towards the wound, ready to fight off any invading germs.

He opened his eyes slowly, but instantly closed them again. The bright light above his head was blinding, and his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he was going to need time to adjust. Opening one eye at a time, he gave them the time they needed to adjust to the brightness.

He moved a hand to the back of his head, he winced in pain as his fingertips touched his scalp. He checked his hand, dried blood from his hair was stuck to his fingers, just what he needed. Gently he eased himself up, but he had got up too quickly, his body was weak, he needed time to recover. His knees buckled underneath him and he ended up back where he started. He groaned as the pain kicked in. It turned his stomach, and the room.

Nothing made sense to him, he had no idea how he got here, the last thing he remembered were flashes of red and orange. The more he tried to remember, the less sure he was of anything.

He could hear people shouting near him, and they were getting closer. He could feel their footsteps vibrating through the floor. He stayed where he was and closed his eyes. The light was making his head pound.

"You idiots! You absolute fu-"

"You told us to put him in the room so we did."

"On the bed! Not throw him in there you piss brains!" A deep breath was taken before continuing, this time a bit calmer. "If you two idiots have killed him, I swear to God he won't be the only one ending up on a slab."

Alexander panicked. Should he cry out for help? Or try and move? But move where? He didn't even know where he was. He tried to slow his breathing, maybe he could pretend to still be unconscious. He concentrated with all of his might, pretending he wasn't here, relaxing his mind and body.

The footsteps got closer until stopping behind him.

"Fucking brilliant. Go get the doctor quickly before I skin the both of you."

Alexander heard a couple of people run back the way they came, yelling for medical assistance. But before he could completely relax, he felt a warm breath on his cheek.

"I swear, you better not be dead. Stay with me Fawn. I need you alive, or we are both dead."

"You called for medical assistance. What have you done this time? He was secure after I checked him when you first bought him in. You never told me what you did to him for him to get in that state."

"He... fell. Just before I bought him in, then them two idiots threw him in here after we moved him."

"Fell? I'm guessing after an impact with your fist. You need to stop doing that before you actually kill someone you need alive."

"Don't tell me how to do my job. Concentrate on yours and make sure he lives, or you know what will happen."

"Fine. Lift him on the bed. Don't look at me like that, You don't think I'm going to lift him do you."

Alexander felt hot hands touch him and pull him up.

"Oh, and remove his top."

"I'm not stripping him."

"I didn't say that did I? Just remove his top."

As much as Alexander wanted to cry out, he couldn't. He didn't know what he would do if they knew he was awake. He needed to buy his time. Alexander felt his top being pulled over his head, before being lifted from the ground in a kind of bridal carry. He was gently placed on a cool bed before the hands left his body.