Ares And Mia

Chapter 9

"It seems as if whoever attacked you," Asclepius shifts his fingers against my neck, pressing gently at the hollow in my throat. "Wasn't aiming to just scare you." I nearly roll my eyes at him, but don't have the heart to respond. His fingers were cold against my skin but had an almost soothing effect.  

Ares had left me the second we got to the infirmary, leaving me to explain what happened. When Asclepius saw me, he was fairly appalled. First, because I had only been here for less than six hours, and already managed to get myself hurt. Second, because I showed up with the literal God of War. And third, because I was even still here. Nonetheless, when he saw the bruises, he jumped into action. 

He was around my age--well, at least he looked my age. He had dark eyes and similarly dark hair, accented with a pair of glasses. The infirmary was vast, with patient beds along the walls. He was attractive, with strong features in his cheekbones and face shape, giving him a sophisticated look.

"I'm going to start healing you, so it might feel a bit strange. Okay?" I give him the smallest of nods and he draws back slightly. He closes his eyes before opening them, whispering a single word to himself. I look down at his fingers and I notice that they're illuminated. All ten of his fingers--to the second knuckle--were glowing. He tips his hand upward, reminding me to go back into position so that he could have better access to the bruises. 

I tilt my face toward the ceiling and an odd tingling began to grow at my jugular. It felt like a second pulse, like waves of tingles traveling through my neck to my collarbone and jaw. I could barely feel the skim of his fingertips, but I felt his touch move up to my face. I let my eyes flutter shut as the tingling feeling retreats from my neck and reappear on my cheeks and temples. 

The feeling becomes melodic, almost like a passive rhythm that my blood began to copy as a whole. It seemed to relieve some of my exhaustion and lift my spirits slightly. The tingling sensation travels to the back of my head, making the throbbing of being slammed into the wall go away. 

When he finally finishes, I feel... normal. In less than ten minutes, the amount of time that it takes me to heal from this was reduced to just... ten minutes. What else can he do? Save more lives? Cure cancer? Find the ultimate cure to every single disease out there? 

I open my mouth to speak, but he stops me. "Your vocal cords are a bit strained right now, so take it easy." I nod and move my head carefully, testing for any pain. None. None at all. "I think you should stay here. Have you eaten yet?" I shake my head. He sighs disapprovingly, giving me the impression of an older brother. 

He holds out a hand to me and stands. I let him pull me to my feet from the chair and lead me over to a bed in the corner of the large room. There was a curtain that ran around it, one that wasn't drawn all the way around yet. "You can stay here and rest until someone comes and gets you. I don't want to risk you running into Eris again." 

I nodded and then froze. I didn't say anything about Eris. I barely said anything at all. He regards me with knowledgable eyes, looking down at his watch. "Claw marks like those don't just come from any God, you know. I connected the obvious dots so don't look so surprised." I blinked and nodded. He gave me a nudge toward the bed, drawing the curtains almost all the way closed, only so that I could see him. "Just ring if you need anything." He gestured toward a bell on the nightstand. 

I gave him a small smile and nodded. "Th-Thank you." My voice comes out cracked and airy, but nonetheless, my words form. My throat seems to oppose it, sparking pain that would come from what I would remember a strep throat felt like. He completely closes the curtain, cutting the entire room out of the view, and caging me in. 

I stand there for a few moments before climbing in the bed and closing my eyes. I knew that I was going to need any sleep I can get at this point. I let out a sigh and slipped into a sleep filled with yellow slitted eyes and claws.