Gypsy

Chapter 3

·Zara·

I wake to Maddox snoring softly on his pallet beside me. I smile at the familiar sound before another one takes its place, one that is becoming just as familiar but not nearly so comforting. It's Sadie. I can tell by the muffled sound of her cough that she is trying her best to hide it, to keep from waking any of us. But still, it is loud and sounds no better now than it did two days ago.

I roll over in her direction and study her intently. When her coughing fit subsides, I reach out and gently touch her shoulder.

"You okay?" I ask, keeping my voice low so I don't disturb the others.

She stiffens under my hand, as if afraid because I had heard her. Eventually she nods her head, but I'm not convinced.

"Sadie, have you been taking the medicine I gave you?"

She finally rolls over to look at me, her gray hair falling limply over her face. I reach out and brush it tenderly away. I meet her eyes and what I see there terrifies me. There are dark patches under them, like bruises, and the whites are more red than anything else. They are glassy as if she's been crying, but I don't think that's what makes them shine. I reach out and place a hand on her forehead. She's burning up.

"Christ, Sadie. Why didn't you wake me up?"

The older woman just shakes her head and opens her mouth to speak, but instead of words coming out there is only more of the deep, wet cough that speaks of something much worse than a cold.

I rise up from my pallet, step over Maddox, then squat down next to Andre. I shake his shoulder gently and say his name, but he swats at my hand in his sleep. I lean down as I shake him again and whisper in his ear.

"Wake up, Andre. I need you to go get something for Sadie."

His eyes finally crack open at the mention of her name, and he eyes me sleepily. "What?"

"I need you to run to the pharmacy. She's got a fever, and I think it's a pretty bad one."

Andre sits up, then turns to look quickly in her direction. He looks back at me, his eyes widening just a little. I nod at him then dig in my pocket for a little bit of cash.

"I'd go myself, but I can't. I have to be on the other side of the city this morning, and I can't be late. Can I count on you?"

"Like you even have to ask."

I smile fondly at my friend. He's young, only seventeen, but already he's more responsible than most of the fully grown men I've ever met. I press the money into his hand then close his fingers around it tightly. I tell him what to buy and he repeats it back to me before I let his hand go.

He gets to his feet and starts away but stops before he gets very far. He turns back to me and gives me a half smile.

"Good luck today, Gypsy."

"Thanks. Now run!"

He nods his head at me, turns on his heel, and does exactly that. I don't have to tell him how important this is...he already knows. When I can no longer see him, I turn next to Maddox. He's not nearly as easy to wake up as Andre, but after a few tries he's finally sitting up and staring at me. I tell him about Sadie and where Andre has gone, and the concern I feel is mirrored in his eyes.