Daffodil Sprouts🌼

Ch. 18 ' Leonardo's Trouble.

Leo's hand is on his face— his now red face. He looks like someone about to explode from rage. His expression; it's worth the dizziness I feel, but I'm not so sure about the ache that starts ravaging my head. Then it gets worse.

I shut my eyes tightly and stumble. Cut off from the world, I try to balance myself but fail. Eventually, my legs betray me and I fall.

"Yesmi."

"Yesmi," the voice is urgent this time, and it's accompanied by a shove.

"Yesmi."

One moment it sounds vaguely familiar, and the other it sounds distinct.

"Yesmi, get up."

Grandma! Grandma?
Despite the excitement that fills my body, my eyes slide open in the softest way possible. To my utmost delight, it's her.

"Grandma," I exclaim, tears rushing to my eyes. "It's you."

The lines on her forehead deepen. "What are you  saying?"

Despite being confused, the smile on my face remains. "What do you mean by that?"

Her eyes become lost. "Yesmi?"

I open my mouth to ask why she's calling my name when my head is on her lap and her eyes are staring at mine, but like a nightmare, her face begins to fade. I shake my head and the world turns blurry. Certain it's my eyes acting up, I ignore the ache and shake my head again. My vision clears, but instead of Grandma's face, it's Sam's I see.

Her nervous-looking eyes peer into mine. "Smi?"

"Sam," I reply dejectedly.

She grins and looks up. Another face comes into view, eyes big with anxiety and joy.

"Mal," I say, answering a question she never asked.

If it were possible, Sam's grin would widen. "We thought we lost you," she cries. "You were sounding crazy . . . or do I resemble your Granny?"

I neither bother to answer Sam nor return their smiles. For all I care, they're both responsible for terminating the one chance I had to see Grandma. I pull away from Sam's lap in a jolt, and an ache sends me reeling back into it.

"Oww," I yelp, touching my forehead.

"Sorry," Sam consoles. "What's wrong?"

"I have this bad headache."

Sam shoot daggers at Leo with her eyes, and it's hostile enough to make him shift back. His left cheek is still a bright shade of pink.

"I'll get back to you for whatever you did to her," she snarls.

"I did nothing," Leo whimpers, a failed attempt at a growl.

Sam's glare became colder. "We'll see about that."

Mal, now kneeling opposite Sam and next to me, places a hand on my forehead. "We have to go to the sickbay."

I almost nod, but immediately stiffen my neck, realising that would send an ache bolt to my head. "Yes."

Sam places my left hand around her neck and Mal does the same with my right hand. Together, they pull me up. After Sam gives Leo a glower that's enough to make him move back further and crash into his bike, we leave the scene.

———

The surprise on Stelly's face when we enter the room is almost heart-wrenching, reminding me I would be fine if I didn't act stupid.