The Saviors of Maria

Chapter 5

"Chapter 5"

"He's awake, Arthur."

Arthur snapped out of his odd panic moment, still hyperventilating. His brown snow tracks could be traced in circles across the lobby floor. His arms and legs were shaking madly as he scratched his thighs. He followed his mother into her operating room, seeing the boy sitting on her table. His pale skin was dusted with dark freckles and exhibited a port wine stain painted along his right jawline. His knuckles had small wounds, most likely from picking at scabs.

"Arthur, this is Peter." Charlotte introduced, careful not to upset either party. "Peter, this is Arthur. He helped you out of the snow."

"I told you it's Pup, ma'am." The boy sassed groggily.

Arthur gulped, tightening his throat. His hands shook as he itched his thighs. Pup slid down from his position on the table and stood tall in Arthur's presence.

"Hi!" Pup greeted loudly, making Arthur step away from him slightly from the force of his voice. "Hey, I know you! You are the guy that Mrs. Berth calls the Antichrist!"

Arthur opened his mouth, trying to give a logical explanation. All that came out of his mouth was a high croak.

"You don't look like the Antichrist." Pup interrupted before he could say a word. "You wouldn't have helped me out of the snow if you were."

"Um..." Arthur stammered with a soft voice.

"You don't talk much, you know that?" Pup continued with a smile. "I like you."

Suddenly, Pup embraced Arthur, catching him off guard. He stiffed up as he looked towards his mother with pleadings eyes. Charlotte only gave him a smile and a thumbs up. He whimpered under his breath as the touch was absorbed into every part of his body and stimulating all of them at once. He felt as if he was going to explode to escape the sensation.

Ding.

Someone had entered the lobby of the clinic. Charlotte exited the office to greet them. Arthur and Pup could hear them talking in the room ahead.

"Good evening, Sharon." Charlotte greeted.

"Is it, Charlotte?" The woman asked her with fatigue and worry in her voice. "Is it really?"

"Oh, crap, it's Mom!" Pup whispered, releasing Arthur from his grip to hide behind a desk.

"Peter will be fine." She informed. "He only has a cut on his forehead that needed a couple stitches and a bruised knee."

"Thank the Lord." Sharon sighed. "I thought that he'd-"

"I know." Charlotte interrupted. "I'm a mother too. He's right in here."

Charlotte opened the door, and she waved for Sharon to enter. They glanced around the office, trying to catch a glimpse of the boy with orange hair.

"Peter Jonathan." Sharon called sternly, crossing her arms.

As if by magic, Pup stood up from behind the desk, head bowed in shame. He approached the two women from behind the desk sluggishly, dragging his feet and continuing his trail of brown slush. Pup sniffled and rubbed his eyes. Sharon kneeled to his height.

"Look at me." She commanded him, taking his chin in her hands.

Pup complied, letting his mother examine his stitched wound. Sharon examined his visible skin for more bruises or cuts, pleased to find little else. She turned towards Charlotte with tears giving her eyes the effect of a mirror.

"Thank you, Charlotte." Sharon said to her.

"Don't thank me, Sharon." She responded, pushing her son foreward. "Thank my boy. He found your son in the snow bank."

Arthur turned towards his mother to give her a stern glare. She only continued to motion him towards the stranger named Sharon.

"You did?" Sharon asked him.

Arthur nodded, mute in his caution. His throat tightened as he tried to make himself smaller than he was. He swallowed his saliva with a big gulp. His thoughts were focused, at least trying to focus, on looking pleasant and capable of a compassionate act. Suddenly, the lady embraced him in gratitude, his senses blaring like sirens. Arthur tried again to silently persuade his mother to intervene, but she only gave him a thumbs up and a proud smile.

"Thank you, Arthur." Sharon said to him, her voice cracking.

Arthur hummed in response, nodding his head. His throat tightened and his spine felt like it was being caressed by wicks of flame.

"Sharon!" Charlotte exclaimed, an idea striking her. "Maybe we could have dinner tomorrow night!"

"And after dinner, Pup and Arthur can go off and get to know each other!" Sharon continued, releasing her embrace to Arthur's relief. "I have a fantastic cheese and pineapple casserole recipe I have been dying to try."

Charlotte and Sharon exited the room giggling and gossiping with each other, leaving the boys alone together again. You could still hear the sound of their joyful banter from the next room.

"So...hi." Arthur greeted Pup shyly.

"Do you like Beauty and the Beast?" Pup asked him, saying the name giving him a wide, bright smile.

"I think I heard of it once." Arthur answered. "It's not online, though."

"I have the DVD!" Pup cheered, unable to stand still. "We can watch it tonight if you want. It's my favorite!"

"Okay." Arthur mumbled to the floor. "I can..."

Pup suddenly embraced him harder than before only not for as long. His cheerful squeaks rang in Arthur's ears and sounded eerily familiar. Arthur had heard these exclamations many times before, starting that first day. During recess when Arthur paces about in deep contemplation, he occasionally heard the screams off by the doors near the Girl's Zone of the playground. He had only assumed that the source of the sound was a girl as well.

"This is going to be fun!" Pup enthused, releasing him from his grasp.

Arthur froze in place, watching him as he left. As he stood there, he felt something stirring in his stomach that he couldn't quite identify at that moment. He had eaten plenty that day and nothing that would cause heart burn or a stomachache. He dismissed the feeling. He wrote it off as nothing but social anxiety, something he had occasionally. There was nothing about that boy that was different from any other peer of his in Arthur's mind, yet...