The Birdcage

Aftermath

"You do not look well."

"Holy shit, I think her lips are blue."

Upon Nyx not turning up for breakfast, her friends had gone looking for her; only to find her sitting on her bathroom floor, that being as far as she'd gotten before she'd just... stopped.
Ronnie and Perry had helped her back to the bed, sitting one either side of her on the edge of the mattress; Jayson following behind them to hang awkwardly around the door. "What's happened?"

"She's blanched white as a ghost!" Ronnie exclaimed, putting a hand on Nyx's cheek then on her forehead to check her temperature.

"I can see her veins." Perry said. "That's a bit more than white."

Nyx looked at the back of her hand; under the surface of her skin, a pattern of prominent blue veins stood out on her arm, trailing up under her clothes. Her hair felt dry and itchy against her neck. She felt sick to her stomach and as thin as tracing paper; one breath and she'd collapse.

"She's shaking." Ronnie noted suddenly, wrapping her arms around Nyx and rubbing her shoulders, pulling her into her warm body; at which point Nyx realised she really was shaking, a cold feeling seeping into her core. "Maybe get an orderly?"

"Here." Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, Jayson drew out a chocolate bar and, reaching out, offered it towards them. "Might be shock- sugar will help."

"Where'd you get that?" Perry asked.

"I have my methods."

Nausea replaced by a sudden wave of hunger as she saw it, Nyx took the bar gratefully; before tearing it open and taking a huge bite of rich chocolate and gooey caramel. As she wolfed it down, he chuckled. "Alright, don't eat my hand."
With some returning humour, she rolled her eyes at him, going in for another bite of the bar; before suddenly, she paused. There in the metallic wrapper of the chocolate bar, was the reflection of a silvery-grey eye- her eye- surrounded by a hollow of pale veins and dark bruising, in a face pinched harsh, as if the skin had been stretched tight over the bones.
Dropping the bar into her lap, she rubbed her face with her hands, agahst at what she had seen; and slowly the life came back to her skin, colour flooding her cheeks. Shakily, she forced herself to take a deep breath- the first of many- and felt her brain spark awake with the influx of oxygen.

"There we go." Perry said kindly, pushing the bar back into her hands and rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Better already."

"Odd though." Jayson commented.

"What happened?" Ronnie asked, sweeping knotted hair back from Nyx's face.

"... It spoke with me."

Short one, I know, but it's what I came up with as a bridge to the next part of the story. That, and it does contain some small but still relevant pieces of information. Hope you enjoy! :)