The Symptoms

A Bullet in My Skull

We had been walking for hours, though it felt like forever. It felt cold, though I'm not sure if that was just because it was December or if it was the disease giving me cold chills. Either way, I was shivering. The clouds threatened to spill rain, maybe even snow, however, based on the color of the clouds, it was likely to be acidic. A long time ago, acidic precipitation wasn't harmful to skin, however now it was so polluted that it can actually burn you if you're not careful

The Slums came into view only moments later, the familiar scent of smog and drugs enveloping us whole. Lucas's eyes teared up and he began coughing, however I was so used to it that it didn't bother me in the slightest. I sigh and lead him down the street inconspicuously, hoping to not draw the attention of the local people by my sudden appearance. However, it didn't seem like anybody actually cared, so that was good. I led him over to my crummy apartment building, guiding him inside so that he was out of the polluted air. Once we made it to my apartment, I apologized.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that you'd probably be more sensitive to the air down here than I am," I threw him a medical grade face mask, "This should help."

He caught it with ease, quickly slipping it on and adjusting his glasses. That's when I noticed that the right lens of his glasses was cracked. I don't know how I didn't see it before, but he was squinting his eyes to see properly. An idea came to mind.

"Hand me your glasses," I murmur. He looked at me confused.

"Why?"

"Do you want me to fix them or not?"

He sighed and took off his glasses, handing them off to me and staring up at the ceiling. I take the glasses and look through the one working lens, scowling slightly. He didn't have good sight at all, it was enough to hinder reading, and it looked like he was short-sighted. The enhancement of the glasses nearly made me go cross-eyed.

"Jeez, you are blind..." I muttered. He rolled his eyes and sat down on my bed, the weight making it creak with age. I saw him jump a little, as if he were scared he broke it for a second. Laughing a little, I continue to examine his glasses. The lens itself was easy to get, we had a lot of glass lenses at the shop that were still in good condition, not to mention we didn't even have to pay for them. However, the problem was finding one the exact shape and density for his current glasses. It might've just been easier to get him a new pair of glasses, however, I was determined to find a lens that fit. I let out a sigh and indicated for him to stand up.

"Have you ever used hovers before?" I ask. He shook his head, his eyebrow twitching inquisitively. I rummaged through my closet, finding an old pair that I hadn't used in a while, and tossed them to him. However, looking him over, I realized an issue. He was still in a Sentinel's uniform.

"We need to get you some clothes. I don't have anything that will fit you, except for a black tank top," I sigh. He sighed.

"I'll take the tank top for now, my pants should be fine," he mumbles. I once again dug through my closet and found a tank top that was a little too big for me, but should've fit him fine. I threw it over and turned around to give him his privacy. After he gave me the signal that he's decent, I turned back around and my breath caught in my throat.

Whoa.

It took me every ounce of self-control in my body to not make a face when I looked him up and down. I think I might have a little bit of an issue, because my entire face burned red. He looked good, ridiculously good, but I obviously wasn't going to let him know that, because I'm too proud to lower myself to that level. Instead, I clear my throat.

"We might need to get you a jacket, if you're not acclimated to the air, it can make your skin itch..." I mentioned, which wasn't exactly a lie. However, it was an excuse, "Plus it's cold outside," I finished. Turning away quickly, I find a jacket of mine in my closet and put it on, to extend the validity of my excuse. He simply nodded, seemingly oblivious to my panic, and put the hover mechanisms onto his boots. However he did mention my reddened state.