The Cured

Chapter 32

I’ve seen this in a nightmare...

~•~ Chapter 32 ~•~

My mind was a complete mess. I couldn't comprehend completely what I had just heard and the frustration and worry that had overwhelmed me were too strong to help me think clearly. I sat on the ground with my knees bent, watching as Liam got an injection on Louis who had been puking for the past ten minutes, his face flushed into a deep red color with veins still showing on his neck and forehead.  Harry was sitting down nearby, watching in concern for his friend.

Niall was beside me, listening closely to the voices talking around him. Thomas and Zayn were debating if they should believe what Ed had just told us about the ‘shadows’ a few meters away so that Ed and Cole wouldn't hear them as they bickered at the other side.

“You owe me the truth!” I heard Cole hiss angrily at his brother, who just rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

“You fool - it won't make any difference!” He snapped, scowling at Cole.

“Poor guy, he must feel so lost right now.” Niall muttered beside me, fidgeting blindly with his fingers on his lap. I nodded and mentally slapped myself since Niall can't see me do that.

“Yeah, I would be as angry as him if nobody told me all this time.” J admitted with a shrug, drumming my fingers on my gun that was resting on my lap.

“At least he can see.” He pointed out flatly, cocking his brow momentarily. “Better not to remember than not to see right?” he asked, putting me in a hard decision.

Would it really be better if I forget about everything that happened these days and be lost with my own self, than to be blind? I believe losing your memory is more sufferable than losing your sight. You're still trapped in the darkness, but you can fight through your mind and try to recall some moments, hardly. But losing your sight, is heart breaking.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I replied quietly.

“Liam keeps applying water on my eyes every night and I still can't see shit,” he said bitterly, the corners of his lips curling downwards in dissatisfaction. “I'm a fucking weight for you guys.”

“Don’t say that shit, you're not!” I blurt, looking at him in frustration. “How could you say that? You're not useless - you still shoot better than all of us.” I exclaimed, trying to keep my cool. I didn't want to yell at Niall, but I wouldn't let my friend think of himself that way.

A soft humorless chuckle came out of his lips, “Yeah right, that doesn't make me feel any better, Claire.”

I pressed my lips in a thin line, struggling to find the right words that could make him feel any better but really, after everything we've been through, it's so hard to find something that could actually make us more generous.

“Niall..” I whispered sadly, my face falling into a frown.

“Don't try to pep talk me, Claire, I'm not a child, I'm a fucking soldier, alright? There's nothing you could say that can make things look better than they are.” he spoke the truth.

“I know, I just hate seeing you guys lile that.” I admitted, lowering my head.

“What hurts you the most, Claire?”

“What?” My eyebrows were shot skywards at his question, my head snapping to the side to look at his blank expression as he closed his eyes and leaned against the trunk of the tree behind us.