What Lurks Within // Minho (O.H.)

05 ; friend or foe

One Year and seven months cont.

Two nights later, Leo attempted to sneak out of the Med-shack.

Clint was supposed to be watching Leo, but his head was lulled to the side, and drool dripped from his chin. Leo tossed the covers over his legs and stood slowly. He blinked harshly to try and dissipate the dizziness slowly rushing over his body like pins and needles.

Leo kept his eyes on Clint as he made his way over to the counter and cabinets.

He opened the right door of the cabinet and stared in the little mirror taped to the inside of the door. He gently pulled the gauze and bandages from his brow. With a small wince, he dabbed it and then discarded it in the trash. He pulled a fresh bandaid from the box and tapped it to his head.

He still needed gauze, but he had no desire to pull it from a bin and use scissors.

With one last look at Clint, he opened the door slowly to avoid any loud creaks from the hinges. He closed it and carefully turned the latch back in place. He sighed in relief and peered at his watch. It was one in the morning. No one should be up.

Leo felt suffocated the past few days. They were treating him like Fine China. They never let him leave the bed, but if he did, then he needed a babysitter. He had a bedtime, too. Luke insisted, but Leo suspected it was just because he was having a little too much fun being in charge while Leo was still healing.

They also wouldn't let him work in the Map Room, claiming that his concussion would inhibit all progress. Leo complained for hours but finally decided to shut his mouth and act like he gave up.

He never would. Leo does things his way, or not at all.

He gave the Griever appendage to Minho for safekeeping, and that was his first goal of the night: retrieve it from Minho's room. Then he'd head to the Weapon's Room, barricade the door, and work all night and day.

He strolled into the Homestead and up the rickety stairs. Along with all of the other boys, he had memorized all of the places there were creaks. So, he followed the pattern up the stairs and down the hallway to the last room on the left.

Percy made rooms for the original six and added as many as he could for the others. However, most boys elected to sleep outside in the hammocks since it was the perfect temperature. Leo hardly slept in his room. It felt like a cage to him for some reason.

He liked the hammocks, but the other boys hated sleeping next to him because he spoke in his sleep too often. Most nights, he'd fall asleep in the Med-shack. The only reason he hadn't completely gotten rid of his room in the Homestead is that it was a great place to store his journals and other valuable pieces of paper that held his theories.

Leo placed his ear against the door to determine if Minho was asleep. When he didn't hear anything after a minute, he twisted the knob and opened it a crack. He stayed silent and strained his ears. So far, so good.

Leo opened it the rest of the way and entered silently. He glanced around to see where the boy could have hidden it.

His first bet was under the bed, so he dropped to his hands and knees and then rolled under. He slid his hands along the frame and frowned when he didn't feel anything. He crawled out and then crept over to the small dresser.

He looked through the four drawers but only saw spare clothes and soap. He picked up a stray piece of paper and unfolded it. His eyes widened in shock, and he has to read it over again.

It was the silly poem that he wrote the boy a few weeks after they got here. The paper was worn and had small ink smears in the corner with frayed edges. Every other line was full of insults and jeers, so he wondered why Minho kept it.