Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 3

Her face fell within seconds, her eyelids drooping heavily. Maki watched, horrified, as Lekia fell backward into Neil’s arm. 

“What happened?” she mumbled quietly, barely moving her lips. Neil pulled her into his chest protectively, “You had an episode, sweetheart. But it’s over now, don’t worry.”

“I was talking to Maki…” 

“He’s right here. He brought you to me.” Lekia nodded slowly. It was like she was drugged.

Lekia pushed away from Neil and attempted to stand up. Neil stood up quickly to catch her as she crumpled.

“Why don’t you go lay down on a bench,” the commander told her, leading her over to one. Her legs shook as she leaned on him.

“I’m fine,” she insisted groggily as he helped her lay down. 

“Just go to sleep, sweetheart,” he told her, kissing her forehead. Maki stood up, checking over the arm rest. Lekia was already asleep. 

Neil sighed heavily as he stood up and left the bench. 

“I don’t think she’s been sleeping lately,” he told Maki, rubbing a hand down his face. “Just the other day, Palika was doing his nightly run down the beach and found her thrashing and screaming in the sand.”

“Palika?” Maki asked.

“He’s Lekia’s age and lives a couple houses down from me,” he rubbed a hand down his face again. “He also runs the beach around one in the morning.”

“She was out on the beach at one in the morning?” Maki asked, shocked.

“Yep. That’s not even the first time she’s snuck out, either. I’ve woken up several times to the stairs creaking and caught her on them.”

“And by several you mean…?”

“Around seven. And those were when she first started staying with me. Who knows how many times she's snuck out since she’s perfected it. Every time I caught her, she was further along.”

“Maybe you should put cameras up around the house.”

“No. She’d find them.”

“She didn’t notice the ones Aaron had put up.”

“He’d covered the little red light up with duct tape, and they were only ever used in dark places or places she never went.”

“Oh…” Maki muttered, risking a glance over at Lekia. “She’s that good.” Neil nodded, gazing over at Lekia as well, “She’s that good.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maki folded his hands over his stomach awkwardly. Neil had sent him out with Lekia as soon as the jury had been called back in to make their final decision. Lekia would be ticked when she woke up and realized that she’d missed the final ruling, but it was something she would have to deal with. 

Maki sighed, crossing his arms over his chest this time. As soon as he had sat next to her small form on the bench, her unconscious mind had decided to use his leg as a pillow. He now had no idea where to put his hands without placing them on her.

Screw it, he thought boldly, placing one hand on her waist and the other on the bench beside his leg. No sooner had he done that than the doors to the courtroom swung open. 

And who else but Neil walked out of them first.

Maki quickly folded his arms over his chest again as the commander turned to look at him. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Lekia using his leg as a pillow. He pushed through the crowd now streaming out of the courtroom to get closer to Maki’s bench.