Accolade

chapitre quatorze

Perhaps it would get better. 

 I hadn't seen or heard from Lucy since the last time she had come to visit. I didn't know if she knew what had happened at the studio but I would rather forget it altogether. Auden had tried to ask me what was going on, and I just told him that my career was over. Perhaps when my heart didn't hurt so badly, I could tell him what really happened. 

Speaking out loud seemed to be the hardest. 

River was overly observant. He knew when I ate, how much I ate, and what time. I didn't always see him throughout the day but he still knew. Auden made sure I kept taking my painkillers, as Dr. Welch insisted, and I wasn't feeling any pain. Warren was a lurking presence, mimicking a shadow that never left. He didn't always talk, and I often saw him sketching, but he didn't run. 

On this particular day, River had a business meeting of some sort and left earlier this morning. Auden had been invited to a fashion show happening somewhere in New York City, it wasn't a huge one, but he still agreed to go. That was after he had initially declined. As soon as he told me about it, I had insisted that he go and have fun. 

None of them should put their lives on hold for me. 

As it was, only Warren remained. 

He hadn't really left my apartment since he had arrived here, aside from that one night, but I don't think he really minded. He seemed to enjoy the solititude. It wasn't until I asked him earlier, when he had been sketching at the kitchen counter, that he told me he was actually working. 

He was drawing tattoos for his company. Essentially he was working from home, at a long-distance. 

I had never known. 

He had gone to take a shower not long ago and I decided to clean my apartment. I didn't know the last time I had swept the floor, or dusted my shelves, or washed my windows. I put myself to work to keep my mind occupied. I had done it my whole life. Work ethic was my surivial. 

I was bent over wiping down the coffee table and putting away the coasters when I went to stand upright, and the dizziness overwhelmed me. 

I tripped over the rug trying to stabilize myself and lost my balance. My left arm shot out and grabbed the corner of the coffee table for stability but my right arm was knocked against the stand beside my couch. "Ow," I murmured and rubbed the sore spot. I sat on my floor for a moment until I didn't feel so dizzy. 

When the spell passed, I continued cleaning. I made sure to be slower in standing up and not bend over, as I figured it sent too much blood to my head. 

After a little while, I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and caught sight of something. I curiously turned my arm over, and then my breath caught. 

I stared at my arm in horror.

I could have sworn I only bumped it a short while ago, and now the skin had darkened to horrible colors of blue and green. It covered a good portion of my forearm, where I had accidentally knocked it against the stand, and I couldn't believe it.

Another wave of dizziness hit me.

This time I felt my pulse spike as it hammered against my throat, wrists, and forehead. Tiny white spots appeared in my vision.

"Aida? You okay there?"

I thought I had turned toward whoever had spoken but I promptly lost my balance for the second time today. It was like my entire universe twisted off its axis and I went spiraling with black stars trying to overtake my vision. I was saved from hitting the floor as arms quickly wrapped around my waist and pressed my back against their chest.