Safe Haven

Chapter 20

"Olive!"

Someone was shaking her shoulder vigorously. She grunted and tried to roll away.

"Come on, you gotta wake up. I'm supposed to make sure you're not dead."

Ren's voice. Olive moaned again and waved a hand wildly, trying to push him away.

"Leave me alone," she groaned out, "before I have to beat you with a crutch."

"You're violent when you wake up, you know that?"

"Ren...why are you here? I was having such a good nap."

"Markus wants me to make sure you're not concussed and confused, and I'm supposed to ask you if want dinner."

"Dinner? What time is it?"

"Almost 6:30. Are you concussed?"

"No, but you're about to be."

Ren laughed and resumed shaking her shoulder again.

"Come on, open your eyes already. Let me make sure your pupils are the same size."

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"Nope. Markus's orders."

Olive peeled her eyes open and shot Ren what she hoped was a scathing glare. He merely leaned closer and stared into her eyes.

"Nope, they're the same size. You're good. Are you coming down for dinner?"

"Where's Benjamin?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. He was talking to a few of the warriors earlier and now I'm not sure."

His eyes glazed over for several seconds as he stared blankly at the wall behind her. Before she could ask what he was doing he shook his head slightly and focused on her face again.

"He's in his office but he says if you're hungry he'll meet you here in a few minutes."

"Oh. I'm not really hungry though Ren."

Ren shrugged a shoulder.

"It's okay if you're not, if you wanna just go back to sleep I'll tell Benjamin and he'll just check on you again when he comes up later. Markus said we're supposed to wake you up at least one more time before morning."

Olive groaned and chucked a pillow at Ren.

"You're grouchy when you wake up."

"No, I'm grouchy when someone wakes me and then annoys me."

"I don't annoy you, you LOVE me."

Ren winked at her and Olive chucked the other pillow at him, this time smacking him right in the chest. He clasped his hand to his chest, staggering dramatically backwards.

"I am WOUNDED," Ren cried, dropping to his knees.

"You'll live," Olive retorted, pushing herself up to sitting and readjusting her shirt. "Be a pal and give me my crutches would you?"

Ren stuck his tongue out at her but he did as she requested and brought her crutches over. He hovered around her as she made her way out into the hallway and then paused. She had no idea where she was.

"Um." She looked over at Ren, who was watching her with a smirk. "How do I get back downstairs?"

"Oh I see, you're gonna beat me up and then I'm just supposed to help you?"

"Please?" she batted her eyelashes at him and Ren laughed.

"C'mon. Piggyback ride. You're too slow on the stairs, Grandma." He crouched down in front of her, waiting as she balanced on her good foot and handed her crutches over before hopping onto his back. He carried her just as easily with one arm as he had with both arms that very first night when they'd first met.