The Forest

-32-

"Sydney?"

She jolted into the room. The ceiling light dazzled her eyes and for a few moments she wasn't sure where she was. A chill hung in the air. Her mouth tasted dry. Pink boots that were bright enough to blind someone smiled a good morning when she opened her eyes.

Nica stood over her, anxiously peering at where she lay sprawled on the sofa like a dead thing. Sofa. She was at work.
Her throat was sticky. "Nica?"
The girl gave her a wide berth as she sat up. Her creased brow conveyed concern. "Are you alright?"
The tone would suggest she didn't look it.

Sydney groaned and tried to blink grains of sleep from her eyes. The numbness in her arm told that she had been laying in the same position for too long. She had a recollection of settling on the sofa, afraid to disturb the small bundle in her palm, but that seemed like only a few minutes ago.
Fleur. Panic ploughed through the cobweb of sleep, but there was no need. The small girl remained undisturbed in her palm.

Her student watched her wake up without comment. Nica's long hair was pulled into a braid only the deftest of fingers could weave, flowing over one shoulder and exploding into a rainbow of colour at the tips. She had made sure to dress appropriately for the cold by sporting her favourite summer attire. Though, she had remembered to bring gloves, to her credit. They were pink too.
Sydney would have smiled had she not been so dazed.

How long had she been laying here? She touched the watch's face, but its battery had run down. The battery that should have lasted all day.
Dread spread slowly as she looked to the darkened window. "What time is it?"
Nica watched her scramble for her phone with a tight brow, "Around four?"

Sydney stilled. She touched a hand to her forehead. Was it really that late? It couldn't be. But indeed, the light beyond the blinds had dimmed, the shadows shifted. Four o'clock; which meant she had been asleep for over three hours. Only now did she find the hair stuck to one side of her face, feel the imprint of the sofa in her cheek.
She cursed herself. Stupid to have fallen asleep, shameful to have done so with the little life in her hand. By now the best of the daylight would have passed.

"I brought you a coffee." Nica said tentatively. "From town?"
There was no small amount of guilt in the offering. Friendly as she was, accidentally assassinating their coffee machine had not earned Nica a lot of popularity points among her and Daniel.
Her outstretched hand offered a plastic cup. The outside was dewed in condensation, the mountain of cream crowned with a straw. Sydney took it delicately. The cold prickled her fingers.
"This is coffee?" She tried to smile while holding it at arm's length.
Nica smiled. "With caramel. You liked it last time."
The drink had a strange off-white tone and was drowned in a sickly-sweet sauce. Ice cubes jostled busily to announce every twitch in her wrist.
'Thank you." Sydney said politely. When Nica wasn't around, she would do exactly what she had done 'last time' and pour it somewhere inoffensive.
"That's okay."

Nica was sipping her own coffee through the straw. She watched Sydney from behind her curtains of raven-black hair. Assessing. So astute underneath that outward nonchalance. Sydney had no doubt she was trying to work out what could cause her to behave so out of character.
She instinctively tucked the little bundle to her chest. Fleur remained dozing, even more starved of sleep than her. Hopefully she would hold that drowsiness until they could slip away from prying eyes.
Again, she cursed herself for falling asleep.

"Is Daniel still here?" Nica asked through a mouthful of whipped cream. "His car is outside."
Sydney frowned. "It is?" But of course it was— he left with Cain earlier. The gloating prick had made sure she was aware they were going somewhere together. They must have taken Cain's car. Regardless— she needed to get Fleur home before worrying about either of them.
She didn't think she would be able to keep her anger in check when she saw Daniel.