Subject #013 | ✓

Chapter 18

Feeling useless, I tear into the first aid kit Liz had mercilessly thrown to the ground. Inside are the usual: adhesive bandages, cloth tapes, antiseptic and antibiotic packets, roller bandages, gauze pads, and tweezers.

"Antiseptic. Roller Bandage. Gauze." Liz says, reading my mind. I fish them out of the small package and hand it to her. "Keep him awake." She says. "Some people react badly to this."

I nod, moving over to Alix's side. His eyes find mine, and I see something that I'd never ever expected to see in a guy. Especially this one. Pain. The average guy is arrogant, flirtatious, and annoying. AFA. I wish I can tell him it's okay, but it's not.

"Tell....me a story." Alix says, and I bite my lip. "Please."

Liz shoots me a sideways glance, as if to say, what a child, but she doesn't say anything else, she only dips her fingers into the antiseptic and lets out a long breath. My cue.

"Once upon a time..." I begin, surprised to find that my voice cracks. Suddenly, something brushes against my hand, and I tense up, thinking the worst. It's a spider. But, no. It's just Alix's hand, stretching out towards mine...wait, what? I shouldn't let him touch me, but if I was in his place right now, I'm not sure I would care much about who I touch. Before I can regret it, I'm taking his hand in mine and intertwining our fingers, squeezing it gently. Out of the periphery of my vision, I see Liz gently rub some onto the outside of the wound, averting her gaze from us completely. Alix tries not to make a noise, but I can't imagine how much agony he's in. He squeezes my hand so hard it loses circulation for a minute.

"Holy—cheese and crackers!" I hear Alix say, letting out a sharp breath in pain.

Jesus, I'm bad at this. Who uses "Once Upon a Time" anymore? Oh well.

"Once upon a time," I repeat, once Alix settles back down again somewhat. "There was a kingdom made of ice and snow. The kingdom was ruled by a ferocious ruler: a tyrant."

Liz daps at another spot, and Alix tenses, squeezing the feeling out of my hand, but his reaction isn't as nearly as bad as the last one. Maybe he's too caught up listening...

"The queen was slowly dying of an illness, and the loss of her would surely have brought the kingdom down into flames. If not for one person."

Liz rolls her eyes. "Let me guess. You."

I smirk. "You wish. Shut up, this isn't your story."

Liz holds back a knowing grin, before continuing her work.

"The boy wasn't anything special... just a stable boy."

"Ohhh....it's Alix." Liz says. "A stable boy. Impressive."

This time, Alix and I both say the same thing. "Shut up!"

"Okay, okay." Liz says, laughing.

Though she has no right to interfere with my story telling, I find a small grin making its way on to my face.

"The stable boy heard of the plague's appearance in the royal kingdom and immediately hopped on his horse and set out in search of a cure. He traveled for two days straight, before coming across a small cottage at the top of a hill. Famished and filled with fatigue, the boy knocks on the door and is welcomed inside by an old man. Desperate, the boy tells the man all about the struggle at the kingdom. Being a nice elder, the man lets him stay the night. The next morning, when the boy wakes up, the cottage has been emptied of everything except for the covers he slept under. It was like no one was home."

I pause for a moment, recalling the same chain of events that happened a few days ago. Alix must sense my hesitance, because his eyes are filled with concern. I clear my throat and continue.