Deliverance [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty-Two

I tried to focus on the logic behind it, but fear knew no logic. Fear was naturally irrational, and naturally powerful. It seized my entire being as I trembled violently, grabbing onto the nightstand to keep my balance as the room swayed and tilted. I tried to ground myself, tried to focus on one thing in the room, but my adrenaline was too ramped up. I felt like I was having a massive breakdown, and it only got worse when I heard the door to the room open.

I grabbed the nearest thing to me, which happened to be a lamp, tore it out so the cord whipped me in the legs, and threw it at whoever was coming around the corner. It exploded against the wall and I heard a yelp of surprise, turning around to see Arikos stepping back from a silver tray he'd been carrying that fell to the floor, causing the glass cups on it to shatter to pieces. The sound of everything breaking slammed me back into reality and I realized I was standing in the middle of one of the guest rooms in Lucifer's palace.

No ugly rotting walls, no moldy pieces of carpet, no iron chair, no filthy bed or discarded clothing. Tiberius wasn't here. But the IV was still standing by the bed and my skin crawled as I clutched at the bit of blood on my arm from wrenching the IV needle out wrong.

"Menoetius," Arikos said, looking stunned, "What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing," I stammered, then clenched my teeth and took a deep breath, "Nothing. I just... I had a nightmare." Arikos studied me for a moment, cautious, before he moved around the mess to take a step toward me and I took one back, bumping into the wall. I grimaced, then blinked a few times to try and fight the dizziness swimming in my head.

"You should be laying down," he said, then frowned as he saw the mess around the bed, "Did you get sick?"

"I'll clean it up," I said absentmindedly, moving toward the door to the bathroom. Arikos quickly moved toward me, but I shied away from him when he reached for my arm and he looked hurt.

"Don't touch me," I said sternly, then hesitated at his expression, "Please. I'm really, really tired of people touching me." Arikos's expression softened, almost like he understood, and I'm sure he did in someway considering his own experience with people. Unfortunately, Arikos had somehow managed to become immune to the creeping crawling sensation touch had given him. Right now, however, I still felt disgust when someone got near me.

"Okay," Arikos said gently, "But let me clean it up."

"It's fine, I got it." No sooner had I finished speaking did Arikos wave his hand, and all the mess was cleaned up, including the broken lamp and tray. I cut him a dry stare and he just smiled.

"I didn't feel like arguing with you. You can be stubborn," and I rolled my eyes at that, making him smile a bit more before he gestured to the bed, "Come on, you need to rest some more. You were really hurt in that rock slide." I frowned, glancing at the bed. Seeing the IV stand next to the bed, though, made me wish I wasn't even in the room anymore. I shook my head and instead tried to go around Arikos to the armchairs sitting by the balcony, but my balance tipped and I stumbled, almost hitting the floor, but Arikos caught my shoulders gently and helped me stand.

I really didn't want to be touched. While my skin didn't crawl in disgust, my heart raced at having Arikos's skin against mine. However, there was no way I could make it across the room without falling over, so I said nothing as Arikos helped me over to the chair and I sat down, grimacing as pains throbbed up and down my back.

Arikos went to the IV stand to move it, and I tensed.

"No," I said quickly and Arikos frowned at that, "I don't need that."

"Menoetius, you were flattened by a ton of rock. You really want this to at least dull the pain."

"I rather be in pain than have that thing in me. I don't want it and I won't take it. I just want to sit here," I answered hoarsely, eyeing the IV stand. If he brought that thing near me, I'd chuck it over the balcony. Apparently Arikos seemed to understand because he released it and came over to sit in the chair beside me as I shifted to try and get comfortable, but no matter what position I took in the chair, my body was in pain.