Birds || Fuenciado

Chapter 21: Things Much Better Left Alone

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I say quickly as they arrive before me. "What happened?"

"He had a tonic seizure," Nick explains softly, far more rational than me, "just when we got off the bus. He says he's fine but he hit his head a little."

"Come here, buddy," I say gently, leaning over the counter and beckoning Mike forwards. He doesn't look well at all - eyes narrowed, squinting them, clearly in pain from the fall, and pale as anything, confused and shaken. Gentle, making sure he understands what I'm doing, I take his hand that's pressed to his head and remove it. "It's alright, let me see."

He hasnt cut it very much - it's just a minor graze, but it's come up in a bump from the impact, so I ask Patrick to fetch the first aid kid and then abandon my post at the counter, leading the group over to their booth table.

"How was your day at school anyway?" I try for a little joyousnous in Mike's silence, directing my question at the other two. Jordan smiles and shrugs, running a hand through his hair.

"It was fine," he bubbles. "I got hit by a dodgeball in sports. That wasn't so fun. But I also did a pretty cool practical in Chemistry, so it's all good...I think Mike's day was less enjoyable."

"Oh dear," I sigh as Patrick approaches with the first aid kit, which I take gratefully. "Thanks. Can you cover for me for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing, dude," he nods, and then retreats back to the counter as I open the kit and remove some alcohol wipes and a dressing. Pulling the hanky away from his head again I press the wipe against it, and he flinches away.

"Ow."

"Sorry, trouble. Grit your teeth, okay?" I try again and he winces slightly at the sting, but then relents and lets me clean it properly. "So. What happened today?"

"Same thing that happened yesterday," he mutters listlessly. "And the day before. Turned up at school and got called a glitch walking through the doors. Got to science and he knocked over my beaker of acid so it went all over the desk and I got told off for it. Got to geography and had my seat taken away as I was about to sit down. Oh, it was great - fell flat on my ass and everyone laughed. Teacher wasn't even looking and thought I just fell off the chair. And I couldn't say anything because I said something about it yesterday and he didn't even do anything then."

In my stomach, a knot tightens again - my instinct, once more, is to get pissed; but he doesn't need that right now. He needs some kindness, so I treat his head as gently as possible, placing a bandage over it, and then crack an icepack, wrap it in a napkin from the table and press it against the lump. "And then I had a Goddamn seizure," he finishes. "As if the glitch thing wasn't enough to remind me I'm Goddamn epileptic."

"You aren't a glitch, Mike," Jordan says strongly, and as I wrap an arm around his shoulders I nod.

"Jordan's right. Oh, Mike, I'm so sorry this is happening. Do you want me to do anything? I could go in to see the principal if you wanted, try and sort a new arrangement..."

"She wouldn't care," he dismisses. "She just wants to be efficient. Nothing would change, she'd just tell me to 'talk to a teacher' like she said in the email...it doesn't matter. I just have to deal with it."

"You don't have to deal with it," I assure him, rubbing his arm. "We're going to sort it out."

"I want to tell Mom and Dad," he coughs out, masking the fact that he's starting to tear up, which makes me start to tear up too. "Hell, I just...I just want Mom and Dad. Are they even home tonight? They aren't, are they? They're working. Godssake."

"They're working," I confirm, my heart completely shattering. It isn't even like Mike to be remotely upset, so to hear him desperate for our parents is...just soul destroying. "But you know what? Let's have a nice dinner. You and me, and we'll stay up for them."