Second Shot

Chapter 9

~Toby~

It's been almost a week and Reid still didn't move from the bed he was placed on. It was hard to watch him lay there without anything to remember.

I talked to him, told him stories of what happened the last few days. I hoped he would at least remember me, or maybe Candy. Candy was with him for quite some time before he and I ever talked.

Candy would sometimes come by and give him a rose, a blue rose. They were very popular and only grew in Underfalls. She'd leave him a rose and kiss his forehead before leaving. The triplets come in occasionally to see how the progression is going, and they'd bring me something to eat.

Watching him getting transferred to the body was frightening. When he screamed, it was like feeling his pain.

His body had been modified, cleaned and fixed, but the deep scar that killed him remained. Father said not to bring it up unless he asked, but I told him anyway. I didn't want him to forget what happened. I wanted to get back at Oddison for doing this. I was stupid to think that it would be alright to sacrifice him. I was wearing the locket Candy had given Reid and keeping it for him when he woke up.

I watched Reid's finger twitch and I couldn't help but to smile. He keeps trying.

"Good morning, Reid. I've missed you."

Reid twitched again and I held his hand. He's slightly warmer than the last time I touched his hand. He might be able to move soon.

Soon, Father came in and stood over Reid, his dark eyes scanning him completely before he sighed.

"He's warming up," I informed him. "And he's twitches more often."

Father nodded and patted my head. "He'll be awake soon enough. When was the last time you ate? Have Niko make you something small to eat."

I didn't want to leave, but refusing Father wouldn't have made a difference.

"I'll get a sandwich and come back," I said. Father nodded and I walked out the room. My legs were shaky from lack of use and my eyes burned because of the lighter rooms.

I made my way down to the kitchen and spotted Niko talking to a girl with long curly brown hair. With the way she's facing, I can't see her face.

"You're going to have to explain to your parents why you're suddenly a teenager now," Niko scolded, his teeth clicking hard.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to help," the girl replied. "It's not like anything here is labeled. How was I supposed to know which is a potion and which is an ingredient? And besides, why in the world are there potions in the kitchen!?"

"I'll be sure to get things labeled correctly so that you don't accidentally de-age yourself," Niko said with a little laugh. The girl hugged Niko and he hugged her back, and then he looked up to see me and broke the embrace.

"Hey, Toby! I'm going to assume your hungry, right? I'll get you a sandwich or something, how about that?" He rushed to the fridge and started pulling things out.

The girl turned around and gasped. Her blue-green eyes scanned me and then I gasped, too. She looks a lot like Dusk, and I could recognize that mischievous grin anywhere.

"Hey, grandma. It's me, Skye," she said with in sheepish tone.

"Skye!?" I exclaimed, staring at her incredulously. I wouldn't have believed her if it weren't for her similarities to her parents. "What did you do? You were a baby yesterday!"

"I wanted to help Niko make something to eat and I grabbed a bottle off the shelf, but I ended up knocking it over. It spilled on me and then poof," she wiggled her fingers. "I'm older."