Mailboy (Wattys 2015 Winner)

23. Breakeven

Once I had gotten back in bed, I sat up on the pillows Nico had arranged. He put the tray on my lap and pushed the bowl of steaming soup towards me. The heat dissolved of the cold temperature in my body.

I took the spoon and ate the soup slowly. There was no denying, it was delicious, despite the fact that I couldn’t smell any of it. There was chicken and vegetables, warming my throat.

“Thank you,” I said, giving Nico a smile. He had taken a chair and sat next to my bed, taking out two pills of some medicine. He opened a bottle of water.

He gave me the bottle and the pills, “You’re welcome.”

“How did you—I mean like how do you—” I said, after swallowing the pills and water. I trusted him with whatever he was giving me, he seemed like he knew what he was doing.

“My mum’s immune system was weak. She got a fever every month and dad worked during the weekends sometimes. Someone had to take care of her.”

Statement of the day: Nico B. Forrest was a sweetheart.

After blowing my nose for the tenth time in two hours, I melted into the bed once more, “Thanks again. Wake me up in an hour; I need to get ready for the ceremony.”

“It’s in five hours,” he protested, “Why would you need that much time to get ready?”

“Because,” was my only response before drifting off.  

A while later, I had my eyes closed but I was half-conscious of what was going on. The chill in my body had been replaced by unbearable heat. I threw the covers off me and tried to stop sweating. The door swung open and I heard Walters&Bea come in.

“She’s sick, isn’t she?” said Walters, patting my hair and feeling my forehead.

“Yeah. I’ve done all I could,” said Nico. “She’s burning up again though.”

“Try putting the towel method,” offered Walters. “Bea, honey, would you?”

“No,” said Nico, “I’ve got her. I don’t want any of you to get sick.”

“But you’ll get sick,” objected the tender voice belonging to Bea.

Nico chuckled, “I’ve dealt with this enough to develop a wall against it. Don’t worry about it.”  

Walters mumbled something to Bea about wanting to talk to Nico. They thought I was asleep. I cracked my eyes open the slightest bit. Walters took a seat on Nico’s bed. I could feel my hair curl up because of the excessive warmth through out my body.

“Can you take care of her?” asked Walters.

Nico rolled his eyes, “Of course I can.”

“I hope she’ll be fine before tonight,” commented the mailman.

“Me too.”

“I wanted to tell you something,” started Walters, “How did Zoey ask you to come here with her?”

Nico scrunched up his face, “She demanded me to come with her. She said I had to, since I was helping her with the mail.”

“Kid, the mail invitation only extends to one delivery person and whomever you want to bring with you.”

Walters, I mentally whined, Can you not?

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That means she could have invited Skye, Lucy, her mom or anyone else. Yet she chose you.”

Thank you, Walters.

“And?”

Walters groaned in frustration, “You’re so dense, Nico.”