The Play

eight.

Again, Adelaide was wordless. Not in a way Nathan could discern, but in a way that conveyed zero emotion. He heard her screwing the disinfectant's cap shut. Frowning, he pushed, "Hello? What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know," Adelaide finally said. "Like, why would somebody watch and say nothing? Shouldn't they notice something's wrong with the actors?"

"Obviously they're not gonna be normal people watching." Nathan twisted back half-way through and gave Adelaide a look that said: can I? Are you done? When she nodded, he completed the turn, aligning his spine with the edge of the bed so that he was facing her again. "Probably more captives."

"I don't know," Adelaide repeated, words lost amongst a hopeless sigh. "But that's so creepy."

"Yeah." Reaching for the underside of his knee, Nathan touched one haphazardly plastered wound then pulled his pants down until he covered his shins again. "Thanks for helping me," he said.

Adelaide's auburn brows furrowed. "Nathan? You look seriously tired." She'd been sitting with her legs tucked beneath her, but now she shifted, throwing her weight on her knees as she leant forwards. It seemed like she was about to touch his forehead. "Actually, you look dehydrated."

"I'm fine." Nathan slumped down, this time minding Adelaide so that he wouldn't jam his feet into her, and leant the back of his head against the edge of the bed.

"Nathan."

Nathan had just closed his eyes but now he opened them again. "Can you stop calling me Nathan? People only use Nathan and Nathanial when I'm in trouble or some shit."

"You're trying to change the subject. And what am I supposed to call you then?"

Nathan maintained a deceitfully serious expression. "Cleopatra."

This had to be Adelaide's most intense what the hell? look. "I . . . I seriously don't understand you sometimes."

"I'm kidding." Nathan laughed, but his throat ached with the effort. "I mean, if it's not Nathan or Nathanial, what do you think it's gonna be? Obviously Nate. Everyone calls me that."

"Oh, Nate. Makes sense." Shaking her head, chin angled downwards, Adelaide laughed quietly and shamefully. "Sorry, I'm slow."

"You're not slow." Nathan shifted until he was leaning his entire side against the bedside, one hand rubbing the side of his face where the Director had slammed into the chords. "We've only done two acts and I'm already done with this bullshit."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Nathan moved his hand up to his hair, tugged at a strand as if to distract himself from the throb tormenting his skull, then let his arm slump back down. He frowned.

"I told you Dolion's married," Nathan suddenly said, looking at Adelaide, who tilted her head in response. "He's cheating. Last time he took the ring off when Luna told him to invite her, and this time he said he feels like he's doing something wrong too. And Luna—"

"Nathan." Adelaide's eyes suddenly picked up the bruising spot along Nathan's temple. "Uh . . . Nate, stop talking. Give yourself a rest. You're tired and dehydrated. When's the last time you even drank water?"