Aydan called my father. Apparently he and my father had some form of understanding that extended to not questioning Aydan's judgement about the surgery. I was still locked in the cellar for the rest of the weekend but since it was now Monday I was permitted to go to school.
I did my best not to walk as stiffly as I felt. My entire body ached from being crammed into the small cellar for so many nights in a row but it was my back that was the real star of the show. It throbbed and spasmed each time my foot came down too hard on the gravel driveway. By the time I made it to Cameron's car I was ready to give up on the day and turn around. The only thing that kept me going was that I knew staying home wasn't a real option. I'd be put back in the cellar and I didn't want to face the darkness again so soon. I sank into the backseat of the car, pulled the door shut, and plopped over very carefully onto my side.
"Uhhh dulzura..." Tao said turning around in his seat to face me. "Are you sure you should be going to school today? It looks more like we should be headed to the doctors."
"No..." I whined but didn't move. I didn't want to go to the doctors or to school. I just wanted to go to bed.
Tao and Cameron exchanged a worried glance.
"Are you saying no to the doctors or no to school?" Cam asked.
I sighed and forced myself to sit up. Being a baby about my pain was no way to show them that I was alright or that I could pull my own weight on the team.
"No doctors. I'm fine." I said.
"You don't look fine cariña. You look exhausted and hurt." Tao said.
"I am." I agreed. "I'm tired and sore and I just want to sleep but I don't need a doctor and I can't miss anymore class."
Cameron and Tao exchanged another glance. Cameron gave a slight nod and Tao looked back at me.
"Ok, lay back down dulzura." Tao said. He shifted around and pulled his jacket off. The prospect of warm sleep kept me from trying to argue. I sank back down across the seats and Tao draped his warm leather jacket over me. I closed my eyes and let the warmth lull me to sleep. A quick nap before class sounded like a perfect solution.
I drifted back from my light sleep when Cameron shut the car off. Even with my mind being groggy I could tell that we were not at school. We were at Aydan's. I sat up as fast as my stiff body would allow and glanced around before glaring at the two in the front seat.
"What's going on?" I demanded.
"A compromise." Tao shrugged. He and Cameron both climbed out of the car and I was forced to follow in order to get answers.
"What compromise?" I asked.
"Aydan's compromise." Cam said. "Since you are not feeling well but you don't want to go to the doctor we have to check in with Theo."
"I don't wanna check in with Theo." I whined.
Tao snickered as he held the door open for me. I glared at the stairs and then at Tao. His amused smirk didn't waiver and my glare dropped down into a defeated pout.
"Do you want me to carry you?" Tao asked.
"No."
I didn't want to be carried up the steps like a child. I didn't even want to be here. I stomped up the first few steps which was a giant mistake. The jarring movements sent my back into a crippling wave of spasms. I sank down on the steps as carefully as I could. I didn't want to fall down the stairs. The last thing I needed was another ridiculous injury.
"Woah dulzura what's going on? What happened?" Tao asked from next to me.
"My back. Cramps." I managed.
"Ok, lets get you up so Theo can help." Tao tried to help me up but the movement made the spasms worse.
"No. Don't." I cried out. Tao stopped immediately but hovered unsure what to do.
"What's going on?" Another set of footsteps sounded on the stairs from above us but I didn't look to see who. I was too busy trying to keep myself together.
"She said her back is cramping." Tao said uncertainly.
There was some shuffling and then someone slid their hand underneath the back of my shirt. The hand pressed down against the radiating pain in my back. It flared up for a moment and then faded out to a dull roar. I let out a shaky breath in relief. The hand under my shirt shifted and began rubbing gently around the area.
"This is exactly what I was worried about. She's doing too much and it's starting to catch up physically." Theo said quietly. "She shouldn't be going to practice every single day on top of everything else."
I peeked out just enough to see that he had taken Mateo's place and was the one currently rubbing my back. I sighed and closed my eyes again.
"I don't think practice is the only culprit here." Aydan said. "Baby..."
Aydan paused and I knew that he wouldn't continue until I looked up at him. I opened my eyes and focused them on him. He was kneeling only a step above Theo and I which made looking at him that much easier.
"Were you in that closet all weekend?" Aydan asked.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. They weren't going to like my answer but I had to be honest with them.
"Mostly." I sighed.
Theo's hand was travelling higher and higher up along my back. Every minute he spent rubbing managed to take away more and more pain.
"What else happened this weekend sweetheart?" Theo asked. His magic hand paused in it's rubbing and Aydan leaned forward to see what Theo was looking at.
I shook my head. Being locked inside the cellar was pretty much the extent of it.
"How did you get these bruises?" Theo asked.
I sucked in a sharp breath and pulled away from Theo. I pulled my sweater back down where it belonged.
"Let's go inside." Aydan suggested. He helped me up and the five us made our way up the stairs and into Aydan's house.
"Where's Sab?" Cam asked glancing around.
"Sleeping." Aydan dismissed.
"Now tell us what the hell happened." Theo demanded.
"It was just a stupid accident." I shook my head. Walking up the steps had almost completely destroyed all of Theo's handy work. My back was once again knotting and aching.
"What kind of accident?" Aydan asked.
"My mother pushed me and I slipped into the shelves." I said.
Theo's eyes widened in alarm and he stepped toward.
"Did you hit your shoulder? Let me see." Theo said reaching out.
"You already saw." I said stepping back before Theo could catch me.
"In the dark hallway. I need to see if the bruising goes all the way across to your shoulder. We probably need to go down town for a couple xrays." Theo said.
"No." I said quickly shaking my head. "I don't want to go to the hospital."
I didn't have the strength or the will power to go anywhere. All I wanted to do was lay down and sleep. Nothing else seemed important at the moment.
"We have to make sure your shoulder is still in the right spot." Theo sighed.
"It is. It's fine." I said.
The pain in my back was nothing like the pain in my shoulder had been. And even if there was something wrong with it, leaving it alone for another hour or three wouldn't cause any extra damage. It had made it over twenty four hours already.
"You don't know that." Theo said.
"Yes I do. My shoulder doesn't hurt. My back hurts and my head hurts. Not my shoulder." I said.
"Tori..." Theo sighed crossing his arms.
"Theo..." I said back but didn't cross mine. I didn't want to anger the muscles in my back by stretching them to soon.
"We're going to the hospital." He said.
"Fine. You go. I'm going to bed." I said.
"Tori!" Theo called after me as I walked off toward Sab's room.
"Victoria!" He tried again.
"Let her go." Aydan said.
"She can't just walk off and pretend everything's fine. She's hurt and we need to know how badly." Theo said.
"I agree. She's hurt and instead of lying or hiding it she told us what was wrong and she is choosing who she wants to be comforted by. Maybe it's not the way that we would like but it is better than the way it has been. Let her go." Aydan said.
I didn't hear anything else of importance from the guys when I reached Sab's door so I quietly opened it and crept inside. Judging by the slow heavy breaths coming from the lump on the bed Sab was already fast asleep. I slipped off my sweater and my shoes. I slipped into the bed next him and tucked my feet under the covers. I didn't want to risk waking him up by pulling on the blankets. Already the soft bed was a thousand times better than the cold closet. I had almost completely relaxed when Sab suddenly shifted. His enormous arms surrounded me, pulled me against him, and tucked the blanket around me all in one move.
"sladkikh snov lyubov." He mumbled. His breaths evened out within seconds and it didn't take long for me to follow.