Chapter Four: Sickness (Evon)

Chapter Four: Sickness

Evon

You know, being sick sucks.

Like. Alot. 

Like more than anything else is this f*****g hell hole now known as the world, but hey there was nothing I could do about that. Well...I guess I could have thought ahead and brought an extra battery or something, but heck, its not like I asked to get stranded at the bottom of a depression, or to suffocate on air, or to meet a really strangely attractive black haired Italian boy, like seriously, who does that? ...Well maybe the last one I'm okay with but everything else NO! I mean doesn't everyone expect to be able to go home when they finish at work? Doesn't everyone expect to make it there and back without a hitch? Okay so maybe not everyone but the only ones that don't are like totally paranoid which, at least to me, pretty much spells out to you that they're all f*****g insane, like, who ever feels the need to bring some sort of emergency bag with them no matter where they were needs help, like majorly; I didn't want to end up like that. No siree bob. Nope. Really didn't have that desire. Like. At all. Cause dude, that was just weird.

 Anyway so yeah being sick sucks, and right now I guess you could say I was sick, but like to the max. You know like "HOMG, I THINK I CAN SEE HIS BONE STICKING OUT OF HIS NECK!" sick...though maybe sick is too light word for that then. Is that even sick? That sounds kinda serious, not sure if that fits in the same category of ailments. Was it? I'd have to ask later. So, moving on, I was currently on the kid, Nicoli's, back...I think...though everything from this period was kinda hazy so you can't really count on anything I say being accurate. I'm pretty sure I saw a couple flying unicorns a few moments ago snickering at me from a rooftop if that says anything about my mental state being totally wonky. That and the sky was like the ground and the ground was the sky and everything kinda looked like it had poka dots on it... Like man, I felt like I was on something like really strong, like high off my rocker, like I was never doing the Doritos again. Worse choice of my life letting Dale talk me into that, but that's another story entirely. One you really don't wanna know about. Or even care about. Or am going to talk about so you can just stop there and not even ask.

But hey, you can't really blame me for that though can you? I mean like, I think I coughed up half my lungs, and dude, I felt like s**t. I don't even think s**t begins to describe how bad I had it; right now saying that I felt like s**t seemed like I was saying, "I felt like having a vanilla ice-cream sundae with a cherry on top". I know that sounds disgusting, like, how in the world can you compare s**t to ice-cream, but dude, you don't even know how bad I was hurting right now, saying I hurt alot was an understatement, so yes, s**t currently sounded like a wonderful upgrade compared to my current...super s****y state. I was feeling woozy from blood loss and my throat felt like I just shoved a cheese grater down it, spit it back up repeatedly, ate salt, and then doused it all with alcohol. So yeah it burned, and breathing hurt, and my head hurt, and my legs hurt, and my whole body ached, and I don't even understand that cause like dude, what the hell? This sickness was supposed to be stuck in my lungs, not everywhere else. And wait a minute, why was I even sick in the first place, like wasn't I just supposed to suffocate and die. And if I had gotten another mask on shouldn't I just be able to breath normally?

I inhaled slightly and winced. Ow. Not okay, I didn't like the way my body was rebelling against me, it's just not okay. See, I do actually enjoy being in control of my body, I know it's a big surprise. Isn't it nice to know that when I think arm I don't get leg and that when I think breathe I don't get burn? Actually it's even better not having to think breath but unfortunately that's all I've been able to think about. How it burns so bad, how I want to breath in shallowly, how I want to actually grow gills drop in the water and absorb oxygen like that. I wonder if Julius could come up with something like that if I asked him. He was pretty smart, I mean he did make the outfits we were currently wearing but still. If I could have screamed in agitation I would have, as it was I was having enough trouble just trying to stay somewhat conscious. Nicoli was going to need my help. I couldn't let him fend all by himself just because he dealing with me and my sick a*s. I could never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me, though granted in my current state I was starting to wonder if I could even get myself to stand to do anything.

Probably not, but I'd worry about that later.

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the gentle rise and fall of Nicoli's chest as he carried me, and breathed out my nose; that was a little better than using my mouth, didn't hurt as much, but saying not as much still meant f*****g bad. I was kinda impressed though, I knew I wasn't any lightweight, I mean I was lean, but I was tall and I had muscle; I just didn't know how little frail looking Nicoli was managing to carry me at all, he didn't look like he was supposed to be able to, like at all. He should have keeled over hours ago, but he hadn't, he just kept walking. Kept trucking. I wish I could see his face. At least then I could know if I was hurting him, but then again if I was what could I do about it? I was in no position to walk, it would just eat me knowing that this virtual stranger was struggling to keep me alive and that. Was. Not. Okay.

I was the protector, not the damsel in distress, I wasn't supposed to just sit back and watch as others struggled for the greater good. I couldn't allow that. I guess that was a kinda big me problem, my whole hero complex, but I couldn't help it. After my mother died, and my adopted brother, Tybalt, committed suicide while I was pinned under a steel beam, I just felt a need to protect any and everyone. I couldn't let anyone else feel the way I felt in that moment, I couldn't ever just sit by and take it. Not anymore. The earth may have stolen from me but I would do my damnest to make sure that didn't happen to anyone else. I knew I was deluding myself, everyone had lost someone, there was no one that walked away from the apocalypse scarred, I knew it but I didn't care, I had to tell myself that I was doing something that benefited others, that my struggle would help ease their pain if only a little. 

Otherwise I'd go f*****g insane.

Maybe that's why I was drawn to Nicoli. Because I saw my brother in him. Saw the same dark sadness and guilt running through his eyes as Ty's. Saw the same look, the same emptiness that Ty had before he took his life. Nicoli was suicidal, I knew that, I saw him jump off a four story building, and even though I don't understand why that didn't kill him, it hadn't and he was still alive and I was going to make sure he felt a reason to live. I would not watch another person lose to that darkness. I would save this strange Italian from himself if it was the last thing I did. Ha. See, hero complex. Maybe I was slightly suicidal and it was just my way of justifying getting myself killed. Maybe, it was, maybe it wasn't. A maybe's a maybe and there was nothing more I could about that. No point wasting brainspace wondering whether or not a maybe would come true. It was just one of the many in a long list of things not to think about. Though that was kinda hard when all I had for distraction was pain and LSD looking hallucinations. All that really remained were my thoughts. Sucks balls right?

So I was left thinking, thinking about all the little things, all the little worries that I could usually keep at bay with busy work, handiwork, but couldn't right now. The guilt. The things I had seen, the what if's the maybe's they all came boiling back up. It was like some weird form of PTSD, or maybe it really was and I just didn't realize it, either way it wasn't pleasant. I know that I wasn't the only one, I knew that even the happiest looking of us had our own dark shadows, our own ball and chain... Ah hell now I'm getting all poetic and depressing and s**t, and dude, in case you haven't noticed I hated being a downer.

Anyway, so I got to thinking, and thinking led to contemplation and my thoughts wandered to a certain short, black haired, lad that I had met recently. I know I hadn't really said anything about it, but I was curious about why he was so different from the rest of us, from me. How it was he could jump off four story roofs and live. How he didn't wear a mask and still remained standing, seemingly okay. I knew I probably should have been scared, I probably shouldn't just trust so easily, but could he really be that bad? He saved my life, or rather he was saving my life, he could have just left me to die, he could've just killed me the moment he was on top of me. I could tell he was used to doing what he'd done, he was used to taking life, I could see it in his eyes, and it made my heart ache that someone so young had to do such low things to stay alive. Granted, I was young myself, only nineteen, but I'd heard about some of the horrors of Victoria's camp, how she had a group of highly skilled assassins to do her dirty work, how when things were desperate they'd resort to cannibalism. Had Nicoli ever participated in that? I hoped not. It made me sick just thinking about it.

I knew that the entire power hierarchy of their group was built on who was strong and who was weak. The strong dominated, the weak obeyed. The fact that Nicoli had to have been apart of that, with his seemingly weak form, made my blood boil. He would have had to work even harder to earn their respect. It just wasn't okay. I coughed and I felt Nicoli's head turn before we stopped. With a grunt he lowered me to the ground. Ow. Even the gentle jostling was almost enough to make me scream. I could feel the weight of fluids inside my lungs. God, if I was bleeding internally I was screwed,...though I didn't see how I could not be, it seemed pretty obvious, but still, I could hope right?

I heard Nicoli kneel by my head and crack his neck before lifting my face into his lap. Slowly I opened my eyes. Nicoli was looking the other way, reaching behind him and unstrapping a canteen from his waist. I think my eyes widened at that. He'd had a canteen? Since when? How couldn't I have noticed that? 

He turned and looked at me, his expression seemingly void of any feeling, stoic, a perfect poker face, the pinnacle of apathy, but his eyes betrayed him, showing just a fraction of emotion, of worry. Nicoli held my gaze a moment before moving the mask on my face up a fraction so my mouth was exposed, leaving my nose in its confines so I could still breath. "Drink." He said thrusting the canteen to my lips.

I stared blankly at him, my mind moving at one mile per hour, what the f**k had he just asked me. Drink? What the hell was drin- Oh! Water, throat, coughing, yeah great, good, wonderful, the elixir of life but uh...NO! Throat burns!!! Drinking anything is not going to end well.

I shook my head minutely. No way in heck I was going to drink anything at the moment. Nicoli sighed and pushing the canteen to my lips again. "Drink it." 

"No," I croaked out. "...Burns...too...much."

The Italian pinched the bridge of his nose and mumbled something in his native tongue before fixing me with the fiery glare that I had gotten to know so well, in the, you know,  three hours I hand known him. Cause that was such a long time. Definitely enough for me to know everything about him, though it wasn't hard cause you know that was like his default expression; glaring. That and scowling, or frowning, or just generally looking pissed, or annoyed or irritated. Though that might have had just a little bit to do with the fact I had just like pushed myself on him. But hey, no one could resist some of this sexy hunk of man. You know...cause I was totally attractive with sweat pouring off my head and blood spilling from my lips, totally Vogue worthy right? Probably not, but hey my ego needs some stroking every know and then too

.

"Hey....what are....you....do-!" Nicoli made a face and pinched my nose, and I tightened my mouth. I could see what the little dick was trying to do and there was no way in hell I going to let it happen. Nope, not gonna happen, I was going to just learn how to breath another way, through I don't know, osmosis, cause yes, that was definitely gonna work. Nicoli smirked, well I think he did, it was really hard to tell with him since everything he did was just really, really f*****g subtle, the b*****d, as my mouth finally opened and he shoved, and no I'm not exaggerating, it was a merciless push; he shoved, it was not a gentle process, the water down my throat. My eyes welled with tears and I had to fight the urge to strangle him. Granted the reason I probably didn't was because I was actually physically beyond the capacity to do so, which as I said before sucked! 

Though thinking back on it, I wouldn't even be laying here if my lungs hadn't gotten fucked up in the first place. Ah, the wheel of fate is a cruel a*s mother. A total BAMF!

I sniffed, and Nicoli's smirk widened just a little, enough so that I could actually say for certain he was smirking, the sick f**k, enjoying my pain and agony. "See, that wasn't so bad." Nicoli patted my cheek, his annoyingly sadistic smirk still plastered to his face. Oh this kid was wicked.

I wanted to say yell something snarky back to him. Maybe some growly action, but like no, that was out, my lungs probably looked worse than a smoker with a cold, which...looked pretty bad, that one time at the science museum was enough to prove that to me. That and Dr. Oz, or whatever his name was, my mom used to watch that show, I think she had a bit of a crush on him. Never saw the appeal. 

But anyway, I couldn't go growly, mc. growl pants on him soo I settled for the next best thing; glaring. Nicoli just laughed, it was a surprisingly happy sound, his face lit up in a much more attractive and pleasing way when he did. Oh god no, not going down that train of thought. He. Is. Not. Allowed. To. Be. Hot. In. My. Mind. He tried to freaking kill me! Okay so that was an exaggeration, the water did help, I wasn't as wonky, but the pain was soooo not worth it. Of course he would laugh though, he was the glare master, I probably just looked ridiculous, totally, absolutely, ridiculous. Sick boy trying to glare in a scary way to a dude who makes a career out of being mysterious was probably not the best idea.

The black haired Italian, brushed the hair out of his eyes and re-placed the mask over my face. "Ah, is the dude angry?" He cooed. Hell no, the little b***h was making fun of me now! If only I could stand and not see giant purple elephants on pogo sticks I'd totally have punched him in the gut and been on my way. F**k. I just realized that this was totally my fault. If I hadn't gone down that depression I wouldn't have ended up seeing Nicoli, and I'd be safe and warm inside a nice purified air space. FML. F**k it all! Ah hell, worse mistake of my life, deciding to check on a "dead" boy. Never again. Never, ever, again. Next time he can just sit there and be all alone like he wanted in the first place. I rolled my eyes since there was nothing else I could do.

Nicoli looked behind me, his smile fading, his face returning to its default poker face, and pushed me into a sitting position. God he was serious. Why so serious? "I'm going to pick you up." It wasn't a statement, it was a fact. The kid didn't take no for an answer. I grunted in response and he hoisted me awkwardly onto his back with a huff then continued walking. 

"B-battery..." I managed after a couple blocks.

Nicoli grunted in response. I groaned and tried again. "Charged...test it..." I realized he still had no idea where we were going and wandering aimlessly wasn't going to help me. Call me selfish, but like hey, I'd really prefer not having like an infection in my lungs and end up with only one by the end of it. I really liked being able to breath, it was just kinda a given, breathing felt good. Kinda like a good pee after you really had to go. The relief is just....Ah.

Nicoli leaned against a wall and checked my battery life. Fifty-Percent. Well it was a start. I felt him hesitate and he bit his lip, it was cut, when had that happened? And why did his blood seem to have a slightly gold tinge to it? That...that wasn't normal was it? I shook my head. Totally hallucinating, that was impossible, blood was not going to glitter like jewelry, or have a multi colored sheen to it. God being I hated this. Not being able to trust my eyes was aggravating. 

Finally Nicoli sighed in exasperation. "Merda." The boys shoulders tensed, and I felt the hidden muscle beneath them. His face was tinged a slight red. "Turn it on."  He stated gruffily.

"W-what...?" My voice sounded dead to my ears. 

Nicoli's blush deepened. "I don't know how it works; show me the map."

I felt realization creep on my face and mumbled. "O-oh."

Luckily my arms were already close to each other so it wasn't too much trouble to just tap the small circle on my wrist that opened the holographic interface. Nicoli's eyebrows raised in surprise and I opened the map feature showing a fully functional three dimensional image. Thank god we were still close enough to pic up the camp's signal. 

I watched as Nicoli studied the map, his brow furrowed, eyes darting over streets, his mind looking like he was thinking really hard about something.

He nodded to himself. "That's enough. Turn it off."

I obliged and Nicoli pushed off the wall, lifting me higher onto his back.

 

We walked on, or rather, Nicoli walked and I lay there like a limp sack of potatoes on his back, sticking mainly to main streets, avoiding alleyways and crowded avenues as much as possible, probably because he didn't want to jostle me too much. I couldn't be certain about that, but it would make sense. I mean even I was getting annoyed at hearing myself gasp, or groan every time the dude walked over a pebble. It was f*****g ridiculous. Finally the sun began to set, and a journey that shouldn't have taken any more than four hours...possibly...probably...most likely, I couldn't really know if I hadn't gone through the path the Animate did, had now escalated to over eight. God I hated my s****y life right now. 

"We're going to stop soon, I don't like traveling at night."

Thank the lord all mighty, the kid did have a heart. I wasn't going to have to suffer much longer.

"Mmm," I mumbled, not having the will to make words. Did you ever notice how much energy it takes to freaking talk? It's insane. I felt worse than s**t and all I wanted to do was lay down and die. Maybe I'd get lucky and it would happen in my sleep, drowning wonderfully in my own fluids. Great, that's like super sexy dude. 

Nicoli walked a few more blocks and then circled around to the back of a seemingly ancient one story building, kicking down the old wooden back door that led to the inside of the abandoned space. The short Italian peered into the gloom, the air having a kinda nasty, musty, stale, un moved quality to it, before stepping in. He didn't worry about replacing the door, there was no point. It wouldn't be the first building to have a kicked in door in this town or even on this street. Besides who'd be out here anyway. The only people I could think of would be other Soloists like Nicoli, but like I said earlier, soloists are rare, you just can't survive on your own in this world. Doing so was like signing a death wish. 

Then again with how the world has turned to rot, maybe that's what they'd want.

He moved through the store, stepping over bits of rock and debris, old chip bags, past slushy machines, behind the cash register  and down a hall that led to an old employee's lounge. Nicoli kicked in that door as well and then walked inside the small room. I closed my eyes, and felt the body beneath me move, stepping lightly before setting me down gently on the old employee couch that rested in the room. I could feel the fine layer of dust beneath my fingers, but that didn't matter at the moment, at least I could finally sleep.

"I'll switch your mask in a couple hours." Nicoli said after stretching out his back. He didn't show it but I was sure he was sore, how could he not be? It had been a long day of him hunched over with a dead weight on his back. "Try and sleep."

I grumbled something in reply in totally un-intelligible English, that I think was kinda reminiscent of "Kayasdfishj." Yay, people were imaginative to say the least with their speech. Lazy tongues people, gotta work on that enunciation, speech impediments are a no go. Nicoli stood, the sound of shifting feet filling the room and the kid pulled a chair over to wear I lay the scraping grating my ears.

"...D-dude...what...the f**k...are you...doing?" I asked eyes opening a crack cause lets face it, loud scraping noises tended to take the edge off sleeping you know?

"Taking watch, you just sleep." 

I frowned. "Why."

He was silent a moment. "...You never know what you will have to face or when."

I gulped and winced the feeling of my spasming muscles traveling sending quick spikes of stinging pain through me. He sounded like he was speaking from experience. I wondered what had happened to him. It didn't seem like it was anything good. Though I'm not sure I'd want to know. So instead I just asked, "W-when's....m-my....turn."

"Never."

"You..." I wheezed and paused for a moment catching my breath, "...W-water." I managed.

Nicoli stepped over and did a repeat of what he'd done earlier, just without the nose pinching. I winced and drank thankfully.

  I tried again. "You...n-need...sleep...too."

"One sleepless night never killed anybody."

"You...need to be...in top shape...man."

"Just shut up and sleep."

"I'm...serious...."

"Don't worry about it."

"Why?"

The Italian's eyes took on a darker quality, his mouth setting into a thin line, if there had been fire around I'd have probably been freaked out by how it would reflect from them. "I said don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Sleep."

I breathed out my nose in exasperation, refusing to sigh and f**k with my throat even more, having learned my lesson a few moments ago and tried to close my eyes. If I did then at least then I'd have the chance of getting away from Nicoli's stubborn a*s. God he needed to accept help more... Though maybe I'm judging him too harshly, I mean, considering my near dead/ pseudo dead state, I don't know if I'd take anything I'd say seriously either. It was just kinda not really acceptable. What the heck was I supposed to do? Breath them to death. 

God I hated being the damsel in distress.

Not to mention, sleep was hard to come by. I had almost been there a couple times a couple minutes ago but now I was wide awake and wondering. The mysterious boy with the all black knife held more questions than answers. Heck the only answer he currently gave me was the key to my life, which granted was important, but I knew nothing about him. About how he survived, or how he managed anything in this world. Finally though, sleep won me over, and I fell back into it's comforting embrace. 

Wait no, I just realized I had a bit of a problem.

Oh god this was beyond embarrassing. "Hey...Nicoli..."

"Mmm?"

"...I...I...I need...to pee.."

I heard the Italian lad sigh, and felt my cheeks color. I was probably redder than an over ripe tomato.

You know being sick sucks.

Like...alot.

And you know what else?

Questions can always wait till morning.

Gosh life had become a living hell. I'm not sure I envy those still around. I think I envy those who died more. 

At least they don't have to worry about strangers helping them pee.

Author's Note

lol sooo hope u like this chap

Reviews

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

lolz, I would just pee myself :p i dont want no Italian guy helpin me.

I understand were both of them are coming from:
Nicoli- Stubborn and being a smart a*s
Evon- Being protective and wanting to help everyone but himself.

I feel like i am part of both of em. :)
Great addition to this story, keep it up.

[Tsukin Archangel]

Lol yep thats the two of em lol, of course Nicoli is also probably one of the most emotionally unstable characters I have and Evon is seemingly kinda dim, but not and yeah, they're both pretty much a opposite spectrums of myself concentrated and overdone to the extreme GLAD YOU CAN RELATE TO THEM!!!
Psshhh YOU KNOW EVON WANTS IT!!! i mean....what?

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

lol, i also am mentally unstable :p

[Tsukin Archangel]

lol aren't we all?

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

Maybe, but I have been medically diagnosed with it :P (mentally unstable/bipolar/multiple personality disorder)

[Tsukin Archangel]

ah I c well I'm like OCD if that's anything lol

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

so am i, but mostly with just electronics :p

[Tsukin Archangel]

lol wellll i count my footsteps going to classes and shiz...its kinda bad lol

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

lol, ive caught yself doing that :p

[Tsukin Archangel]

lol yeah its bad, Idk y i do it, its just like how i'll freaking break my nails trying to get a tiny little speck off a desk...or how I box my name on all my papers etc etc etc

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

lol :) i think everyone is a lil OCD

[Tsukin Archangel]

lol yeah probably, some just have a worse innate urge than others