I awoke sluggishly, turning around in the bed, not really
realizing where I was, just the weird thought that something was not
right. I felt my whole body aching, even flat out burning
with pain in some places. My back was by far the worst.
Still
half asleep, I tried to recall why would all my body hurt. And I had a
sort of a flashback: his eyes. Far wilder than I had seen them ever
before. My mind snapped into reality, the night
before as a flash in front of my eyes. I couldn't help a smile as my back throbbed. I hadn't given in. ...
My will hadn't, at least. I could not remember the ending. Guess I'd
have to ask.
I sat up on the bed, looking around. The
big room in Andrei's house. Was that good or bad news? ... I didn't
really care. I winced at my back's pain. Had it ripped, or something? It hurt a
lot and a half.
I was thinking whether to go find a mirror or wait for him, when the door opened.
"Speaking of the Devil." I greeted him.
He smirked at the joke. "How are you feeling, Sandy?"
"Well,
my whole body aches and my back feels as if I had been thrown into a
fire pit, but other than that... fine, I guess. ... Andrei, I was meaning to
ask you... what happened? ... I mean, I have no clue on how I got here."
He sat on the bed, a friendly smile in his eyes. "You're such a bullhead, you managed to black out."
My chest got full of pride. "So, does that mean I won?"
"You
silly, I could have awoken you and keep trying." His eyes let show a
glistening hint of cruelty. "But I figured you had had enough. Brought
you here. Figured a hospital would attract too much attention."
"You sure I don't need a doctor? ... My back feels in quite bad shape."
"I already fixed you up, Sandy. You just need some rest, okay? Say, you want drugs?"
"I'm fine, Andrei. I've been through worse."
He
rolled his eyes, dismissing the idea. "That doesn't mean you couldn't
use some pain relievers, you know." He leaned on the bed, beside me. I
stared into his eyes. They were warm, friendly.
I had a sort of a flashback. That night. I saw
the Devil himself in his eyes. I couldn't help smiling at the huge
difference. Night and Day.
Guess I was inside my mind
again, 'cause I never saw him move, I just felt his hug, making me snap
back into reality. "I'm sorry, Sandy. I shouldn't have done that. That
said, I have to tell you, I'm really, really proud of what you did. Not
everybody can pull that off."
I hugged him back, as hard as my aching body and my burning back let me. "It's not your fault, you know."
He
pulled back. "Sandy, seriously. Stop trying to justify everything I do.
Look at you. Sure it will heal, but right now you're a mess, and I was
the one who did it."
I didn't respond. I knew he
wouldn't listen, so I let it go. Just took his hand, and leaned back
onto the bed. My back burned with the fury of a wildfire. I couldn't
hide a wince.
He saw it and went for some meds, kept
insisting 'till I took them. "You'll feel a bit better in a minute,
trust me. There's no need to go through that, boy."
He
sat back on the bed, his back against the wall, slightly slouched.
Comfy. I couldn't help but to curl against his chest, as a lazy cat who just
wants some heat and company for his nap. He petted my head as if I was
indeed a cat, and I felt really tempted to purr. Too bad it was one of
those things I never learned to do.
