THIA

"No," I gasp, slapping my hands on his cheeks, "Don't take me there!"

I hate hospitals with the fury of a thousand suns. Now, I'm not exactly sure why, but there's something about the smell...

Driving through the darkness, River cranes his neck to see around my head, "Why not?"

"Because they'll kill me," I gasp, shaking his shoulders, trying to make him turn around.

His face hardens and he scowls at me, "Don't talk like that! They help people, not hurt them!"

Frantically, I look around the dark car, looking for some sort of excuse. After a few seconds I just go with, "I had a dog once, they killed him!"

It isn't completely true. It was Hayden's dog, but they did kill it!

Softening his scowl, he sighs and glances into my eyes before looking back to the road, "Animals aren't people. It's different. The dog was probably sick and they were putting it out of its misery. It's called mercy."

"How would you know?!" Frankly, I'm taking myself by surprise right now with my words. "You don't know if it's better for them to die! You can't make that decision! Just because they can't speak up for themselves!"

"Thee," he sighs, entering a more lively part of town, "Spontaneous migraines can't be a good sign for anything. I have to make sure you're alright."

How is his voice so warm? I felt like cold butter and his voice is like a microwave.

Only warmer.

Like the sun?

I like the sun.

Wait, I was about to say something. What was it again?

I'm drawing a blank.

Pouting, I think hard, trying to remember what was on my train of thought before I lost it. "What... what was I saying...?"

With a small grin lifting his lips, he grabs the back of my head and stuffs my face into the crook of his neck. "It's a good thing you're cute, because you're not the brightest crayon in the box."

What? Did he just...

"I'm not stupid!" I put my hands on his chest and try to push myself up to glare at him, but he pins me to him.

His chest rumbles as he chuckles, "Stop! I'm just kidding! You're the brightest little crayon I've ever seen! But please keep your head down, little crayon, I need to see the road."

"Oh," I blush slightly and cuddle closer to him, "Sorry. Should I go sit in the passenger seat?"

He hesitates, tightening his arm around me, before sighing and releasing me. "Yes, you probably should. Put your seatbelt on."

Quickly, I crawl back into my seat and strap myself in.

For several moments, we go in silence, me watching out the window into the darkness, and him focusing on the road.

The hospital!

That's what I was yelling about! Finally remembering, I turn and glare at him. "Just because your voice is sunny doesn't mean you can take me to the doctor's!"

Chuckling, he pulls into the hospital parking lot, completely undermining my authority.

The nerve.

"I'm serious! River, if you force me to go into that building, I will pinch your stomach!"

He better not mess with me! When I'm mad, I'm a porcupine!

I'll poke him with my own falangies! Then I'll pop that zit on his nose! After that, I'll drool all over his pillow while he's sleeping.

He will regret ever crossing me!

Ignoring me like a turd child, he parks the car and turns off the engine. For a moment, he just sits there, looking down at his hands on the steering wheel. Slowly, he takes a long, deep breath, appearing to be enveloped in his own thoughts.

"Thia," he begins, releasing the steering wheel and looking into my eyes, "I'm sorry."

Inside my chest, my heart pounds wildly, both in fear and excitement. Of course, I don't want to go inside that dreaded place, but at the same time, if River wants to drag me there, it will make it more bearable.

The thought of him carrying me has me fighting a smile.

"No," I snap, trying to hold my ground. I'm stubborn.

I shall not budge!

"Yes," he huffs, unlocking my seatbelt, much to my dismay.

Gasping at his audacity, I smack his hand away and snap it back in place. "Don't touch that, you pervert!"

Obviously frustrated, he runs a hand through his hair and gives me a hard look. His hazel-blue eyes pin me down, forcing me to remain still as he unbuckles my seatbelt once more. "You will come inside. And you will be obedient."

As if by instinct, I nod my head.

My blood is rushing through my veins, my skin feels hot, and I feel slightly out of breath. Which is why I don't argue any further with River on the hospital issue.

Maybe I should go inside. Clearly, my body is not acting the way it should.

Small and meek, I look down at my trembling hands.

I don't want to go inside, but maybe I should. I can't breathe right.

River swiftly exits the car and walks around to my door. Without a word, he opens it and bends down to look me in the eye. His gaze is stern and extremely serious, urging me to comply to his silent demands.

When he straightens, I climb out of the car and he closes the door behind me.

Weighed down by a heavy silence, we walk to the hospital doors. Which are quite far away, to be honest. My legs hurt before we even go through the doors.

As we walk inside the cool building, River gets a phone call, which he answers.

"What?"

Wow, so polite.

"Hey, River," I smirk, bumping his arm with mine, "Remember your phone etiquette."

Shooting me a sarcastic look, he slides his large hand to rest in the small of my back. "Back at you," he whispers before returning his attention to the person on the other end of the line.

Eventually, we make our way to the main desk. Without hanging up the phone, he signs me in and grabs my hand, pulling me to the waiting room.

"I can't right now," he huffs, sitting on one of the hard chairs and pulling me to sit beside him. "Because! I'm at the d*** hospital, Caleb!"

He pauses, listening to what his brother is saying.

"No, she's--something's not--I have a bad feeling about this. Davion has been kidnapped before, and it's not like Joe would kill his own brother. At least not without anything to gain from it. Just keep on their trail and call me with updates."

Davion was kidnapped! Shoot! I forgot about him!

I feel awful! While Davion is probably scared and hungry, I've been distracting River with my own dramatics!

What kind of person am I?!

This cannot go on!

Abruptly, I shoot to my feet, "River! We need to go find Davion! We don't have time for this ridiculous escepade!"

With a look of dread, he glances at me and hangs up the phone, "Just send me updates, Caleb."

Sliding his phone into his pocket, he rubs his eyes tiredly and gently grabs my upper arms, pulling me between his legs.

"Listen, Thee," he implores, his hazel eyes revealing exactly how exhausted he is. "Caleb has the search under control. Right now, I am focused on making sure you are alright. Please stop fighting me on it, it's late and I don't have the energy that you do."

Guilt like acid eats at my gut, destroying my valiant rescue plan for Davion.

Wincing, I bite my lip and inch a bit closer to his warm chest. "I'm sorry, River." I didn't mean to make it harder for him. Why can't I be easy to hang out with?

Frustrated with my own behavior, I feel emptiness start to wedge it's way inside of my chest, pushing me away from solid ground.

Will he ever see me the same again? Can we ever get past my obnoxious behavior?

I wish I knew how to deal with people better.

Through my mess of dark thoughts, I feel his gentle finger on my chin, pulling my attention away from my own issues.

Warm and sunny, his eyes enrapt me, pulling firmly on my heart strings. The anxiety that began bubbling up diminishes rapidly. Just as quickly as it arrived, the barren feeling leaves me.

"Thia," River murmurs, his deep voice washing over me like the morning sun. "Close your eyes."

Obediently, I allow my eyelids to fall shut.

Large, warm, and calloused, his hands slide up around my shoulder blades and into the small of my back.

Inside my chest, my heart pounds frantically. And suddenly, my lungs aren't working properly again.

"River," I whisper breathlessly, feeling rather worried, "I--uh, can't--I think my lungs are broken."

Low and husky, his laugh fills my ears. "Don't fret about your lungs, little crayon. They're doing all they can to keep up with my perfection."

What?

"You are so confusing."

He chuckles again, making my body heat up. "I'm sorry. Come here." Scooping me up into his arms, he pulls me into his lap and cuddles me close to his chest.

I open my eyes and smile up at him, feeling rather shy.

Suddenly, a voice sounds from the doorway, "Thia Oliver."

River and I look over to see a nurse standing with a clipboard, her expression monotone.

"We're ready for you," she says, glancing up from the clipboard to motion us over.

I slip off of River's lap and we follow the nurse into a room on the second floor.

"We're going to do a few tests," she says, closing the door behind us, "Please take a seat on the bed, Thia. Sir, make yourself comfortable, there are chairs in that corner, if you like."

River crosses his arms and stands beside me, his expression impassive. "I'm fine here, thank you."

"Alright," she nods, though she seems a little peeved. "Thia, I'm going to take a blood sample and we'll go from there."

"Alrighty, Heidi," I chirp, knowing that Heidi is not her actual name. "Feel free to render me unconscious any time now."

"Excuse me?"

She appears to be surprised, as if she thought I didn't know about their ways.

"When you draw my blood," I explain patiently, "You will knock me out."

"Knock you out," she asks, shaking her head in amazement.

"Indeed. You'll drug me or hit me until I lose consciousness. Then you'll perform your procedure." Wow, this lady must be quite sheltered.

"I'm sorry, honey, that won't be necessary."

"Won't be necessary?" Now I'm confused.

I'm easily confused.

"We do not put our patients to sleep just to draw blood. It's unnecessary and quite pointless."

I start to panic, realizing that my nurse is uneducated. "So you're telling me that you aren't even going to knock me out first?!"

"Yes."

"AW HECK NAW!"