GROANING INTO the duvet, I noticed it smelt like watermelons.

"Good smell."

Still feeling drowsy, I slowly leaned toward the right.

"Oof," I felt the harsh impact on the floor and rubbed my head, "what was that for?"

"It was all you," laughed a slightly dulled voice coming from the opposite side of another object.

I whined and lifted my hands to cover my eyes as I winced under the light.

Once my sensitive eyes adjusted to the bright afternoon sun through the window, I realised I was next to the hospital bed and pushed myself to sit cross-legged on the floor.

Looking around, the inhabitants of the room stared down at me with various levels of amusement.

Pouting, I crossed my arms and looked to the floor, "that hurt!"

As I sulked and walled in self-pity, Ian quietly said something about finishing a conversation later.

"Are you ever going to get off the floor or have you found your new home?" Ian seriously asked.

I jumped up, staring in amazement as Ian was finally awake and not leaking any more bodily fluids, only to helplessly flop back down when I saw his obvious teasing smirk.

Rude.

A sharp pang of pain echoed up my lower back.

What the hell?

"You fell onto your tailbone, stupid."

That's not a very nice term to use, is it?

"Pumpkin loser."

Insolent bully.

"Sloth."

Resorting animal names, are we? Peanut.

"Food isn't any better, but of course, I shouldn't expect any more."

Huh?

"Once a dweeb, always a dweeb."

Sighing at the voice's stupidity, I focused on the current problem. I grabbed onto the conveniently placed chair and gingerly hauled my butt to perch on the edge.

"Would you like some ice?" Brian asked while observing my delicate state.

"By the way, the bag that's meant to be hooked to the IV is here," gesturing to a clear bag on the coffee table adjacent to the door. He asks for any more orders before leaving shortly after.

Although the IV bag looked perfectly normal, I couldn't help but think there was something awfully suspicious. I shrugged off the thought as Adrianne started to hook the bag to the tube.

The sensation came back, stronger this time.

"Wait!" I reached out towards the bag as if I would lengthen my arms to grab it, flinching when another jolt of pain echoed through me.

Adrianne paused just before turning the dial to connect the bag and the tube, "what?"

"Don't put it in!" raising her eyebrows, she gestured for me to explain. "Something doesn't feel quite right about the medicine."

Ian and Adrianne both raised their noses to sniff the air, "hmm, she's right."

"I'm going to open the bag."

Adrianne unscrewed the bag from the tube, opening it and putting it under her nose.

I tensed, fully expecting her to scream she was holding cyanide or crushed poison ivy. Instead, her eyes widened, "it's water!"

"Water?" I repeated, sceptically eyeing the colourless liquid.

"Water in any animal's bloodstream can kill. Humans and other supernatural beings alike."

Supernatural?

"Yeah, take some time to wrap that around your puny head. A head I quite happen to enjoy."

Even though I really wanted to pursue the mention of the s-word, there were more pressing matters at hand. "What was in his other bags?"

I looked over at Ian who was surprisingly quiet.

"That's why I still don't feel any better after two days," Ian murmured, "if it wasn't water but normal healing fluid, I would've been worried for a more severe reason."

"Likely water," Adrianne gathered as she answered my question. Ian nodded in agreement.

"Who could be the culprit? Why would anyone want to kill Ian?"

I was met with blank stares.

Getting up, I gingerly petted my butt before pacing the small length of the room.

A warm pair of hands rested on my shoulders, fingers reassuringly massaging my back muscle as I was about to turn and continue pacing.

"Katie," I looked up to see Adrianne's kind green eyes, "we can't do anything about them at the moment. Ian's safety and health should come first, along with you knowing the truth of the supernatural race."

The s-word again...

"Brian's coming back!" Ian's alarmed voice filled the pause.

Adrianne kicked into action, speedily reattaching the empty bag to the IV and throwing the water-filled bag from a long distance into the rubbish bin. If Adrianne didn't work at Polar Park, she sure could play in the WMBA.

I didn't understand the cause to hurry but followed along, thinking Adrianne knew best and helping where I could, restoring the room to what it was prior to Brian's departure.

"Here's the ice," I looked up from my place on the bedside chair, happily accepting the ice for my slightly uncomfortable tailbone. "Thanks," I quietly said.

***

A/N:

Did anyone mistake 'a head I quite happen to enjoy' for something else? I was proofreading this chapter and couldn't help but snicker.

Yesterday I handed in the first draft of my literature critical analysis essay for English on the book And the Mountains Echoed. I explored the topic of human connections in my essay and the word limit was 800-1200 words. Ugh, I'm so glad that the draft's done... now I have time to study for another maths test and computer science test (and play guitar).

QOTC: what's your favourite book of all time?

-Hilda

Chapter 13 coming up: 28May2022