“It must have been the blood dream. Fuck. I’m sorry, Araya. I’m sorry,” he says so soothingly, and I feel more liquid being forced into my throat as it mingles with the taste of my own blood.
I begin spitting out the liquid along with my blood, and I feel my tongue’s wound closing up as it heals. I gasp for air, and very gradually the numbness subsides to allow my true reality to become clearer.
“Did I hurt anyone?” I whimper while clinging to Hale.
“No, baby. No one was hurt. Please tell me you’re okay,” he coos.
“I’m fine. I’m hungry, but I’m fine,” I murmur while checking my body over.
I finally exhale in relief when I see the rods really aren’t there, and my hand grips my side where one of the many had been forced in. Hale’s hand covers mine, and his eyes stare so pitifully and helplessly into mine.
“I’m sorry baby. I didn’t know how bad they got,” he murmurs so guiltily.
“I never wanted you to know because you would look at me like you are right now.”
Brazen sighs as he drops to the ground in relief, and then he stares at me with the same pitying look.
“I didn’t know it was a blood dream. I’m sorry.”
“How could you have known? I’m okay. Thank you.”
“What’s going on?” Alex mutters with fear etched onto her face.
“Araya has traumatic scars that haunt her in a way you’ll never understand,” Clay inserts as he walks up. “We should get back on the road if you’re okay to travel.”
“I’m fine now,” I grumble in embarrassment, and Hale takes my hand as we make our way back in.
“What happened to her side?” Alex asks Brazen when she takes notice of my hand clinging to it.
“It’s the last rod I removed from my body after it had fused itself to me. It felt like fifteen rounds of uranium being driven in before a bomb exploding inside of me,” I mumble, and she gasps slightly at my very vivid explanation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was you,” she stumbles out.
“It was,” I growl.
It still is.
“Stop talking about it, Alex,” Hale barks.
“Sorry,” she mutters in an embarrassed tone.
I flop back onto the bunk, and Hale joins me to wrap me up into his arms. I’ve always needed him after waking up from one that severe, but this is the first time I’ve ever had him. It feels so much better to have the comfort I’ve always sought. I nestle into him even more, and he kisses me so softly on my head.
“We’ve got all sorts of food we picked up from a market earlier. What do you want to eat?” Brazen asks.
“I don’t care. Nothing with tomatoes though.”
My nose turns up when I mention the red, juicy things with too much flavor for my taste.
He smirks lightly and says, “I remember,” while walking off.
“You don’t eat. How can you cook?” Alex asks curiously while following him to the kitchen area.
Stalker bitch.
“My sense of smell allows me to gauge when to stop cooking. Seeing Araya’s reaction to my cooking for over two years allowed me to perfect my technique,” he boasts.
Hale rolls his eyes, and then I feel the brakes being pressed before the pan even starts to sizzle.
