Blurriness?
“Stop trying to speak,” a voice said from beside me. “You’re not making any sense.”
I think that was my brother talking. He was calm, so there probably wasn’t much to worry about, even though everything was pretty black.
“Mateo! What were you thinking!” Alta borderline screeched.
“I was thinking she wouldmove! Not stop it with her face,” Mattí hissed back at her.
“I think she hit her head. Ox, do something!” That was Fergy.
Lis was next, and I could just hear the disapproval in her voice. “You’ve done it now, idiot.”
“Ididn’tmean to!” Mattí pleaded.
“Mateo! Go sit near our things,” Ox hissed, and Mattí groaned.
“Damn,” a less familiar voice said. Maybe Clay, or maybe Clint had finally arrived. “She’s really out, huh? Damn Fernandez, didn’t know you guys worked like that.”
“Oh my God!” Mateo groaned again and then he said nothing. I assumed that was the silent sound of his retreat.
The bickering went on like that for a couple more minutes all the while I tried to open my eyes or get up orsomething, but my head felt fuzzy and my eyelids felt heavy.
“Move,” a deep voice finally said. A deep buttery voice that I knew all too well. I smiled, or at least I thought I did. Connor’s calm but firm voice was like a drug slipping over me. If my brother’s composure reassured me, Connor’s was a promise. I was okay. “Move over.”
They must have moved, because the next thing I knew, my head was being lifted. Big fingers cupping the back of it gently and sifting around as if he was looking for something. When he set my head down again it was on something soft and cozy, a grumble following the movement. “There’s a little bump, but no blood.”
There was a chorus of hisses and sighs but no other words. Not until a large hand encompassed my shoulder or maybe my collarbone and shook very, very gently. “Ceci.”
“Hmm,” I answered Connor. I wanted to talk to him. To see him. I missed him and today was supposed to be the day we made up.
“Open your eyes, Cee,” he said, voice low and for me.
My eyes popped open. I couldn’t believe he called me that in front of my family. But as the light became less blinding and my eyes cleared to the faces hovering over me, it didn’t seem like any of them gave a crap.
I tried to get up, but the paw on my shoulder kept me laying down. Gazing up, I latched onto hazel brown eyes that showed slight flecks of green in the sunlight. Those eyes were narrowed on me. A familiar meter tracking my every blink, every facial expression, every breath. It seemed like he looked for hours before finally, he let out a long breath and let me go. But only so he could hold up three fingers in front of my face.
He didn’t need to ask. I could see the question in his eyes.‘How many fingers, Cee’, I imagined him saying. So I answered aloud. “Tres.”
He changed them up.
“Dos,” I answered. And again. “Cinco.”
“Okay,” he said. A frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. I blinked multiple times hoping it would go away, but it didn’t. “Ceci, I want you to take your time, and say something. You were slurring earlier. If you do it again, even once, you’re going to the hospital.”
I narrowed my eyes. It was just like him to threaten me when I had a head injury. But he was baiting me. He knew I would rise to the challenge. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before taking my time and saying very carefully. “Chinga…tu…madre.”
A very small, very subtle smile crossed over my big guy’s face. The set of his shoulders relaxing a bit. “Now English.”
“Fuck… Off,” I said just as carefully in my second language as I had in my first.
“She’s fine.” Connor sat back. He was on his knees beside me, leaning over me to watch my face. As he moved, I saw that the rest of my family were still around, witnessing the interaction. Absently, I wondered if they noticed anything weird between Connor and I, but from the looks on their faces, the focus was on me.
“Good.” I smiled lazily, any worry I might have had slipping away. My eyes blinked heavily, my brain feeling tired as I let them drift closed once again. “Sleepy time now.”
“Nooo, no, no, no,” Con said calmly. “No sleeping. C’mon.”
Gentle hands slipped themselves underneath my back and began to slowly pull me up to a seated position. As I rose. My head felt like something was knocked loose, my brain jostling slightly with the small effort. “Nina…and Christine.”
