The toll being paid - Bloodymary
Got this idea from @ghostterz
Welp, time to pull out my Notes app.
Simon felt himself weighed down to the cot. His forehead felt extremely warm, and it felt as if his whole body were shot with pins and needles. His body was shivering; despite the warm feeling on his head, he was freezing from the cold air blowing in Hail Mary. He curled up with his blanket enclosing his body.
He had never been this sick before. He had been battered, flung, and drowned in the blood ocean; perhaps this was all that debt catching up to him.Â
Rocky, the one who came to check up on Simon, rolled up beside him.
"Simon not awake, question?" Rocky asked, with an inquisitive, fluctuating tone.
Simon lugged his head to meet Rocky's gaze (or lack thereof).
"Rocky..." Simon slurred, "Rocky...I'm dying."
"WHAT, SIMON DYING, QUESTION?" the little alien burst out, "WHY SIMON DYING, QUESTION?"
"Ow, too loud," Simon retreated back into his blanket.
"WHAT, WHO'S DYING?" another voice chimed in in the distance.
The voice approached closer, accompanied by some thumps on the way. Coming out of the entrance, Grace hastily arrived and talked to Rocky.
"Rocky, buddy, what- who's-" Grace started panicking before he turned to see the shivering, curled-up ball to which he then relaxed his shoulders.
"Rocky, Simon's not dying. He's just sick," Grace sighed, and made his way to sit down next to Simon's cot, "at least, I hope it's nothing too bad..."
Even when Grace calmly said Simon was sick, he still couldn't shake the anxiety that's bubbling in his stomach.
At least, I hope it's nothing that's fatal, Grace thought.
Shaking away the nibbling thoughts, the scientist reached out a hand and patted the top of the blanket ball.
"Hey there, buddy," Grace gently said, "you doing alright? Well, okay, stupid question, you're not. But what's going on with you?"
Simon peeled out his head, and gazed at Grace with the biggest, most pleading eyes that the blonde-haired man has ever seen.
"Head warm," Simon slurred, letting out shivers, "but I feel so cold."
"Ah, a fever," Grace answered.
He then put a hand on Simon's forehead, and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh yeah, I don't need to pull a thermometer for that, that's hot," Grace said, "hold on, buddy, let me get you some medicine."
As Grace was about to leave Simon's side, the bedridden fellow called out, his voice raspy and low:
"No, wait, wait, please don't go. Please."
Grace turned to meet Simonâs eyes, which turned from pleading to begging. Heâd never seen this side of Simon before; heâd always closed himself off, despite being more comfortable around both Grace and Rocky. It almost pained him to see the ragged man in this state of mercy.
âIâll be back, Simon, donât worry,âGrace reassured, then turned to Rocky, âRocky, bud, you keep him company âtil I come back, alright?â
âYes, Rocky watch Simon!â Rocky declared, âSimon safe with Rocky.â
The brown, rock creature rolled closer to Simon. His xenonite bubble emanated a bit of warmth coming from Rocky's atmosphere within itâand like a hand, it caressed Simon's cheek.
"Simon body get sick with human sickness," Rocky said, "Grace help fix Simon."
"Hng..." Simon whined, reaching his hand to his forehead. Besides the warm temperature, the fever also gave him a bad case of headaches.
"God, you two..." Simon started, his voice shaky. He was on the brink of tears.
"You two have been nothing but kind to me," he continued, his words trembling as he tried to hold his tears.
"I...I should have died down there. If it weren't for you guys, I would've already been dead. I wasn't supposed to make it out alive."
Rocky gave out a sympathetic tone, and drooped his body lower as if tilting his head.
"It is okay. Grace Rocky not want Simon die," Rocky chirped back. Simon responded with tears streaming down his cheek.
A lump got caught in his throat, and his voice trembled greatly.
"I let my Brothers die. I didn't want to die. I left them, I...I left them behind in the station. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I just wanted to live. Is that...is that so much to ask?"
Rocky let out high-pitched tones, his body slightly frantic and worried.
"What Simon talk about, question?" Rocky asked, tapping his legs back and forth.
Just in time, Grace appeared out of the doorway and flung next to his alien friend.
"Hey, Rocky. Got the medicine," Grace said, bringing an enclosed bag, "how's our buddy doing?"
"Grace, I'm so sorry," Simon said, tugging at the blonde man's shirt sleeve, "I'm burdening you both. I'm so sorry..."
"Hey, hey, shh," Grace consoled, crouching next to the cot to get on Simon's eye level. Grace patted his hand that grabbed him, stroking it gently to ease the man.
"Okay, I need you to sit up so you can take your meds," Grace instructed. Simon obliged, heaving sluggishly to sit on the bed.
"The medicines are in this pack here," Grace continued, "it's in liquid form, let me just uh..." He scrambled to pick up a spoon inside the pack, held the medicine bottle in the other, and poured a spoonful.
"Okay, open wide, big guy," Grace said, holding the spoon.
Simon slowly opened his mouth, then Grace placed the spoon inside. After Simon had drunk the medicine and the spoon leaving his mouth, he started shaking and sniffing back tears.
"Oh my god, I'm so pathetic," Simon sobbed. He retreated into Grace's embrace, which startled the scientist, arms spread out.
"Is this my punishment? For wanting to live?"
Perplexed, Grace looked over at Rocky, hoping to get some answersâto which the alien replied with an inquisitive tone.
"Simon, it's okay," Grace gently reassured, bringing his arms to hug Simon, "you just need a lot of rest, so let's get back to bed, okay?"
Grace helped to bring the sick man back to the cot, and slowly pushed him onto the bed. Simon was reluctant, his hands still stuck on Grace's shoulders; however, he eventually gets himself comfortable in bed with his gaze fixated on Grace.
"I'm sorry," Simon whispered another apology.
"Shh, hey now, no more apologies," Grace replied, "you focus on getting some rest. I'll be here for you."
And that's as much as I can write. Feel free to explore or write inspired from this if ya want~