Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 83
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[Acheron Family Clinic]
At noon, Arturo was still unconscious.
Almost all Enigmas came to stay at the hospital, but an hour ago, Castle sent most of them back to Enigma House so it’s only few of them remaining with him.
Though, Castle is the only one in the ward with Arturo.
The rest stayed outside the ward.
Castle has never been as troubled as this before. It shows in his eyes as he couldn’t move as he stared at the wounded, unconscious Boss.
“I was planning to tell you about Blade’s stupid relationship with Rosita, but you had to go get wounded like this?” He muttered.
Outside the ward, everyone sat around on different chairs, waiting.
Kent sat with Blade.
Svetlana is with Bishop.
Lovato sat alone.
As sad as Svetlana is, she’s still with her phone, scrolling through the screen to kill her sadness.
She saw Princess Charlotte’s new post and stopped scrolling, checking it out.
Princess Charlotte is praising her own natural beauty again with her barefaced pictures.
“Doing too much is her speciality.” Svetlana hissed. “Natural beauty my foot! Can’t count how many facial surgeries she underwent.”
She reacted DISLIKE on the picture and commented a clown sticker.
“You really hate this Princess,” Bishop suddenly said beside her.
She looked at him.
“You’ve been looking at my phone?”
He nodded. “Sorry.”
“No it’s fine!” She shrugged. “I mean…I love letting other people know I can’t stand her.”
“What exactly did she do to you?” Bishop leaned forward.
“She’s a fake. That’s all you need to know,” Svetlana said, noticing the dark area around his mouth, indicating the growth of moustache.
“You didn’t shave this morning,” she said immediately.
“I haven’t shaved all week, actually,” he responded. “I’ve been having a hard time lifting my arm to my face for too long cos of the tummy…”
He looked down shyly.
“Keep it till the tournament and let me keep staring at it. After the tournament, I’ll help you shave.” She smiled.
“Let you keep staring at it?” He looked up.
“Cos you look cute!” She said.
He looked away, and she grinned, momentarily forgetting her sadness.
Opposite them, Blade is busy on his phone too, but Kent has been silent. Though, his phone had been buzzing nonstop, he hadn’t checked.
Blade looked at him after a while.
“Are you that worried about Boss? Enough to not check your buzzing phone? Boss will be fine, the doctor confirmed it,” he said.
“It’s not about Boss,” Kent replied, uninterested. “It’s about the person texting. I don’t wanna talk to him.”
Blade frowned.
Far from them, Lovato sat alone, composing the text she’d drop on the Enigmas forum tommorow.
HEY Y’ALL, FROM NOW ON, I WANT EVEN THE NONLIVING THINGS IN THIS TEAM TO KNOW THAT SENIOR CASTLE IS MY BOYFRIEND, AND OUR RELATIONSHIP IS BEYOND WHAT ANYONE CAN IMAGINE… I’VE MET HIS ONLY FAMILY…HIS SISTER…
She was still typing when Castle’s voice came from inside the ward..
“Boss!”
Everyone spranged up and rushed inside the ward to see Arturo’s reddish eyes open slightly.
Dimly.
“Boss!”
“Is….is Brayden back? Arturo asked in a half-audible, pained voice.
They exchanged glances.
“Who’s Brayden?”
—
[Carehouse]
The nurses just finished the oral care and treatment for the newly brought kids, and they were afterwards taken to the meal hall where they were served meals on large plates.
They ate like they’ve never seen food before, and the nurses had to take their time to teach them the use of cutleries as they’re unfamiliar.
When Eden came inside to check on them, she was more than happy.
She sat on a different chair in the front, watching them with her palms resting on her round cheeks.
The kids wire good clothes like her now, and though their appearance is not as enhanced as hers yet.
At least, they look better than yesterday, and they’re safe now.
She touched her necklace, rubbing the crow pendant gently.
“I wonder what he hasn’t come to see the new kids though. Is he fine?” She muttered worriedly.
She has been trying his line repeatedly on her phone, but he didn’t pick any calls.
That just got her more concerned because Big brother Brayden never ignores her calls.
“Eden!” One of the kids suddenly called her with a wave.
Eden went to the kid and taught him the use of cutleries when he asked her, but after she finished the teaching, the kid smiled.
“Thank you, Eden.”
Eden blinked.
“Did you tell your Brother about your situation yet?” The kid asked. “You’re not 4, Eden. You’ve been in the cell longer than any of us. You’re probably 10 or 11. I have no idea what Master did to you to stunt your growth. Maybe your brother can help with anything to make you grow to your real size and age.”
Eden sat, placing her palms on her cheeks again. “Brother is already doing too much for me. I don’t want to bother him further.”
The kid looked at him and nodded innocently. “I understand you. Humans should be contented, and we’re humans…”
“Exactly.” Eden smiled.
Then, a nurse brought a new tray of cakes into the hall.
A new nurse that Eden hadn’t seen here before at all.
As the nurse distributed the cakes, her eyes met with Eden’s.
Eden’s blood ran cold.
It’s the cruel caregiver at Montgomery Nurseries. The one she promised to drown in the river.
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[Dread House – Skylar’s Room]
The duvet is still covering Skylar completely. Now, her temperature has heightened till she could feel her own hotness on her soul.
All her life, she has never felt this sick. Even when she was still stuck inside Satan’s secret room. Of course she got sick then, but those sicknesses weren’t as fatal as this one.
She couldn’t even feel her own body.
No appetite. No zeal. No strength.
Sweating profusely. Pale, and irritable. She’s shaking with cold, and what’s worse? It’s raining now.
The direct smell of rainfall breezing in through the open window and the scent from his blazer conjoined to make her illness worse.
She was trembling like a paper trapped in a ventilator.
Renee and Quincy came inside, both looking genuinely concerned with food trays to their hands.
They both dropped the trays on the bedside stool, silently.
They knew she wouldn’t talk to them right now, so they didn’t to try and get her to talk.
They entered the bathroom and came out five minutes later.
“I… mixed a hot bath for you. You should get up and take a shower and eat. You don’t take medicine, so you just have to rest,” Renee said.
“I’ll see if I can get you concoctions from any witch in the quarters,” Quincy muttered.
They, they both left the suite.
Minutes Later, Skylar drew the duvet away from herself, peering at the meal on the table with her not-so-open coloured eyes.
She could barely see with the burning hotness of her eyes.
But she forced herself to adjust in bed, encouraging her body.
No one’s coming to save her.
She has to save herself.
She can’t die now. She has to stay alive somehow. She has to eat and regain even if it’s a little energy.
She got up, supporting her ribs with an hand and supporting her whole self with the wall till she entered the bathroom with flaming breaths.
She nearly spent an hour, washing off the filth of Jethro’s Pit and the filth of Marisa’s stupidity.
She came out naked and bandaged her ribs in a round circle.
That was when she noticed there’s no bullet on her chest anymore.
There’s only the gunshot wound. Even the wound is already healing.
Maybe the bullet fell out when the birthmark glowed earlier.
She has decided to not think about it. For now, she’d not stress herself to wonder why her birthmark shone or what it meant.
She won’t think it.
She patched up the chest and put on loose jean pants and El Crow’s blazer. She sat in bed, feeling a little bit more energized as she picked the first bowl of food… Quincy’s own.
It had a note attached to it.
Quincy: I’ve never seen you wounded or bleeding or devastated like that before, but whatever it is, please take care of yourself. And I know you think I’m doing this cos of the trainings I asked you to give I and Renee, but it’s more than that. You might be cold, but I understand you, and I’m a friend you can rely on. Keyword: A FRIEND.
Skylar had no expression as she dropped that bowl and picked the second bowl from Renee.
It has a note too.
Renee: You know I don’t like you, and you don’t like me too which is fair, but seeing you like that genuinely broke my heart for you. I mean… you’ve never looked bloodied like that before. Whatever happened, please, don’t lose yourself.
EAT. SHOWER. REST…..ok?
Skylar dropped the bowl too, then she stared at the two together.
Quincy’s bowl had milked, sugarless custard. Renee’s bowl had omelette.
They actually brought non-spiced foods cos of her bruised lips.
Eating spice in her condition would surely hurt as hell.
She managed to conjure a rough smile as she ate the custard and omelette at the same time, spilling it as she was eating very fast.
She needs to survive.
She’s going to really survive.
She shoved another spoonful of the two into her mouth.
She could barely taste them, but at least she could swallow.
She ate, rushed, coughed.
Then she paused and ate again, sniffling painfully.
Her eyes caught the necklace around her ankle, and her mouth became uncontrollably embittered.
“Fucking bastard… Brayden….” She muttered, sniffling again.
Outside her door, Renee and Quincy sat on the bare floor, backing the wall and waiting for when she’d come out.
“You think she’d eat?” Renee asked.
“I’m not sure, but I hope she does. She’s Long Legs, of course she’d get back on her feet,” Quincy said.
“Why would Jethro beat her like that though?” Renee frowned.
“Nobody in the world can beat Skylar like that unless supernatural is involved…” Quincy said.
Renee gasped, then they faced each other swiftly.
“Jethro is supernatural?” They chorused with wide eyes.
“I was wondering why he’s feared like shit! I mean…we have four owners of the city. People love Marisa. People respect Satan. People hate Arturo cos they believe he divorced Marisa unjustly. But Jethro is the only feared motherfucker…” Renee said.
“This is serious…” Quincy nodded.
“For now, let’s just hope Skylar gets well…” Renee said.
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