ตอน 35: She's Having a High Temperature

Christon bit his lower lip while pulling on the tiny chit. His palm was clenched as he shook with rage. He rose from the table, slamming the paper down. Clenching his jaw, he retrieved a towel from his wardrobe and proceeded directly to the bathroom.

He undid his pants and threw off his buttoned shirt before stepping up to the shower head. His hair, which had blonde curls, darkened as icy, cold water poured down it, and it soon dripped down his fair skin. Leaning against the chilly marble wall, he closed his eyes and allowed the water to soak his tense body and aid in his relaxation. A placid and unflappable expression took the place of the once depressing frown.

As his pearly white skin glowed under the golden light, Christon looked up at the bathroom's mirrored ceiling. Memories flew from his head. He breathed heavily, running his fingers through his wet hair. A pathetic moan escaped his lips as he gripped his hair in pain and then, a moment later, banged his fist on the front wall mirror. His knuckles were pierced by bits of the broken mirror as it broke. The flowing blood mixed easily with the running water, turning it into a dark crimson hue.

Zavior looked up at the stairs and shook his head, continuing to read the book in his hand. The clattering sound caused a big sigh to escape his mouth. With a scowl on his face, he turned to the following page and read the scrawled letters on it. A beep from his phone forced him to stop reading. He reached for his phone on the coffee table and took a quick look at the picture that had been sent. He let out another sigh before dropping the phone beside him on the couch.

"This clarifies why that happy-go is causing mayhem," he whispered in understanding. "Are you attending the soirée?"

The pair of dark eyes fixated on its phone cast a peek at Zavior before returning to gaze at the same device.

Zavior rolled his eyes. He knew he wouldn't, of course. The big head had never wanted to go on a soirée. He took a quick look at Sulkin's invitation that his brother had sent to him and nodded his head with a smile.

"You guys coming or not, imma gonna go," he said as he stood up from the couch and walked into his room.

Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, looked away from his phone with a blank expression, and put his phone in his pocket. It was pretty exhausting, he thought, as he wore his black jacket. He left his home with the intention of taking a stroll through the town and jumped down the fence with the blade twirling in his hand, not caring to enter through the gate.

As if on cue, soon after he stepped out of the house, the porch light from the neighbor's house went off. He swept his glance over the house of the old couple he had once come across. The curtains from one of the windows of a room danced as if someone had just slid it. He noticed a thin shadow fall on the curtain.

Alicia made her way up the stairs to her mother's room, puzzled as to why her mother hadn't joined her for dinner. She approached the locked wooden door and gently rapped on it as she waited for her mother to open it and invite her inside.

"Mama?"

Silence.

"Ma, are you asleep?" She asked as she tapped on the door once again but got no answer. She turned the doorknob, only to find it locked. She found it strange.

"Mom, are you in there?" She questioned again, yet no response followed. Alicia felt her heart pace a bit faster with worry. She dashed to the down floor in search of the spare key to the room. Her head circulated with too many worst scenarios. What if her mother had fainted like the other day? What if she wasn't ok?

"No! No! No! Where's the damn key?!" She yelled, opening all the drawers and pantry cupboards in the kitchen. Her mother would usually keep the keys in one of the cupboards safely, for she didn't feel safe keeping a key hanger. But now that there wasn't a key hanger, Alicia was cursing under her breath. If only her mother had listened to her.

"Where in the holy damn kitchen is the key?" She pulled her hair frustratedly, trying to remember if her mother had ever mentioned it or has she had seen the key somewhere.

"Right!" She exclaimed and ran out of the kitchen. Carrying a wooden chair, she placed it in front of the tall fridge and got onto it. "Gotcha!" she whooped and ran back to stand in front of her mom's room.

She dashed into the room, jamming the door open. Not a light was lit. Coldness bit through her thin night dress. Darkness had her frown her than she already was. The light yellow curtains that look white under the moonlight fluttered with the amount of breeze entering the room through the wide open windows. Alicia put her hands in her pocket to slip out her phone for the flashlight, but her pocket was empty.

She reached toward the wall trying to feel the switch under her touch. As soon as she did she switched the light on, only to squint her eyes, adjusting to the sudden brightness of the gold bulb. Her eyes swept past the window and fell on the fluffed blanket draped over her mother's single-size bed.

"Seems like she's asleep," she muttered as she sat at the edge of her mother's bed and glanced at her mother, who was curled in her blanket.

There were tiny beads of sweat on her mother's forehead. A frown mered on Alicia's face. She reached out to her mother's forehead only to let out a yell and gasp as soon as she felt the heat under her palm.

Her mother was having a high temperature. Panicked Alicia stood up and tried to think of a solution, pacing around the room.

She saw her mother leave heavy breath every now and then which only increased her turmoil of thoughts.

Alicia ran out of the room down to the kitchen in search of a bowl and filled it with water.

"I pray this will do for now," she muttered as she sat beside her mother and dipped her soft cotton handkerchief into the water before she placed above her mother's forehead. The contact of the damp had her mother shiver in it's sudden coldness.

"Urghhh..." A soft whimper left her lips. It seemed her mother was half awake.

"Endure it for a while, Mom. You'll be alright." Alicia kissed Mrs. Anderson's cheeks and stroked her hand with her thumb.

Continuous mutters of prayers left her lips, praying for her mother's recovery. She dabbed the wet cloth piece on her mother's skin making sure the temperature drop off.

"Please, stay strong till it's morning, mom. I'll make sure to take you the hospital tomorrow. Please be alright."