June 12 | Thursday #2
“Don’t be like that.”
“Why not? You said it yourself, I have the right. So I’m exercising it. Go.”
Norma stood up.
“If you need anything, call,” she said, forcing a calm tone.
Will ignored her words. He watched her go, then closed his eyes, feeling the rage churning inside him.
He was done with all of it.
February 24 | Monday
Liam visited him just after two.
“Hey.” Will smiled at the sight of the only face he wanted to see.
“Hey yourself. Can I sit?” Liam asked. “Because I heard from Norma there’s been some… tension.”
Will rolled his eyes.
“You can, as long as you don’t bring it up.”
Liam chuckled, taking a seat in the chair.
“Thanks for the card.”
“No problem. Do they know in Greenhill yet?”
“Hm? Oh, my grandparents? No. When I came to, they asked who to notify, but I figured there was no point in worrying them. They would’ve come right away, and they’re not in the best of health.”
“Makes sense.”
Silence fell. Will didn’t really know what to say. Liam apparently didn’t either, because at one point he started drumming his fingers on his knees. Suddenly, he shot up from his seat.
“You know what?” he asked, walking over to the window.
“On my way here, I had all these great lines prepared. That everything would be okay, that you have nothing to worry about, that it could have been worse… I mean, they sounded great in my head,” he clarified with a quiet snort.
“Now they just seem kind of… off the mark.”
“Do I look that bad?” Will muttered with a grim smile.
“No, you look awesome.”
“Uh-huh. Why does that sound like an incredibly unconvincing pickup line?”
“A pickup line?” Liam grinned mischievously. “Funny you’d make that connection. Have you been watching those kinds of movies set in hospitals, too? Because I’ve seen plenty. They actually do start out pretty much the same.”
“Movies?” Will repeated, confused. “What kind of—”
Liam’s smile grew even wider.
“Oh my God,” Will said, bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
He reined it in as quickly as he could, because the pain in his chest was unbearable. His face twisted into a pained grimace.
“Okay?” Liam asked with concern, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah,” Will replied weakly.
Liam stared at him with sympathy, then unexpectedly blurted out:
“You know, it’s really not so bad.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Look on the bright side. You’ll miss a few months of school.”
“I’d rather have school than be lying here.”
“And that’s where we differ.”
Will smiled faintly. He knew Liam was joking, but he’d brought up a subject that had been weighing on him.
“They told me I’ll be laid up for at least two months. I’m going to fall behind a semester.”
“No way!” Liam protested. “You’re not skipping, you’re sick.
Say what you will about BHA, but they know how to handle situations like this.
Last year, a buddy from the team… the previous captain, actually…
suffered a serious injury. And he was out for almost half a year.
He was conditionally allowed to take the exams. I mean, he actually did fail them because he didn’t study, but it’ll be different with you, right?
Just don’t ask me to bring you my notes. ”
“You have notes?” Will asked playfully.
“One notebook for everything.” Liam grinned cheerfully.
Will answered with an amused smile, but it quickly faded, replaced by an expression of uncertainty.
“What is it?” Liam picked up on it.
“Nothing… It’s just…”
Will wondered for a moment if he should share his doubts with Liam, but in the end, he decided there was no reason not to.
“I was just thinking about my powers. My powers, that’s a laugh. Back when that psycho kidnapped me, they were the only reason I escaped. They protected me in a lot of other situations, too, but not in the accident. Why?”
“Because you didn’t have time to react. They’re your powers, Will. You control them.”
“No,” Will whispered. He’d had his doubts before, but now he was completely sure. “Not at all.”
“I mean, you can’t yet, but…”
“They’re not mine, they just… are. They seem to exist and act independently of what I do.”
Liam was clearly flustered.
“What?” Will asked, furrowing his brow.
“Nothing, nothing,” Liam replied immediately. “I don’t know anything about magic. You’d have to talk to Norma about stuff like that.”
Will shot him a stern look.
“Or Abby!” Liam suggested, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “I’m not bringing up the forbidden subject, I’m just giving you options.”
Will smiled faintly. If he believed anyone would take him seriously, he probably would have brought it up, but he felt like no one wanted to listen. No one except Liam, and he really wasn’t much help in this area.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Liam said. “See? That didn’t even sound so bad, did it?”
Will smiled warmly.
“No, it didn’t.”
March 1 | Saturday
A rustle woke him. Will cracked his eyelids open and spotted an unexpected visitor.
“Blake?” he asked quietly, wondering if he was dreaming.
“Who else?” Alden muttered, his voice laced with weary condescension.
Literally anyone else. That should have been the answer. A lot of time had passed since the accident, and since Blake hadn’t shown up before, Will had no reason to think he ever would. Not that he’d been expecting him.
“How are you feeling?” Blake asked, his tone clearly guarded as he eyed Will carefully.
“Fine…” Will was still not all there. “What…?” He frowned and pointed to the bag Blake was holding.
“I packed your things,” Alden informed him. There wasn’t much to pack, really—just a few changes of clothes and some personal items he’d asked Liam to bring him. “You’re going home today.”
“They’re discharging me?” Will asked, astonished. The last time he spoke to the doctor, he’d been told they would keep him for at least another week.
“You’re discharging yourself.”
“What?” Will scoffed. “Why?”
“The power has gone out three times since you’ve been here,” Blake stated, and of course, he was right.
Will already knew. He hadn’t seen any blackouts himself, but he’d felt those distinctive pulses, and afterward, he’d overheard the nurses talking about some electrical issues.
He’d put it all together. “You can’t draw attention to yourself. ”
“I doubt anyone would connect some random guy’s presence with power failures.”
“This is a hospital. The power is more important here than at school or in your house.”
“They have backup power.”
“And what if you fry that, too? There are sick people here!”
“Yeah, and I’m one of them,” Will hissed, irritated by Alden’s condescending tone. “The doctor said I need to be under observation, so until he decides I can leave safely, I’m not moving.”
“But you can move, unlike the people who are only alive thanks to life support,” Blake stated grimly. “Even a momentary shutdown could have catastrophic consequences. Are you really ready to be responsible for that?”
Will discharged himself. He had no other choice; Blake was right, but that didn’t make him any less angry. How could he even take care of his own health when he was a danger to others? It was completely fucked up.
Alden drove him home. Will got out and started toward the front door on his crutches. He heard footsteps behind him. He glared over his shoulder at Blake, wondering why he wasn’t leaving, but then he remembered the bag with his things.
Will let out a shaky sigh and fumbled in his pocket for his keys. He tried to work the lock, but they slipped from his grasp. He swore under his breath, unsure whether it would be better to bend over or to squat—both options seemed equally exhausting and even more painful.
But Blake beat him to it, picking up the keys and opening the door.
“I didn’t ask for your help,” Will snapped.
“We don’t always have to ask for something to receive it,” Alden replied coolly.
Will went inside, rolling his eyes. He immediately dragged himself to the living room and collapsed on the couch with a quiet groan.
Blake followed him in. He left the bag on the table and announced, “I can help you upstairs, if you want.”
“What for? So I can tumble down the stairs later?”
Alden narrowed his eyes.
“Let’s hope that cynicism speeds up your recovery.”
“Seriously? You, the king of assholes, are going to call me out on my cynicism?”
Blake shot him a venomous glare, then headed for the door. Will felt a small pang of guilt. He knew he hadn’t treated him fairly.
His remorse vanished the moment he realized Alden had left the door open.
“Asshole,” Will wheezed, trying to get up, but just then, Blake came back.
Will leaned forward, just enough to see Blake walking through the entryway with several grocery bags.
“What are you doing?” Will called after him.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Blake yelled back from the kitchen.
A few minutes later, he reappeared in the living room.
“I brought you some food,” he announced, and Will raised an eyebrow. It was a lot more than some. “You’re not going to be grocery shopping anytime soon, and I don’t have time to come here every day. It’s mostly pre-made stuff. Things that will keep for a while.”
“Instant noodles?” Will asked, since it was the only thing that came to mind.
“Even the king of assholes wouldn’t torture a sick person with that crap,” Blake replied with a wry smile.
Will coughed quietly.
“Thanks,” he whispered, embarrassed.
“Whatever. Give me the keys.”
“What? My keys?”
“No, not yours, the spare set. You must have one from when you had a roommate.” Will did, of course, but he didn’t understand why he should give it to Blake.
Alden let out an exasperated sigh and explained, “I’ll need to drop things off sometimes, and I’m not waiting for you to graciously crawl to the door to let me in. ”
God. How could anyone put up with this asshole?
“You can always just kick the door in,” Will reminded him spitefully.
“I could,” Blake confirmed in the same tone. “But I’m not paying for it again.”
Will rolled his eyes.
“The keys are in the entryway, in the wicker basket.”
Blake left the living room. For a moment, there was the sound of rummaging.