We were in medical room, which is no better then somnolence room one we were in before. That pesky alarm is still blaring and on top of that this room is filled with injured volunteers who are moaning, which by the way is giving me even more headache. Now as if this situation alone isn't worst enough, Rex is breathing down Ava's neck to check Nik, gosh this is seriously irritating Nik is not some ten years old kid who might die of some small injury. She is an eighteen years old ADULT for crying out loud she could look after herself and bear those small burns, moreover she isn't some elite family's princess.
I rolled my eyes imagining Nikola in dark blue velvet gown wearing a crown made of diamond "princess" I said in thick voice, actually mimicking Rex's voice. Last year on my eighteenth birthday I was beating asses of three boys who were newbies and thought they could bully me into giving them my night meal. "What can I say people who don't know me often mistake me for a fragile little girl thanks to my five feet and four inches of height."
"Are you talking to yourself?"
I to my right to find Rex sitting next to me with amused expressions on his face. "No" I simply replied turning my face to left, West says it is easy for anyone to read my face. And Rex knowing that he could make me feel embarrassed is the last thing I want.
"No I heard you saying people often mistake you for a fragile little girl thanks to your five feets and four inches of height" Rex said and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. "If I was" I turned to look at him "look just go away sho! I'm not bothering you so I expect the same" I said hugging myself as tightly as I could. Its been ten minutes since Kit left with Olivia to fix that damn alarm, but that thing...if we were not in space I would have simply burned down this whole place by now to shut that thing up.
"Nope, not gonna happen anytime soon. You are the least irritating person in this room" he replied clicking his tongue.
I took a long breath and closed my eyes before replying "shouldn't you be with you princess? she was so badly injured" I mocked.
"Princess?" he laughed a little shaking his head "Ava have put her in some examining machine or whatever they call it. She asked me to leave her alone for at least half and hours even after she comes out... of that coffin like machine" Rex replied crossing his legs, a gesture that confirms that he was not joking earlier when he said he'll not be going anywhere anytime soon."
Having nothing else to say or do I just let out a long and audible sigh.
".. Besides you seem to be more entertaining" Rex said after a pause. And just then that fucking alarm went off. I looked up at the metallic roof as I couldn't believe that fucking pesky thing finally went off and my body parts are still perfectly intact.
"Finally" I heard Rex muttering beside me. There were audible sigh of relief and mummers in medical room for next few minutes, which was better than moans filled with pain. I too felt much better now, though my head still feels way too heavy.
"Hey" I looked up to find Ava standing with a box in her hand. "Yep"
"Umm could you please..... take those polycarbonate pieces out of his hands" she said giving me a tired sweet smile.
"uh- no, I-I" looked at Rex's hands which were covered with blood "I can't, I might have lived down there for eight years but that" I pointed my thumb in Rex's direction "I've never done something as gross as that"
"please I'd be grateful. I-I would have done it myself, if I wasn't busy with others"
"But-"
"Please!"
ughh this girl, her sweet voice and that angel face. I swear it could make you do anything!
"OK bring it up" I said folding my legs to sit in more comfortable position.
"Thank you" she said giving me box and leaving. I looked at box for approximately forty five seconds before looking up at Rex. "Hands" I said and he extended his blood covered hands. "I leaved in that hell hole for eight years of my life but never I had to ever clean this kind gross mess" I said taking out cotton "now where the heck is water, I'm sure she doesn't think that this could be cleaned with cotton & dry clothes?" I said looking around and saw Ava coming towards me with a bowl in her hand.
"here take this for cleaning blood"
She gave me bowl of water & a cloth and left.
"And here I am, in a spaceship a place that looks infinite times better than that hell hole cleaning bloody mess. Yeah why not"
"don't you think you exasperate very thing" Rex said as I cleaned his right hand careful.
"No I don't" I replied.
"Oh you definitely do"
I didn't reply just rolled my eyes.
Approximately three minutes later, when I was taking out pieces of polycarbonate from Rex's right hand I heard Olivia "Dude your friend is amazing"
Rex and I looked up at brightly smiling Olivia, whose cream shirt now looked muddy and black pant visibly dirty. "Told ya I'm awesome" Kit chimed in as he sat beside Rex on the floor. "No seriously what did you guys used to do back on earth. Leo and I tried everything we have learnt but that fucking alarm didn't shut up and your friend here spends five ten minutes on computer and.....that thing is shut"
"We learnt.....a couple of tricks....on streets" Rex replied and uneasiness in his voice compelled me to look up at him. He was looking at Kit with strange expressions, almost unreadable and yet I somehow knew that was worry mixed with anger. His ebony eyes looked as if they were calculating something....next answer maybe because this one was dumb. Who learns how turn off a alarm that people who are expert in it couldn't? Last time I checked people who leaves on street only care about their next meal, they don't go around learning...things.
Sensing me reading him, Rex looked at me and even though he is maintaining his blank facade, I somehow could feel he is confused and trying to make his blank expressions even more....blank. Just in case I could read him but wait he wouldn't know that, I mean up until few seconds ago even I didn't know I could someone's emotions this well, so how would he?
Next thing I know an invisible wave pushed me back, not only back actually that invisible wave almost knocked off. I shook my head and blinked my eyes several times as if I wasn't in my senses already.
"You okay?" I heard Olivia's distant voice and then felt her hand on shoulder but I flinched away. I didn't want to but it was an involuntary action.
A small electric jolt ran through my spine "Talia?" I heard Olivia again this time her voice more clear, focused unlike last time. Concern, curiosity, agony and fear filled me, but it is foreign definitely not mine. It.... it is like some hurricane, a hurricane of emotions, emotions that are surely not mine. Concern soothed me, fear of uncertain future made my hands tremble, curiosity & agony just messed up with me more.
I closed my eyes, pressed both my hands to my ears and counted from ten to one, just like I used to back when West, me, mom and dad used to live together. Whenever mom and dad fought this is what West and I used to do, to block all those nasty things they said to each other. And just like it used to work back then, it worked now all the foreign emotions were gone, chaos in my head calmed and I opened my eyes slowly.
"Talia, you need to get checked you know" I heard Olivia's concerned voice and felt her hands on my shoulder as she pressed it lightly with uncertainty.
"Yeah, you really should" this time it was Rex, though his expressions remained stoic. My this new found sixth or seventh sense or whatever it is said otherwise, he was radiating sympathy.
I looked up at Olivia "you didn't get checked, right?"
I shook my head "no not yet"
"then you need to get checked. I'm sure it's headache?"
I nodded. "Who asked you to do this?" Olivia asked dismay evident in her voice.
"Ava wanted me to help her, you see she have her hands full" I replied in a low voice, it feels like I'm drained off all my energy already.
"Leo" Olivia looked at her right calling her fellow.
"here give this to Kit" Rex took box and bowl of water from me "Kit will help me. You should go and get checked. You are my potential source of entertainment and I would hate it if something happens to you"
I rolled my and didn't bother to reply.
"You can go to control room and see what's the problem. I'll be there in few minutes, Talia needs some check up and I can't leave everything in Ava's hand, she already have enough tasks" Olivia said to Leo, who nodded in response and left. "Let's go"