Theo coughed loudly, chest heaving, slumping back down onto the bed.
I sighed. I should probably feel worried- Ihadbeen worried when I’d dragged him here in the middle of the night because he couldn’t stop coughing and he’d collapsed into a heap on the floor by the bed, clutching his chest and gasping- but now I just felt tired and resigned.
“Will he be able to come home?” I asked “Stryker, I mean.”
“If he let’s us get a good look at him, yes.”
Octavia murmured “otherwise he’ll be staying here for however long it takes.”
“Awesome.” I remarked sarcastically, rubbing Theo’s back “come on, lovely. Bed.”
It slipped, the nickname. I rapidly glanced over towards Octavia, beginning to feel the first tendrils of anxiety, but she seemed not to have heard, rummaging through a draw. I relaxed and turned my attention back to Theo, who had pushed himself to his feet.
“I didn’t bring my shoes.” He mumbled sheepishly. I raised my eyebrows, staring at him in disbelief “why?”
“Because I thought I was having a heart attack, I panicked! I forgot!”
I groaned. It had rained last night. Everything was drenched. “Take mine.” I grumbled reluctantly, toeing my boots off.
He smiled brightly- and maybe that smile made the prospect of walking through muddy, wet grass in just my socks a little more worth it- and slipped them on.
“They’re too big.” He whined softly.
I raised my eyebrows. I was doing him a favour enough as it was, I couldn’t exactly shrink my boots, could I?
“Suck it up.” I replied gruffly, patting his back and heading towards the door. “And I didn’t even hear a thank you.”
“Right.” He stammered, chasing after me “thanks. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I replied, mouth twitching with amusement just before my socks began soaking up the freezing water from outside.Ugh.
“Bed.” I commanded as soon as we entered the front door into the thankfully deserted hallway, peeling my soaking socks off. Theo grimaced at me “seriously?”
“Yes,seriously. A chest infection isn’t…something to joke about. Could turn into pneumonia. Go to bed, cough up the gunkin a bucket, take those.” I gestured towards the container of antibiotics in his grasp “get better.”
He huffed “can I have your bed?”
I raised my eyebrow “I mean, yeah. If you want. I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“You on dinner duty again?” He smirked at me. I rolled my eyes at him “no. But I’m sure I can squeeze in to make you some soup.”
His smirk faded and he shook his head “thanks, Matt, but…I’m not hungry.”
Of course he wasn’t. “It wasn’t a question.”
“Matt-“
“Go to bed, lovely.” I murmured dismissively, pressing a kiss to his warm forehead. He leaned against my chest, humming.
“I’ve got duty tonight.” I whispered “border patrol.”
“Okay.” He replied quietly.
“I’m gonna leave after lunch, but, uh…it’s a longer shift. I’ll be back late tonight.”
His brows furrowed and he looked up at me with his beautiful blue eyes, hazed over and clearly confused “why?”
“Because they, uh…want us to keep an eye out for Stadal. They’ll be after us and a lot of soldiers are out for injuries. So…”
