Crosshatch - IV

When I woke up, there was someone sitting at the side of the bed.
"Acroste..?" I murmured blearily. As I wiped the last remnants of sleep from my eyes, they widened. "Oh..you're not him."
The man next to me had a face decorated with fine lines and wrinkles; his hair was black and streaked with grey. As I spoke, he looked up from his book, closing it quietly.
"Acroste will return soon, I sent him away so as to speak with you alone," he said, setting the book down on the floor next to him. "My apologies if I woke you up."
"No, no, you didn't." I straightened myself and ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm Kloss. And you?"
"Tille." He didn't extend his hand out to shake, instead electing to fold them over his lap. "Are you enjoying Silvest?"
I looked out the windows - the sun was starting to rise above the treetops. "From what I've seen of it, yes. There's nothing like this around my home."
Tille chuckled. "Well, we're certainly unique." His tone changed somewhat. "Mind if I ask what brought you here?"
Was this man of the March? I wasn't sure - how could I be. I became defensive without even knowing it.
"I was taking a walk near my house, when I slipped. I slid down the cliff, and I suddenly ended up here." I turned back to him, doing my best to smile. "For a bit, I thought I was in a dream.."
"It certainly feels like a dream in here." Tille was studying me, as Acroste had yesterday. I tried to hide the fact that I was uncomfortable. "You're almost ready to leave the hospital, right? Good for you."
"Mhm." This small talk was..taxing, to say the least. and I'd just woken up, too.
"Well. I don't want to keep you busy. I'm just here to ask - have you ever had an interest in science?" His smile at the last word erased several years worth of life off of his face. "I'm personally wowed and amazed at everything that can be done with science. We even created magic!"
"Ahh..personally, I haven't had much experience with it, and I've always thought it kind of boring.." So Tille was of the March - I'd have to tread carefully here. "Not to disrespect you or anything, of course."
"No, no, it's all fine. Even if you dislike it, surely you must marvel at what it's done. You were healed with science, after all. My companion and friend, Amande, designed your cast. I don't know how long it took him, but it's still wonderful, no? You'd still be in pain if not for him." Tille's praising tone was off-putting, but he continued nonetheless. "We've come so far in so little time, all thanks to dedication and hard work!"
I nodded along to what he was saying. "I'll be sure to thank him, should I see him."
"I'm sure you will soon, Kloss. I'm sure you will." He stood, stooping down to grab his book. "Well, I'll not keep you. We'll speak soon, I'd bet on it." He bowed to me, then left the room.
As soon as I heard the door shut, I fell back against the raised bed that I'd slept on. "Gods, as soon as I woke up, you test me..!"
"Kloss! I saw Tille, are you alright?" As I raised my head, I saw Acroste closing the door, mere seconds after it had first been closed.
"Yes, I'm all good. I just didn't expect him, or anyone for that matter, to be waiting right beside my bed.." I sat back up again, pushing myself with my right arm. "Good morning.."
"Good morning to you too." He kicked at the chair Tille had left in disgust. "He's a nutcase. He's the Proclimator here and just spouts things on the greatness of science and whatnot. I hope he didn't try to convince you of anything.."
"All he did was say how good it was. Mentioned Amande, said that I might be speaking to him soon." I sighed.
"Never say yes to him. To either of them. Ever." Acroste picked up the chair and put it back in the corner. "Anyway, some good news. You're free to go. Just let me take down your cast, and we'll be good to go."
"Really? Thank you." As I said that, he unhooked the wire from my arm and it dropped by my side. I picked at the fringe of the cast.
"Hold on, I need to lower the bed so you can get out easier." Acroste pressed something on the bed to my right and it slowly began sinking down to the floor. It stopped about two feet above it. "That good?"
"Should be.." As a test, I shifted myself to the edge of the bed. My feet didn't scrape the floor. "Maybe a little more?"
At that, he pressed the button (or switch?) and the bed descended enough to where my feet were planted on the ground. Shakily, I stood, my legs having not been used for at least a day. I had to lean on him until I was standing.
Acroste smiled. "There you go. Need crutches?"
"No. Thank you, though.." I took a step, sure I was to fall. Surprisingly, I did not. I let go of him. "Okay. Now that I'm out of bed, where to now?"
"Well, I have an idea. but we've got to get something else out of the way first." He walked to the door, opening it. "Let's go."
The floor was cold beneath my feet as I walked towards the doorway. I wobbled somewhat, but I was glad to be out of that room.
To my right was a white hall, more doorways off of either side. My left had a closed cabinet, which Acroste immediately went to, opening it and taking out a clear bag and a vial. He turned around. "Hold out your arm."
I offered my arm in a cast as he uncorked the vial and took something out of the bag. It looked vaguely like a pen, with sharp-looking tip and a clear pipe, with a strange, long handle sticking out of the end. He dipped the needle in the vial, drawing back the handle. A dark blue liquid flooded the chamber of the needled object.
"Okay. Hold still." Acroste set down the vial, capping it as he did. He turned back to me, pressing the tip of the needle into the crook of my elbow. I winced as it broke the skin. He pushed down the handle, and the liquid slowly made its way into my arm.
"What is that?" I asked as he finished. He rubbed at the hole in my arm lightly with his fingertip, then wrapping it with a white bandage - one strip closer to me, and one closer to him. He pressed the end of the bandage against itself and let go - it didn't come apart. Some sort of adhesive?
"That was something you needed. It will help keep down the pain, since you'll be moving it somewhat. This thing," he held up the needled object, "is a syringe. It injects things. Don't worry, it's sterile." He tossed the syringe and the vial into another drawer. "Okay. You're all good now, time to show you something I think you'll enjoy. Come on."
He started down the hall, steps sure. I followed him, holding my arm as I did. The doorways we passed were empty, lights off, beds empty. I'd been alone in the hospital.
We eventually reached a larger room, also empty. There was a large desk in the corner, with a few boxes atop it. There was another door, too, this one made of murky glass that distorted the view outside. "Ready?" Acroste asked, his eyes a happy green. He was smiling.
My breath caught in my throat. "As I'll ever be."
The blond pushed the door open soundlessly as the world became bright. It was far brighter than it had been in the hospital. I shielded my eyes with my casted arm until I was just able to make out details.
The sky was an almost unreal blue, clouds hardly dotting the sky. The trees swayed gently in the wind, vines growing up their trunks and flowering in blues, reds, and pinks. There were other flowers being tended by robed men and women, ones I'd never seen before. Something was flying, high in the clouds above us all. Could birds really get that big?
"Welcome to Silvest, Kloss."


a/n; am not happy with the ending but w/e
 

Abriatis

NY

YWP Alumni

More by Abriatis

  • i am me.

    it's 12am on nine-eleven-twenty-twenty.
    my name is rowan, and i am eighteen.
    i have struggled. i have cried. i did not think i'd make it this far.
    i did not think i'd do half the things i have.
  • nine-eleven

    to think that i will be a legal adult tomorrow.
    i could vote. i could buy fish at petsmart.
    i could apply to places like aldi's and tractor supply.

    my birthday, for me, has always been tinged with sadness.
  • placidity

    i watch the numbers tick up.
    i read the headlines.
    suny oneonta shuts down for the semester -
    six hundred cases.

    i go outside.
    i see the masks, worn properly or not.
    the spraying of hand sanitizer,