Hollow Moon (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty

My eyes sting when they are open. They sting when they're shut. But my body settles for shut as opening them again hurts more. A scalding tear ran down my cheek and I had zero fucks to give to wipe it away. On the verge of drifting off to sleep, the van door slams open, startling me awake and renewing the burning sensation...everywhere. When it was just the prickling pain, I was handling it just fine. But now I'm also dealing with my annoyance of being knocked awake from the cusp of numbing sleep. My eyes were open and stinging once again.

Half falling, half tripping out of the van, Skull had so graciously led me to the front door of Dark Sol's grand country club entrance. No one was there for a second before I noticed a familiar face of Poppy at the entrance who took in the sight of us for a split second and ran off. Probably to find Moon. Where Moon ran out, the look of shock first lanced through me before she turned it to sheer anger at Skull.

Skull's hands shot up with a causal grin as he handed me over like he was a doggy day carer hanging back over her toy poodle. "As you can imagine, there were some severe complications with Ghost's group." He was not urgent at all.

"What happened?" Moon took hold of my good side while I was trying to stay standing without leaning on her as much as I could.

"They blew up my greenhouse."

"They?"

He just smirks.

"Skull-" she bites out, but I force a hand up to stop her and she halts her bullrush charge. She takes a breath and tries again with less heat, "Where's Shadow? Everyone?"

Skull shakes his head, "Still working out the mess. I suggest you take your little doctor inside. He was a bit fucked up."

"That's putting it mildly you fucking prick and I'm not a doctor," I manage. I've had enough of this bastard for the day. If I see him again, it'll be a billion years too soon. I try to move. My aim is to get as much distance as I can. Jaguar and Reaper pick that moment to tumble out the doors towards us. Moon let them take over pulling me inside and I could tell her gaze was still fixated on Skull.

I don't care. My head still hurts and the ringing in my ears just adds to my rising irritation. The pair drag me through the hallway that had a bit of a crowd. I force them to lead me into the giant kitchen in the restaurant section.

Between them and myself, I was able to get the slightly charred shirt off and had a camping solar light bright enough for me to inspect the burn. It blotches my skin pink from my left lower ribs to just above the hip. My arms also look a little sunburnt as I had probably instinctively covered my face when I was thrown like a ragdoll. I asked for cold water and try to clean it, but the stinging made it damn difficult not to stop every three seconds. I also swore every cuss word I knew through gritted teeth as Jaguar ties to assist with the process for a good twenty minutes. The best I could do for now was clingwrap to put over the area when I go to lie down. I wasn't in the mood to look for gauze or explain to them what I needed. My skin is going to blister but that's a later problem. If I could, I would find a tetanus shot, just in case...If I can even find any and it's usable...

I let out a breath. This is so much harder when it's me. I rub one of my eyes with the heel of my palm. I was angry and tired and in pain. My mood will just get worse. I look back at the pair of worried faces and motion for water to drink. I didn't trust myself with an IV drip right now.

Jaguar places a cup of water in front of me, I drink it fast. She fills it again two more times before I stop myself from overdoing it. I stare at the floor between my feet.

Now what?

I want to leave. I want to know what's happened to Shadow. I bit back a laugh. Stopping it from turning into a sob. This-I was coming off the adrenaline and could recognise the emotional shock. The situation was too close. I still smell smoke and burning flesh. I saw the girl helplessly die by a sociopathic Smurf in a suit. Breathing seems awfully difficult right now.