“Koala.” He drops to his knees, and starts pulling my right arm free. His eyes never leave mine.
“Thallon,” the scream pours out of me, as Nine puts a match to the fuse at my legs before sprinting away.
Our eyes meet, before he spins on his heels and I slam my eyes closed. If I’m about to die, I just hope I don’t take him down with me.
No matter what anyone may say, the thought of death doesn’t scare me. It’s the thought of leaving people behind without any closure.
Not getting to tell my mom that I do love her and although I was hurt, it doesn’t change anything. So, when the bang goes off, this is all I can think about, that and the fact that it was too close and my ears are ringing. I can barely hear a thing, it’s muffled, as though I’m underwater.
I jump as a hand lands on my wrist, and I nearly weep when I can finally move it again. I open my eyes to see Thallon looking down at me. His hands are covered in burns, but he’s okay. At least, I think he’s okay. He’s moving his mouth, and I have no idea what he is saying to me.
It’s not any better as Tucker, Aeron, and Emmet appear. I can tell by looking at Emmet that he’s shouting, but, nope. Not a damn thing.
Tuck offers me his hand, and I gingerly place mine in his. Only, I don’t lean into him once I’m finally up, I go to Thallon instead. Emmet can think what he will, he saved my life. What more can he do to prove himself?
Thallon looks at me with a smirk, before he pulls his phone out. Even with the burns, he’s acting as though nothings happened. He needs to be checked out for fuck’s sake.
Thallon: Koala girl, you’re saying all of that out loud. Gotta say, it’s weird to hear a cuss come out of that pretty mouth of yours. We’re going to the medical center. We need to get you checked out.
I point to his hands and he scowls at me, before nodding his head. We understand each other, he knows I won’t get seen unless he agrees to as well. I have no idea what happened to the fireworks, but I’m glad I didn’t go up in a ball of brightly colored gun powder.
We head to the medical center, me and three guys. Only two of us actually need to be seen, but I won’t ask them to leave, and not just because they wouldn’t listen to me even if I did. I think they need to know that I’m going to be okay, so do I. Not being able to hear is terrifying, I can’t pick up a second language, let alone speak with my hands. And who the hell is going to write everything they want to say to me down? No one has that much patience, surely.
We get led to a room, the nurse tries to direct Thallon somewhere else, but I’m guessing he’s refusing. Of course, it’s Cole who will be treating us, who else would it be?
He passes me a pad of paper after he and Tucker say something and I just sit here, staring at it. What does he want me to tell him?
Me: I can’t hear!!!
There, easy enough. He frowns at my writing, before he picks a pad up himself and starts scribbling across the paper.
Cole: I need to examine your ears, is that okay?
I nod my head, and he gets to it. I don’t move as he looks me over, even if I think he should be looking at Thallon first, it isn’t as though anyone will listen to me. I wonder if I spoke out loud, if I would be shouting.
“Thallon needs to be examined.”
He winces, yep definitely shouting. Great, this just keeps getting better and better. I haven’t lost my ability to speak, but how can I when I don’t know how loud I will be?
He finishes up, before moving over to Thallon. He treats his hands and wraps them up before perching on the edge of his desk. His smile is kind, but his eyes look sad. I know it’s for me, but it isn’t his fault. It’s those catty bitches who think it would be better to set me on fire then just deal with me for a few more months.
He speaks to the guys, and they nod. There’s a mixture of emotions written on their faces. Thallon looks, I want to say, defeated, but it doesn’t make sense. Aeron has this look on his face as though he wants to set the whole world on fire. Really need to let the whole fire thing go. Tucker looks pensive, and Emmet can’t stay still. I can’t get a read on his face because he won’t let me see it.
Cole: I’m hoping this is temporary, caused by your close proximity to the firework when it went off. However, I can’t say when or even if your hearing will come back. I’ll make an appointment for you to come back in four days, and I’ll give you another examination. It will be okay, One, I’m sure this is temporary. Don’t worry.
I look away, get to my feet, and leave the room. I can’t say anything back to that. He couldn’t give me the answer I desperately wanted, no, needed. I’m deaf, and he doesn’t know how long it will last. If it’s permanent, then I’ll make do. I’ll learn sign language, I can work in the back of the bakery and have someone else at the front. Whatever happens, I won’t let this ruin my plans.
Aeron appears next to me, and I jump slightly, until his hand captures mine and our fingers link together. He runs his lips across my knuckles, before leading me out of the center and back into the main building. Words aren’t needed here, not with Aeron. I think he understands how I feel right now, the need to forget everything, and just live in the moment. Who better than my favorite sin?
It’s been two days since the incident and I still can’t hear anything, classes are back on and the teachers are doing everything they can to accommodate my needs. Maddox sits with me during my business class, taking notes whenever the teacher speaks, and I copy it down to digest once I’m alone. Cooking is a little different. Just thinking of earlier has me laughing out loud, even though I can’t hear it. My tutor gave me the lesson plan so I could just get on with what I needed to do. Only, when she came to check on me halfway through I didn’t realize. The poor woman got covered in cake mix when she made me jump as I was carrying the tin over to the oven. I don’t think she’ll be doing that again.
Now though, classes are over and I’m sitting in my room. It’s not fun being in the mess hall, D is making the most of slipping me notes every time she sees me, as though we’re in high school. It’s fun, but I don’t want to write anymore. I think I’d rather just go to bed and sleep until tomorrow. Spend as much time asleep as I can. I mean, don’t our bodies heal as we sleep? So, surely that gives my ears a better chance. I don’t know, I’m probably talking out of my ass, but I have no reason to stay up. I feel so alone. Emmet hasn’t even been to see me since I ran out of his room. I don’t know if it’s because I told him I loved him, at the same time as two other guys, or because he doesn’t know how to handle me at the moment. Is he waiting to see if I get better? Will he cut all ties if I don’t? Or will he want a marriage simply in name, so he can get what he’s worked towards since he was young?
I jump as a hand lands on my shoulder, I jump to my feet and pull my hands up to protect my face. Of course, I lower them the minute I see Aeron, and he smiles at me softly, before offering me his hand. His tongue slides across his bottom lip, and my stomach pools just from seeing that. Fuck, what does this guy do to me?
He pulls out a joint from behind his ear, sparks it, and then passes it over. I don’t hesitate before I take three long drags, a cloud of smoke surrounds us and he pulls me closer. Until I’m flush against him, and his breath is stirring the hair on top of my head.