Page 13 of Brush with Death
“Which is why I had to convince them to let you go.Come on, before they change their mind and force you to reanimate grandma.”
He didn’t have to say it twice.Cyril wanted to get out of there and go home.He needed his bed and Oscar.He needed Vale and to be told that everything would be okay.
He was glad that Robbie had picked him up this morning.He was in no condition to drive or even pay attention to what was happening outside of the car.That was why he was startled when he felt it stop and opened his eyes to see that he was home.
“I can go upstairs on my own,” he told Robbie as he attempted to unhook his seatbelt.He couldn’t find the button.
Robbie shook his head and found it for him.“You’re in no state to be doing anything on your own.I’m not saying I’ll walk you to the bathroom if you have to go because that’s Vale’s job, but I can walk you upstairs.Vale’s home?”
“He should be.”He’d told Cyril that he would be there when Cyril came back, but he hadn’t expected Cyril to be done so quickly.Cyril hadn’t, either.
They trudged upstairs.Cyril patted his pockets to find his key, but Robbie was proactive.Cyril wasn’t sure when he’d gotten a key to the apartment, but he took one out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
They walked in, but before Cyril could make a beeline for the couch and bury his face into the pillows, Vale was there.He came from the kitchen, a frown on his face that vanished as soon as he saw Cyril.Unfortunately, it quickly got replaced by a new frown that Cyril wanted to smooth out.
“He has a headache,” Robbie said.
Cyril glared at him.“I don’t like tattletales.”
“And I don’t like when my friends are in pain.”
“Cyril?”Vale asked as he came closer.He gently cupped Cyril’s face with both of his hands, and Cyril could only look up at him.It was hard, though.
Vale wasn’t with him because he was a necromancer.If anything, he was with him in spite of what he could do.That meant that Vale wouldn’t leave Cyril just because he couldn’t reanimate dead people anymore, but Cyril was still hesitant to admit it.
“Talk to me,” Vale said gently.
“This has never happened to me.I tried reanimating the deceased woman, but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I pulled at her soul.That’s when the headache worsened.I tried to get her back through the pain, but I couldn’t.”
Vale smoothed a hand over the back of Cyril’s head.“I’m not surprised that you still have a headache after what happened yesterday.”
“It’s not just a headache.I couldn’t reanimate her.I tried again when Robbie was distracted, but it didn’t work.”
“Okay.Here’s what we’re going to do.You’re going to sit on the couch for a few moments while I see Robbie out and get more information out of him.Once he’s gone, I’m taking you back to the hospital.”
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Cyril whined.He knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn’t help it.He just wanted to go to sleep and for the pain to stop.
“You’re going anyway.The doctor said that if the headache got worse, you had to go see him.”
He had, but Cyril didn’t think that the doctor had intended for him to start working again so soon after hitting his head.He knew he shouldn’t have, but he hadn’t wanted to disappoint the family.He had anyway, and the result was a massive headache and the fear that he’d lost his ability as a necromancer.
Yesterday had been bad, but today was even worse.
* * * *
VALE HAD WORRIED THATsomething like this would happen.He’d hoped that wouldn’t be the case for Cyril’s sake, but here Cyril was, in pain and clearly confused.
Vale wanted to help him, but he wasn’t a doctor.He didn’t know what was wrong with Cyril.That was why they needed to see someone who would find out.It didn’t matter that Cyril didn’t want to go to the hospital.It was where they were going, no matter how much Cyril complained.
“You’ll let me know how he is?”Robbie asked as Vale walked him to the door.
“Of course.Thank you for taking care of him.”
“It’s what I’m paid to do.”
“You’re paid to talk to clients and organize Cyril’s days, not to care about him.”Robbie was Cyril’s friend.He would do this even if Cyril didn’t pay him.
Robbie nodded and allowed Vale to send him home.As soon as they were alone, Vale turned his attention to Cyril.
