Page 22 of Collin: Episodes 1-3
“Do you think we should call the doctor?” That was Damian’s voice in the hall, filtering into Collin’s dreams. “He’s been asleep for hours.”
“I already did. Diagnosis is long-term exhaustion, dehydration, lack of nutrition. When a body suddenly is offered sufficiently nutrient-rich food, rest, and security, this is exactly what can be expected, especially when brought short by an injury like a concussion.”
“A full stop.” Damian sighed heavily. “He’s scared, you know.”
“Of what?”
“That he’ll get used to this and not be able to go back.”
“Thank you for letting me know. Tell me about the San Jose-Singapore deal. What’s the update?”
Their footsteps receded. Collin slipped back under to full sleep.
Collin only came to full wakefulness sometime in the late afternoon. Artemis had abandoned him, but there was a note beside the bed.
Ring the bell when you wake.
—Reevesworth
Collin reached out one hand and rang the bell. It felt as ridiculous as he thought it would. And waiting for Mr. Reevesworth to come at a summons made his belly tighten and his throat feel like he was about to be sick. Mothers and teachers always described feeling nauseous as being in the stomach, but Collin felt like it always started in the throat. It was there now.
Footsteps echoed through a wider space and then into the room. Collin rubbed his face and pushed himself up on his elbows. That made his skull slosh. He held still for a moment, eyes squeezed shut, until the trapped-in-the-middle-of-an-ocean sensation settled.
“As calm as Artemis is today, I clearly should have hired you for the position of human bed to her royal highness and not allowed Ellisandre to poach you.”
“Sir?” Collin turned his head carefully to the side and squinted up at Mr. Reevesworth.
“Time for sustenance and hydration. Even cat beds require those when they come in the form of a human. Can you sit up?”
“Yes, sir. Give me a moment?”
Mr. Reevesworth hummed in his throat. “This will be a combined effort. Close your eyes.”
Together they got Collin upright with pillows behind him. Mr. Reevesworth drew the first layer of curtains, a sort of sheer drape layer, across the windows and then and only then was Collin able to fully take in the room.
“How long will my eyesight be like this, sir?”
“Anywhere from another day or two to a week.”
Collin fingered the blanket on his lap. “I’m not finishing the semester on time, am I?”
“Still unknown, but possibly.” Mr. Reevesworth stepped out of the room and returned with a tray, which he placed on a long low dresser. There were several bottles of drinks, including hydration-repletion-type mixes and plain water. On a plate was a simple sandwich.
“Drink. Then eat. And when you’re finished, if you can stay awake, we’ll talk.”
Collin did not manage to stay awake. He woke about an hour after eating to the sound of turning pages and Mr. Moreau out in a distant room, speaking into a phone.
“I’m awake, sir.”
“Collin.” Mr. Reevesworth slotted a bookmark into his place and shut the book. “You’re looking better.”
Collin shrugged. “I think so, sir. Keep falling asleep.”
“That’s your body healing. Most likely it will continue all week.”
“I—” Collin looked away. He was not going to panic. There was no point to doing it again. He had a tiny bit of savings. He could tell his roommates to find someone else to take over his spot. It wasn’t like his name was on the lease; they’d find someone. He could sleep outside in a park, try to stay in train stations when it rained. It wasn’t snowing yet. And he could shower at the gym at his school. There were ways. And if Ellisandre did let him stay on, he’d get another place, somehow.
“Yes, sir. I need…I need to make a phone call, sir. I won’t look at the screen if you’d just open it for me.”
