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“Katherine” Nathan said, frustrated he couldn't knock on the door “sis! Wake up!”
He heard shuffling, she opened the door, looking exhausted “what, Nathan, its 3am.”
“Its Abbadon.” he gestured
She sighed “is he trapped in the vents? What couldn't wait till morning? Do I need the mop” she rubbed her face
“No-” Nathan held out his hands “I think something's wrong- hes under the sink, breathing weird- he seems almost like hes sleeping?”
She blinked “sleeping? He said he hasn't done that in what- a hundred years?”
“I don't know- just- I couldn't get his attention, i'm worried”
She pulled on her robe “ok- hold on”
She padded down the stairs, using her phone light as she bent down by the sink “Abbadon?” she knocked on the door slightly, before pulling it open, expecting a hiss.
She saw the boy curled in on himself, breathing ragged.
“Oh- shit- Abby?” she asked again, putting an hand on his arm, jostling him slightly. He shook, inhaling sharply, she heard congestion catch in his throat, a deep rattling cough escaping him.
She pulled him out from underneath the sink, he opened his eyes “l- leave me be-” he rasped
“Absolutely not-” she felt his head “baby you’re burning-”
“I am n-not an infant” he slurred
“Its a term of endearment-” she stood, holding him in her arms, her warmth was comforting, his face nuzzled into her collar bone, small hands gripping the fabric of her robe against his will.
“Abbadon, you’re sick” Nathan states, hovering.
“I am n- no s-” he coughed, shaking. “Such th- thing- K- Katherine release m-me”
She held him tighter, noticing him pant “can you breathe ok? I hear your chest rattling-” she rubbed his back. he whimpered against his will as she rushed up the stairs, opening the bathroom door and cranking on the shower, the steam filling the room, she pulled a towel around the boys shivering form, folding some toilet paper in her hand
“I need you to cough for me” she sat him in her lap on the floor “it’ll help you breathe better, come on” she prompted, pulling his hair back with one hand and bracing him
“I c- can’t”
Nathan bent down “you gotta try bud, it’s important”
“I h- have spent days un-d-derwater”
“Yeah but clearly, your body- ehm- sorry, vessel, isn't very strong right now, we need to make sure it gets all the stuff a normal body needs so it can get better.” Katherine pressed. She had no clue Abbadon could even be sick, much less badly enough to where he was borderline delusional. She wondered if it had anything to do with the cultists he drove off, for days afterward he stared out the window, refusing to move, barely talking, barely eating.
Something had happened, she wasn't sure what- but it had driven Abbadon to sickness.
Abbadon tried to cough, a weak rasp escaping him, then his body took over, forceful painful coughs wracking his frame.
“There we go-” Nathan winced, Katherine holding the folded toilet paper below Abaddon's mouth as he coughed and choked up phlegm, blood lacing it. He choked harshly, barely being given a moment to breathe in, it faded into him hyperventilating.
“Abbadon- its ok- deep breathes- you’re ok- you're safe-” Katherine winced as his hands gripped hers like a lifeline, his glazed over eyes screaming.
Her heart clenched forcefully when she saw the tears in his eyes, she jolted when he dashed for the toilet, vomiting. “Ok baby- let it up- your ok-”
“Hk- help me-” he struggled to speak between heaves, begging. “I’m d- Hlk- dying hel- m-”
Nathan tried to pet his back “no- Abby, you aren’t dying- you aren’t dying” he assured him.
Both the adults stayed near him, praying it would pass quicker. The boy eventually collapsed backward into Katherines arms, panting and shaking.
“There we go bud- there you are,” she wiped his face “it's ok now- we’re right here, just rest” she looked up at Nathan, face full of concern.
“My tummy hurts” he whimpered
She tried not to chuckle, the cobra king himself, speaking again like a little kid. Nathan sat next to where he lay in her lap. “I know bud, we’ll keep a bucket near the bed for ya”
“I d- do not wish to collect buttons”
She sighed, brushing his hair off his sweaty forehead “it's not for collecting buttons, it's for if you throw up again.” she tried pulling him to sit up, the child nearly limp. The silently thanked the steam for helping dislodge some of the congestion, hearing his breathing become less wheezy. “Come on bud” she wiped his face, seeing his eyes glaze over.
Nathan waved a hand in front of his face, hoping to get the boys attention. “Have you ever been sick before Abby?”
No response, his eyes just fluttered briefly, curling into Katherine.
“How about the last time you slept? When was that?” he asked. Not even a mutter.
“Abbadon” Kathy prompted “can you hear us?”
Abbadon felt like he was on the bottom of the lake. Were they speaking to him? He couldn’t hear clearly… Everything hurts. He hoped he hadn’t made a mess again- he didn’t want to be locked in the attic, or in a closet, or under some floorboards. He hated feeling trapped.
He was vaguely aware of Katherine adjusting him, he assumed back into her arms since the comforting warmth returned, he tried to bury himself into it, unused to affection. He allowed Nathan to hold him a few times, always claiming he despised it. Now he couldn’t focus enough to fight back. He just wanted to stop hurting…
Everything hurts…
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Katherine jolted when Abbadon shot up in the bed after remaining unconscious for 16 straight hours, albeit fitfully.
“Abby!” she exclaimed, getting out of her chair “oh buddy-”
He blinked rapidly, heart pounding “m- my eyes are leaking”
“You’re crying” she said gently “what's going on huh? First you’re sick as a dog, then you’re sleeping-” she felt his head “fevers down… that's good”
He wiped his eyes “I do not wish to feel this way”
“I know…” she sighed, offering him a glass of water “I’m just glad you’re up- got worried there”
He grabbed the glass, chugging the water. Katherine yelped, grabbing it “slow down! Slow down! Don’t make yourself sick-”
He growled at her, grabbing at the glass out of his reach “I am thirsty! Unhand me-”
“You can have it! Just slow down okay? I don’t want you upsetting your stomach-” she slowly handed the glass back, keeping a grip on it as his hands trembled. She had to pull it away repeatedly, instructing him to breathe.
The glass was soon empty “ok- we’ll see how that settles and then we can figure out something to eat…”
“I- I am not a child, I do not need you to-” he rubbed his face “to coddle me”
“Usually I’d let you crawl back into the vents, but you gave us a real scare, I didn’t even know you could get sick”
“Very rarely, I believe it may have happened once in the foundations of Great britain.” she muttered, realizing how disgusting he felt. “It was not nearly this severe”
Nathan walked in “oh! He's awake!”
“Yep” Katherine leaned back “he was just telling me he's never been this bad before”
“Well, I guess it's to be expected, considering how you’ve been skipping meals and staying by the window all day”
“The… window…” Abbadon blinked. His heart dropped, THE WINDOW. He leapt up, scrambling out of the bed and skidding around the corner, his body screaming in pain as he very nearly fell down the stairs. He sped past Esther who jumped “Abbadon! You’re awake!” she grinned “I saved some bones for y-” she was cut off by him slamming into the front desk, clawing his way onto the counter.
“Ten- twenty-” he counted the keys, all in their respective cubbies. None checked out- the cult hadn’t been here, or was at least not staying in their rooms-
Esther padded down the stairs “what the hell man, got somewhere to be?” she chuckled “mom said you were sick- but you seem better now- maybe you’d want to look at this book I”
He walked past her, body trembling with effort as he made his way to the window, pulling himself up onto the sill.
Esther drooped, looking at him. “... oh- back… to the window I guess… are you sure you don’t want to- look at the book?” she held it up, “or- or we could do something else if thats boring- like- looking for a body or-” she trailed off. Hand reaching out hesitantly “... Abby… are you okay?”
He could hardly hear her over the heart pounding in his ears. Nausea crept into his throat as he turned to look at Esther. He'd been ignoring her for days. She would forgive him, after all he had to make sure those cultists weren’t coming back, or else- or else-
______________________________________________________
Esther stared in disbelief as Abbadon stumbled his way back to the window, starting that distant stare he had been locked in for what seemed like forever.
“Abby… are you okay?”
She hadn't wanted to ask him that, mostly because she knew he hated being asked that. But besides him being so weird about that stupid cult that came and went, he was now shaking, like in fear… he was even crying…
Abbadon never cried.
She carefully set the book down, pulling him away from the glass, his gaze took several moments to be pulled away from the view of the front of the hotel. She pulled him into a hug hesitantly, which he usually fought.
“... it's… it's ok” she said.
His hands hugged her back, fingers trembling as they gripped her sweater. Then as Katherine and Nathan finally caught up, he crumpled, sobbing.