Memories

LXXIX

CRAZY=GENIUS

'She said at night in my dreams
You dance on a tightrope of weird
Oh but when I wake up you're so normal that you just disappear
You're so straight like commuters with briefcases towing the line
There's no residue of a torturer inside your of eyes'

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Neil didn't leave his sister's side until Wednesday, when he was forced to go to the stadium for interviews. But Kevin refused to leave, even then, and remained at Thalia's bedside in the hospital until she woke up on Thursday evening.

"Thalia?" Kevin asked when her heartrate spiked and then went back to normal. She moved her head and her eyes fluttered open. Kevin slid off his chair and knelt by her side. Thalia rolled her head to look at Kevin with half-closed eyes. "Oh my God," Kevin muttered and took Thalia's hand in his. "Thank goodness you're alright." He didn't say anything else, only listening to her breathing and the monitors beeping.

"Kevin," Thalia croaked and Kevin looked into her eyes. "Kevin, what happened? What did I do?" Kevin drew his eyebrows together. How could she not know? Kevin scooted forward further on his knees and traced Thalia's face with a hand.

"Neil said you weren't trying to kill yourself," Kevin started. He didn't know what he could say. How could Thalia not remember doing what she did? She'd cut her skin so badly that she had to have it stitched back up. The doctors couldn't just put bandages over it and kiss it better. "That it was just a punishment. Was it? A punishment?" 

Thalia stayed quiet for a few seconds and then hummed. "Even though Ichirou spared us, I thought it wasn't worth it. It's not really freedom. Not really living if there's a purpose. Because once you fulfill that purpose, you're nothing but a liability."

"Thalia," Kevin said, not really understanding, but seeing why Thalia would think like that. "Thalia, he's not going to kill you once you retire, if that's what you're worried about. They all know we're not stupid enough to go blabbing about any of this. He knows we wouldn't do that, otherwise he would have killed us as soon as he got into power." Kevin tried to reason. "You are free, Thalia."

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Kevin told the team that Thalia was awake at practice that night, and that she'd asked to see them all. Not at the same time, but over the course of the next day, all Foxes visited her. 

Thalia saw Neil first, who didn't say much, only really asking if she was alright. Thalia had given a huff of a laugh and said 'I'm fine' which had gotten a smile out of Neil.

Nicky was next in, and gave her a few of her things from the dorm. Thalia smiled and thanked him, letting Nicky ramble about nothing for the five minutes he was allowed to spend with her.

Dan and Matt came in next, and the three of them played some card games. They had initially asked her if she was okay, but then they acted like nothing was wrong. That everything was normal. Thalia was thankful.

Renee and Allison followed, Allison with some bathroom necessities and home baked goods, and Renee asking if they were treating her alright. Thalia told them she was feeling better, and Renee nodded, understanding that she didn't want to talk about it.

Aaron only visited to give Thalia a card that Katelyn had made her. The cheerleaders had all signed it, even though most of them only knew Thalia's name. She thanked Aaron and he left without another word.

That left Andrew, who came in, sat down in the chair, and opened a book. He started reading out loud, and Thalia closed her eyes and listened. It was poetry. She didn't know why he was reading her poetry, but Thalia would take it. It was very relaxing, actually. Thalia figured it helped Andrew calm down, so he was using it to calm Thalia down as well. Before he left, Andrew pulled a canvas out of his bag and put it next to the door. It had Thalia's number eleven on it and PALMETTO STATE FOXES across the top. Two exy racquets crossed in the center behind the eleven, and it was all in orange. There was writing and signatures all over the canvas, in black sharpie. Thalia couldn't read it from where she was, but knew it was from the team. As soon as she could get up, Thalia would read what the canvas said. But for now, she was confined to her bed.

Kevin visited about an hour before he had to be at the stadium for the game, with a chessboard and pieces in his hand. He placed them on Thalia's lap on the bed and set up the pieces. "But how will we decide who plays which colour?" Thalia asked. Kevin smiled and handed her the white pieces. "Kevin," Thalia started, but Kevin wasn't hearing it. She smiled and shook her head - something she could now do and not be too dizzy - and placed her pieces down.

The two played until Kevin had to leave. "I'll see you later. I love you Thalia." Kevin said, kissing her on the forehead. Thalia reached up and pulled his collar down to kiss her on the lips. Kevin didn't argue, and leaned into the kiss. He put a hand on her cheek and deepened it, but there was a knock on the door and Kevin pulled away. Thalia glared at Allison who was grinning in the doorway.

"I'll be watching," Thalia said, pointing to the television currently playing the news on mute. "I love you too." And Kevin left.

Thalia did watch the game, and frowned when Kevin entered the court right-handed. He'd told her that he was getting better with his left, and that he was wanting to play with it soon. Thalia had figured he meant that Friday night, but then guessed he was saving it up for some big finale. The finals against the Ravens that every Fox was determined would be happening. Thalia wanted to believe it, but they were playing the Trojans next week, and she doubted they'd win against them at their height. The Trojans did have many more players than the Foxes, after all.

The Foxes won, seven-five, but that wasn't the thing people were talking about. Kevin made a few controversial points in the post-game interviews that night, and Thalia was cackling in her hospital bed at the reporters reactions.

"I don't want to talk about the Ravens anymore," Kevin said. "Ever since my mother died it's been Ravens this and Ravens that. I am not a Raven anymore. I never will be again. To be honest, I never should have been one in the first place. I should have gone to Coach Wymack the day I found out he was my father and asked to start my freshman year at Palmetto State." Thalia's eyes went wide and then her lips crept into a smile.

"The day -" The reporter paused for a moment and Thalia laughed. "Did you just say Coach Wymack is your father?"

"Yes, I did." Kevin said. "I found out when I was in high school, but I didn't tell him because I thought I wanted to stay at Edgar Allan. Back then I thought the only way to be a champion was to be a Raven. I bought into their lies that they would make me the best player on the court. I shouldn't have believed it. I've been wearing this number long enough to realise that's not what they wanted for me."

Kevin paused for a moment and then continued, not giving the reporter another chance to speak. "Everyone knows the Ravens are about being the best. Best pair, best line-up, best team. They drill it into you day after day, make you believe it, make you forget that in the end, 'best' means 'one'. They let you forget until other people but into it, be it fans swaying too far the wrong way or the ERC calling them out on their schemes." Thalia was smiling and cackling and some nurses ducked in to make sure she was alright. They ended up staying to watch Kevin chew out the Ravens, even if they had no idea who he was or what he was talking about. "Then they don't want to play that game anymore, and they skip straight to the elimination round. Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it one day, though." Thalia was clapping and congratulating Kevin by the end of his little speech, and the nurses filed out of the room. "Would you tell the Ravens to be ready for us? We're already ready for them."