Young Royals: After season 1

Chapter thirty nine: Simon

I was in the woods again. At the old treehouse where Sara and I played as kids. I climbed up the stairs. I heard someone talking to me up there. It was a voice I recognised. I got up on the floor. It was covered in blood. Red and warm blood. When I turned around I saw my father. He sat there, covered in blood. There was blood everywhere. I felt sick. I had to help him, or he would die. As I was taking off my white t-shirt to tear it apart to use as bandages dad began speaking to me.

"No,no, no. Simon you have to go and help Wilhelm. Forget about me. I am almost dead anyways. Take care of Wilhelm while you can," he said. I did not know what he was talking about. Wilhelm was at home, sleeping in my bed. I knew that.

"Dad, what are you talking about? Wille is at home. I need to help you," I replied. When I got closer to him, he began pushing me away. Clearly wanting me to leave him there.

"No. Wilhelm is not at home. He is in danger. You need to help him, or he too, will die. You love that boy more than you will ever love me. I know you will regret it the rest of your life if you don't save him," he said. I could not understand what he meant.

"Who is hurting him? And where is he?" I asked. Dad coughed. The white shirt he wore was stained with red little dots of blood. "Dad, please answer." If it was as he said I had to get to Wille before it was too late. His eyes were closed.

"He is on the walkway behind the house," he said. I saw his chest move one last time, before he was completely still. He was dead. I had never seen a dead person before, but I was sure that he was gone. I jumped down from the treehouse and ran in the direction towards the walkway. I saw them before I saw WIlle. But I heard him before I saw any of them. They hit him. Kicked him. I ran towards them. They disappeared. Everyone but Wille disappeared. He too was covered in blood. I took him in my arms and tried to carry him home. But before we could make it he stopped breathing. I screamed. I could not lose him. It could not be true. When I opened my eyes I was in my bedroom again. And Wille was holding me close to him. He was awake. I realised I was breathing heavily.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Wille asked me. He caressed my hair calmly. I nodded. It must have been a nightmare, since Wille was not covered in blood or dead.

"I dreamed that you were dead," I said. "And that my father was dead as well. I could not save either of you." I felt my heart race in my chest. I was still upset by that dream. It had in some weird way still felt very real, even though it obviously was not.

"That sounds horrible, baby. But it was just a dream," he said. He kissed my forehead. "Might have been a fever dream. You are still warm." I did not feel warm at all. I was freezing cold.

"But I am freezing so bad," I said. "And my head is killing me, I swear."

"Wait here and I will make you some tea and get you some pain killers. And then I will come and warm you up, I promise," Wille said and got out of bed. He wheeled out to the kitchen. I closed my eyes and wanted him to come back. It felt like an eternity until he came back inside. And he was accompanied by Sara, who apparently had gotten home from school now.

"Wilhelm said that you were running a fever, Simon. I found a thermometer in the bathroom so we can check on you, ok?" Sara said. She put the thermometer into my mouth and then they waited.

"No wonder why you are freezing. You have a 40 degree fever," she said. "Drink the tea Wille made you and take some paracetamol. And you check that temperature later, ok?" I nodded. I had no energy to do anything, but I guessed that I would have to keep hydrated if I had a fever. Sara left me and Wille alone and shut the door behind her.

"Can you sit up?" Wille asked. I got into some kind of position that would make drinking tea possible, but not one that I would call sitting up. Wille gave me the tea. It must have been chamomile tea. It tasted like it at least. When I had finished the tea he made me take paracetamol. I swallowed it with a glass of water that was on my bedtime table.

"Thank you," I said before laying down on the bed again. Wilhelm made it back into bed with me. I held him close and tried to absorb his body heat. And to make sure he was still here with me. That he was not dead, like in the horrible nightmare I had.

"Aww. Are you freezing, darling?" Wille asked. I nodded against his chest. I shivered.

"I am so cold," I complained.

"You know what? Take that sweaty shirt off," Wilhelm said. "I will also take my shirt off and then we can lay skin to skin and have the duvet over us. I think you will warm up faster." I looked at him. It did not make sense. Taking your clothes off to get warmer?

"You are just saying that because you want to see me topless," I said with a grin.

"That's not true baby," Wille said.

"Admit it," I teased.

"Well I don't mind you being topless. I can't deny that," Wille said and giggled. "But that sweaty t-shirt won't make you warmer at least. We can try and if it does not work I will get your hoodie, okay?" I nodded at the offer. We laid down topless and I snuggled up in his arms. After a while I fell asleep again. Safe in his arms.

*******

The fever would not stop. Mom made me go to the health centre to get checked the following Monday. They did some testing on me and concluded that one of my wounds was infected. They prescribed some antibiotics and told me to keep resting and to come back if I was not better in a few days. The next week I was able to go to school again. Our classmates gave me very worried looks when they saw how bruised I was. I had almost gotten used to being more blue, green and yellow than my own skin tone by now. I was sitting on the sofa in the common room with some classmates.

"How are you doing Simon?" Felice asked me.

"He has been spoiled by his boyfriend the whole week, I can tell you that," Sara said in my place.

"I have just taken care of him a little," Wille said in his defence.

"And you are an excellent caretaker baby," I said. He had his arms wrapped around me. He brushed his lips against mine. I kissed him.

"You guys. You are too cute. If you are going to continue that you should get a room," Maddie teased.

"That's nothing. You should see them at our place. Can't keep their hands to themselves," Sara said.

"Aww. Look. Now you made them embarrassed," Felice said. We kept talking until the next class. And then we sat in small groups discussing American gun control for an hour. After that we had a free period, which Wille and I spent resting in his room. I was still a bit out of it after being sick for so long. And I had gotten used to having Wille cuddling me for hours a day. When he was not in school or at rehab he was at home snuggling with me in my bed. He was getting a lot better in rehab. He would probably be walking again soon.

"Do you want to sleep here with me tonight, baby?" Wille asked me. "Then you are already here tomorrow and we can sleep in a bit longer." His fingers were playing with my hair. I had a hand on his chest and the other on his waist.

"That would be nice. I could sleep here with you right now. I am exhausted," I replied.

"Aww. Sleep and I will wake you up in time for next class, okay?" Wille offered. I nodded and closed my eyes.