Fading Away ✅

Chapter Thirty-four

I let out a groan after my fits of cough subside. My headache is no longer present and my nose though stuffy is no longer runny
My throat is now scratchy after improving from its sore state.

I stretch my hand towards my bedside table, searching for the bottle of water. I knock down objects on the table and the sound of empty plastic is heard as the bottle falls from the table. I throw my hand down the bed, grab the empty bottle and toss it. It falls a few inches from my bed and I glare at the bin in the corner of my room.

I groan again and count to ten before dragging myself from the bed. I quickly latch onto the wall at the dizziness that rocks me. My blazing temperature is a wide contrast to the heavy snow falling outside my window. I shiver at the prospect of having the freezing weather wrapped around me, my fingers turning cold and numb, my cheeks stinging and my legs digging into inches of snow.

Last time, I was determined. I had stayed in the cold for a long time with little to no less protective clothing because of determination and I was paying the price of it, I had been suffering from a nasty cold during the past week.

Did I regret going to the place where I felt closest to her and did I regret staying in the snow for an hour after I read the letter-not ready to abandon her presence that surrounded me?

I don't.

What I did regret was not wearing enough to protect myself. Mum spent a lot of time at home this past week taking the role of my personal nurse. I love her, I do but I love my space and she kept invading it. I hate that she's wasting her free time from the hospital on me.

Brandon on the other hand is avoiding me because according to him, I won't waste any time sharing my virus with him if I get the chance and I will be delighted if he becomes bedridden like me.

My alarm goes off and through and red, bold twelve figures display on my alarm clock.

"It's Christmas"

My dry throat announces its presence when I whisper and the uncomfortable feeling has me trudging out of my room ignoring my lazy bones yelling at me to go back to bed. The Christmas tree Mum, Brandon and I decorated sits in our living room, stockings hung up and wrapped gift boxes under the Christmas tree.

I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and on my way upstairs Dad's picture frame on the fire piece mantle catches my eye. This was the only picture of Dad displayed in the house. I mutter a Merry Christmas to Dad and kiss his frame.
Walking upstairs, I feel lighter than I've been in the past week.

★★★★★★★

I blink adjusting my blurry vision, a smile tugs on my lips at the thought of what day it is today. I chug down the rest of the water from the bottle I brought in last night.

We're off to a great start, I didn't wake up panting and sweating-no nightmares this time; might be a Christmas miracle.

My smile slowly falls as my anxiety plays its part. No matter how I try to put on a positive front and pretend everything's fine, my anxious side won't shut up about something bad brewing.

I cast my stare to the window, the snow falling in flurries. The weather looks willing to grant us little sunshine this morning.

My phone starts ringing and I pick it up to see an incoming video call from Addison, her face appears when I answer the call.
My heart skips a beat and I drop the phone on. The bed when mere seconds later, Blaze and Lucas' faces appear on my screen

Addison's voice rings through my phone's speaker
"Lexi, hello, are you there?"

"Yes", I mutter crawling a little close to the phone
"I just slipped, nothing to worry about", I say ending it with an awkward laugh.