The Tortoise and His Sunrise | ✓

27. Waking Up

A total of four hours since the start of our 'experiment' had come and gone.

Nolan hadn't moved. Or, well, I didn't catch any movements out of the corner of my eye. I didn't dare to look at him.

He hadn't made a single sound either.

I was parched, but I refused to get up for some water. What if Nolan awoke while I was gone and he needed my help? I continued to rationalize like this, finding all kinds of reasons to stay and wait even though I really needed to go to the toilet, all while knowing the real reason I couldn't go.

If I left him alone for even a second, if I left this backyard for even the briefest of moments, he could disappear. He would disappear, and I might never see him again.

It was a ludicrous thought, but it plagued my mind regardless.

It scratched at me until I felt raw all over, raw from the exhaustion of anxiety.

I started when the clicking sound of a door opening reached my ears. I glanced over my shoulder to see Mr. Lawson closing the door behind him. He turned back around and caught my eye. I managed a tight smile at him. He returned it and strode towards us.

"It seemed to be taking a while," he said, "so I thought I'd check on you."

I understood. Four hours was quite some time, especially to a concerned parent.

"Do you mind if I sit here to wait too?"

This was his house, but I didn't think that was what he wanted to hear from me.

"Please," I said, the word coming out hoarsely.

I gestured to the general area around us.

I watched his face as he chose a spot on the other side of Nolan to sit down. Had he looked at Nolan yet? Could he bring himself to? Sure enough, his eyes flitted down in Nolan's direction. He had a lot more composure than I did, not showing any signs of retching or wanting to.

The sudden sound of surprise, surprise that wasn't tainted with fear or horror, he made caused hope to rise in me.

"What is—" I began to ask, taking a peek at Nolan myself in between my fingers.

My question had been answered before I could finish it.

My jaw dropped.

Nolan's body, which had looked simultaneously swollen and sunken a couple of hours earlier, was almost back to normal now. I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't know what I expected, but I'd fully prepared myself to see him wither away or burn to a crisp. But now, right before my very eyes, his broken blisters were repaired, the sunken parts of his body having been filled in as if his body was healing from the inside.

"He—he wasn't like this before," I said, my eyes still wide. "It was so ... It was so much worse."

"I can imagine," Mr. Lawson said. "So this at least means it's working."

Tears filled my eyes again.

"It better work."

I couldn't lose him.

"I just want to thank you for being here for Nolan," he said.

"Um, there's no need to thank me, Mr. Lawson." I sniffled, trying to clear the blocked sensation in my nose. "I love him. I want to be here for him."

He smiled. "Please call me Daniel, Chelsea."

I jolted in surprise. He'd always been nice to me as Nolan's girlfriend, but I'd always thought that was out of courtesy. It felt good that my boyfriend's parent liked me.