𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇

XXX

— DAMIANO —

Zephaniah returns over an hour later, a tense expression fixed onto his face as he approaches me with purposeful strides.

"Vinnie will ensure the others are made aware of Rori's current condition," he informs me. "I'm going to get a coffee from the canteen. Granted, i'd be better off drinking from a puddle outside. But i haven't had a drop of caffeine since this morning."

I stand up just as he turns around, but, when he realises i aim to follow him, he slowly looks over his shoulder to throw me a contemptuous glare.

"That wasn't an invitation," he chides, and i have to refrain from rolling my eyes at his pomposity, though he proceeds nonetheless.

"The nurse spoke to me while you were away," i reveal.

"She had no right," he insists.

"She told me that Rori is experiencing nightmares."

He immediately comes to a halt.

"What kind of nightmares?"

His eyes are inquisitive now, his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth frowning with concern.

"Nightmares of being drowned by, according to Nurse Jones, a man who vaguely resembles her father," i answer.

He stares at me without commenting, before continuing to walk in the direction of the canteen.

"Rori has never once come close to being drowned," he dismisses.

"I figured," i say. "Nurse Jones emphasised that she was quite distressed, however, and that we'd best look into it. She suggested it could be a projection of what Rori is going through...her past coming back to haunt her, perhaps?"

Zephaniah is silent once more but, as i observe him, i note the way his eyes fail to remain still, as if he is internally assessing the situation.

"Let me get my coffee first, before you start bombarding me with such theories, hm?"

Like Zephaniah, i, too, purchase myself a coffee from the canteen. It isn't too busy, and we settle ourselves in the far corner of the room. I observe my brother intently as he takes a single sip of his coffee, shakes his head in disapproval, and removes the mug from between his lips.

I try my own, then cast him a glance of indifference.

"You're nothing short of dramatic, Zephaniah," i muse.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he responds.

"Coffee is coffee."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

"It's not my fault i don't care for it," i remark. "Besides, you could have ordered something else if you truly consider it to be that awful."

He stares at me, blankly.

"And what would you propose?" he asks, unamused.

"There's always tea," i say.

"I'll stick with the crappy coffee, thanks," he grumbles.

"I fail to understand you," i comment, blinking at him in disbelief.

"I could say the same thing," he retorts.

He glares at me for a moment, and i reciprocate the action.

"What do you know about these nightmares Rori is having?" i ask him, inconspicuously.

"I do not think my sister is of any concern to you," comes his typical response.

"After all, she is my sister as well," i point out.