Tría of Arcadia

18• Coby Makes Weird Faces Throughout My Interrogation

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I start hearing things.

People.

Talking.

What happened?

I try to open my eyes, but a feeling of drowsiness overwhelms me. The talking fades away.

Focus Aria

I try to gain enough energy just to listen this time.

"-Can't let it happen again, more and more people will keep-"

"-Woods aren't safe anymore-"

"-say that they don't feel safe anymore-"

"-if anything had happened to her-"

I hear parts of conversations, but I can't make out who the voices belong to. I hear the soft sound of fingers drumming against a surface.

I slowly feel myself regaining consciousness. I start to feel my head on the soft pillow, I smell a scent I recognize.

The infirmary. I'm in the infirmary.

The voices start making sense. I start registering the voices of my brother Will, Joel, Asher, Tabitha, Blake, Sabrina, Zara, Hazel, and even Nico, who I thought was on a mission as Pluto's ambassador.

Where is Coby?

I appreciate all these people here, but most of all I want Coby. I need to know if he's okay.

I don't have enough strength to open my eyes yet, I try, but their weight weighs down, making it impossible for me to open them. My other senses start getting sharper.

Birds chirping. It must be morning.... But of what day? How long have I been unconscious? I smell wet grass, which means that it has probably rained. I also smell some of Will's herbs, which means that it has to be after Sunday, the day where Will restocks his supplies. But that would mean I've been unconscious for 2 days, at least. I start gaining a sense on my surroundings. I have a cotton blanket over me, up to my stomach, and it's very carefully put on, as if someone was tucking me in, meaning it was either Will or Coby. I start feeling something in my hand, and I realize, that someone has a tight grip on it.

Coby?

I feel the person lift my hand up. Their warm breath on my fingers which they hold close to their mouth. Then I feel the person's lips on them. They whisper,

"Wake up, please, I need you, "

It's Coby.

I need to wake up. Right now.

I pull together every last bit of strength that I have and imagine myself being pulled out of the endless sleep. I gasp, my eyes flying open. I sit up quickly, surprised by the unexpected amount of energy that is flowing through my veins. It wasn't a lot, but more than I expected.

I breathe in the fresh air, glancing around the room.

Everyone has shut up and is staring
at me. I glance at Coby, who still has my hand to his lips.

Sabrina is the first one to react.

"Aria! She's awake! Will get her some nectar," she says, and everyone snaps out of their shock. Coby sets my hand down. He pulls his hand away as everyone surrounds the bed, but I grab onto his hand before he makes it a foot away, I notice that the bandage is gone, and his arm is free of any marks or scars. Coby looks at me, giving me a pained smile. I just frown in return. I don't like all these people crowding the bed. Luckily, Coby gets me, so,