Beyond The Stars

Heaving and Photographs

Rafa's pov

The next morning I awoke to the sounds of Mikhail heaving in the bathroom. I quickly took the covers off and dashed out of the bed only to nearly topple over because I got up too fast. I let the moment of blindness pass before knocking on the bathroom door.

"Mikhail are you okay?" I asked noticing that the door was locked. A few coughs came before a croaky voice said, "just peachy." I stepped back as the door opened and Mikhail came out looking like mouldy cheese. "Yikes." I mumbled taking his appearance in, his face had gone a shade of pale and his eyes were red and swollen, he threw me a glare before sitting on top of the bed.

"I'm going to go get some Advil." I mumbled as he laid down holding his face in his hands, he shook his head and said, "nah I'm good lets get-" he let out a huge sneeze and sniffled a bit, "going."

"No, the rest of the towns up ahead have very small populations we'll easily find Raif but right now we need to get you better," I said as he groggily walked towards his jacket.

"Stop being stubborn princess I said I'm fine," he said and I could see he was trying to stifle another sneeze. I sighed in anger and said, "you're the stubborn one Mikhail, you were sweating and shivering all night. You just puked your guts out a few minutes ago, and you look like you got ran over by a heard of iguanas!"

"Iguanas don't travel in herds," he mumbled as he sat on the sofa. "And now I'm fine after puking I don't feel sick anymore," just as he finished that sentence he let out a string of sneezes each one followed by a croaky alhamdulillah.

"You just sneezed five times what do you mean you don't feel sick anymore!" I yelled and he winced holding his head, I frowned as he replied with, "hay fever."

"There's no hay anywhere."

"Hay fever isn't caused by hay, it's caused by pollen or dust." He said with a small smile and I glared, "yeah well I know for a fact that you're not allergic to that."

I put my hair up and started wrapping my hijab. "Take your jacket off and get into bed I'm going to go get some medicine."

Mikhail groaned from where he sat but then moved towards the bed after he saw the daggers I shot at him. It was currently around 1 o'clock yet the sky outside was darker than most evenings. Hopefully in this weather pharmacies would be open, that is if there even is any close by. Walking distance too since I can't drive.

Raif and Mikhail had offered to teach me a long time ago but I had declined, being too scared at the time, now I regret my choice. I hastily grab my jacket and a thick scarf as I look towards the bed where Mikhail's laying. His eyes are closed and he seems to have fallen back asleep again, his mouth open since his nose was blocked with all the germs and mucus.

I quickly walk out of the motel with my wallet in my hand, as I step out the cold air strikes my face in bitter ways and I scowl as I realize I don't even know which way I'm supposed to go. I retreated back into the motel and asked the man at the counter but all he replied with was down the street.

I decide to just do that and ask someone a long the way. As I walk down the road, the sidewalk being non visible under the snow, I come along a small plaza. So the man was right. I look around for any pharmaceutical or drug words and finally find the name of a small store in the corner. I take large steps so the snow doesn't come into my shoes and quietly make my way in. My face instantly becomes warmer and I shake the snow off my jacket as I make my way to the counter.

The woman there smiles at me and I give all of Mikhail's symptoms, since I don't have a doctors prescription she gives me the next best thing and soon I'm on my way back. I take the route of my before footprints since no one else was heading along this road.

"Mikhail what are you doing I thought I told you to stay in bed." I startled back as I saw his hooded figure walking towards me. Snow had begun to fall again and the wind played with the flakes, he was in no condition to be out.

"I needed to go for a walk, just go back to the room." He growled as he came closer. I leaned and inspected his expression it was angry yet solemn and I began to get worried. He scowled as I was about to speak and then pushed past me. I hurried after him, "you're sick Mikhail."

"So?" He answered roughly and I scrunched my eyebrows, "what do you mean 'so'? You're going to get more sick, let's go back, where are you even walking t--"

"Rafa just shut up and go back to the room." He said suddenly stopping and turning back to look at me, I stumbled into his chest and he put his hands on my shoulders getting me off of him.

"Mikhail what's wrong?" I asked as he breathed heavily with cloudy eyes, his bright gems didn't seem to glow anymore and maybe it was because of the sickness but I didn't think that was the case right now.

He looked me in the eyes but didn't say anything so I continued, "did your dad call did he say somethin--"

"No I'm fine," he cut me off in a clipped tone and then stomped off, I suddenly became angry at his childish stubbornness and his way of not opening up. "You're not fine, you're not! You use that word so much that it doesn't even seem like a word anymore!" He stopped in his tracks and I puffed out air, the sky seemed to darken even more as the snow continued falling.

"So just tell me what's wrong Mikhail, please." I said whispering towards the end. His back tensed and he gave out a heave of coughs, I walked up to him and patted his back to calm his throat down but he shook his head pushing my hands off of him. "No, don't."

After a few seconds he turned around, our bodies were close, I could feel his warmth from his fever radiating off, his eyes looked even more swollen then before and my heart saddened as his always tamed hair was plastered all over his forehead.

"Rafa, this-" he held up something,"is wrong, where did you get this from?" Each word became more heated than the last and his anger seemed to flare even more. I looked at his steaming eyes before looking towards the paper he held up.

Not a paper. A picture. A photograph of a younger Mikhail and another guy holding him, with the exact same striking features.

--------------