Children's Draft

Chapter 12 (Part Two)

(Holly's PoV)

    I grabbed the Delsym out of the cupboard and poured the thick, orange liquid into the lid. Why am I doing this?

I didn't want it to spread, I told myself. The last thing I needed was more of the boys complaining about something trivial. And this was my job. I had to prove I was responsible and competent at any task I was given.

    And Landon just looked awful. For the past three days, he was sweating and shivering, light-headed and congested, tired, snot-filled, and breathy. And he seemed to be struggling between talking and hurting his throat. Isaac even called his pain "a grand birthday gift" yesterday.

    "Landon," I yelled from inside the infirmary.

    I suspected he hadn't gotten any sleep. I had heard him up coughing all night.

    He stumbled through the doorway. "Yeah?" he said weakly.

    "Here." I held the lid out in front of me. "It's cold medicine...and I didn't poison it."

    He stared at it with his mouth gaping open. "Oh Holly, I could kiss you--you know if I wasn't sick and disgusting."

    "Either way would get you punched in the mouth," I reminded him.

    He smirked. "Right." He coughed a few more times before taking a drink. He made a face at the taste. "Forgot how bad that stuff was. But thanks."

    "I'm just doing my job," I told him. "Don't think this is anything special."

    "Of course not," he replied. He glanced at the hallway. "Shit, we're leaving."

    "You better get better soon," I ordered.

    "Cuz you wanna prove something to Sgt. Blake?" he assumed.

    "C-correct," I answered, although my voice seemed to falter for some reason. I cleared my throat. "I'm proving a point."

    What other reason was there?

(Gavin's PoV)

    For the second day in a row, Landon came out of Holly's room. The first day he came out unharmed left us all speechless, so this time we were prepared. Almost the entire platoon was waiting for him (minus Alan, who was doing whatever arrogant douches do, and Justin, who was reading about physics).

    "Well, look at you," Tristan prompted as soon as Landon walked in.

    "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm still kinda sick." His voice did sound much clearer though.

    "No, we're talking about Holly," I corrected.

    "Yeah, you went into her room twice in one week and didn't die," Michael commented.

    Landon gave a nonchalant shrug. "Oh yeah, she's just giving me cold medicine."

    I nearly fell off the foot of my bed. "She's helping you?"

    Isaac huffed. "To think, she has her pick of over twenty guys and she chooses Landon."

    Landon raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm sick."

    I pulled the glasses off his face momentarily. "Are you blind even with these things on?" He swung his hand somewhat aimlessly in an attempt to get them back until I finally returned them to him. "She likes you."

    "Guess we have a wedding to plan," Tristan teased.

    "She literally just gave me cough syrup."