Vatican

Chapter 6

Katze

I walked into the apartment, still feeling the last bit of drowsiness ebb away. Retching sounds shake my senses as I walk near the bedroom. The bed was dishevelled with no Mari to be seen.

In the bathroom attached, the puking sounds come again.

"Are you alright?" I shout, concerned as he sounded in pain. When I got no reply, I started for the door wondering if I would get my ass kicked if I knocked the boss' door down for some kid. Vatican was already well into his day of work and had slept in a separate room. I had left the boy until this morning, hoping that he would get some rest (who knows how much sleep he needed).

"Mari? It's me, Katze. Let me in buddy," I ask trying to remain calm. I get a call from Gustav. "Yeah, what? I'm kinda in the middle of something," I pant, realising how worried I am. I never get worried. What is it with this kid?

"Whoa... someone got out of the bed the wrong side this morning. Anyway, I just wondered if you wanted drinks later. Seemed the boss wasn't joking. He gave me a bonus for that kid," Gustav gloats causes me to emit a growl.

"Something's wrong with him," I mutter trying not to sound scared. He goes quiet.

"What do you mean?" reflecting my tone.

"I mean, the boy's fucking sick or something! He's locked himself in the bathroom, who knows how long he has been in there!" I grit getting impatient. My heart pounds as I realise it is now quiet in the bathroom. "Hey Mari, don't be scared, come on open up," I knock again, my gut telling me something's wrong. "Gustav get here now. I think he's fainted."

"Shit," I hear him mutter. We cut off and I start forcing my way in. "Please don't let him be dead," I mutter. I can't get the image of his lethargic body out of my head. Why the hell did I let them go through with this? The boss will kill me, assuming he didn't realise this kid's origin. Not that it wasn't in plain sight, his underfed body, his skin littered with bruises and needle marks.

I finally break through and nearly fall onto him, his body close to the door. I check his pulse which I thank the gods' is still there, yet faint. His skin is hot and feverish. I check his body, trying to work out what the hell has happened, at a loss on how to help him. It is hard to believe the boss would have caused this.

"Shit," Gustav barks behind me. He sits in front of me with the body in between us. "It must be the withdrawals from the drugs. He hasn't had any for roughly a day now," he mutters. He takes out a vial of yellow liquid and pours it the boy's lips.

"G, we need to get him to a doctor," I say sternly, worried that he still hasn't woken up.

Gustav nods slowly. "Help me lift him, we will put him on the bed and call for Vatican's consultant," he says confidently. I blush realising the boy is naked and ignore where my hands touch him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What if he finds out?" I ask, not sure what he would think.

"Pfft, I don't really care, we can't let this boy suffer any more than he always has. You can blame me if you want," he says tucking him in. The boy's face had a yellowish tone to it, making me feel queasy. Gustav's compassion soothes my concern, a side of him I rarely saw. What is it with this kid? Making everyone all nice to each other.

I watch concerned as the doctor takes his vitals without a word. He sighs wearily. "He is stable but his body is starved. It needs the drugs soon otherwise he will fall ill again. That's the issue with these black market sedatives. They are lethal to faeries, it makes them completely reliant on them," he says his voice sad. I sigh too, trying to think of what to do.