I threw up for a solid five minutes, each one more violent than the last.
Craven and Alden ushered me into an old alley, Fickle keeping watch for any drones that might be alerted by my continuous gagging. They leaned me over a rusty trash bin, averting their gazes from the sight of my pitiful body hunched over a pile of garbage, convulsing and retching.
My stomach wouldn’t stop cramping, forcing up every last bit of food within. Spit dribbled from my lips, and tears welled in my eyes. I’d never thrown up before. Why was it happening now? Why was my body rebelling against me like this? This seemed like too violent a process to be biologically possible! Nonetheless, my body continued to jerk violently until I couldn’t even groan in protest.
By the time I finally stopped puking, my head was spinning, my vision was incredibly blurry, and my body was completely drenched in sweat. The sounds around me moved in one large wave, each one indistinguishable from the next. Where I could once see the sides of the street in my peripheral vision, I could now only see the trash can below me, which held a sour pile of puke. My chest heaved for breath, unable to keep any oxygen within my lungs. Everything felt as though it were spinning.
“Brash?” Someone’s voice spoke in my ear, a faint mumble in the rushing waves. “Brash, are you okay?”
I couldn’t get my mouth to move. It was stuck hanging open, drool hanging from the sides of my lips. I couldn’t even move from where I stood hunched over the trash bin, arms shaking with the effort of holding myself up. As if on cue, my legs began to tremble as well. Every limb was struggling to keep me upright.
“Brash?” Another voice, rougher and more insistent, barked in my other ear. “You look paler than a ghost. Are you okay? Can you say something?”
The blood rushed from my head, leaving me with an unnaturally light feeling around my brain. This sudden drop made my body immediately crash. My arms and legs gave out, sending me toppling forward. The last thing I remembered was the sound of someone’s startled holler before everything fell away.
When I finally woke up, I was propped up against a hard cylindrical surface, hoodie gone, and my head drooped forward. My limbs still felt weak, and my stomach churned in protest as I adjusted against the hard ground. Rocks and other debris poked up through my pants, stabbing at my legs. The air smelled sharply of something far too natural to be from the city. I’d never smelled it before. It was crisp, with an edge of moisture and a tinge of freshness. It was satisfying and momentarily drove away what remained of the nausea.
“He’s awake!”
Ugh, why was Fickle my welcoming party?
Lifting my gaze, I found her leaning over me, pigtails bouncing up and down as she scanned me over. Her nose was twisted in slight disgust, though relief shimmered in her eyes. All around her, dozens of trees reached up toward the sky, their leaves shaking in the slight breeze. The sky’s cyan hue and the bright emerald glow of the leaves drove the breath from my body. They were so naturally beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it. Had my head not still been spinning, I could stare at it all day.
“I thought you were a goner there for a minute. You looked like all your blood circulation had stopped, and your eyes were really glazed over. I was certain I’d have to dump you in some back alley.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Those two weren’t so quick to give up on you, though. They dragged you all the way across town so we wouldn’t get caught by drones and washed the puke off your face. Even went to wash your hoodie for you in the nearby lake. You woke up a few times after passing out, though I think your body kept hitting the ‘abort’ button. You fell back asleep at least twice.”
I was barely processing her words, though I nodded softly. “Mph…”
Two small figures appeared over her right shoulder, gradually growing bigger with each moment. They were Craven and Alden, the latter holding my hoodie in his arms. Craven reached us first, not wasting a moment before leaning down to stare into my eyes. He held eye contact for a long moment, his blue pupils investigative, before pressing two fingers to my neck. They were cold and rough, and I initially shied away, though he shot me a dangerous glare, pressing closer. I stayed completely still. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he nodded and stood up.
“Your eyes have returned to normal, and your pulse is regular.” He crossed his arms. “Any ringing in your ears? Chest pain? Feeling like you’re gonna pass out again?”
My head throbbed gently, though the rushing blood and dizziness had long passed. My chest, though a bit sore from the retching, felt fine, and my sense of hearing had come back in full force.
“No,” My voice was soft as I spoke. “None of that.”
“Then I say you’re fine. It was probably just an upset stomach from that half-rotten hamburger you had earlier, and your body just overreacted.”
“Your stomach probably isn’t used to real food either.” Alden bent down to my level, setting the hoodie, which was still slightly damp, on my knees. “It probably wasn’t wise to start with something so unhealthy. We should’ve eased you into the new diet. Here’s your hoodie; I was able to wash it in the river.”
River? We still had those? I thought they were all demolished in the city’s expansion. River, trees, clear sky…where was I?
