It's.
Weird, how long it's been.
It feels like ages, but I think I've only really spent maybe a month here.
It may be only a fortnight, actually.
...Is that right?
Two and a half weeks?
I almost never use that word, but I feel smarter being able to think it accurately. I'm a little too worried to ask Sarah if I'm using it right.
It could be a month, after all.
No reason to let anyone know I might have gotten the word wrong, right?
The first time I'm awake at the same time as Hestia, she divebombs me and I'm pretty sure I'm dead.
"Gwugh-?!"
"!!!" Hestia doesn't say anything, she just holds me tight and I'm being squished to death, like an insect on a windshield. It's hard to breathe and I can feel her trembling as she clings to me.
I pat her back.
"I'm okay."
I feel a bit shaky myself. My hands are still weak, and they tremble. I'm still weak from lying in bed. My legs are stiff and sore. But the pain is gone.
Hestia just clings tighter, burying her face in my shoulder.
"I. Know. You're. Okay. Too." I wheeze.
She looks up, tears brimming in her eyes and threatening to overflow at any second. Her lips quiver and she shakes her head before hugging me again.
"You're just gonna have to tough it out." That's Eric, back to being unhelpful again like he wasn't hero mode in the woods.
But it gets her attention. She looks up at him.
He points at my face. "She's turning blue."
It's a little mean, but Hestia snorts and loosens her death grip. I gasp a breath of air. That's.
So much better. So much.
"I'm glad. You're alright." I wheeze, coughing a bit.
Hestia smiles at me.
Her smile is shaky. I can see she wants to cry.
"Hey...no crying." I pat her arm. "I'm fine now."
She shakes her head and hugs me again. She sniffles and presses her face into my chest.
At least I can still breathe properly this time.
"Serves you right for playing hero." Eric says. As if he didn't jump in and attack another one of the beasts for someone else!
"Fuck off." I wheeze at him.
"Who taught a kid like you such language...?"
"You are. Five. Months older than me."
I don't remember exactly when we discussed it. But Eric turned out only to be five months older than me. Meanwhile, Sarah, probably unsurprisingly, is more like a year and a half.
"Yeah..." He sighs and shrugs, arms crossing. His lips curl up into a faint smile. "Still older, though. An adult." He teases.
"I. Hate you."
He just laughs.
"I'm gonna grab some lunch."
I nod, watching him go.
He's right. I guess it is my own fault that I got injured.
But...
If it wasn't for that, Hestia might not be here right now. So, even if it hurt like hell, and even if I'm paying for it with being her stress toy now...
I'd do it again.
"...What?" Hestia's staring at me. I don't think I've ever seen such an intense stare from her before.
...What?
She doesn't say anything, of course. She just stares at me.
After a moment, I pat her on the head. "Are you hungry too? We can go get lunch."
Hestia nods slowly and stands. She grabs onto my arm as I move away, following along with me as I head down the hall.
We pass by several other rooms along the way, some with people sleeping inside, and others that are empty.
One has someone in the bed who looks to be awake. It's a man with bandages all over him.
He looks familiar, and I remember he was in the woods too. I don't remember seeing him while we were running, just waiting.
Did he get pulled down early?
Maybe that means nobody died.
But there's a nasty twist in my stomach that makes me...
Turn my gaze back ahead.
I should focus on food. On the present. On what comes next once we get out of this cave and go back to the facility.
Once we're back we're supposed to start infiltrating the important parts of that facility and I don't know how we're supposed to even begin.
I have a vague understanding, mostly from movies I've watched, that we can somehow act like good prisoners, get their trust, and then start getting sensitive duties around the place.
But.
I don't know what method we could possibly use to do that.
Especially me, who still can't speak any of their language. I can't win their trust if I look like an idiot to them.
...Mia will probably be able to figure something out. If and when we can tell her.
Maybe Eric already has?
Well. He definitely has if they've had any time to talk safely, out of earshot of the aliens.
I don't know how I'll check. Maybe once we're back in the facility. That's my plan for telling Mia if Eric hasn't already, at least. There's plenty of time to ourselves there.
That doesn't seem to be the case here, as I can see the grey fur ones walking between tables in the cafeteria - or, what looks like one to me - observing as people eat.
I glance around, looking for Eric and Mia. It takes a few moments before I spot them sitting at a table together, talking quietly to one another.
Hestia and I grab some food from one end of the room where it's all piled on tables - or rather, I grab some for both of us and she just follows after me - and sit at the table across from Eric and Mia.
It's much better looking food than they give us normally.
Mia looks up and smiles as we approach. She has a bowl of soup in front of her, while Eric is munching away on what looks like a burger.
"How's it feel being able to move again?"
"Pretty good, all things considered." I answer with a sigh. It's a relief to be able to move without pain.
The fact that I'm no longer dying of itch is pretty nice, too.
Hestia wiggles in place on her seat.
Mia smiles and turns her gaze to the other woman, placing her chin on her hand. "And are you feeling better too, Hestia?"
Hestia's eyes widen a little. Her cheeks flush and she looks down. Then she looks up, and nods. A soft, tentative smile appears on her face. Her hands are fiddling together in her lap.
"That's good. You two scared both of us." She huffs and points at me. "I'll get revenge for you making me worry so much."
I snort.
"You can try."
She hums and smiles into her drink.
"Less talk, more eat." Eric points at the food. "They're feeding us better here than any other time. Don't know why, but we'd be crazy not to take advantage."
"That's. True."
Mia pats my hand. "Just pace yourself. You can eat less than you think." She points at her own soup bowl.
"Or." I counter. "I can just power through and eat more than you."
Eric snorts. "I doubt it with how much she-"
Mia elbows him with surprising speed.