Picking the cloth up again I dabbed his forehead with it, brushing his cheeks with the wetness before working my way down and around his neck. It wasn’t much but I thought it might help.
I set the cloth back on his forehead when I was done, offering him the glass once more. This time he drank it all, gasping for air when he was done. He was growing more conscious. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to see me if he woke, though I didn’t want to explain why I was there, sneaking around his apartment, nor why I was helping him. I didn’t know the answers myself. Taking the glass, I returned to the bathroom and filled it back up for him before setting it down on the table in case he needed it.
I excused myself then, leaving his room just as silently as I had entered it and seeing myself out of the apartment completely.
I wanted to know what was wrong with him but then, finding Atlas and asking him also meant explaining why I had been in his room without permission in the first place. Atlas had said I was free to do as I pleased but I sensed that sneaking into apartments was crossing some unspoken line.
Instead I thought about finding somewhere that would offer me something of colour to bring to his room, if only to make it seem a bit more personal. I thought of flowers immediately; you were supposed to bring those to the hospital when people were sick. Surely it was supposed to help their recovery or something... Well, every little bit helps I always said.
Focusing on that I walked through the next door, entering a garden. I stopped short suddenly, looking around at the plainness of it. I was surprised that in a place where everything was so magnificently beautiful there would be something so... simple. It seemed wrong.
To my left though was a small garden cart, laden with all the tools and bulbs I would need to turn this place into a certified Eden.
Immediately I imagined what I would be able to do with this space. Back home I had been allotted a small section of the front garden to tend as my own. Now I had an entire field. My mind ran wild with possibilities. I liked the idea of having a place to come to and lose myself in work.
But I had other plans for now and I knew this place would wait for me. I could feel inside me that I would easily be able to find it again and again as long as I wanted it. So refocusing myself I crossed through the grounds, taking in the simple flowers that were already there before starting to pick a few and putting together a small bouquet for the boy’s room.
Flowers were a girly kind of thing, and a part of me figured he wouldn’t really appreciate them that much but his place was so dreary I just couldn’t imagine someone coming back to full health in a place that just reminded me of death.
When I was happy with what I had picked I returned back through the door and reentered the hallway outside of his room. I let myself in again and went toward the kitchen, looking for a vase to store the flowers in. As I half-expected there was no vase for me to use, so I settled for what I assumed was a beer glass and stuffed the stems into the hole before filling it up with water.
I padded softly into his room, his face illuminated by the still-burning candle but he was sound asleep. He looked a little more peaceful now, and the room was actually a little bit warmer with the candle burning. I set the flowers down behind the small collection I had been gathering on his side table before turning and going back out into the main room.
I found the original drawer I had used and thought about another candle, or ten, and opened the drawer pleased to see it had worked. Carrying them all back into his room I set about lighting them all and placing them around the room so it would heat up a little bit more. He was shivering, that had to mean he was cold, so this would help.
I just wanted to help.
He muttered something again, “I’m sorry... No! I’m sorry, please... listen...” I stopped, hand clutching a candle tightly as I turned to look at him, watching his dream unfold. “I can make it right, just let me try. I’ll do anything, anything you want. Just say whatever it is you need...” I found myself frowning as I watched him more, finally setting the candle down and moving over to his side once again.
I grabbed the cloth from his forehead and unfolded it before refolding it with the cold side out. I set it down on his forehead again and shushed him softly.
“It’s okay, you’re okay...” I whispered, brushing my fingers tenderly along his cheek. “You’re safe. You just need to rest...” He settled a bit but I could still see something was haunting him behind those eyelids, something I would never understand.
But I knew about demons, I certainly had my own under lock and key.
After standing there for a little while watching him sleep restlessly I finally drew my hand away from his forehead and turned back to the apartment. I hoped he got better; I could only pray he made a full recovery. But when I prayed now, did I pray to myself?
I frowned as I thought about the logistics of my faith while moving toward the door. I stopped suddenly as Atlas came through just as I was trying to leave.
“Valentina.” He said with very little surprise in his voice, I noted.
“Hi. I was... I saw you bring him in; I wanted to make sure he was okay. I gave him some food and water.” I spoke quickly, wanting desperately to explain myself to him. I didn’t want him to think I was some weirdo or something.
“Of course,” he nodded his head slightly with a smile. That was it?
“Uh, Atlas... What’s wrong with him?” I asked softly, glancing over my shoulder as if afraid he was going to be awake and watching me.
“He’s been through a lot. He’s very sick.”
“I can tell...” I said swiftly, immediately feeling bad for being so sharp. “I just mean, specifically... What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s going through withdrawal.”
“Of alcohol?”
“And drugs.” He said solemnly and I frowned, looking over my shoulder again before nodding.
“I brought him flowers to liven up the place. I don’t think anyone can get better in a room that looks like death.” Atlas smiled sadly at me but didn’t reply.
I took this as my cue to leave and as I was passing him he finally spoke, “thank you Valentina.”
I knew it was none of my business but as soon as I got back to my own apartment I sat down at the laptop and did some research on withdrawal. I couldn’t explain to anyone why I felt like I had to take care of him. I assumed it was just in my nature: we were alone here, away from home and it was nice to know someone was looking out for you. But I also felt that calling to him, like we were kindred spirits.
I’m sure his history was far different from mine but after what I went through, and seeing him when Atlas brought him in, it made me feel for him. I knew how that felt; I knew how draining it was... Not just physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.
Sometimes it’s nice to just know someone understood, even if it’s only a fraction more than everyone else.
I read through the symptoms quickly. He was experiencing pain, cramping, agitation, sweating... I had noted all these things. He was also supposed to have insomnia but he had been more unconscious than conscious. Maybe Atlas had done something to him so he slept through the worst of it? Or maybe his God was doing something to protect him...
The more I read the more I came to realise this wasn’t the worst of it. Eventually he would move into a period where his body was going to try and physically expel the last of the drugs in his system. He was going to vomit, go the bathroom, and, no doubt, beg for relief.
I frowned to myself, sitting back from the computer as I stared at the list of symptoms. Why would someone do this so much to themselves they would have to go through something like this when they could no longer access their addiction?
I closed the laptop and stood up anxiously. I wanted to do something, go back to him, and heal him properly so he never had to go through any of that but I didn’t have that kind of power. Maybe one day but for now I was as useless as I had ever felt.
It made me anxious be
ing so helpless, I was pacing and fidgeting with things around the apartment before I decided that going to tend to that garden would help me focus myself and clear my mind.
I wanted to be hopeful about this new life I was being offered but I couldn’t help but think about how terrible it was to be – seemingly – the only person around right now. I wasn’t used to being this alone, I usually always had at least one other person around to talk to if I needed it. There was always Cleo in the library but I didn’t exactly want to rush back there and find her.
Hopefully it would only be a few more days of this listless existence before more people began to arrive at Olympus.
Chapter Five
I spent the next week balancing my time between working in my garden – turning it into my own personal Eden – and taking care of the boy. He never woke up, not a single time that I went to visit him. But I knew that he was waking up occasionally because each time I went the water had been drunk or the food had been eaten.
At least he was fighting his battle with me; that made me happy.
My flowers, though, didn’t seem as fortunate. Every single time I returned to his apartment, no matter how short a time I had been gone for, they would always be wilted and blackened when I got back. Like something was sucking the life energy out of them. This didn’t deter me from continuing to bring them; I insisted to myself that they were helping his recovery as much as I was.
I never saw Atlas again after that first day; I didn’t even think he was going to see the boy when I wasn’t there. Maybe he thought if fate wanted this God to survive it would see it through. Myself, though, I didn’t want to toy with fate where someone’s life was involved.
When I was with the boy I amused myself by talking to him as if we were having a conversation. I told him all sorts of things, using him as my own personal diary. I shared with him my thoughts on my Goddess, my sadness, my loneliness and as the time passed although we’d never spoken a word to each other I felt closer to him than I had ever to anyone else. Sadly, I doubted he heard me but it was still comforting because besides Cleo, I still hadn’t found anyone else in the mountain.
I hoped because Atlas hadn’t been around for either of us he might’ve been out gathering more people for Olympus. But the more days went by, and there still wasn’t any sign of life besides my own, I started to wonder if maybe he was some crazy psychopath who was just kidnapping people and I was simply stupid and gullible.
As I came out of my garden late one afternoon I nearly ran headlong into another person. I stumbled back in surprise, partially because I was shocked to see someone else walking around and also because – how had he found my garden?
“Hello!” He said with a grin, holding out his hand politely, “Jed.” I couldn’t help but smile, feeling the excitement bubbling inside of me at the idea that here was my wish: another human being, who actually seemed perfectly normal.
“Valentina.” I shook his hand politely.
“This your garden?”
“Well, I don’t think it’s really mine but I’ve been working on it for the last few weeks...”
“It’s lovely.” His eyes surveyed the area around us appreciatively before looking back at me and grinning again.
“I was just exploring to see what this place has to offer.”
“Well, the way I understand it... It has just about everything.”
“Yeah, I was thinking that too.”
“Oh, did you not speak to Atlas when you got here?”
“The guy that brought me here? No, I haven’t seen him since.” I frowned slightly, wondering how busy he could possibly be to not make time for anyone, before smiling again.
“Oh, well, he told me if you concentrate hard enough on what you want or need the mountain will provide it.”
“Excellent.” Jed said thoughtfully, running a hand through his hair as he looked around again.
“Why, what were you thinking?” I probed, sensing he had another purpose to his exploration.
“Well, I wanted to throw a party so we can all meet each other properly. I was trying to scope out an area to hold it. I thought maybe having a club would work, but clubs are loud and that doesn’t really give us the chance to talk. But they certainly have a lot of booze, and I like that." He grinned mischievously.
“You can use my garden if you’d like. I’m sure we could conjure enough things to make it a suitable place for a social gathering.” Jed stopped talking and looked down at me in consideration before grinning and nodding.
"Really? That would be great! I was thinking this place is perfect.”
“Of course." I smiled politely before diving in with another curious question, "so, when you say, “we”... Do you mean there are other people here?”
“A few, but no one has ever really met each other so that’s why I thought a party would be good.”
I smiled, “I like the sounds of that." But how had I managed to miss enough people that a party was necessary? Had I really been that caught up in my garden and with the boy? “When were you thinking of having the party?”
“Tonight?” He said questioningly.
I licked my lips and looked around the garden for a moment before nodding, “doable, I think.”
“If you can handle décor and all that girly stuff I can do food and drinks.” I sensed it would be mostly drinks with him.
“I can do décor and food for you.” I said with a smile and he smirked at me, a silent conversation occurring between us for a moment before he nodded.
“Yeah, cool. Perfect. I’ll see you tonight then.” He turned and started to walk away in a hurry. I felt myself panic slightly, not wanting him to go yet. After a week of being alone I had finally found someone else in this place I could talk to and the most I was going to get was a two second conversation about party planning?
“Jed!” He turned and looked back at me, eyebrow arched.
“Do you... do you know who your God is?” I said quickly, licking my lips.
He appeared thoughtful for a moment, mulling over what he was going to say before he tilted his head from side to side in an uncertain way. “Yes and no.”
I frowned, confused by the answer.
“I think I do but then I might be wrong.”
“Oh,” I said, nodding slightly, “I don’t have any clue.”
“I’m sure it’ll come to you, kiddo. We can brainstorm tonight if you want, round up a list of suspects.” I smiled and nodded at him.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Cool. Well, I’ve got to go get ready and let everyone else know about the party.”
“Okay... How many people should I prepare for?”
“Maybe a dozen?”
Twelve people? How had Twelve people slipped under my radar entirely for the last week? I had been desperately searching... Well, at least it felt that way.
Retrospectively, I had been spending most of my time in the garden or at the boy’s bedside. But still when I was crossing through the hallways I was always thinking about other people and hoping one day I might just walk through a door into a crowded room.
“Alright, can do.” I said, trying to seem unfazed as Jed grinned at me one more time as he turned and left me alone again.
I cast one more look around the garden for a moment before walking out the door after Jed. Except, the door took me back to my apartment and didn’t give me a chance to pursue him.
I sat down at my kitchen table, quickly drawing up a rudimentary scheme of how I wanted the garden to look tonight. I imagined fairy lights strung over the patio, cast iron tea tables, bunting, a stone table for food displays. I wanted cupcakes, candy, little finger foods like mini hamburgers and mini hot dogs.
I ended up getting somewhat carried away at the idea of the party and when I was done I had a four page spread of my terrible sketching of the party space. I gathered it all in my hands and went back through the door, hoping that between the drawings and my thoughts I would be able to make it a reality.
To my delight, and somewhat surprise, when I went back through the door my garden looked exactly how I had drawn it... Only it was much prettier and far more colourful.
It was perfect.
I grinned to myself; pleased at the work I had managed to do and hoped that Jed would like it just as much. It obviously wasn’t quite the club experience he had first mentioned but a garden party would be the perfect atmosphere to meet people for the first time.
Even the food looked amazing. I realised then I still hadn’t had any lunch and resolved that having some now was only ensuring quality product was being served. Loading my hands up with a few of the treats I went back through the door to the apartment, wanting to get ready.
The only time I had ever, in my entire life, put some sort of effort into my appearance for a special occasion was usually Mass at Christmas time. Even then I never wore makeup or did some intricate style on my hair. It was always left hanging down my back and I mostly focused on my clothes - which was always the latest homemade dress my mother had made from a pattern she got at the quilting store in town.
So when I opened my closet, thinking about dresses, nothing inside looked remotely like anything I had ever worn in my life. Not only were they shorter than anything I had ever worn they were more skin baring than anything I would’ve been allowed to wear.
But I was a Goddess now, I told myself. Perhaps this was how Goddesses were supposed to dress. I flipped through the options looking for something that wouldn’t be too far out of my comfort zone but was still something I would’ve liked to wear even if my parents would've disapproved. I managed to find a deep purple, almost black dress with spaghetti straps that was looser than some of the others looked, although it still ended on my thighs like a mini skirt.
It was mostly a simple sundress when I looked at myself in the mirror. But it was perfect for the casual atmosphere I wanted to create at the party.
Ending up in the bathroom to brush out my hair I noticed that Atlas had also stocked me with makeup. But as I stared at it trying to figure out what was used where I realised that maybe jumping out of my comfort zone twice today wasn’t the best idea. I should leave makeup for a day when I got the chance to do some research on what to do with it and how to wear it. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t have all the time in the world later.
Gods Save the Princess (Grace of Gods Book 2) Page 4