by Willow Dean
At least that gets a good response and loosens them all up, garnering a few snorts and chuckles here and there. Each of them now sporting some sort of smile on their face.
Doc pulls up a metal wheelie trolley with various instruments on it as he directs one of those clinical surgical lights over the bed and switches it on. Blinking into life, the shining bright white lights spill over the paper that covers the leather bed.
I freeze as a sudden blinding pain strikes my skull. Cradling my head, I screw my eyes shut and wait for it to abate as flashes of test tubes, blood bottles, theatre lights and screams assault me.
“Mila? Mila?! Mila, are you okay?” Peeling my eyes open, Doc stares back at me with concern. His voice sounds like it’s underwater. Stupidly, I shake my head trying to clear it, causing stars to explode across my vision.
Well, that was unpleasant.
Waving him away, I play it off. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I think I just have a headache coming on that’s all. Let’s get this over with. We have more training to do,” I say dismissively as I hop up onto the bed.
Moving my hands to the bottom of my top, I still when I notice the guy’s begin fumbling around. A snicker escapes as I remove it quickly, not giving them any chance to turn away before they get an eyeful.
I have a sports bra on underneath, so it’s nothing they haven’t already seen me in. Just because I neglected to tell them prior to the strip tease, doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. I’m not that much of a harlot, I swear!
I’m just funny…and crass…and maybe a little, tiny weeny bit insane. In a good way of course.
I mean, who could blame me for teasing them?! It’s fun seeing them squirm like prepubescent teens.
They all turn back around when Micah peeps through his fingers and breaks out into peals of laughter after realising how silly they were being.
At least they were gentlemen about it. I can’t really complain about that. It would make our situation very awkward having a lechy, all male team to live with.
Laying down on my front with my head on my hands, I rejoice as the pain in my head subsides to a dull ache.
Maybe I’m just not getting enough rest. The past couple of weeks has been full on with all the new training and the preparation for the sims. We’ve been training non-stop, taking every chance we’ve had to go over numerous strategies. Even staying up until the early hours of the morning to go over formations and recon techniques.
I wouldn’t blame my body for rebelling. Hell, I know I would be if my situation was any different than it currently is. Especially if I didn’t have the correct motivation.
“Okay, Mila. First, I’ll make an incision in your neck. I have to go down into the first layer of muscle so that I can place the tracker in far enough for it not to be noticeable and for it to be surrounded by the enzymes it needs to work. Just tell me if you need a minute.”
My throat thickens a little. I didn’t realize he was going that deep. Eek. The guys were right, this is going to hurt.
I don’t trust my voice not to break and I certainly don’t want to give the guys any more reason to worry. So, instead of replying, I give him a thumbs up.
Keeping an eye on the guys in front of me, I hear him wash his hands somewhere behind me. Only realizing he’s back when one of his gloved hands touches my neck, making me flinch. “Okay, I’m going to start now. If it gets too much, just say.”
Every one of the guy’s eyes flit between watching me and watching the Doc. All of them sporting various expressions of concern and scrutiny.
I feel a sharp pain as the knife slides through my skin and I do my best not to wince. I manage to keep a good handle on my expressions until he starts to cut through the first layer of muscle.
Involuntarily clenching my fists and wincing as the pain takes my breath away, I glance at each member of my team to try and give them a look of reassurance. Except, none of them are paying me a lick of attention. Lost in their need to protect and defend, each of them has unconsciously taken a step forward. Their postures rigid as if they’re physically holding themselves back from intervening.
Watching their reaction helps to calm and distract me from the pain. There is no doubt in my mind, that if I asked Doc to stop, that they would be by my side in an instant to comfort me.
It really isn’t that bad though, in the grand scheme of things. Don’t get me wrong, it hurts like a bitch, but it honestly doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it would.
I feel the tracker slide into my neck and then Doc starts stitching me up. Informing me that the stitches will dissolve in their own time, he puts a dressing over it and advises to keep it dry for twenty-four hours before giving me the GPS ring and dismissing us.
Presented in an obsidian box and cushioned in red crushed velvet, is a tiny silver band with a ruby inset in the middle that’s surrounded by smaller diamonds that sparkle like a rainbow. The Ruby is elevated, and once twisted, it activates a GPS tracker.
It’s an object of complete beauty and intellectual development. Wasting no time, I slide the beautiful piece of jewellery on my right pinky. It fits perfectly.
“Wow, she’s a badass!” Micah whispers in awe.
Aus sidles up to me, whispering loudly and hitching his thumb in Micah’s direction. “He cried like a baby for a good hour after.”
I arch an eyebrow, surprised that someone as big and manly as one of the guys would have such a reaction to something as relatively painless as that. In comparison to other things, of course.
There’s no doubt in my mind that our enemies would make us endure far more excruciating activities in order to have us singing. In fact, I’m sure they will.
Micah shoves Aus away from me and starts chasing him down the corridors as we head back towards the SUV. I laugh at their playfulness. The rest of the team soon join in with chortles of their own as we watch Aus continue to slip out of Micah’s reach, causing Michah to growl in frustration.
Mercifully, the next few hours pass without any major insults being thrown my way. It’s a blessing, truly. It’s still a relief when lunch comes around though.
I unwrap the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I packed last night despite my worsening stomach cramps. I’ve been craving them all morning. Mother nature is a weird one, but who am I to complain about tasty food?!
“How’s your neck, M?”
Rick walks over as I swallow the last mouthful of my delectable treat. “Fine. I can’t even feel it anymore to be honest.”
A surprised look crosses his face, before it’s quickly swept away by relief.
Yeah, I’m surprised too buddy!
I dare not tell the guys for fear of looking like a complete freak, but I checked under my bandages just before lunch because they were extremely itchy. Just like what happened with my hand, the skin is now healed and the stitches have already dissolved.
Only someone who would know to look for the incision would be able to see where it had been, and even then, it would still be difficult. Needless to say, both my leg and back injuries from yesterday are completely healed too. The skin is only a slightly darker pink where the injuries once were.
I don’t even know what to make of these new developments myself. It shouldn’t be possible. Yet, clearly it is. Regardless, I keep the bandages securely in place.
I trust the guys with my life, but I don’t want to share this tidbit of information with them just yet. I’m scared that it’ll make me sound at little cray-cray...if you get my drift.
Pretending to apply cream every eight hours was an arduous task in itself. Although I never bothered to slather myself in the cream past the first time, I did use it as an excuse to check my wounds. Each time, they looked like they’d been healing for weeks, not days.
Mind you, Doc did say that my injuries from yesterday weren’t that serious, so maybe I’m just letting my head get carried away with things. Then again, I know for a fact that the GPS site definitely shouldn’t be healed yet.
Maybe I’m just being overly paranoid. With everything else that’s happened to me recently, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was even a little bit mentally damaged. In fact, it’s probably a given.
A couple of days of keeping the bandage on and wearing long sleeved hoodies and pants should do it. At least then I can pass it off as fast healing without sounding completely insane. Plus, it’ll help me to avoid any unnecessary questions. Especially ones that I don’t have any answers to.
“Good, I’m surprised you are doing so well to be honest.” Yeah. You’re telling me… “Not that it was agony, but it hurt for a good while after I had it done,” he says rubbing the back of his neck at the memory. Dumping his bag on the floor, Rick takes a seat next to me in our usual spot.
Before his butt even touches the floor, I’m launching myself forward and rolling into a crouch. I turn around to face Micah as he lands in the spot that my body occupied just a second ago, scaring the shit out of Rick.
Lifting his head, Micah’s hair flops with the movement as he gives me a megawatt smile. A crazy glint, tinting his eyes. Ever since we started training properly, and Linc started to come out of his shell, the twins have been trying to get the jump on me. Together. Scores currently hold at four-three.
To me.
“Hah! You thought you had me. I’m just too quick for you, Sonic!”
A sly grin crosses his face before he begins his pursuit. I dead sprint for the picnic table opposite us, vaulting over it just as Micah stops short of the side of the table where I just was.
“Which way are you going, Sa-yu-ri? You can’t escape us.”
Us?
“Too slow, Hime,” Linc whispers.
Shit!
My muscles flex in reaction but I’m too late. Pinned from behind by thick muscly arms, I’m lifted clear off my feet.
Since I was able to start taking part in real training, the twins and I adopted our own form of mini training. It started with Micah attacking me out of the blue and soon enough, Linc joined his brother and I started fighting back.
Although it began purely as a form of entertainment, it’s gradually turned into something more serious. Of course, the fun never left.
That’s the best part!
To make it more realistic, we resorted to attacking when the opposing side is either distracted or least expecting it. Actual fights are also a part of the games we play. Although, there is never much weight behind the punches we throw. It’s more akin to a game of tag, aiming to keep each other on our toes and to test out reaction times.
Kicking my legs, I wriggle half-heartedly in Linc’s grasp, knowing full well that whatever I do, it will be useless. Our Ice Bear has the grip of a god. Believe me when I say, if he doesn’t want you going somewhere, you ain’t.
I quietly giggle to myself, noticing how stupid I look and how completely futile it is for me to struggle. Micah prowling around the table, with a look of mischief plastered across his face, quickly silences them.
No, no, no. I need to get away, like...yesterday!
I start to struggle for real this time, trying desperately to dislodge Linc’s grip. Micah catches my eye again. I know exactly what that face means and I want absolutely no part of it!
“Linc, please! Don’t let him do this,” I plead. My voice is super whiny but I don’t care. I’ll do anything to get me out of what I know is coming.
“Let him do what, Hime?” Linc replies slowly, feigning innocence.
Like he doesn’t know exactly what Micah is going to do?! He’s in on it too! They are both so going on my shit list for Christmas!
Unfazed, Micah continues to slowly stalk his way towards us, like a lion hunting it’s prey.
Would it be weird of me to notice the white bandana hanging around Micah’s neck with yellow and black radiation signs all over it, right now?
Yes. Yes, it would!
“Yeah,” Micah mocks, cocking his head to the side. “Let me do what? Sa-yu-ri,” he sing-songs, enunciating each syllable emphatically.
Shaking my head frantically, I don’t care how weak it makes me look…I beg them.
“Please, Micah. Don’t. I’m begging you! Please!” The bastard just grins, forming his hands into claws and raising them up towards his face as he wiggles his fingers around.
“AUS! The twins have me. Help me, please!” I cry desperately.
Micah’s face pales and Linc’s arms loosen just a smidgen. His grip releases even more as Aus strides over to us from the tree. Standing on the other side of the picnic table from us with his arms crossed, he stares the twins down. A scowl marring his face.
Yes, I win!
Feeling smug I stop struggling, knowing that the twins will turn tail and flee any second now that Aus is here to have my back.
My victory is cut short.
My stomach drops as Aus’s scowl morphs into a sickly-sweet smile. Uncrossing his arms, he takes a seat at the picnic table, resting his chin on his hands.
Uh-oh.
“Continue,” he waves a hand. “Don’t let me interfere. It will teach her not to put laxatives in the smoothies in the future.”
Damn! I thought I’d covered my back well enough to make it look like one of the twins. He swivels his triumphant gaze to meet mine as I stare at him obliviously.
Deny. Deny. Deny.
“Pft, please…me? Using such deceitful tact-”
“So, the foil off the rapper of the laxatives in your bin and on your bedside table just magically appeared there overnight, did it?”
Foil?
My eyes bug out of my head. There’s no way! I went over everything with a fine-tooth comb and chucked everything in the bin outside.
There were a few pieces left over sure, but they were like, less than a millimeter in size. I only noticed them when I was tidying my room the other day. He can’t have made a connection with just that, surely?!
Not missing anything, the fucker catches how wide my eyes have grown. “Oh yes, Lila. I swabbed one of them and found traces of the laxatives you used in the smoothies,” he smirks.
“You’ve been in my room?!”
Deflect. Deflect. Deflect.
“Uh-oh, it sounds like you haven’t found my present yet.” His grin is nothing less than terrifying. I gulp.
Present?! Oh god. I’m so not going to be able to sleep tonight!
The last present he left me was an electric-shock alarm clock and it hurt like hell. I’m about to implore for forgiveness and grovel in whatever way I can when I notice Micah has finally reached us.
Micah’s eyes widen in triumph. His fear of Aus all but forgotten. “Tickly time tilly!”
“My name isn’t Tilly, bitch!” I snip, frantically writhing in Linc’s grasp before I finally manage to break free. Too distracted with Aus, Linc forgot to re-tighten his grip.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what you get when you celebrate a win before the finish line is in sight!
Sourcing the closest sea of people, I head straight for the cafeteria. Glancing over my shoulder, I look back to see if they’re following before smacking head first into a brick wall.
Yup, I have fantastic luck!
The brick wall just so happens to be Rick, who turns me around none too gently and clasps my hands behind my back. “You have no idea how much my ass hurt after those smoothies. I swear, I even considered buying adult diapers,” he growls.
I can’t help it. The image of him in adult diapers tears a snorting cackle straight from my throat.
Honestly, I had this coming for a long while. Rick, Jax and Aus were on the toilet for days, and since the twins weren’t affected, they blamed them. I spent hours in the toilet just to keep up appearances. It was exhausting.
The ensuing prank war was
well worth it though! No regrets, in the slightest.
There’s absolutely no way I’m going to get out of Rick’s grip. He’s not so easily distracted as the twins are and since I’ve already made one escape attempt, there’s no way he is going to drop his guard now.
Instead, I resign myself to my fate.
Rick bends down to whisper in my ear as Micah and Linc prowl our way. “You might want to remember your punishment before the next time you prank us, Princess.”
If anyone else had used that nickname for me, I would have gagged. Strangely enough though, it sounds natural coming from Rick.
Micah looks to Linc. “Tag team, brother?” Linc nods his head in approval as they both stop in front of us with victorious expressions.
I don’t bother renewing my struggles, I won’t get very far. They each go for one side and begin their torture. I squawk and squeal, pleading to Jax who casually reclines back under the tree whilst watching on in peals of laughter.
I can’t breathe through the amount of giggling and wheezing I’m doing as my sides begin to cramp from the relentless punishment. The twins continue to find all my most ticklish spots until the bell rings, and of course, Micah just has to come out and say it. “Saved by the bell, Lala. You won’t be so lucky next time!”
I barely even get to take in a proper breath before Rick drops his hold on my hands, spins me around and throws me over his shoulder. I squeak in surprise as I feel a sharp slap on my ass.
What the-
Rick’s voice causes his chest to rumble beneath me. “That’s only a smidgen of the pain that we went through.”
We all explode into fits of laughter again. Other students heading back towards the building pass us with a wide berth, throwing disgusted looks our way as if we are some kind of crazy that they are afraid to catch.
The guys simply watch on in amusement as I dangle helplessly over Rick’s shoulder, wiping the happy tears from my eyes.
It’s times like these that make everything that has happened well worth it, in a convoluted way. I know this peace isn’t going to last long, so I decided to try and make the most of it whilst I can.