The curtains swayed gently in the wind, the fabric brushing against the open window. Cold air slipped into the room, carrying the scent of rain.
The boy's eyes slowly opened.
He didn't move for a moment. He slowly sat up, his gaze drifting around the room. The couch he was on...the walls...the light filtering in. He was back at the apartment.
His eyes dropped to his arm. It was wrapped in clean bandages. He stared at it.
He remembered the pain.....the sharp tearing, the burning feeling he felt when the claws cut into him.
The weird thing was...there was nothing now. No pain. Not even an ache.
His fingers shifted slightly, testing it. Still nothing.
A memory flickered. He remembered the gunshots and....Willow.
Footsteps broke the silence. He looked towards the doorway.
Willow stood there observing him, as if checking if he was fully awake.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The she stepped inside. She was holding a small metal container. Steam rising from it.
The smell reached him first.
Food.
His stomach tightened.
Willow stopped a few steps away and held it out toward him.
He looked at her.
"I was going to eat this. But i don't want you passing out on me again"
He reached out and took the container. It was warm.
He responded with a low voice.
"Thank you"
He started eating. First, slowly. Then faster.
Willow watched him for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the couch infront of him.
She didn't say anything right away. She just observed him while he kept eating.
There was a brief silence.
"Nathan's bag..."
The boy froze. He lowered the spoon.
"I-I ...I dropped it. I lost it."
Willow didn't respond. The silence continued. He could feel her looking at him while he was looking down at his can.
She exhaled softly, leaning back.
"I am already starting to regret saving you for the second time."
He said nothing. He kept his gaze lowered and continued eating. He stopped for a moment and looked at her.
"How did you find me?"
Willow reached into her pocket and pulled out the scanner. A steady beeping filled the room.
She held it up for him to see.
"You're not that hard to track."
"How did you bring me back here?"
"Car..."
She lowered the scanner again and looked at it before shoving it back to her pocket.
Her tone went cold.
"You ran off with our supplies...and didn't even make it half a day."
The boy's grip tightened slightly around the container. He didn't want to look her in the eyes.
She tilted her head a little.
"If you're going to steal and run...at least survive long enough to make it worth it."
"I didn't mean to steal." He said quietly.
Willow didn't interrupt.
He swallowed and continued.
"You just...you made me feel like i shouldn't be there."
His voice wasn't accusing.
"I thought it would be better if i left since....since what you were saying might be right."
He looked at her.
"I just thought...I should try to survive on my own."
She kept looking at him with no change in expression.
"And i thought that you had a lot of supplies...so i took Nathan's bag."
He lowered his head.
"I'm...i'm really sorry."
Willow didn't say anything. She just watched him.
He finished eating and put the container on the table between them.
She sighed and spoke with a calm voice.
"I set out ready to point a gun at you."
She leaned forward and crossed her arms.
"I was going to take the supplies back and leave you out there for good."
He looked at her.
"I sent Nathan the other way because i knew he would get in the way of leaving you like that."
There was no hesitation or guilt in her voice.
He didn't know what to say. He just kept looking at her.
"But you didn't even make it a day."
He was feeling bad before he felt something soft against his side. He flinched slightly and looked down. The cat had settled in the couch, rubbing lightly against his arm as if it had known him for years.
Willow glanced at the cat briefly, then looked back at him, unfazed.
"I accept your apology."
He looked at her and looked away quickly.
"Only because you look like you mean it."
He felt relieved and glad. Like he wanted to hear that since he saw her.
That's when he noticed. His clothes.
They weren't the blood soaked dirty clothes he was wearing earlier.
They were clean and changed.
He looked down at himself. A faint blush crept onto his face.
"You..."
Willow tilted her head slightly.
"What?"
He looked away quickly.
"Nothing."
....
Night fell over the apartment.
The light has faded and the only movement was coming from the curtains swaying gently by the open window.
The boy was on the couch. The cat curled beside him. His hand was moving absentmindedly through its fur.
Across the room, Willow stood by the window. She hadn't sat down once. She paced every now and then.
Every few minutes, she glanced outside, like she was expecting something.
The boy had noticed it. The way she was waiting.
A faint crackle broke the silence. Willow lifted the two way radio quickly to her mouth.
"Nathan?"
Static answered.
She lowered it slightly, her jaw tightening, then she tried again.
"Nathan, respond."
Nothing.
The boy kept looking at her. He knew she was waiting for Nathan. She made him feel worried too. If anything he didn't want anything happening to Nathan.
She tried again and again. Same result.
After a while, she lowered it completely.
Willow grabbed her jacket from nearby and slipped it on without hesitation.
"I'm going to find him."
She reached into her bag and pulled out another radio and tossed it to him.
He caught it instinctively.
"Stay here."
Her tone was sharp and serious.
"And don't even think about running off again."
He stayed silent.
She opened the door and looked at him before leaving.
"If you leave...i'll find you. And next time, i won't be forgiving about it."
She left and closed the door.