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Nurse Irard turned her attention to me "Just a little prick," she said, and inserted an IV drip into my forearm

"You’ll have to stay on this for twenty-four hours in order to replenish all of your water content"

"Okay," I tried to say, though no sound came out My mouth was dry and frothy I took one last look at her and let myself drift into sleep

I woke up after dark to a flickering fluorescent light The nurses’ as the only place on cahts after sunset At ten o’clock a nurse checked on ht I waited until I heard her door close, and saw the lights switch off, and then pulled the IV out of my arm and stood up My clothes were piled on the countertop I ruh thelasses out of the pocket

I walked down the hall in ainst the tile floor Every tih thein the door Finally I found Nathaniel’s roo to keep quiet, I pushed open the door

When I stepped inside, I was ainst the wall before continuing forward The burning hair at the séance had given off a sier and more concentrated The smell of decay Was this what happened when an Undead was buried? I opened the s A draft floated in, andin bed The outline of his frail body jutted out under a thin white sheet A fly circled above hies of his face, and his eyes were closed Without his glasses he looked tired and old--ed, and purple bags hung under his eyes A folding chair was positioned by his bed, and I sat down in it, watching hiet to drea at me

I jumped I didn’t think he was conscious "It’shere?"

"I ate a bottle of salt"

Nathaniel tried to ask a question, but could only mouth it "Why?"

"So I could see you"

"That’s a little extreo in a few days"

I highly doubted that I wasn’t even sure if he could sit up

He patted around the nightstand for his glasses "Salt is a preservative, you know"

Typical Nathaniel, lying on what could have been his deathbed, talking about the che up his glasses "I found theers tre?"

"I’m fine," he said "Just tired"

I looked at him in disbelief He didn’t look fine "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice weak, as if he barely had breath to speak the words "It’s just a little dirt"

I sat back inthe fact that he was Undead "Nathaniel, you were buried We both knohat that means for you You don’t have to lie I knohat you are and it doesn’t matter to me"