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Understanding shot across his face "Don’t you dare go into that lake"

I moved backward Icy water lapped at my ankles and then my knees "Why?"

"Why?" He took a step forward "It’s too cold Kitten, don’t et you"

My head throbbed Brain cells were definitelyinI could stay under here forever Maybe I would

Strong, solid arid air rushedto extinguish the fla so fast I was in the water one second and standing on shore the next

"What’s wrong with you?" he deht shake "Have you lost your mind?"

"Don’t" I pushed at hiaze drifted down to my toes "Yeah, you’re hot The whole hite shirt… It’s working, Kitten, but a , don’t you think?"

He wasn’tagain I stumbled from his hands, back toward the lake

His ar et in the lake It’s too cold You’re going to get sick" He brushed back the hair plastered toup"

So in what he said cleared a bit of the haze I leaned into hi my cheek into his chest He smelled wonderful Like spice and et into that conversation"

This was just a drea my arms around his taut waist "But I do want you"

Daehtened aroundanyone Co liood"

"Kat" He pulled back Both hands were onat hi No Daes were hazy, disjointed Warers se that was , but… I sunk into the sound, lost for a little while

I heard voices

Once, I thought I heard Dee "You can’t It’ll juststripped away So to the voices around me, and maybe I did I wasn’t sure

At some point, I rapped in a cloud and carried so me until the voices faded and cool hands eventually replaced the warhts intruded I heardto…sonize He had the cool hands There was a prick in ers More hushed voices, and then I heard nothing

There was no day or night, but this weird in-bethere a fire raged inmy arm out from underneath the covers I didn’t hear Moain on h led screaed insideI had to be…

And then there was a coolness in my veins, like a rush of winter’s air Ita trail of ice in its wake

The handsup A chain…one, but I felt the obsidian hu above me And then I slept for what felt like an eternity, not certain I was ever going to wake up

Four days of being in the hospital, and I had next to no recollection of any of it Only that I woke up Wednesday in an unco fine Great, even Mo to get released after I spent all day Thursday telling anyone who cao ho serious

Now Moe juice froht sweater It was odd seeing her out of her scrubs "Honey, are you sure you’re feeling well enough to go back to class? You can take today off and go back on Monday if you want"

I shookthree days of classes already earned ht "I’m fine"

"Honey, you were in the hospital You should take it easy"

I washed out the cup "I’ better" She fixed"Will--Dr Michaels--o home, but you scared ive hioes in for his rounds?"

Evento my doctor on a first-name basis--their relationship had taken a trip into serious land, it see my backpack, I stopped "Moht Monday, right? Before your shift ended?" When she shook her head, I was even et to the hospital?"

"Are you sure you’re feeling okay?" She placed her hand on ht you to the hospital"

"My friend?"