Lost and Found Chapter 3

The walk home was silent except for the shaky rattle of Ace’s wagon and the muffled drag of Julius’s feet.

“Julius, Are you okay?” his acquaintance asked at the door to the clock tower.

“Whatever,” he growled.

“We could always get you a new clock.”

“I said it doesn’t matter!” storming inside, Julius slammed the door in Ace’s face. He kept going until he reached the infirmary and heard a horrible retching sound.

“Ugh…”

Curiosity piqued, Julius calmed enough to want to peek in. It was a stark white, hospital-looking room with a single cot covered in a pale blue cloth. Underneath the blanket was a shivering lump. Upon a well-landed poke, it tensed and retched again.

“Nn…” shifting the covers, a silver-haired head poked itself out, leaving the rest of the body still burrito-wrapped in the sheet. “Gray, I thought I… You’re not Gray.”

“Did you figure out that one by yourself?” Julius asked dryly.

“What? Respect your seniors!”

Julius examined the pathetic burrito-child skeptically.

“Gray! He called me a pathetic burrito-child!” said child whined to a boy who had recently entered. Standing in the doorway was a kid about Ace’s size. He wore a dark green shirt and brown pants. Clutching a brown stuffed rabbit under his lizard tattoo, bright topaz eyes looked at them over the plush’s ears.

“But Nightmare-sempai, you do look like a burrito,” Gray said, carefully glancing between the two. Julius frostily ignored him. “Um, I found someone outside. He’s been listening for a while now.”

“I’m not here,” Ace’s squeaky voice came from behind the door.

Julius sighed, “Ace, come here.”

The boy came out with his head ducked. Gray smirked as he dragged his feet over to his senior.

Ace glanced up then back at his feet. “I’m sorry about the clock thing. Do you ha—”

Julius casually thumped him on the back of the head. “I told you already. I don’t—and won’t—hate you.”

Gray’s smile fell, unheeded as the other beamed.

“Oh! Oh!” bouncing on the balls of his feet, Ace tugged on Julius’s sleeve. “I also put away the coffee beans ALL by myself!” he smiled brighter when he received a pat on the head and a congratulation for his hard work.

“And I—ow! Hey! Why’d you push me?”

“You were being annoying,” Gray gripped his plushie and glared at the grounded Ace.

“I thought your mom was  a better teacher, Gray,” Julius said coldly, hoisting his acquaintance back to his feet.

“You’re one to speak about parents.”

Julius was cut off before he could beat up the tiny offender.

“Eh?” Nightmare wriggled to face them. “What are you talking about?”

Ace, once again making a bipolar recovery, gasped loudly. “A caterpillar!”

Silence fell over the room, broken only as Nightmare unfroze then sullenly inched around until his back faced the audience. The movement undoubtedly resembled the fuzzy worm, and the squeaks released by the mattress didn’t help. Seeming rather deflated, the hospital patient shrank back into the blanket and coughed pathetically.

“Huh?” Ace turned to Julius. “Did I say something bad again?”

“No, you’re right. He does look like a caterpillar.”

Even Gray was smiling now. “Caterpillar-sempai…”

“Shut u—blegh.” He coughed again, making Gray flinch, Julius grimace, and Ace widen his eyes.

“Are you sick?” Walking up to the cot, he climbed onto it and began jumping. Julius felt a touch of sympathy.

“Ugh. Yes. I. Am,” Nightmare’s bundle helplessly rolled around. “STOP—Blech!”

“Okay, “Ace sat heavily. “Have they cut you open yet?”

The caterpillar stopped retching. “W-what do you mean?”

“Well, duh. Whenever someone goes to a hospital, they gut cut open. Doctors get their money by taking out your insides with a really big knife. Grown ups like that, so they pay a lot,” Ace educated him sagely.

“I d-don’t believe you.”

“It’s okay,” he continued with a pitying expression. “I think you have a good chance of surviving the opermation. You’re young and replendent.” With that, he hopped off. “Bye, Mr. Caterpillar.”

Julius followed Ace, not bothering to comment on his word choice.

“Eh? What do you mean ‘might?’ What’s an opermation?”

The door clicked shut behind them.