A Smile I Don't Know

Cat ears lay flat against his head, and in his sleep, the frail boy seemed anything but epaceful. His breathing wasn't steady and his cheeks were flushed with a fever. A few sweat drops dripped down from his forehead and the boy coughed as he woke up, golden eyes showing fear and confusion.

"Wha... where am I..." the child choked out, scared. He looked around crazily, out of his mind. He was laying in a bed and there were tubes connected to his arms. Cat-like tail was hanging off the side of the bed, twitching madly.

Dark, golden eyes became even wider. "Ella... Nikki..." Sabriel Phyero's breathing became heavy and he sat up in bed rather painfully. "NIKKI! ELLA! WHERE..." He started coughing, unable to finish that statement. Where were they? The two people he held dearest... where were they?

Little did he know of their real fate...

Sabriel had been choking on his own words. Why wasn't Nicolas by his side? His brother wasn't there when he needed him... something had to be wrong! And Ella... where was she? He loved her, he was her boyfriend, after all! She wasn't there either... he wondered if she had gotten hurt in the forbidden forest when Quigi had blasted at them. "QUIGI... I'm gonna... I'm gonna kill you if you hurt Ella..." he said under his breath, sobbing now. Little tears fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, the fever becoming worse.

"Hello."

The insane child's head immediately turned to the man who now stood in the room. His eyesight was blurry because of the horrible fever, and as he stared at the man, he tried to figure out who it was. "Nikki...?" he questioned softly, in a desperate, pleading tone. "Nikki... Nikki, I need you... don't go..." he said, crying and falling back into the bed so he was laying down again. "It hurts... don't leave me... Nikki..." He started crying harder, his mind twisting January's figure and voice to be that of his deceased older brother's.

Sabriel whimpered when January rubbed his back. It wasn't because of pain, but mostly because of the fever. "Make it better..." he said quietly, his voice pained. He started shaking, obviously getting sicker. He either needed a nurse to help him, or for January to do so.

"It's okay...you'll be alright..."

He smiled. If Nikki said that he would be alright, then it must have been the truth. Nikki would never lie to him! He grabbed January's hand as he mussed his hair, and the older male would more than likely be able to feel the fever, if the sweating wasn't enough to show it. "I trust you..." he said. "Just stay here, Nikki... where's Ella...." He then whimpered. "MAKE IT BETTTEERRRR!"

"I promise I will."

The little boy smiled, feeling rather comforted. When Nicolas promised he would do something, he did it. He smiled and curled into a slight ball with a giggle when January began tickling his ears. It felt nice... but it wasn't making his fever go away.

"Can you tell me your name?"

Sabriel's face was no loner as red and his eyes were closed, breathing now steady and deep. He yawned and his brows furrowed as he thought, trying to remember. He was so sleepy... but... why was Nicolas asking for his name? "You silly... you kno — " He stopped midsentence when he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar figure sitting there. He shrunk back in the bed, ears pressed against his hair again as he stared at this man in fear. "You... you aren't Nikki.... who are you.... what did you do to my Nikki?!" he yelled, going into hysterics.

Sabriel started shaking like mad when January hugged him. It was oddly comfortable, but he didn't like it when strangers hugged him. Especially this man.... he had lied to him! He had said he was Nicolas and he wasn't. "You... you... you're a liar..." he muttered, more than afraid.

"It's okay, it's okay. My name is January. I came here to see you."

At that, he tried to stop trembling, but he was still doing so a little bit. He looked up at January, golden eyes meeting red ones. "I'm Sabriel..." he introduced sheepishly. "Did you really come here to see me?" His face brightened somewhat with hope as he looked up at the older male, his tail swishing happily.

"Why else would I be in here?"

Sabriel blinked, but rubbed his head against January's arm lovingly, purring quietly. He didn't usually act like a kitten, but right now he was. It was probably the medicine. "Thank you," he said quietly, eyes closing again. He truly was tired, but like any child, he was reluctant to go to sleep.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" the neko asked softly. It was the only way he figured January would want to see him. After all, who went and visited and complete stranger who was most likely insane?

"Mmm...maybe."

The little boy blinked. "Wh... what does that mean?" he questioned. Maybe wasn't good enough for him... if he knew January from somewhere, he wanted him to tell him! He didn't like secrets or being left out of things.

"Tell me..." he pleaded quietly. "Do you know Nikki? Or Ella? Where is Ella...." Sabriel opened his eyes, looking about. He didn't know what to do... none of the people he loved were around. He wanted them to be there...

Sabriel pouted when January didn't answer him. "Tell me... what it means..." the former adult said. "Please..."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know."

He frowned, trembling now. "Can you have a nurse call for her? And Nikki? Please?" The thirteen-year-old wanted his family, what could he say? What little child wouldn't ant his loved ones around him?

As lips came across his, Sabriel's eyes went wide and he screamed, pushing the man away from him. He fell off the bed on the opposite side from how strongly he had pushed the man. He curled into a ball on the floor, unable to get up. "Don't you touch me ever again..." the thirteen-year-old said. "I... I thought you were my friend..." Little tear drops started falling from the golden orbs and he turned his face into the floor. "You can't just go around kissing people... it's a sign of love, and I don't love you... I have a girlfriend... all I did was ask you to get a nurse to call her and you do this..."

His fever was returning, since the IV had managed to come out of his arm during the fall. Wasn't life just peachy?