Skye Life - Waking Up

Cyd knelt by the couch, pressing a well worn damp washcloth to Mathias’ face. He hadn’t even stirred when she came through the door, his eyelids remaining closed. “Wake up, Come on Mathias,” she pleaded. “Wake up. How much did you take? How long has he been sleeping?” She asked sharply, turning to Serena.

Serena stood in the doorway of Isaac’s closet, wringing her hands, and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I dunno,” she said, her voice small and worried. “I heard him come in but I was sleepin’ an’ I went back to sleep an’ I dunno.”

Mathias blearily opened his eyes, barely. “Loooouuud.” He rasped. “I was having a nice dream …” Mathias mumbled so low he could barely be heard. “... Or tripping hard. Same thing.”

Cyd let out a breath, sitting back on her her heels, returning the narcan to the first aid tacklebox on the fridge. It was expensive as hell, and they only had the one, use in case of emergency only. “Had me worried,” she said, settling the cloth over his eyes.

“Cuz I slept heavy?” Mathias asked as a wry smile crept across his lips. “Hardly a reason to whip out the Narcan. Worry wart.”

“That’s my job,” Cyd told him, kissing the top of his head. “And damn if I don’t do it well.” She scruffed his hair for good measure, standing up and taking the make-shift first aid kit back to the bathroom.

“Takes more than that to OD my ass …” Mathias coughed trying to roll to his side. “... You're not making me stay awake are you?”

“No,” Cyd said, tugging one of Serena’s pigtails as she passed. “You earned a day of sleep, Serena and I will keep quiet as mice.”

Serena ducked back into Isaac’s closet, peeking at Mathias from around the door frame.

“Ugh … whaaaaat?” Mathias said to Serena who was looking for a less than obvious bid for redemption.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she tried. “Vas made sure you got home.”

“Don't say that too loudly Cyd might hear.” Mathias warned.

“Hear what?” Cyd asked from the kitchen.

“Nothing,” Serena called back absently.

Mathias motioned to Serena to come closer so they could talk and not worry about incurring Cyds wrath.

Serena quietly padded to the coffee table, sitting on the floor between it and the couch, still ringing her hands together.

“You're doing the thing rabbits do when they're nervous. That ... hand thing.” Mathias noted quietly.

Serena didn’t reply, instead she put one hand on either side of her head like bunny ears. “Cottontail,” she whispered.

Mathias shifted uncomfortably on the couch the deep well in the middle from the broken spin the held up the damn thing was making his life hell at the moment. “Speak Cottontail.”

“Sorry,” she said, quietly.

“Sorry, for trying to sell an experimental generic altering drug to Jaggs?” Mathias asked the barest hint of humor in his tone.

“That you were scared,” she clarified.

Mathias gave her a level stare. “I rather you be you were repentant about what you did over how I may or may not feel.”

“That too.” Serena said with a nod.

“Are you actually sorry or just saying you're sorry?” Mathias asked, eyeing the littlest Skye.

Serena went back and forth on it, trying to decide if it was a trick question. “I just wanted to help. You help, an’ Cyd helps, an’ Vas definitely helps, I just wanted to do something to help too. I don’t have a part. An’ I thought… one time. Lotta money, that - that would be my part.”

“Yea … that's what I said too.” Mathias snorted. “You are still grounded. So grounded. But I am adult enough to admit I have no clue how to ground you either. You are only grounded in name only.”

“Vas doesn’t much like the raves anyway,” Serena said, leaning her chin on the coffee table.

“What leaving you at home so you can use all the hot water? That's tantamount to a spa day.” Mathias pointed out. “Yea real punishment.”

“Isn’t me just promising not to do it again enough?” She asked. “Want me to write I won’t sell Carbon Copy 100 times?”

“I should talk with him about how to ground you …” Mathias chuckled. “ … I mean … if you rather not be grounded you could just tell Cyd.” He said with a playfully evil smile.

“Tell me what?” Cyd asked over the water running while she washed dishes.

“Nothing!” Serena called again, lowering her voice to talk to Mathias. “Stop saying her name!” She whispered.

Mathias struggled to hold in his barely contained laughter. “So that’s a no then?”

“Please!” She asked, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle too. “I’ll be grounded. Let me just go get you ice first. For your headache.”

He gave a chuckle wincing between the headache and the still healing rib. “Sure … but this conversation on how to ground you right is not over.”

“You can ground me when I get back home,” Serena said, kissing the top of his head like Cyd had done. “And I won’t even weasel out of it, probably.”

“I’ll just …. You know … ground you more.” Mathias laughed rolling to his good side.