May-Day! [Cadmus, Dominic & Gwyn]

Not daring to breathe too loudly, Gwyn had carefully dabbed the softest cloth she could find over Dominic’s forehead so she could get the light sheen of sweat off his skin. She didn’t dare to sit on his bed either as she did this, so instead she was on her knees next to his bed. She had taken in his somewhat serene features, for as far this man could look serene. He still had this frown between his brows sometimes, even though he was sleeping and resting. But that was what a migraine did to you, endless throbbing pain that could bring down any person.

Gwyn had gone into Dominic’s room that morning to check if he had eaten some of the saltine crackers and drank of the water she had left him on his bedside table before she went to sleep, like she had done a few times yesterday. She knew first hand how a migraine was, and Dominic had been felled with his own migraine since yesterday. It was somewhat odd to see a man like him down by the most vicious of headaches. But no matter how strong someone was, or seemed, at one point the body would take drastic measures to have you take a break.

Her own experience with her monthly migraines had taught her there was little someone else could do to elevate the hammering pain and sensitivity to sound, smell and taste. She did know of a few pressure points that could help a bit, but she was sure that Dominic wouldn’t appreciate it if she was touching him when he was sick. So she did whatever else she could do; make sure that he had a full glass of lukewarm water and tasteless saltine crackers. Gwyn had taken to dabbing his sweat off him when she checked up on him last night before bed, when she noticed that his shirt looked a little damp. It was no surprise, the weather had become warmer the past few days and his bedroom window was closed. So when the sun shone onto his closed curtains, it would heat up his room. Plus the temperature hadn’t dropped all that much during the night. Fresh air would probably do him some good, if there weren’t any strong scents carried by it but the problem was that the window was above his bed. Impossible to open without disturbing Dominic.

Breathing out through her nose silently, Gwyn had retreated her hand and looked over Dominic’s face and the exposed skin of his neck once more. She’d tried to clean him as well as she could without disturbing him, but he could definitely use a shower once he felt a little better and fit enough to leave his bed. His shirt, whilst dried up, was still sticking to his skin and any piece of skin she couldn’t reach likely had a layer of dried up sweat sticking.

Climbing to her feet, Gwyn looked Dominic over one last time before she had silently left his room. The cloth she had used to clean him was put into the hamper in the bathroom before she went back to the living area.

The tv’s volume was low when she opened the door, way lower than usual, so it took her a second to figure out what the others were watching. Some game show, she assumed by the quick glimpse she saw before the commercials started.  Soon these people wouldn’t be here anymore, she reminded herself. Thankfully, not in a bad way. She’d been told that someone was coming so that Cadmus, Dominic and another leader could get the refugees somewhere safe, because apparently Ilomar City no longer was safe enough for them to remain here. Okay, so maybe the reason for them leaving wasn’t all too positive… But they were going somewhere better, safer.  

Truth be told, while she still wasn't close with anyone here and they caused her lack of full nights of sleep, she was going to miss them a bit. Without them it would be so quiet. She stood in the door opening for a few seconds, taking them all in as they were, before closing the door behind her and walking over to the chair she usually sat in.

Gwyn knew that the other leader was coming over today, but she didn’t know exactly when, or if they were going to just discuss or take the people with them upon leaving. So while she had picked up a book, one that she had borrowed from Cadmus, to read a little, she also kept her eye on the door for the last few hours. It gnawed on her a little that she didn’t know if it was a man or a woman who’d come, because anyone could walk in and Gwyn wouldn’t know whether they were a good guy or a bad guy. But she felt like she wasn’t at liberty to ask Cadmus about the identity of the other leader. And since she brought Edita over she’d just been more… apprehensive. Especially about her own actions.

The book she had borrowed from Cadmus had been one about lore by warlocks. So it was more educational than it was for her amusement, but with the book she had somehow thought of bringing along finished, she needed something else to read. However,  she felt nervous, maybe a bit anxious so she had read very little. Every few sentences she’d glance at the door, before returning to the book. Gwyn wasn’t sure where Cadmus was either. She guessed he was in his room, so when the leader did show up, Gwyn figured she’d have to go  look for him there. Unless Cadmus knew the time the leader would arrive, that is.

Perhaps the thing about the EFA most surprising to outsiders, was the homeliness of the HQ. It had a feeling of lived-in-ness that Cadmus had come to enjoy. Some people might have described the place as a worn-down mess, and while they wouldn’t be wrong, it still held a certain charm. The years of people coming and going leaving their marks on the floors and the furniture. It wouldn’t be long before the people who sat chatting around the living room would be gone, moving on to somewhere safer, but perhaps something of their liveliness would linger on, absorbed by the walls.

On the dining table, lunch was spread out. Bags of bread lay open, their contents tipping over, leaving trails of crumbs behind as they were reached into, and a slice of rye- or sandwich bread was pulled out. The toppings depended on whatever could be found in the reduced-box at the supermarket. With so many people, there was little chance anything would have the time to go bad. It seemed to Cadmus, that almost every inhabitant of the apartment was either, like himself – spreading out liverpaste on a slice of ryebread – preparing something to eat, or seated somewhere already eating. Gwyn was sitting where she had when Cadmus had come home; on the chair in the corner with a book. He thought he recognised it as one of his own. The one he’d lent her then. She had not seemed entirely relaxed, and she had been startled by his entrance. It made sense; she knew about May’s arrival – well at least someone’s arrival – , and perhaps that was why they were all gathered here. All, with a notable exception; Dominic. The man had been down with a migraine, and Cadmus was not sure how well he was doing for the present. Or where he was. Somewhere in the building, probably his room. Should he go get him?

A glance at his watch. It would be any minute now. He was sure Dominic would be here before May.