| Subject: Priority Mail 253 |
Author:
Nikita507
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Date Posted: Monday, May 30, 10:21:30pm
In reply to:
Nikita507
's message, "Priority Mail 246+" on Saturday, May 21, 11:00:56pm
Nikita coughed as she stumbled into the house that had been hers for years, ironically was only a couple houses away from Michael’s lab. She had walked over as the weather was trying to act like it was spring and not winter.
She closed the door and leaned against the wall as she succumbed to the coughing fit. For a long time her mind was simply focused on breathing when she could. When the coughs finally subsided, Nikita moved to the cabinet to try to find something to help her with this cough.
Valentine’s Day was yesterday and Nikita spent some of the time wondering why no one had noticed that she had been sick. They watched what she did day in and day out, or as much as she allowed them too, but no one noticed that she was sick.
Still sick.
Nikita thought about the picture that Michael had framed that she had taken and it helped her to calm down the coughing spasm that she had withheld until she got onto the porch of this house.
The picture was of a snow covered meadow that still had been untouched. Whitney had drove them to the location to teach Nikita about the other types of light that happen – particularly how the cloudy sky can still produce a lot of light if the snow was covering the ground below. Nikita had taken pictures with Whitney that day on land that Nikita was sure was Whitney’s. Stranger yet, Nikita never thought to confirm if that was Whitney’s land or not.
Nikita pushed away from the wall and went into the kitchen, opening the cabinets, hoping to find an antibiotic stashed away. She stopped at the sink to cough some more, finding it hard to even find time to suck in a little bit of air.
At first Nikita was sure that this was a cold. But it wasn’t going away and it was becoming dangerous to hide. Yet, Nikita was afraid to call Ellie now. She was going to be upset with Nikita and Nikita didn’t want to deal with that.
To tell Michael now would only bring him guilt for not knowing. Nikita was a bit miffed that he didn’t notice the cough, but that was what she wanted to happen. She was the one that should feel guilt so she didn’t dare think of telling Michael first.
It was as Nikita felt the world shake on her and it hurt so badly to get air into her chest that felt so tight, that Nikita knew that she had to do something. She turned so her back was against the counter and then allowed her legs to lower her to the ground, tears rolling down her face. She just wanted to get better so no fuss would have to be made so that she wasn’t the center of attention.
”I didn’t know that you were standing there, Nikita,” Elena nervously laughed as she turned around in the kitchen and almost dropped the glass of water that she was holding onto. Nikita dropped her head and swallowed. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I just sometimes don’t understand you,” Elena commented as she placed her glass down. “Do you want something to drink?”
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“It’s just something to drink,” Elena chuckled as she shook her head. “Ice tea? Lemonade? I have some Blue Kool-Aid.”
“Ah… the Kool-Aid sounds interesting,” Nikita spoke as she sat down and Elena shook her head. “You do shock me from now and then.”
“I thought I did that by sneaking in.”
“You didn’t sneak in, we gave you a key,” Elena shook her head as she pulled out the pitcher of Kool-Aid. She quickly got the glass filled and was sitting across from Nikita. “I just never took you to be someone who was shy… wanting to blend in…”
“I don’t think I want to blend in,” Nikita spoke as she shook her head from side to side. “I have really blonde hair.”
“But you don’t want the attention… it’s refreshing… but I wish that you would take the center of attention a bit more… maybe you would find a man that way…” Elena winked. Nikita was glad to have the glass of Kool-Aid as she was able to swallow some as she thought of the many ways that she had to be the center of attention for the sake of a mission.
Nikita put the glass down and looked at Elena. “Please don’t worry about me.”
“But you need someone to worry about you… that’s what Michael has told me… that he wants me to worry about you … that you need people like that in your life,” Elena said Nikita almost choked. She couldn’t believe that Michael had said that. Elena patted her hand. “He worries about you so much…you are lucky to have him…”
Nikita pulled out her cell phone and looked at Michael’s number on speed dial. Then she thumbed over it, not willing to make Michael rush to her side like this. Nikita inhaled and found someone else that she could trust.
Mick Schtoppel.
Nikita pressed the dial button and rubbed her hand against her chest. She heard the immediate pick up. “Mick…. Help me.”
“Popsicle? What’s wrong? Where are you?” Mick immediately responded and Nikita fought against the coughing and did not win. She coughed again as she pressed her hand against her chest, wishing to get the coughing to stop.
“Two houses to the left of the lab,” Nikita quickly spoke as she was able to gain control over the coughing again, feeling more tears rolling down her face.
“You sound awful, Popsicle. Maybe you should call Dr. Hlad?” Mick suggested as Nikita groaned as she winced with pain. Then she started to cough again.
And she couldn’t stop.
“Popsicle? Are you that sick?” Mick questioned after Nikita coughed for a bit. But Nikita didn’t answer. She continued to cough. “Popsicle?”
“Help…” Nikita gasped out during one small break. Nikita wasn’t sure what was going on. She was starting to panic and she knew that it wasn’t going to help. She tried to go back to the image of the picture that Michael bought, but it wasn’t going to help her right now.
Michael walked around her apartment and Nikita rolled her eyes. “Making sure that I didn’t make any further deviations from the architectural approved plans?”
“Making sure that you took care of business,” Michael replied as he walked over to the counter and got closer to Nikita. “We’re safe.”
“I didn’t need you to tell me that,” Nikita tilted her head to look at Michael, a small smile crossing her face as she saw little signs of Michael’s blank stare slipping away. She didn’t even move as Michael’s hand came up and cupped her cheek. “I do have some joy in making sure that you are ok, Kita.”
“I don’t need that.”
“You need to learn to allow me to do that,” Michael whispered as he leaned in closer to Nikita. She felt the brush of his lips against her lips and she didn’t respond. Michael pulled away and unleashed a half smile. “Come on, Kita… we don’t get much time alone.”
“Are we truly ever alone?” Nikita spoke as her hand touched his waist, right where his gun was. Michael looked to her hand and he tilted his head downward. “I think you are touching the wrong one.”
“I think I’m making a valid point,” Nikita whispered as she pulled away. “We are never alone from them… any noise at any point that doesn’t belong… no matter where we are… the guns will be pointed… hell, we bath with them beside us.”
“And I relish every moment that the guns aren’t in our hands,” Michael whispered as he stepped forward to Nikita. “Please, Kita… enjoy this time. Let me help you enjoy this time.”
“I think it might be impossible… I can’t just turn my mind off,” Nikita rasped as she couldn’t help herself but step closer to Michael. “You almost make it happen, Michael… but I don’t win over it.”
“Don’t stop fighting for those moments yet,” Michael whispered as he moved his head forward, this time getting Nikita to kiss him back.
“Nikita?” Mick shouted as Nikita leaned to the side as she finished coughing, but was now gasping for air. “Two houses… to the left…”
Nikita gasped over and over again, praying that she didn’t lock the door. She didn’t remember locking the door. She touched her sore lips, wishing that she could have gotten some water, but knowing that she could not risk standing up right now.
“Nikita? Nikita?” Mick’s voice called out just a fraction of a moment later. Nikita lifted her head and dropped the cell phone out of her hand. The noise brought Mick right to her side. He shook his head from side to side. “You need to go to the hospital.”
“No… home…”
Mick shook his head back and forth. “You look awful, Popsicle…”
Mick brushed his hand into her hair and gasped. “And burning up with a fever.”
“That’s from coughing…” Nikita whispered as she winced as she sat up a bit more. “I need water… and to go home…”
“But Ellie is at the office…” Mick protested. Nikita looked at him and took his hand. “I can wait for her to return tonight.”
Mick shook his head from side to side. “Let me call Michael… I think he was meeting with Nat… and he can take you to Ellie… but I think you should go to the hospital… your lips are so dry….”
“Water,” Nikita declared and Mick frowned. “And slightly blue.”
“Home,” Nikita pleaded with Mick before she started to cough again. She struggled to control it, to gasp air in when she wasn’t coughing. She knew that if she passed out that Mick was going to take her wherever he felt was best, and that was the hospital.
Mick pulled his hand away from Nikita’s and got the glass of water. That was when she was sure that she was going to be taken home. It didn’t ease the coughing or the tightness in her chest, but it did calm her down slightly.
And then she focused on that picture again, willing herself to get better by miracle.
But also knowing that it was time to face the music.
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