#magesterium

I can do this, Call thought as he heaved himself from his bed and held on to the dresser to prevent him from collapsing. He only managed one shaking step before pain shot through his leg and he crumbled to the ground, gasping in pain. But Call had been through worse, he had walked after surgeries, after doctors gently told him to never imagine a life of running and jumping. He had still walked. He could do this.

Call pulled himself up and immediately used air magic to support his leg, the pain still burnt through his calves, but Call showered and got ready at record speed. One glance in the mirror told Call that there was no chance in hell that he would be able to hide his pain from anyone today. Aaron and Tamara were normally the only ones who could recognize when Call was in pain, but today even a stranger could probably see the pain displayed on his face. His lips were pursed tightly, his eyes were red, and Call couldn’t stop himself from clenching his teeth and his fists. But he had already got this far, there would be no point in admitting defeat now.

Call opened his bedroom door and only got about two steps forward before Tamara was gasping in horror and Aaron was beside him pulling Call’s arm around his shoulder. Call didn’t bother fighting his blonde friend as Aaron dragged him to the couch. “What in the world are you doing out of bed?” Tamara demanded sitting near Call’s feet. “Going to class,” Call said defiantly, even as Aaron groaned at the words beside him, “you can’t stop me, this is something that I need to at least try.” They were both silent and Call thought that they were about to tie him down until Aaron began to speak, “If you feel tired, sick, or like you’re about to pass out you need to promise that you’ll tell as soon as you can and let one of us help you back to your room to sleep.” Call felt a wave of affection light up inside of him as he comprehended Aaron’s words, there was nothing more irritating than someone else dictating your own chronic pain. And both Aaron and Tamara seemed to have understood that.

Tamara picked herself up from the ground and settled herself next to Call, lightly tilting his head until it hit her shoulder. “Rest,” she demanded lightly, “we’ve got you, we’ll wake you up when it’s time to leave.” Call’s protest died down the second that Aaron placed his warm hand on his aching leg and the warmth enveloped him. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep surrounded, by his friends.

*** It was lunchtime, and Call was already contemplating his existence, he could feel the exhaustion and pain weighing him down as he lay slumped on the lunch table. Call’s leg was hurting enough that he was willing to display his pain for the whole school to see. He was seeing stars and couldn’t be bothered as Tamara whispered anxiously to Jasper and Aaron nudged a pate to him. Call simply turned his head away and closed his eyes to avoid Gwenda’s worried gaze.

Even Master Rufus, seemed worried as he taught them, sticking to theory and not saying anything when Call laid his head between his arms in the middle of the lesson. Every time he did so, the man seemed compelled to instruct Call back to his room, so before he could even try Call lifted his head from his arms as pain seemed to radiate from his whole body.

Call heard the bustling and noise as students got up to return to classes and Call couldn’t help but let out a pained moan at the thought of putting weight on his mangled leg. Call felt a hand grip his shoulder and pull him up, and Call met the worried brown eyes of Master Rufus, “That’s enough Callum. You’ve tried hard enough. Now it’s time for you to rest. Tamara, Aaron you are both excused from classes today along with young Callum.”

Call didn’t bother to protest as Aaron and Jasper stood on either side of him and basically carried him back to his room as Tamara fluttered nervously beside them. Jasper helped Aaron deposit Call on his bed, before pulling out a heating bed and leaving the room after patting Call lightly on the head.

Call couldn’t find himself to be angry about the pat not as the heat was placed on his aching leg and the fiery red hot pain disappeared for a more manageable aching pulse sensation. Before he knew it Tamara and Aaron climbed into the bed and settled on either side of him. “You’ll be okay, just rest,” Tamara commanded stroking her fingers through Call’s raven locks.

“You’ll feel better in the morning,” Aaron comforted and even though Call knew that the statement probably wouldn’t be true he felt comforted in that moment surrounded by his friends and a new life where his leg didn’t limit him, and instead of being irritated everyone, even his enemy were willing to do whatever it took to ensure his comfort.