“Well, Greyson,” He said, testing out the name and finding it nice to say as well as to hear.

Maddy scrunched his face up. What was he thinking?

“That you were going to find Dee,” Greyson answered.

“What?” Maddy looked up confused, but the action made his eyes sore.

“You said, what am I thinking?” Greyson explained.

“Oh, no, I’m saying my thoughts out loud. That’s probably not a good sign.” He pressed a cool hand to his face. “But, it’s not the signs. So, I’m not sure if I should be worried, or not. I have to find Dee. She'd know what to do.”

“Why does she have all the answers?” Greyson tilted his head and narrowed his gaze.

“Because whenever I’m…” He hesitated. “In trouble, she always makes sure I'm safe.”

“You aren’t making much sense,” Greyson reached his hand out causing Maddy to stumble backward. He didn’t want another person touching his head and telling him what he already knew.

Maddy pulled out his phone from his pocket. The packet of Advil fell out, but he didn’t bother to pick it up as he started to call Dee. The letters in his message didn’t seem to match what he was thinking. His breathing grew labored.

“Damn it,” The muscle in his jaw feathered as his phone shook in his hand. He looked up at Greyson, “I have to go.”

He turned around only to be jolted back by a firm hand. The rope around his chest constricted. He glared at Greyson. “Stop that!”

“Maddy! I was just in the bathroom,” Dee called out from across the hall.

“Dee!” He stumbled out of Greyson’s hold and toward his best friend. The edges of his world were quickly turning black. “I don’t…”

Maddy tripped over himself and hit the ground hard. The sounds around him were muffled out by a loud ringing in his ears. He felt like he was floating and a mass of bones and skin on the carpet at the same time and wasn't quite sure when a strong set of hands lifted him up like a ragdoll.

“Hold onto my neck,” Greyson said, lifting him onto his back. 

He grabbed his forearm, gripping the part with the least amount of pain, and let his eyes droop down once he was settled. “You know, someone should tell you, you’re wearing girl's perfume.”

Maddy could feel the back he rested against vibrating. “I mean, it doesn’t smell girly,” He mumbled. “It smells really nice actually, like strawberries and spice, like apple cider except with strawberries.”

“Wow, Maddy you really are sick,” Dee said walking beside him. “I haven’t heard you talk this openly to anyone else since, spring break, last year when I snuck a bottle of red wine from the diner and dared you to chug it.”

“Douggie was pissed,” He laughed. “Where are we going?”

“To the infirmary,” Greyson answered when Dee didn’t respond.

His eyes shot open his heart beating faster than a greyhound on a race track, He said anxiously, “We can’t!”

He tried to struggle out of Greyson’s grasp, but he just didn’t have the strength. “Put me down, I’m fine. Dee, tell him I’m fine. I’ll take medicine at home!”

He cranked his neck to look over at Dee. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets while she vigorously shook her head.

“You two are odd,” Greyson chuckled.

“Yes, we are,” He nodded. “So odd that you should put me down and leave us alone 'cause we're Strange.”

“Maddy,” Dee’s tone suggested she was trying to shut her friend up.

“Okay, okay,” He gave in and closed his eyes, “I’ll stop trying to ruin your chances, but I’m not talking to any nurses.”

Maddy fell asleep before they even made it to the infirmary building.