For the next few minutes we were having a conversation while I took small sips of that awful medicine. The after taste of it tasted like sauerkraut and maple syrup.

I loved the maple syrup part at least.

At some point, I also told them my name.

"So, Carter, how did you get lost?" Rick asked.

I told them shortly what happened with me and Blake.

He looked uneasy. "So there's another fledgling who's lost" he muttered.

I wanted to tell him that we weren't fledglings –by Blake's words–. But legally, that's exactly what we were. Every winged at school who's less than twenty is considered a fledgling. So that was non-arguable.

Well maybe it was argueable –with Blake–, but not changeable.

"Where did you and Blake come from?" He asked.

"We live in the same school. We got lost together."

"What's the name of your school?"

"Wings Of Hope."

"Oh, really? Our al-- my partner. My partner is good friends with Mr. Nolan actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Who is your partner?"

He was silent for a long while before clearing his throat. "...That's not important right now. What is important at the moment, is your condition. You need to rest. And we need to find your friend."

He stood up from the bed and my hand involuntarily went to grab at the sleeve of his shirt.

I didn't want him to go.

"It's okay" he smiled. Crouching down to my eye level, he caressed my hair. "Doctor Ben will stay with you."

I wanted him to stay here with me. No one else.

After thinking for a moment, he seemed to re-make up his mind. He turned to the doctor.

"Benjamin, is it okay from me to ask you to go on a Fledgling Rescue Mission with the other two?"

The "other two" referring to the two men behind him, leaning on the table and looking very bored.

"Of course" the doctor replied, no hesitstion present in his voice.

He stood up from his seat on the bed and called the other two.

Then the three made their way out of the room and suddenly there was silence. A comfortable one.

Now, lying on the soft, cloudy bed, and the medicine taking its effects, the pain was almost completely forgotten.