Chapter 10: 10


    Nichs sat at the table watching Kinsley enjoy the French toast the cook had prepared for breakfast.


    It was two thick fried toasts with powdered sugar, syrup, hand-whipped cream and fresh-cut berries.


    Along with the French toast were a few sausage links, some bacon, and a tall ss of fresh-squeezed


    orange juice. Kinsley was devouring her meal, having worked up a mighty hunger from their earlier


    encounter. On the table in front of him the same meal, but as always, his remained untouched.


    Everything except the full ss of fine expensive cognac in his hand that he had been sipping since


    they sat down.


    Kinsley swallowed the food in her mouth and then looked at Nichs, who smiled at her. “Still not going


    to eat?”


    “Not hungry,” he said.


    “You know I have known you a few days now, and I have never seen you eat so much as a single bite.


    How are you not dead?”


    “The human body can go days without food,” he told her.


    “True, but that does not mean they should,” he just smiled and sipped his drink. “That is another thing.


    “It is not even ten in the morning, and you are drinking liquor straight up.”


    “Yes, well, I am an alcoholic.”


    “Seriously, or are you just teasing?”


    “Drinking is one of the very few pleasures I have left in life.”


    “It is not healthy.”


    Heughed at herment. “I am dying, darling; trust me, the booze is the least of my problems,” she


    paused and watched him without a word. “What?” He asked with an awkward grin. “Why are you


    here?”


    “I am watching you enjoy your breakfast,” he said.


    “No, not in this room. I mean, why are you here in America and not back in Kustium doing whatever it is


    Crowned Princes do?”


    He drained his ss and ced it on the table, then shifted in his seat. “There is a doctor here in LA


    that is the leading authority on Batten Disease. He is running a clinical study, trying to find a cure,” he


    scoffed. He had little faith in him living long enough to find a cure. “My father insisted Ie here so


    the doctor could treat me and monitor my condition. I also allow him to test his theories. On top of all


    that, my father funds his research.”


    “So, you are here for treatment?”


    “Correct.”


    “So, the medical system in Kustium is not as good as here?”


    “Actually, we have an excellent medical system. It is just that the top doctor in this particr field


    happens to be here.”


    “How long are you here then?”


    “Until I am either cured, which is unlikely, or I am dead… which is far more likely,” he did not want to sit


    around and discuss his mortality. “What would you like to do today?” He asked, changing the focus of


    the conversation.


    “I do not know,” suddenly, her lips curved in a sly smile. “I’d like to go out,” he frowned. “Now I know


    you said you do not like to go out. But we can only do so much cooped up in this huge house. It is a


    nice house, do not get me wrong, but it would be nice to get out,” she reached across the table and


    took his hand in hers and smiled. “Come on, let’s go out for just a little while.”


    He thought about it. He wanted to say no, but the pleading hopeful look in her eyes was hard to say no


    to. “Where would you like to go?”


    “Every summer, there is a carnival at the Pier. Why don’t we go? It will be fun.”


    He considered her request and sighed as he gave in. “Alright. But if we are going out in public, I will


    have to clean myself up,” he said, running his hand along his jaw, feeling the short hair he had allowed


    to go unaddressed for almost two weeks now. He could not be seen so unkempt in public. “Just let me


    wash up and groom a little, then we will go,” he stood up, and she did the same. “No, please, sit, finish


    your breakfast. I will be back downter,” he promised and then made his way up to his room.


    On his way to the stairs, he ran into Octavius. “Octavius.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty?”


    “Please have men get ready. Kinsley and I are going to the Sana Monica Pier.”


    Octavius'' jaw dropped as his eyes lit up. “You are going out?” Nichs understood his surprise. He had


    not set foot outside this house in over six weeks, and even that had only been to see the doctor and


    return home. Octavius'' smile faded. “Do you feel up to being out?” He was asking how Nichs felt. In


    truth, he felt a little nauseated, but that was amon feeling. He was tired because he did not sleep


    often, but he supposed he could deal with walking around the Pier for a few hours.


    “I will manage.”N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    “Yes, Your Majesty. Then men will be ready in an hour,” Octavius promised.


    With that settled, Nichs went up to his room. He walked into the washroom and stripped his shirt off,


    flinching as muscles began to ache. He should take some OxyContin to stave off the pain before going


    out. He opened the cab and looked at the countless bottles of various pills. He took down the bottle


    and dumped two pills into his palm. He tossed the pills into his mouth and washed them down with a


    ss of water he took from the sink. He then removed his pants and stepped into the shower. He


    turned on the water and stood under the hot water. He ran his hands over his face and hair before


    reaching for the soap.


    Nichs washed up and then turned off the water. Stepping out, he grabbed a towel and dried his face


    and hair, then wrapped the towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror, wiping the steam off


    the ss. He looked at his reflection and ran his hand over the hair on his jaw. Suddenly he doubled


    over from a sharp pain behind his eyes.


    He cringed his hands, braced on the edge of the counter while he closed his eyes tight, trying to will the


    pain to leave. His teeth clenched, he groaned in pain. It took a few minutes, but the pain eventually


    subsided. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Nichs opened his eyes and looked at himself in the


    mirror. He still had a faint throbbing, but it was bearable.


    Nichs reached for his shaving cream. His hand closed around the can when he heard Kinsley call to


    him from the other room. She appeared in the doorway of the bathroom and smiled. “I hope you do not


    mind; I let myself in,” she said teasingly. “Do not you look tempting in nothing but a towel.


    He chuckled as he sprayed some shaving cream into his palm. “I just need a few more… ugh,” he


    groaned as the sharp pain returned stronger than thest time. His vision blurred, and the room started


    to spin. The canister fell from his hand and hit the edge of the counter before falling to the floor and


    rolling behind the toilet. Nichs lost his bnce. She reached out, trying to stabilize himself with the


    counter, but the shaving cream in his hand prevented him from getting a grip, and he fell to the floor,


    hitting the back of his head against the ss of the shower door. Kinsley was at his side calling to him,


    but her voice was distant and fading quickly.