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“Steven? Marc?” Layla’s voice came in an urgent whisper.
Marc opened his eyes, Layla’s face brightened. She put a hand on his cheek, “Hey there. How are you feeling?”
Sitting up, Marc grimaced as sharp pain shot up from his abdomen. He sucked in through his teeth. Layla lay him back down slowly, hushing him. His thoughts felt fuzzy, coming to after probably dissociating for a while, he couldn’t tell. His eyes were bleary as he blinked until the world came into focus. “Hey baby,” Marc mirrored Layla, putting his own hand, rough and calloused as it was, to her soft cheek, “How long was I out for?”
“A few hours maybe?” Layla began fiddling with a first aid kit that sat in her lap.
Marc laid his head back, breathing deeply. They were back in the apartment on the bed. Steven’s ankle chain hung loose beside the mattress. Marc smelled the fish tank and the tinge of dust, listening to the sounds of London traffic outside the window. Layla held out another roll of bandages, wiping a gauze over it. Marc looked down, his chest bare exposing bloodied cuts and bruises. His ribs screamed in agony as he tried to lift himself yet again. He gave up, returning to the cool embrace of the pillow.
“What happened?” Marc squeezed the bridge of his nose, “I don’t…I don’t remember anything.”
From the depths of his headspace, Steven spoke in a groggy voice, I could ask the same question myself.
Layla paused, her fingers hesitating over a cut just below his ribs, “I was hoping either you or Steven could fill in the blanks. I came back home with the groceries, I thought while you were napping I could run a few errands, but you were awake. But it wasn’t you. Or Steven. He was muttering to himself. I asked him who he was, what he wanted, but he didn’t even seem to acknowledge me.”
Marc felt his blood chill. A third person in the body would make sense. The black outs that neither Steven or Marc could explain, items moved around the apartment mysteriously, and the tiredness the body felt each morning. Marc had suspected there was another for a while, Steven however didn’t need to know that. Any suspicions that Marc had were just that, however with this new development it seemed like things were a lot more real than he thought. Steven moved closer to the front, A third? It’s like when you were using the body when I was sleeping. This guy could be doing the same thing.
“What happened after that?” Marc asked, uncertainty wavering his voice.
Layla bit the inside of her cheek, brushing a curl away from her eyes, “He took off. Out the window. He wasn’t speaking English. Spanish, maybe? All I heard him say was,” Layla paused.
Marc’s eyebrows furrowed, “What did you hear?”
Layla’s mouth curled down with guilt, “Harrow. He must’ve thought he was still a problem. I couldn’t catch him. Next thing I know, I’ve gone looking for you, but you’re back here in bed all torn up two hours later.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Marc shook his head slowly, cursing himself for the fear that churned in his abdomen.
Layla lightly nursed the cut and Marc winced. “Sorry.” She said hurriedly, “I’ll go as quickly as I can.”
Marc watched her spread the cream around and bandage him up. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. Layla spoke again only after she was satisfied with the bandage placement, “It does make a little sense.”
“How?” Marc asked aloud, but Steven joined him internally, very close to the front, hanging on Layla’s every word.
Layla shrugged, “Think about it. Ever since Cairo, even during the fight with Harrow, you’ve been blacking out. You’d wake up with blood all around you, not by your doing or Steven’s.”
Steven pressed forward and Marc let him front, becoming overwhelmed. “But wouldn’t we know about another person at this point? I mean, Marc and I have made such good progress, I would think it would be only natural to be able to know if other’s existed.”
“I honestly don’t know, Steven,” Layla told him, putting the first aid kit down to move closer to him, “But I know what I saw and it wasn’t either of you.”
Steven folded his hands over his chest, exhaustion held weights on each of his limbs, “Yeah, of course it can’t be as easy as just Marc and I, can it?”
Layla crawled onto the bed, curling next to Steven in the crook of his arm. Her curls tickled his bare arm as she looked up at him, “It’ll work out. I’m sure he’ll show himself when he’s ready. He’s quite jumpy.”
“Was he?” Steven asked curiously, slowly turning to embrace her, trying to ignore the sharp pain that shot up his side.
Marc came close to the front again, well whoever he is, we can’t have him running around and getting us killed can we?
“You’re making the face,” Layla teased, “What’s Marc saying?”
Steven’s ears burned with embarrassment but he relayed what Marc had said, “He’s just grumpy. I’m sure this ankle restraint won’t really work against the new guy will it?”
Layla chuckled, shaking her head, “I don’t think so. Maybe I could talk to him again? Or you could leave him some notes around the apartment? He could come forward whenever I’m not here.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Steven felt his insides twist, “although it’s nerve wracking for us all innit? Someone new.”
“Whoever he is,” Layla kissed Steven’s cheek, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Marc returned to the front and Steven stepped aside, listening from inside the headspace. Marc touched his forehead to Layla’s, “You always know just what to say.”
Smiling, she closed her eyes and cupped his hands in hers, “I may not know everything, but I know you.”
“That’s all I’d ever ask,” Marc softly kissed her, grounding himself in the warmth from Layla’s body so close to his chest.
They lay together in silence for a while. Marc didn’t know how long. He didn’t care. Steven stepped away, letting them have their time together. Layla’s breathing slowed and she quietly snored. Marc’s lips pulled into a small smile. He felt his own eyes grow heavy. He settled himself into the pillow, whispering, “I love you, baby.” And he drifted into sleep.