The Annihilation of Foreverland

wasn’t convulsing.
    Danny closed the door, quietly. He knelt next to the bed and put his hand on the lump.
    “Reed.” He shook him. “I need you to drink this.”
    No response. He shook him harder. Maybe he was finally sleeping and Danny was messing him all up. But he shook, anyway.
    “Come on, man. Wake up.”
    On the fourth try – one more and he would quit – Reed rolled over. His hair, matted to the side of his face. His face, caved beneath the cheekbones.
    “It’s Danny Boy,” Danny said. “Drink this, man. It’ll make you feel better.”
    The tea was still warm. Reed tried to lift his head.
    Danny reached under the pillow and picked his head up. Reed’s hands were somewhere under the blankets. Danny lifted the cup to his lips. Reed was on the edge of convulsions. He winced and tried to pull away. Danny wouldn’t let him, pouring the astringent water into his parted lips. It spilled down his chin but he swallowed – against his will – until it was all gone.
    He dropped back down, breathing heavy. His eyes closed.
    Danny could’ve stopped this from happening to Reed if he just called for help. It was his fault they were still on the island. His fault they might never leave. Reed could be in a proper hospital with medicine and doctors, not sunk into a sweaty mattress. He’d die on the next round.
    If he makes it that long .
    He sat there a while longer. Reed slept.
    “Hey, come on.” Zin stuck his head in the room. “Let’s go already.”
    Danny left. He looked back. There were no more quivering.
    Danny followed the path out to the tabletop cliff for more leaves, then remained there until the end of the day. He snuck into the cafeteria late at night and stocked up on food, eating in his room. He was back out to the tabletop cliff before the sun was up, watching the water catch fire beneath the sun’s burning rise.
    He returned with more tea. Reed didn’t shake as much. He lifted his head on his own, drank more than he spilled. The room still smelled like a corpse. Reed still looked like one.
    It was the third day he brought tea that Reed was sitting up.
    “Get me out of here.”

    Zin and Danny walked across the Yard. Reed was between them, a hand on each shoulder. His shirt fluttered like a sheet thrown over bones. His skin was something like the yellow of old parchment.
    People stopped what they were doing to watch.
    “Mind your own business,” Danny shouted. That only made it worse.
    It was a relief to reach the beach. Reed was exhausted. He sat back, the sun on his face.
    “Give me some time,” he said.
    So they did. When they came back to get him, he was still in the same spot. They walked back to the dormitory. He draped his arms over them, dragging his feet. They carried him to his room. The window was open. The stink still lingered. They carried him over to Danny’s room so he didn’t have to sleep in the smell. It had sunk into his clothes.
    Mr. Jones was inside. “Where have you been, Danny Boy?”
    “Helping Reed.” They dropped him on the bed. Zin picked his legs up, put them on the bed.
    “This is not appropriate. Mr. Smith will want him in his own room.”
    “The bed is ruined. He needs some rest before they kill him.”
    Danny arranged the pillow so Reed’s head wasn’t at an odd angle. Zin pulled the sheet over him. Mr. Jones watched them close the curtain.
    “I’ll be in Zin’s room,” Danny called.
    Mr. Jones followed them out, stopped them from closing Zin’s door. “Danny Boy, I don’t like what’s going on.”
    “Yeah, neither do I.”
    “Is there something you want to tell me?” Mr. Jones said.
    “You go first.” Danny held onto to the doorknob, waiting. Mr. Jones had the sense that someone much older than a thirteen year old boy was looking back. “I’ll see you when the next round starts,” Danny said.
    The door closed.

    Mr. Jones suppressed the urge to pound on the door. The insolence. The disrespect.
    He tried to have compassion for these boys’ plight. They were confused and distressed. They needed space to process everything. But something was going on and he didn’t like it. He felt the need to slap Danny, knock some sense into him. But he didn’t want to upset the program. Any more stress and it would only slow things down. Besides, there were signs Danny was wearing down. Soon, he’d come close to graduating.
    He just had to be patient.
    Reed was different.
    Perhaps he needed to consult with Mr. Smith. He’d been here