Miles awakes suddenly, as though stirred conscious by a horrible feeling within his stomach. He gasps slightly and opens his eyes immediately. His heart is pounding madly in his chest when he realises that he’s no longer hugging Alex protectively. He’s got the mattress all to himself. Alex is gone.
“Alex!” He exclaims with fear, assuming the worst. “Alex, where are you?!”
He raises himself from the mattress and finds that Alex has moved over to the corner of the room. He’s now resting himself exhaustively up against the wall, with his knees drawn to his chest. He’s shivering evidently, freezing cold, and Miles can practically hear the clattering of his teeth. However, his eyes are clenched shut and he can’t tell if he’s asleep or not.
“Alex,” Miles gulps, moving over to him instantly, g
