I lean heavily against the wall.

It's not a conscious choice; I don't find the rough stone to be a nice cozy resting place.

Rather, I'm just so dizzy that if I don't do that I'll collapse way harder on the ground.

It's hot.

It's been hot since we got here, but it's. Really. Hot. Now.

My head is..

"Sarah!" Mia gasps, and I don't know when she was ever-

I didn't see her a minute ago, but now she's here, right next to me, holding up a water skin.

"Drink. Drink right now, missy. Just sip." She urges.

She looks worried.

"Gotta. Finish this." I gasp out between pants.

I point to the rocks I was pushing back and forth on that stupid track.

It's a distance from here.

Eric has already been escorted out for the day.

He's the most physically fit of all of us, so he always gets it done first.

But I always try to outdo Mia.

I don't care about doing this pointless rock pushing thing, or getting anything done for our captors - it's not like that.

I just-

The three of us have a competition going on, and Mia's the smartest of us. Eric is the strongest. So I gotta at least be in the middle when it comes to strength, because I'm.

Not as smart as them.

That's obvious. It couldn't be any more painfully obvious that's the case when Mia has started to be able to speak in words the aliens can understand and Eric can understand the aliens somewhat and I?

I can barely differentiate between the different grunts and inhuman alien sounds I hear in the lessons every day.

So.

I've got to compete somehow, or I'll be left behind. Mia and Eric will find other, smarter people to spend time with, and...

Well, it's not like I can just transfer schools on a planet like this.

So if I have to drag myself across this damn field jus to get the rock thing done before Mia, I will.

I stagger forward.

"Nope!" Mia's arms wrap around me. "Eric's finished for the day, you're finished for the day! We have plenty of water so save the rest and drink now, Sarah, you look terrible!"

"...'m fine..."

"You're NOT. Come here." Mia lets me stand up but immediately places both hands on my shoulders. "Sit down."

"...Rock...."

Mia waves an arm at someone I can't see.

Not because of any vision issues, mind.

Even if I'm a little-

Things are a little fuzzy.

But the person she's waving at is just not in my line of sight.

"Come here, come. She's delirious."

Mia is playing dirty.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I realize this after a moment, because that quiet girl runs up and grabs me, hugging onto me and looking up at me with pleading eyes.

Like.

A child.

...I don't know how to deal with that.

Mia nods. "Right, come here, sweetie, Sarah's got to drink."

"Nooooo....." I groan.

I sound like a child myself.

I don't like this.

I feel helpless.

"You have to." Mia snaps at me.

I blink at her, shocked at the vehemence.

She's normally so kind and sweet, but this-

"You want to die, then?" Mia continues. She stares intently at me, so intensely that it's difficult to look her in the eyes.

I wobble, and the girl holds me closer.

"Sarah." Mia touches my cheek. Despite her firmness, she offers me a kind smile. "Listen. If you don't sit down, drink, and stop, you're gonna get heat stroke. I don't know what kind of medics they have here, but I don't think you want to find out. Right?"

...Of course.

Not.

I don't.

I know what heatstroke does.

I-

...I...

Can't figure out. I can't remember why I want to move that rock so bad but.

I grip my hand into a fist.

Mia is right. I can't risk heat stroke.

The girl, who I still haven't figured out what nickname to use for, stares up at me in that pleading way, and I groan.

I can't think of nicknames when I feel like this.

I sag back down against the wall. "Okay." I mumble.

Mia produces the waterskin again, holding it out to me.

I accept it and bring it to my lips.

A tiny sip.

And then I lean back and pant.

Mia seems satisfied by that. "Keep sipping that. I'm gonna get Eric to help get you back where it's cool."

She turns to the girl at my side. "Don't let Sarah get up, okay?"

The girl nods dutifully.

Mia disappears from my sight after that, her presence replaced by the quiet girl.

She stares at me with wide eyes.

She looks terrified.

I reach out weakly, and touch her shoulder.

"...I'm...okay...."

That does nothing to reassure her.

And maybe she's right not to be.

Maybe I'm not really okay.

I can't figure out why I felt so driven to do this. Why it seemed so important that I complete my goal.

The more I sip at this water the more...

I'd really rather just sleep.

The girl pulls on me urgently.

"Wha'...?" I look at her, still unable to muster the energy to sound like more than a dull drone.

She reaches out for the water.

...I hand it over, hoping she isn't-

She brings it to my lips again.

"Nnnnnnoooo-"

I sputter as I'm forced to drink more.

"Takesitaway, please.." I push her hands off and pull back.

She doesn't listen.

The look of concern remains, and she tips the water again.

I swat at her arms and fail to hit her.

It takes another several moments of my ineffectual resistance before the world fades away to blackness and I slip into sleep.

When I wake up, I'm laying on the cot in that dormitory place, and it's dark.

I'm alive, though.

For whatever that's worth.

A heavy weight slams into me, knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Kuh-!"

I wheeze.

That girl. She noticed the moment I woke up.

And now she's clinging to me, looking at me like she's afraid I'll up and die now.

"Hey...." I manage a soft smile for her and reach up to pat her shoulder.

She blinks, but then her face splits into a bright smile.

And then she cries?!

"Huh-?!"

Mia, sitting just outside of my sight, makes an aggrieved sound. "You're really stubborn, you know that? That's probably a good thing...but not when it comes to not drinking enough."

I can hear Eric making a 'tch' noise.

I sigh, and reach up to stroke the hair of that girl, who is still sobbing quietly on top of me.

At least it doesn't feel like it's hot in here, so.

"Yeah..." I concede, closing my eyes again.

I'm so tired.

And my head hurts.

But I guess that's to be expected when I gave myself heat stroke.

The girl sniffles and tucks herself against me.

Mia sighs softly, but then I hear movement again.

I open my eyes, to see Mia walking toward me with a mug of something in her hands.

"Here." She holds it out to me. "Lucky you, they're used to humans getting heat stroke. This is some kind of super-hydration liquid. It will help with the headache."

"Thanks...."

"Mhm. Don't scare us like that again." She orders me.

She sounds kind of scary right now.

Not like I have the ability to resist her command, anyway.

Not right now, at least.

I sip at the offered concoction, wrinkling my nose at the taste.

But it is cool, which I appreciate.

"Thank you." I repeat. "How long was I asleep for...?"

"All day." Eric responds. "About half the night."

...Oh.

That explains why I'm starving.

"...Damn." I sigh. "I missed dinner."

Eric tosses a small bag of something at me, and it thumps onto my chest.

I look up at him.

He snorts. "Don't expect me to save you any if you pass out like an idiot again."

I grin at him, knowing that he will.

He rolls his eyes.

We're silent for a few more moments.

"She's really attached." Mia says, finally, and reaches out to pet the quiet girl's hair, "Next time you get stubborn, you should think about that."

I look down.

This girl seems to...

Have fallen asleep.

...She really wore herself out worrying about me.

"...Yeah." I say, finally. "I'll remember that."