Page 32 of Runes To Rain
When she sees my open eyes, a smile draws across her face, lighting it up. Light hair curls to her shoulders. She’s tall for a woman. She moves across the room to the side of the bed, and I see that her eyes are green as she bends over me.
“Glad to see you awake, Chaosta. I think your fever broke. If you’re up to it, let’s get you changed out of those clothes.”
I nod at her shakily, and she pulls the covers back. It takes a lot of help from her to get my stiff body sitting at the edge of the bed, but we somehow manage it. My body still feels out of my control, and now that I’m sitting, I feel dizzy. I’m also still struggling to swallow.
“If you can just stay there, I can help with the clothes,” she says quietly. When I look at her, I can see her gaze assessing me.
I nod, closing my eyes again as the room spins.
Her cool, gentle fingers undo the buttons at the collar of the shirt I’m wearing. Then she gently pulls it over my head, helping me get my arms through the sleeves. I open my eyes and watch as she drops the shirt into a hamper in a corner of the room.
She turns around and heads back to the bed, but as I watch,she freezes, her gaze on my abdomen. She blinks a couple of times, and I squeeze my eyes shut again against another round of dizziness.
“Are you hurt?” she asks softly.
“I was, but it’s mostly healed,” I say quietly, my voice hoarse as it’s forced past my tight throat.
“May I?” she asks.
I nod.
Her cool fingers gently unwrap the bandage. She’s quiet for a bit, but I’m thankful she doesn’t prod at the wound. After a few minutes, I look up at her again, and it’s as though nothing is different as she helps me into a clean shirt. I’m guessing it’s one of hers. The shirt is cool, the fabric smooth against my sensitive skin. After the rough fabric of the uniform from Piquory Center, it is particularly welcome.
My pants are tougher to change. She eventually has me lie on my back as she helps me into loose, flowing pants in the same silky fabric. “They’re a little long,” she says as she smiles at me, “but hopefully more comfortable?”
“Much more comfortable,” I manage past my tight throat.
She helps me lie down and arrange myself again on the bed. She removes the blanket that was covering me, adds it to the hamper, and brings me a fresh cover. After she helps me drink a little more water, she leaves the room, and I sleep again.
Iwake later, feeling better than I have in a long time. It’s still difficult to swallow, and my body is stiff and achy, but it feels like it’s under my control again. Some voices still whisper to me, but they’re so quiet I can barely hear them. As I wonder whether I should ask for some food and water, my stomach growling, I hear voices outside the door.
A male voice I recognize says, “Lilith, my love, how is our patient?”
Lily’s voice is slightly muffled as though her face is pressed against something, but I hear her say, “Improving, her fever finally broke. She’s still really sick, though, Malam. I’m worried.”
“They had her on powerful drugs, love. It will just take time, and with you caring for her, I’m sure she’ll make a quick recovery.”
“I thought she was recovering from addiction?” says Lily’s voice, quiet and curious and no longer muffled.
“That’s why Dio sent her there, but she’s not an addict.” Malam's voice has an edge to it.
There’s a pause, then Lily says, “How did she get injured?”
“What? Injured?”
“She has a wound in her abdomen that’s not fully healed. It’s recent.” Lily’s voice sounds hesitant. Then I hear her say, “Malam, don’t upset her,” and there’s an edge to her voice as well.
At that moment, the door to my room opens roughly, hitting the wall behind it as Malam strides into the room.
I startle at the crack of the door and then look up at him as he stands next to the bed, his shoulders tense. He’s glaring at my stomach as though he wants to tear the blanket off me, but he doesn’t move. He looks up at the wall behind the bed, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath.
“How did you get hurt, Chaosta?” he asks as he looks at me again. Though his voice is calm and composed, whatever is swirling in his expression screams of unleashed violence.
“I hurt myself,” I respond quietly. “Please don’t send me back,” I say as I close my eyes.
“Malam,” I hear Lily say from the doorway. It’s a warning of some sort. I hear footsteps, and when I look again, it’s Lily standing over the bed, and Malam is gone.
Lily smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “It’s ok,” she says softly. “This is hard for him because he feels responsible. He just needs a little time.”
