I am so sorry peoples! I haven't updated in the longest time! Well, you
have my sister to thank for this chapter. She's having a party with a whole
bunch of her friends, and I've been hibernating in my room for the last 4
hours, writing this chapter. And here it is, 11:00, and the band is still
playing. *Sigh*
Chapter 7-In Sickness and In Health
It was 3:00 in the morning, but still Feli was at the hospital caring for Dom. It had been ten days since she discovered him, and he had hardly gotten better. He had only opened his bleary eyes once, but then closed them again. It seemed as though he was trying to tell her something, though. He mumbled and groaned loudly, but Feli could not understand his desperate attempts. The next day he faired no better. Feli prayed to any listening gods that he would get better fast, and that his message, whatever it was, could wait.
***
Neal and Yuki sat together next to Kel's bed. They were not talking to one another; instead they stared at the pale figure lying on the bed. Anyone looking at them could tell they were tense. They gripped one another's hands tightly. Neal stared at Kel without actually seeing; you could tell that he was deep in unpleasant thoughts. Yuki had her lips pursed tight, her eyes closed, and her head bowed slightly. No amount of time spent in the Yamani Islands could prevent the tears that were now sliding down her face.
Kel herself was unaware of the grief and helplessness her friends were feeling. She was lost someplace where her friends couldn't follow. She was floating, slowly, away from the infirmary at New Hope and towards the Black God. He was waiting patiently for her at the end of a long tunnel. Neal swallowed loudly and broke the grievous silence. "Her time is coming."
***
Dom sat up in bed abruptly. Feli, who had been watching him with concern, jumped up from her chair, knocking it over. "Goddess," she whispered as Dom shook his head to stop it from swimming.
Quickly getting over his incredibly sudden recovery, Feli leaned forward to check his condition, bombarding him with questions. "How are you feeling? Sleepy? Hungry? Of course you're hungry. I'll go get you something," she said without drawing breath. She got up to get him some food, but before she could go, Dom grabbed her by the arm in a firm hold, something she would not have expected from a man who had just spent almost two weeks sleeping and recovering.
"Wait," he pleaded, voice hoarse. "There's something you must know. It is urgent. It may even be too late. How long have I been sleeping?" Feli told a passing apprentice of hers to get Dom some food, then sank back into her chair.
"Tell me."
***
It was amazing, even unnatural, how quickly Dom recovered enough to ride. By the next morning he and Feli were racing toward Tortall and New Hope on the fastest horses money could buy.
They stopped for camp when it was impossible to see anymore, and set up in the dark. When they both had their tents up and after Feli had warded the camp and Dom had built a fire (all in silence), they sat down to cook their meals.
The silence was uncomfortable, so Feli decided to ask a question that she had been wondering all day."Who is this Mindelan girl to you? Is she a cousin, or perhaps your fiance....?"
Dom looked thoughtful for a moment. "Not a cousin, no." He said nothing about Feli's last suggestion, which she noticed with curiosity. "A...friend," he answered.
His hesitation made Feli raise an eyebrow. "Of course. A...friend," she said, hesitating as much as he had.
Dom answered her unspoken question. "I love her more than life itself. If I loose her...." he trailed off, and his eyes brimmed with unspilled tears. Feli nodded her sympathy, unable to speak for fear of spilling the tears that were burning her own eyes. She clapped a hand on his shoulder as a goodnight and retreated into her tent, leaving Dom to his bleak thoughts.
***
Less than a week later Dom and Feli thundered through the gates of New Hope. They leaped off their horses as hostlers came to take the reins. All the refugees gaped at Dom and his companion. Many had believe he was dead. And who was this young woman that trotted along behind him, trying to keep up as he raced towards the infirmary? Many people had stopped what they had been doing to watch them pass.
When he reached the infirmary door, Dom yanked it open. The infirmary was empty except for one bed, which was surrounded by Lord Wyldon, Owen, Neal, Yuki, and Merric. "Kel!" Dom cried as five heads turned towards him.
***
A/N: Yay! I stopped being lazy enough to write AND type this chapter! Now I need to load it onto the website.... Oh boy, this might take awhile. Ah! Mosquito in the room! Kill it! Oh well, I'm gonna go load this now. Don't worry, this isn't the end of the story!
Chapter 7-In Sickness and In Health
It was 3:00 in the morning, but still Feli was at the hospital caring for Dom. It had been ten days since she discovered him, and he had hardly gotten better. He had only opened his bleary eyes once, but then closed them again. It seemed as though he was trying to tell her something, though. He mumbled and groaned loudly, but Feli could not understand his desperate attempts. The next day he faired no better. Feli prayed to any listening gods that he would get better fast, and that his message, whatever it was, could wait.
***
Neal and Yuki sat together next to Kel's bed. They were not talking to one another; instead they stared at the pale figure lying on the bed. Anyone looking at them could tell they were tense. They gripped one another's hands tightly. Neal stared at Kel without actually seeing; you could tell that he was deep in unpleasant thoughts. Yuki had her lips pursed tight, her eyes closed, and her head bowed slightly. No amount of time spent in the Yamani Islands could prevent the tears that were now sliding down her face.
Kel herself was unaware of the grief and helplessness her friends were feeling. She was lost someplace where her friends couldn't follow. She was floating, slowly, away from the infirmary at New Hope and towards the Black God. He was waiting patiently for her at the end of a long tunnel. Neal swallowed loudly and broke the grievous silence. "Her time is coming."
***
Dom sat up in bed abruptly. Feli, who had been watching him with concern, jumped up from her chair, knocking it over. "Goddess," she whispered as Dom shook his head to stop it from swimming.
Quickly getting over his incredibly sudden recovery, Feli leaned forward to check his condition, bombarding him with questions. "How are you feeling? Sleepy? Hungry? Of course you're hungry. I'll go get you something," she said without drawing breath. She got up to get him some food, but before she could go, Dom grabbed her by the arm in a firm hold, something she would not have expected from a man who had just spent almost two weeks sleeping and recovering.
"Wait," he pleaded, voice hoarse. "There's something you must know. It is urgent. It may even be too late. How long have I been sleeping?" Feli told a passing apprentice of hers to get Dom some food, then sank back into her chair.
"Tell me."
***
It was amazing, even unnatural, how quickly Dom recovered enough to ride. By the next morning he and Feli were racing toward Tortall and New Hope on the fastest horses money could buy.
They stopped for camp when it was impossible to see anymore, and set up in the dark. When they both had their tents up and after Feli had warded the camp and Dom had built a fire (all in silence), they sat down to cook their meals.
The silence was uncomfortable, so Feli decided to ask a question that she had been wondering all day."Who is this Mindelan girl to you? Is she a cousin, or perhaps your fiance....?"
Dom looked thoughtful for a moment. "Not a cousin, no." He said nothing about Feli's last suggestion, which she noticed with curiosity. "A...friend," he answered.
His hesitation made Feli raise an eyebrow. "Of course. A...friend," she said, hesitating as much as he had.
Dom answered her unspoken question. "I love her more than life itself. If I loose her...." he trailed off, and his eyes brimmed with unspilled tears. Feli nodded her sympathy, unable to speak for fear of spilling the tears that were burning her own eyes. She clapped a hand on his shoulder as a goodnight and retreated into her tent, leaving Dom to his bleak thoughts.
***
Less than a week later Dom and Feli thundered through the gates of New Hope. They leaped off their horses as hostlers came to take the reins. All the refugees gaped at Dom and his companion. Many had believe he was dead. And who was this young woman that trotted along behind him, trying to keep up as he raced towards the infirmary? Many people had stopped what they had been doing to watch them pass.
When he reached the infirmary door, Dom yanked it open. The infirmary was empty except for one bed, which was surrounded by Lord Wyldon, Owen, Neal, Yuki, and Merric. "Kel!" Dom cried as five heads turned towards him.
***
A/N: Yay! I stopped being lazy enough to write AND type this chapter! Now I need to load it onto the website.... Oh boy, this might take awhile. Ah! Mosquito in the room! Kill it! Oh well, I'm gonna go load this now. Don't worry, this isn't the end of the story!