Title: Death of a Swordsman
Date/Theme: 7th September/"herr doktor"
Series: Swordspoint
Character/Pairing: Marie, Alec/Richard
Rating: PG, character death
Marie heard St Vier come in but he didn't knock on her door, so she ignored it in favour of a young sailor just come in on leave. It was a little while later that a frantic banging woke the sailor with a snort and she rose swiftly and went to the door.
"What is it?" she asked, cracking it open slightly. Alec stared at her with wild eyes, his hair a mess and his fists clenching and unclenching.
"Get a doctor," he snapped. "He's hurt."
Marie looked at him for a moment. "Worse than usual, then?"
"Worse than – the idiot didn't even say anything. It's a stomach wound, won't stop bleeding – " Alec paused to take a deep breath. Marie interrupted quickly.
"Mortal?"
"That," Alec said through his teeth, "would be why I want a doctor."
Marie nodded. "Let me dress." She closed the door and pulled her dress back on. The sailor was sitting up, watching her nervously. She smiled reassuringly. "Just a spot of bother, dear. You're free to go."
The sailor crawled out of bed and picked his breeches up. "Is there anything – "
"I doubt it, dearie." She finished fastening the dress up and opened the door again, snatching her purse on the way out.
-
Richard watched Alec through hazy eyes. "There's no need for all this, you know."
"You need a doctor," Alec retorted. "And lie back."
"There's nothing a doctor could do," Richard informed him. "All one could do is poke around my innards and wait for me to die."
"That's all any of them do," said Alec. "Unless you have money, when they prescribe a very expensive treatment that doesn't work and occasionally makes you die faster." He looked at Richard, biting his bottom lip. Richard tried to shrug, but it hurt. Alec always had his way and after all, it wasn't like it mattered.
"Alec," he said, "I told you before – "
"I remember." Alec's face was hard. "There's nothing much that I want to take."
Richard exhaled, relieved. The movement made him wince again, and Alec spotted it.
"Lie back," he repeated sharply. "There's no use in making it worse for yourself."
Richard nodded and obeyed. Alec's long fingers were curled around the bedpost, his knuckles shone the white of polished ivory in the moonlight.
"It's all right," Richard murmured.
"I love you," said Alec, and his voice was tight and as cold as iron. Richard nodded again and his lips quirked a little.
"I know."
-
Marie led the doctor upstairs to the rooms that St Vier and Alec shared. "Here," she said coolly and put her hand out to turn the handle, but it turned without her touching and the door opened.
Alec strode out, a bag over his shoulder. "You're too late," he told the doctor icily. "Thank you for nothing." To Marie, he added, "there's money in the chest."
"But aren't you – aren't you going – " the doctor protested. Marie sighed and was about to step in when Alec fixed him with one of his stares.
"And what," he inquired, "is there to do?" A strange expression twisted his face, and Marie thought fleetingly that he was going to scream, full of rage and grief and heartbreak, and thrash on the floor and cry. But the moment passed and Alec swept past the doctor, his head high.