Ripple Effect – 2
Garret awoke with a start. Pain flashed across his right side, stopping his attempt at getting up. He could only hear his own laboured quickened breathing and his eyes darted across the dim room. He made eye contact with the teenage boy that earlier had been in the Queen of Beggars presence that stared at him with wide eyes. He was sitting on a plain wooden chair next to the bed that they'd placed Garret in, his shoulders up to his ears in tension.
"I passed out," Garret concluded out loud. The boy nodded, a visibly relaxing a bit. A younger girl as scruffy looking as the boy peered out from behind him. Younger sister, Garret guessed and tried to sit up again. Even the slightest motion overwhelmed him with intense pain and he dropped back down with a hiss.
"You should lay still mister," the girl said in a squeaky voice, "- there's a dent in you."
"A dent?" Garret croaked, puzzled by the expression, but it was confirmed by fierce nodding from the boy. The master thief turned attention to his ribs and noted the boy had opened his leather armour in the front, exposing his pale chest. His right side was bruised black and much to his surprise, the children were right. There was a dent in him, that shouldn't be there, like his ribs had collapsed inwards. It meant that several ribs were broken in at least two places and they would need resetting. No wonder it hurt.
"The old lady have sent word for the bone-setter," the girl beamed in a voice that made Garret wished he was deaf and dead. The boy handed him a bottle of clear liquid with saying eyes. Garret considered him for a moment before accepting the bottle he guessed was liquor. He usually didn't drink at all, but a date with the bone-setter left him with no finer feelings and took a good hearty swig.
"Not much of a talker, are you boy?" Garret almost challenged him. To his dread the girl answered for him.
"His name's Will. I'm Rosa."
"Does your sister do all your talking for you," Garret continued and took another swig and grimaced at the taste. Surprisingly the boy nodded again.
"The Thief-Taker cut his tongue out. He used to carry messages for them, but then they could his tongue out," the girl explained in a more solemn tone that didn't get quite as much on his nerves. He took in a sharp breath.
"Should've killed him when I had the chance," Garret whispered, but then added louder "-probably saw something you shouldn't have."
The boy nodded again. He then got up and left the room. It didn't escape Garret's attention that he didn't make a sound as he walked either.
"The bone-setter is expensive, but the old lady said that you can afford it," the girl continued to chatter mindless. Garret didn't pay attention and pretended to fall asleep.
Apparently it wasn't all pretend, because he awoke again when the old lady placed a hand on his shoulder. To his own surprise he didn't start at this. Somehow she had a calming effect on him.
However, the big oaf of a man behind her didn't quite reassure him in the same way. Garret found the bottle took another great big swig.
"Payment for your mistakes," The Queen of Beggars spoke to no one, "-the effect of your actions are far reaching. Far beyond your comprehension. Like the ripple effect of a single drop in a vast ocean."
Suddenly she seemed to make eye contact with the boy that entered the room again. Then she left.
Garret felt sick as the bone-setter approached him and assessed the damaged to his ribs. He was a big hairy man with meaty arms and legs and a great big beer belly to match and he was sweating profusely. Garret didn't like him and was just glad that those unclean hands and nails weren't going to an open wound.
"Real piece of work, this is," the bone-setter concluded, "-I need to push from underneath the ribs. Not going to be pretty or pleasant."
"I gathered as much," Garret commented dryly.
"You're probably going to pass out," he butcher added.
"The faster the better," Garret agreed and down the remainders of the liquor.
He only managed to press his fingers up underneath the slender mans ribcage before Garret lost consciousness to the excruciating pain.
A wheezing, slightly wet breath awoke Garret from his slumber. The air was crisp and the room bright. Noon even, Garret guessed. It had been years since he'd been awake at this ungodly hour. Pain radiated throughout his chest and he dared not move. He closed his eyes.
A wheezing, slightly wet breath awoke Garret again. His face quickly contorted with roaring pain that seemed to have taken over his entire being.
"Relax Garret," The Queen of beggars offered in a calming voice, "-drink the tea. It's willow bark. It will help."
Someone put a cup his lips and he drank, despite never drinking anything he didn't know where came from. It took a while, but the pain let up a bit and he slept.
A wheezing, slightly wet breath awoke Garret. It was dark he noted and very quiet. Another wet breath and he realized it was his own breathing. Someone rustled beside him. Without moving he recognized the mute boy from the corner of his eyes. Will looked away shyly and poured a cup of tea that he quickly put to the thief's lips. Luke warm and bitter, Garret guessed it was more willow bark and he drank it without question. He figured if they'd wanted to kill him, they had had enough chances to do it earlier. The world seemed strangely hazy and his breathing all wrong; laboured and wet.
"Fever?" he asked the boy. He registered his nodding before he gave way for the darkness again.
Garret's own breathing was what awoke him again. It sounded even wetter that it had earlier. The pain was not as acute longer and he dared moving his head to take in the room. It was dusk or dawn; which he dared not guess upon.
Will was sleeping on a worn blanket directly on the floor just below the simple wooden framed bed he himself resided in.
He caught eyes with the Queen of Beggars, who was standing in the entrance to the room. He hadn't noticed her before. Garret cleared his throat.
"The fever has broken, I see," the Queen spoke in a low voice, "-I'm pleased. We've been worried for a while now."
There was something about the tone that made him uneasy. "How long have I been out?" he croaked, his voice weak from idleness.
"Almost 10 days now," the queen informed him. No wonder he felt so weak.
"What's wrong with me?" he asked again, realizing he had no idea.
"Pneumonia, I should think," she replied. The graveness dawned upon his sluggish mind; he had been close to dying. Pneumonia was always touch and go.
"Thank you for your hospitality," he began, but she interrupted him.
"My house is always welcome to those who are need, as you well know."
"Still, I will pay you back," Garret promised.
"You will, but I think the city should like a favour instead," she countered and looked at the boy, sleeping on the floor. Garret fought the sudden urge to groan.
"What kind of favour would that be?"
"Will is a bright boy, but he has no future, but on the streets," she began, "-take him under you wing."
"I only know how to steal," Garret and sighed, grimacing at the pain it caused.
"Teach him to be a master thief," she continued. Garret closed his eyes and breathed a couple of times.
"I'll take him in, but if he doesn't have what it takes, I can't teach him and he'll most likely be killed or captured," Garret harshly agreed.
"You've noticed how silent he is," the queen said in a confident voice with a small crooked smile, "-I'm certain he has what it takes."
"We'll see," Garret replied in an exhausted tone and closed his eyes.
It took him a good five days more before he could sit up and another 3 days to be able to stand up and walk around. Because of the pneumonia he suffered from coughing spells. Because of the crushed ribs, he fainted every time he coughed.
He was a mess. The illness and injury had taken its toll on him and the pounds had simply fled from his frame along with his strength.
The Queen of beggars left him alone, but Will followed him around like a dog. Garret suspected that the queen had already set his expectations high for an apprenticeship.
On the fourth day after getting out of bed, he finally managed not to faint whenever he coughed and the massive bruise of the right side of chest was beginning to fade, he felt almost human. Even his appetite returned. Or at least he didn't feel nauseous whenever food was in his proximity.
During one of his walks, he stop midsteps and turned around to face his ever present shadow, who startled at his master's sudden movement. The sudden movement also jarred his ribs, but much to Garrets satisfaction he was able not to cry out or stumble.
"Do you really want to be a Master Thief?" Garret asked the wide eyed boy in a low grave voice. The boy looked him straight in the eyes for several seconds before nodding once.
"Have you considered the consequences of failure? The thief asked, "-if you're caught, you'll be taken to the Thief-Taker General for torture, mutilation, and possibly even death."
The boy visibly paled and looked down.
"I know you understand the meaning of this, having experienced this yourself. I suggest you spend some time considering if this really is what you want. You'll work under harsh terms," Garret added in a more mellow tone.
Will met his eyes again and without sound, he clearly mouthed the words, "-I will not fail."
Garret couldn't stop the crooked smile that ghosted past his lips, "-Fine."
He would put it to the test.