Chapter 2 - The Painful Reality

Gabrielle's eye snapped open. The pain was horrible. She couldn't feel any spot in her body which wasn't crying of the pain. At the top of everything, she was able to feel everything swinging, like she would be in a ship. She remembered what had happened I she couldn't understand how someone had been able to save her. This whole situation, this couldn't be true.

T'ing Mai leaned over the girl. Her eye was open and screaming in pain. She wasn't able to talk yet which had to feel strange. The herb mix which he had used on her face numb the pain in the wounds on her head but it also numb her mouth and blocked the speaking ability. It was only for her best because the wounds on her face were anything but not small. In a one was her voiceless scream was rewarding because now there was not that horrible sound of screaming in the air. Of course T'ing Mai knew that any of this wasn't rewarding to the girl but without his help this mysterious young girl would probably be dead.

"Hello there. My name is T'ing Mai" he said with his clumsy Greek. "I know you are not able to speak at the moment but it's only temporary. That is only because of herbs that are helping you to heal yourself." He watched the girl sadly. "The pain must be great. I can give you something that drops you back to coma." He wasn't sure if she understood. "Please nod if you understood what I said." Girl tried to nod but she seemed find that too painful. "Okay, ehm, just move your eye okay?" She moved her eye making it look like nod. "Good, well, you do want me to push you back to the unconsciousness?" Eye said no. "You sure? I know this is not easy for you." He was able to see the pain in her eye.

"Well, you have been through hell. I know you may not want to hear this but it's important. I have no idea what happened to you in the first place but I can see you are in very bad state at the moment. As I can say, your both legs are broken in at least three different points each. About your arms, well.., they are not as bad as your legs. You do have six broken fingers, your left wrist is totally in pieces and your right arm is broken in a two different spot. Also both your elbows and shoulders have taken great damage."

The pain in girl's eye was heartbreaking. As much as he didn't want to finish his report he had to. "Four of you ribs are broken just like few other bones in your torso. What comes to your other wounds you have them everywhere. You have bled a lot. I guess the worst wound you have is in your face. I can't say precisely what hit your face but it was something sharp and curved. It has damaged your nose which is also broken. The main problem here is that the curved wound goes through your right eye. I hope your eye is not damaged but yet I can't but sure. At the moment it is so badly swollen that I can't study it because I can't reach it. It will take long but you will live."

-.-

Wounds everywhere. Yes, she was able to feel that. What comes to the face injury she knew what had caused it. She remembered almost too well the moment when chakram sliced her face. If she wouldn't been able to dodge a little bit the hit of chakram she would probably be dead by now. The right eye made her worry. She couldn't use it at the moment and the pain in the area where eye is was one the worst she had.

She felt like dead but she loved the fact that she was alive. Her head was full of hate and anger, it covered her soul. It was the greatest pain she had. Xena had tried to kill her. Her former best friend had tried to kill her. She wanted to revenge. Her mind filled up with the images of Xena. Xena smiling, Xena laughing, Xena sleeping, Xena fighting and so on. This was the person who will suffer. Gabrielle was sure about it. These thoughts in her mind she slipped back to the unconsciousness.

-.-

She waked again when she tasted something awful liquid on her mouth. Pain came also back instantly and this time she was able to scream. The pain was everywhere, it was even worst that first time she had been awake. It was everywhere burning her body again and again. She tried to move her head but it was too painful. There was a moment she just wanted to die.

"Calm down, everything is on control." Gabrielle opened her healthy eye and met T'ing Mai's gaze. "Hey there, do you remember me? If it's too painful to speak you can just blink or something like that." Gabrielle blinked. She was surprised because that didn't hurt. "Okay, good. I know it hurts but could you tell me your name. You don't have to if you don't want to but it would be personably that call you for the girl or the mysterious girl or wounded girl or something like that."

"G..Ga…Gabrielle." Oh gods that was painful. She was able to feel every single wound on her face when she moved her mouth only to call out her name. Man smiled, she was not able to remember his name but she would never forget his helpers face. He was about 40 years old. He had brown kindly eyes and his black hair looked just like average oriental man's hair. He smiled with his peaceful mouth and for the first time after her daughter's funeral she felt she was safe.

"I will go to get some food for you. You've been out cold for a few days now so you must be hungry and your system need energy to heal you up." man said and slowly disappeared from Gabrielle's sight. Your system needs energy. What that means? And where the hell is she? In a boat yes she was still able to feel the swinging. Who was that man and where is the betrayer called Xena? Dozens of questions filled her mind. She knew the man was able to answer her question, at least a few of them so only thing she had to do is wait for him to tell her.

"I'm sorry this may feel embarrassing but you can't use your hands." Gabrielle hadn't noticed that he was back. She understood that he had to feed her because she couldn't eat by herself just like the man had said. T'ing something, that was his name.

She ate with a good appetite. She wasn't even noticed how hungry she was. Porridge tasted good, okay not the best she had eaten but not the worst either.

End of part 2