Title: By Our Own Hands

Author: Surreal44

Rating: PG-13, to be safe

Pairings: None.

Archive: If you like :)

Summary: Bors finds an injured Tristan and cares for him. Friendship fic, non-slash. Rated for blood, possible mild swearing.

Feedback: If you all would be so kind, yes please.

Beta Credits: Thanks to ScoutLover and EvilJacquie! You gals are the best!

KAKAKAKA

A few seconds of stunned silence fell over the room. Vanora, tears still glistening in her eyes, lifted Tristan's limp hand off of the floor and pressed it to her lips, her fingers unconsciously rubbing a soothing pattern along the bruised knuckles. Dagonet smiled shakily at the red-haired woman and shifted Tristan in his arms slightly so that he could press a hand against Tristan's neck to check the pulse.

"Dag?" Bors asked hoarsely, fearfully. Tristan's heavy breathing had faded away and although Bors thought he could detect the faint rise and fall of Tristan's chest, he just wasn't sure.

Dagonet rubbed Tristan's shoulder gently and spoke quietly, his calm voice comforting to everyone in the room. "He's all right, Bors. Just worn out." Tristan stirred against him and golden eyes fluttered then opened half-way. Dag grinned down at Tristan. "And too stubborn to know when he should just lie still. Come, Bors. Help me lift him. He needs to know you are here."

Vanora started to move away but the hand she held suddenly curled around her own and she stopped. Tristan was looking at her, his glazed golden eyes desperate. "Please don't leave," he begged her.

"I won't," Vanora promised, and settled down next to him as Bors cautiously approached them. "I'm right here, Tristan," she said softly, her fingers still rubbing soothing circles on his hand. Tristan blinked and when he looked back up at her there was the barest hint of recognition in his eyes.

"Vanora?" Tristan whispered. He tore his gaze away from her face and looked down at their entwined hands. The Sarmatian lifted his other hand and tentatively touched her cheek and rubbed her smooth skin with his rough fingers as if trying assure himself that she was really there. Vanora lifted the bandaged hand that she held and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, and that at last seemed to convince Tristan, because he relaxed against Dagonet's chest a little more, his hand dropping back down to rest on his chest. "I'm so confused. I don't know what's happening to me," he whispered.

The British woman smiled sadly at him and brushed back his dark hair from his face, her hand gently caressing his warm skin. "I know. Go to sleep, Tristan. You're safe now," she said, continuing to stroke his cheek.

Tristan's eyes fluttered shut at her words, but then he opened them a second later when he sensed Bors kneeling beside him. Tristan gripped Vanora's hand a little more tightly, his glazed golden eyes watching the other Knight warily. Despite his weakened state the scout looked ready to bolt again and Bors wasn't sure if Tristan's body could handle any more stress.

"Tristan?" Bors asked carefully, not moving any more than necessary so that he didn't frighten the confused scout. "Do you know who I am?" Silently he willed his friend to remember him and to let him help. The sound of the door being opened and closed barely registered with Bors because he was so focused on Tristan.

Tristan studied his friend's face intently, the tension slowly draining from his body. "Bors," he breathed in drowsy recognition before his eyes rolled up in his head and his head lolled limply to the side. Bors and Vanora exchanged worried glances, and simultaneously looked to Dagonet for guidance.

Dagonet gently shifted Tristan in his arms again, this time to hook one of his muscular arms under the scout's knees so that he could lift him. His other arm was wrapped around Tristan's thin shoulders and Dagonet pulled the unconscious man closer to his body, making certain that Tristan's head was supported on his broad shoulder. "We need to get him back in bed," he said. "Bors, help me lift him. He's bleeding again and I need to check the stitches."

As always Dagonet sounded calm, but Bors knew by the tight lines around his friend's mouth that he was concerned. Tristan's health was still precarious at best, and he could only hope that the scout had not managed to do irreparable damage to his already weakened body. Bors helped steady Dagonet by gripping the man's shoulders and pulling gently, they stood easily without jostling the limp body in Dagonet's arms.

"I believe that Arthur has gone to get Castillus," the scarred Knight said to Bors as he settled the younger man on the bed. Bors blinked in surprise, as he hadn't realized that Arthur had even left the room.

"Good," Bors replied shortly, and stood by in case Dagonet needed help. Tristan remained unconscious, even when the bandage stuck slightly to the seeping wound. Dagonet frowned and carefully worked at removing the linen, making certain that no fibers were stuck in the torn edges of the wound. He had just finished removing the last of the bandaging around Tristan's abdomen when the door opened again and Castillus rushed in.

"Let me see to him," the old surgeon commanded, though his tone was not unkind. Dagonet stepped back and watched the wizened man work over his patient with interest. The Roman was gentle with Tristan, examining the wound carefully and murmuring quiet words of comfort whenever the scout showed signs of distress. "This will need to be re-stitched," he said quietly, and looked up at Dagonet. "I will clean it out first and then close it back up."

As Castillus worked over the prone scout Bors went over and helped Vanora to her feet. She hugged Bors briefly, and then stood next to him as they both watched the Roman work over Tristan. The scout was showing signs of waking, and Bors was torn between the desire to see his friend conscious and the fear of Tristan injuring himself further while lost in his delirium.

Castillus looked up at the two of them and smiled, but the soft gray eyes were worried. "It would be easier at the moment if there were less people here," he suggested carefully. Bors scowled but Vanora placed her hand on his arm and smiled reassuringly at Castillus.

"Bors was just going to look for Arthur," she said sweetly. Stunned, he turned his glare on the flame-haired woman, who sent her own stern glare right back at him. Inwardly he groaned; he recognized the set expression on her face. It was the one she usually wore when dealing with their unruly twins. Considering how well she managed to keep both sets in line, Bors knew that arguing with her would only make the situation worse.

"Yes," he muttered resentfully. "I was going to go look for Arthur." Tristan had fallen silent once more, but even in his unconscious state the creases of pain had not left the younger man's face. "I'll go talk to him, but I will be back," he added in a manner that dared any of them to deny him. Castillus and Dagonet both seemed unimpressed with his tone, and instead turned their attention back to Tristan's injury. Grumbling under his breath about the lack of respect, Bors stomped outside.

Vanora followed after Bors, and she closed the door behind her as she joined him in the hall. "I suppose I should go speak with Arthur," he groused to the woman that he claimed as his wife.

"Talk, Bors," Vanora added with a small quirk of her lips. "Don't beat him. He was very distraught, you know." Bors scowled, but when her green eyes grew stormy, he rolled his eyes and sighed gustily.

"Fine, fine. I'll talk to him," he snapped. Vanora regarded him silently for a minute, and then she stood on her toes so she could give him a kiss. His irritation melted away and he returned her kiss and held her against his body, taking a small measure of comfort just from holding her. Then he released her and sighed.

"I'll go talk to him now." Vanora opened her mouth and he quickly added, "And I'll be nice." When she opened her mouth again, he thundered, "What now, woman?"

Instead of looking crushed by his shout, she had the audacity to giggle at him, and simply said, "I love you."

That threw Bors, and he gaped at her for a moment. "Love you too," he said gruffly. "I'm leavin' now," he added firmly, and walked off, grumbling about women and how they made everything so difficult.

KAKAKA

Back inside the room, Tristan was growing steadily more restless as the torn section of skin was bathed. Only a small portion of the actual wound would need to be re-stitched, but the process was still painful. "He's probably hurting just about everywhere," Dagonet said softly to Castillus.

The surgeon nodded in agreement. "Let's get this done before he wakes," he said. He bent to his task, while Dagonet gently held the scout's arms down to the bed. The younger Knight moaned as the needle pierced his inflamed skin, and Dagonet leaned down to whisper soothingly in Tristan's ear, all the while maintaining a gentle grip on the scout's arms to keep him from pushing Castillus away. The stitching didn't take very long, and the surgeon was nearly done when the scout tensed beneath his hands.

"Just hold for a few more minutes, my friend," Dagonet said as Tristan's eyes slowly opened. "You are safe. Castillus is working on you right now and he is almost done."

The scout looked around the room fearfully as if he couldn't recall where he was. Castillus had paused in his work, not wanting to startle his patient if he could help it. Finally Tristan relaxed a little, and his eyes started to slide shut.

"Tristan, wake up. I need you to look at me," Castillus commanded sternly. Surprised by the tone of voice, the scout obeyed without a protest. He blinked up at the surgeon in confusion, and the older man softened his voice slightly. "I know this hurts, but I am nearly finished. Stay awake."

"Bossy, isn't he," Dagonet asked Tristan, purposely drawing his friend into a conversation to ensure that he did not sink back to sleep. Castillus smiled and finished stitching the wound just as Vanora entered the room again.

He knotted the last stitch and cut the thread. The Roman smiled at Vanora and he left Tristan's side to retrieve some bandages. Vanora seated herself on the chair beside the bed and held Tristan's hand in hers, speaking softly to him to keep him awake.

Dagonet joined Castillus by the small table and the surgeon smiled wanly at him. "I am going to bandage him up again. I think his one ankle will need to be splinted. I will return after I have gathered the necessary items."

The giant Knight nodded in understanding. "Can I do anything for you?" he asked hopefully. Castillus picked up a jar from the table and nodded. He explained that the salve was to be put on the various scrapes on Tristan's chest, hands, wrists and ankles. Dagonet looked at the jar and then at the surgeon. "What happened to him?"

Castillus rubbed his jaw and sighed, a sure sign that something was troubling him. Dagonet had known the man for years, back when they had both been assigned to the fort in Eboracum. Before he had been placed under arrest for disobedience, Dagonet had studied with Castillus and he knew how to read the man's actions.

"Tristan cannot be allowed to sleep yet," Castillus said with reluctance tingeing his voice. "In a few hours, perhaps, it will be safe, but not just yet."

Dagonet frowned, but he nodded in understanding. "You want to prevent a repeat of what happened earlier," he guessed. It was not uncommon for surgeons to keep their patients from sleeping when a head injury was involved.

"Yes," Castillus agreed unhappily. "I fear he sank too deeply into sleep before. Blood loss, a head injury, plus whatever the Woads used on him –"

"What do you mean?" Dagonet interrupted urgently. "You think that he has been poisoned?" The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Tristan's confusion could easily have been attributed to the head injury, but perhaps Castillus had seen something that the others had not.

The Roman shrugged and frowned. "Poisoned or drugged. While Bors left to go get some more bandages for me, Tristan woke and I tried to give him water. He refused, mumbling about how he knew what I was really trying to do. He passed out again before I could question him further."

As Dagonet looked more alarmed, the surgeon hastened to reassure him. "I'm not certain what they gave him, but I am positive that it is finally wearing off. If he shows no more signs of confusion in a few hours, we'll let him doze for a while. Now, I must get those supplies…take care of his other injuries, and we'll fix his ankle."

Dagonet nodded and returned to Tristan's bed. Vanora was still talking softly to the scout and he was looking at her with heavy-lidded eyes. While the younger man was somewhat distracted, Dagonet began smearing the cool salve on the various scrapes that covered Tristan's body. The ankles looked the worst. The left ankle was badly swollen and bruised, and both joints bore raw red marks from being bound. It was no wonder that Tristan had collapsed when he put pressure on his foot. Gently, he began to spread the salve on the broken skin.

"Don't," Tristan's hoarse voice broke through Dagonet's thoughts. His steel-blue eyes looked up at the injured Knight. "It hurts."

Vanora squeezed Tristan's hand gently and made a soft, soothing sound. "It's all right, Tristan. It will only sting for a moment." Glazed golden eyes fastened on Vanora again and he nodded. Dagonet finished with Tristan's ankles and then he quickly examined the thin wrists. He smeared some salve on them as well, with only one faint, listless protest from Tristan.

"Done for now," Dagonet said with a small smile. The door opened and Castillus walked in. The two men conferred quietly, and once more they went over to Tristan's bed. "Tristan," Dagonet said softly. "We're going to bind your ankle. It will hurt for a few minutes, but it will help it heal."

Tristan's panicked gaze flew to Vanora's face, and she stroked back a few strands of dark hair from the bruised face. "I will stay with you," she assured him. "Just hold my hand and squeeze when the pain is too much."

When the scout nodded, Castillus and Dagonet set to work. They did not want Tristan to change his mind. The surgeon had already decided there were no fractures in the bone, so they simply had to splint the ankle and wrap it. Still, it was excruciating for the scout and he squeezed Vanora's hand until it was red. She made no sound of complaint however, and when it was finally over, she kissed the now limp hand that she held.

Tristan looked so young it made her heart ache. Drained and exhausted, he looked ready to drop into sleep at any moment. "Did I hurt you?" he asked in a thick voice. Vanora shook her head and rested his hand on the bed.

"No, you didn't hurt me. I do need to leave for a few minutes though. I promise I will be back in a little while." She stood and pressed a gentle kiss to his warm forehead. "Dagonet will sit with you for a bit, all right?"

"'Kay," he answered wearily. He managed a small smile at her when she tugged the blankets up to his chest and tucked them around his body in a motherly fashion. Then she kissed his cheek and reassured him that she would return soon.

As she walked over to Dagonet and Castillus, Vanora rubbed her sore back. She needed to stretch her legs and take care of some personal business, and make certain that her small brood of children had not gotten into any mischief.

Dagonet grinned at her and she smiled fondly at the scarred Knight. "Dag, could you sit with Tristan? I will be back shortly. I just want to check on my family." Castillus patted her shoulder and walked back over to Tristan, and began speaking to him quietly while he propped the injured ankle up on a folded blanket.

"I will be glad to, Vanora. Take all the time you need." Dagonet hugged the fiery little red-head against his chest. "We'll be fine while you're gone."

Vanora raised a brow at him as he released her, and she only smiled and shook her head in response to his statement. She left the room, and Dagonet went to take her place beside Tristan, who greeted him sleepily. The scout was finally relaxed and he seemed to know where he was. Watching over the scout until Vanora returned would be easy.

---tbc

Response to reviewers:

Skittles: Your request is my command. ;) I hope this meets your expectations. Hopefully there will not be such a big delay between now and the next update.

NotAMorningPerson: I'm just happy to get reviews at all. Thank you so much for your kind comments. I like to explore the other side of Tristan and what might be under that cool exterior. Bors was my favorite Knight and I see him as sort of taking care of the others if he can. I will try to update more often. 

Newsieskane: I love the relationship between Bors and Tristan too. I got the idea from the book actually. When Trist®an and Bors go off to hunt after the Saxons, I just wondered how close they actually were, and one thing led to another…Thanks for the review!

empath89: Bors was actually my favorite Knight. I loved his sense of humor, the way he handled his kids, and his passion. He was just so cool. Tristan is gorgeous and he's an incredible character to work with, but I really wanted to write something with Bors in it. Thanks for the review!

romantique-desespere: I agree there is far too little Bors in fanfics. He's such a great character. Thanks for the review!

Alexssmarty: I'm glad you like confused!Tristan. It was difficult to write, because Tristan is always so in control of himself. And yes, I do have more stories planned with Bors and Tristan in them. If you haven't seen it, then you might want to look up The Wooden Hawk, which takes place about a year and a half after this story does. I know, I know, writing the sequel before the first story is done…I hope you like this chapter! Sorry for the long update. I noticed you left me another review to update soon. LOL!

The Wild Woman: Thanks for the review! I agree, Arthur should have noticed, but he's young and still learning. Things will get better soon, I promise.

Tracy137: Thanks so much for your kind words. I have settled into the story, but I had to work out a few minor kinks. I realize now that I will have to go back eventually and revamp the story so all the details fit together properly.

I try to inject a little humor into my fics. I don't like too much angst because then it just becomes depressing.

ElvenStar5, Shevaun, Boondockgal, Eshlyn Kar, Could you consider to…,Dferveiro, Silver Salamander, and SnakeMistress: Thank you all for your reviews. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!