AN: Yay! Another chapter for you guys! Enjoy!
Will's lucidity had been short-lived, but Halt clung to the words the boy had uttered like a life line.
As Halt had watched Will's eyes close, he couldn't help but smile through his tears. Because now he knew that Will knew he was loved.
It was devastating to even think about, but at least if Will were to pass away, he would go knowing the truth about Halt's feelings. And that simple fact brought an immeasurable amount of peace to his soul.
Lady Pauline had been right, he mused. The stone-faced ranger grinned despite himself when he thought about that woman. He hoped she would be coming by soon with young Alyss - he would be sure to tell her then that her advice had worked.
With Will back under, and the room to himself, Halt quickly lost himself in thought. He would worry about Will, daydream about Pauline, and then worry about Will some more.
So it was a welcome distraction when the door creaked open and Gilan appeared, looking more exhausted than Halt had ever seen him.
"How is he?"
The older man sighed, and leaned back in his chair, his rough hands reached up and rubbed at his eyes.
"The fever appears to be slowing down. He was awake for a brief moment a while ago…"
Gilan's eyebrows rose and he looked at Will who was out cold.
"That's a good sign, at least. I hope that means he'll be waking up soon. He's already lost some weight, he needs a proper meal. I fear what the bloodloss and lack of adequate nutrition will do to his body if he doesn't come around soon…"
Halt simply nodded.
Since Will's injury, words seemed to affect Halt more, and the comment seemed to have sent him into deep thought.
Gilan could tell he was fretting over the boy. A ranger's life was hard, and the apprenticeship was no easy undertaking, either. So both the rangers understood the threat that Will's new disability posed to his future in their organization…The muscle atrophy, weight loss, and amputation would be more than difficult to overcome.
Not impossible…just excruciatingly onerous.
There was a knock at the door and Thomas walked in a moment later. He appeared less frazzled since Will had stabilized somewhat. But he knew this ordeal was far from over.
"Will is still in need of care, so I thought I would offer to stay here with him in case something else were to happen, or we could have him taken to the castle infirmary. But either way, at this stage, he needs constant supervision. As his master, I'll leave the decision up to you, Halt."
The reply was almost instantaneous.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather him stay here." Then after a beat, "Just in case…a ranger should be at his home."
The two other men nodded respectfully.
"Very well, then I'll be riding back to Redmont for some supplies, but I shall return within a couple of hours."
Halt paused for a second as Thomas started to leave the room, thinking over something in his head, then he turned and called after the physician.
"Thomas?", his voice a little self-conscious sounding.
The man's head appeared back in the doorway, "Yes, Halt? Is there something I should get for you?"
"I - well…yes." he stammered, a little flustered, "If you see Lady Pauline, could you request her presence here in the morning?"
The other man smiled kindly, though it was a knowing sort of expression. Perhaps too knowing.
"Of course. I'll leave a message with her young apprentice, perhaps they can both come for a visit…Alyss is her name, correct?"
Gilan had been smirking in the corner during the short exchange, and he simply could not let the opportunity pass to say something that would embarrass his former mentor.
"That's right!" he chimed in cheerfully, "I'm glad you remembered! She should come as well - I'd hate for Will to be visitorless while Halt is visiting with his lady!"
Thomas identified the jab, and he hid his own grin as he bowed out of the room quickly without a word. Despite the heaviness of the current situation, he still found himself having to stifle a chuckle when he heard the sound of something being thrown, followed by a muffled THUNK and a groan a moment later.
He shook his head as he closed the door to the cabin behind him.
Ranger's…
o0o_o0o_o0o
Thomas had returned later and had set up a cot in Will's room so he could monitor his condition - but only after he had laid down the law with Halt and Gilan. But mainly Halt.
Both men had been refusing to leave Will's bedside, even avoiding sleep, and it was starting to show. Not to mention the room was small, and all 4 men could not very well stay in there together.
"Now, don't look at me like that, Halt!"
After being told to get out and go to sleep, the ranger had bristled like a rooster ready for a brawl, but Thomas had remained unperturbed, "You may be able to best me in a round of fisticuffs, ranger, but I could still knock you out for days with a few drops of my elixirs! Now - off with you!"
Halt had retreated with much grumbling and muttered swear words, but within ten minutes, Thomas could hear quiet snores filtering from the ranger's bedroom.
After that, he checked over Will. The boy appeared to be stable, the coriander tea was helping the fever, and his stump was less swollen and angry-looking.
He finished giving Will a new bandage and drizzled a few drops of pain-relieving tonic into his mouth before standing back to examine the boy's overall appearance.
His skin was still pale, and the skin around his eyes was darkened and thin, but somehow, he seemed stronger. Thomas felt less hopeless with that thought, and before he began to settle in for the night, he patted Will on the hand.
"There are an awful lot of people who care deeply for you, boy. So hold on, I think they would be lost without you."
As he changed into his night clothes, Thomas thought about his current situation. He was finding it hard not to grow fond of these peculiar rangers, and though he didn't really know Will, he could see the love and devotion he had earned from some truly great people.
So he vowed to himself and the boy in the bed across the room that he would try his damnedest not to fail this mission. With a new sense of resolve, he blew out the candles and prepared himself for a new day.
o0o_o0o_o0o
Lady Pauline and Alyss were both punctual as ever, as they arrived at 8am sharp the following morning.
Halt and Gilan, however, were both sawing logs when the two couriers arrived.
Instead, they were greeted by the physician, as he was stepped outside quickly to give both women an update on Will, as well as the other rangers sleeping inside.
"Good morning, Thomas," Lady Pauline began "How is Will doing today?"
They young woman beside her was clearly anxious, her eyes were locked on the window to the house, trying to see inside.
"He gave us a right good scare yesterday, spiked a horrid fever from an infection in his leg, but he's doing a bit better this morning."
The girl, Alyss, looked like she couldn't remain outside for another moment, so Thomas quickly added, "I believe we can go inside, I'll go and wake the rangers, I was trying to let them sleep as long as possible…I sense they're both insomniacs…"
Lady Pauline's eyes flashed with humor for a split second before she let a carefully guarded smile grace her face.
"Don't wake them on our account, we have the day to spend here and I have a feeling both Halt and Gilan need their sleep."
"Welllll," came a voice from around the side of the house, clearly garbled by a large yawn, "I'm up, but I agree, Halt could do with some beauty sleep."
"Gilan!" Alyss cried with joy, she was always happy to see the tall ranger, he often brought much needed humor to dreary situations.
"Here," he said again, rubbing sleep from his eyes, "Let's go in, I'll make us some coffee and you can visit Will…"
With the conversation back to the injured young apprentice, smiles faded, and the small crowd started to make their way into the equally small cabin in silence.
Once they were inside, Lady Pauline sat in the chair beside Halt's empty seat.
"I could do with some tea, Gilan, if you don't mind. Thomas, why don't you tell me a bit about Will and his treatments…" and then she looked at Alyss, careful to appear aloof, "This room is awfully small, dear, I fear we may overcrowd it. Why don't you make your way into Will's room and we'll be along shortly."
She saw the grateful smile on Alyss's face and masked her own grin. She may be stoic on the outside, but she was not heartless or oblivious. The girl had been a distracted wreck since Will had been injured, and she knew the reason for it.
…They needed the time alone together.
After her own apprentice had disappeared, a very tired looking Halt appeared in the kitchen, seemingly out of thin air. His hair was carefully brushed, unlike most days, and Gilan made sure to point it out when he turned around and noticed.
"Halt! I haven't seen your hair brushed in years! What's the special occasion?!" his mischievous eyes looked pointedly at Lady Pauline.
But at the glare on the older ranger's face, Gilan quickly scampered away to fetch some water - absentmindedly rubbing the newly formed bruise on his arm.
Lady Pauline, however, pretended not to notice their antics.
"Good morning, Halt, you're looking well today."
It brought her pleasure to watch his face redden, and she followed the greeting with a warm smile.
"And you are as beautiful as ever, Lady Pauline."
She couldn't help but notice his usual childlike giddiness in her presence was somewhat subdued, though. This was harder on him than people imagined…She was one of the few people who knew how much he loved his apprentice.
Thomas, noticing the atmosphere, made himself scarce - muttering something about feeding his horse before exiting the house completely. They were alone now, and both knew they could speak unguarded.
"How are you doing…truthfully?" Pauline asked, her voice caring and soft.
The gray ranger looked at her. His eyes searching deep into her own.
"I'm doing better than Will," he said, which earned him a half-hearted glare.
"It's hard, Pauline…I talked to him yesterday. I took your advice…"
"And?"
"And you were right,"
He looked up briefly to see her smiling, she added quietly "Of course." which earned her a wry smile from Halt.
"Of course." he ceded.
"And?" she prodded again.
"I told him…I told him I love him…and he woke up, just for a moment…he - said he loved me too…"
The man's voice was thick with tears, it wavered and quaked as he tried to power through his emotions. Forever worried that he would appear weak, he was oblivious to the fact that Pauline thought it was the strongest he had ever sounded.
And then she was standing in front of him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"I'm proud of you." she whispered in his ear, and he leaned against her.
"I'm so glad you're here," he muttered into her shoulder, "I can't do this alone."
Lady Pauline stepped back from him then, and grabbed his face between her elegant hands, she stared into his eyes.
"Listen to me, Halt O'Carrick. You will never be alone."
His eyes burned a little as he stared back at the intensity in hers, and he managed a nod. He knew she meant it.
"Now," she said with a slight sniff, "let's go check on our apprentices, shall we?"
"My thoughts exactly, my dear."
o0o_o0o_o0o
For all the times that Alyss had cursed the seemingly all-seeing eyes of her mistress, today was grateful for them.
She was aware that Lady Pauline knew of her feelings for Will, but it made her happy to know that she also supported those feelings. Like Will, Alyss had no parents, and her mistress was like her mother. It would have bothered her if their relationship wasn't something Pauline approved of.
As she slid into Will's bedroom, she was smiling to herself at how Lady Pauline had craftily allowed her some private time with her friend.
But the smile was quick to vanish as soon as her eyes landed on Will.
It took her breath away to see him like this. It had been days since their last visit, and it terrified her to see that Will looked worse.
She was beside him in a second, and the next, she was grasping his too-warm hand in hers and staring intently at his face.
"Oh, Will," she began, tears already springing to her eyes, "I'm right here, Will. I hope you know that…I'll always be here."
She sat down on the bed beside him, and at that moment, she only had one thought on her mind.
"I love you, Will…" she whispered, "I love you, I love you, I love you. Do you hear, me? I'll say it ten thousand times, I love you! So don't you dare go where I can't follow you…" and without really thinking about it, she leaned down and kissed him.
After she pulled back, she found her tears had fallen onto his face, and she reached up to brush them away with her fingers. She had secretly hoped that that would wake him up…
It was a second later when the door began to open that Alyss snapped out of it and lurched off the bed, pulling her hand back like she had been scalded.
Halt walked in followed by Pauline (who was thinking about how un-smooth her apprentice was if she was trying to pretend like she hadn't been touching Will), and not thirty seconds later, Gilan and Thomas came in as well.
Alyss was red in the face and had the look of a teenager caught in the act, which she feared would be mentioned - and it might have been, had a soft voice not spoken from behind her.
"Alyss…?"
She whipped around, eyes wild as she stared at the boy in the bed. Her boy.
"Yes! Will, it's me? See?" She grabbed his hand and kissed it, leaning in so he could see her.
Halt and Gilan also came forward, wanting to see their friend.
"Halt…Gil..? What…"
o0o_o0o_o0o
He felt horribly warm. Fuzzy. Tired. Something hurt. But something else felt…nice? He heard a voice, he knew he did…But everything was dark. It sounded far away…Where was he?
It hurt to think, and that bothered him. He wanted to know why, but couldn't without feeling that deep thrumming ache in his head. And his leg.
What was going on?
There were sounds somewhere. Overhead, maybe…Too far away to know who it was. But maybe they were getting closer - the voices were getting louder. His head really hurt. And so did his leg…
Some part of him was angry and frustrated. His brain was stuck, like it was locked in a box with only a few thoughts to sift through.
Damn, his leg really did hurt…
And then suddenly, there was light. It wasn't bright, but it seemed to be. There were voices around him, familiar voices. They made him think of friendship, and autumn leaves, and the smell of a campfire…and a golden-haired girl that he'd known since his childhood…
"Alyss…?"
It was more of a thought, his brain putting things together, but his brain was still muddled, so the thought came out of his mouth.
He was surprised to hear that voice again. Her voice!
"Yes! Will, it's me? See?", he heard her say.
And then he saw her. She was standing over him, he saw her hair falling around her face, she was holding his hand, and he wanted to smile…but his leg hurt.
And then he saw two more faces. They both looked sad, and worried…the older one had tears in his eyes…Halt! and then…Gilan?
He realized he was speaking his thoughts out loud again. His eyes jumped around the room because his body wasn't even remotely responding to him. Where was he…Why did his leg hurt…
Then suddenly things started to make more sense.
He was in a bed. A bed softer than anything he had ever laid in before. His closest friends were around him, and they all looked sad…and desperate. His head pounded and his leg was growing more painful by the second.
He had gotten hurt.
His stomach sunk at the realization. He tried to think back to the last thing he remembered, but all he could recall was darkness.
How long…
"Almost a week," a male voice said from somewhere in the room. Gilan. That was Gilan's voice.
He must have been thinking out loud again.
"My leg hurts…"
It was the most pressing thing in his mind, it wouldn't go away.
The room got quiet.
Then a deeper voice spoke. Halt's voice. He said something Will didn't hear.
He heard footsteps and the sound of a door closing. What was going on…?
A second later, Halt was leaning over him, his hand on his cheek.
"Do you want to sit up, Will?" his voice was gentle.
Will tried his best to nod, he guessed Halt got the message, because a moment later, he was being gently lifted up and was leaned back on a pile of pillows. It hurt his leg to move.
His vision swam for a second, he'd been laying down too long…Then Halt was there, sitting on the edge of his bed. His eyes were still sad, but his mouth was smiling. Odd.
When he opened his mouth to speak, Halt cut him off.
"Will, I have to tell you something…" he paused, Will waited for him to continue.
"I have a story to tell you, Will…" Halt knew his apprentice was addled from sleep and fever and pain, and this was the gentlest way he could think to break the news.
And break the news he must.
"Do you remember Gilan?" Will nodded after thinking for a moment. "Well, Gilan went on a mission to catch a killer. You and I stayed here, at our cabin near Redmont…It was morning, on the day you got hurt…" Will's eyes were big like a child's as he listened to his teacher. He thought he was starting to remember.
"I got hurt…bad?" he asked, Halt nodded.
"Yes, you were hurt badly. You were outside on the porch, I was inside. You heard something in the barn and called for me…"
Will's eyes looked distant now. He remembered.
"I got shot…i-in my leg." It was a statement, not a question. Halt nodded again, patient and calm - though his heart was slamming against his chest and he felt dizzy. How would Will react…
"The killer, the one Gilan was chasing…He was here. He shot you in the leg. You killed him, it was a good shot. But the arrow he shot you with, it did too much damage. I ran to Redmont, and brought a healer. But…"
Will was looking at Halt now, his eyes were intent and scared. What was Halt so afraid to tell him…
"Will…your leg…it's gone."