Thanks to brezzybrez, ilovenarnia, and tyger cub for their reviews. The only people who reviewed for my last chapter. What's up with that?

This Night

Disclaimer: It belongs to C.S. Lewis. I don't own nothing at all. Don't want it neither. Wouldn't know where to put it

Chapter Six - Resting

In the distance she heard a door open and then Edmund's voice calling out for Lucy. His voice was panicked at he sounded out of breath. As his voice grew closer, Susan could hear the Narnian's in the hall outside giving sharp cries and talking among themselves. Lucy ran to the door as he continued to call for her, and then stopped. She took a few steps back and gave a short cry. Susan was routed to the spot. Dread came over her, and she wanted to scream, but found that she could not.

Edmund was in front of Lucy now, his face was white and scared, his hair matted against his forehead with sweat. In his arms he carried a bleeding, limp form of Peter.

Susan put her hands to her head, closing her eyes, trying to rest. It was almost morning and she hadn't slept since the afternoon a day prior. She was sitting on a bench outside her room, her hair down and tangled. She didn't care. She was the only one of her siblings that had nothing to do.

Peter, though healed by Lucy, had lost a lot of blood and had a fever. Susan hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Edmund at all, other than asking him if he was hurt. He had hurried out of the medical wing as soon as he was sure Peter was alright. Since Peter was injured, Edmund had to run Narnia and clean up the mess from the battle. Lucy and herself didn't even get to tell him about Katherine.

Her wounds had healed nicely, but had a fever, along with Peter. She slept most of the time, but was troubled. When she was awake she talked nonsense. Though it was nothing to worry about, it unnerved Susan. It was hard for her to see her friend like this.

Lucy had deemed it wise to have Peter and Kate moved to their own rooms, where they would be most comfortable. Lucy was still bustling about healing the wounded, doing what she did best.

Susan gave a large sigh and sat back against the wall. Presently she could hear someone coming down the hall towards her. Opening her eyes she saw it was Edmund -- or what as left of him. His hair was standing on end from having run his hands through it and dark shadows lay under his eyes.

"You look like hell."

He sank down onto the bench next to her, rubbing a hand over his face. "Thanks" he replied in a dry voice.

Susan looked at him, after a moment of silence. "Have you been to see Peter?"

He nodded absently, "I just got back from his room," he continued without letting her ask the question that was in her mind, "He's doing fine. The healer said that he hasn't woken up yet."

Susan made no reply. Edmund spoke again,

"Where's Katherine? I've not seen her since we left this morning." He stopped short and gave a grim chuckle, "I guess it was yesterday morning. Damn. It has been a day from hell."

Susan looked at her younger brother sadly. His eyes were shut, his head tilted back.

"Ed," her voice cracked slightly, "Katherine was wounded--"

His eyes flew open and he sat up, "Is she---?"

"She's alive."

He looked relieved and relaxed slightly.

Susan continued, "She was hit by two arrows. Lucy was able to heal her, but she's running a high fever. Lucy says it's nothing to worry about, but--" She stopped here and looked away. Edmund took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Edmund, something is bothering her. She isn't sleeping peacefully and when she's awake she is delirious. She's being worn out by something," she took a ragged breath, trying to hold back her tears, "She's getting weaker by the hour. I don't thing she will--"

"Don't say it, Susan... Please don't say anything more." Edmund's voice was hushed and lifeless.

They sat in silence, time pressing heavily down upon them. Hours seemed to pass by and Susan fell asleep against Edmund's shoulder. He nodded off slightly, but always woke with a start. The hallway stayed dark and quite. Waiting. He fell asleep finally and in only a blink to him, it was suddenly daylight.

----------------------------------------------------

He sat up from his slouched position against the wall. His neck was sore from the weird position it had been in. Looking around the hallway he saw Susan had moved to a bench closer to Katherine's room. A healer was quietly talking to her.

Standing up and stretching, he made his way towards them. The healer, noticing his approach, presently ended the conversation with the Queen with a bow ad scurried down the hallway, and bowed again as he passed Edmund. Reaching Susan, who put out her hands towards him, he knelt down in front of her and took them in his hands.

"Susan. What news?"

Her face was unemotional, her voice was tired, "Peter is awake, his fever gone."

Edmund stood, a smile on his face. She continued,

"He is still weak, but the healer says he will be able to move around within a fort-night."

Edmund clapped his hands together, letting his head fall to his chest, blowing out a large breath. Relief rushed over him like a river. His brother was going to be alright.

Susan continued to sit there, a look of thoughtfulness came into her eyes. She stayed silent.

Lucy appeared from Kate's room. Her appearance told Edmund that she had gotten little or no sleep at all since the morning before. Her hair was light back loosely with a black ribbon. She seated herself next to Susan on the bench and closed her eyes, resting. Edmund said nothing, but only looked at her. The laughter was gone from his eyes. Susan looked off into the distance, not aware of her surroundings. To Edmund it seemed as though the world for a second stopped moving for a moment in time, and everything in it rested. Not a sound could be heard, not a thing moved. It was a moment of peace.

He shifted his weight, and Lucy spoke, her eyes still closed. "Peter's awake." Edmund nodded his head, forgetting that she could not see him. She went on without his answer, her voice breaking into Susan's thoughts,

"Kate is in a comatose state. She hasn't woken up since earlier last night. Her breathing is fast, and her fever is still high."

Susan was still silent. Edmund's shoulders slumped forward. They were all silent. Thoughts clouded their minds, each one trying to find their voice to whisper the question which was trying to push it's way above all the others. Edmund looked at his sisters. Susan looked like she was fighting back tears, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. Lucy was absently trying to dig dried blood from under her fingernails, her head tilted back, her eyes closed, her brow furrowed with worry. He suddenly found his voice. It wavered in the air, and hung like a heavy curtain over their shoulders.

"What do we tell Peter?"

Really short, I know, but, there you go! Please Read and Review

Hope you enjoyed. fin!