Chapter 7
"Open your mouth, and say Ah."
With a grumble and a sideways glare in Jarlaxle's direction, he complied. Knowing what was coming, however, didn't stop him from instinctively recoiling when the wooden swab stick touched his tongue.
"Easy there, just a bit longer and…done. You can close your mouth now." The man in the doctor's coat turned and placed the wooden swab in a clean container, sealing it tightly. Artemis briefly glared at his back, before turning and directing his distaste towards the drow that had summoned the blasted man.
"Alright, I'll return to my office and run what I've taken through some tests. I should be back with the results in a day or so." The doctor gathered up his supplies, along with the container with the swab and a few vials of blood before turning and making his exit.
Once the door was shut, silence reigned in the room. Artemis sulked where he sat on his bed, while Jarlaxle idly twirled his thumbs.
The silence was broken by a grumble from Artemis. Jarlaxle lifted his head up to look at his disgruntled partner.
"Yes abbil?" A glare was shot his way with renewed intensity.
"I hate you." It was more muttered than anything else. Jarlaxle sighed.
"A necessary evil abbil." The man growled.
"I still don't like it." Another mutter.
With a huff, the drow stood and crossed the room to sit beside the man. "Let me see?" He phrased it as a question for his own safety. Forcing the irritable man to agree to let a doctor examine him had been…nearly impossible. His case hadn't been helped when the doctor had demanded a full physical in order to yield accurate results. He was glad he had confiscated Artemis' weapons before the doctor arrived. Not that it made things any easier.
An unintelligible grumble, and the man obliged. The drow's lips thinned as he looked over his partner's hands. It had only been two days since Artemis had initially shown him, and his hands had already almost entirely reverted to his original skin tone. Worse, the 'breaking' as Jarlaxle had termed it, had now extended past his wrists to halfway up his forearms. Initially, Jarlaxle had thought that they still had time, as it was only starting with his hands. That was until Artemis had shown him it was also working up from his feet too. His legs were now 'breaking' at just below mid-calf.
"How's your memory, khal abbil?" He spoke softly, his own discomfort at the situation coming through.
"Mostly the names of places are what I'm having difficulty with." Artemis also spoke softly, unsettled by what was becoming his reality. A short pause ensued. "Some names too."
"Names?"
"The…" a frustrated-sounding huff, and he went quiet.
"Names, or people?" The man grumbled, hanging his head.
"Mostly places, some names, some people."
"Artemis.."
"I can vaguely recall the people. But anytime I try to focus on them, it's like they…slip."
"Ah." He tentatively lifted his arm around the man's shoulders, subtly pulling them closer.
For as much as he'd always considered relying on someone else weak before, right now he was grateful for the drow's attempts at comfort. He still felt tired, and the drow was warm. Hesitantly, cautiously, he let his head rest on Jarlaxle's shoulder. The drow responded with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, pulling him in a little closer.
"Jarlaxle?" His throat felt tight. He wasn't used to feeling this.
"Yes khal abbil?"
"You'll fix me…right?"
Jarlaxle was silent for a moment. "I'll do everything I can, my friend. Believe me." He pulled Artemis a little closer to him, holding him a little tighter.
Artemis tried to relax, even just a bit.
…But he was scared.
