Chapter 8 – I Had to Do This – Faeryn's POV
I was appalled when I realized Gwion was going to harm the bunny so that I would have a wound to heal. A scream escaped my lips, "Nooo!"
He stopped and waited for me to get ready.
I shook my head. "I can't do this! Obviously, I understand why you think it is necessary, but it would hurt me to see him harmed, even if I knew I could heal it...And we don't even know yet if I can."
He stared at me in contemplation. After another long moment, he placed the bunny back in the cage and pulled out his phone. He spoke in fluid Welsh as he ordered a car for us.
Moments later, three large black vehicles with several guards collected us, and we were speeding down the highway. I glanced at Gwion's profile in the dark. I wasn't able to ask him more questions as he was on his phone, seemingly arranging our impending visit, but I heard him murmur words like, "No, younger. Terminal? Yes, that would work. Is the mother there now? No, don't compel her."
I understood then where we were going. My heart raced as we pulled up to the Children's Hospital. We were escorted around back to a private entrance used only by the staff. Four of our guards accompanied us up to the room, while the others remained with the vehicles. I'm sure we made an intimidating picture – five very large, dangerous looking men plus me – as we made our way through the sparsely populated halls, due to the late hour.
Only Gwion came with me into the room. The instant I saw the little girl laying in the bed, all other thoughts faded away and she was the only thing I could focus on. She was very small, probably only four years old and had multiple tubes and wires coming out of her tiny little body, hooked up to various machines. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her chest rose and fell too slowly as she worked to breathe. Her eyes were closed. If it hadn't been for the movement of her chest and the slow beeping of the machines, I would have been afraid we were already too late. I moved closer and glanced up to find her mother staring at me intently, a mixture of hope and distrust played in her eyes.
"What is her name?" I whispered hoarsely around the lump in my throat, as I forcibly pushed back my with emotion.
"Annabel," she replied.
"Annabel," I repeated. "It's a beautiful name. What's wrong with her?"
Her mother's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out, only tears as she tried to pull herself together to answer my question. My heart clenched as I watched the love she clearly had for her daughter. I recognized it. It was the same desperate and fierce kind of love that Mama felt for me. I fought back my own tears as she was finally able to utter a response.
"She has a brain tumor. My brave girl has fought for two years, but now the cancer is back and the doctors believe that tonight will be her last night. I... Don't know how to...Say goodbye," she cried brokenly.
I felt it then. That part of my mind, that Gwion had led me to earlier, roared to life, along with the same vibration I had felt at the club. Gwion stepped up behind me and instructed in my ear, "Don't create the illusion of healing. Push that part back."
I understood what he meant and forced the vibration into silence. I wanted the girl to actually be healed, not just have the illusion of it. I reached and placed my fingertips on each side of her precious little face.
Instantly the connection was made and I was overcome by the fierce onslaught of her sickness. I gasped and hunched over, but held on. It felt like a war between her disease and I. Minutes passed while I fought, gaining only little bits of ground at a time. My entire body trembled. Gwion placed an arm under my chest to support my weight, and murmured soft words of encouragement into my ear, "You can do this."
I had to do this.
I could not walk out of here and let this child die tonight, I thought fiercely. With renewed determination, I squeezed my eyes shut and focused every ounce of my will and every bit of energy out of my body into hers. She gasped, her lungs filling completely and her eyes fluttered open. The most beautiful sound came out of her as she whispered, "Mommy?"
I had done it!
But I was incredibly weakened. I faltered. Gwion scooped me into his arms and cradled me against his chest before I collapsed.
Her mother bent over her tiny little frame, holding as much of her as she could in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she chanted, "I'm here, baby, Mommy's right here."
Annabel spoke again, "I'm hungry."
Her mother laughed through her tears and replied, "Of course you are, baby. Of course you are. Mommy's going to take care of that right now."
She scurried past me into the hall to call for the nurse. When the nurse arrived, she gasped in shock as she looked at Annabel, who was now sitting up and quite inpatient to be disconnected from all of the bothersome medical equipment.
Gwion murmured to the mother, "We must go now."
"Wait! I don't know how to...Thank you," she cried. "I could never repay what you have done."
"No repayment is necessary. Reuben explained that you would forget we were even here."
"I could never forget you... Never forget your kindness," she swore fervently.
Gwion's voice lowered hypnotically, "You will not remember our faces. We were never here. It was a miracle that healed your daughter."
The mother stared off into space for a moment while Gwion compelled the nurse with the same instructions, and then he walked out of the room with me still in his arms. As we headed toward the exit I stopped him. "Wait! Why are we leaving? There are more children that need my help!"
"Faeryn, it is not our place to disrupt the natural balance of human existence," he replied without emotion.
That answer wasn't going to work for me. I didn't need his assistance. I would do it on my own.I hissed, "Put me down!"
He agreed to set me on my feet, but said firmly, "Faeryn, I'm not going to let you do that."
I could tell by his tone he was serious. I knew he planned to physically carry me out of here if I did not go willingly. And I was not strong enough to stop him.
"Why not?!" I wailed. "They are sick...And dying! Don't you understand? She would have died tonight if we hadn't come here! They need my help... I can't just turn my back on them!"
He gathered me in his arms and whispered, "I'm sorry, but we cannot stay."
I knew he didn't like to see me in pain. That much was obvious from the distress on his face. But I also knew he was resolute in his decision. I pummeled my small fists against his chest and cried, "No, no, no!"
He let me hit him and then murmured softly, "I am sorry. But we cannot interfere. It is not our place. And while that is sufficient reasoning, there is another matter. I have seen it happen before. Even though they are compelled to forget, any sudden mass healing causes a very widespread witch hunt."
I understood what he meant, but it still broke my heart to walk away. I stopped fighting and sobbed against his chest. He gathered me into his arms once again and carried me to the car, murmuring soothing shushing noises the entire way.
My tears had dried up by the time we reached the vehicle, but he still held me close to his body with one arm protectively around my shoulders, while we drove. My thoughts wandered as the night went by. After a moment, I contemplated softly, "Mama said it was possible... For me to one day have children of my own."
I felt Gwion's entire body stiffen.
I panicked and looked up at him. I had never thought about being a mother before, but I had always been thankful to know I had that option if I wanted it. I searched his eyes as I asked, "Was she wrong?"
Gwion's eyes were hard as he replied, "You are able to, yes...But only with a human, and your children would be mortal."
Oh!
I began to wonder if his response was personal and asked without thinking, "Does that bother you? The thought of me being with another man?"
As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how presumptuous they sounded. I had assumed he wanted to be with me. He had clearly been aroused while we were dancing, but he had also explained the only reason for it was to get my gifts to manifest. He never said he was actually interested in something more with me. Just perfect.
I cringed as I waited for his response.
After a moment he replied carefully, "You should not be considering that level of intimacy with any man at this point in your life. You still have much to learn and plenty of time to make those decisions later."
Even though I had set myself up for disappointment by asking the question, I was still hurt that he didn't appear to be interested in anything more than just a student/teacher relationship with me. I disentangled from his embrace, and settled myself into the seat next to him as I murmured, "I understand."
His voice was pained as he whispered, "Faeryn, I did not mean to hurt you."
I looked away from him, out the window and replied flatly, "No, it is wise advice. I'm tired and would really like not to talk anymore."
