Author's Note: College workloads can be a truly evil thing. I've had barely any time to write for myself, so my fanfic has been on the back burner, which has been very unfortunate for Kora and Aniki considering where the last drabble left off. For all the abuse most of my characters take, I just can't torture these two and, in order to make up for the events in "Lost," this follows directly after and has a much happier ending.

Prompt 33. The morning after

When dawn breaks, it casts sharp, cleansing rays over the scene in Beka's bedroom. The light wraps around Aniki to pull her from her already restless sleep. Its pale tendrils smooth over Kora's supine form on the bed, banishing shadow bruises to make way for even planes of skin. Blearily blinking her way back into consciousness, Aniki rises from her chair next to the bed to comb her fingers through the other woman's brown hair. She marvels at the healer's work; the purples and blacks were beginning to leach away and the glaring cuts had knitted together into thin white lines.

Even with most of Kora's surface wounds beaten back, Aniki feels her hand shake as she rolls the chestnut strands between her fingers. Her breath doubles back in her throat for a moment as Kora rolls onto her side, but after that she lays still, and the breath releases itself. The ugly mess of bruising and deep cuts on her chest still glares up from beneath the partial shield of the nightgown, though it is smaller in size than it had been the night before. Against her will, Aniki's hand reaches out to touch the wound. Even with her fingers resting against what was almost the end of Kora's life, she worries that is not the real damage, that the real damage lays behind her shuttered eyes.

As if prompted by Aniki's musings, Kora's eyes open and stare out, unfocused, until they find the shape of Aniki at her bedside. Kora draws her hand up to rub at her eyes and gives a wide yawn.

"What time is it?"

Aniki grins, her apprehensions momentarily brushed aside. She finds a bit of humor in Kora asking such a banal question on waking up after last night's events. "Probably a little past seven or so. How do you feel?"

"A lot better than yesterday certainly. I don't hurt as much and you're with me, so things are looking up." She reaches her hands over her head into a gentle stretch. She winces. "Okay, that part still hurts," she says gesturing to the wound on her chest as she lowers her arms. Taking in Aniki's concerned expression, she adds, "How are you?"

"Fine, just fine."

"You look the exact opposite of fine. What has you so grim?"

"You almost died! And that cove almost-" Aniki trails off.

Kora sighs and pushes herself higher up against the headboard. "But he didn't, and I'm alive. I'm not going to say I wasn't affected by it, or that it is all going to fly away never to be thought of again, but this will not break me. Just because I don't carry a sword, doesn't mean I'm more fragile than you."

"It's just that these sort of things aren't supposed to happen to you," Aniki says, balling her fists around the hem of her shirt.

"And they're supposed to happen to you? No, don't answer that, it was rhetorical," Kora adds, when she sees Aniki open her mouth to speak. "I knew what I risks I was taking when I got involved in the Court of the Rogue. I'd been lucky for a long time before this."

With a slight flush tinting her cheeks, Aniki nods. "I guess I know how you feel, now."

"It's not very fun, is it?"

"Not fun at all."

Kora smiles softly. "Have you slept any since last night?"

"I slept for a few hours in that chair. I only got up a few minutes before you did though."

"You really should have slept longer. There's no use in you wearing yourself out just because I'm not doing well. We can't have you falling asleep while you're at Court with Rosto tonight, because I really don't want to have the healer need to stop by again. Get up here, so you can sleep in a real bed."

"No, I might roll you off or press on something that hurts," Aniki replies.

"We've been sharing a bed for over four years and you've never once pushed me out, even though you do steal the covers. I just want you to get some real rest."

Kicking off her boots, Aniki lies down on the mattress, her body softly angled against Kora's side. "I doubt I'll be able to actually sleep," she protests, even as she tries to restrain a yawn.

Kora stretches out a hand to rest on the other woman's cheek. "You need it. Stop worrying; I won't suddenly get worse while you sleep and I'm sure Beka and Rosto can help me if I need anything." Letting a few strands of her Gift flow through her fingertips, she murmurs, "Sleep."

Aniki's eyelids begin to slump. As her breathing slows into a quiet breeze, she amends her earlier thought: there might be damage, but it would not break Kora.

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