Chapter Nine: Warm

I was told to wait outside while Trent looked over Duke's injuries. Grin had remained with us to assist. Inside I could hear our captain yelling out and a scuffle of some sort following this. Before long though I was called in as well.

Stepping through the repaired door my eyes widened to find Duke lying in his bed with the sheets stained red now. Trent turned to me trying to keep his composure as he orderd, "Heart! Over here quickly now!"

I hurried over to them and listened to Trent's orders.

"I've been trying to get the bullets out so I can clean his wounds and bandage them, but he won't settle down enough to let me work on him," he said, "If I can't do this he'll continue to bleed out and the wounds risk becoming infected. I need you to try and keep him relaxed. We don't have pain killers or any thing else to knock him out with, so it's this or..."

"I'll do what I can," I agreed quickly while he instructed me to sit at the base of the bed.

I carefully lifted Duke's head as he gritted his teeth and rested it in my lap.

"Heart?" He whispered weakly.

"Shhhh, listen to me okay?" I answered softly, trying to hold myself together.

"Heart...I..."

"I'm not going anywhere, but I need you to relax. I know it hurts...but please..."

I begged him.

Trent began working on Duke's shoulder. As he did I felt Duke tense up, trying to wrench himself away. Grin stood ready to hold him down while I rubbed Duke's neck gently, "Duke, it's okay. Just...just listen okay? I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to see this through with you."

"That's it, keep it up Heart," Trent encouraged as he continued.

My stomach turned as I noticed him working on Duke's shoulder still. Taking a deep breath of my own I then focused on Duke's face again. He was trying again to wriggle out of my grasp and Trent's tools.

"Duke, just a bit more okay? Try to relax," I encouraged him, "Relax and stay with me okay?"

"Heart, why...did ya...come back?" He asked trying to fight through his pain.

"I told you. I made a vow to see this adventure through with you, remember?" I tried to assure him.

"There!" Trent said before setting the first bullet on the table, "Now for his leg."

Trent looked to Grin now, "I need you to pin his legs down so he doesn't kick me please. Heart keep him with us."

"Got it!" Grin replied while stepping to the foot of the bed and pinning Duke's legs down.

Just as Trent had said, Duke tried to pull his legs free while Trent began to work again. Yet my strong friend held his legs with an iron grip. Duke yelled out, snarling in agony as I tried to talk to him.

"Duke!" I begged, "Duke please! Listen to me. I'm still with you. Relax okay? I know it hurts, but you need to do this for..." I hesitated at first, but when he tried to pull away I heard myself beg him, "Please Duke, do this for me! Stay with me okay?"

"Heart..." he seethed as Trent ventured further.

"I've got you with me, just relax..." I insisted while running a hand gently through his hair, "Stay with me."

With another cry of pain from Duke, Trent managed to extract the second bullet. He gasped for breath now with sweat matting his feathers to his forehead.

Trent then began cleaning his wounds while I still held onto Duke. He also handed me a cloth to wash his face of the sweat and cool his forehead.

"He's lucky they didn't go through. He would be dead right now. Though he isn't looking too good right now," he admitted grimly, "He's lost a lot of blood and the cold rain hasn't helped keep his temperature up."

"What can we do?" Grin asked while Trent cut away Duke's blood soaked clothes and wrapped his cleaned wounds in bandages. Then he had Grin bring over some fresh sheets and blankets. Grin lifted Duke up slightly while I helped place the new bedding beneath and over him.

"Well, he needs heat," Trent said with frustration in his tone, "if he-"

I bit my lower lip nervously before taking a deep breath, "I can do that."

"Heart?" Trent asked surprised.

"He needs heat right? I can...I can provide that," I said, "But would you two please step out?"

They both did as I requested while I removed my soaked through clothing. Shivering myself I wasn't sure how much this would work. Yet looking at Duke as even his feathers seemed to grow pale, I knew I didn't have much choice but to try.

"Duke?" I asked softly, "Duke, it's me. Stay with me okay?"

"Heart?" He replied in a frail voice, "What are ya doin' sweetheart?"

Dressed in only a dry set of under garments I bit my lower lip again before slipping beneath the blankets with him. Then I carefully wrapped my arms around him and clung to him. Trying to keep him from growing colder I brushed my hand gently over his chest to create some sort of motion to warm him.

"Funny, didn't I offer ta warm ya up when we met darlin'?" He laughed weakly.

"Duke..."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he said in a breath of a voice as he wrapped his arm around me as well.

"You're tremblin' love,...are you okay?" He asked while I rested my head carefully against his chest now.

"I'm scared..." I admitted while clinging to him a bit.

"I wouldn't hurt ya...ya know that," he said.

"That's not what I mean," I insisted shakily, "I'm scared...of you slipping away! I'm scared of you losing your freedom. I'm scared of you pushing me away again if we get through this! I'm scared..."

I tried to hold myself back as I began to cry while clinging to him.

"Heart?"

"I'm scared of losing you Duke!" I finally admitted while sobbing into his chest, "So please...don't leave me.!"

He was silent and he was still. I held my breath as I tried to listen for his feint heartbeat. A breath of relief escaped my lungs as his hand slowly closed over mine over his heart. I instinctively clung to him a bit more, feeling a gradual warmth washing over both of us.

"Ya know...sweetheart...this is...kinda torture ta me..." he tried to laugh as he gripped my shoulder, brushing his fingers against my skin gently, "Here I have ya...in my arms...like this...an' I don't have the energy...ta do anythin'...about it..."

I carefully propped myself up looking over him with a raised brow. He attempted another weak laugh, "At least...I can...still...make ya blush it seems..."

He then reached up with his uninjured arm and brushed his hand against my cheek.

"Heart...why...do ya keep...comin' back...?" He asked me softly

Looking over him my heart pounded in my chest. Yet the words stuck to my throat from fear it seemed. I was afraid he would slip away. I was afraid he would pull me close only to shove me back again. I was afraid if I didn't say it I never would. That fear won out as I trembled and gazed into his remaining brown eye.

"I made you a promise Captain..." I told him with tears betraying me as I shook.

"Heart...I'm beggin' ya darlin'...use...use my name...?" He breathed painfully.

"Duke..." I choked out through the stress and tears, "Please...don't give up...stay with us...stay with me...please..."

With that I leaned over him carefully and kissed his cheek, "Please...Duke..."

I almost whispered more to him. I mouthed the words, but at this point I had no voice to make them heard even so close to him. Everything crashed over my shoulders as I hugged him, trembling as I did.

Then I felt him holding me in return. His left arm gripped me with what strength he had.

"I...won't give up...Heart...how can...I..ignore ya...cryin'...like this...over...me?" He answered as he gently pulled me back down in his grip and rubbed my shoulder to ease my crying.

After a bit longer like this Duke told me to go ahead and get dressed again. Just as I had Trent knocked and came in with Grin again. He walked over to Duke and checked him over. With a sigh of relief he said, "He seems stable at least. Now he needs to just rest."

Trent turned towards me as I finished buttoning my blouse up to my collar bone. I glanced to the side to try and avoid his questions. He gave a knowing nod and didn't push any further. All he said was to Duke, "You're lucky to be alive this time Duke. I suggest you be more careful in the future, and appreciate what you have."

I noticed Duke smiling tiredly as he glanced at me, "I'll keep that in mind."

I then turned to Grin, "You should probably go back to the others. Please tell my brothers that I'm okay now, but I will be seeing this adventure through to the end."

I paused as I looked at Duke as he drifted off to sleep and I said, "And possibly passed that point as well."

"I will give them the message young friend," he assured me in his ever kind tone, "May you find the path that brings you both where you need to be."

With that he left. Trent also left the room to look over the repairs done thus far. This left me pulling up a chair beside Duke's bed as I watched over him quietly. He opened his remaining eye and looked at me for a moment. Then he shifted beneath the blankets a bit until his good arm was free and he was holding his hand out towards me. Taking his offer I held his hand within both of mine. Then he smiled before drifting back to sleep, "I adore...those...sapphire eyes...of yours...love..."

I couldn't bring myself to even whisper. Instead I just gripped his hand tighter and remained beside him.