Author's Note: So, your mileage may vary as to how realistic Serenoa surviving is, but I decided it was definitely unrealistic for him to come out completely unscathed. Here's the big Drama for this fic, because I am a sucker for both cheese and drama. Sorry, Serenoa. Corentin was very fun in his brief moment here, though, so that was A Thing. :')

Chapter Two: The Diagnosis

Frederica had trouble sleeping that night.

It was strange—the first two nights, she'd focused on her mission just fine. Her determination to see things through had coaxed her to sleep eventually. Even when the pain of "losing" Serenoa was fresher, Frederica had found other things to focus on.

But now, there was an uncertainty. Serenoa was alive when they'd pulled him out of the river, but who knew how he was doing now? Frederica trusted Geela and Hossabara, of course. She knew that, if nothing else, they'd do their best to ease his suffering. There was a gnawing sense of anxiety in her stomach, though. She wanted to be there, to actually see him—

Frederica shook her head and rolled over. She couldn't do this to herself; she knew it was foolish to worry like this. Still, she couldn't help it. Even after everything she'd done, Frederica was too sensitive for her own good.

In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, she'd had the distraction of distributing rations and helping set up cots and tents. They'd pulled enough supplies out of the ship that everyone had bedding, even if some people had to crowd together. There had also been enough dried provisions that they could probably last a couple weeks, if they paced themselves properly. Those were definitely blessings, and Frederica took a deep breath as she reminded herself of that.

She had things to be grateful for, even now. All she could do was focus on what she could control. After another deep breath, Frederica managed to calm herself down.

It was hard to drift off, but she had to eventually. Geela and Hossabara had stayed in their makeshift medical tent overnight, and they'd tell everyone how Serenoa was doing in the morning. Until then, Frederica would just have to be patient.

She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the fabric of her blanket, willing herself to sleep.

Frederica dozed off eventually, but she woke up early the next morning. A few hours of sleep were better than none, she supposed. Still, she stumbled around tiredly upon rising, and she couldn't stop yawning.

She ate a few pieces of dried fruit she found among the rations, and then she sat down outside Serenoa's tent. Frederica glanced around uncertainly; she wasn't sure what to do with herself. There were a few other people up, but not many. She spotted Anna, Groma, and Jens nearby, doing some patrols around the edge of camp. They probably didn't need her help…she knew they could handle themselves.

There were muffled voices from inside the tent. Frederica blinked, then squinted and cocked her head to the side curiously. Three voices? Ah, that was right. Cordelia, Medina, and even Corentin had occasionally stepped in to help last night. One of them must be inside now.

Then, she heard footsteps, and Frederica glanced up to see Roland coming towards her. He gave her an awkward smile, and she patted the ground next to her. Roland obligingly sat down, casting a glance of his own towards the tent.

"Do you know anything yet?"

She shook her head. "No. I just couldn't handle sitting around, so I thought…"

"…You may as well wait here?" Roland finished, managing to laugh. "I felt the same."

They were silent for a few seconds, and Frederica absently tugged at her cloak. Roland's eyes flickered around the edges of the camp. Suddenly, neither of them knew what to say. Frederica knew he had to be as anxious as she was, though, so she had to say something.

"…It's rare for your hair to be loose," she finally mused, cracking a smile at the obviousness of her statement. He'd likely taken it down to wash last night, and it fell in loose waves down his back. Obviously, he'd been too tired to bother tying it back again.

Roland gave her an amused half-grin. "Cordelia likes to help me braid it sometimes, but—"

The implied "she was too tired this morning" died at his lips when the tent flap finally opened. Hossabara yawned, Geela was blearily rubbing her eyes with one hand (while holding her glasses in the other), and Corentin was muttering under his breath.

"Fascinating how much of a pain reliever ice can be! I don't know why they never let us document something so mundane—" Hossabara shot him A Look, and Corentin coughed awkwardly. "Er, I could sort through the supplies, if you no longer need my help? I believe Erador said something about wanting to see if we'd found any liquor…"

Hossabara sighed and shook her head as Corentin hastily scrambled away. Then, she grinned down at Frederica and Roland. The expression soon turned into something more mixed, and Frederica bit her lip.

Finally, Geela put her glasses back on and spoke up. "Well, the good news is, Lord Serenoa is stable. He should live, provided he takes it slowly for the next few days. But…"

She shook her head as well. Frederica swallowed; she had never known Geela to be so hesitant. What could be so bad that she was reluctant to finish her sentence?

"Well, he can talk and sit up and move his arms just fine," Hossabara said. "But he says he can't feel anything from the waist down, and we haven't been able to get him to stand up. We're not sure if he'll be able to walk again."

Roland paled. "No, that's…"

Frederica gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't fair. Really, it was enough of a miracle that Serenoa was alive. She truly was happy for that, but—

He'd still given up something for her. It was too much to ask that Serenoa was alive and healthy. Of course. She was sure they could work something out for him, but the sacrifice was too great.

Frederica rubbed the corners of her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She glanced back up reluctantly, and Geela knelt down and rested a hand on her shoulder. The encouraging gesture helped, and Frederica took a deep breath and nodded.

"May…may I see him now?"

"Of course," Geela replied gently. "He's been asking for both of you."

"Just go one at a time," Hossabara added. "Don't wanna overwhelm him right now."

Frederica looked uncertainly at Roland. He nodded, dusting himself off as he stood up.

"You can go first," he offered. "I…need a moment to stretch."

"…Thank you."

Frederica took another deep breath before ducking into the tent. There were a few medical supplies strewn about, though most of them had been moved to one side to give Serenoa more space. He was sitting up, though leaned comfortably against a few pillows. When his eyes fell on her, Serenoa's eyes lit up, and a grin split his face.

"Frederica, I—"

"Oh, Serenoa!"

She fell to her knees and threw her arms around his shoulders. He made a surprised noise that probably would've been funny under normal circumstances. When Frederica buried her face in his neck and finally let herself cry, Serenoa hugged her in return. One arm rested against her lower back, and his other hand settled on the back of her head.

"It's all right," he murmured. "I'm fine. Please…"

Frederica sniffled and shook her head. Even now, he was more concerned about her than himself. It was typical for him, and she was happy that he seemed so normal. But how could he sit there and comfort her when he was in such a state?

"I-I thought you were—" She couldn't say 'dead,' so she hastily moved on. "They—they told me you can't—"

Serenoa sighed, and Frederica pulled back just far enough that she could see him look down at his legs. There were several seconds of silence, and his face scrunched up a little, as if he was willing himself to move. Finally, he shook his head and glanced back up at her.

"It's…true that I can't feel my legs, but…" He smiled hesitantly, bringing his hand down to her cheek. "I don't regret what I did. I would do it again a hundred times over if I had to, as long as everyone is all right."

She smiled in return. "We are. And I would have kept marching, no matter what. But I…I'm glad that you can be here with us, Serenoa. I wouldn't have given up, but…"

Her eyes were welling up again, and she found it hard to continue. It was such an odd feeling; she'd decided just a few days ago that carrying on was the best way to honor him. And yet, now that Serenoa was back, she never wanted to lose him again. He seemed to understand her conflict, as he pulled her in close again and spoke up for her.

"I know; I've always admired your determination. I wouldn't have wanted you to stop, either. But being here to see what happens to our people is one of the greatest blessings I could ask for."

Frederica nodded and squeezed him tightly. He understood perfectly, and he validated both her motivation and her heartbreak. The relief was overwhelming, and she couldn't help both laughing and crying. Serenoa grinned in return, shifting slightly so he could brush his lips across her cheek, and—

As Frederica moved over to kiss him, she could only hope that her relief and gratitude and myriad of complex feelings were all conveyed at once. However, she was starting to believe that everything would work out, somehow.

She knew it would be hard, but for now, all she could think about was the feeling of his lips against hers, and the light sensation of his fingers combing through her hair, and the fact that Serenoa was alive and in her arms, and—

It wouldn't be easy, but it would be possible. And that was all that mattered.