*****************************
Daine closed her eyes and pleaded with every god she knew of, to not take Numair away from her. She couldn't bare his loss. She looked down at his face and noted that it was paler than she had ever seen it before even thru the caked on blood. She tried to run her hand thru his hair, but recoiled as if bitten by a snake when she found it covered in his blood. As she looked at him, blood was the only thing she saw. It was everywhere. It was still seeping out of his numerous wounds. She didn't know how much blood he had lost and it scared her as she recalled the basin of dark red liquid being poured into the cauldron.
"It must have been his blood." Daine said bitterly to herself.
"What?" Jon said beside her alarmed at her revelation.
"When I was in there... She dumped a basin filled with a dark red liquid into a cauldron." Daine stuttered.
"Goddess! They had better get here soon!" Jon yelled in an urgent tone as he stood up and looked to spot when the trail met the gates as if his will alone could bring the site of help. "It's been at least ten minutes since I sent them. They should be here any minute now." Jon said trying to reassure Daine more than anything. Daine still knelt by Numair's side with his hand in hers. Jon noticed that she was concentrating on his face as if it would be the last time she ever saw it. "Stop that! He isn't going to die!" Jon said to snap Daine out of her state of surrender.
"And what if he does?" Daine asked without emotion.
"Don't even contemplate it, because he's not. I know there is still life left in him and he isn't about to go." Jon said as he glanced toward the gates to see help arriving. "They're here!" He exclaimed. Daine's head shot up and a small amount of hope swelled within her. Alanna was riding her horse and was well ahead of the carriage. She made it to the scene first.
"Goddess! What happened?" Alanna cursed as she dismounted her horse and ran to Numair's side. Alanna began to inspect his wounds.
"Kharnia attacked him, she used paralyzing potion..." Daine shuttered. Alanna nodded.
"I have an antidote at the palace for that, but I don't know if I have enough blood potion left to overcome bleeding of this magnitude." Alanna said gravely as the carriage reached them. "Hurry, lets get him home." Alanna urged as the party lifted Numair's cold, limp and unresponsive body off the ground and into the carriage. Daine, Jon and Alanna got into the carriage with Numair. Alanna stuck her head out the carriage window. "Now fly! If you don't get us back to the palace before this man dies I'll have your heads!" Alanna threatened and the horsemen rushed forward. Daine cringed as Alanna alluded to Numair's death.
'I can't live without him' Daine thought as she grasped his hand. Then something else occurred to her. 'I never got to ask him. I'll never know his answer.' Daine thought as Alanna started to frantically find a pulse and signs of breathing.
"Mithros! I just lost his vitals!" Alanna shrieked terrified. Daine looked on at the horrific scene. She couldn't hear a word her friends were saying, just the sound of the carriage wheels on the cobble stone streets, she could only see Numair's face as a single tear fell down her face.
'I love you, please don't leave me.' She thought sadly as the carriage doors opened and Jon, Alanna and fellow healers rushed to get Numair out of the carriage. Daine moved only so for the sake of following Numair's body. Suddenly Daine's vision started to go black and she lost her balance and fell on the ground.
*************************************************
Daine's eyes blinked open to the harsh light of the morning sun filtering in from an east facing window. She moaned as she felt her head swim with pain. She turned on her side so that the light was no longer in her face and looked up to see a familiar figure. Alanna gave Daine a grave smile. She was wearing a dark green cloak with black breeches and a dark green shirt.
"Good to see your awake." Alanna said as she handed her a potion. "Here, this will help your headache." Daine took it, trying to figure out how she ended up in the hospital wing of the palace. Then the pervious days events came back to her.
"Numair! Where is he?" Daine demanded, looking to her friend for some positive signs, but only found coldness.
"I'm sorry Daine, I did all I can, but..." Alanna trailed off unable to continue in her own grief.
"Don't tell me! Don't you dare tell me that he's... that he's..." Daine trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.
"No he's not dead... At least not yet." Alanna said as she looked over her friend. "He was so close last night... It was amazing he made it thru the night. I've never seen anyone that was so far gone. I only had enough blood potion to keep his veins from collapsing." Alanna said gravely.
"Can't you make more?" Daine asked grief stricken.
"Yes, but the potion takes a few days to brew." Alanna said dryly.
"What about the tube?" Daine asked remembering the reason for his blood loss.
"It was removed and the wound healed. It was deep, went straight into the right kidney." Alanna said as Daine looked at a tapestry on the wall without emotion, but then turned to her with hope in her eyes.
"He'll be ok then? Won't he?" Daine asked hopefully. Alanna stared at the ground.
"We don't know. He barely has enough blood in his veins to keep them from collapsing, surely not enough to keep his internal organs healthy." Alanna said sadly.
"What does that mean?" Daine asked fearful of the answer.
"It means that such an extended period of time on so little blood will almost certainly result in some form of brain damage." Alanna said as a tear ran down her cheek. "I talked it over with other healers, and we all agree." Alanna said as Daine put her face in her hands and started sobbing.
"No, it can't be." Daine choked between sobs. Alanna simply put her hand on Daine's shoulder. "I want to see him." Daine said simply looking up at Alanna.
"Follow me, but I don't think you'll like what you see." Alanna warned.
"I don't care! I just want to hold his hand... You'd want the same if it be George in there!" Daine said and Alanna nodded.
"You've got me there." She said sympathetically. Alanna led the rest of the way in silence. After a few minutes they came to a private room.
'This is a room for those that are going to die.' Daine thought and her chest tightened in grief. Daine followed as Alanna opened the door. Daine found that there were two healers in the room. They had Numair's body flipped on its belly. As Alanna moved Daine could see that Numair's body was unclothed and uncovered for there were many gashes running down his back, butt and legs. It looked as if he had been dragged over stones. The healers were rubbing ointments into the scraps and gashes.
"You two can go. I'll take it from here." Alanna ordered and the healers handed her the ointments. As soon as the doors shut behind them Alanna looked up and motioned to a chair. "Bring it over here. You can sit by him." Alanna said and Daine obeyed. She brought the chair up to his left side while Alanna hovered over his right side, applying the ointment. "I just don't trust anyone other than myself with him. I've got to make sure everything's done right." Alanna said choking back tears as she rubbed the ointment into a particularly deep wound on Numair's right butt cheek. "You might loose a husband, but don't forget the rest of us are losing our best friend... he's like a brother to me Daine... Were all hurting." Alanna said as she put the ointment down.
"He's not my husband yet..." Daine said as more tears flowed down her face. Alanna looked up at her gravely with sorrow in her eyes.
"This might not be the best time to ask this, but could you help me flip him over?" Alanna said and Daine was relieved to see a familiar twinkle in her eyes, even if it did seem to be flickering out.
"He's naked... If we flip him..." Daine said as a blush crept up on her cheeks. Seeing his butt was one thing since every human being has one, but the other side was bit different.
"Oh please... they all look the same." Alanna said trying to relieve some of the tension in the room.
"Alanna! It's NUMAIR!" Daine said as her blush deepened. Alanna laughed and pointed to something he was laying on. Diane looked at it and discovered it was a blanket.
"See that? It comes with him when we turn him so no one gets flashed." Alanna said and Daine sighed with relief.
"Well, what do you want me to do? I don't want to hurt him." Daine said pleadingly.
"First roll the ends of the blanket around him then roll him my way. I know it's odd, but his clothes had to go so we could tend to all his wounds."Alanna said as she and Daine rolled the ends of the blanket over him. It was a soft satin one that slid easily. Alanna gave Daine a nod and the two of them rolled Numair onto his back with great care. "Now I can't imagine that those two healers would have been this careful." Alanna sighed as she untucked the ends of the blanket from under Numair's back and let them droop over the sides of the mattress he was laying on. Now that his head was turned around Daine could finally look into his face once more.
"He's not as pale as he was." Daine said optimistically. Alanna came to stand beside her as Daine's fingers drifted under the cover to find his hand.
"Don't give up hope, Daine. He's still got a chance and if I know him as well as I think I do, then I know he's gonna fight this for us, for you." Alanna said as she squeezed her friend's shoulder and looked to Numair with tears in her purple eyes. "Just keep thinking that the sun will rise tomorrow... That it'll burn the shadow out of this world."
"Tomorrow..." Daine said with a pang of sorrow. "Tomorrow's our wedding day." Daine said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's the fall equinox. We planned it so my parents could come." Daine said as another tear rolled down her cheek. "But now I don't know if that day will ever come."
"I think he'll make it... Last night was the most critical point. He made it thru that, he can last another two days for more blood potion." Alanna said trying to get Daine to look on the good side of things.
"But you said he'll probably have brain damage from the blood loss!" Daine said in a tortured voice. "I can't imagine him being any different and still being Numair... My Numair." Daine whispered as her gaze turned to his pale face.
"Perhaps we should go get some breakfast." Alanna asked.
"No you go. I can't leave him." Daine stated and Alanna nodded.
"I'll bring you back something. I won't be gone to long." Alanna said, but got no reply from Daine. Instead Daine stared into Numair's lifeless face.
Within thirty minutes Alanna made her way back to Daine and Numair. She had brought toast, eggs and a glass of apple juice for Daine, but she wouldn't touch it. Daine would not touch any food that day. She was completely lost in grief as she awaited a sign of life from Numair.
************************
Ok... I have to end it there cuz somebody said so.. :: cough :: Perri :: Cough :: LOL
R & R OR NO MORE CHAPTERS!
Daine closed her eyes and pleaded with every god she knew of, to not take Numair away from her. She couldn't bare his loss. She looked down at his face and noted that it was paler than she had ever seen it before even thru the caked on blood. She tried to run her hand thru his hair, but recoiled as if bitten by a snake when she found it covered in his blood. As she looked at him, blood was the only thing she saw. It was everywhere. It was still seeping out of his numerous wounds. She didn't know how much blood he had lost and it scared her as she recalled the basin of dark red liquid being poured into the cauldron.
"It must have been his blood." Daine said bitterly to herself.
"What?" Jon said beside her alarmed at her revelation.
"When I was in there... She dumped a basin filled with a dark red liquid into a cauldron." Daine stuttered.
"Goddess! They had better get here soon!" Jon yelled in an urgent tone as he stood up and looked to spot when the trail met the gates as if his will alone could bring the site of help. "It's been at least ten minutes since I sent them. They should be here any minute now." Jon said trying to reassure Daine more than anything. Daine still knelt by Numair's side with his hand in hers. Jon noticed that she was concentrating on his face as if it would be the last time she ever saw it. "Stop that! He isn't going to die!" Jon said to snap Daine out of her state of surrender.
"And what if he does?" Daine asked without emotion.
"Don't even contemplate it, because he's not. I know there is still life left in him and he isn't about to go." Jon said as he glanced toward the gates to see help arriving. "They're here!" He exclaimed. Daine's head shot up and a small amount of hope swelled within her. Alanna was riding her horse and was well ahead of the carriage. She made it to the scene first.
"Goddess! What happened?" Alanna cursed as she dismounted her horse and ran to Numair's side. Alanna began to inspect his wounds.
"Kharnia attacked him, she used paralyzing potion..." Daine shuttered. Alanna nodded.
"I have an antidote at the palace for that, but I don't know if I have enough blood potion left to overcome bleeding of this magnitude." Alanna said gravely as the carriage reached them. "Hurry, lets get him home." Alanna urged as the party lifted Numair's cold, limp and unresponsive body off the ground and into the carriage. Daine, Jon and Alanna got into the carriage with Numair. Alanna stuck her head out the carriage window. "Now fly! If you don't get us back to the palace before this man dies I'll have your heads!" Alanna threatened and the horsemen rushed forward. Daine cringed as Alanna alluded to Numair's death.
'I can't live without him' Daine thought as she grasped his hand. Then something else occurred to her. 'I never got to ask him. I'll never know his answer.' Daine thought as Alanna started to frantically find a pulse and signs of breathing.
"Mithros! I just lost his vitals!" Alanna shrieked terrified. Daine looked on at the horrific scene. She couldn't hear a word her friends were saying, just the sound of the carriage wheels on the cobble stone streets, she could only see Numair's face as a single tear fell down her face.
'I love you, please don't leave me.' She thought sadly as the carriage doors opened and Jon, Alanna and fellow healers rushed to get Numair out of the carriage. Daine moved only so for the sake of following Numair's body. Suddenly Daine's vision started to go black and she lost her balance and fell on the ground.
*************************************************
Daine's eyes blinked open to the harsh light of the morning sun filtering in from an east facing window. She moaned as she felt her head swim with pain. She turned on her side so that the light was no longer in her face and looked up to see a familiar figure. Alanna gave Daine a grave smile. She was wearing a dark green cloak with black breeches and a dark green shirt.
"Good to see your awake." Alanna said as she handed her a potion. "Here, this will help your headache." Daine took it, trying to figure out how she ended up in the hospital wing of the palace. Then the pervious days events came back to her.
"Numair! Where is he?" Daine demanded, looking to her friend for some positive signs, but only found coldness.
"I'm sorry Daine, I did all I can, but..." Alanna trailed off unable to continue in her own grief.
"Don't tell me! Don't you dare tell me that he's... that he's..." Daine trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.
"No he's not dead... At least not yet." Alanna said as she looked over her friend. "He was so close last night... It was amazing he made it thru the night. I've never seen anyone that was so far gone. I only had enough blood potion to keep his veins from collapsing." Alanna said gravely.
"Can't you make more?" Daine asked grief stricken.
"Yes, but the potion takes a few days to brew." Alanna said dryly.
"What about the tube?" Daine asked remembering the reason for his blood loss.
"It was removed and the wound healed. It was deep, went straight into the right kidney." Alanna said as Daine looked at a tapestry on the wall without emotion, but then turned to her with hope in her eyes.
"He'll be ok then? Won't he?" Daine asked hopefully. Alanna stared at the ground.
"We don't know. He barely has enough blood in his veins to keep them from collapsing, surely not enough to keep his internal organs healthy." Alanna said sadly.
"What does that mean?" Daine asked fearful of the answer.
"It means that such an extended period of time on so little blood will almost certainly result in some form of brain damage." Alanna said as a tear ran down her cheek. "I talked it over with other healers, and we all agree." Alanna said as Daine put her face in her hands and started sobbing.
"No, it can't be." Daine choked between sobs. Alanna simply put her hand on Daine's shoulder. "I want to see him." Daine said simply looking up at Alanna.
"Follow me, but I don't think you'll like what you see." Alanna warned.
"I don't care! I just want to hold his hand... You'd want the same if it be George in there!" Daine said and Alanna nodded.
"You've got me there." She said sympathetically. Alanna led the rest of the way in silence. After a few minutes they came to a private room.
'This is a room for those that are going to die.' Daine thought and her chest tightened in grief. Daine followed as Alanna opened the door. Daine found that there were two healers in the room. They had Numair's body flipped on its belly. As Alanna moved Daine could see that Numair's body was unclothed and uncovered for there were many gashes running down his back, butt and legs. It looked as if he had been dragged over stones. The healers were rubbing ointments into the scraps and gashes.
"You two can go. I'll take it from here." Alanna ordered and the healers handed her the ointments. As soon as the doors shut behind them Alanna looked up and motioned to a chair. "Bring it over here. You can sit by him." Alanna said and Daine obeyed. She brought the chair up to his left side while Alanna hovered over his right side, applying the ointment. "I just don't trust anyone other than myself with him. I've got to make sure everything's done right." Alanna said choking back tears as she rubbed the ointment into a particularly deep wound on Numair's right butt cheek. "You might loose a husband, but don't forget the rest of us are losing our best friend... he's like a brother to me Daine... Were all hurting." Alanna said as she put the ointment down.
"He's not my husband yet..." Daine said as more tears flowed down her face. Alanna looked up at her gravely with sorrow in her eyes.
"This might not be the best time to ask this, but could you help me flip him over?" Alanna said and Daine was relieved to see a familiar twinkle in her eyes, even if it did seem to be flickering out.
"He's naked... If we flip him..." Daine said as a blush crept up on her cheeks. Seeing his butt was one thing since every human being has one, but the other side was bit different.
"Oh please... they all look the same." Alanna said trying to relieve some of the tension in the room.
"Alanna! It's NUMAIR!" Daine said as her blush deepened. Alanna laughed and pointed to something he was laying on. Diane looked at it and discovered it was a blanket.
"See that? It comes with him when we turn him so no one gets flashed." Alanna said and Daine sighed with relief.
"Well, what do you want me to do? I don't want to hurt him." Daine said pleadingly.
"First roll the ends of the blanket around him then roll him my way. I know it's odd, but his clothes had to go so we could tend to all his wounds."Alanna said as she and Daine rolled the ends of the blanket over him. It was a soft satin one that slid easily. Alanna gave Daine a nod and the two of them rolled Numair onto his back with great care. "Now I can't imagine that those two healers would have been this careful." Alanna sighed as she untucked the ends of the blanket from under Numair's back and let them droop over the sides of the mattress he was laying on. Now that his head was turned around Daine could finally look into his face once more.
"He's not as pale as he was." Daine said optimistically. Alanna came to stand beside her as Daine's fingers drifted under the cover to find his hand.
"Don't give up hope, Daine. He's still got a chance and if I know him as well as I think I do, then I know he's gonna fight this for us, for you." Alanna said as she squeezed her friend's shoulder and looked to Numair with tears in her purple eyes. "Just keep thinking that the sun will rise tomorrow... That it'll burn the shadow out of this world."
"Tomorrow..." Daine said with a pang of sorrow. "Tomorrow's our wedding day." Daine said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's the fall equinox. We planned it so my parents could come." Daine said as another tear rolled down her cheek. "But now I don't know if that day will ever come."
"I think he'll make it... Last night was the most critical point. He made it thru that, he can last another two days for more blood potion." Alanna said trying to get Daine to look on the good side of things.
"But you said he'll probably have brain damage from the blood loss!" Daine said in a tortured voice. "I can't imagine him being any different and still being Numair... My Numair." Daine whispered as her gaze turned to his pale face.
"Perhaps we should go get some breakfast." Alanna asked.
"No you go. I can't leave him." Daine stated and Alanna nodded.
"I'll bring you back something. I won't be gone to long." Alanna said, but got no reply from Daine. Instead Daine stared into Numair's lifeless face.
Within thirty minutes Alanna made her way back to Daine and Numair. She had brought toast, eggs and a glass of apple juice for Daine, but she wouldn't touch it. Daine would not touch any food that day. She was completely lost in grief as she awaited a sign of life from Numair.
************************
Ok... I have to end it there cuz somebody said so.. :: cough :: Perri :: Cough :: LOL
R & R OR NO MORE CHAPTERS!