candle in the window

There's a song that's inside of my soul. It's the one that I've tried to right over and over again. I wake in the infinite cold. Will you sing to me over and over again? So I lay my head back down and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours. I know now, your my only hope. (Mandy More: Only hope. No, I don't own this song.)

Chapter 27

"Alfeegi..." The worried brown eyes of the yellow dragon officer watched the strawberry blond as he turned his head. A bead of sweat fell down the cheif secretary's temple and past his cheek. The white dragon officer was sleeping, had been since the accident late last night. "Are you dreaming?" Slim fingers carefully swept a stray lock of soaked hair from his love's face. "Or is it a nightmare?" The brown and red haired dragon felt a knot at his brow.

The Secretary of State rang out a clean cloth in a bowl of cool water, folded it with care and laid it over Alfeegi's forehead. The strawberry blond moaned a little as he shifted his position again. Not to say that he was thrashing by any means, he only moved perhaps an inch or two and usually one extremity at a time.

The doctor said that this kind of thing can be a side effect of trauma. The body weakens to the point that a virus can take hold. A healer was called in and, while she did her best, even she said there was nothing left for her to do. Alfeegi would have to fight it himself.

Memory:

"I can help you." Ruwalk insisted.

"Were you there when the accident happened?" Tetheus asked.

"N...no, but..."

"Then maybe you should be somewhere else right now." Those black eyes looked at him sternly.

"Ah...I," The yellow dragon officer turned his head away. "I understand."

Ruwalk shook his head, lightly. He felt so useless. In the depths of his mind, he went over those moments a thousand times. He kissed Alfeegi, spoke to him and left Devlin to watch the door. Then when he came back Devlin was panicing and there he was under all those files.

Some people came to see what all the shouting was about. Then Alfeegi's been here ever since. It was just an accident... Maybe he shouldn't be so hard on himself, but...if the brunet had been there. If only he could have done something...He would gladly trade places with the white dragon officer right now...if he could.

It was just an accident. There's no way he could have predicted that. He took the warmed cloth from the cheif secretary's head and dipped it again. The way all those files and boxes were stacked it's a miracle something like this hadn't happened sooner. The brunet replaced the cloth, careful not to disturb him. Wait a minute. That room has been that way ever since Alfeegi took the position of Cheif Secretary. It's been years and no one has had a problem.

Not to mention, when Ruwalk pressed Alfeegi against one of those columns, he wasn't being careful at all and not even a paper teetered. You idiot! Alfeegi's been climbing a latter braced up against those columns for days now with out a mention of concern. He could probably climb one of them with his bare hands and be confidnet that it wouldn't colapse. There's no way it just fell on it's own. That was no accident!

"Knock, Knock..." The dark red head of the dragon queen popped in.

"L, Lady Raseleane." He stood respectfully.

"Please don't worry about that." she waved, coming in with a vase full of flowers. "I just came to see how he was doing. I asked the doctor and he seems to be hopeful."

"Yes." he nodded watching her come around the other side of the bed and put the bushel down. You could barely see the vase there where so many flowers. "All that's left is to wait. And pray."

"I'm not very good at this I'm afraid. Rune is better than I am. In fact, he taught me a few things. And I taught him a few things as a trade."

"Oh, not at all." Was she even listening? "Your arrangement is superb." He said before he looked at it, really. The arrangement that was on Alfeegi's desk that time, acctually was better. He felt a sweat drop, resisting the urge to say something.

"Even though I know you're just saying that, I appreciate the compliment." She smiled. "But enough about that. How are you doing, Ruwalk?"

"Me, your majesty?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine."

"Good." the dragon queen pulled up a stool and sat by Alfeegi's bedside and Ruwalk sat back down. He felt uncomfortable some how. Why would he feel that way about Raseleane? Maybe it was that nagging feeling that she wasn't just here to check up on Alfeegi. "They say that they can hear you."

"What?"

"People who are sick or sleeping. They say that even then, those people can be reached and comforted."

"I..." the secretary of state searched his memory, "think I heard that once."

"What do you think? Shall we sing to him?"

"Uh," Ruwalk blushed, "I don't think...I mean..."

"What's that matter?"

"I'm afraid, I can't sing."

"What do you mean? Everyone can sing." Raseleane giggled at his confession.

"Not me." he shook his head.

"Have you ever tried?"

"Unfortunately, my father will be forever deaf because of me." The yellow dragon officer exaggerated his tone deafness.

"Oh, come on." she insisted waving a hand to dismiss his excuses.

"I really don't..."

"I'll start." She took Alfeegi's hand in both of hers.

"But..."

With out a chance to argue further, she sang. The dragon Queen's voice was calm and melodeous, gentle, but not quiet. Her gold eyes watched her sleeping audience for several minutes. She didn't even glance at Ruwalk, probably assuming he'd join in any time now. She was on her second song and the yellow dragon officer felt more and more pressure to sing, but he was just too uncomfortable. He didn't want to embarrass himself infront of her majesty.

"Ah, I feel so much better now. I'm so glad I came, I'm afraid I have to go now though." She stood and Ruwalk was just about to do the same when the dark read head stopped him. "Please don't get up. I can find the door."

"Of course." he obeyed.

"Take care, Alfeegi." She gave his hand one more squeeze before she released it. Brown eyes followed her to the door. "You too, Ruwalk." Those golden eyes encouraged him when she looked back, over her shoulder.

"Y, yes your majesty." he nodded. She left, leaving Ruwalk to wonder why she came in the first place. Those worried brown eyes turned back to the sleeping strawberry blond. He changed the cloth on the cheif secretary's forehead, took his hand in both of his and hummed a similar melody to the one Raseleane just sang. He had already forgotten most of the notes, but he was humming so softly, probably no one could hear him mess up.