FairyV: Well your wish is granted, I can only write so much doom and gloom before I can't take it anymore.

MoonCanon: Intense... I like that.

Lady Serefina: Working on it. I like your title, if I use it I'll give you credit for it in the chapter.

Medicine

Chapter 33

It was a living nightmare, a nightmare that neither of them had been prepared for. There was no way to prepare for it, no way to protect themselves against it. It just was, and it was ripping them apart. She cried more then he did, he did not think of this with any pride, did not delude himself into thinking he was the stronger one. He wasn't, he was just incapable of producing as many tears as she was. Syt and Issia took turns watching Lloyd, watching them, and if they didn't have them... Kratos could not even imagine what it would have been like. Anna lay by Issia, her head resting on the older woman's lap, her slender form sprawled out on the bed. She was asleep, and thank Origin that she had fallen asleep after this newest fit of tears. She could get away for little bits of time in the dark behind her eyes, she could let go of the world, she could draw on her strength in the stillness of sleep, be ready to face down another day. He had no such solace, and perhaps it was now that Syt saw past the power that his friend welded and saw the limitations that the Seraphim lived by.

"Goddess, I can't imagine what it's like, all I can see is it's rippin' you two apart." Syt whispered into his cup, not beer Kratos noted, but a tea of some type. "Na it's rippin' you three apart, yon Lloyd's sufferin' too."

"More then both of us I imagine." Kratos managed, Noishe lay his head in the Seraphim's lap. Absently Kratos scritched at Noishe's head, his eyes locked on the air before him.

"Aye, he's sufferin' the same as you all are, he doesn't know nothin'... How you got him off of that Kvar monster I don't know, but it was a good thing..."

"Talking mainly, whatever Kvar did to him wasn't very strong. He, thank the gods, doesn't see me as a monster anymore... But he doesn't remember what I am."

"Aye, he remembers Ruian, just give it time."

"How much? Honestly Syt, how much do we have?" Kratos stood, Noishe whined shook his head, Issia gave him a scolding look. Kratos flushed, whirled away from all of them to face the wall and lean on it.

"As much as you need, you know we'd never turn you out."

"In three days your children will be returning, how will you explain to them that Lloyd doesn't recall them? Your regulars are already asking questions..." Kratos growled, then lifted his head up to look out the window. "It's time for his medicine and another dose of mana, Gods how I wish I could just rip down the walls Kvar put in him, to just have him back as he was in a second..."

"You wont do that, you explained it to Anna, and to us why you can't, so don't think on it, just do what needs to be done."
"If it was your child and I said that..."

"I'd be mighty pissed Ruian, but I'd be goin' in now to give my boy both his medicines."

To that Kratos could think of no answer.

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Lloyd looked at him, at the cup, and scowled. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned away from Kratos. Kratos sighed, set the cup on the small table and sat on the edge of the bed. Lloyd's eyes narrowed when Kratos set the cup aside, he knew this trick. Kratos was going to talk him into taking the medicine. Well he had an answer for that, the second the old man opened his mouth he hopped to his feet and smacked the human with a pillow. Before he could try a second hit in a gloved hand plucked the weapon out of his grasp.

"What have I told you about hitting people?" Kratos growled, Lloyd sat down muttering a word Kvar had taught him. "What did you just say young man?"

"Nothin'!" Lloyd knew that angry voice, and he knew very well not to say anything nasty after it came out.

"Good, that's a little better, I never want to hear you say that word ever again!"

"Yes Kratos..." The man winced again, as if Lloyd had said something bad, but he didn't get angry. He looked sad, but then before Lloyd could ask him if he had a boo-boo Kratos' hand went for the cup. "Ekk, no no no!" Lloyd tried to run, but was firmly snagged by the end of his pants and forcefully sat down on Kratos' lap. "No, no, no, no!" The cries ended in a gurgle, and a swallow, as the tea was forced down his throat. "Ick..." Lloyd's tongue rolled out.

Kratos refilled the cup with water, and Lloyd tried to drown out the taste. He took two more glasses of water, and on the third he didn't drink it but played with it. Of course Lloyd dumped it all over himself, it was a unwritten rule that anything he played with he'd dirty himself with. Kratos was well prepared for this and had come in armed appropriately. Dangling from his belt, in steed of a knife, was a towel. It pressed against his side, and even through his tunic the Seraphim knew it was the type of material that made one itch. He wormed it out, then gently toweled Lloyd off. His son giggled, tried to bolt again, but only fell over on his side giggling.

"St..Stop that... it tickles!"

Kratos smiled slightly, then he did stop. Gasping Lloyd rolled over, and almost fell out of the bed. The seraphim caught his charge, and gently reeled him back up.

"No tea, no tea, I've been good!"

"Yes you have been good." Kratos' voice was thick with pain. "It's time for me to make your head feel a little funny again."

"Awww..."
"Do you want me to not do it?" Kratos managed, he always asked, he would not force this on Lloyd if it was painful in any way.

"No," Lloyd added after a long pause. "I don' mind."

"Good," Kratos smiled his hand ran through Lloyd's hair, it was beginning to glow a silver blue.

"Daddy..."

He lost his grasp on the power, actually stopped breathing. Lloyd snuggled into his vest, closed his eyes and was falling asleep. He never had fallen asleep while Kratos had gently nudged his mind, he always stayed awake and glared at him suspiciously, then he would say he felt dizzy the second the Seraphim's hand's withdrew. He must have been tired, or just a little sick, to start falling asleep while they did this.

"When I wake can we go fishin'?"

"I'll see what we can do, you're still sick after all."

"Not fair..."

"I'll talk to your Mother when you go to bed." It was a test, a calculated test. Lloyd's response would reveal if these treatments were even working. He nudged Lloyd a little, his boy's eyes turned on him a bit grouchily.

"Momma won' let me, said I was too sick... I wanna fish... boring inside..."

"I'll see what I can do." Kratos' voice trembled. There were tears in his eyes, and they weren't bitter ones.

"Noshy, can he come too?"

"Yes, Noishe can come too."

"Mmmm."

Lloyd was going still his breathing slowed, and he drowsed off in his father's lap. It took a long moment for the ancient Seraphim to calm down, to be able to concentrate. The glow around his hand returned, sparklets snapped off his fingers, a sign of his excitement. He canceled the power, waited until he was totally calm until drawing on it again. He did this several times, and when it at last appeared to be more subdued he ran his hand through Lloyd's hair. He could see the black walls in his son's mind, could see where Kvar had blocked off memories, had diverted the flow of his son's pleasures until the at last grew tainted and pooled into sadism. Kratos had been primarily working on undoing the emotional alteration Kvar had forced on Lloyd, had gently set the pleasures, the keys for pleasure, back where they belonged. He had numbed, and erased, the Desian's mark from his son's soul. Only until his last night had he begun working on the memories, the towering black walls of forgetfulness. He was very surprised to see that what little he had done last night had broken down a few of those walls. The shear complexity of countering forgetfulness, of not inserting false memories, of checking the memories that would bubble underneath the darkness to see if they were real... Strange as it seemed it was as if someone else had continued what he was doing even when he wasn't their. He would not question his good fortune, only make use of it. He withdrew from Lloyd's mind with a shudder, his son still clung to him, even in sleep he wasn't letting go. An strange thought came to him as he looked down at his son, who even in his sleep managed to look both peaceful but stubborn.

Could Lloyd somehow be undoing what Kvar had wrought all on his own?

xxx xxx xxx xxx

"You seem to be in better spirits." Anna noted when he came back to what served as their bedroom. It was several hours later, and she had spent those hours napping. The redness around her eyes was fading just a bit, as were the rings. They were almost gone. "You have good news, I know that look..."

"I... One can hope it's good." Kratos sighed, rolled his shoulders, then joined her at the bed. He did not lay down, merely sat and considered everything that he had seen. "I think he is remembering a little bit, but it's spotty in places. I'm trying to basically link together what bits and pieces he has brought forth himself."

"That he... Kratos what are you talking about?"

"He... I do not know how but he is slowly weakening the curse Kvar placed on him. Remind me to never butt heads with him on something important, I do not know who would win at this point."

Anna laughed, the first happy sound she had made in a long long while.

"I told you he was a fighter, just like his Father."

"He wants to go fishing for some reason..."

"Absolutely not, he's still as pale as a sheet, and he gets those horrid chills! How can you even suggest..."

"He called me Daddy. Anna, he called you Mommy. He was half asleep, but I think he's coming back to us. Doesn't that warrant a little celebration of sorts?"

"He... He knows who we are!"

"He is remembering, and would it not be so bad a thing if we gave him some little reward. He is doing something I would never expect or ask of him to do on his own. I think that it warrants a treat..."

"You manipulative bastard, you're just trying to pin me in a corner so you can go fishing..." She hit him with a pillow.
"I?" Kratos looked innocent, brushing off the hit. "Manipulative, me? Anna, I do not even like fish. I can not fish despite being raised as a fisherman. I was so bad my family made me stop fishing and all I ever did was fix nets for the neighbors. It is something Lloyd wants, and he unwittingly has me pinned against the wall with just one word."

"If he ever figures out how to use that word a little better he's going to be spoiled rotten... Seriously though, we'll talk about it later."

"Fine." Kratos sighed. Anna squeaked as he lay on across her legs, tried to drive him off with the pillow. No such luck, he was tired and was not moving. As if sensing his genuine wariness she stopped hitting him with the pillow, and slid it under his head. "I think," He sighed as he felt her sit up, before he could protest her hands kneaded his shoulders. "Mmm, never mind... Whatever you said was correct, I completely agree."

"You're just lazy."

"Yes, I guess I am..." Kratos gasped as her hands found the worst ache in his shoulders and worked it out. "When did you learn to do this?"

"When I was growing up I'd get aches and pains all the time. You learn how to deal with any type of cramp, bruise, or stress knot, after a while."

"I do not think I will move for about a year now..."

"Oh no, when my legs fall asleep you're getting up, that or you're going on the floor Mr. Aurion."

"How about you just scoot over and I join you..."

"Oh fine, you are so lazy." She mock grumbled, he joined her, and drowsed under Anna's hands while she completed the massage. He grumbled a bit when she stopped, but fell silent when he realized why she had ceased. She had fallen asleep, one arm gently draped over him, the other pillowed her head. For a few hours he just lay by his wife, listened to her quiet breath. Sleep did not come to him, but the hope that his son would soon be well was enough. He did not move until Syt knocked on the door. It was time to go to Lloyd, he was either up, or it was time to give him some more medicine. Well, well this might turn to his advantage. With a smile Kratos slipped out of bed, he quietly fumbled on his tunic, and went to the door. He stepped out of the room, and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Is something wrong with Lloyd?"

"Nah, just antsy that's all. Figured you wanna see him. He seems to be doin' a bit better an' all, Martel blast me away if he didn' call me "Unca Syt" like he did in Izoold!"

"Kvar's spell was not as powerful as I feared, but still your confirmation of that good news is welcome, thank you."

"Aye, now here's the bad news. Seems as if the Mrs. snatched the kitchen for the evening..."
"Hmm how would you feel if we went on a small trip, just an outing with Lloyd and me to catch some dinner?"

"Huntin'?"

"I was thinking more on the lines of fishing, do you know any secluded areas that have some fish in them."

"Aye, more then a few!" Syt grinned. "You think Lloyd's well enough..."

"If he dresses warmly and doesn't exert himself then everything should be fine."

"Anna's gunna kill you."

"I will talk her around, she is reasonable, and she wont be able to do anything about it since the deed will be done."

"Aye your skin on the wall if you don't talk fast enough."

"I did not need to hear that..."

"Aye sure you didn't sure. I'll raid the kitchen so if we don't get lucky we can just chuck somethin' together for a bite before we get back."

"Good thinking, I will leave Anna a note, and prepare Lloyd and Noishe for the trip."