Chapter Sixteen- Child's Play
Achilles held tight to Pat as he ran up the stairs to his room. He gently placed the child down, checking to see if he was alright. Light, thready breaths came from him, blood still oozing slowly out of his wound. Carlonia came in with bandages and helped to start cleaning him off.
One minute, Pat was chasing the water back out to the sea. The next, he was on the rocks out in the water. Achilles watched in slow motion horror as his boy fell onto the jagged sides and into the deep blue. He dove in after him, bringing them both up to the surface quickly. He didn't even bother to stop and check him; he ran the short distance into the palace, hands clutching his child.
Pat drew sharp breaths as Carlonia washed away the gooey blood from around the puncture. It wasn't very deep, but enough that it caused him to bleed profusely. Achilles lifted him without trouble as she wrapped the bandages around his waist to hold the patch in place. He felt angry as he heard Pat whimper in pain when he returned to the flat of his bed.
He should have been watching much more. He let his attention slide and his son almost drown. Carlonia left, saying something that Achilles didn't bother to hear. He sat watching his eldest breath, hoping it wouldn't be too bad of an injury to recover from. Smoothing the hair back out of his face, he saw the pale features of his face slowly pink and return to his normal tan color.
He felt Briseis' hand on his shoulder and looked as she sat next to him. Her face was a mixture of worry and panic, slowly melting away as she realized her son would live. He squeezed her hand, focusing on Pat again. The two parents sat there, praying silently for their son's recovery.
"Pat-pat okay daddy?" Achilles looked to Kyte who sat in the middle of his parents' bed. He just woke from a nap, rubbing his eyes lazily and yawning. He nodded and joined him on the bed. The brown curls of hair rubbed against his chin as Kyte curled into his arms. He held him close, inhaling the salty ocean air that lingered on the boy.
"Pat-pat better soon?"
"He's getting better. But it will be a while." He looked down into the watery eyes of his youngest. Kyte looked on the verge of tears, biting his lip to keep it from quivering so much. He was very close to his brother, following him everywhere he went. He even took up learning sword play from him.
At the ages of five and three, the two were peas in a pod.
Achilles kissed his son's head, stroking his cheek lightly. "Pat will be fine. He's sleeping now so he can get better." Kyte blinked a few tears, smiling beneath them. He buried his face in his father's shirt, happy as his clasp around him grew tighter.
Briseis kissed him again, the latter wiping off the mark in childish attitude. Pat finished off his lunch with another bite and sat smiling at her.
"Too good for your mother's kiss," she jested, moving the tray onto the bedside table. He giggled, shielding his face in preparation for another kiss. She ruffled his hair, tickling him behind his ears.
He recovered in no time. His side hurt him still, but five days of resting helped the wound to close and heal over. She watched him begin to draw, amazed of how much he looked like his cousin of namesake. His personality matched his only a bit, being more like his father. She was glad that he bounced back so quickly, eager to go out and play on the beach again.
"Momma?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can I go out on the balcony?"
"Sweetie, you have to rest just for another day. Then you can try moving around more." She squinted her eyes in mockery of her son's disappointed face. He tried to be serious, but started to laugh again. He layed back as she replaced his bandage with a clean one. With childish interest, he touched at the edges of his wounds. Briseis washed it gently with warm water and patted it dry.
She finished wrapping the wound when Achilles came to the door with Kyte in his arms.
"Pat-pat," he cried, happiness spreading across his face. He literally jumped from his father's arms unto the bed, bouncing into his brother's arms. Pat held tight to his little brother, brushing the hair back from his face. "You better Pat-pat?"
"Getting there," he said, showing off his bandage. He looked to Achilles with a gleen in his eyes. "Mom said I can't go out onto the balcony."
"You can't walk out there yet, you need more rest," his father rejoined. Briseis nodded and twisted one of Kyte's curls in her fingers. He sat on Pat's lap, watching his mother's hand. She sat up and looked to Achilles.
"If you ask, maybe your dad carry you out there," she said, smiling.
"Dad? Please?"
"Yah, daddy please," Kyte chimed in. Achilles looked at the glimmering eyes of his two sons. He quickly looked at Briseis who hid laughter behind a hand over her mouth. He gently picked up Pat and Kyte, walking them out to the balcony. Briseis sat on the bed, watching as he set them down on the sofa.