Chapter eleven

When Alexander arrived at the Persian Camp there was no sign of Hephaistion.

He had been right when he said that nobody would come back to the base that it would stand forgotten and empty forever.

He made his way over to the prison building where he had found Hephaistion; the lock of the door had been broken off and the door was now swinging in the breeze.

Alexander put his hand over his nose and mouth and stepped inside.

The room was just as he had left it, the body of the Persian General nothing more then a rotting corpse and laid in front of it was Hephaistion.

He rolled over when he heard someone approach, his face and lips were pale he gave Alexander a lazy smile and there was a tiny glimmer of madness in his eyes.

"Hello lover come to rescue me again." he said before giggling

"Gods what have you done!" Alexander exclaimed

Hephaistion tried lifting his wrist but couldn't Alexander saw that Hephaistion's wrist lay in a pool of blood. There was a long gash and blood slowly oozed out of it, Hephaistion still had hold of the dagger.

"I wanted to both," he said looking sadly at the other wrist "But the one hurt a lot." he giggled again

Alexander quickly cut a bit of material of his cloak and tried to get hold of Hephaistion's wrist

Hephaistion hid it "No!" he said firmly and weakly pushed Alexander way

"Please Hephaistion;" Alexander begged "Let me help you."

"You're too late for that." Hephaistion replied

Alexander tried again but Hephaistion swung the dagger but his arm just flopped to the floor

"Go away!" he said "I don't need you anymore."

"But you could die." Alexander protested

"Maybe that's what I want." Hephaistion replied "If it will get you to listen to me."

Even now Hephaistion was being as stubborn as ever and Alexander knew he would not win. If Hephaistion wasn't going to come willing then Alexander would have to taken him out by force.

"Please forgive," he said

Hephaistion's brows knotted in puzzlement before Alexander hit him into unconsciousness.

Alexander tried the home made bandage tightly, the bleeding didn't stop but at least it a slowed down, he half carried and half dragged Hephaistion to the waiting Bucephalas.

Bucephalas sat on the floor so the floor so that Alexander could Hephaistion onto his back and climb up behind him.

"Ride boy." he said "Ride like the wind."

Bucephalas nodded his head in agreement that Hephaistion's life was in danger, he stood back up and set off as fast as he could go.

As he rode it to the stable courtyard Alexander jumped off Bucephalas and pulled Hephaistion with him he was shouting for help at the top of his lungs.

All of the stable boys and men came out rubbing their eyes when they heard the shouting to find the king cradling the body of General Hephaistion.

They helped the king carry him up to his room and sent for the doctor and his men were sent for.

By now a large crowd was starting form outside Hephaistion's room everyone was muttering under their breathe some where snide and others sympatric.

Alexander saw them all and matched over to them

"Go away!" he yelled "there is nothing to see and if I catch anyone speaking of this again I will have them executed."

He slammed the door in they faces and turned back to the bed, the doctor was untying the makeshift bandage and slowly pulled it away.

He quickly put his hand over the wound when blood poured out.

Alexander noticed that Hephaistion's breathing was becoming shallower and shallower, he had to look away to hide the tears if Hephaistion dies then it would be all his fault.

He found his legs failing him so he slide into the nearest chair he didn't want to watch the scene unfolding before him so he stared at the down at the floor and started tracing the decorative pattern that ran in front of him.

A couple of minutes later the doctor stood in front of him and he looked up. The doctor's hands and clothes were covered in Hephaistion's blood and his face was unreadable.

"What is it?" Alexander asked

The doctor looked over to the bed and Alexander followed his gaze. Hephaistion was laid still he was so white that it looked like he had been carved out of marble Alexander's heart missed a couple of beats Hephaistion had succeed in ending his life.

Alexander closed his eyes; there would be a few of his counsel who would force him to follow the law of the land about what to do with people who ended their own life but Hephaistion was not just any person he was his friend and only love and he was king just as Hephaistion was the law and them could all be damned.

"Are you alright my Lord?" the doctor asked

Alexander opened his eyes and stared at the doctor with anger that anger turned to sadness when he looked over at Hephaistion and thought about how hard the doctor had tried to save him.

That when he saw it, it was so faint that it was easily missed the slow rise and fall of Hephaistion's chest.

Alexander pushed passed the doctor and went over to the bed.

The doctor had stopped the bleeding and had stitched and bandages the wound.

The doctor came up behind him.

"It was close if you hadn't have got there and brought him back when you did he would not be here."

Alexander nodded his head as he slide his hand in to Hephaistion's

"Thank you doctor how can I ever repay you?" Alexander asked

The doctor shook his head "No thank you my Lord this is my job I will not except any reward."

But Alexander still gave him one any way "You shall have a pay rise for the next month."

"Thank you my lord." The doctor said and left

Once the doctor had gone Alexander had Hephaistion moved to his room so that Hephaistion bed could be changed.

Alexander climbed in next to Hephaistion he could see a bruise he smiled Hephaistion would be mad that he had hit him. He draped his arm protectively over Hephaistion and watched him sleep.