Title: Of Healing and Love--Chapter 5
Author: I Dream of Peace
Category: drama, missing scene, pre-romance (pairing Numair/Daine)
Rating: PG-13, for blood, guts, and general unpleasantness
Spoilers: all the Immortals books, but really, you wouldn't be reading this if you haven't read those
Archive: anyone can have it, just please tell me so I can come and visit
Feedback: I know you are all capable of pushing the review button…
Series: stand-alone
Summary: When Daine is gravely injured, Numair comes to see how much she means to him
Disclaimer: You all know the drill. All this wonderful stuff belongs to Tamora Pierce. I'm obviously not making money off this, because if I were I would have a better computer! It's all just for fun.
Author's Notes: Sorry! I know I've been posting every day, but I had this chapter almost done and for whatever reason the disk it was saved on refused to recognize the file. It's not too terrible; the chapter already seemed off somehow, I was in such a rush. I don't think I can keep up with this post once a day schedule anyway. Sorry if Neal seems out of character, but I was trying to show the not-quite-sure-of his-abilities child he might have been (I have a twelve year old brother, trust me, boys at that age have no self-confidence). I hope this doesn't seem melodramatic. Refer to chapter 1 for the infamous passage.
A boy raced into the room. At first Numair thought he might be a page or a servant, but then he noticed the youth was dressed in the purple tunic of a student healer at the Royal University. Looking from Numair to Daine, the boy cautiously queried.
"Sir?"
"Are you Nealan?" Numair asked suspiciously. The boy nodded, and Numair gestured at Daine.
"She's spiked a fever. I think perhaps you'd better find the healer in charge of her. Cas, I think they said his name was," Numair was dangerously calm. The boy squared his shoulders before replying.
"Cas isn't on duty right now, sir. I am."
"This is beyond your capabilities to handle," Numair answered firmly. Onua chose that moment to enter.
"He's good, Numair," she said pointedly. "You don't really have a choice. No other healer is here." Numair opened his mouth as if to speak, thought better of it, and sighed resignedly.
"Very well. Carry on, then." The boy approached Daine, carefully avoiding Numair's eye, and edged around the opposite side of the bed, clearly rather intimidated by the powerful mage's carefully-controlled rage.
"Come on, Numair," Onua said, taking his arm and tugging him to his feet before leading him out of the room.
As soon as she had pulled him from Neal's hearing range, she hissed urgently and fiercely, "I know you aren't happy with the current situation because I'm not either. Daine deserves the best, but unfortunately they're all occupied. This is what is available. Stop making the boy feel bad. It's not his fault the healers are under-staffed." Numair nodded stiffly.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not the person that you owe an apology," Onua said pointedly. She headed back to Daine's room. "And Numair," she added, "he really is quite good."
Numair stood where he was for a moment, pressed against the cool wall. Onua was right; he was acting like a pretentious ass. Taking a deep breath, Numair marched back into Daine's room. Even his embarrassment over his behavior couldn't keep him away from her.
The boy sat in a chair near Daine's bed, holding her wrist firmly but gently at the pulse point. Numair could sense the power the youth was channeling into Daine and was surprised at its magnitude. Numair was forced to admit young Nealan had potential.
A moment later, Neal released Daine's wrist. Looking warily up at Numair, he straightened the blankets over the girl nervously. Numair watched him pointedly.
"Sir, I brought her fever down a bit, but I don't know if even the Lioness could burn out the infection all the way at this point. It's got a pretty good hold on her immune system. Eventually, we're probably going to have to release the spells that are keeping her from showing symptoms and hope she can fight it. That's what I think, anyway. You'll probably want to talk it over with Cas," Neal mumbled the last sentence.
"I will but not because I don't trust your judgement," Numair said gently. Neal looked up, puzzled.
"Nealan," Numair began, only to be cut off by the boy.
"Neal, if you don't mind, sir."
"Neal," Numair allowed. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier." Numair blushed. "It was inappropriate and inexcusable. I know you're doing your best, and I know it's no one's fault that the healers are understaffed. It's no one's fault that I can't get Daine to Alanna, or Duke Baird, or someone of the like. I'm just worried." The boy smiled in relief and understanding.
"It's all right, sir, I'm used to people being upset. Think nothing of it." Neal got up and walked to the door before stopping and turning.
"Sir? If you need anything, just call." Neal hesitated in a manner that suggested he hadn't stopped just to tell Numair something so obvious. "And sir?" he continued, "I hope she gets better." With that, he rushed from the room. Numair smiled, slightly. It was good to know people cared about Daine.
Neal's words worried Numair, though. While Numair had suspected from the time he had made the terrible discovery of the contaminated arrow that Daine would have a hard battle to fight, hearing his suspicions confirmed was rather disconcerting.
Taking the seat Neal had just vacated, Numair lightly held Daine's hand in his own. She grasped it unconsciously, holding it to her like something precious. Leaning down, Numair softly brushed his lips over Daine's forehead.
Numair could no more halt the progress of the sickness in Daine's body than he could change the cycle of night and day. The mage knew he would have to content himself with waiting. He would help Daine in any way he could, but this was her battle to fight.
No, Numair realized, he could do one more thing. He could pray. This was now in the hands of the Gods.
"Goddess keep her safe," he whispered. A slight breeze, though before the day had been very still, ruffled the leaves on a large tree just outside the window, and Daine sighed in her sleep. Numair felt a lump building in his throat. With a quick glance to the door to ascertain his solitude, Numair let his head drop to his hands, as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. A single tear fell, landing on Daine's cheek. Numair brushed it away.
"Please Daine, fight this," he whispered fiercely.
