Daddy

Cole and Kyle rode into the Northern village of Prengda well after dusk two days after their encounter with Kozu. Snowflakes fell in a thick, windless flurry around them, silent and beautiful in the firelight from beyond the windows.

Ahlie sat in front of Cole in the saddle, shivering despite the thick, warm furs that covered her from head to toe, purchased with funds from Kyle's pocket. She dozed, but was too tense to fall asleep.

Kai, on the other hand, had done nothing but sleep for nearly a day as the disease continued to devour his body. Right now, Kyle held him much like Cole held his passenger. The difference being that Kai was larger and harder to balance in the saddle than the tiny child.

Finally, Kyle dismounted, Kai cradled in his arms. He went to the nearest house and kicked the door. It was the same house Jay had brought them to five, six days ago.

The same old woman opened the door, carrying an open book and a candle. Kyle started talking to her. Cole could not hear what they said.

Cole stroked Ahlie's furry hat. "Ready to get down?" he asked in the Dark Tongue. Being a native of Keitorin, she spoke only that language.

Ahlie nodded once and turned around so she could wrap her bony arms around Cole's neck. He slid from his horse's back, and then handed the reins to a man that was suddenly standing behind him. Cyrus liked to keep things organized, apparently. Men waiting at all hours to accept- or take arms against- visitors.

Cole patted the horse's neck, then followed Kyle into the warm house. The door shut behind them, and Ahlie dared to look up from Cole's shirt just long enough to decide that it was safer to remain in his arms. Poor girl.

"The Doctor's in his room," the woman said."

Kyle patted her shoulder and smiled. "Thank you," he said. "We'll just go and see him. I'll visit later, okay?"

"Of course. This way, sirs," the elderly woman set her book on the mantle above the crackling fireplace. She lifted the trapdoor, then pressed her fist to her chest.

The same salute that Grayren gave us in his inn, Cole thought. Strange, because it was a custom he had ever seen before in Keitorin and Ninjago.

They descended the long flight of steps, and Kyle nodded to the guard at the bottom.

"Three others," he said. "Renen spoke to you?"

The man nodded. "Welcome back, sir," he said. "Doctor will be happy when he hears the news."

"You informed a messenger, I assume?"

"Yessir. You'll probably run into him on your way to registrations."

"Good. I need to talk to him."

The guard opened the door and let them pass.

"Wait a minute," Cole said when the door was shut. "Those were the exact conversations Jay had, with both that lady and that guard. Is it a-"

"A code, yes," Kyle said. "During the day, we have Renen doing another code on the road, but we only have the two secure ones at night."

"Seems like overkill."

"Well, when you rule the underworld, you've gotta have security," Kyle replied.

Cole shrugged. "I guess. But it surprises me that you trust that old lady with the gateway."

Kyle chuckled and pushed open another door with his foot. "It'll take a lot more than a couple armed Palace Guards to take her out. Don't worry." He turned his shoulders a bit so he could get through the doorway without hitting Kai's head.

Once through, they were met with uncanny silence. Probably because it was night, and most everyone was sleeping.

"C'mon," Kyle said. "Cyrus is probably in the sickbay."

"Sickbay?" Cole asked.

"Where were you hiding when you stayed here last? Didn't you help out there?"

"Uh...no. I was with Vara," Cole said. "Actually, I'm going to check on her real fast. If that's all right. I-"

A woman hurried through a door directly in front of them, carrying a tray of dishes and bloody rags. She stopped, then looked up at Cole and gasped. "I-I...oh!" She set the tray down. "Sorry. You scared me."

"It's all right," Cole said. He squinted at her, wondering why she seemed so familiar. "I tend to have that effect on people. Where's Cyrus?"

The woman pointed down the hall. "Sickbay. Where I was going. Come, I'll-" She looked at Kyle and gasped again. "Kai!"

Cole barely stepped away in time to avoid getting trampled by the woman. "You know him?" he asked.

"Know him?" The woman gave him a hurt look. "Cole. I am hees wife."

It was Cole's turn to be surprised. "Besai?" he said. "You're...healthy."

Besai's cheeks had regained their color, and her stomach, while still a little swollen under the simple white dress she wore, was not nearly as bad as it had been.

No wonder he hadn't recognized her. She looked like a different woman, with her eyes full of life, and her hair trimmed to just below her shoulders.

"What ees wrong with Kai?" she asked, holding his cold face in her hands.

"He's sick," Kyle said. "We need to take him to Cyrus."

Besai's face fell. "Cyrus ees...busy. Very busy. And tired. I do not think he has slept in many days. I weel take Kai to our room and take care of heem."

She took Kai from Kyle's arms and nodded to a door further down the hall. "Open eet, please."

For a few seconds, Cole was too surprised by her strength to move. Then he did as he was told. Besai set him on her bed, then pulled off his cloak, boots, and extra layers of clothing. Soon he was dressed down to his breeches, and she covered his body with the blankets.

"How long has he been like thees?" she asked, feeling his forehead, neck, and behind his ears.

"About a week," Kyle said.

"Okay. Good. He steel has time. Cyrus can take care of him tomorrow."

Cole cleared his throat. "Besai?"

"Yes?" She turned to face him.

Cole removed Ahlie from his chest and held her out. "Kai probably wanted to do this himself, but..."

Besai stared at the child, confused. Then she blinked, and looked back up at Cole. "For me?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"You are giving her to me?"

"She's yours, isn't she?"

Besai nodded. She dropped Kai's clothes and cupped her mouth, tears falling down her cheeks. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."

Cole set Ahlie on the floor, and she toddled on unsteady legs to her mother, who picked her up and cradled her like a newborn baby.

"Ahlie," she whispered, and kissed her forehead.

"Choia," Ahlie said in her tiny, halting voice. She giggled, then cut herself short as if she expected to get in trouble. "Mich-a choia."

My mommy.

Besai looked up at Cole, lips quivering. "Go and see Cyrus," she said. "He has a gift for you, too."

"A gift?"

"Yes. He told me not to say more."

Cole frowned. "Is it a surprise visit from the Overlord? That's already been done. And I didn't like it."

Besai gave him a motherly, reprimanding look. "Go, please. I promise, eet's good."

Kyle took Cole's arm and pulled him from the room. "She'll be so upset if she finds out," he said as they made their way down the hall.

"What do you mean?" Cole said.

"Such a sweet woman. If she finds that Kai's been cheating on her..."

"Oh, for the last time," Cole said. "That's gross and perverted. We're allies. Compatriots. Nothing else."

"Whatever makes you feel better," Kyle said. He opened the door at the end of the hall, then paused and grabbed a mask from a hook on the wall. "You might want to wear this."

Cole put it over his mouth and nose. "What about you?"

"No cells to infect. I can't get sick. Come on, let's get to that surprise. Are you as excited as I am?"

"Not really." Cole stopped in the entrance, brows furrowed. He stood in a vast, low-ceilinged room. Most of the floor space was taken with mattresses filled with sick men, women, and children. Moans, coughs, and cries of pain echoed through the dim room.

A ways off was Cyrus in his wheelchair. A red-headed assistant knelt next to a young boy, injecting something into his arm. They seemed to not notice the intruders. Down a few more rows was Liana, also injecting something into the arm of a woman.

Liana and Cole's eyes met, and they both looked away immediately.

Kyle guided Cole down an aisle of makeshift beds and approached Cyrus.

"...and their construction." Cyrus finished a statement to his assistant, who nodded and pulled the needle from the boy's arm.

"How much more serum do we have?" Cyrus asked. "I might take a quick rest later, but if I need to make more, then I'll skip the nap and work on-"

Cole cleared his throat.

Cyrus turned his chair to face Cole. His eyes, sunken and dark, widened. "Sir Cole," he said. "Vara. He's here."

The assistant stood with a gasp.

I must need sleep, Cole thought as he looked the assistant- Varasach- up and down. I didn't even recognize my Vara.

"Cole," Varasach said. She hugged him tight. "You're all right."

"Yeah," Cole said. "You're better, too?"

"Cyrus found a cure," Varasach said. "He healed me, and now we are healing everyone else."

"Most everyone else," Cyrus said. "Unfortunately, the serum doesn't work on one-eighth of the patients." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's better than saving no one, though. I'll take what I can get."

"How does the serum work?" Cole asked.

"Funny story, that," Cyrus said. "You see, I had taken a sample of Besai's blood on the day she first came here. I noticed that she had an abnormal amount of red blood cells. But I thought nothing of it since many of the women I save have that problem. So-"

"Summarize, please," Kyle said.

"Of course. Sorry. Well, after taking another sampling of her blood on the night before her recovery- and comparing it to Kai's- I realized that the answer had been right in front of my face."

"Yes?" Cole said.

"The white blood cells were disappearing," Cyrus said. "By the time the disease has reached full strength, nearly every leukocyte is gone, and the red blood cells multiply like rabbits. Hence the pooling blood; there is too much of it, and the body attempts to store it away somewhere. In females, the womb. In males, the brain or lungs."

"Summarize," Kyle said. "You bore us."

"Oh, hush, Kyle," Cyrus said. "But all right. Summarized: this disease is simply an imbalance of erythrocytes and leukocytes. So I used a bit of the antidote in Kai's blood sample and created my own drug mixture that slows the erythrocyte reproduction and encourages leukocytes to step up their game."

"I understood maybe a small fraction of what you just said," Cole said. "But good job. It seems to work." He wrapped his arms around Varasach. "Was this my surprise?"

Cyrus thumbed his glasses, face flushing. "A part of it, I suppose," he said. "But Jay actually has the rest of it."

"Really? Let's get this over with, then. I want sleep."

"Eh- wait," Cyrus said. He glanced over at Liana, then back at Cole. "I have no right to ask this, Cole. But I'll try anyway."

"It's all right," Cole said. "I don't blame you for choosing her."

"But it's not all right. If it were my wife, I would not have stood for it. I- oh, sorry," Cyrus said. "I...that didn't come out right."

"It wasn't me who killed your wife," Cole said. "It was one of my men. I told him not to, but..."

"I...I've learned not to blame you," Cyrus said.

"And I don't blame you for Hagar," Cole said. "It was my fault. So we're even."

Cyrus looked relieved. He held out a hand. "Truce?"

Cole hesitated but a moment before grasping the hand and shaking it. "Sure."

Jay heard a firm knock on his door and set his book aside. "Come in," he said, propping himself up on his pillows. Chedva woke up and started whining.

Cyrus peeked through the door. "Cole and Kai have returned," he said.

"Really?" Jay rocked Chedva, and she dozed off again, burying her face in his shirt. "Well, send them in. I can't sleep, anyway."

Almost immediately, Cole entered the room. He looked ragged and worn. More so than before, at least.

"How are you?" Cole asked. He shut the door. "I heard something about a surgery you're recovering from?"

"Yep." Jay pulled the blankets off his leg. "Cyrus had to cut it at the knee 'cause of the infection."

Cole squinted at the stump, then took on an expression akin to sympathy. But not quite. "It hurts?"

"More than you know." Jay smiled. "But I don't mind too much."

"What happened?"

Jay sighed. "Let's save that story for another day, eh? But let's just say, I wore a tourniquet on my calf for a week. It was super infected, and Cyrus had to cut off a lot of what would have been salvageable, had I gotten here sooner."

"Shouldn't slow you down too much," Cole said. "You know. Since you can fly."

"Not all the time," Jay said. "Stormstrider made that clear as soon as I woke up from the operation yesterday. I cannot use him as a crutch. I cannot use him as a crutch. I cannot use him as a crutch."

"How inconsiderate," Cole said.

"I know, right?" Jay laughed weakly. "I uh...still can't stand or do anything on my own though, so Stormstrider's helping me out a little bit. Begrudgingly."

Save for the sound of Chedva's light snores, all was silent for a long while after that.

Cole sat on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt. "I'm...going to take off all these bandages when I get to my room," he said. "I kept them while we traveled because they kept me warm, but now all I can think about is how scratchy they are."

"Bandages stink," Jay agreed.

Cole was grasping for straws. Jay could tell. Trying to start a conversation, but not really knowing how.

Cole stared at his folded hands, avoiding Jay's eyes. He hadn't even looked at Chedva.

"So," he said. "You're John Keith, huh?"

"Yeah."

"And you kept it a secret for what reason?"

Jay shrugged again. "I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Of Overlord. I thought that if he found out, he'd try to kill me and my guardian again. Like he did with Cyrus' sister when I first came here."

"A valid reason, I guess."

"Valid enough. I just... I hope Nya can forgive me."

Cole lifted his head.

"What?" Jay asked.

Cole searched Jay's eyes, then looked at the sleeping bundle in his arms. "It's nothing. Forget it."

Jay followed Cole's gaze. He can only see the back of her head. He doesn't recognize her yet.

"Is that Merv's baby?" Cole asked.

"Why does everyone think that?" Jay said. He tried to smile, but found that he couldn't. "No. It isn't. Do you want to hold her?"

Cole's eyes closed, and his shoulders slouched. His hair fell in front of his face, shielding it from Jay's view. "Not really. No."

"Oh." Jay sucked in his lips, then puckered them as he tried to think. "Well...I've been holding her for a couple hours, and I think my arm is falling asleep. If you could take her for just a couple minutes, that would be great."

Cole ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it away from his eyes, and started braiding it. Jaw tense, he took a deep, trembling breath. "It hurts, you know," he said. "I...yes, I want to hold her. But..." His fingers ran out of hair to weave, and he threw the mess over his shoulder. Stray strands stuck to his face, wet with silent tears. "...it hurts."

Jay's heart did that weird thing in his chest. Like it wanted to stop beating, but at the same time it wanted to race as fast as it could. It tingled and hurt.

Cole really did love his family. More than anyone had ever realized. His dead mother, wife, sister and, supposedly, his daughter. Maybe, somewhere deep in his broken heart, he even found room to love his father.

"Okay," Cole said. He straightened and opened his bloodshot eyes, face quivering from the pressure to keep his emotions in. He held out his hands. "But only until you can feel your arm again. Then you'll take her back."

"Great. Thanks." Jay set Chedva in Cole's arms, then made a show of shaking his shoulders though they weren't actually asleep.

Cole held the baby close and pressed his eyes shut again, tears flowing like a spring of water. "How did you find this baby?" he asked.

He still hasn't looked at her face, Jay thought, cursing under his breath.

"Actually, I didn't find her. Pixal did."

Cole released a breath. "So I was right. I didn't kill her."

"Nope. She's alive and kicking. But mostly kicking. Anyways, Pixal claims that she'd found a woman and her baby next to the river. They were running away from Overlord, who wanted them executed 'cause of something the father had done. Pixal protected them for about two moon phases, then they were found, and the mother was captured and killed. Pixal saved this baby, though, and then found me."

Cole's eyes shimmered, as distant as the sun and stars. "Overlord doesn't keep male slaves," he said. "Except for me. And Kai was just a prisoner. He was branded and everything, but..." He paled.

"Surprise," Jay said.

Cole pulled the blankets from the baby's face. "How?" He looked at Jay for confirmation, then back down at Chedva. She blinked at him, then yawned, revealing pink, toothless gums.

Hands shaking, Cole touched her flush cheek. Then her thin fuzz of hair.

"Chedva," he whispered. He held her close to his chest as he breathed deeply.

After failing compose himself, he stood and rushed from the room, his baby secure in his arms.

Jay's vision blurred. The next thing he knew, he was crying, as he assumed Cole must now be crying in his own room. Tears of relief. Tears of joy. Tears of gratitude.

When Jay finally wiped his eyes dry, he saw that Cyrus was entering.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Jay said. "I'm happy. I'm so, so happy."

Cyrus gave him a queer look. He had a right to. This was out of character for his nephew, the boy who tried to prove he was strong by suppressing every emotion that might lead to tears. Anger, frustration, loneliness, and even happiness.

"It was worth it," Jay said. "Seeing Cole like that...it was worth all the pain and stress and fighting. And it makes me happy."

Cyrus mirrored Jay's broad, emotional smile, then pulled him into a quick hug.

"I'm going to take a nap," Cyrus said when they separated. "Just a few hours. Kyle told me that Kai has the disease, so that will be my first priority in the morning."

"All right." Jay settled back in his pillow. "But please try to get a good ten hours of sleep sometime this week."

"No promises, but I'll certainly try."

"Thanks. Oh! And can you make sure that Cole gets some supplies for Chedva? He left without taking any diapers or formula."

"Certainly." Cyrus wheeled out of the room, leaving Jay to pick up his book and attempt to read again.

Well, tough luck, because he was too distracted now to do anything but remember Cole's loving, fatherly look right before he fled to his room to celebrate where no one could see his so-called weakness.

Maybe we're more alike than I'd thought, Jay said to Stormstrider, who sat in a pile of clothing on the floor.

Stormstrider thrummed. To defeat your enemy, you must become his friend. Well done.

Besai sat in a chair beside Kai's bed, spoon-feeding Ahlie some soup. Between each bite, Ahlie would squint and smile at her mommy. They both would laugh softly, and then she would swallow and open wide for another bite.

Ahlie pointed to Besai's nose with her tiny finger and said something indiscernible in the Dark Tongue. She'd need to learn the Ninjagian language soon, Besai decided. They were never going back to Overlord's territory, so it was not necessary for Ahlie to speak that terrible language.

Ahlie finished the bowl of soup, then settled against Kai's shoulder. "Lypha," she said.

"Friend?" Besai said. "Kai ees your friend? Lypha Kai?"

Ahlie nodded.

It was good that she accepted him. It made Besai smile. She hardly dared to hope, but it would be wonderful if Kai would accept Ahlie, too. Then they could be a family.

Kai started coughing. Ahlie squealed and leaped into Besai's arms, frightened.

Besai soothed her, then reached for Kai's hand and held it tight until his lungs grew calm.

He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, confused. Then he lifted his and Besai's hands and stared at them.

"Besai?" His voice was like a muddy river: slow and filled with gravel.

"Hi," she said, squeezing his hand. "How do you feel?"

Kai moaned. "Like my head is going to break apart any minute. And...my chest hurts. How 'bout you?"

Besai stroked the stubble on his cheek with her thumb. "I steel hurt some," she said. "But I am better."

"Good," Kai said. "I'm glad." He looked at Ahlie. "She looks just like you, Besai. Pretty red hair, tiny nose..."

"A'ah," Besai said. "But her eyes are green."

"They don't look like Overlord's eyes, though," Kai said. "They're a little more gentle and round. Like Cole's."

"Cole's?" Besai turned Ahlie's head and examined her eyes. "Why would they look like Cole's eyes?"

"Because they're siblings. Overlord's kids."

"Oh." Besai smiled. "So that makes me Cole's half-mother."

"Mother-in-law, yep," Kai said. "And I guess that makes me his father-in-law." He let out a breathy laugh, then grimaced at the pain it caused.

"What's the word you use for daddy?" he asked after the wave passed.

Besai considered this a moment. "Eef there ees one, I don't know eet."

"No word at all?"

Besai shook her head. "There ees no family on Dark Island. Choia for mothers. But nothing for fathers."

"Oh." Kai turned on his side, closed his eyes against a wave of dizziness, and then reopened them. "Well, come here, Ahlie."

Besai translated what Kai said, and Ahlie obeyed, settling herself on the mattress.

Kai took her diminutive hand in his. "Let me tell you what a daddy is," he said.

As he spoke, Besai translated. Ahlie listened, seeing in his expression that something important was about to happen.

"A daddy is a friend," he said. "A strong man who protects his family. Make sense?"

Ahlie nodded once.

"Good. A daddy is also someone who loves his family. Even when..." He bit his lip. "Even when they do stuff he doesn't like. He's always there."

He waited for Besai to finish translating, then continued. "Daddies love their families, no matter what. Now. I may not always be fun, and I'm known to lose my temper from time to time, but I want to do my best."

Besai had to stop and compose herself. She hadn't been prepared for this.

Kai hadn't prepared himself either. All he could think of as he spoke was his own father. Of all the years they had spent together as friends. They would talk about everything together; do everything together. They had been inseparable, and they had loved each other dearly.

What had changed?

"Ahlie," Kai said, choking on his tears. "Would you let me be your daddy?" He stroked Besai's cheek. "Can we do that? Be a family? I'm not ready, and I'll probably mess up, but I want to try. Because I love you both."

Besai threw her arms around him, weeping. "Yes," she said. "Thank you."

Kai held her tight, ignoring the discomfort in his head as she kissed every inch of his face.

After seeing her mother's joy, Ahlie decided it was okay to accept his offer. She crawled between them and- with an adorable, squinting grin on her face- hugged Kai. "A'ah," she said between bursts of soft laughter. "Micha daddy."