Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.
Hey everyone!!! How are you guys? Christmas is approaching! :) That's always good! Thanks again kutlessgurl90 for reviewing, and thanks to everyone who has stayed with this story! Okay, well I guess I'll stop rambling on... here's chapter 13!
Chapter 13: Relief and Comfort
The next thought that registered in my mind was that my eyes were open. They were open, but all I saw was darkness. I felt the panic beginning to rise in my body as my eyes scanned my surroundings for any sign of light. After a moment I noticed a slight glow coming from the direction opposite of me. Where was I, anyways? My body was supported by a soft material, and my head was on a higher surface than the rest of me. There was no other sound in this place except my breathing… and someone else's. No, it was more than one person's; there was one steady rhythm but it kept cutting off at separate times, signifying the different breathing patterns.
My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness as I searched around to see who was there. Lying on the ground was Susan, her head resting on her arm for support while her legs curled up towards her side. Edmund was beside her, resting in a chair that looked quite familiar. I noticed that there was a small hand interlocked with mine. It belonged to Lucy, who was on my right side. Half of her body was on the floor while the other half was on my bed. My bed. I was in my room at Cair Paravel, and the glow opposite of me was moonlight entering through my window. I was beginning to think coherently once again, which meant I'd be feeling the pain right about… now.
I clenched my teeth tightly. It felt as if someone had tampered with my ribs while I was unconscious. I ran my hand cautiously up my side, feeling regular bandages rather than the makeshift ones my sisters had provided me with. They felt much tighter than the others, almost uncomfortably tight. I tried to adjust myself into a more pleasing position, but I only felt pain when I attempted to move. I allowed a quiet groan escape from my lips. I heard a rustling sound to my left.
"Peter?" Susan asked tiredly. I looked down at her. She was propped up on one elbow and her eyes were squinting so she could see my face properly. Su was the lightest sleeper out of the four of us, so it didn't surprise me when it was she that had awoken.
"Hmm?" I wondered. I was still tired and wasn't completely back to my senses yet.
"Oh Peter, you're awake!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. I was sure she didn't want to awaken the others. I nodded. "How're you feeling?"
I suppressed a sigh.
"Tired, disoriented, weaker than I should be…" I could have listed off some other things but I decided to leave it at that. My voice sounded unusually quiet and strained, and it wasn't from trying not to wake my youngest siblings, either. Her eyes softened and she gave me a gentle smile. She quietly stood up and walked to my bedside, sitting beside me.
"Well, I'm glad you're awake; you've been out for quite a while," Su pointed out. That reminded me… I had to ask the burning question.
"How long have I been unconscious?" I wondered. Susan stared at me for a bit before answering, probably contemplating on whether she should tell me the truth or not.
"To be frank, Peter, you passed out in the afternoon, and now it's the middle of the night. It's been a while," she answered. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. My arm felt sore and heavy, but my sleeve felt light and soft. I looked at it, noticing that it was a different tunic than I had been previously wearing.
"Who changed my tunic? And my bandages, on that note," I questioned.
"Edmund did. The healers insisted on doing something, but Edmund was reluctant to listen. He grew very protective of you, Peter. I've never seen him act so persistently about anything before. He would not let anyone touch you besides us, of course, not even Oreius. He didn't let Lucy give you the cordial, either. He wanted you to be at peace for as long as possible, and he thought the cordial would force you awake too quickly. He hasn't left your side once; actually, none of us have. I'm sure he'll scold himself for nodding off," Susan explained. I looked over at the sleeping form of my only brother. I loved and appreciated him so much; I could not have asked for a better brother, or friend, for that matter. I owed Edmund quite a large thank you when he got up. I would've given anything to see Oreius's face, though. I let a grin pull at my lips as I pictured it in my head. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind.
"Have any of you eaten yet?" I asked. Susan nodded.
"Yes, Tierrina brought us some tea, and, well, just about anything else you could imagine," Susan replied, smiling. Tierrina, a dwarf slightly resembling Telula, was the royal cook at Cair Paravel, and her food was always marvelous. And she always cooked so much of it! It was a wonder I didn't gain five pounds each time I consumed one of her meals.
"Good, am I right on assuming Ed had seconds?" I questioned. Susan chuckled.
"Yes, of course, and you know how he likes his tea!"
I nodded and smiled.
"Oh, Peter, are you hungry?" she wondered. Well, I did want something to eat, but I could wait until morning; I was too tired to do anything.
"No, I'm fine."
"All right. I'm sure there will be a superb breakfast waiting for us all tomorrow morning," she pointed out.
"I would not doubt it; she always does such an excellent job," I put in. We sat in silence for a moment or two; I was too exhausted to start a conversation myself. Then Susan wondered,
"Are you comfortable enough? We did everything we could but we didn't want to move you around too much. I'm sure you're delighted to be back in your own bed." I grinned. It definitely wasn't an unpleasant thing.
"Yes, Su, I'm comfortable enough. And even if I wasn't, I can't exactly move very well anyways. Edmund wrapped my ribs very tightly," I replied. Susan gave me a half smile and patted my hand.
"I'm so sorry, Peter. Can I get you anything?" I shook my head.
"No, the three of you have already done more than enough for me. You should all be in your own rooms, and beds, for that matter, instead of being here watching over me. I'm sure Lucy isn't at all comfortable what with half of her body being on the floor and the other on my bed. She'll probably wake up with a sore back from this. And Edmund is curled up in that chair… there's no way he has enough room to stretch out or anything! As for you, that floor is too hard for anyone to get a good night's rest on," I explained. Susan was shaking her head and sighing.
"You honestly don't understand, do you? There is absolutely no reason for you to be complaining because you would do the same thing for any of us. In fact, you already have! When Lucy had that dreadful cold last year, you stayed with her every waking moment of the day until you hadn't heard her sneeze once in a three hour time period! And when Edmund came back injured from that campaign in Galma, you took it upon yourself to be his personal slave for an entire week! As for me, you saved my life in that battle with the Ettinsmoor giants two years ago and wouldn't leave my side until I quit shaking. You see, Peter, all of us are just returning the favor. You manage to take care of us and run a country at the same time. You always place everything on yourself, so it's our turn to do something in return," she stated. I laid there staring at her for a bit, not quite sure what to say.
"Thank you, Susan. I appreciate everything the three of you have done for me these past few days. I love you all so much, but it takes some getting used to having you all look out for me instead of the other way around. It just makes me feel vulnerable, like I can't properly protect the three of you from any danger. I know you think that I put too much pressure on myself, but it's my duty to keep you safe." Susan looked at me for a long time.
"Peter, thank you for everything you do. I know we've never really been that close but still, thank you. I love you, just don't worry so much," She gently nudged my shoulder. I smiled.
"You're welcome, Su, and I love you, too." I took in the deepest breath I could manage, which wasn't very deep. I tightly closed my eyes. I felt Susan stroke my hair.
"I'm sorry it hurts so much. Edmund thinks there's at least three of your ribs that are broken, and then two that are cracked. He got a better chance to observe your injury while he wrapped them again. He was hoping it wasn't too tight, but apparently it is. Do you want me to loosen them?"
"No, I'm all right," I assured. I yawned but then winced as it pulled on my side.
"Everything hurts you, doesn't it?" Her tone was a serious as she could make it and she looked concerned.
"Just about, Su. But I'm used to it now, and it doesn't seem so surprising anymore. Sometimes it still catches me a little off guard, though. But I work through the pain. I have to." She gave me one of her stern looks.
"You don't have to, you just choose too because you don't want us to see how bad off you really are." She pursed her lips and gave me a disapproving look.
"You could put it that way, I guess. I just say it's personal preference," I put in, my lips curving into a slight smile. She just sighed and patted my arm affectionately.
"Get some rest, my stubborn, over-protective brother," she suggested.
"Likewise, my gentle, yet tenacious sister," I shot back lightheartedly. She smirked at me but leaned down and kissed my forehead anyways.
"Good night, Peter."
"Night, Susan." She let go of my hand and lay back down on the floor. I was back to sleep within minutes.
A/N: So what do you think? Did I do okay with the Susan/Peter sibling bonding? I hope I stayed true to their characters. Okay, well please review! :)