7 Days & 7 Nights: Revelations, Recollections and Care
Ch 3
At the moment Larry was cursing every fiber in his being for procrastinating on his Egyptian lessons with Ahk. He'd meant to start them weeks ago in an effort to befriend the dangerous and very large stone Jackals as well as to bond with the younger man, but things had just kept piling up and he'd never made the time. A mistake he hoped he'd be able to correct.
Now as he watched Teddy pick up the Pharaoh's limp hand to complete the young man's intended action, Larry was at a loss to what the Egyptian had said. The words had been spoken so quietly in that moment of recognition before he'd passed out yet in Egyptian. Not being able to communicate, not even just to comfort the teenager tore at the Guard's heart immensely.
He had to do something, as Teddy held the teenagers burned hand gently in both of his ungloved ones and looked towards Larry expectantly. As Ahkmenrah's shallow gasping breaths filled the room he knew he had to act quick before the young Pharaoh got any worse.
'What can we do?..Can he...die?' The thought flashed through his mind and he pushed it away with anger. It didn't matter, he wouldn't let him either way.
He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the blood as softly as he could off the Egyptian's face, throat and hands before discarding the cloth. He took a deep breath and leaned down until he was closer to the unconscious Pharaoh's head.
"You're safe Ahk, I've got you and we're going to help. I've got to move you now, if you can hear me, remember you're safe."
Raising his head his eyes quickly met Teddy's who were watching him at the ready along with Jed and Oct, waiting for orders.
Nodding Larry motioned for Teddy to help him shift the limp teenager as gently as possible, the motion caused Ahk to stir and he whimpered as he was moved until he was facing Larry who brought him forward and rested his lax head against his shoulder.
"What's the plan Lawrence? Is this curable?" Teddy asked while he helped Larry arrange the tall teenager's long limbs.
"We need to get him to my office and lay him down on the couch, I've shown you how to pull it out, you'll need to while I hold him. Keep the other exhibits away if you can. We'll need your knowledge of first aid, can you clean and bandage his burns? I'll find out what to do after that as soon as we get there and I can do some research on my phone for the best ways to treat this." Teddy nodded in agreement and stood up.
As Larry gathered Ahk's body and limbs in half bridal, half the way he carried Nicky fashion, he felt the warmth of the Pharaoh's body radiate from him in waves. The breath of the injured Ruler puffed across Larry's shoulder and neck as he heard him weakly whisper "...Guar..di..dian..of.." in english before trailing off in a gasp.
'English! Yes! Thank the gods' Larry though with relief. "Yeah kid! its me, I've got you, you're safe but we've got to move you, just relax." Larry spoke equally as quietly as he reassured the young man with a gently pat on his back.
Taking a deep breath he stood up and lifted the King, jerking his head for Teddy to follow, he completely ignored the Jackals who watched silently on the way out but made no move to stop them. As soon as he was out of the Egyptian exhibit he walked as fast as he could without jostling Ahk to the Security office, Teddy with Jed and Oct in tow stopping any other exhibits from following them.
Once they'd reached the office Larry stood with arms full of Ahk as he waited for the former President to pull the couch out of the bed as he'd asked him to.
Bed out with the covers turned down, he gently deposited Ahk onto it who groaned weakly at the change in position and loss of contact. He almost seemed conscious and so Larry took a seat on the couch's mattress edge and spoke soothingly to the young Egyptian after laying his hand on the young man's where the fingers curled weakly against his palm.
"Ahk, Teddy is going to help now. He's going to help me get you cleaned up and your clothes changed ok?"
"Lad it's Teddy, we're going to get you cleaned up and more comfortable so that you can sleep."
There was a moment when they feared he'd passed out again until the Pharaoh took a shuddering breath and tried to nod his head a little unsuccessfully. The action caused his whole body to tense in pain and he whimpered low in his throat as Larry felt the fingers loosely gasping his hand tighten a fraction.
Suddenly the hand went lack along with its owner as the Pharaoh finally passed out again. Now unconscious he almost looked like he was suffering less and breathing easier.
Larry knew he had to figure out what to do, how to treat the insane amount of radiation he'd received. No one here was even alive when radiation like this existed, let alone would know how to treat it, he needed his phone. Now.
"We MUST JEDEDIAH!" Oct's anxious voice suddenly rang out and broke Larry's panicked train of thought. Teddy must've set them down on the arm of the couch as some point before rushing off to get a clean, wet cloths for them
"I KNOW!" Jedediah's voice rang out strained. "...I know Octy...I jus'…I don' wannem ta' die ni'ther..jus' hard ta' think 'bout..let 'lone say'et outloud.." Jed's voice cracked and had lost its bite. Now he sounded almost…like he was going to cry.
Larry spared the two miniatures a glance and noted the fear, yet determination on Octavius' face as he faced the Western Leader and rubbing the Cowboy's shoulders roughly. The other in turn had tremors that ran throughout his miniature frame. Even if his hat hid his downturned face, Larry would've known he was scared and very upset. He had gotten to know the duo and he could hear it in the Western man's dialect and tone.
"Hey, hey now guys, what's wrong? We'll save Ahk guys it'll be ok. Don't get upset Jed, I know it's hard to see him like this, but he'll be ok." Larry tried to comfort them while taking the first cool cloth from Teddy who was watching them with a sympathetic gaze as Larry draped the cloth across the Pharaoh's forehead.
"NO!" Jed shouted in a fit suddenly before taking he took his hat off and began to twist it in his hands while taking a shuddering breath. "I mean…It ain't like that...See, there mighta been an'nther time when somethin' similar happened.." He trailed off in a mutter and Oct's hand on his shoulder seemed to give him strength to continue.
"A few weeks after we first woke up, these clowns showed up and nabbed one of Ahk's things, said it was some cat shaped box n' they wanted 'ta see what was inside it." He shuddered and continued. "When they brought it back the next night...it.. it woke up screamin' and hoalerin' like a cat cramped in an ammo tin on a hot day. We begged…" He paused "We begged.." Larry saw Jed shake as he tried to force himself to continue only to have Oct still him and step forward a bit to take over.
"My Leigh. At that moment we requested of the...previous night man to check on the poor creature. If the Pharaoh was so dangerous that he must be locked away..It was wrong. But that innocent creature was howling in agony sir…That night he was returned's sounds are imprinted in my mind." Octvius finished with a deadly tone.
Larry nodded, understanding too well suddenly. The 'cat thing' taken must have been one of Ahk's pet cats. Taken and X-rayed by some of the first instances of the technology which was lethal in its radiation doses as well. Looking down he saw a tear form in the corner of the Pharaohs eye as his face, even in unconsciousness, reflected his pain.
"What happened?" Larry asked in a controlled and flat tone managing to control his anger, only because he didn't want to frighten the miniature men. Turning he used another cloth Teddy was handing to him to wipe the boys eyes gently before wiping down his neck and chest properly.
He could not help the murderous feelings he had towards the previous guards, and almost couldn't bear listening while watching them suffer through the memory.
"He...He ignore us, and its cries of pain sir." Oct continued "The next night it awoke and Jed..his men, my men and I broke free to ensure the animal was no longer suffering. We could not bear the idea of it any longer. But..." This time Oct trembled and shifted closer to the Cowboy who was still silent. "We were caught my Leigh and punished. Then the previous night man held out the weak, but unharmed cat into the first rays of sunlight out front." Oct paused before he continued in a louder, but trembling voice.
"He…he forced us to watch as another 'lesson' before tossing us into our rooms and locking the doors. The sight of that animal suffering..."
As much as he'd tried to control himself Larry was no longer aware of Teddy tenderly caring for the burn wounds on the teenagers lax arms, nor the two figurines that stood trembling together in fear of a 50 year old memory. Not even the weakly breathing injured Pharaoh beside him. Just the white hot rage as it filled him. He closed his eyes and counted to 10 as many times as it took for the white noise to fade from his ears and the red from his vision.
Once he was able he turned to the duo and forced himself to take a breath before speaking.
"Jedediah. Octavius." He spoke evenly, even kindly to them. The duo stood, rooted in their spot while the Guard spoke.
"When this is over. And I do mean this. Both. Of. You. are going to sit down and tell me about this...previous night man and everything else he and anyone else did to any of you. No. Exceptions. I am...so angry right now that I cannot, no will not process that right now."
Jed's eyes were openly filled with memories that made the Western man shake before he lowered his head and remained unmoving. Larry forced himself to take another breath. Next to him Oct seemed to understand and be in control a bit more, he met the man's gaze before he put an arm around Jed and shook him slightly to rouse a response.
"For now, I need to thank the two of you. Because you were able to tell me that, and I'm not angry you didn't earlier either, I know that Ahk's going to be Ok. We just need to get him through the night and I think he'll be alright."
Jed started and jerked his gaze up to meet Larry's. "If the cat was also suffering from Radiation Poisoning which it sounds like it was, then it also sounds like the Tablet healed him during the day."
Glancing at his watch he noted the time.
"Its about 1:15 so we've got four and a half hours about to keep him comfortable and calm before nightfall. then we'll move him back his..bed, and I'll be there in the morning just waiting to lift the lid. But I'll need your help, we can't do it without you."
Jedediah finally shifted on his feet and lifted his head as a shy grin crept across his face and he put his hat back on. Next to him Octavius' posture stiffened in pride and he breathed easier. Larry smiled reassuringly
"Ok guys, I need you two to hang out up here. Part of this sickness is confusion, mixed up memories. He's scared and doesn't know where, or when he is. Talk to him guys, in English and Latin. Let him know it's us helping him in case he forgets ok?"
"Can do partner!"
"Yes my Leigh, we shall comfort our brother in arms!"
Larry took a sharp breath then turned to the former President who had completed cleaning and bandaging the 'sunburns' on the teenagers right side and chest and had moved to treat his left arm. The said teen looked better in some sense having been cleaned up a little and the burns tended to but his breaths were still coming in shallow gasps that were weak, pain plagued him in waved as his face grimaced.
Standing to get out of the former President's way he spoke quickly. "Teddy, I'm going to look online for any information and see what we can do. Can you please keep treating the burns, then I've got a bag next to the couch, let's put those clothes on him instead no one will know that he's wearing sweats since his Sarcophagus is closed all day."
Teddy nodded tightly "Agreed my boy, I'll finish this while you do perform your research on this illness. Once I'm ready we can change him out of this bloody clothes."
Larry agreed and as he turned to get his phone from his locker he heard Octavius saying something softly in Latin as Jed told the Pharaoh his plans for this winter coming up and how he wanted to spend the long nights pranking others with the Pharaoh.