A/N: Gunther's cast goes from his wrist to around his shoulder. It is a full arm cast…I forgot to mention that earlier…sorry! Don't think there was anything else I needed mention about the story…sorry the update took a while, been busy and had writers block! Thanks for all the reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own JatD.
The sun was incredibly bright in his room. Even with his eyes still closed, it was too bright. Gunther rolled over to avoid the sun, then noticed a scent in his room. It smelled like hot breakfast. Cracking an eye open to scan the room he found he was alone, and his dinner dishes had been replaced with a bowl of steaming porridge on his bedside table. Giving in to the daylight and the smell of breakfast, Gunther sat up and ate.
After he had eaten and dressed, which took awhile since one arm was in plaster and his ribs still hurt, Gunther walked downstairs to the kitchens to return Pepper's bowl. "Breakfast was terrific as always Pepper." Gunther complimented the castle chef and set the bowl on the counter.
"Thank you, Gunther. Oh, Jane said if I saw you to tell you to go to the practice yard."
Gunther nodded and left the cook to her duties.
OOOOOO
"How are you feeling today Gunther?" Sir Theodore inquired as the Squire enter the yard.
"Better than Jane looks, Sir Theodore." Gunther grinned and looked at Jane who was glaring at him.
Sir Theodore nodded, ignoring the comment. "You will have book lessons with Sir Ivon until you can do physical training again."
"Yes, Sir Theodore."
"Come on lad, let's get this over with." Sir Ivon instructed, leading Gunther to the Knight's quarters, clearly not happy with being stuck inside away from his weaponry.
Sir Theodore turned to Jane. "You and I will work on battle tactics and more fighting skills, which you will slowly teach to Gunther, without weapons of course." Jane nodded. "Also, I spoke with the King and was able to get more time to work with Gunther with his cast off before the demonstration."
"Excellent! How much more time?" Jane asked, hopes high that there was now a real chance for him.
"Two days." Sir Theodore responded.
"Two days?" Jane repeated, feeling those high hopes come crashing down.
"That was all I could get him Jane. That is why you are to teach him without weapons now then practice with weapons after his cast is off."
"But Sir Theodore, does the king not know Gunther has fractured ribs as well? He cannot fight properly because of the injury and pain! He needs more time!"
"King Caradoc feels that Gunther will be ready next week, and we cannot question his decision Jane."
"Yes, Sir." Jane conceded, but in her mind she was thinking up a way to convince the king to give Gunther more time.
OOOOOO
When Jane and Gunther were released for lunch, they walked over to the picnic table together.
"I am so exhausted from staring at a book all morning…and on top of that, Sir Ivon said that I will have a test every morning on what I learned the day before starting tomorrow!" Complained Gunther in a yawn.
"We are doing everything in our power to make sure you become a Knight, Gunther." Jane encouraged.
"We?"
"Sir Theodore informed me this morning that I will be in charge of teaching you battle tactics and more fighting skills. Slowly and without a weapon at first, then once your cast is off, with a weapon." Jane explained, then she paused before continuing, "All of us want you to succeed Gunther. Including me."
Gunther smiled at her and sat down at the end of the table and Jane placed herself next to him. During lunch everyone talked about Gunther's new training to save his apprenticeship. Dragon came up towards the end and asked Jane if she wanted to go on patrol. Something the two hadn't done in a while.
"I'd love to, Dragon." Jane smiled and hopped on her giant green friends back. Once they were high enough up, Jane told Dragon about the king's decree regarding Gunther. "How is he suppose to prove he is still just as good as he used to be in a week? His cast will have been off only two days, and his ribs are still going to be quite sore!" Jane was fuming. "I must speak to the king about this. Gunther needs more time!"
Dragon listened to his friend intently and waited for her to finish before speaking. "Why do you care so much about the little weasel? I thought you hated him. Have you two become smoke swappers since he moved into the castle?" Dragon laughed a little.
"No! Where do you come up with this nonsense Dragon? And so what if I care for him, is that so wrong?" Jane replied, saying the latter more quietly as if talking to herself. However, Dragon with his impeccable hearing, heard it and teased her, "You like like Gunther!"
"I do not like like Gunther." Jane said firmly. I love him.
OOOOOO
Upon returning to the castle, Jane decided to not go talk to the king and instead went and found Gunther, who was sitting against a tree in the shade studying. "Want some company?" Jane asked standing in the sun by the tree.
Looking up from his book at the beautiful hourglass shaped figured standing over him, Gunther smiled and answered with "Please. Sit."
Nodding, Jane sat beside him under the tree. "Sir Theodore had an audience with the king and was able to get you two extra days to prepare for your demonstration. I do not believe it is enough time for your ribs to heal, and am going to speak with the king to get you more time."
"No Jane, you will do no such thing." Gunther said firmly looking directly into her eyes. "It doesn't concern you."
"But-"
"The king only wants to see that I still have full use of my arm, nothing else. He knows my ribs are injured, he knows it will take longer for them to heal than my arm. You will not go ask for more time, understood?" Gunther interrupted her to explain the situation.
"Fine." Jane answered. They were both silent for a few minutes, listening to castle life going on around them, Jane leaned back, rested against the tree and closed her eyes. Gunther, who was already in a similar position as Jane, turned his head to look at her. She is so beautiful. He studied her expressionless face, eyes still closed. He thought about how he longed to hold her, kiss her, caress her hair. God I love her. She can't possibly feel the same.
Jane, who could feel Gunther staring at her, turned her head towards him and opened her eyes. Gunther turned away quickly, but there was no mistaking what she saw in his face. She continued looking at him, and Gunther turned his gaze back to her, their eyes locking for just a moment. Jane was the first to turn away, blushing a little. "I suppose we should start the training I was assigned to give you."
"Yes, I suppose so. I will continue studying for my test after the evening meal." Gunther closed the book that had been laying open and untouched in his lap since Jane came to join him under the tree. Jane stood and grabbed the heavy book from Gunther with one hand, and offered her other hand to assist Gunther in getting off the ground. He took her hand without question and hoisted himself up.
OOOOOO
The week went by quickly. Each morning, after breakfast, Gunther had a test with Sir Ivon, followed by more lessons. After lunch, he met Jane to practice more fighting strategies, battle tactics and the like, weaponless of course. These training sessions with Jane were Gunther's favorite part of the day. There was no bickering or name calling like in past times, they were patient with each other and Jane did not think or call Gunther weak or lazy when his injuries pained him, causing him to need a break, which happened quite often in the first few days of practice.
The day was warm and beautiful. Small white puffy clouds dotted the sky and there was a light breeze. It was also the day that Gunther's cast was to be removed. Everyone was excited and nervous do to the pressure the king had put on the situation. Gunther had his last test with Sir Ivon for a while that morning, and after lunch, Smithy would be the one to remove the plaster.
Jane, Sirs Ivon and Theodore, Lady Adeline, Jester, Pepper and Rake gathered round the picnic table where Gunther was seated waiting for Smithy to get started. It was decided the picnic table would be the best place for the task, since Gunther could sit comfortably and rest his arm on a steady surface for the delicately dangerous task waiting for Smithy. Jane sat at the table on Gunther's uninjured side and turned her body to face him. Rake, Pepper and Jester sat on the opposite side of the table facing them, and the adults stood behind and off to the side a bit.
"Shall we get started?" Inquired Smithy, looking at Gunther. He also didn't seem to notice the audience.
"Yes. Finally." Gunther answered grinning a little, but Jane noticed a nervousness in both the statement and the smile.
Smithy took a warm wet rag out of a bowl of water on the table, and used it to moisten the plaster some. He then picked up the small hand saw and started at the shoulder of the cast. Gunther, though not afraid of what was happening, after all what's to fear about getting a cast removed, reached for Jane's hand under the table. Startled, Jane jumped a little, and looked at the young man's face, he glanced at her for a second before turning his attention back to the cast. Jane let him hold her hand, interlace his fingers with hers, his thumb caressing the back of her hand.
Jane and Gunther sat like that for almost two hours. That is about how long it took Smithy to remove the cast. No one could see that their hands were locked together, except maybe Smithy, who was right next to them. But, Smithy was too busy concentrating to notice or care, he wouldn't care anyway, so, Jane and obviously Gunther did not care either if Smithy saw.
"There. Done." Smithy said as he removed the last piece of plaster from Gunther's wrist.
"Thank you, Smithy." Gunther responded, letting go of Jane's hand to admire his arm, but then scrunched up his nose at the smell.
"Yes, it's going to stink. Plaster and not being able to wash it does that." Smithy laughed lightly. "Here is some clean water and soap to wash it if you want before the Lady-In-Waiting looks at it." Smithy gestured to another bowl and rag on the table.
"I certainly will. Thank you again, Smithy." Gunther grabbed the wet rag and washed his arm. Smithy sat at the table opposite Gunther and Jane.
"Can you move it?" Jane inquired softly as Gunther dried his arm off.
"That will be for me to examine and decide, Jane." Lady Adeline said firmly, approaching the table. "Turn to face me Squire Gunther."
Gunther did has he was instructed and Jane moved to where she could better see what her mother was making Gunther do. This was the reason everyone was gathered around, not to see a cast be removed, but to witness the initial assessment of his abilities. Everyone watched unblinking, so to not miss anything.
The Lady-In-Waiting gently grabbed Gunther's arm and begin to examine it. She gently squeezed his arm, starting at the shoulder and worked her way down to check for deformities.
"Let your arm hang down by your side."
Gunther obeyed. His arm felt stiff with every movement.
"Good. Now, raise it out in front of you at shoulder level." Again he obeyed. "Now, straight out from your side." He did. "At shoulder level, Gunther." The Lady-In-Waiting instructed. Gunther tried, but his arm would not stay at shoulder level. "Hold out your other arm at shoulder level." Gunther's left arm stayed in place as he was instructed, but his right arm simply wouldn't comply. "Hold both arms over your head." Gunther obeyed, but still his right arm would not comply.
Sighing, Lady Adeline gave one last assessment test, "Move your elbow and wrist around to see their ranges of motion." Gunther did so, and his wrist and elbow showed no signs of issue, only his shoulder. Cross with himself, Gunther stared at the ground clenching his teeth.
"I shall report my findings to His Majesty." The Lady-In-Waiting announced.
"Mother, you cannot. His cast only just came off!" Jane pleaded.
"And that is exactly what I plan on telling the king, Jane. Gunther has two days to work out the tension in his shoulder before the official assessment and demonstration. The king just wanted an initial report today." Jane's mother assured her and unknowingly everyone else who was witness, that there was still a chance. Before Jane could argue further, Lady Adeline turned and walked to the Throne Room.
A/N: I did some research (Wikipedia) on medical plaster casts, and apparently plaster was not used medically until the 19th century. It was only used in art before that. Other random things were used instead. Now, don't quote me on this though, cuz I didn't actually READ the article, I just skimmed through it…but, I was too lazy to read it fully and do research on what was used in Jane's time, so, I kept it as plaster. Don't hate me! Please review! Next Chapter up soon I promise!