I was almost at the gate, but I was getting dizzy, my ankle was still bleeding heavily and it felt like the witch princess gained ten pounds with every step. I had to stop and sit.
"Akari, are you alright?" Finn asked in a tiny anxious voice.
"I just need to rest a minute," I replied. I placed the witch down gently on the moss, then sat down next to her. I closed my eyes and it felt like the earth was spinning beneath me.
"You're really pale. We need to get out of here Akari, you need to see Jin, it's just a little further." He was pleading with me, bobbing furiously around my head.
"Just a little more time Finn." I felt my eyes closing, I was losing consciousness, but it felt nice, no more worries and no more throbbing pain.
"Akari! Don't go to sleep! The Goddess needs you and so do I!" I opened my eyes again, and felt guilty as I looked into his almost tearful face. I forced myself to get up.
"Ok Finn, just a little further." I looked at the witch princess, my body just wanted to rest, was I going to be able to lift her again? I was too busy concentrating on her to notice that someone was walking towards me.
"Hey Akari! What are you doing here?" I recognized his voice, it was Luke. He must be here to get some wood. I turned around to look at him and say hello, but when he saw me he dropped his axe and his smile quickly faded his expression turned to worry. How bad did I look?
"Hey, are you alright? You look pretty, uhh bad, well sick." Thanks Luke. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I tried to walk over to him and my limp must have been what gave me away, "Holy crap! You're bleeding we need to get to the clinic." He rushed over to me placing his arm around my shoulders to help me walk, but I pushed him away.
"Luke…" I pointed at the witch princess laying on the ground. "If you want to help me please, carry her. She really needs to see Jin." He looked at me confused.
"Who the hell is that?" He asked not moving from my side. I forgot, nobody knew that the witch princess actually existed, except for the wizard that lived in town, but he had a crystal ball so that was cheating.
"Uh, she's a friend of mine that lives deep in the woods. I went to visit her and she was passed out on the floor. She won't wake up Luke, please carry her. I can walk there if I don't have to carry her myself."
"Ok, I'll do it for you," he replied reluctantly. "But what happened to your leg?" I didn't want to tell him about the animals.
"I-I tripped and a branch or sharp rock must have got my ankle as I fell." I looked at him, and he seemed to buy it. He wasn't exactly a genius.
"Ok, but before we go anywhere you have to at least wrap that thing, it looks like you've lost a lot of blood." He took his bandanna off his head and before I could stop him, he was bandaging my leg, tying it uncomfortably tight. He saw me wince, "It will help stop the blood flow."
"You're bandanna is ruined," I protested.
He smiled at me, "I have spares at home, now come on we have to get you out of here." He walked over and picked up the witch princess with ease, we left the forest and walked to Jin's clinic.
When we walked in through the clinic door Irene gasped and Jin quickly rushed over to us showing Luke and myself to a bed.
"Luke, you bring that girl over here and place her down gently. Akari you go sit over there, I'll be with you in a minute." he spoke with authority and I did as I was told. I finally took the time to look down at my ankle. The bandage was soaked, I gingerly took it off wincing as the fabric came out of the cut. The wound itself looked a little dirty, I hoped that it wasn't infected. Why didn't I think of wrapping it before we left?
I heard Luke explain to Jin how he had found me and the witch princess and that she was a friend of mine who lived deep in the woods. When he finished he walked over to me, said goodbye and walked back out the door.
I waited a few more minutes and then Jin came over. He was a handsome man, and very smart. He had long, straight black hair that was always tied back away from his face, and it wasn't very often you saw him whiteout his white lab coat. Him and Anissa had a thing going on, it was a bit of a strange match, but they were happy together.
"So Akari, how did this happen?" He looked at me over his glasses, it sort of annoyed me when people did that. I decided to stick with the lie that I told Luke.
"Mmhmm, I see." Jin didn't look like he was buying it, but he didn't press the matter." Well you're going to need a couple stitches.
I groaned, "are you serious? Won't that interfere with my farm work?" Not that I really had much to do at the moment, but I've never had stitches, and I've been told they are a nuisance.
"I will put a bandage over them so that your cut won't get infected, and you'll just have to be a little bit more careful about how you move so that they won't get pulled out."
I sighed in defeat, "alright, sew me up." I was going to be Frankenstein's wife.
He went over to a counter and pulled on some gloves, then took out a sewing needle, thread and then two medical needles.
"Hey, what are those for." I said pointing and staring at the spiny objects. I hated needles.
"Well, one is an antibiotic to keep your ankle from getting infected and the other is to freeze the cut."
I looked at him in disbelief, "so you're going to stick needles in a part of my body that is already cut open and stings like hell?"
He smirked, "believe me, it will feel a lot worse if I don't."
I gave up and lay back on the bed, trying not to think about what he was doing. I thought about the witch princess and what she must have done in order for all of this misery to occur. Within what seemed like seconds, he was done.
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" He asked removing his gloves and throwing them in the garbage.
"No, I guess not," I replied. "Jin, what's wrong with my friend? Will she wake up soon?" She wasn't really my friend, but I didn't want to tell people she was a witch.
He shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Akari, I examined her before I came over to fix you, and she's in a coma. I have no idea what might have caused it, and there is no way of telling when she will wake up, or if she will." He must have been trained well with delivering bad news because he did not take his eyes off mine.
Great, how was I ever going to get any answers this way? "Thank you Jin." I tried to figure out what I should do next, and I remembered Gill.
"Crap! Jin, what time is it?" I asked in a panic.
"It's about six thirty," he replied.
"Damn, I gotta go. I'll come back to see her tomorrow." I quickly jumped off the bed and regretted it right a away. When I hit the floor pain went through my leg.
"Take it easy!" Jin commanded as he steadied me.
"Sorry," I mumbled," but I really have to go."
"Alright, but make sure you drink and eat something sweet. You've lost a lot of blood and should go to bed as soon as possible. I shouldn't even be letting you go."
"Sorry Jin, but I'm late meeting with Gill. Don't worry I'll be fine." I rushed out the door, not listening to the rest of his warnings or his goodbye.
I was halfway to Gill's house when Finn spoke, "Akari, can't we just go home? You're not well, Gill can wait until a different day." He had an odd expression on his face and I stared at him. It wasn't like Finn to suggest standing people up.
"Finn, I can't just skip out on him, our relationship isn't great as it is." I had reached Gill's door, I was turning the knob to go inside as Finn said,
"I know Akari, believe me, I know."
A nice blast of warm air welcomed me as I opened the door. It had been a while since I'd been to the mayor's house. I was about to ask Finn what his last comment had meant, when I saw Gill sitting at the kitchen table.
"Oh Gill, I'm sorry I'm late!" I rushed over and sat down at the table in the chair across from him. He looked at me unnerved about the fact that I was half an hour behind. It was odd since he was usually very uptight about being punctual. I placed my hand on the table reaching for his, but he did not take it. Two burns in one day.
"Akari, I really wish I had been able to talk to you earlier today." He looked up at me and pushed his light blonde hair out of his face.
"Well you can talk to me now," I offered with a smile, it faltered when he just continued staring at me with a look of... pity?
"I don't know how to say this but, I'm sure you've felt it too. We're growing apart." My stomach turned to lead, I knew what was coming. He continued, "I don't feel the same about you as I used to.." He trailed off. I just sat there like a dummy. It wasn't heartbreak I was feeling, I knew this was happening, I felt the same way as he did, but it still hurt.
I replied softly, "I know Gill, I feel the same." I didn't want to lose him. We weren't in love like we used to be, or thought we were, but I loved knowing he was there, having him to talk to when I had troubles and someone to hold me when I was depressed.
"Maybe we just need to work it out," I offered meekly. Finn's comment before we came in had suddenly made sense, he knew this was going to happen.
"I'm sorry Akari, it can't work…" He looked me directly in the eye, "there's somebody else."
Hey guys :) Please read and review, I appreciate you're thoughts. I hope to have another chapter up soon.
