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Sorry I took so long to reply but it took a while to come up with the last scene in this chapter, I hope you like it because I do :)
Chapter 7,
Don't Give Up On Me Now!,
Much soon returned to the room with the requested wine, Tuck had handed Archer the brew he was asked to make, and when he did he poured the wine that Much had given him into the cup, sloshing it around to mix the components together.
"Guy drink this." Archer said, as he cradled his head so he could drink the medicine, Guy swallowed as much of the mixture as he could, before Archer drew it away, his body was covered in sweat, and his hair was matted together with the salty substance. He breathed shallowly out his mouth, trying to take in as much air as possible; clearly he was in all kinds of pain.
"You will come back Guy I promise...don't give up on me now." Robin reassured,
"We'll just have to wait and see Robin." Guy said in a sigh, "See you on the other side." He said forcing a smile,
"That should take several minutes at the most to set in, first we prepare him for surgery." Archer said, as he covered a piece of cloth in wine, and wiped over the wound ensuring it was clean, he then ran it over the instruments he was going to use.
After a few moments Guy's breathing slowed, and his body relaxed, "Right he's as ready as he'll ever be." Archer said,
"Hand me the knife." Archer ordered, as Robin handed him the knife,
Archer then cut the stitches on the wound, and removed the bits of thread, as soon as he did blood began to seep from the opening, Tuck handed Archer a piece of cloth, and he then wiped away the blood, "Hand me the rod." Archer ordered, as Robin handed it to him,
Using it as a probe, Archer moved the flesh away exposing deeper in the wound, Guy fidgeted, and a painful expression crossed his face,
"I thought you said he couldn't feel anything." Robin questioned,
"Tuck give him some more...it's been a long time and I don't exactly remember everything." Archer defended, so Tuck gave Guy more of the medicine,
"Hand me another piece of cloth...Much go get some clean towels and bring them here." Archer ordered, as blood spilled openly from the wound,
Archer cleaned the area again, and using his fingers he pulled areas away from where he worked, "If I can find where he's bleeding from then I can sew it up." Archer explained, as he dabbed a piece of the cloth in the wound, cleaning the blood away, he dug deeper in the wound, "Here Robin hold this exactly like that." Archer said, as he handed Robin the steel rod, so he could keep the area pulled away,
Much came hurriedly back into the room, carrying the extra towels, Tuck took them from him and placed them on the bedside table, Archer grabbed the knife again, and began cutting further into the wound.
10 minutes later,
"I can't find it I have no idea where he is bleeding from." Archer said in defeat, his hands were now covered in blood,
"You can't give up now." Robin protested,
"Robin I can't keep digging like this in Guy's state he won't be able to bounce back after this." Archer defended, "But I am far from giving up." He added,
Dabbing inside the wound again, the direction in which the blood came from caught Archer's eye, "Wait, wait, Robin hand me the other probe." Archer ordered, holding out his hand, not taking his eyes off what he had just found,
"Marian!" Guy called out, as he jumped slightly, startling the others with his sudden out break,
"Slight side affect." Archer explained,
"What do you mean?" Robin asked,
"Well the medicine helps with pain and keeps you conscious, it can also kill you, and you can suffer from hallucinations, and nightmares." Archer explained,
"I thought you had worked with it before." Robin confessed,
"I have but unfortunately the patient I worked on took an arrow to the chest, so there was no hope for him, I never got to experience the full powers of the medicine." He explained, still his eyes trained on the area where he had seen the blood start from,
He poked the probe into the wound, separating the flesh where the blood had started from, pulling it away he saw the artery that continued to bleed, at last they had found the source of the internal bleeding, "Tuck put your finger here stop the bleeding." Archer ordered, as he moved his blood covered hands so Tuck could squeeze in, Tuck saw what it was Archer wanted him to do so he squeezed the artery shut,
"Be careful if you don't allow the blood to flow then he will never walk again." Archer warned, so Tuck released some of his grip,
Archer washed his hands in a basin and quickly dried them, picking up the needle Much had brought in, he threaded it quickly, then once again he took his position on the bed, which was being used as an operating table.
"Right I got it now Tuck...give Gisborne some more of that medicine in case he starts to come out of it." Archer said, as he gripped the artery gently, and slid the needle through the wall of it, "Now if I don't get this right it will shut off the blood flow to his abdomen and he will never be able to move that part of him again." Archer said, as he looked up at them before he continued,
Carefully Archer continued to sew the ruptured artery, making sure he got as little as he could, so he wouldn't stop the flow of blood, wiping the blood away he continued to work, it was a task that required a great control of the hands, something Carlyle had taught him when he was his master.
Only minutes later, Archer began to tie off the stitching, even this had to be done with care and precision, after it was accomplished Archer took over the probe Robin held and removed it, dabbing the wound again to remove the excess blood, he began to close the wound.
"Get me another length of thread I don't want the wound open any longer than necessary incase he contracts an infection...and I don't think I need to tell you what that would mean." Archer said, uncomfortable stating once again 'it would mean certain death',
Tuck gave him another piece of thread and Archer threaded it through the needle, with Robin's help to hold the wound shut, Archer began to restitch the wound, his stitches were neat, and precise, as if he had done this all his life.
Finally the wound was closed, and after retrieving a bottle from the medicine kit, he poured some of its contents over the area of the injury, Tuck then handed Archer some bandages, and with his help they bandaged Guy's waist, Archer then hopped of the bed and placed the covers under Gisborne's chin, righting himself he prepared to speak.
"One of us needs to stay with him tonight, he will experience fever like fits, and like I said closed eye hallucinations, if he struggles I need you to stop him incase he pops his stitches...and if he does well then our attempts would have been in vain." He explained, everyone who was in the room could see he was clearly exhausted, and he had rights to be after he had just sat up half the night, tending to his dying brother.
"You're tired Archer you should rest for what's left of the night, get some food, and get cleaned up, then try and get some sleep I'll sit up with him tonight." Robin said, as he placed an appreciated hand on Archer's shoulder, "Besides I think you and Gweneth have some catching up to do." Robin implied teasingly,
Archer descended the flight of stairs slowly, his exhaustion clearly showing, Gweneth soon took his side, "How did it go?" She asked, as she led him to the table,
"It's too early to say yet its touch and go...but we're hopeful." Archer replied,
Everyone who sat at the table just seemed to stare, so Archer decided to introduce them, "Right gang this is Gweneth, Gweneth these are Robin Hood's famous outlaws." He introduced, "And she is with me." He added, as he seated himself, and she stood beside him,
"I'm Much nice to meet you." He greeted,
"Likewise."
"I'm Allen nice to meet you." He greeted, with a wink of his eye,
"Nice to meet you too."
"I'm John." He said,
"Nice to meet you."
"And I'm Kate the only other girl as you can see." She greeted cheekily,
"You really must tell me how you manage amongst so many men." Gweneth teased,
"Oh that's easy men are so easy." Kate replied,
"Oh how right you are." Gweneth agreed,
Robin sat in a chair beside Guy's bed, his mind flashing back to the many battles they had together, when they could have killed one another and enjoyed the sight of it, things had changed between them. What used to be a hate unto immortality, became a bond no one could break, after Robin's father had captured them, with the use of poison darts, they had found out they were family. Maybe it was this that made them change their opinions of each other, or maybe it was because they had to work together to save each other, and rely on each other not to stab the other in the back. Whatever it was it had changed the way they felt for each other, Robin would never forget Guy racing towards him, ready to sacrifice his own life to save Robin's, a man he once hated, he still might've sacrificed his life to save Robin's, because it was still to early to tell if Archer's surgery was going to save him.
Robin had forgiven Guy for killing Marian, but he didn't know yet if Guy had forgiven himself, when they had fought the day Robin was taking Guy to his camp, Guy had confessed that he still hadn't forgiven himself, and he said he couldn't forgive himself. It was evident that Guy really did love Marian, but Robin knew Marian would never have returned her full love to him, because she was divided between the two, even when she was going to marry Guy, she was content. Because she loved both of them, only Guy was harder to love under the rule of the sheriff, due to the people he had hurt, and the people he continued to hurt wile she was alive, he had even hurt her, but no matter what Guy had always begged for her forgiveness later. And on more than one occasion, Marian had indeed asked Guy to forgive her for what she had done, Robin realized only now that trying to marry her was a mistake, he only now realized how much it must have been hurting her, to decide between the two.
Guy once again found himself in a Saracen building, only the setting was in a hazed, fuzzed, layout; once again he heard a scream from behind him, he turned his head but he was in slow mode, because it took time to turn towards the doorway of the house.
"Stop it's over Guy." He heard Marian unmistakable voice,
"Marian." He called; Robin was suddenly dragged from his light slumber, to peer over at Guy, who fidgeted uncomfortably, his breathing heavy and labored,
"Get out of the way." He heard his own voice replying, he now saw them as he leaned out against the doorway,
"All this time I have been fighting for England, do you really think I'm going to let you kill England?" She demanded,
Guy fidgeted in his bed, softly saying 'no' over and over, Robin soon rose from his chair and sat on the edge of the bed, "Guy its allright calm down." Robin said,
I deceived the sheriff to help people and in so doing I had to deceive you and I'm sorry for that, but is it such a crime to follow my heart?" She demanded,
"Or the way that I followed mine and always to your door." Guy replied, "Marian did you ever once consider what I was thinking or feeling?" He asked, his mind switching to several occasion in a split second,
"Marian get out of the way." He saw himself slashed his sword past Marian,
"Marian!" Guy yelled, the sword had cut close too close,
"I would rather die then be with you Guy of Gisborne." She said cruelly, "I'm going to marry Robin Hood." She added,
"No, Marian no." Guy protested, as he now tangled his legs in the bed sheets,
"I'm going to marry Robin Hood...I love Robin Hood." She said, her words echoing like the reflection of a thousand mirrors,
"Marian." Guy called, as he began to run across the deserted town center, his actions were slowed, and his steps were as if they were weighed down, he made it halfway to Marian, just before he saw his ghostly figure, slice it's sword slowly through Marian's delicate body.
"Marian." Guy called again; this time Robin was gently shaking him trying to rouse him from his nightmare,
When the sword had passed through Marian, Guy felt a stabbing pain in his side, he looked down to see that blood began to stain his left side, he then slowly fell to his knees, still watching Marian pinned to his ghostly body by the sword, and when she dropped to the ground, Guy followed her falling on his face into the dust.
Guy sat helplessly on the bed in Marian's room in the castle, watching as his ghost walked in carrying a tray laden with food and water, Marian rushed over to him.
"Please." She begged, how he wished things were different,
"You're in league with Robin an outlaw I warned you the sentence would be death." Guy's ghost said,
"I was the Nightwatchman long before Robin returned." She explained,
"Don't take me for a fool." He said, he remembered how he had felt when he found out Marian was the Nightwatchman how many times they had fought and had injured one another, if only he had known it was her long before this.
"It all fits the way that you behaved with me, your little rides into the forest, you were trusted here at the castle...every moment that I thought you were a friend you were betraying me." He said,
"I wasn't." Marian defended,
"Everyday that I grew more and more to love you, you were mocking me." He said hurtfully, Marian was now in tears,
"It wasn't like that I cared for you." Marian protested, "I still care for you." She added, but Guy raised a hand to his lips,
"Ssssh." He hushed, "You are a liar." He said, he then turned and walked away but Marian wasn't finished,
"I stayed at your side when Prince John's men were threatening Nottingham I could easily have left you." She said, she was right she did care for him so why was he so stupid,
"You're nothing to me." Guy's ghost said, this made a tear trickle down Guy's face and he began to sob silently,
"So you would rather I was put to death?" She asked, tears no streaming down Guy's face how he had loved her so much, "Lose everything we've ever had or ever could have." She added, Guy then rose from the bed and rushed to Marian falling to his knees infront of her, resting his head against the floor only to sob harder,
"You've lost far more than that already." He said heartlessly, how he wished he could have changed things,
"When you left I thought I had lost you for good I would have done anything to get you back." Guy muttered out loud, a tear rolling down his face, "And if I could I would change what I have done...I loved you." He finished, Robin was finally seeing what Guy had been suffering with since Marian's death, and he felt pity.
"Your leper friend just tried to kill me." Vaisey said in a rather calm voice,
"Did you know about this?" Guy demanded as he turned to face Allen, Guy merely stood back weary and tired his exhaustion showing in his dreams,
"I didn't know anything." Allen replied, Guy fell to the floor to weak to lift himself any longer, his arm outstretched as if trying to touch Marian,
"I recently discovered that Marian was the Nightwatchman." Guy said, hoe he could have kicked himself for saying that,
"What?" Vaisey asked in disbelief, "And you didn't tell me?" He yelled,
"I believed Marian's days as the Nightwatchman were over, I believed I had dealt with it." Guy defended, even though his life was in potential danger he still risked it to save her,
"By tricking me?" Vaisey yelled again, "By faking her escape?" He continued,
Yes by faking her escape he loved her, she was all that had mattered to him a few days ago so why was he betraying her now, when he had risked his life to defend her as the Nightwatchman, his efforts seemed to have been in vain from that point on, because he had just destroyed all the protection he had attempted.
"Marian..." He muttered quietly, as his body soon lost movement and his breathing relaxed, Robin then checked his heart beat, it was there but he was not happy with its beat, it appeared Guy had broken the hold Archer's drug had over him, and now hopefully he was allowed to sleep contentedly. But would that really be the case? Would he ever have a pleasant night's sleep? After he had killed Marian even Robin noticed a change in him, he was a man who appeared haunted by the demons of his past, a past that he could never go back and change.
The next day,
Robin woke as Guy shifted slightly in bed, rubbing his eyes so he could focus on the sudden burst of light, he saw that Guy was waking up also, so he sat on the edge of the bed, Guy opened his eyes slightly, just enough to see in a limited aspect.
"Guy." Robin called,
"Robin?" Guy asked,
"It's me how are you feeling?" Robin asked,
"My head hurts with a fury...and my side burns like fire...what did you do to me?" He asked,
"Archer performed surgery." Robin replied, just then Archer walked in,
"Guy you're awake how are you feeling?" Archer asked, as he leaned over the bed to inspect Guy's state,
"Terrible." Guy replied, summing up his situation with the use of one word, Archer then walked around to stand by Robin, he then leaned over Guy,
"Tell me, can you feel this?" Archer asked, pressing on the area below Guy's wound,
Guy moaned and shifted in pain, "Please...it hurts enough already." He said, as he looked up at Archer, pain clearly displayed in his eyes,
"Well the good news is he still has feeling in his legs." Archer said,
"Why wouldn't I have feeling in my legs?" Guy asked worriedly, what had they done to him,
"Hey don't get excited you have a lot of recovering to do now...you're going to be just fine." Archer said, unable to hide the huge smile that picked at the corners of his mouth,
"What was wrong?" Guy asked,
"You were bleeding internally Vaisey's sword severed an artery so I had to dig around a bit to find it, and when I did I sewed it up." Archer explained,
"Everything I said before...I still mean it even though I'm not going to die." Guy said,
"Don't worry about that now try and get some sleep, I'll give you something for the pain, and then you get some rest." Archer said, as he prepared a medicine and handed it to Guy to drink,
Guy had survived and he would live to fight another day if it was necessary, but for now Robin and Archer were both happy that hey had a brother to cherish, they had lost their sister because she had chosen to fight for Vaisey, but they still had each other now, "Brothers In Arms".
3 days later,
Guy had gotten out of bed, as he was sick and tired of remaining in one spot unable to move, so pulling on his shirt he began to descend down the flight of stairs, Kate saw him as he reached the floor.
"Guy you shouldn't be out of bed yet." She scolded,
"I need to move, besides that's one room I could learn to hate...where's Robin?" He asked,
"He's outside chopping wood." Kate replied,
"Good I want to go see him in private." Guy said, looking up at Kate to show her that he really wanted to be alone, so Kate allowed him to walk out the front of the house; he soon sat on a stump, watching Robin.
"You shouldn't be out of bed yet Guy." Robin reasoned,
"Hey what can I say I'm a bad patient." Guy replied, "Robin can I have a word with you?" He asked,
"Sure." Robin replied, as he stopped chopping to stand by Guy leaning on the axe,
"What will you do now?" Guy asked, because since the threat was eliminated, Robin was basically out of a job,
"I will continue to help the poor of course until the day King Richard returns England." He said, in a mater of factly,
"Of course I understand that...but it's over there is no longer a sheriff or Isabella the rein of tyranny is over...do you feel content?" Guy asked, unable to picture Robin's emotions at the time,
"Yes because I have achieved the goal King Richard has set out for me to do." Robin replied,
"Yes but it's not the same without...without Marian is it?" Guy asked,
"No it's not...but I want to put the past behind me." Robin answered,
"You never told me you and Marian were married as she lay dying." Guy said,
"The lads told you." Robin said, as he lifted himself off the axe and turned away,
"No they didn't." Guy said, Robin then turned to face him again,
"So how do you know?" Robin asked,
"I saw what happened play before my eyes like it was really happening...and I also know there is no hope for my reconciliation." He said, as he bowed his head sadly,
"Now you listen to me Gisborne...I forgive you for what you did, its time you forgave yourself." Robin said forcefully,
"How can I forgive myself if Marian won't forgive me?" He asked,
"If she could she would forgive you... it was my fault as much as it was yours." Robin replied,
"How can you say that I held the sword that cut through her delicate body." Guy said, he was now fighting back tears that welled in his eyes,
"Because I tried to take her to be my own." Robin said,
"What do you mean?" He asked,
"I tried to marry her when she still loved you it was wrong and that's what got her killed...she wanted to marry you when you lied about the King returning to England, but I refused to let her...I realize now that if I hadn't of interfered she would still be alive." Robin explained,
"Yes but I would not marry her based on a lie...I did not want to go through with it, but when Edward told me she was excited about the wedding I wanted more than anything to go ahead with the planning." Guy confessed,
"Both our lives would have been so different if it wasn't for the mistakes we had made." Robin said, remembering what his father had said,
"Now you have to forgive yourself...for you and for her." Robin said,
"I still don't know if I can...I have destroyed everything I have ever cared about since I was young...and she was what finally broke me." Guy explained,
"Marian had her own demons to you know Guy." Robin confessed,
"How can that be Marian was perfect...the only Demon she had was me" Guy protested,
"She was afraid that something she would do would see you taken from her." Robin said,
"That's not true she never loved me she told me so...she said she would rather die than be with me." Guy explained,
"Because she was trying to protect you." Robin reasoned,
"From what?" Guy snapped,
"From making a mistake, the mistake of killing the King." Robin replied,
"I think it would have been better if I had of killed the King instead of Marian." Guy said,
"No it wouldn't because if you had of killed the King Marian would still be dead, nothing you could have done would have changed the outcome of the events." Robin retorted, "The King had us staked out in the desert, later Vaisey brought her to us, he wanted her dead." He added,
"Yes but if I had of killed him when she asked me too things would have been so different, I thought that power was the only thing I wanted, but I was a fool to be swayed by his promises of total control." Guy said,
"Look I want you to stop this...I want you to forgive yourself...believe me I found it hard to forgive myself and even harder to forgive you but I did, and so can you." Robin said now irritated,
"That's easy for you to say you were always the hero I was always the enemy, you could make a mistake and she would readily forgive you...but I had to beg, I had to beg for her forgiveness and even then I don't know if I had it." He said,
"I knew Marian better than you did, and if she was here I can guarantee that she wouldn't want you doing this." Robin said, as he placed a hand on Guy's shoulder to comfort him,
He was right, he had destroyed nearly everything that he ever loved, but no matter what he was going to go through, or what he had been through, he and Archer would be there to help him, through thick, and thin.
"And you'll always have us Guy." Robin said,
"Thank you." Guy thanked, as he placed a hand on Robin's arm and squeezed it to show he appreciated what had been said,
Guy grimanced slightly, as his hand then slid to the still fresh wound in his side, Robin helped Guy stand, "Comeon you better get back to bed you don't want to break your stitches." Robin said,
"No after all I've come this far." Guy said weakly, Robin was right he still needed rest as he was still in a stage of recovery,
Maybe now he could get on with his life, now that he knew that Robin really did forgive him, it just seemed that Robin would be the last person to forgive a man who was guilty of treason, and murder. He now knew that wherever they ended up and whatever the situation was, Robin would have his back, and he would have Robin's, and in the middle of all there was one Archer, the last of their remaining family.
{The End.}
Well I hope you enjoyed the story, a big thank you to: Foxmac, saramagician, marinE92, Caro A Dale, and emmiswe, for following me and for your kind reviews. Thanks!