chapter 28

Nazgurat gently picked up the delirious Jane, who mumbled incoherently, and then she went silent, having passed out. Lynne turned to Bo, pulling him up from the ground and forcing him to walk, following Nazgurat as he sprinted up the steps and pushed the doors open with a bang.

"She needs help!" He cried, rushing into the open room, where several men with long grey beards and dark colored robes knelt on the black stone floors; meditating. They startled at the sounds, and when they realized someone was injured, rushed into movement, leading Nazgurat to a room where he could place Jane down on the bed.

Once Bo reached inside the building he collapsed again, his boding sliding down the wall while he wept uncontrollably.

"Come on Bo," Lynne urged softly, placing a hand on the trembling Orc's shoulder. He started to convulse, so overcome by his emotions that Lynne cast a soothing spell, hoping it would at least help him to get it together enough to make it to Jane.

"We must go to Jane Bo, she needs you."

Bo nodded, wiping at his face. He took short gasping breaths, and Lynne helped him stand back up. They jogged down the hallway Lynne had seen Nazgurat disappear to, and it wasn't hard to find which room Jane was in as there was a flurry of robed men rushing in and out with various medical supplies. Lynne gently pushed her way into the room, and when Bo reached Jane he sank to the floor, gently taking hold of her cold pale hand and starting to cry again. Her armor had been cut off so they could deal with the wound properly, and Jane's pale breasts were revealed. There was no time for decency, she had lost a lot of blood. Bo didn't see her exposed body, only the blood; there was so much blood and he started to cry harder. On the other side of the bed one man worked on Jane's shoulder, cleaning the wound from the troll's saliva, which could harbor diseases and bacteria from eating its prey raw. Another Greybeard beside him held a handful of gauze for the man to take when he needed them, placing the soiled bandages in the pan that rested on the table. Bo watched, devastated, as he realized Jane's shoulder would never be the same; her arm might never work properly.

After a while Lynne joined the older man and she began to use her healing spells, working on fixing the flesh and mending the bones as best she could, which had been nearly pulverized by the troll's jagged teeth.

Nazgurat managed to pull Bo away from Jane once her shoulder was wrapped up with white bandages, and he led the traumatized Orc into another bedroom. Nazgurat stripped Bo's armor off, knowing the Orc would just lie down on the cold stone floor if he let him, and made Bo climb into bed. He sat beside his kin and gently squeezed his arm.

"Jane is going to be just fine," he whispered gruffly, feeling his own tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as he helplessly watched Bo suffer. His heart broke for Jane. "You saved her life."

"If I couldn't have gone into berserk I wouldn't have been able to do anything," Bo whispered, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm a coward, I was frozen with fear."

"No," Nazgurat growled, "You are not a coward. A terrible thing happened to you and you haven't healed from it. I would have done the same thing if it had been the other way around."

"I…just…come get me when Jane is awake."

"Of course Bo, you will be the first to see her."

The older Orsimer left Bo to curl up with the furs and cry himself into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares.

Bo jerked awake, a sob escaping his lips. He had been calling out for his Da when Nazgurat tried to rouse him.

"Bo it's me, Naz. Jane is waking up."

Bo threw the covers back and nearly leaped out of bed, running down the hall to where Jane was staying. He paused by the door, which was closed, and took a deep breath; his heart beat pounding painfully against his ribcage. He pushed the door open and peeked inside, discovering it was empty save for Jane, who was half awake and nestled in a bed of furs, a light sheet draped over her body.

"Hey," she croaked, spotting the Orc as he shuffled inside the room. "Come here." She whispered.

Bo rushed over to her and knelt beside the bed. Taking her hand, he pressing his clammy forehead to her palm, and Jane gently stroked his brow.

"We match," she murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"Now we both have parts of us missing." Jane winced slightly, shifting to a more comfortable position on the bed.

"Oh Jane," Bo whispered, starting to cry. "I didn't want any of this to happen!" He howled, burrowing his face the furs and clutching her hand.

"Bo…Bo, look at me."

It took every ounce of what little strength he had left to look up at his Jane. He wanted to curl up on his ma's lap and feel her strong, reassuring arms around him like she would do when he was a kid. But she was not here; and he felt more alone than ever before.

"I am not suffering anymore. Once Lynne allows me, she feels confident I can use my arm as I did before; it will just be sore for a while, and I'll always have the scars. But Bo, I am alive because of you." She caressed his dark green skin, running a hand up his sleeve and stroking his arm. "You faced your fears, and killed that troll."

"Only because it hurt you, or else I would not have done it." Bo whimpered.

"It was worth it then. To see you overcome your own nightmares to help me…I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate you; how grateful I am."

"Don't ever leave me." Bo climbed up into the bed curled up beside her, laying his head down on her thigh. Jane stroked his hair, allowing her tears to spill down her cheeks, though she did not cry for her self, she cried for her Bo.

"Not even a frost troll can keep us apart," she replied thickly, closing her eyes. She was completely exhausted by all that had happened, the pain she had felt when the troll bit into her flesh and bones had been so excruciating, Jane was glad she had passed out.

We can heal, she thought to herself, feeling the lull of sleep wash over her. One day we can heal.