34. Recovery
"He's burning up."
Nikos' words penetrated the fog that had overtaken Avocato. His head ached, and his side was throbbing with each beat of his heart. He tried to twist away from the pressure pinning him down, but gentle hands steadied him.
"No, Cato. Keep still. We've got to get this bleeding stopped."
Bleeding?
"There's frost lizard venom in your system. The first one hit you with its tail. It was young enough to still have some bite left in it."
First one? There were more? His eyes flew wide in alarm, but Nikos prevented him from rising.
"Steady there, Cadet," Nikos said in his best command voice, and Avocato realized his head was resting on Nikos' lap. "Kedidi and I are fine. You were the only one hurt. We killed two more smaller lizards before Lord Kotikat and the rest of his sons arrived to save us and chase off the rest. We'll on our way back soon. Be still and let the med-gel work."
It was difficult to obey when his heart was racing and his body was twitching in pain. He knew he was fevered, and not quite in his right mind. The smell of blood nauseated him. Instinctively, he wanted to be moving – pacing or even crawling or just thrashing about – but he knew Nikos wouldn't let him. He wanted something. Anything.
"Water?" he croaked.
Nikos looked to someone else in the vehicle, then took the water bottle handed him.
"Small sips," advised Nikos, gently propping him up enough to hold the bottle to his mouth. "You don't want to wear it."
The melted snow tasted nothing short of divine, and suddenly it seemed Avocato had never been so parched. He became aware of people moving about the limited space, and accented voices and a faint vibration. They were in a transport, and despite the fact his snowsuit had been removed, he was far too warm.
A strong, gentle hand cupped his face, and the deep, rich voice of Lord Kotikat broke through the fever haze. Avocato squinted up at him.
"Avocato. I'm going to give you an anti-venom shot. You'll need at least three, and the sooner you start, the better. I've been told they sting, but they will help."
He nodded in response, aware there was no choice in the matter, before closing his eyes. The lights were not bright, but his aching head couldn't bear anything but darkness right now. Kotikat gently stroked his head in sympathy and fatherly approval. Moments later, Avocato felt the shot penetrate his arm and he grit his teeth and grunted at this fresh pain. The discomfort was almost instantaneous, but since his head hurt more than his arm right now, he didn't much care. A flush of heat swept over him, followed by overwhelming fatigue. Nikos' voice soothed and reassured him as he felt himself starting to drift. His last thought before falling asleep was to wonder why Kedi wasn't here with them.
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"What happened?" asked Kotikat as he cut a long, straight strip down the foreleg of the largest frost lizard. "Lift it higher."
With a small grunt, Kedi adjusted his grip on the clawed foot and heaved the leg a little higher for his brother to skin. He was so tired; he did not trust himself with a knife at the moment, but he had to do something. "Ambush. We stopped to fix Avocato's rifle strap. Nikos stopped almost on top of this one."
Kotikat glanced over to where their two youngest brothers were collecting the remains of the snow sailers. "You're lucky. Nikos' call caught us all in the garage. We'd just gotten back from checking the herds, and the transports were already refueling."
"Still felt like forever," Kedi said softly.
"It always does when you're scared." Kotikat expertly cut the down-covered hide free. "Felt like that to us, too. It's hard to sit and listen in these situations. Papa, he only looked calm. Come on. Two legs to go."
Lost in thought, he followed Kotikat automatically, shaking snow and ice off his suit. He hadn't considered how difficult it would be to be the one doing the rescuing. No, it could not have been pleasant, knowing someone you love was in extreme danger, knowing guests under your care were threatened. He glanced around, familiar with the individual snowsuits. They were surrounded by family and friends, all working hurriedly to clean the carcasses and the area. Even in this situation, the frost lizards' hides were far too valuable to leave behind. His father had given them fifteen minutes to collect the down and the feathers, and hunters that they all were, they had set to it with enthusiasm and expertise.
Putting all his weight into it, Kedi braced his hands on the lizard's foot and shoved upwards, holding it steady for his brother to work. Kedi knew Kotikat smiled as he spoke; he could hear it in his voice.
"On the bright side of things, little brother, you're all alive, and will make it back to the academy. Your friends are now men, not boys. They're wealthier for this down and feathers, and you'll have another gift to temp your lady."
He hadn't thought of that. Killing a frost lizard – or any of the gigantic predators in the north – was a rite of passage into adulthood here in the extreme north. Avocato and Nikos were now men in the estimate of the Far Reaches. They could claim the hide and flesh of their kills, though in the case of frost lizards, only the down and feathers would be reserved, as the meat was inedible. Nonetheless, Avocato and Nikos would both get a windfall if they sold the hides, not that Avocato needed it.
They were almost done when Lord Kotikat came to check his fourth son. Nodding to his namesake, he gestured for Kedi to join him. With dread dragging at his heart, Kedi followed his father into the smaller transport. It was empty save for Kedi's uncle, Lord Ronco, who was manning the swivel gun atop the vehicle and focused on the perimeter.
Lord Kotikat powered off his helmet, and Kedi followed suit. With difficulty, he met his father's eyes, waiting for the worst. There was no censure there, only concern.
"Are you hurt, Kedi?" his father asked quietly.
"No, Papa. Only- only Avocato was hurt."
"It wasn't your doing. You did well against so many lizards. Only three of you, with just rifles? You should be as proud as I am."
"But, Cato-"
"He is not dead now, and so he will live. I gave him a dose of anti-venom, the medgal is working, and your Nikos is watching over him. A few days, some rest, and he'll be fine. But will you be fine, my son?"
"I could have lost them both."
"And I could have lost you. But I didn't, and you didn't."
He swallowed. "Nikos . . . Nikos said we would count this as our first battle."
Lord Kotikat smiled, reaching out to rest his hands on Kedi's shoulders. "Your Nikos is sharp and wise. This was many battles in one, against the frost lizards and the weather, time, and death. And you won, and so we will celebrate that victory. And when the day comes that you face Ventrexia's enemies, you'll be able to face them squarely, and without fear."
Silently, too choked to speak, Kedi nodded. Lord Kotikat smiled again, leaning in to press his forehead to his son's. They stood like that for a long moment before Kotikat gave in to his impulse and hugged his son tightly. A moment later, strong arms enveloped him as Kedi proved he would never be too old not to need his father.
"Avocato will be fine, Kedi," Kotikat soothed. "I promise you."
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"You realize, of course, that you're being an idiot, Kotik."
Kedi looked up with a glare that was devoid of any wrath as they walked through the brightly lit streets of the Far Reaches. They were on their way to the twenty-bed hospital that served the settlement. They were bringing food to Avocato, now that he was awake and his appetite had returned in force.
"Well, it was your turn last week. I'm next on the roster."
Shaking his head, Nikos snorted and opened the door to the hospital. He lectured, and not without some authority, "Why are you stressed Cato might be upset with you over this? You know perfectly well he'll be more disappointed we faced more frost lizards without him, than him being hurt. Getting poisoned by one is just a garnish."
"I know," was the grudgingly respectful reply. "He's insane."
Another snort escaped Nikos as Kedi stated the obvious. Nikos folded his arms and followed what passed for logic in Kedi's head. Blue eyes narrowed shrewdly as he said, "You're worried about Clawdia. What she might say."
Kedi's sigh was all the answer Nikos needed.
"You know, Kedidi, he didn't even like her all that much until lately. It's thanks to you he got to know her better. And he attributes her change in attitude to you. According to Cato, you're the first person who liked her, not her fortune. She won't walk away from that so quickly."
Purely out of the habit ingrained in them at the Royal Academy, they went right past the lift and took the stairs, talking all the while.
"She can afford to," observed Kedi. "I still can't believe she's not betrothed. But she'll never be allowed to see me again if her parents find out I let her cousin get hospitalized by a venomous lizard."
Nikos made a face. "I doubt they could stop her. Lady Cordell has mentioned more than once that Lady Clawdia has a very strong will. You have a much better chance with her than I have with Cordell. At least you have the decency to be a lord. Besides, do you actually think Avocato would carry tales to her parents?"
"No, but . . . it's got to come out eventually."
"Maybe, but even so, it's not as if 'venomous lizard attack' was one of the attractions you touted when you invited us here. Still waiting to hunt those snow cloud flickers you promised us, by the way."
Kedi smiled, reassured. "As soon as Cato is cleared."
"Well, tell him we're going and he'll get himself out of here today."
Nikos was exaggerating, but the sentiment was quite true. The earliest Avocato would be released was the next day, and they rather expected him to call a minute after midnight to come get him. Recovery for him at this point was simply a question of rest and fluids, but going into his third day of being confined to a bed, he was rather desperate to escape. Time in bed was time wasted when there were more interesting things to do and see, Avocato felt. And anything was more interesting than a hospital room, even if the staff was kind and attentive and thoroughly charmed by their patient's manners and wit.
Avocato being Avocato, though, food was always a welcome distraction. He hailed his friends enthusiastically as soon as he heard them down the hall. Setting aside the book on tactics he had been reading, he peered into the insulated bag, asking,
"What? Still no clothes?"
Nikos pulled out containers of roasted meat and vegetables, passing one to Avocato. "You'll get your clothes and boots back when the doctors say you can leave, Cato, not before."
He huffed. He certainly couldn't run about the streets barefooted and fairly naked, though he wouldn't rule it out if he wasn't released soon. "It's almost as if you don't trust me."
"I do, Lady Yvinka doesn't. She has too many sons to fall for your sad kitten eyes."
"You're quiet today," Avocato said, ripping a hunk of bread off the loaf Nikos handed him before passing it on to Kedi.
"Kedidi's experiencing a private relations crisis," Nikos provided.
"Oh, now what did I do?"
"Not you. Well, not you outside of getting trampled by a frost lizard on his watch."
"My talents are many and hidden, even from me. Kedi, do tell."
"Well . . ."
"I'll give you one word," Nikos interjected impatiently, knowing full well they'd wait the livelong day for Kedi to get to the point. "Clawdia."
Kedi glared. Nikos smiled. Avocato gaped.
"What about Clawdia?" It was clear she was the last person on the planet he expected to have an interest in his grappling with a lizard, outside of showcasing Kedi's heroics.
Kedi finally found the words. "Would you let your only daughter consort with someone who let her cousin get stung by a venomous lizard?"
"I suppose that depends on how highly I value that cousin. But you hardly let me get stung! I managed that without your help."
"Thank you," sang Nikos softly, returning to his lunch.
Avocato dropped his voice low. "Besides, her parents have to find out it happened before they can forbid her from seeing you."
"You promised my mother you would tell your parents!" Kedi hissed in like tones. He was well aware of the lines of communication between Avocato's mother and her legions of cousins.
"Oh, I will," Avocato replied. "Of course I will! I keep my word. I just never said when I'd tell them. I figure when I'm thirty-five, with a fourth child on the way, and even then, I'll be so vague I could be talking about a sand flea bite and not a lizard the size of a transport." He stared at Kedi in disbelief. "What, do you think I'm insane, Kotik?"
Without looking up, Nikos pointed to Kedi with his fork. "Don't answer that."
"What, are you his lawyer?" demanded Avocato.
"No, just the annoying voice in his head trying to keep him out of trouble."
"You're doing a terrible job."
Nikos grinned. "I never said I was any good at it."