HEALER 1
Dear God's, she's burning up.
The woman took the hand she'd placed on Xena's forehead away after feeling just how much warmer than normal she was.
HEALER 2
I'll get some cold water and cloths right away.
The second woman moved to get the items as the rest of the healers began to search for the reason why Xena could have been running such a high fever. This was made a bit more difficult by the fact that the Conqueror, while seemingly conscious, was hardly responsive to anything that the healers would ask.
HEALER 2
What do you think we're looking at here?
HEALER 3
I'm not sure just yet. We're gonna have to examine her first, then hopefully we'll have at least some idea. But first we need to get her temperature down, otherwise it won't matter what's actually wrong with her if the fever kills her before we can do anything.
HEALER 2
Yes, of course.
The second healer moved off and quickly returned with a bucket of water and several cloths that she placed on the floor by the bed as the third women pulled the blankets that Xena had wrapped herself in away. Once the woman with the clothes had submerged one into the cold water and rang it out a little, she began running the cool, wet cloth over Xena's forehead, upper chest and arms in an effort to reduce the Conqueror's temperature to normal, with the first woman also doing the same for a few moments.
HEALER 3
Okay, you both keep running those cold cloths over her to fight her fever, and I'll see if I can figure out what we're dealing with.
Having been alerted of the troubling condition that Xena had been found in by the servant who had been delivering her morning meal, the room was in a controlled chaos as a handful of healers rushed into the Conqueror's quarters and immediately began their work to find and cure whatever was ailing the woman.
HEALER 1
Hey have either of you seen this?
The two other healers paused in their respective tasks with one examining Xena's eyes for any change in her awareness and the other reapplying the cold water to her cloth from the bucket, to look at the lead healer.
HEALER 3
See what?
HEALER 1
Her side. I was lifting her shirt to run a cloth over what I could there and well, look for yourselves.
The woman pushed Xena's shirt up to just below her chest to show what she had discovered as the other two healers gasped at the sight when they saw a shocking amount of redness covering Xena's skin that was emerging from beneath the bandages that had been covering the injury to her side that she'd received while preventing Gabrielle from being killed by Velasca and her rebel followers.
HEALER 3
An infection. That would certainly explain her symptoms.
HEALER 2
The question is how could it have gotten so bad without being noticed before now.
HEALER 1
Sometimes these things can come on without any symptoms to cause real alarm. Plus you know that the lord Conqueror is a highly skilled healer herself, so it's likely that she already knew about the infection and had been treating it herself but hadn't realized just how serious it was before ending up in this condition.
HEALER 2
Or she was just too stubborn to admit that something else was wrong.
HEALER 3
Both sound plausible. Although in truth, I can't see the lord Conqueror being so wreckless as to allow herself to fall into such a state over her own pride. But either way the how isn't important right now, we can find that out for certain later. For now, we have to focus on what's important and that's the job we have in front of us. So now that we know what's causing the problem, we need to focus on fixing that before doing anything else. Now let's get these bandages off so we can get a better look at the wound.
Having thankfully gained some semblance of what the cause of Xena's current condition was, the trio of healers worked to cut off the bandages wrapped around her midsection to find that their suspensions of an infection to have indeed been correct, and as such began the next steps needed in order to combat it and give Xena's body the chance to fight the rest of the sickness off itself. Even if those working to save her felt that the chances of Xena pulling through and making a full recovery looked bleak at best. After all, how often could one person be at deaths door and not pass through it? Just how many times throughout the years had the goddess of death, Celestia herself, surely been within arms reach of the Conqueror? Only to have Xena slip away from her touch and yet again escape what would certainly be a one way trip to the deepest depths of Tartarus, where she would pay the price for the countless evil deeds she's committed for the rest of eternity. Because for all of her seemingly godlike abilities at times, Xena was still just as mortal as any other regular person. As difficult as that might have been for anyone who had witnessed the woman in action to believe, she could die. A bitter truth that those in the keep had been given a reminder of in an uncomfortably frequent manner in the recent number of months. Including then and there in the Conqueror's bedroom, where the small group of healers worked to pull her from death's grasp yet again.
LEONIDAS
So what will happen going forward?
HEALER 1
Unfortunately we can't be certain.
LEONIDAS
Why not?
HEALER 1
I'm afraid the lord Conqueror's most recent injury has become severely infected. We've done what we can but...
The lead healer paused as she stood just outside the Conqueror's bedroom with Leonidas as they spoke about Xena's current state of health, after having done everything she could for the woman.
LEONIDAS
But what? Are you saying that she's going to die?
HEALER 1
I'm afraid whether the lord Conqueror survives this latest trial or not remains to be seen.
LEONIDAS
Then there shouldn't be anything to worry about. The lord Conqueror is the most strong-willed person I've ever met. Certainly she'll be able to fight this and make a full recovery.
HEALER 1
It's possible. But keep in mind, no matter how physically or mentally strong someone may be, no one can come out victorious in every single battle. This includes the lord Conqueror, as this is not a fight that can be won with a sword or even some brilliant strategy. In truth only time will tell where not only her fate will lay, but all of ours as well.
The healer turned to leave.
HEALER 1
But for the time being we'll have to keep watch over her to see what happens and proceed on from there.
LEONIDAS
Understand.
Leonidas left with the healers as soon after, multiple servants began to take shifts to look over Xena, unsure of if she would survive.
ELLE
Gabrielle? What are you doing up and about?
GABRIELLE
I'm okay. I just couldn't sit in my room for another minute.
Elle walked up to Gabrielle after spotting her walking gingerly down the hallway and looped her arm around her friend's to assist her.
GABRIELLE
I've been cooped up in there for over a week.
ELLE
Yeah, but if you don't rest, it'll take even longer for you to fully recover.
GABRIELLE
I knew that but...
Gabrielle lowered her eyes as the two stopped walking and Elle gave her a concerning look.
ELLE
But what?
GABRIELLE
I've just had a lot on my mind and after everything that happened with the Amazon's...
ELLE
Oh... I guess almost being killed like that would make it pretty hard to just relax.
GABRIELLE
That's certainly one way to put it.
Realizing how what she had just said may have inadvertently come off as insensitive, Elle quickly apologized.
ELLE
Sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was making light of what happened to you.
GABRIELLE
It's okay, I know you didn't mean anything like that.
ELLE
Still, I should really be more careful and maybe think a bit more before I say things. Sometimes I think I talk just to talk without paying much attention to what I'm actually saying.
GABRIELLE
Just forget about it.
Gabrielle let go of Elle's arm and moved to stand by a nearby window.
GABRIELLE
Believe it or not I was actually known as quite the talker back in my home village. So sometimes I would accidentally say things that I probably shouldn't have.
ELLE
Really?
The young woman walked over and stood next to Gabrielle and leaned against the wall as she continued.
ELLE
You, a talker? But you haven't really been like that since I've known you.
Gabrielle looked at the older woman for a moment and was about to speak when Elle figured out the obvious reason for the apparent change in her friend's habits.
ELLE
Oh right, you were brought here by force and only knew the worst parts about her lordship reputation.
GABRIELLE
Yeah. So you can see why I wouldn't be my usual chatty self.
Gabrielle sighed as she looked out the window at the winter landscape outside.
GABRIELLE
When I got here, I just remember being so afraid that I'd accidentally do or say the wrong thing and end up the target of the Conqueror's wrath. So I just did my best to keep quiet and do whatever I was told, then hopefully I'd be okay.
ELLE
I guess that makes sense.
Elle looked at Gabrielle.
ELLE
But you seem pretty talkative now.
Gabrielle returned her full attention to Elle having not even noticedthat fact until hearing it mentioned just then.
GABRIELLE
Huh, I guess you're right.
Gabrielle smiled.
GABRIELLE
ThoughI suppose it's kinda easy when it's a friend that I'm talking with.
Elle mirrored Gabrielle's expression.
ELLE
It's kinda crazy how things have changed since you first came here.
GABRIELLE
Have they?
ELLE
Yeah.
The young woman's face returned serious.
ELLE
Which makes me wonder something even more.
GABRIELLE
What's that?
ELLE
Why after the whole chaos of Terreis being killed, you still deeded to leave with the Amazon's?
GABRIELLE
Well why wouldn't I?
Elle lowered her eyes sadly.
ELLE
(Sad tone) Oh. I guess I just thought we were friends, and you were starting to see that this place wasn't the worst thing in the world you could be.
Gabrielle sighed.
GABRIELLE
Of course we're friends Elle. It's just...
Gabrielle shook her head as she tried to think of the right way to explain why she wanted to leave without hurting Elle.
GABRIELLE
You do remember that I was brought and kept here against my will. I only crossed paths with the Conqueror by mistake after escaping from slavers. It's not as though I ever had a choice before the Amazon's of weither or not I wanted to be here.
ELLE
Then why are you here now?
GABRIELLE
Because even with Velasca out of the village, I just didn't feel right staying there anymore. And I guess after everything that happened, I've just been feeling kinda restless about it all.
ELLE
But you know you're safe now, right?
GABRIELLE
Yeah maybe, but honestly it's not really just the whole Amazon thing that's been bothering me. Well, not completely.
ELLE
What do you mean?
Gabrielle looked at her friend.
GABRIELLE
The Conqueror.
ELLE
Her lordship?
Elle gave Gabrielle a puzzled look.
ELLE
Okay now I'm confused. I thought you just said the whole reason you left in the first place was because you wanted to get away from her.
GABRIELLE
I did, and I could tell that she was really not happy about my leaving. Though I can't really figure out why.
Gabrielle looked back out the window.
GABRIELLE
Then when she showed up just in time to save me from Velasca and her followers.
She returned her eyes to Elle.
GABRIELLE
Why?
Elle shrugged.
ELLE
She uncovered what those rebel Amazons had planned and went to stop them.
GABRIELLE
Yeah that's what she told me too. But I don't know.
ELLE
What do you mean?
GABRIELLE
I don't know.
Gabrielle watched out the window once more.
GABRIELLE
I'm just starting to think that you were right about her and maybe there's more to who the Conqueror really is after all.
Elle looked at Gabrielle shocked by what she had just heard but then smiled as she was happy to know that someone else was able to get a glimpse of the Xena that had made her loyal to the woman.
ELLE
(Half joking) I told you so.
Gabrielle smiled in response as she chuckled slightly and shook her head slightly in mock disapproval. The lighthearted movement however was soon brought to an end when the two young women saw Cyrene wandering down the hall with a very troubled expression on her face. And after her initial conversation with the older woman, Gabrielle had spoken with her often and found herself genuinely liking Cyrene. Almost as if she were a second mother. So naturally, when Gabrielle saw Cyrene seemingly upset about something, she had to go see if there was anything that she could do for her.
GABRIELLE
Cyrene?, is everything okay?
Cyrene looked at Gabrielle as she and Elle approached her and slowly shook her head no as the tears she'd been holding in began to fall, and she told them what she'd just heard from the healers about Xena's current condition. And as she and Elle tried their best to console Cyrene, Gabrielle unexpectedly found herself also concerned about what was going to happen to the Conqueror. A concern that while somewhat explained by the fact that in the end Xena was only in her current state due to her having fought Velasca and her allies to protect Gabrielle, still took Gabrielle off guard. Leaving her feeling even more confused about how she should feel about everything that had recently happened. But little did Gabrielle know that as conflicting as her thoughts on the Conqueror were at that time, the new light in which she would soon begin to see Xena in would bring a new level of both confusion and chaos within Gabrielle that she had never known before.
TO BE CONTINUED...