He felt something pressing against his left shoulder. His mind was slow, and his eyes were unfocused. He didn't dare move, because he could feel the pain. He laid there, listening for anything. He could hear someone breathing next to him, and his eyes slowly began to focus on… the ceiling? He groaned as his entire body was sore, his mind beginning to piece together what had happened. He remembered the wedding… he remembered their vows… he remembered the joy and happiness… he remembered the screaming… he remembered…

Zen suddenly sat up in a blind panic, but howled in pain as his shoulder burned like fire. "Gah! Zen!" Natani yelped beside him, and there was a thud on the floor as Keith was knocked off of her. The pain was immense, and Zen sank back down to the bed, his right hand flying to the wound. "Hey, lay down! Just calm down. Are you all the way here this time?" she asked, pressing against his chest.

"Ugh… unfortunately. What happened?"

"You've been in and out of consciousness for almost a week." Natani pressed hard on his chest, holding him down as his entire body instinctively tried to curl up to protect the wound. "You'll be alright, but you have to stay down."

Slowly, his body listened to his mind, and began to relax. "What happened? I remember that we were attacked, and I got pinned, but then everything is a blur. There's… images. Sounds. I don't remember much after the battle started."

"You got hit pretty hard." Keith said, picking himself off the floor. "A Sentinel jabbed you with a pike, and you passed out. Thankfully, Richard managed to save your tail before you were carried off to who knows where."

"Carried?"

"Yeah, they tried to kidnap you, and they were targeting all of the Keidrans more than anyone else. Except Trace. Richard managed to bring down the one that had hurt you, and then shrugged off a pretty serious blow like it was nothing! Unfortunately, you got crushed under the rubble, and what's worse is that the pike broke inside of the wound." Keith nodded over to the table nearby, where the doctor had left the tray full of clay, as well as fresh bandages.

"We're not sure how, but all of that was in your shoulder. The doc says… he said your arm will never be the same." Natani's ears drooped.

"Hey, we've suffered worse. Your soul was broken in half before, and you're just fine now. My arm will be back to normal in no-"

"No, I'm afraid it will never be the same." the doctor said as he walked in. "One does not simply patch up a wound like this. I'm shocked you lived, even with all the help you received. The blade broke off in the wound, and you have been fighting an infection ever since. That alone would be bad, but the pike was serrated. It did not just cut you like a knife or sword, it dug in and scraped out the flesh entirely. If it was a simple slice, I could have sewn you back together and you would probably be up and doing light work by now, but that's the problem: there was nothing left for me to sew with. It ripped skin from bone in the most brutal way possible. There is a reason such weapons are not used by anyone anymore. There is a reason they are outlawed in the Sapient's Accords. Even the Templars have deemed them too cruel to use. So when I tell you that your arm will never be the same, I truly mean it. No amount of magic will ever restore your arm to it's full use. I'm sorry."

Zen could barely believe it. "I… I won't ever use my arm again?"

"Not the way you're used to, no. It will heal in time, but it will never be like it was before. As for the full extent of the damage, I do not know. Now, hold still. I need to check your bandages." Zen laid there as the doctor unwound his arm, still with Natani pressing down on him. As the wrappings became looser, Zen dared a glance at his shoulder, but then immediately regretted it, his stomach churning as the wound was still wide open. It wasn't bleeding badly, but it was enough that in the minute it was open, there was a small pool that hat to be mopped up. A numbing salve was applied to the gauze, and his shoulder was quickly wrapped up again. "I am sorry again. I know that this will be very difficult for you to handle, but you must understand that this is the best possible outcome. You are cleared to walk around, but use that arm as little as possible." Natani pulled Zen upright, who grimaced as he did.

"Thank you. I can barely feel my arm anyways."

"There are a dozen severed nerves and ligaments. It will heal in time, but you will have to live with constant pain, I'm afraid. And you won't be going far, I will need to change those bandages twice a day, probably for several weeks." With that, the Basitin doctor walked away, but stopped at the door. "I'm sorry again." With that, he walked out with his ears hanging low.

"I might as well be dead already." Zen whispered.

"You aren't dead yet." Keith said, leaning against the bed.

"Yes I am! Don't you get it? I'm a hunted wolf! I have to defend myself! I can't do that with only one arm! I couldn't even defend myself with both arms, and now I'm going to be in constant pain the rest of my life! I can't use my arm anymore! I can barely feel it!" Tears rolled down Zen's face as everything came out, all the worry, all the fear, all the broken-ness. "I might as well have died." Natani scowled. And then slapped him across the face. "AAH! What was that for?!"

"You are my brother!" She shouted at him. "You are the only reason I'm alive! You are the only family I have left! And you think that it would be better if you were dead?!" Zen's mouth hung open as her voice went higher and higher. Her words stung him to the core, hurting in a way no blade could. "I have not left your side for over a week! And you want to wallow in self pity?! The great assassin, brought low by a banged up shoulder?! Have you lost your mind?! Have you lost your courage?!"

"Natani!" Keith could barely believe how worked up she was getting. "Natani, stop!"

"Stop?! No! You haven't left his side either! And now he's talking like he's going to the gallows! I can't believe how calm you are! When I nearly died, you did everything in your power to help men, and you've done the same here!"

"Nat, stop!" Zen shouted as she gripped his chest harder and harder. "Natani, stop! You're hurting me!" She suddenly whipped her head around and saw that her claws were digging into his chest, pulling his fur. She released him and backed up a step.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"No. You're right. I'm not dead. Not yet. It's just-" He stopped and turned away. "I don't know what to do now. All my life, I've been the one to protect you. And now I can't. And I'm afraid of what will happen next. What if someone tries to kill me? What if Clovis comes back? What will happen when you need protected next time, and I can't come help you?"

"Then she will have me." Keith answered. "And she will have Trace. And Flora. And Barret, and Richard, and Madelyn, and Sythe, and Keiren, and everyone else! You aren't alone in this fight. You have a family. You have people who will help you. Let us help you."

"We will always help." a voice came from the door. Trace stepped in with Flora holding him with one arm, the other on her belly. "If you ever need us, we will find a way. We will be there. Always. Even if we have to fight the world to do so, we will come."

"Flora!" Zen sat up a bit to get a better look at her. "Are you… Is that…"

"Yeah." She blushed. "Doctor Iolim looked at me a few days ago. We were going to tell you two, but you've been so busy with Zen, we didn't want to put more on your minds."

"I'm happy for you." Keith said, smiling. "It's nice to not hear bad news for a change."

"I'm glad you're alive." Trace said, going to the other side of the bed. "We were worried for a while there, but you're tough. It takes more than dying to kill you."

Zen chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I can't help anyone if I'm dead. I guess I have to stay alive if I'm going to keep you safe. Now, will someone help me up? I've apparently been laying here for a week, and I'm sick of this bed. My joints are stiff."