The Bonding

by Hansen, Victoria

  “Another sad story,” Davin said. “What a pair we are.”

  “Just one of the many ways we fit together,” Kiri replied, searching for a silver lining.

  Careful of Kiri's arm, Davin pulled her close against him, cradling her as though she were fragile. “We can be each other's family.”

  She melted just a little in his soothing embrace. “Can I keep Jaya too?”

  “Of course.”

  Kiri smiled. “I think I would like that. I haven't had friends in a long time, but she seems like someone I could get along with.”

  “She's very likable,” Davin agreed. “You have to get used to her lover though. He's a bit of a curmudgeon.”

  Kiri had run out of things to say. She still felt tired and the sensation of poison streaking through her was painful and disconcerting. While she bore the discomfort stoically, it was taking its toll. She lapsed into silence in Davin's arms, thankful for his soothing presence.

  And soon enough it began. Kiri drank the purgative when it arrived without complaint, and it was as effective as any of Jaya's cures had ever been. All the food Kiri had eaten came back up dripping with a horrifying black slime that seemed to move of its own accord. The sight of it strengthened her resolve. She wanted none of that remaining in her body. Each hour the process was repeated…more food, more potion, more purgative. Davin helped as he could, handing her fresh toothbrushes, wiping perspiration from her forehead, brushing her hair and tying it back to keep it from falling into the mess, encouraging her to eat, to drink water, massaging her tense shoulders after each round of violent retching.

  Eventually, Kiri's resolve failed. The first thing to go was her willingness to eat. Despite Jaya's assurances it really would make the process easier, forcing food down her raw throat became unendurable. It took all Davin's powers of persuasion to get her to ingest a little bread soaked in milk. Jaya, her face grim, told him privately that this was not unusual, but also not a good sign, as there were many rounds of purging left to go, and it would be much harder on Kiri's body if she had nothing in her stomach but potion and poison.

  As the hours passed, Kiri could feel her strength ebbing away. The cure was almost worse than the condition. Around midnight, after a prolonged and deeply painful series of heaves, Jaya examined the contents of the latest chamber pot.

  “Well,” she said, her voice cheerful, but fixedly so, “we're definitely making progress.”

  “How many more?” Kiri asked, not daring to feel any hope.

  “I think perhaps three,” Jaya told her. Davin groaned. Three more hours of this…taking them into the dead of night. It made him want to whimper.

  “Three?” Kiri rasped through her swollen throat.

  “I think so,” Jaya said. “Here, take a little bread and milk, and then try to sleep for an hour. Kiri took the bread and gagged on it, but through sheer willpower managed to keep it down. Then she tried to lie down. Her whole body ached and her arm was on fire.

  * * *

  “Davin?” she croaked.

  “Yes baby?”

  “Do you remember the meadow?”

  “Yes.” He wondered if she would berate him for convincing her to live, which had placed her in this predicament.

  “Do you remember how you put me to sleep?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do it again.”

  Davin looked at Jaya, who nodded. “That's a good idea. If she sleeps between treatments, it might help preserve her.”

  Davin kissed Kiri on the cheek and placed his hand on her forehead. She fell instantly into a deep sleep.

  “Do you really think this will help her?” he asked Jaya.

  “It won't hurt. I don't know what her outcome will be. She was strong to start with, but the demands of this treatment on her body, coupled with the blood loss from her injuries…” Jaya shook her head. “She's close to the brink.”

  “Do you really think three more treatments will do?” he pressed, his heart pounding. If Kiri doesn't survive this, I don't know how anyone would.

  “I hope so. I don't think she can handle much more than that.”

  “Was I wrong to ask this of her?” he asked, daring to voice the concern that had nagged him for hours.

  “I can't answer that,” Jaya replied, laying a hand on his arm “I hope she comes through, for both of your sakes. I'll turn off the lights. You try to sleep too. You can't help her if you're totally exhausted.”

  In the end, it took five more treatments, not three, to clear Kiri's body of the toxin. Davin put her into a magical sleep after each one, though waking her was excruciating for him. He felt as though he had been selfish, begging her to live, when this was the outcome. He reminded himself it was temporary, but the thought did not comfort him at all.

  As dawn pierced the horizon, Jaya examined the contents of a chamber pot and declared all the toxin was gone. Kiri, he saw, was too exhausted to react to the news except to sag a little.

  Davin helped to lower her flat onto the bed, and Jaya ran her hands above Kiri's body, starting at her head, paying close attention to her arm, her heart, and her belly. She spent so long over the last that Davin became alarmed, but then she muttered, “No magic. Nothing there.” She finally swept down each leg, and her tired face brightened.

  “You're clean, Kiri. No more poison. It's over.”

  “Thank the gods,” Davin said fervently.

  “Let's get her out of here,” Jaya said. “This room stinks. Take her down the hall to a clean one.”

  The healer's assistant moved to lift Kiri from the bed, but Davin waved him away.

  “Are you sure, Davin?” Jaya asked. “It won't do her any good if you drop her,” Jaya told him gently.

  Davin slid his arms under Kiri's limp frame and lifted her easily to his chest. Even completely destroyed though she was, Kiri pressed her cheek to his shoulder.

  “Brave strong girl,” he whispered to her as they walked down the hallway.

  * * *

  Kiri tried to smile, but even her face wouldn't respond. She was totally helpless. In the new room, Davin tucked her into a cool fresh bed. Then the assistant sat her up partially so Jaya could pour a strengthening potion down her throat. Kiri feared it would cause a new bout of retching, but the potion tasted like clean water and felt remarkably soothing on her abused throat. Then Davin insisted on cleaning her teeth one last time, which she found wonderfully thoughtful. Finally, Jaya and her trainee left. Davin extinguished the lamp and slid into the bed beside her, taking her into his arms gently and pulling her back against his chest.

  “Sleep, baby. You'll feel better later.”

  Darkness closed in immediately.

  Chapter 7

  Kiri woke after noon. For a few moments she lay still wondering why exactly she felt as though an entire army had danced on top of her. Then she remembered the night. Disgusting. Still, now that it was over, she wasn't exactly sorry. She still felt as weak as a newborn baby, but she was alive. This would pass and she had a whole future before her she had never dared to dream of before. Davin still slept with his arm around her. She could feel his breath, hot and moist, on the back of her neck. Despite her body feeling like one giant bruise, being cuddled proved to be an unexpected pleasure. Davin, it appeared, was a very physical person. He loved to touch. She hadn't been touched in kindness in years, but was growing to like it more every day. She also wondered when she would regain enough strength to feel desire again. The night in the cave had been meant to be a beginning and an ending all in one. Now there was a new beginning, if only she could rise to the occasion. Something to look forward to. A goal to pursue. A slow smile spread across her lips as hope dawned within her for the first time in as long as she could remember.

  The curtain regarded at the dark-haired young woman without speaking.

  “Oh, you're awake,” she said, startled. “Miss Jaya thought you might be. She wondered if you wanted anything to eat.”

  Kiri shook her head. I'm quite sure I'll n
ever want to eat anything again as long as I live.

  “Well, you can't leave the apartment of healers until you're able to keep down solid food, but we'll try that later. She sent me with more strengthening potion.

  It would have been difficult to drink the potion from her position on the bed, had the healers not thoughtfully provided a straw. The potion tasted as innocuous and soothing as Kiri remembered it, and once she had downed the whole thing, she settled in and went back to sleep.

  * * *

  And so another day and night passed. Kiri slept through most of it, waking only occasionally to drink more potion before succumbing again.

  Around mid afternoon, Davin woke up, and, finding Kiri sleeping, slipped from the bed and went to relieve himself. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, so he stepped into the hallway to see if anyone had any food ready. He was surprised to find Jaya, swaying on her feet, looking as though she were about to collapse from fatigue.

  “Little sister,” he told her sternly, “go to your apartment right now and stay there. The healers can do without you for a while.”

  “Yes, I'm going,” Jaya replied. Running her fingers through her rumpled blond hair, making the short strands stand on end. “Gods, this is worse than attending a birth. How is she?”

  “Sleeping,” he replied succinctly.

  “Right. That's good. Let me give you a few instructions before I go.”

  “Okay.”

  “First of all, encourage her to eat, but don't push her. Strengthening potion is fine for a while, but it doesn't replace meals forever. If she's willing by the time I get back, great. If not, I'll deal with it tomorrow. I don't expect her to be able to leave the hospital for at least a week, and even then, she's going to be pretty helpless for a long time.” Jaya paused in her rapid-fire delivery as though a thought had just occurred to her. “Davin, where's she going to stay?”

  “With me,” he replied.

  She looked askance at him. “Have you asked her?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No. We've gone from one emergency to another. There hasn't been an opportunity to work these things out.”

  “Well, if that's what she wants, I guess, but I think you're rushing things. How long have you two known each other anyway?”

  Davin didn't reply.

  Jaya rubbed her eyes, clearly too tired to argue. “Fine, I won't pry, but it seems like you're in a mighty big hurry. Anyway, she's not out of danger yet. Ironically, for those strong enough to survive the treatment, the riskiest part is after.”

  What can be worse than what she's already gone through? “Why?”

  “They realize that although the ordeal is over, the recovery will take ages. It's hardest on the strong ones. They hate to be weak. Kiri seems like one who would not like the idea of being helpless and dependent.”

  You've got that right, sis. “No, she hates even the thought.”

  Jaya nodded sadly. “I was afraid of that. It's not unusual for someone like Kiri to lose her will to live and just…give up. Do whatever you have to, to remind her of what she has to live for.”

  Davin nodded. “Sleep well, Jaya, and…thank you

  “You're welcome,” she replied, yawning.

  Davin slipped back into the bed beside Kiri, who was still sleeping heavily. Poor sweet Kiri, who was willing to sacrifice herself for me, and nearly had.

  * * *

  It was several hours before Kiri woke, and when she did, she felt groggy, disoriented, and more than a little grumpy. She scowled when Davin suggested she drink some broth with noodles and turned over, giving him her back. Remembering what his sister had told him, began to worry. “Just a few bites, baby,” he wheedled.

  “Nothing,” she sulked. “The thought of food makes me ill.”

  “I know. But you really should try. The potion can't sustain you forever. This broth is mild and should feel good going down.”

  “Davin, at this point even the thought of something going down is unappealing,” she whined.

  He gave up and set the soup aside. “I'm sorry,” he told her, cuddling up against her back, “I wish I could do something to make this better for you.”

  His words caused a flare of guilt. You're hurting him, and why? All he wants is for you to get well. Isn't that what you want too? Why are you being stubborn? Kiri softened. “You're alive. You're unharmed. It's all I wanted.”

  “I wanted the same for you, but I didn't get all of my wish. I'm afraid, baby,” he admitted.

  “Afraid?” She looked over her shoulder at him, and could see the concern in his eyes.

  He kissed her upturned cheek tenderly. “I'm afraid you're going to give up, that the treatment was too much for you, and after all this, I'll still lose you. I love you Kiri. I don't want you to give up now.”

  Kiri's heart melted. Being loved is like nothing I could ever have imagined. “Oh Davin, I'm not giving up. Not now, after all we've been through. I've decided to live.”

  He stroked his fingers up and down the length of her arm, from shoulder to wrist. “But how can you live if you won't eat anything? You'll never get strong again that way, and if you don't get strong, how can we make that life together we dreamed of? I tell you what? Take a few bites of soup.”

  “Help me sit up.”

  Davin propped Kiri against a pile of pillows. Maybe it will be easier if I do it myself. With a wave of her hand, she urged him to place the tray on her lap. With trembling fingers she lifted a spoonful of broth to her mouth, swallowed convulsively twice, and set the spoon back in the bowl, gagging. “I can't!” she wailed.

  “You can,” Davin insisted. “Don't think about it. Just swallow it.” He lifted the spoon to her mouth with one hand, and with the other he stroked her hair. Kiri closed her eyes and let the tip between her lips. The broth slid inside. She didn't swallow, she couldn't, but after a moment she realized the taste of it was not unpleasant. Eventually, she simply let it slide down her throat. She waited a long moment for the nausea to rise, but it didn't. Instead, her stomach made a tremendous growl. Patiently, Davin scooped up another spoonful, this time with a single noodle floating in it. Kiri accepted it passively and the second bite stayed down with the first. In the end, she managed to consume half the soup and actually felt a little better because of it.

  Davin, terribly encouraged, set the soup aside and hugged Kiri tight, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I knew you could do it baby,” he whispered into her hair.

  She turned to him. “I never thought about this, Davin,” she said softly, letting her heart show to her lover the way he had to her. “My life meant nothing. I had no problem risking it, even throwing it away for the good of my people. That's what a soldier does. But here, now, I feel different. I want to live. I care about my existence. Do you know why?”

  He regarded her with warm brown eyes.

  “Because of you. Your love makes this life of mine worth living.”

  One corner of his mouth curled into a smile moments before he lowered his lips to hers.

  Chapter 8

  That tender interlude proved to be a turning point for Kiri. She put her considerable force of will into making herself well. She forced herself to eat until force was no longer needed. Her rapid recovery startled the professional healers around her. Within only three days she had regained enough strength to sit herself up unaided. Two days later, she was able, leaning heavily on Davin for support, to shuffle to the toilet. This accomplishment went a long way towards convincing her living was really worthwhile. Davin's continued presence also helped her a great deal. He scarcely left her side. Every night she slept, content, with his arms around her. She had never felt so comfortable or so safe.

  On the seventh day of Kiri's recovery, Davin told her he had to leave for a short time because the council of elders needed to speak with him. Kiri took his departure stoically, but inside she felt stretched thin, like a bowstring. It would have been alarming how quickly she had come to depend on his being with her, except it was s
o wonderful.

  Bored senseless with recuperating, yet still too tired to do anything, she sat up in bed and daydreamed about the times they had made love. I must be improving, she thought, as she remembered the cave, the uncontrollable desire born of danger and desperation, and the sweet loving that had brought them so close. She could actually feel a tingle of desire. She savored the sensation. Soon, they could renew their love affair. She could scarcely wait. Closing her eyes, she imagined Davin's body nude against hers, strong, warm arms enveloping her slim frame. She would run her fingers through the soft silver of his hair, look deep into his warm brown eyes, kiss his sensitive mouth, taste his tongue with hers. This time she would not be passive in his arms, she decided, she would touch him as he touched her, would make him lose control as she had. Yes, she smiled, that would be very good. That would be very good indeed.

  * * *

  “So then, I take it,” Miranda, chief elder of the elder council said, “your young woman is out of danger?”

  “Yes, my lady. She grows stronger every day,” Davin replied.

  “And it has been made known she has sanctuary here?”

  “Yes, my lady,” said Joran, the elder who had saved Kiri from being kidnapped. “The Laiconian council has been informed of our decision. Honestly, except for that unpleasant one called Corin, I don't believe they cared in the slightest. They said we could have her.”

  “And the creature?”

  “Utterly destroyed,” volunteered Dalwyn, the stalwart elder who oversaw military and law enforcement. “She was burned to ash and scattered in the crystal cave. With their senses neutralized by the crystal, it would take a million years for the fragments to return to one piece, and even then they would likely not re-form into anything human. We are safe for a thousand lifetimes.”

  “Thank the gods,” Miranda replied sincerely. “Young man,” she turned to Davin.

  “My lady?”

  “We will come soon to the apartment of healers to meet with your young lady and hear her story. Ask her to think of what we can offer as a reward for her great service and sacrifice.”