The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 35

THE AFTERNOON AND the entire next day passed in a drug-induced haze. Her thoughts were muddled each time she swam up to some semblance of consciousness, words in many languages flitting around in her mind. Ixillius was always there when she came to, cradling her body and pressing food and water to her mouth, lifting her out of bed and holding her over the chamber pot so she could relieve her bladder and bowels, then more of the drugged wine. She thought it was maybe four doses he'd given her, but it could have been more.

        It was late evening when she woke this time, the fuzziness clinging to her head as she starting trying to scrub the fur off her teeth with her tongue. She ached from lying for so long, or maybe just ached. It was hard to tell just yet. Ixillius's arms were around her holding her in the same sitting position as he had many times over the past day.

        "No bibere!" she rasped, hitting at his arms.

        He shushed her and just held her against his chest. She curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and let his heartbeat calm the broken whirlwind of her thoughts. His voice rumbled quietly through his chest, and she could hear other voices in the room responding. She couldn't hear who he was talking with yet, her head wasn't working straight. Those were powerful little packets.

        Slowly she could pick out the voices of Verus, Brasus and Quintus. Someone pried one of her hands loose, chuckling when she resisted, and pressed a bun into it. She ate slowly. The cheese flavor was good. She was hungry, but not starving. Another bun was pressed into her hand when she finished, and a cup of water held to her mouth. She sniffed at the cup before opening her lips, gaining another chuckle as she started drinking.

        That was Brasus. Brasus is good.

        Her thoughts echoed uncomfortably in her head.

                                                                ***

        Verus smelled one of the packets on the table and scowled at the bitterness.

        "What dose did you order?" he asked, tossing the paper back into the small pile of matching empty packets.

        "For two hundred libra," Ixillius replied. "He said to give one packet mixed with equal parts water and wine every eighth hour."

        "There are five empty packets here, Ixillius, and not even thirty hours has passed since you and I parted yesterday," Verus stated, his scowl turning to a frown. "She's going to be useless for at least another hour."

        "So leave," Ixillius replied quickly, harshly.

        He turned his face from his friends and kissed the top of Alex's head. Her jaw worked methodically against his chest as she chewed a bite from the second bun.

        "You can't remain ignorant of this, Ixillius, however much you may wish to," Brasus calmly said to his friend. "Not only your life may hang on who her father is. It's your whole family if he is ... If he chooses to be opposed to you."

        When Ixillius looked back at the small group, he saw only concern. Verus and Quintus took up talking about if Alex could be the lost daughter which Quintus's oldest friend often spoke, a conversation they'd had many times in the past half hour while Ixillius tried to force Alex to wake. Brasus was still on one knee beside the bed, watching Alex closely as she ate.

        "She eats well, my friend. The effects should wear off quicker now that her stomach is being fed." Brasus held the water to her lips again, grinning that she smelled the cup before drinking. "I don't think she liked your medicine."