Crystal Mayhem Part 1

Chp 24

There was no later. Isaias had been like an annoying tick. Always where Zen was, so the time Stephan and she were left alone was practically nil. The next morning everyone got up and had breakfast then Zen and Stephan turned to their map. The instant they did Isaias was there grinning. No way was this pendejo getting his sister! Stephan and Zen managed to work with him in the middle and finished by noon. Other than some hands brushing, nothing else went on, and that frustrated both teens. Zen growled and slammed her foot into the hull of the ship, wincing at the pain that not only shot from her foot but from her side as well. It had been hurting more lately. She doubled over slightly with a hand on her side.

"Is it hurting still?" Asked Kiera.

Zen nodded and winced as Kiera examined the staples. "It's red and swollen, a sign of infection. I'm going to clean it with peroxide. Come," she said, leading Zen to the med room. Zen followed slowly. She wasn't looking forward to this. Stephan was walking back from piloting the ship. He had it on autopilot. The ship mostly floated along its destined course with no real power behind it. He noticed Zen holding her side and Kiera leading her to the med room. That can't be good.

He decided to follow.

Zen entered the room and lay on a bed and reclined slowly. Her shirt was lifted off the wound and Kiera tisked.

"Well, it's infected. I can see the pus from here."

Zen groaned as Kiera busied herself getting some soft pads and the peroxide.

Stephan poked his head in. "Zen? Everything alright?"

Zen turned towards the door. "Yeah, I...just..."

"Her staples are infected, Stephan. You might want to hold her hand as this might sting a bit," cautioned Kiera as she approached with the peroxide.

Stephan nodded and grasped Zen's hand as Kiera began to clean out the wound. Zen didn't scream but she squeezed his hand a few times and squinted her eyes in pain, as Kiera squeezed the pus from her raw wound. She whimpered when Kiera came upon the site of the infection itself and started squeezing the pus from the wound as gently as she could. It still hurt.

Stephan ran his other hand through Zen's hair trying to distract her. He played with her ponytail and ran his hand from the base to the tips of the ponytail. It seemed to calm her slightly and soon she was in a light doze as Kiera cleaned up and put antiseptic cream over the wound and bandaged it up again.

"Will she be ok?" Asked Stephan as he watched Zen sleep. Her lashes curled slightly and she snored slightly. He chuckled.

She should be but I'd like to keep her in observation for a day. That was a nasty infection. I'm surprised she felt only a bit of pain. You would have been crying."

Stephan grumbled. "Not everyone takes pain the same way."

"Of course, crybaby."

"Kiera! I'm not a..."

"Hey, Pirate! What are you doing close to my sister?" yelled Isaias as he barged into the room.

Stephan rolled his eyes, something he had picked up from Zen in dealing with Isaias. "I was holding her hand while she got her staples washed out. She has a nasty infection."

Isaias turned to Kiera who nodded. "I want to keep her in observation for a day at least. That wound should be healed by now. It's still open."

"Do you think that Yolinda might have used a de-coagulating poison on her sword?" asked Stephan.

"That's the most probable source of her not healing," said Kiera.

"Damn that bitch!" exclaimed Isaias as he took in Zen's pale face.