The Broken Healer

Chapter 19: Cranking

It was well past midnight by the time Evelyn had finished her story. Her had Goose had consumed the food that was brought up, he had demanded more drinks, this time a few guys brought them in. It really didn't take 5 huge cranks to bring a few bottles but they all had huge eyes, with a very humble posture, almost bowing to Evelyn, when they handed her another drink. and asked if she wanted anything else. She raised an eyebrow at Goose who looked quite smug. A smirk grew on her face.

"Well a girl could get used to this." She cackled. 

"Well...we don't ever get celebrities." Goose rumbled in amusement. 

"Celebrities?" Evelyn raised another eyebrow. 

"Yes, Princess ...Miss. You were part of the Maze Trials...you were a survivor." 

"You are also a godling, Miss." Another guy said, awe in his voice and eyes.

"Ah what now?" Evelyn frowned, she knew her memories had

"A godling." He repeated nervously. 

"Explain." She demanded, turning her full attention to the huge Crank, this was the Crank from earlier, who had the Flare veins on his bald head. 

"You better be carful with what you say Spider." Goose warned lazily.

The cranked bobbed his head and swallowed nervously. "Well...WICKED-"

Evelyn growled, and narrowed her eyes. 

"Apologies, Princess." He held his hands up, "They...they called you something fowl and horrible, they wanted your...gift for themselves. You were given a gift from the gods!" 

"Or a curse from the devil." She spat. 

She held up her infected arm palm up; her hand, fingers and up her forearm had a permeant frost bitten look. All she had to do was stop trying to suppress her anger, and her hand glowed a blue icy white. She felt the cold tingle in her fingers, pain shot up her arm into her neck and up into her head and down into her chest.

Pain sliced through her mind. It was a white hot sharp pain, shooting back and forth, from the base of her skull up to behind her eyes. She gasped and grabbed her head. There was nothing more for her to do other than crumpled forwards. Crying out in pain as it got worse, building until she thought her skull was going to explode with the pressure.

Goose caught her before she fell off the desk onto the floor; she had tears rolling down her cheeks. Her eyes turned a frosty white, as the pain increased to a point where she couldn't hear or see or even breath. She screamed, as the pain traveled down into her chest, sending daggers into her lungs every time she tried to breath; it was like trying to breath with shards of glass rattling around her lungs. Her breathing was cut off abruptly. 

It took her a heart beat or two to realize what happened. Her body stiffened and then it sagged, her good arm gripped the shirt tight in her fist, trying to pull herself back to reality, back from the pain. Another few heartbeats later he pulled away. Goose's dark eyes were staring into hers with worry. 

"Not as good as your boy, but...seemed to help." He said quietly.

He was cradling her in his lap in the chair. His large hand held her face turned up towards his. He gently let her face go and her exhausted sore head flopped down onto his chest collecting herself. She had no idea what happened, except that the Flare was eating at that chip, making the Swipe malfunction, she now had flashes, nothing solid, but flashes. Memories trying to resurface as she drifted into madness. Maybe a mother before she was taken. Flashes of chaos and fear when WICKED took her away from her home. The tears and pain as a small child alone in a stone room.