Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 25: Salvation and Damnation

Chenn eased Nari onto the doctor’s table. “She needs help badly, Doctor Batson. Please…” Chenn's eyes were filled with tears.

“Isn’t this the young woman who was supposed to be in a cell, Chenn?” She gazed at him reproachfully.

“Yes, ma’am. But she needed to be brought out. If I hadn’t forced the warden to let me go see her, she would have died down there.” Chenn whispered.

Doctor Mary Batson’s gaze flitted to the girl lying on the table. “What did they do to her?” She rushed over to the table to examine Nari's wounds.

Nari was bruised in multiple places, cuts grazed her face, and several deeper lashes cut into her body. There was dried blood on her clothing, and it was cut in several places where she had been injured.

“I don’t know, ma’am.” Chenn's voice shook.

“Well, you were right to bring her to me, Chenn.” Mary sighed.

Chenn nodded, moving away from the table and sitting in a chair.

Mary glanced at him. “Chenn, what are you doing?”

“I’m staying with her. This happened because I left her in Amory’s hands. I was a fool, and I’m not leaving her again.” Chenn stared at her.

“Chenn, I have to take off her clothing to take care of these wounds and wash her. You shouldn’t be in here.” Mary made a shooing motion with her hands.

“She’s already been abandoned too many times. I won’t be the one abandoning her this time.” Chenn folded his arms across his chest, refusing to move from the metal backed, uncomfortable chair.

“She’s unconscious, Chenn. She won’t know the difference.” Mary pleaded.

“No. I won’t leave the room.” Chenn leaned back in the chair, making it apparent he wouldn't be moved.

“Fine. I’ll pull the curtain around the table, and you can stay in there. You’ll be able to hear what I’m doing. As soon as I’m done, I’ll let you know, and you can come back in when she’s decent.” Mary threw up her hands, giving up on it.

“Alright. If that’s the only way I can stay, I’ll agree to it.” He settled back in the chair, gazing at her placidly.

She nodded, and pulled the white curtain across the room.

Chenn sat still, unmoving in the chair while the doctor worked. He couldn’t bear it. The wait was awful. If she died, he would blame himself. How could he have just left her there? He knew Amory was not kind or gentle with those who betrayed him, and yet he had left Nari alone with him and the warden. What had they done to her?

“I’ve stitched her up, Chenn. She’s decent again. You may come back in here.” Mary’s soft voice filtered through the curtain.

Chenn jerked awake. He had fallen asleep in the chair during the hour he’d waited for Mary to stitch Nari up.

He bounded into the room, worry creasing his face. “Is she going to be all right?”

Mary sighed. “I don’t know Chenn. She’s in bad shape. They must have beaten her, and cut her with some sort of knife too. What did they want out of her?”

“Information, I think.” He whispered, tracing his finger gently down Nari's sunken cheekbone.

“How dare they treat anyone like this just to get information?” Mary hissed.

“They aren’t human beings, Doctor.” Chenn looked up at her sharply, jaw clenched.

“Don’t say that. You’ll just land yourself in jail too.” Mary chided.