Have Faith

Chapter 24

"Anyone who ever wondered how much they could love a child who did not spring from their own loins, know this: it is the same. The feeling of love is so profound, it's incredible and surprising." Nia Vardarlos, Instant Mom

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Chapter Twenty – Four

Both Faith and Finn leapt to their feet, with Faith barely managing to place Lucy on the end of Cassian's bed before she was inches away from his face.

Faith pushed Cassian's hair back out of his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Like I have been shot," he replied honestly, his voice still thick and gruff.

Faith supposed that was a stupid question.

"You have been shot, my friend," said Finn. "You are bloody lucky to be alive."

Cassian sucked in a tight breath as he attempted to sit up.

"Oh, no!" cried Faith. "No, you stay put. You need to stay lying down and resting." She did not know whether sitting up would burst his wound or not.

Pain was written all over Cassian's face as he attempted to move. He quickly gave up and laid back down. "What happened?" he asked.

"Do you not remember?" Faith wondered. She hoped he did not remember the pain. She was certain that she would hear Cassian's screams in her nightmares for years to come.

"No ... I remember the duel. I remember us both missing, and that is it."

Cassian did not know that he had shot George, too. And fatally. How would Faith tell him?

"George's second shot hit your chest," Faith said carefully. "There was a lot of blood."

"Faith was incredible," interjected Finn. "I never saw a woman so level-headed in such a situation?"

Level-headed? Faith had been a wreck. Perhaps she ought to start gambling if she could hide a bluff so well.

"We needed to stop the bleeding and get you to a doctor seeing as the surgeon present was otherwise engaged. So Faith, here, cauterised your wound with a smouldering sword. She saved your life."

Finn was being awfully kind. If he had not known what to do then where would they be? Faith had merely followed instructions.

Cassian lethargically smiled. "That is twice now. Twice you have saved my life."

"There is no need to keep count when you consider all that you have done for me." Faith would not tell him about the bullet yet. He needed to rest. They would discuss plans for its removal at a later time. Faith had to stop herself momentarily. She was already planning for them as a couple. It was almost like tempting fate.

Cassian suddenly frowned before looking back at Finn. "What do you mean the surgeon was otherwise engaged? What was he doing?"

Faith could tell that Cassian already knew the answer to that.

"Your shot was true as well."

Cassian's tired eyes widened in shock. He stared at Finn in disbelief. "What are you saying?" he asked fearfully.

"A messenger visited us, Cassian," Faith said softly, bringing Cassian's attention back to her. Faith felt as though she could be gentler with the news. "He informed us that George, like you, had been shot. While the good Doctor Ward was able to ensure your survival," or rather promise that Faith's butchering of Cassian's chest with a smouldering sword was the right thing to do, "George's wound was fatal." Faith could hardly believe her own words but they were true.