The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 20

Calvert rushed to the infirmary, where the guards had informed, him the Rogue had been taken. He'd been shocked when he heard that Emeric had been savagely beaten, the young man was a brilliant warrior and was more than capable of defending himself...Being injured was a rarity for the Rogue, Calvert knew.

He burst into the room without pausing to knock, as he should...The matter was too urgent. He was still furious with the Rogue for the injustice he had done in the Dome, Calvert wanted to settle the score...

His eyes landed on the beaten figure on the working table and all thought of punishment fled from his thoughts...He stopped dead in his tracks, too shocked to take another step forward. 'Savagely beaten was close to an understatement', Calvert thought horridly as his eyes skimmed over the Rogue.

Aire was hurriedly working on the Rogue, assessing the amount of damage. She noted Calvert's presence but she didn't spare a second away from her work to great the Dome Keeper.

"Bandage." She instructed, holding her hand out as Darius handed a clean bandage to her. She hastily pressed the rolled up piece of cloth to a bleeding wound on the Rogues head. "Put pressure on this." She ordered Darius as she moved on to treat the other evident wounds.

She worked with fast precision, halting the rapidly flowing bleeding from the worst wounds then started inspecting Emeric's body for unseen injuries. She halted when her fingers lightly felt over his ribs. She winced and then frowned.

"What is it?" Calvert asked.

Aire met his eyes. "He has fractured ribs, it could be serious." Darius stepped closer to aid, already knowing from the unspoken command in Aire's eyes what had to be done. Using his dagger, Darius ripped open the Rogue's shirt so that he lay bare chested on the working table.

This time it was Calvert who winced as he saw the extent of Emeric's injuries. His torso was covered in discolored bruises and some areas had succumbed to an unnatural swelling. The body looked bedraggled and if it weren't for the faint rise and fall of the Rogue's chest, Calvert would have believed him to be dead.

A soft moan caught everyone's attention as Emeric started to rouse from his state of unconsciousness. His knuckles turned white as he grasped the sides of the table, his back arching as a spasm of pain ran through his body. His breathing came in short gasps of pain.

Aire lightly placed a hand on his chest, pushing him down on the table "Breathe slowly, Emeric." She softly instructed, but Emeric didn't hear her through the ringing in his ears. He was blind and in unimaginable pain. Unknown to the other occupants in the room, he was terrified and had no idea of what was happening to him.

Emeric tried sitting up, to escape the agony in his body, but a cry of pain was torn from his lips as an ache, which felt like a dagger in his ribs, sent him falling back down. He slowly lifted a hand to touch the tender area. 'Definitely broken.' He thought gloomily.

Then slowly, Emeric's breathing calmed again as he fell back into a merciful, dreamless sleep.

Aire sighed softly as her worried eyes swept over the Etreshian. "Will he make it?" Calvert asked, and for the first time ever, Aire thought she heard a faint hint of concern in the grizzled man's words. She shook her head, "I don't know. I've never treated anyone who'd been beaten this bad." Calvert nodded, almost sadly.

"Just do your best." he replied.

"Darius help me lift him into a sitting position." She instructed lightly. Darius cautiously lifted the younger man into an upright position. Aire hastily started wrapping a bandage tightly around his ribcage. Tight enough so that Emeric could only take shallow breaths, but the wrappings would prevent the ribs from being pushed out of alignment if Emeric accidently took a deep breath.