The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 33

Aire hesitantly took her fingers away from the Rogue's wrist as she once again failed to feel a pulse. She knew that he was gone, but simply couldn't accept it. As a physician, nothing hurt more than losing a patient. But it hurt even more to lose a close friend.

"Aire." Darius said softly and pulled the young physician into a comforting hug. She had seen plenty of death for her age, probably more than what was normal, but the death of the Rogue triggered unwanted emotions in her that she struggled to supress. "You did everything you could." Darius tried reassuring her, but his words did little to rid the tears that were building up in her eyes.

"Did I?" She asked with a challenging, yet quivering tone of voice. Darius didn't answer, knowing that nothing he could say would calm her now.

A shuddering breath drew their attention back to the working table. Aire and Darius stood staring wide eyed in shock as the Rogue's chest started rising and falling in rhythmic breaths. The movement was only faint, but it was there nonetheless. Aire rushed to Emeric and felt for a heartbeat.

A huge, relieved smile crossed her face as she counted the steady rhythm of the Rogue's heart. "He's back..." She said rejoicingly.

"How's that possible?" Darius asked in disbelief. He was sure that the Rogue had been dead just a few seconds before, and now here he was, breathing as if nothing had happened...

Aire shook her head in reply, "I don't know, but I guess he chose to fight..."

*****

Emeric remained unconscious for days as his body slowly healed itself. Aire stayed by his side day and night keeping a hawk's eye on his condition.

She changed his wounds' dressings each day and did her best to prevent infection. In his weakened state, infection could be fatal...

On the fourth day, while Aire was mixing a concoction of herbs and remedies, a soft moan drew her attention to her patient.  Her eyes grew wide with shock when she saw Emeric's slowly blinking open.

She rushed to his side, but halted when she saw the grimace of pain that marred the Rogue's face. He was staring straight ahead and his breathing was strained as pain claimed his entire body. "Emeric?" Aire asked softly as she slowly walked to his side. He didn't seem to register that she had spoken to him. He grunted with pain as he tried shifting into a more comfortable position, however, his injured back disliked the prospect.

Aire lightly placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder, drawing his dwindling attention to her. He blinked a few times to clear his mind, then attempted to speak, "C...Can you...Do something for the...Pain?" He asked in a halted manner. Aire winced as she realised that his pain was far worse than her imagination could begin to fathom.

"Y...Yes." she stuttered, unsettled by Emeric's pain. She hastily put together a concoction of herbs and stirred lukewarm water into it. She waited impatiently as the herbs dissolved before taking the small beaker to her patient.

Emeric grimaced as Aire lifted his head slightly to aid him in drinking the concoction. She held the beaker to his lips as he slowly drank the fowl tasting liquid. He let out a sigh of relief as Aire lowered his head. The remedy was starting to take action. Although the relief from the pain was only minute, Emeric was able to breath more comfortably and his body seemed to loose some of it's original tension.

"Is that better?" Aire asked cautiously. Emeric slowly nodded his head, "Yes, thank you." Aire let out a silent prayer of thanks. Her eyes traveled over Emeric's body, over the wounds that lay hidden beneath the bandages.

"You really scared us." She stated softly, trying to work up a conversation. A glint of humour entered Emeric's pained eyes, "I gave you a scare? I haven't been more terrified in my life." He replied weakly. Aire smiled at Emeric's slight attempt to lighten the gloomy mood.

Emeric grimaced again as a wave of pain hit him. He tried calming his breathing, but his chest was so tight it felt as if a boulder had landed on it. Luckily, the pain quickly died down to a bearable level once more.

"Do you remember it all?" Aire asked lightly. Emeric's gaze became distant as he recalled the event which had caused this unrelenting agony. "Yes." He simply replied. Before Aire could reply, Emeric hastily asked, "Did they get Hyatt?" Aire looked slightly shocked by the question. "They did. He has been banned from further Dome battles and his title as a Dome Keeper was removed." Aire explained.

Emeric nodded slightly, "Good." Although, he would have thought that Hyatt would have ended up in the Domes, only this time not on the stands, but on a chain. Emeric's eyes got a distant look once more. "How long has it been?" he asked.

"Four days since the accident." Aire replied truthfully.

Emeric turned pale. Aire was instantly on alert as she watched him, but as he spoke, her fears were reassured, "Can you do me a favor?" Emeric asked. Aire nodded quickly, "Yes, anything."

"Can you bring Kedo here. He doesn't do good in the cell when he's on his own. He'll be worried."

Aire smiled softly at the protectiveness Emeric portrayed over the younger Rogue. "I'll do my best." She answered.

As soon as Aire spotted guards passing by her medical room, she requested that they bring her the young Rogue for a 'routine check-up'. She had a higher authority than they had, and they did as was told.

Emeric drifted into a quite sleep for a few minutes, but woke at the sound of the guards metal boots echoing down the corridor. He turned his head sideways, but didn't have a view to the corridors. He was in a small treatment chamber directly connected with Aire's medical room. He could hear her arguing with the guards, but his clouded mind failed to make sense of the words.

It wasn't long however, before Aire came striding in with Kedo on her heals. He froze in the doorway when he saw the person laying, wrapped in bandages, on the treatment bed. The color drained from the young Etreshian's face as realised that it was Emeric.

"W...What happened?" He asked in a terrified tone of voice. However, before Emeric could answer, they young boy ran forward and hugged Emeric. He did so with extreme care, knowing that his brotherlike friend was in pain. With some effort, and pain, Emeric put a hand on Kedo's shoulder.

"You're alright." he tried comforting the younger kid who had silent tears rolling down his cheeks. Kedo raised his tormented eyes to Emeric's. "But you're not." he cried and more tears presented themselves. Emeric, putting on a brave face for Kedo, replied, "Maybe not at this moment, but I'll get better."

Kedo shook his head but didn't argue with Emeric.

Kedo's crying slowly died down to silent hiccups. Aire came to check on the two Rogues and found them both sound asleep, Emeric had a protective arm round the small body of the kid, while Kedo's head rested on Emeric's chest. Aire understood why Emeric did what he was told to, just to protect the younger Etreshian. They were closer than brothers could be.

They were each others' comfort in the horror that they called their lives. They only had each other, and therefore, they would do whatever they could to protect one another. Aire smiled affectionately as she turned and left the room in silent peace...

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Sooooo sorry for the late update...I got my first blow of writers block for this book. I'm surprised that it took 33 chapters before coming, but yeah. Hopefully I will be able to update again soon, but with school and life, things are just a bit crazy. So, until next time.