Post by Squee on Nov 25, 2016 4:21:55 GMT -5
She could feel the air creeping in, pressing hard on her right side. It hurt, and each breath stabbed her. Tesa closed her eyes, leaning heavily on the console, and dug deep for a single strand of control to stabilize her breathing pattern. Beyond the fringes of a confounding dizziness, she could hear thuds, felt the thrilling sensations of Graffion’s tussle through their bond.
Pellon’s life vanished from her senses. Graffion was there, scooping her into his arms, and she gasped sharply as stabbing pain went through her chest. Folding into him, Tesa clutched as tightly as she could at the back of his shoulder. Her hyperventilating continued and fuzziness narrowed her vision. Please don’t let me die.
“This will not be your end.” Tesa tilted her chin up to look at him. “I’m not done with you yet.”
Her chuckle turned into a hard wheeze and a stiff cough that coated her tongue in blood. A black spell swam through her head. She opened her eyes to see lights. Graffion’s urgency swirled in her, mingling with her own chilling fear. She hardly turned her head before the world fell away and she sank into darkness.
“Call an ambulance…”
There were other people now. Tesa saw a fuzzy, startled woman. “Gra…” Her hand caught air.
“Go get them!” She heard next. Flailing desperately, with panicked wheezing, Tesa snagged Graffion’s arm. He hovered over her, a terribly wicked looking thing covered in black and blood.
“I won’t be far.”
“Graff…”
“… better for you… to go alone, Ms. Yarum.”
“No…” She coughed deeply. Graffion’s forearm slipped from beneath her fingers. I trust only you. Through a hazy, black dotted vision, she watched Graffion slide out the door, and then she floated back into cold darkness.
---
The weightlessness peeled away from her gradually. Tesa noticed the pain first, spread over the expanse of her chest, shoulder, and back. Raw. Tattered. She groaned and her breath hitched as her chest stuttered to accommodate the sound.
The bed she noticed first, pressing beneath her, supporting. The mask clinging over her mouth and nose was next. She opened her eyes to dimness. The sterilized, hospital white was muted to small reflections of light.
Graffion? Tesa slowly turned her head to look the other direction. Nobody was here. Damn the man. Something blipped though, and she couldn’t identify what it was as she rested her eyelids.
“Ma’am?”
The word roused her from the light slumber. A nurse stood beside her bed.
“Can I get you anything?”
Tesa glanced around the room once more. “Where’s… where’s the man…?”
The nurse rested a hand on her forearm. “I’m sorry. I was told your husband left you with the docking authorities.”
“My…” Tesa blinked. Husband? He did not. “He’s not here?”
“No one’s checked in looking for you yet. We would be glad to get a hold of him, if you know where he went.”
“It’s… Fine. He’ll be here soon. I’m sure. What…”
“You had two gunshot wounds to your chest. One punctured lung, which collapsed. Blood collection in the lungs. You underwent a swift surgery for lung repair and we removed the excess air.” The nurse removed her hand but did not walk away. “Due to the nature of your injuries, we contacted the police when you arrived. Are you well enough to speak to them?”
Perfect, she thought irritably. She would have to deal with the local law enforcement. But first, she needed Graffion. Where the hell was he? What had he told anyone? What was the story? Tesa closed her eyes and breathed her oxygen deeply. “No… No, I’m not ready yet. Could I… be left alone?”
“Of course.”
Tesa listened as the nurse’s footsteps faded and then opened her eyes once again. The only light source came from the hallway, through a window. A shadow passed through her room every time walked by. There was a man who never moved though, perched against the wall. As she watched him, it became obvious to her he had no intents on moving along. When he turned his head, she knew his profile.
Extending a hand, Tesa was thankful to hear the echoes of their remnant bond. With a small press she reestablished it.
Could use your help. Tesa smiled a little. To track down one lousy husband.
Pellon’s life vanished from her senses. Graffion was there, scooping her into his arms, and she gasped sharply as stabbing pain went through her chest. Folding into him, Tesa clutched as tightly as she could at the back of his shoulder. Her hyperventilating continued and fuzziness narrowed her vision. Please don’t let me die.
“This will not be your end.” Tesa tilted her chin up to look at him. “I’m not done with you yet.”
Her chuckle turned into a hard wheeze and a stiff cough that coated her tongue in blood. A black spell swam through her head. She opened her eyes to see lights. Graffion’s urgency swirled in her, mingling with her own chilling fear. She hardly turned her head before the world fell away and she sank into darkness.
“Call an ambulance…”
There were other people now. Tesa saw a fuzzy, startled woman. “Gra…” Her hand caught air.
“Go get them!” She heard next. Flailing desperately, with panicked wheezing, Tesa snagged Graffion’s arm. He hovered over her, a terribly wicked looking thing covered in black and blood.
“I won’t be far.”
“Graff…”
“… better for you… to go alone, Ms. Yarum.”
“No…” She coughed deeply. Graffion’s forearm slipped from beneath her fingers. I trust only you. Through a hazy, black dotted vision, she watched Graffion slide out the door, and then she floated back into cold darkness.
---
The weightlessness peeled away from her gradually. Tesa noticed the pain first, spread over the expanse of her chest, shoulder, and back. Raw. Tattered. She groaned and her breath hitched as her chest stuttered to accommodate the sound.
The bed she noticed first, pressing beneath her, supporting. The mask clinging over her mouth and nose was next. She opened her eyes to dimness. The sterilized, hospital white was muted to small reflections of light.
Graffion? Tesa slowly turned her head to look the other direction. Nobody was here. Damn the man. Something blipped though, and she couldn’t identify what it was as she rested her eyelids.
“Ma’am?”
The word roused her from the light slumber. A nurse stood beside her bed.
“Can I get you anything?”
Tesa glanced around the room once more. “Where’s… where’s the man…?”
The nurse rested a hand on her forearm. “I’m sorry. I was told your husband left you with the docking authorities.”
“My…” Tesa blinked. Husband? He did not. “He’s not here?”
“No one’s checked in looking for you yet. We would be glad to get a hold of him, if you know where he went.”
“It’s… Fine. He’ll be here soon. I’m sure. What…”
“You had two gunshot wounds to your chest. One punctured lung, which collapsed. Blood collection in the lungs. You underwent a swift surgery for lung repair and we removed the excess air.” The nurse removed her hand but did not walk away. “Due to the nature of your injuries, we contacted the police when you arrived. Are you well enough to speak to them?”
Perfect, she thought irritably. She would have to deal with the local law enforcement. But first, she needed Graffion. Where the hell was he? What had he told anyone? What was the story? Tesa closed her eyes and breathed her oxygen deeply. “No… No, I’m not ready yet. Could I… be left alone?”
“Of course.”
Tesa listened as the nurse’s footsteps faded and then opened her eyes once again. The only light source came from the hallway, through a window. A shadow passed through her room every time walked by. There was a man who never moved though, perched against the wall. As she watched him, it became obvious to her he had no intents on moving along. When he turned his head, she knew his profile.
Extending a hand, Tesa was thankful to hear the echoes of their remnant bond. With a small press she reestablished it.
Could use your help. Tesa smiled a little. To track down one lousy husband.