December, Dr. Sanders. You have to keep them together if you want them to recover. They don’t have to be in the same bed; you can just keep their hands together like this.”
What happened? The details floated in Alora’s mind, just beyond her reach.
“We have Kaevin stabilized. He was in anaphylactic shock, and he probably wouldn’t be alive if you’d gotten him here five minutes later. But we don’t even know what’s wrong with Alora. Her breathing, heart rate and blood pressure are normal, and there are no signs of injury.”
The horrific events tumbled into Alora’s mind. She remembered Kaevin lying on the ground with a red and swollen face, struggling to breathe.
“Kaevin?” Alora croaked.
“Alora? She’s waking up. See? I told you.” Beth’s excited voice moved closer.
“Where’s Kaevin?” Alora managed to wedge her eyes open to peer through tiny slits. Beth was smiling, relief evident on her face.
“He’s right beside you. You’re holding his hand.”
There. I feel his hand. She tightened her grip, blinking to clear the sand from her eyes. Dr. Sanders came into focus. “Is Kaevin okay?”
“Kaevin is in serious but stable condition. But we nearly lost him. His blood pressure dropped, and his airway was almost completely closed off. We had to make a surgical opening to ventilate him. How long ago did this happen? And what caused it? Was it a seafood allergy? Or peanuts maybe?”
“Are you sure you want us to answer that question?” Beth gave Dr. Sanders a crooked grin. “Because I’ll tell you exactly what happened if you really want to know.”
Sanders examined the ceiling and released a heavy sigh. “On second thought, just tell me what you think I need to know. Leave out all the details unless I ask for clarification.”
“It was some kind of poison, we think. I wasn’t there when it happened.” Beth patted Alora’s hand. “Can you tell him what happened?”
“He got a cut from a sword… I mean, a knife… and then he just fell down and started swelling up.” Alora shivered from the vivid memory, as she struggled to lift her head.
“Here. Let me elevate your head.” Dr. Sanders pressed a button on the side of the bed, cranking her into a sitting position. “Poison, huh? You don’t have any idea what kind of poison?”
“If we knew, you probably wouldn’t want to know anyway,” said Beth.
“Fine, I’ll make something up for the record.” Dr. Sanders scowled. “But who’s going to sign his papers? I don’t suppose his father is in town.”
“No, Graely’s out of town with Uncle Charles.” Alora chewed her lip. “I could go get Uncle Charles, I guess, but I hate to get too far from Kaevin.”
“Why don’t you just fetch Uncle Charles here?” asked Beth. “No one would see. You don’t have to go there do you?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Raelene said it’s rude to transport people without their permission, but I guess it’d be okay in this case.”
“Alora, I don’t think I want you to…” Dr. Sanders’ words dropped off as Uncle Charles appeared, holding an armful of blood-soaked rags. “I didn’t see that. I didn’t see that.” He turned without another word and strode out of the room.
Charles dropped the rags and threw his arms around Alora. She hugged him back with her free hand.
“Alora, I was so afraid. I thought I’d lost you.”
“Not to mention the fact Kaevin and Alora almost died, and you’d have been stuck in Laegenshire forever.” Beth’s eyes fell on the pile of bloody rags. “You know, if the police see those, they’re going to arrest you for murder.”
*****
Brian approached Laethan, hoping for a job to pass the time. He listened with growing concern to the heated exchange between Laethan and Graely.
“Who is this man?” Graely frowned, indicating Laethan’s patient who was tightly bound with ropes.
“He’s just a boy. I don’t think he has twenty years. He’s lost so much blood I doubt I
What happened? The details floated in Alora’s mind, just beyond her reach.
“We have Kaevin stabilized. He was in anaphylactic shock, and he probably wouldn’t be alive if you’d gotten him here five minutes later. But we don’t even know what’s wrong with Alora. Her breathing, heart rate and blood pressure are normal, and there are no signs of injury.”
The horrific events tumbled into Alora’s mind. She remembered Kaevin lying on the ground with a red and swollen face, struggling to breathe.
“Kaevin?” Alora croaked.
“Alora? She’s waking up. See? I told you.” Beth’s excited voice moved closer.
“Where’s Kaevin?” Alora managed to wedge her eyes open to peer through tiny slits. Beth was smiling, relief evident on her face.
“He’s right beside you. You’re holding his hand.”
There. I feel his hand. She tightened her grip, blinking to clear the sand from her eyes. Dr. Sanders came into focus. “Is Kaevin okay?”
“Kaevin is in serious but stable condition. But we nearly lost him. His blood pressure dropped, and his airway was almost completely closed off. We had to make a surgical opening to ventilate him. How long ago did this happen? And what caused it? Was it a seafood allergy? Or peanuts maybe?”
“Are you sure you want us to answer that question?” Beth gave Dr. Sanders a crooked grin. “Because I’ll tell you exactly what happened if you really want to know.”
Sanders examined the ceiling and released a heavy sigh. “On second thought, just tell me what you think I need to know. Leave out all the details unless I ask for clarification.”
“It was some kind of poison, we think. I wasn’t there when it happened.” Beth patted Alora’s hand. “Can you tell him what happened?”
“He got a cut from a sword… I mean, a knife… and then he just fell down and started swelling up.” Alora shivered from the vivid memory, as she struggled to lift her head.
“Here. Let me elevate your head.” Dr. Sanders pressed a button on the side of the bed, cranking her into a sitting position. “Poison, huh? You don’t have any idea what kind of poison?”
“If we knew, you probably wouldn’t want to know anyway,” said Beth.
“Fine, I’ll make something up for the record.” Dr. Sanders scowled. “But who’s going to sign his papers? I don’t suppose his father is in town.”
“No, Graely’s out of town with Uncle Charles.” Alora chewed her lip. “I could go get Uncle Charles, I guess, but I hate to get too far from Kaevin.”
“Why don’t you just fetch Uncle Charles here?” asked Beth. “No one would see. You don’t have to go there do you?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Raelene said it’s rude to transport people without their permission, but I guess it’d be okay in this case.”
“Alora, I don’t think I want you to…” Dr. Sanders’ words dropped off as Uncle Charles appeared, holding an armful of blood-soaked rags. “I didn’t see that. I didn’t see that.” He turned without another word and strode out of the room.
Charles dropped the rags and threw his arms around Alora. She hugged him back with her free hand.
“Alora, I was so afraid. I thought I’d lost you.”
“Not to mention the fact Kaevin and Alora almost died, and you’d have been stuck in Laegenshire forever.” Beth’s eyes fell on the pile of bloody rags. “You know, if the police see those, they’re going to arrest you for murder.”
*****
Brian approached Laethan, hoping for a job to pass the time. He listened with growing concern to the heated exchange between Laethan and Graely.
“Who is this man?” Graely frowned, indicating Laethan’s patient who was tightly bound with ropes.
“He’s just a boy. I don’t think he has twenty years. He’s lost so much blood I doubt I
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