Chain Me

Don't Get Up Too Fast

     Bright lights shine through the slits my eyelids make and I gurgle in pain. There's something stuck in my mouth. My fingers twitch and I feel a knitted blanket rub over the back of my hands. It smells like antiseptic all around and there are beeps and whines of machines everywhere.
     Heavy footsteps come near and my instincts kick in, but I end up only wriggling like a worm rather than lashing out as intended. Then, a woman says from beside me, "Whoa, hey. You're fine." She sounds so familiar. "Remember me? Warrior woman? I'm here to help. Relax... Relax... That's better. You're fine..."
     Strange sounds come from me as I try to communicate and my head starts to hurt. Then a gentle hand touches my chest and I accept it, shutting my eyes to drift off into darkness.

     This time the lights aren't so bright and I can open my eyes a little wider. I drop my jaw and shift it, feeling sore, but not finding anything in my mouth. I could have sworn there was something there before.
     "Hey, hey," someone whispers. "She's awake."
     I roll my head to the side and find Cas and a sleeping Emma sitting in uncomfortable looking chairs. Cas stops prodding Emma then looks at me, a wide smile on her face. I smile back, mine lazy, and she laughs.
     "We thought you'd never wake up," she says, moving closer to me. "I'm glad you're okay."
     My mouth is dry when I try to talk so I wet my mouth the best I can, but it's hard. Cas notices and turns, then comes back to me with a cup of water. She gently pokes the bendy straw at my lips and lets me take slow, shaky sips.
     "Feel better?"
     I nod and swallow. "Wha- what happened?"
     Cas takes the water cup away from me then grins. "It was nuts. First of all, I came back to the apartment and everything was blown up. Mariam went into panic mode and had to make a hundred calls to cover it up. The people in the other apartments think you screwed up dinner, by the way, but moving on. You were missing and you can imagine how that went down with the big fish at the Facility."
     I shift up a little and continue to listen. I wondered what happened back at home, and now I know. I'm sure Hakeem will never let me live it down.
     "...and I said to put a chip in you, but no, that wasn't 'right.'" Cas snorts and waves her hand. "We would have found you a whole lot faster if you had that chip, I'm telling you. But I digress. You were missing for, like, three days. What happened to you with those people?"
     My eyes flick to Emma as she stirs in her sleep, then her eyes flutter open thanks to Cas's enthusiasm. She jerks in her chair and Cas turns to look at her.
     "You're awake!" Emma exclaims excitedly at me. She wipes the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "Why didn't you wake me up?" she grumbles at Cas.
     "I tried," Cas murmurs. "But you can be mad later. Lost was about to tell me what happened to her with those crazy people."
     Emma moves to Cas's side and gazes down at me. "You don't have to say anything if it's too painful for you."
     "It's okay," I say softly. I move to sit up but my whole body feels stiff and unused. With a quick full body wriggle I stretch out everything and make Emma giggle. It feels good to be moving again but I'm curious as to how long I've been stuck in bed.
     "So what happened?" Cas asks, pulling her chair close so she can sit and still be in my face. The act earns her a glare from Emma, who sits down, too, anyway.
     I roll my shoulders and push a pillow under my lower back. "They kept me locked up in a cage the whole time. There isn't a lot to tell."
     Cas makes a funny face. "Why didn't you break out of it?"
     "It was laced with defensive magic. It burned me every time I touched it, and it couldn't be opened without a blessed key."
     "That's so cool," Cas whispers. Then she shuts her mouth when Emma glares at her.
     I smile softly, understanding Cas's wonder with magic. "It wasn't all bad. I met a very charming vampire."
     "You didn't," Cas gasps.
     "I did." But then reality kicks in. He was one of the many to survive only a short time in captivity. "He, well..."
     Emma hushes Cas before Cas can say something more. Emma immediately understood me without my words. "I'm sorry," she says.
     Then Cas gets it, too. "Oh, that sucks..."
     "Many suffered my few days there," I sigh. "I was lucky I wasn't one of them. That was a horrific place."
     "At least it's over," Emma tells me. Her face is pure sympathy.
     "I'm only sorry you all had to worry about me," I say. I grab my chest, over my heart, and clench my hand. "The way Kahlan felt... Wait. Where is Kahlan?" I flick my eyes about desperately. I can't believe Kahlan wasn't the first person I asked for as soon as I woke up.
     "She's up top," Emma explains carefully. "She's been really busy with something. But... I think she should explain it to you. You can see her soon. In fact, I'll call her right now, okay?"
     I nod and relax slightly. There's nothing under my skin telling me that I should be worried about Kahlan, but for all I know my abilities have been skewed by my time incapacitated.
     Cas blows a raspberry, the sound even funnier since it's interrupted by a lion's yawn, then she waves her hand at me. "She's fine. She's only been worried about you."
     "I've been worried about her, too," I mumble. I can hear Emma murmuring out in the hall. "What happened to the children? Tiffany? The other witches and such that were kept with me?"
     "Well, we gave the kids to their next of kin, Tiffany is doing fine and is keeping in touch with Kahlan, and everyone that was kept with you escaped. All in all everything turned out pretty okay."
     I hum, glad to hear it. Those children were truly brave and I hope they're adjusting. As for Tiffany, I know she'll be strong for her son. "Those soldiers?" I ask next. "The ones that went into the house with you?"
     Cas runs a careless hand through her wild hair. "They... died. One survived, though! They found him under a beam and half burned but..." She grimaces. "He's not doing so well."
     I wish I could have saved them, too, but I'm not a God. I can only be so helpful. If I'm lucky their families will forgive me.
     Emma claps her hand once as she reenters the room and wears a smile. "Good news," she announces. "Kahlan said she'd be home soon and, if you're allowed to, she'd love to meet you there. I already called for the doctor to come see you."
     My heart flutters at being with Kahlan again. I haven't seen her since... not for... "How long have I been unconscious?" I ask. I probably should have asked sooner.
     Cas and Emma glance at each other. Then Emma tells me carefully, "A little over two weeks."
     "What!" That's absolutely ridiculous! I wasn't even hurt all that bad. I think...
     "Calm down," Cas says when I try to jump out of bed. "You're going to hurt yourself."
     I growl softly, anxious, but settle for sitting on the edge of the bed. My thoughts are fuzzy, as are Emma's and Cas's, and they completely disappear for a moment as the fluids in me lurch to my throat. I swallow the bile threatening to come out and blink back baby tears.
     "Well, well," a familiar voice echoes. Soft footsteps come near me and I look up to see the warrior woman from across the seas smiling at me. "Look who's up."
     I smile back, instantly relaxed by her presence. "Hello, Daniella." Her belly has extended outward just barely, and I reach out to touch the tiny bump, but stop myself. In my haze I forgot to ask permission first.
     "Oh, go ahead," Daniella laughs. "There's nothing there yet, but you can feel if you really want to."
     My fingers splay over her belly and I shiver, sensing the life growing within. "Glorious..."
     Daniella pats my hand on her stomach then asks, "How are you feeling?"
     "Lovely, now." I take my hand back and clasp my hands together. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
     "I thought it would be better to be home for my pregnancy. Then Kahlan called when you got hurt so here I am. She thought it would be best if someone you wouldn't try to maul was your doctor when you woke up since she can't be here to stop you. Sorry about that, by the way."
     "About what?" A frown takes over my face. "Why can't she be here?"
     Daniella glances at Emma, who immediately says, "Kahlan has been busy, like I said before."
     "But why can't she be here?" I ask, less forcefully than I want to thanks to Daniella's pregnancy. "You made it sound like Kahlan would be here if she wasn't so busy, but she," meaning Daniella, "made it sound like Kahlan can't be here despite wanting to."
     Emma hesitates for something to say, and I curse at only seeing fuzzy words above her. But at least the words are getting clearer by the second, if only annoyingly slowly.
     "Alright," Cas says, taking control of the situation. "Look, Kahlan sorta got fired, but not really. Basically she can never come down here again."
     "Cas!" Emma scolds.
     Cas throws her hands in the air. "What! The girl can read minds. She would have found out on her own."
     I grasp the edge of the bed and take three deep breaths with my eyes closed. "She was fired?"
     Emma stops arguing with Cas to look at me. "Yes and no. After what happened, a lot of people wanted her gone. Luckily the General fake fired her. You two still work here and everything is the same, but she just can't come down here."
     "Oh." I open my eyes. The words floating around the room are vastly clearer. "So that's why she's not here now, then."
     Cas grunts. "Well, that and-"
     "Cas!" Emma sighs in irritation and I think for a moment she might give Cas a smack. "That's not our information to tell."
     Grumbling to herself, Cas backs off. Meanwhile, I give Daniella a poke in the arm and ask, "Can I go home?" If Emma is willing to keep Kahlan's secrets, then I won't try to take them from her mind. If I want to know what's going on then I have to go home and ask Kahlan about it.
     "I checked you earlier and you were all good to go," she says. "But tell me how you feel, honestly. Any pain? Headaches? Feel like you might vomit?"
     I kick my legs and wiggle my arm, stretch my torso and crane my head. Everything seems fine. "No pain. No headaches. I almost vomited a little while ago but I'm fine now."
     "Tip your head back." When I do, Daniella looks into my eyes and flashes light in them. "Okay. If you really are feeling fine, then you can go home. But if you start to hurt anywhere, come back to see me, okay?"
     I nod. "I will."
     "Good. You're probably hungry but start slow when you get home. Think baby food. You need to adjust, so nothing solid right away."
     "Kahlan has yogurt at home."
     Daniella smiles and chuckles. "That's just fine. Tell her I said hi, and thank her for getting me this sweet job."
     "I will. Thank you."
     "No problem. See you." With a wave, Daniella leaves the room, and her calming effects leave with her. Now I'm consumed with wanting to see Kahlan.
     "Who's taking me home?" I ask as I touch the cold floors with my bare feet.
     "I will," Emma offers. "I was going to go home, anyway. Cas?"
     Cas gently takes Emma by the waist and kisses Emma's temple softly. Emma blushes and strokes Cas's neck as if it were the first time she's ever done it. It's the first instance I've seen of them being physically affectionate, and it feels awkward.
     "I have to meet Mariam and the General in a bit," Cas says, pulling back. "Be safe, okay?"
     Emma nods, her cheeks still rosy. "Call me later."
     As I search around for some appropriate clothing, Cas leaves. There's a dresser by the bed so I poke around in there. I find an outfit just my size and a note with Kahlan's handwriting.
     Hope these are okay. Miss you.
     I place the note atop the dresser and smile at it as I take out the shirt Kahlan left for me. It's a T with a graphic design on the front. It's some kind of artistic picture that I can't really make out but it looks appealing. I gather up everything Kahlan left for me then walk around the room, stepping close to the walls to see if one of them will slide away to reveal a bathroom like in my old room. Eventually a slice moves and I find a tiny bathroom. I take a quick shower and assess my naked body as I do.
     Some of my scars have gone, which is surprising, and others are barely noticeable. The places on my body that I remember touching the magic laced cage have no burns, either. I've healed more than is possible. Obviously the doctors here gave me some of that serum stuff that they used on Kahlan once upon a time. I would be upset but I don't appear to be less than before. Besides, Kahlan already knows how I feel about it, so my condition was probably extreme for her to give them permission to give the serum to me.
     I dress in the outfit Kahlan left for me and find that the outfit is loose on me. It seems I've lost quite a bit of weight. Shrugging the problem off, I finger comb my hair back out of my face. My hair has gotten too long for my liking. I think I'll ask Kahlan if I can get another haircut, maybe something shorter this time.
     "I'm ready," I declare as I step out of the bathroom, my shoes squeaking against the floors.
     Emma jumps slightly, and I see that her face is still a soft pink. "Sorry," she says quickly. "Oh? You're dressed. I guess you found the clothes Kahlan left. Come on, then. I'm sure she's waiting for you at home."
     Following Emma out of the medical center, I glance at her periodically from the corner of my eye. The kiss she received from Cas has effected her more than I thought possible. It was only a temple kiss, after all.
     "Have you never been intimate with Cas?" I ask curiously, boldly, as we reach Nadine at the front desk. Nadine smiles and waves at us, but I know she heard me.
     "I can't believe you just asked me that," Emma whispers when we get into the elevator. "Why did you ask me that?"
     "You were flustered when Cas kissed you, and you're still flustered."
     Emma crosses her arms over her chest. "Cas would kill me if I told you."
     "No she wouldn't."
     "She wouldn't, but she'd be upset about it."
     "I'm not asking about her, though. I'm asking about you. Why did you get so flustered?"
     Emma groans and presses the buttons on the wall is if it'll make us ascend faster. It doesn't. "If I tell you, will you promise not to repeat it? To anyone. Not even Kahlan."
     I nod once, firmly, seriously.
     Emma sighs. "Fine. But I'm only telling you because I've always wanted someone to talk to about Cas. But if you betray my trust then I'll never tell you anything again."
     "I promise not to tell anyone."
     The elevator stops at ground level and Emma is the first to step out. "Good," she says. She doesn't say anything more until we're in her ruby car, and even then it takes her a moment to gather her thoughts. "The reason I got so..."
     "Flustered," I provide helpfully.
     "Right. Flustered. The reason I got so flustered is because Cas very, very, very rarely shows me that side of her in public."
     "Why?"
     "That's just the way she is. She doesn't like being touched and she doesn't think to touch anyone else because of it."
     "Why is that?"
     Emma hesitates. "I really can't tell you that. Really. But the point is she doesn't like to be touched. She's sensitive. I don't even touch her without asking first. So when she gives me kisses first I almost can't believe it. It makes me... flustered."
     I think on that as I watch the world run by through the window. "You really ask every single time?"
     "Mostly. Sometimes I touch her without asking but that's only at home. I'm still careful, though."
     "Is that tiresome?"
     "Not really. I know she still loves me and likes me close, even if it doesn't seem like it."
     "How do you know?"
     Here, Emma grips the steering wheel tighter and smiles nostalgically. "She tells me she loves me whenever she can. And the way she acts when we're alone... She's soft and gentle to make sure she doesn't bruise me in any way. She gives herself to me freely and I'm certain that I'm the only person who can touch her that way. I am. The way she can't seem to be close enough to me, the way she shows how needy she is without caring if it's embarrassing... That's how I know."
     My eyes are Emma's profile, and I blink, unsure what to say. That was so intimate I can't believe I heard it.
     The car stops and Emma snaps her head to me, her face red. "You better not say a word about this. I'm serious. I will cut you from my life so quick..."
     I hold my hands up. There's no way I'm telling anyone. That was too... private. I even feel a little dirty now that I know about it.
     Emma nods and tucks her hair behind her ear, then refocuses on the road. The rest of the drive is had in silence and I'm glad for it. It gives me time to think on whether or not Kahlan has thoughts about me the way Emma has about Cas. I'm gentle with Kahlan, I treat her like the only woman in my life, I think. But maybe I'm not doing enough to show how much I truly care. Emma is perfectly happy in her relationship and is secure. Is Kahlan?
     We arrive at the apartment building and go inside together. Emma's face has lost it's red hue and she's not threatening to cut me off if I talk about our conversation, which is good. She walks me to my apartment and asks if I want her to stay with me, but I tell her I'll be fine. She hands me a key to the apartment, apparently given to her by Kahlan to give to me, and then I go inside.
     What I find is that the whole place has been changed. Aside from the apartment being fixed up, the furniture is brand new and different than last time. It's more homey and I can see Kahlan's influence in the style. But I don't see Kahlan.
Humming, I grab a yogurt and a spoon then flop down on the new couch. I sink into the cushion comfortably and catch a whiff of Kahlan's scent. It makes me miss her all the more.
     As I eat my yogurt I flip on the new, and even bigger, television. I spot my game console underneath it and smile. Hakeem has probably been itching to play with me. I should probably go see him soon and make a date to play. Beside the system, though, is a fax machine, sitting prim and proper. Looks like Kahlan finally got what the General has been telling her to get.
     I mindlessly watch shows I've never heard of and finish off my yogurt cup, along with three others. The snacking makes the time go by faster and eventually I hear the front door being unlocked. I jump up to my feet excitedly but remain still so as not to scare Kahlan first thing.
     "Yeah. Yeah," she says into her phone, pressed between her cheek and shoulder. She's carrying multiple bags in her hands. "Thanks for calling, really. I've got to go. Yeah. She'll be here any minute and I want to be ready. Yeah. I'll tell her. Thanks, Tiffany. Bye." She drops her bags near the door then takes her phone and hangs up as she closes the front door. Then she turns to face the rest of the apartment and finally sees me.
     "Oh, my God!" she shrieks, dropping her phone in surprise. I open my arms and grin as she runs at me and throws herself into my arms. I fall back into the couch by her force but don't mind in the least.
     "I missed you so much," she mumbles into my neck. But then she scrambles to sit on my lap, a knee on each side of me, and her jaw drops. "Did I hurt you? Oh, I'm so sorry. I was so happy to see you."
     Laughing, I grab her hips and keep her seated atop me. "I'm perfectly healthy. You didn't hurt me at all."
     Kahlan believes me, because she hugs me again, tighter this time. She breathes me in and runs her hand over my hair. "I'm so happy you're home."
     "I'm sorry you had to be without me for so long."
     "You needed the rest." She pulls back just enough to press her forehead on mine. Her long locks fall delicately and trap us in our own world of red. "The last time I saw you, you were burned and hurt and..."
     My fingertips gently caress Kahlan's chin. "I'm fine. I'm all better, see?"
     She nods and holds onto my face, her thumbs rubbing my cheeks softly. "I should tell you, I let the doctor give you the serum. But a half dose."
     "I guessed." Gently, I push Kahlan away from me then lift up the front of my shirt. "Look. Some of scars are gone. I noticed earlier."
     She lightly touches my belly. "Is that okay?"
     Shrugging, I drop my shirt. "I don't need reminders of what I've been through, I suppose."
     Kahlan sits and stares at me, an almost wistful sigh coming from her. Then she cups my jaw and plays with my bottom lip with her thumb. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you woke up."
     "I know you would've been if you could've. But why couldn't you be? Emma didn't want to tell me."
     Slumping, Kahlan puts her hands on my shoulders. "Someone wanted to take you away. But!" she adds quickly, stopping me from reacting prematurely. "I made a deal with them. We're going to be fine. We're going to stay together."
     I sigh in relief and drop my head back. I don't think I could handle waking up after two weeks only to be taken against my will again. "No one will try to separate us? Ever?"
     Kahlan leans into me to put her face above mine. "Not as long as I keep my end of the deal. Don't worry, I won't let anyone tear us apart."
     A small smile touches my face and I slide my hands up Kahlan's back. "Thank you," I whisper. Then I reach up to press my lips to hers. She sighs into my mouth and tries to bring us closer, but that's not possible unless we take our clothes off. Boy, I wouldn't mind doing that.
     Kahlan holds my face tightly and slows down our kisses, giving me soft pecks with tiny little groans. I chuckle and she laughs between pecks. The moment warms my heart, makes me forget that I was ever injured, but my mind wanders to what Kahlan said before.
     "Wait," I mumble, and Kahlan stops to look down at me. "What's your end of the deal?"
     "Oh, that..." Kahlan sucks her lips into her mouth and scoots back to rest on the edge of my knees. "Well..."
     "What?"
     Her eyes land on mine and she makes a funny face. "How do you feel about running with wolves?"