**OLD DRAFT**Protectors: Book 1 of Protectors **OLD DRAFT**

Chapter 5

Jade slept, she didn’t know for how long.  She was vaguely aware of people coming and going and someone giving her water to drink but nothing stuck to her memory. Her dreams outweighed her reality and for a long time she drifted in warmth and comfort and forgot about the pain of living.

                When she finally opened her eyes the sunlight poured through the open window, and the breeze was fresh in Jade’s mouth. Thick covers were pulled up over Jade’s body, and she found that she loved the sensation of a warm bed while a cool breeze filled her lungs. A small cup of water sat on the bedside table along with a cold candle. Jade gingerly pushed herself to her elbows and grabbed the cup. Everything hurt, and Jade found that her hands shook while she drank. She didn’t know if it was from her wounds or from the lack of nourishment but either way she felt disgraced for allowing her body to come to such a state.

                Jade had never felt this way before, never felt so weak and helpless. Guardians trained constantly, their bodies were their first weapon and it had to be sharp at all times. Jade wasn’t sure she could even lift a sword.

                She lowered herself back down onto the bed and remembered in that moment that she was naked apart from her bandages. Jade lifted her head and looked around the room but her clothes were nowhere to be found. She wasn’t sure what that meant but she didn’t like it. She tried closing her eyes again but her body was rested, and her mind was alert. She could hear people downstairs and on occasion there were footsteps on the stairs.

                Jade wanted to call out to them, but she didn’t know who they were. She remembered shadowed faces but everything was a blur. Apart from collapsing in the alley Jade remembered very little. She remembered the doctor, but nothing else was clear. Jade wondered who had saved her life, and why. These were the first people to show her kindness, which made her even more curious, and a little wary. So she remained silent instead, and simply listened to her surroundings and finally after some time, as the sun stretched further across the room, someone came and opened the door.

                It was the female doctor, Sherry. She smiled at Jade and closed the door behind her; she carried a leather satchel over her shoulder. “Well it is good to see you awake my dear.” She sat on the bed next to Jade and placed her hand onto her forehead. “You’re fever has finally broke but you look as pale as a corpse. Let us take a look at your wounds shall we?”

                Jade slowly rolled onto her stomach and the doctor pulled down the covers to expose Jade’s back. She was careful and gentle and Jade barely felt it as she removed the bandages. “These are healing nicely.” Sherry’s fingers were cold against Jade’s skin and Jade could help but flinch when she touched her. “How do these feel?”

                Jade didn’t see why she should lie. “They hurt, but not as badly as I expected.”

                “The herbs help dull the nerves, we’ll get you into a bath and after you are washed I will put a fresh batch of herbs and new bandages on you. Then, we will get you something to eat; you’re nothing but skin and bone.”

                Jade pushed her cheek into the pillow. “Thank you,” she said softly, touched by the woman’s kindness.

                “You’re very welcome.”

                Jade was only slightly disappointed, her bath was not a hot one. Sherry explained that the hot water would only hurt terribly until her wounds were more properly healed. So the water was only slightly warm, but Jade found that after a few minutes, she didn’t even care. She was going to be clean again, truly clean.