A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

Never Enough Time

"Th-e b-oys?" came Brady's fading voice again. Soren dipped the fistful of cloth in the water again and wrung it out before continuing.

"Better now," replied Soren. He wanted to leave Brady in suspense but thought better of it. "They came and found me after you vanished."

"Th-th-ey're he-re?" asked Brady. "W-wi-th a hu-um-man? C-cap-tured pe-t-s?" The pace of Brady's wheezing increased as this thought took over his mind. His good eye which wasn't swollen looked around wildly as if Ashlynn or some other human were about to spring out of nowhere with Dorian and Rey in their fists. The thought of Dorian and Rey being captured evidently distraught him. Soren laid some of the slightly damp, clean cotton on Brady's forehead.

"We're not captured, and we're certainly not pets," said Soren stiffly. "Ashlynn is a kind person, more kind than any human story I've ever heard, and has done nothing but help us." Brady looked terribly alarmed at this statement.

"Th-e hu-m-man's tric-cked you," wheezed Brady as he went to sit up and push himself away from Soren. There was an audible creaking in his bones as he did. In response, Soren took Brady's shoulder and forced him back down onto the cloth Ashlynn had placed him on.

"No one tricked me," hissed Soren deliberately as he continued to clean up the scratches covering Brady's body. "Now, lay down before you hurt yourself worse."

"You... need to leave be-fore the hu-man comes ba-ack. T-t-take th-e boys a-an-d leave," groaned Brady. Soren stiffened and glared into Brady's lolling eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere. I don't abandon someone when they're hurt and need help." The jab felt justified but didn't feel as sweet as Soren wanted. Insulting a fellow Borrower who was injured was a low blow, but Soren didn't regret what he said. The bitter comment served two purposes – inform Brady that he wasn't going to leave and that it wasn't okay to leave.

Soren begrudgingly continued to clean Brady's wounds, ignoring mutterings of protest and warnings the injured Borrower could come up with until he quieted, simply watching Soren work. The eldest Borrower's mind was a thousand places at once. How would he set the bones if they were broken? What other injuries could he not see? The wheezing certainly was an indication of something happening on his insides.

More importantly, how was he going to break the news to Dorian and Rey? Though Soren wasn't sure of how Doran and Rey currently felt about their father, they had a right to know that their father was alive.

The thoughts rattling around in Soren's brain were suddenly interrupted by a half-choked whimper. "I... Soren... I'm so sorry." The apology took Soren aback. Sorry? He's sorry? Brady continued, moisture leaking from the corners of his eyes. His voice was weaker and raspier, no longer stammering in between wheezes. "I shouldn't have left you. It should have been me. The boys are better off..."

"Stop it," interrupted Soren. "For goodness sake don't start talking like that now. You can't change what happened, so stop talking like you can." Soren's scolding landed on mostly deaf ears as Brady slipped once again into the bliss of unconsciousness. He had apologized. The unexpected gesture was most likely out of guilt, but there were traces of sincerity in what was said. Could it be true?

Soren didn't entertain the thought for long. Most likely there was guilt, but also truth to the words. Instead, he finished cleaning Dorian and Rey's father, washing the remaining cuts and laying a refreshing wet cotton bundle on his forehead.

Perhaps it was because Soren didn't notice or the fact that Brady's body was finally beginning to relieve stress, but Brady's skin now was beginning to burn with fever. Not good. Soren dipped a fresh bundle of cotton and laid it on Brady's forehead while placing other bundles at his wrists and ankles.