The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 8.5

"I won't. I promise. Thank you. And I'm sorry." She looked up. "How did you find out I'd given it away?"

"It works both ways, you know. I can always use it to locate you. When it showed up on Earth instead of Fiersai, I surmised what had happened. But we checked it out anyway. Cynthia sends her best regards and wants to hear from you as soon as possible. She offered to come, but she is tending to her mother, who has had a stroke, so I assured her that we could handle your retrieval this time."

"Oh, no," Sabrina said. "Poor Mrs. Grayson! I'll have to go see them."

"All in good time. For now, get some real rest in your own bed. You room is, as always, just as you left it, since you never find the time or inclination to clean it out," Tirqwin teased.

"What I need to do is restock it with clothes that fit me now," Sabrina sighed. "I'm not twenty-one anymore, alas."

"I retrieved your baggage from the palace, if that helps," Khediva said.

Sabrina grinned. "Thank you! I can't tell you how tired I am of borrowed clothes. And oh, how I long for a sonic shower!'

"Then by all means, indulge yourself," Tirqwin said. "I am going to get some rest, but Khediva will watch over Niavar and let us know when he wakes."

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Some hours later, after a shower and a sound sleep, Sabrina jerked awake, Ford's voice ringing in her ears. "Ah," Khediva said. "Niavar has just woken, Sabrina. He wishes to see you, apparently."

"Thanks," Sabrina said, sliding out of bed and hurrying to get dressed.

As she approached the infirmary, she could hear Tirqwin and Ford's voices in an apparently relaxed conversation, and she smiled as she entered. "So you've finally decided to join us. Talk about lying down on the job!"

Ford grinned, sitting up a little straighter in the bed. "Nice to see you too, Sabrina. Father tells me that my first diplomatic mission wasn't a complete failure—it may have required a rescue party, but at least we all made it out alive."

"No thanks to you! The next time I tell you that you need to stop and be bandaged up, you are going to let me do it!" she retorted, sitting on the edge of his bed. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Have a little faith, Sabrina. I told you it was all right."

"You're just trying to make me smack you in front of your father."

Tirqwin laughed. "Rest assured, Sabrina, since you have been brave enough to take Niavar in hand, I do not propose to object to your methods of handling him. But I think Khediva would prefer that you not beat up her patient until he has left the infirmary."

Khediva said, "There has been more than enough violence without adding petty squabbles to it. And Sabrina is not yet strong enough to be inflicting beatings."

Ford frowned. "She looks all right to me."

Khediva sniffed. "Which is completely irrelevant. She requires several more days of quiet rest."

"I've had all the quiet I can stand for a while," Sabrina protested.

"Nonsense, child. You are to eat a healthy meal and then go back to bed. If it will help entice you, I intercepted several of your favorite Earth programs while we were in orbit."

"Oh, cool! I can catch up on The Simpsons," Sabrina grinned. "Scotty will love that." She turned her attention back to Ford and pointed a finger at him. "You stay in this bed until Khediva tells you to get up."

"Yes, ma'am. I have more of a sense of self-preservation than to defy you both," Ford said with mock solemnity. Then he smiled at her. "Go back to bed, poor assistant. When you're better we have to think up a good story for our report."

She rolled her eyes. "In this case, the truth is quite exciting enough. At least we only have to spin it for the Realm, not Homeworld too."

"A definite advantage," Ford agreed. He leaned forward and gave her a little hug. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Sabrina returned the hug, but flashed on her memory of lying beside him counting his heartbeats, and her grip tightened in remembered desperation. Don't you ever do that again. I'm supposed to die first, she wanted to say, but her throat was closed.

"Don't," Ford whispered to her. "It's all right now."

She was as surprised as anyone in the room when the first gut-wrenching sob escaped her. Ford tightened his grip, hunching over a little as if to wrap himself around her, as she shook and continued to cry uncontrollably.

Tirqwin and Khediva's surprise was tangible. After a moment, Khediva said, "I suppose I could sedate her."

"No," Ford said. "Let her get it out. We haven't had time to deal with everything that happened, and if anybody deserves a hysterical outburst, it's Sabrina."

"I'm—not—hysterical," Sabrina managed between sobs.

Ford chuckled. "No, of course not."

Tirqwin shook his head and smiled. "Do not worry, Sabrina. The three of us will do nothing to compromise your reputation for invincibility."

Khediva sniffed. "Do not patronize the child, Tirqwin. A warm blanket and some comfort food would be much more to the point. A bowl of that bizarre ice cream, perhaps? I restocked while we were in orbit."

"You were busy while I was gone," Tirqwin said to her, surprised.

"You were gone quite a while," Khediva replied. "And I knew we were going to find Sabrina. It made sense to be prepared."

"Cynthia and Mrs. Grayson made me eat cookies and drink eggnog," Tirqwin said, sounding aggrieved. "It would have been impolite to refuse."

Ford rubbed Sabrina's back comfortingly and murmured, "How did you all ever survive? Do they get in an argument every time you start crying?"

Sabrina was trying hard to get control of her breathing. "They don't," she gasped in a watery voice, "need an excuse."

Ford laughed. "There's my girl. Come on, it was a rotten time, but it's over, and we did what we came to do. Now stop crying, or Father will never let me take you anywhere again."

Khediva said, "I was not aware that your father's instructions play a significant role in your life, Niavar."

"Is that a slap at me for not paying attention to him, or at him for not paying attention to me?" Ford inquired.

Khediva snorted. "Neither. Both, if you like. Now, it is past time Sabrina was back in bed. She is overtired and she needs some good food. And so do you, Niavar. Your mother will be back shortly, and I have no doubt she will want to hear your version of events."

Ford grimaced. "Yikes. Maybe I'll take that sedative you offered, Khediva."

"I did not offer it to you," she retorted.

Sabrina finally sat back, wiping at her wet cheeks and sniffling. "Be nice, Khediva. Ford saved my life."

"I am sure you will find occasion to repay the favor, if you have not already," Khediva replied. "Niavar, for pity's sake find her a tissue."

"Here," Tirqwin said, handing Sabrina a handful of disposable tissues. "Come along, Sabrina; I will see you back to bed so Khediva will stop sniping at all of us. Niavar can manage from the infirmary provender. And find a dry shirt."

"Oh," Sabrina said in dismay. "Sorry about that."

"Never mind. If we're going to have a competition for who lost the most clothes in this venture, I think you're still ahead," Ford said. "Get some rest, Sabrina. I'm going to try this ice cream your brother loves so much and see what the fuss is about."

"By all means try the butter brickle, but if you touch the Ben and Jerry's I'm coming after you," Sabrina threatened as she climbed carefully off the bed and headed for the door, ignoring Tirqwin's efforts to guide her.