Aestus, Book 1: The City

Aestus, Book 1: The City | Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was much dimmer when she awoke again, in an entirely different room. She fuzzily looked around. She guessed it was around eight in the evening, after sunset, because the votive lights around the hospital walls were lit a pretty orange and the dark brown wallpaper was activated.

Her thoughts felt a little clearer. She wondered how long she'd been out.

She heard a noise, and turned carefully.

Gavin was asleep in the chair next to her bed, a bedraggled set of hothouse flowers half falling off his lap. His handsome face looked tired, drawn, as if he'd been there for some time.

Jossey half-smiled. How many women in the City would be beyond thrilled to find Commander Tskoulis passed out in their hospital room, flowers in hand, waiting for them to awaken?

She almost laughed at the idea.

It was sweet of him. She just wished he wouldn't be so...so...

She sighed. She hadn't seen him in some time, not counting the tunnel. He was sporting a new scar on his arm, she noticed.

Even unconscious, Gavin was physically intimidating, with enormous arms and shoulders, and deeply tanned from his time up aboveground with Patrol. He wasn't much older than her, but he was more serious by far. Serious, and tall, and reserved, with a knockout smile that he deployed at will.

Mr. Celebrity, she thought, smiling wryly.

But asleep, his face seemed softer. He looked more like the young Gavin, who had once told her not to cry because her scar was a real warrior scar, and then threatened to fight a bully who'd made fun of her.

The kid had immediately backed down – Gavin had towered over him, even in eighth grade. No one had bothered Jossey after that.

The adult Gavin shifted in his sleep, mumbling something, and the flowers dipped dangerously toward the floor.

They were purple, her favorite color.

Like last time.

She squirmed with guilt and looked away, wondering when he would stop trying to save her. He'd always been Tark's friend, not hers. She'd just been the annoying little sister who'd tried to tag along on their tunnel adventuring.

Tark was gone, had been gone for fifteen years. Gavin had other responsibilities, like keeping the City safe. He probably could do without her, promise he'd made to Tark or no.

And his help made her feel guiltier each time, made her dislike herself more. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful, but everything he ever did for her reminded her that Tark was gone because of her.

Her idea to go aboveground, she thought. Her fault.

She sighed. No point in being upset. At least Gavin tried.

She turned to face him, rustling the uncomfortable hospital blankets as she tried to move with her left arm still heavily bandaged.

At the slight sound, the young commander jerked awake, mumbling something about Onlar.

He looked around, bleary-eyed, then his dark eyes came to rest on Jossey.

He jolted half out of his chair, barely catching the flowers in time.

"Jossey. You're awake." He rubbed a hand across his face.

Jossey smiled. "How long was I out?"

Gavin's dark eyes were shadowed. He reached over and quickly pressed the nurse call button. "Three days. I didn't know if you were – "

"Three days?!" She struggled to sit up.