Rieka had a fortnight to grieve the loss of her baby. A fortnight to worry about sandor. A fortnight to adjust to this new life with these new people.
She was embarrassed with how much Sandor consumed her mind. His wounds were extensive, first his leg had been set, there was a bone protruding from his thigh. Fran had a few of the guys at the camp hold him down just in case but she couldn't get the angle, his thighs were massive. Rieka still remembered the crunch and the pop as they set it.
Remembered seeing sandors eyes pop open. He stared back at her through the pain and she felt herself go pale. But his eyes just as quickly closed.
"Come on wake up!' Rieka shouted she begged she pleaded. 'Join the party that is living!' She demanded. 'You're going to make me beg? Is that it? Cause I swore I would never beg a man for anything,' she told him sternly. 'But I really need you to wake up so my mind isn't occupied with you any more,' each word more desperate. 'You are all I think about. All the damn time.' Rieka told a still unconscious Sandor. 'I can't sleep because I worry you might try to die on me. I can't focus because again I think at any moment you might stop breathing and if I'm not here to... I can't lose anyone else.' Rieka told him. 'Wake up.' she said meekly. She ran her fingers gently through his hair combing out the knots and tangles her fingers massaging his head mindlessly as she watched his chest rise and fall.
Rise and fall. Rise and fall. He seemed to sigh a little at her touch but that was probably just wishful thinking on her part.
Ray and his men were building a sept. Some of them were married to the other women but there was a good number of single men that all flirted with Rieka whenever she came out of sandors little hut.
They were always kind to her. Always respectful. Rieka was surprised but gladdened. She couldnt focus on much but sandor. She started cooking as he healed. Made him tinctures and she saw his muscle fade saw him thin out. Sandor was a big man.
Building a sept meant lots of building and lots of injuries. Rieka didn't know how Ray and his men survived without Fran. She was basically constantly fixing one person or another.
Rieka couldnt get any sleep she was a walking zombie. She looked to sandor on his cot and hesitated.
"Maybe if I just...' she was so tired she hadn't slept properly since sandors first bout with death. She slowly got onto the cot next to him placing a hand over his heart. She counted the beats.
Du dum, du dum, du dum, she closed her eyes her hand feeling the vibration of his heart beating in his chest and rieka let out a soow breath before she fell asleep peacefully.
When she woke the next morning she was amazed that the sun was shining already and her hand still on sandors chest his heart still beating, still breath in his lungs she let out a relived breath she went to get up she didnt want anyone seeing her like this even though everyone thought that rieka was married to sandor. The men that thought sandor was a gonner were ready to offer rieka a shoulder to cry on.
Rieka hesitated feeling a large hand at her hip. She looked down seeing it was Sandor's hand. Holding onto her. She looked from his hand to his face.
'Hi...' she coed. 'Are you in there?' She ran a gentle hand over his face down his neck. ''can you wake up?'' She questioned softly as his hand dropped from her hip.
That became a habit. Every night Rieka would lay down her legs barely grazing sandors her hand on his heart and drift asleep. But by morning she would be curled into him her face nuzzled into his chest and his hand would make its way on its own accord around her waist. Every night. And every morning she would ask if he was there. If he could hear her. If he was still fighting. Then one day he woke up.