"She's dying."
"She's not gonna make it."
"What have they done?"
"Her pulse is weak."
"Come on, Daisy, stay with me baby."
"Tie him up, he's coming with us."
"I need to get Hayley."
"Blow these fuckers out of the sky."
I could hear things around me, faint conversations that sounded like an echo.
I didn't know what was happening but I felt peaceful. Was I dead? Was this heaven?
My body tingled and the voices I could hear started getting louder. My chest was tight and an agonising pain suddenly shot through my ribs.
This wasn't heaven, this was hell. Chaos filled my ears, screaming, raised voices and panic all around me.
What the fuck was this?
I peeled one of my eyes open and my head rolled to the side.
I was lay on the floor, mutiple sets of feet surrounding me but I couldn't figure out what was happening.
I couldn't focus on anything and my vision wasn't quite right. I tried to lift my head but I was too weak, my body drained and in a world of pain.
Slipping in and out of consciousness, I wasn't aware of my surroundings but everything eventually fell quiet and I heard him.
"Dazna, take my seat. Kiara, I need you to help me. Here, connect this to her arm, she needs blood now."
Kai?
Was he really here? Had he rescued me?
I felt a sharp prick in my arm and then my cheek tingled, overriding the pain so that I barely felt it.
I fought as hard as I could to open my eyes and when I managed to open one of them, I saw Kiara sitting beside me, covered in blood.
"Daisy? Kai, she's awake." Her voice trembled.
"Daisy? I'm here baby, I'm here."
"Gemma and Hayley." My voice was barely a whisper but I had to know if they had been rescued.
"What?" He seemed confused.
I closed my eyes, exhauted and reached out with my mind instead. At least this way I could speak to him properly.
The two humans, Gemma and Hayley who I was originally abducted with were on the ship. Where are they?
I don't know. They could be on another one of our ships, I'm not sure.
Dazna. Ask him about Gemma. He said he would look after her for me.
"Commander, do we have permission to take off?" I heard Granteon. His voice was firm, yet gentle and I wondered if that was for my benefit.
"Negative. She isn't stable enough yet."
Please, take me home.
You're not stable enough. I need to get some more blood into you first.
I feel like I'm dying, Kai. Please, just take me home.
"Get her home, now!" Kai demanded.
I drifed back into unconsciousness as the ship began to move and I didn't wake up until I was back on Zandara.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been out for but I ached all over. I groaned when I opened my eyes, blinking slowly as my eyes adjusted to the light.
My body was strapped down and a drip was attached to my arm. I was alone inside a pod. It was either a bone regeration pod or a healing pod but because they looked the same, I wasn't sure which one.
"Kai?"
I called out for Kai but instead, I heard Kiara.
"Daisy, don't move ok?"
"Kiara? Where's Kai? And why am I strapped into the pod?"
The dome over the top of me retracted and her face came into view, looking down on me.
"He just had to take care of something, he'll be back soon."
"And the straps?"
Kiara grinned. "The medic refused to sedate you after last time so he strapped you down so you wouldn't move when you woke up. You've got a healing drip in your arm so you can heal while the pod fixes your broken bones but it will take a while. It's nothing like the healing pods."
I snorted a laugh, wincing as a pain shot through my ribs. Maybe I shouldn't do that again until I'm fixed.
"What happened? All I remember is Felix attacking me, coming at me with everythong he had but everything after that is a bit patchy." I spoke slowly, careful not to move too much.
Kiara closed her eyes, blowing out a deep breath. "I'm glad you don't remember. It was heartbreaking."
I furrowed my brows, trying to remember but nothing came to me.
"Thank you for rescuing me.. again. I honestly can't thank you all enough."
"You're family. You're one of us and there's nothing we wouldn't do for each other." Her hands were wrapped around the edge of the pod and she lent down, resting her chin on them with a soft smile.
I managed a small smile back but then I remembered something important and my eyes widened as Kiara looked down on me.
"Dazna! He's alive. He was on the ship. Did you find him?" My body tensed at the pain I felt when I yelled.
"Hey, calm down, we found him. He helped fight the gladarians when we rescued you. Oh, and the two earthlings are here too. Everyone that was on board that ship was brought back here."
"Gemma and Hayley are here? Oh my god, I thought they were going to kill her." I sighed a breath of relief.
Everything seemed too good to be true.
"Daisy?" My heart fluttered at the familiar voice that I loved so much.
Kai appeared beside Kiara, breathless and teary.
"I'll leave you guys to it." Kiara nodded before leaving us alone.
"I'm so, so sorry." His voice trembled, blinking back his tears.
He looked like he'd just gone ten rounds in a boxing ring. His knuckles were blood stained, his clothes torn and his hair a big mound of mess.
"Don't you dare apologise. This isn't your fault."
"I shouldn't have left you alone."
"How were we to know that Felix would turn up? Anyway, it's all over with now, there's no point in beating yourself up over it."
"Daisy.. I.."
"No. I don't want to hear it." I cut him off. He had nothing to apologise for.
"How are you feeling?"
Looking up into Kai's beautiful eyes, I smiled. "All the better for you being here."
"I think you'll be in here a while. Your bones will heal slowly because there are so many for the pod to deal with."
I could feel the anger building up inside him and as much as I wanted to reach out and hold him, I knew I couldn't.
"What's wrong with me?" I wondered, unsure if I actually wanted to know.
Kai's fingers gripped the pod, a deep line forming between his brows as he frowned.
He clenched his jaw with anger in his eyes and I sensed it deepen rapidly.
"Hey, calm down." I half smiled and his nostrils flared.
"I'll be back soon, Kiara will stay with you."
"Wait. Kai."
I was left speechless when he stormed out of the room, hearing him slam his fist into the door as he passed it.
Kiara yelled but I couldn't make out what she said. I was so desperate to follow Kai that my body instinctively tried to sit up and the pain I felt was unbearable.
I held in a scream, holding my breath as tears pooled in my eyes. I couldn't handle being strapped down and I knew I wouldn't be able to lie still for so long while my body heals.
When Kiara came back to the pod, she could see my distress.
"Shall I get the medic?" She seemed concerned and called for him without me responding.
I blew out a shakey breath and when Haldon made his swift arrival, I knew what I had to do.
"How are you feeling Daisy?"
"Sedate me." I blurted. "Please, just sedate me now."
His jaw was slightly open as he looked at Kiara and they exchanged a look of uncertainty.
"I.. I think we should wait for Kai before we make any rash decisions."
Kiara nodded in agreement.
"Kai walked away from me. I can't lie here for god knows how long with him projecting his anger on me. He wouldn't even tell me what was wrong with me."
"Daisy, I assure you he isn't angry with you." Kiara looked confused.
"Yes, I know that but I can't feel what he feels and remain here while he goes.. wherever he went. I'm in pain Kiara, just sedate me, please."
"It could be three, maybe four weeks until you're better." Medic Haldon sighed.
"Tell Kai that I asked for this."
"Oh, we will." Kiara quipped as I held in a laugh.
Within a few minutes, Haldon administered the sedative and I drifted off to sleep immediately.
_______________________________________
What do you think Kai could be up to? Any ideas?
Do you think you could handle 3 weeks in a pod, unable to move and in a world of pain? I feel bad for poor Daisy.
I've got a question for you guys... What foods go well together that you don't normally see?
Hope you enjoyed the double update!