A/N -- Enjoy the chapter!
The retreat was rapidly underway outside. There was no choice. Guardians and soldiers fell back to the camp. There was no point in fighting if there was nothing to save. For now, control of the Eldian army fell to Zayn's captain. With Master Dyran dead and Rhalla captured, command of the guardians fell to the secretary, Cane.
Everything was in a disarray. They had half a day. Twelve hours to get out or hell broke loose.
Meanwhile, in the medic tent, Sorella took on Kayde. The other medics were applying a tight tourniquet and ointment to what was now Zayn's stump. Thank all the gods it hadn't been a little higher or the chances of fatality would have highly increased. While the burning of the wound had stopped the bleeding, it would be very susceptible to festering.
It wasn't nearly as dangerous as getting stabbed in the chest. Zayn stared ahead at his friend. Sorella and Dane worked to remove Kayde's clothes. Their combined effort had them off in less than a minute. They didn't stop until he was down to straight skin all over and nothing else. The dire situation kept Zayn from feeling so uncomfortable at the nudity.
They had Kayde laid on his side. They couldn't turn him over just yet, not with the weapon still in him. Next, Sorella immediately went to survey the wound. She opened his eyelids to survey his pupils as well -well, the best she could. His eyes were rolled up partially into his head.
The medic tending Zayn said, "Its hit right through his lungs. There's nothing we can do for him. He can't breathe. He's a dead man."
Sorella looked very frustrated, not even seeming to hear the other healer. Instead, she just looked to Rhalla's son. "Dane, go to the neck. See if you can find a heartbeat." She ripped through her supplies. "There's blood in his lung. Air in his chest cavity. We're looking at lung collapse on the right side, I don't know how widespread."
"Is that fixable?" Dane asked, rushing to Kayde's jugular.
"It's been meddled with, but it's never been done successfully," Sorella said, pulling out a weird tubular tool with great haste. Dane had seen her use it before on infected lumps. "Not to my knowledge."
"Is it possible?"
"Probably not," Sorella admitted on a breath. "But there's a first time for everything."
"Isn't that used for draining infection?" Dane asked, pressing firm fingers to Kayde's neck.
"We have to drain the blood out of his lung somehow. This is the best we got." Sorella said, pressing on his ribs with her fingers, searching for the intercostal spaces to ensure she wouldn't hit bone with her tool. "How's that heartbeat?"
"I can't feel one yet," he answered.
"Gods fucking damn it," Sorella cursed. With a quick hand, she stabbed the tube right between two ribs. Immediately, blood and air started draining from the tube. "We need to get air into the lungs. We need him to breathe. We need to try something. He needs some air now. Somehow." She wrung her withered hands and paced a couple steps. "Okay, I'm gonna try and blow them up. I hope. We'll see how it goes."
"What do you mean?"
Sorella rushed to his face and cupped it in her hands. "Let's try this." With two hands, she propped his jaw open. Everyone watched the move of a desperate woman. Sucking in a deep breath, she ducked down and blew air into his mouth. Meanwhile, everyone watched her like she was bat-shit crazy. They watched as she tried several positions of his head.
"Wait!" Dane called. "I got something. I think. Barely."
"I can work with barely," Sorella gasped again, and blew another breath. "Damn it, it's coming out of his nose." She pinched it and went again. His lungs inflated with her air, but it was hissing around the knife. She kept breathing for him.
"Got another beat," Dane said after a few seconds. "It's sluggish."
Sorella's head came up. "We have to get that knife out." She filled his lungs again. "I'm gonna need someone to breathe for him."
"I can," Dane offered.
"No! You're keeping the heartbeat. I need you to focus on it. It's crucial. I need someone else."
"I can do it. How?" General Zayn asked and stood up.
The medic working on him looked flustered, but said nothing.
"Keep the nose closed. Keep his throat straight. Cover his mouth with yours and blow until his chest inflates. Keep doing it," Sorella directed. "Nice and easy. Not too quick." She demonstrated once more. "We gotta hope he starts doing it on his own. Very soon."
"Beat," Dane called. "It's dangerously low."
Without further ado, Zayn grabbed Kayde's face with his remaining hand as directed and filled his lungs without hesitation.
"Good," Sorella commended. "Now for the knife. I'm going to have to open him up. Shit." She huffed. "I'm going to have to stitch and repair the actual lung, if that's even possible. Shit fucking hell." By this time, one of the other medics had stepped up. She snapped a command. "Hand me that scalpel. With haste!" Clumsily, the other healer grabbed the cutting blade and placed it in her palm.
"Beat," came Dane's voice. Zayn's lips offered the guardian another taste of air.
A thin cut was made. A deep cut. Right around the blade. Once it was just wide enough, Sorella pulled it and muscle apart right down to the ribs. The knife was imbedded right at the top of his lungs. She saw the tip of it sticking out of the front.
"Beat."
Sorella moved to the guardian's back. She took a deep breath to steady herself and grasped the weapon with both hands. "Hold him still if you can!" she called to whoever would do it. Dane positioned himself where he wrapped one arm around Kayde's waist.
"Beat," came Dane's dutiful call.
With all the strength left in her bones, Sorella yanked the blade straight out. It clattered to the floor under the table. Pulling it out was like pulling a stopper out. Blood vomited from the space like mad, leaking all over the table and the floor. Immediately, she took a towel and covered the back of the wound. It soaked the towel through with red and then her hands.
"Lay him on his back!" Sorella bade. "We need the pressure. He's losing blood too fast!"
As soon as Kayde was on his back, Azabela's grandmother immediately went to work with stitches. Her hands dug down in the space she'd cut. Hell, this wasn't going to be easy with his ribs in the way. Her wrists were turned at a very awkward angle. She got to stitching immediately.
"No beat," Dane called, his voice a cutting edge.
"Are you sure?"
In response, Kayde's form started seizing. He was shaking madly on the table. "Shit! We're losing him! Zayn, make him breathe! Gods, someone hold him still." Sorella clenched her teeth. "Fuck, he's going to die."
"Still no beat," Dane warned. Zayn gave yet another breath.
"Gods damn it, we can't pump his fucking heart for him!" No one paid any mind to the stress cursing. She slammed her hands on the table, suddenly very desperate. "But we're gonna have to try," she said simply, exasperated. "We're just gonna have to try."
"What are you talking abo-," the medic started, but was interrupted by Sorella jumping right up on the table with what energy she had left in her bones.
The moment she placed her hands on his chest and pressed down hard, there was a look in her eyes that Dane couldn't miss. Determination. Her sheer desire to save Kayde Vorantis was as strong as a mountain. Kayde, who she'd never spoken to, was now her charge, and fucking hell, she was going to do everything in her power to save him. She was one medic who had a passion for what she did.
"Come on," she begged. Her entire upper body pumped his chest. Nothing. Sweat poured off her body, and her dress was filthy now. She let out a string of curses and then resorted to just slamming a fist down hard on his chest -with everything that she had.
After a second, she ran her hands through her hair and let out a groan.
"Holy hell," Dane said. "That worked. Whatever you just did worked. It worked."
Sorella choked, looking very surprised. "We got a beat? You're shitting me."
"Beat," Dane monitored.
Sorella immediately went back to work on the wound. And then, Zayn spoke. "I think we got a breath too."
As Zayn said, Kayde indeed took a breath. The lungs inflated in a shallow rhythm, but it wouldn't be enough to sustain him for long. He couldn't completely fill his lungs.
"No bloody way," came the medic's voice. Suddenly, he was very interested in what Sorella was doing. "How?"
"Don't know," Sorella answered. "It can't stop again. I don't know if I can replicate it. Gods, these ribs are in the way." The last statement was to herself. She murmured more to herself as she stitched. Finally, she spoke aloud again. "He's going to need more blood. He's lost a lot."
"Can you make him make more... somehow?" came a query from Zayn.
"It would take weeks for it to come back," she took a breath. "We don't have weeks. But I can give him someone else's. Maybe."
"Beat."
"Maybe? Meaning you don't know?" Zayn asked.
"No. That, I've done before." Sorella answered as another stitch was sewn in his lungs. "I just can't say whether or not it'll be compatible. Most Eldians are born with the same blood. Usually, everything's fine. But I've heard of our blood being poisonous to foreigners in some cases. Sometimes to the point of death."
That caught Zayn off guard. "What do you mean foreigner? Kayde's Eldian. I think."
"Beat."
Sorella shook her head. "Not entirely, he's not." She looked to his head. "He's got a prominent widow's peak. I've never seen an Eldian with a widow's peak like that. And those eyes certainly aren't Eldian. No, he's got foreigner blood. A good bit of it too, I can only imagine." She made a face. "Maybe Garhemian. No, but the eyes. I can't say. Still, he needs blood." She took a breath. "We're going to have to take a risk. We have no other choice or he dies for sure."
"Beat," Dane interrupted again.
"Mine," Zayn immediately offered. "Give him some of mine."
"Don't be ridiculous, you just lost an arm."
"I didn't lose too much blood," Zayn was quick to say. "I burned the wound shut nearly a minute within losing it. Take mine. Please."
"We can use some of mine, too," Dane offered. "I don't mind. And beat."
Sorella took a breath. "Okay." She looked to the medic. "Get busy. There's three syringes. Put them to use! And I need someone on that heart at all time. From now on, just tell me if it stops now." She snapped. "Get to it! And we'll test it the best we can before putting it in. Mix some in a glass, and keep mixing it for a minute or two. Watch to see if it gets viscous. If it doesn't..." Sorella inhaled. "If it doesn't, we run with it and hope."
Zayn sat in the chair. "How do we do this?" he asked, after the medic had the syringe in his hand.
"I need your arm," the healer directed. "You're only arm." There was distaste in his voice, but Zayn didn't even hear it over the need to help his friend. "I'll assist you to take off your armor."
Life was moving so fast during the frenzy. Zayn was out of his breastplate before he could even think, with his remaining arm outstretched, palm facing upward. A tight strip of cloth was tied around his bicep. With furrowed eyebrows, the healer pressed a finger down on the crease of Zayn's inner elbow. Two more touches, and the thick needle was inserted. It stung quite a bit, enough to make Zayn momentarily grit his teeth. The syringe pulled blood from the general.
As directed, some of it was tested.
"How does it look?" Sorella called after a minute. "Is it thickening up?"
"It looks normal," the medic said.
"Perfect, give me what you have. Swiftly." Two bowls were handed over. "The syringe too. Use one of the others on Dane."
For a moment, Sorella stopped stitching and grabbed the blood. She used the tool to infuse it into the injured guardian's arm. All of it. Meanwhile, Zayn and Dane switched spots. The general felt a little green -a little clammy. He nearly vomited. Just looking at that needle. Fucking hell. However, he didn't complain. He just clenched his jaw and tried to stay conscious. He focused his attention on Kayde's slow heart.
Dane was able to give more than the general. It was tested similarly. He most likely had the same blood as the general. They were both Eldians, after all. Perhaps his would work too. It would give Kayde a better chance of staying alive.
Maybe it'll be enough blood for him. Zayn thought to himself, simultaneously swallowing a bit vomit. I may have to give some more if... no don't think about that. Don't think about the needle. Think about the heart. Think about the heart. Think about his heart -this heart that Iris loves.
Beat. Seven seconds later. Beat.
----
Kayde Vorantis woke up laying in a field. A bright field. Somehow he knew it was a meadow, even with closed eyes. He felt soft grass underneath him, he smelled the fresh air. Immediately, it almost felt like dream -a really good dream. His lids finally flicked open to a cloudless blue sky. Without a doubt, it was the most beautiful day Kayde had ever seen. A breeze blew across the field, whipping some strands of his hair across his cheeks. It was just enough wind to give the day a perfect warmth. Not too hot. Not too cold. Flawless.
He sat up. Gods, where was he? This was so beautiful. How did he get here? He found he could hardly remember. Wildflowers bloomed for miles and miles. There were trees every so often. Kayde turned his head to the left and found a stream in the distance. The sound of birdsong tuned the air.
Kayde stood, putting his arms out. He was wearing a set of blue robes that seemed so light. There was an intense desire to explore! It came over him like a wave. So he started walking through the grass. When he found that he felt the best he'd ever felt, he picked up that pace to run. He almost felt like he was flying.
He didn't run out of breath. He didn't tire. He could have gone forever. He almost did.
And then... there was a large chasm. It interrupted the rolling wildflower hills. Kayde spotted at least five clear waterfalls flowing within. They were magnificent, but they hardly compared to the large, covered bridge that stretched across the rift. It was filled with white gems -it seemed to be made of sparkling silver.
What was on the other side? He almost went to see.
A voice came from behind him. Which was strange, considering he hadn't seen anyone yet. "Isn't it magnificent?" it asked.
Kayde whirled away from the bridge. Standing there was his father. Dyran was clad in a pale robe of ivory. He appeared several years younger, but somehow the transition wasn't at all odd to Kayde. In fact, the guardian didn't even notice anything amiss. There was no silver in Dyran's hair, and his tan face was smooth from wrinkles.
"Father," Kayde cocked his head and grinned. "Me suis mora vyranes nuisan." An Eruthan phrase meaning 'Our meeting is most joyful.'
"It's been a long while since I've heard you speak your grandmother's tongue," Dyran commented and walked up to hug his son. When they embraced, Dyran whispered back. "Me suis te mora vyranes nuisan, sol lanwes." 'Our meeting is the most joyful, my son.'
They pulled apart. Kayde shrugged. "Never had a reason to in Eldia. No one spoke it. Plus, I'm nowhere near as fluent as you." Suddenly, it hit him. A realization -the first realization. "We're not in Eldia anymore. Are we?"
Dyran smiled softly and shook his head. "No, my son, we are no longer in Eldia. Nor are we in Erutha."
Kayde furrowed his brows. "Wait, where is this? Why are we the only people for miles and miles?"
"It doesn't have a name. Not that I've heard," Dyran answered, turning and looking to the meadow. "The passersby simply call it Between. And there are others here," a sly smile curved his lips. "You just don't see them yet."
"Okay," Kayde said and turned his head for only a second. "What about the bridge? Where does it go?"
Dyran's eyes glowed. He simply said, "Beyond."
"Have you been?"
"I have," he said with a smile. "It's even better than this, if you can believe it. The most peaceful place you'll ever go -yet the most exciting. There's song and dance -festivals day in and out. It's a place at the very end of sadness. Of hurt. But you have to have someone help you cross that bridge."
Kayde looked mesmerized. "Who?"
"Turn around."
Kayde did. Suddenly, there was a little girl behind him. She looked to be about five years old. She waved and grinned a grin made of dimples and small teeth. Her hair was curly and black, and her eyes were the exact green-yellow color of his and Dyran's. She was such a precious thing.
Even without seeing her before, he knew exactly who she was somehow. With a breath, he whispered. "Taoma." His daughter.
"Hiya, dad!" she asked with a cheery voice and jumped right into his arms. "So, do you wanna cross with me?"
Kayde kissed her forehead gently and held her close to his chest. "Of course I do."
"Okay!" she said. "But I have to tell you that once you cross, you can't go anywhere but the Between and the Beyond."
Why would he want to? The desire to cross was greater than anything he'd ever felt in his heart. He knew without a shadow of uncertainty that he wanted to spend many forevers here. And he would. Quickly, Kayde nodded in agreement. "That's okay."
"Good!"
She jumped out of his arms and went to lead him across. He almost stepped foot on the bridge when he saw it. Growing just under his foot was a beautiful purple iris. Oh, how he loved irises. He couldn't remember why it was his favorite flower. Kayde stopped and picked it. He smiled and twirled it in his fingers.
Then, a haze of a memory sparked. A girl. There was a girl. She had black curls and a gorgeous grin. She was -Kayde looked down at the plant. Then, it came back. Iris Gwenneth. Iris Evanna Gwenneth.
"Is she here?" he asked Dyran.
"Not yet." Kayde's father knew of whom he spoke.
Why wasn't she... here? No place could ever be perfect without the woman he dearly loved. Kayde looked down at the daughter who watched him -the daughter that hadn't been born alive. "Wait," Kayde said, having an epiphany. "Taoma, you..." He shook his head and came face to face with his father. Dyran Morvais, who had died on a battlefield not terribly long ago. Now he remembered "...And you." Suddenly, Kayde had tears in his eyes.
Dyran offered a sad smile.
"I watched you die. You're dead, father. And Taoma never lived."
"Try not to think of it like that," Dyran whispered, and winked. "I feel more alive than I have ever felt."
Kayde's breath hitched. Meanwhile, his daughter offered a comforting touch to his leg. "Does that mean I'm..." the guardian choked. "Wait, is this a dream or am I... am I dead?"
"That's hard to say," came his father's response. "I can't tell you until you cross. Most people here aren't ever able to piece together what this place is. Not until they've gone onto Beyond. No one has taken as long as you to cross, either."
Again, at the mention of it, the desire for Beyond and for living with his daughter and father was greater than anything. He wanted to cross that bridge and never look back except... Only Iris held him struggling in Between.
"So I'm not dead?" Now, Kayde looked confused. "Does that mean that this is all a dream? A really good dream? Does that mean that I'll wake up? Can I wake up?"
Dyran only shrugged and chuckled. "Oh, son. You tell me."
A/N -- This chapter is dedicated to all my fellow health-care professionals, if I have any that read this story. This chapter is to remind everyone that not all heroes wear capes.
P.S. As for the ending of the chapter, it's up to you to decide whether it was real or not. :)
See you guys next time.