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Elenya paced excitedly up and down her living room. Her thoughts kept circling back to the new piece of clothing in her wardrobe.
She’d picked it up from Carol’s this morning and hadn’t been able to think of anything else since.
Hanging there was a cream-coloured dress, with delicate green tendrils winding their way across the skirt and the long sleeves. Carol had done a truly wonderful job. She could hardly believe it when she tried it on this morning. It fit her like a glove and made her eyes sparkle.
And in three days she would wear it to marry Arlo!
She could barely wait anymore. Even here, alone in her home, a small giddy giggle left her at the thought. They had been together for more than two years now and she couldn't imagine a life without him anymore.
He made everything so much better.
Waking up next to him every day, having breakfast with him, and simply knowing that he would always be there felt like a dream. A dream that would soon come true.
A knock at the door snapped her out of her daydreams. Wondering who could possibly want to see her so late, she opened the door. Cold winter air hit her face and her eyes fell on Sam, who was looking at her with a serious expression.
Elenya’s heart sank.
Sam hated being serious. Her friend always preferred to see everything light-hearted. As long as nothing really bad had happened, she was always relaxed.
"Sam! What… what are you doing here?" No sooner had Elenya asked the question than she wished she could take it back. Even though she knew Sam wouldn’t hold it against her, she felt terribly rude.
"Hey Elenya…"
A heavy weight settled in her stomach. Sam never called her by her name.
"Sorry to disturb you this late, but…" Sam hesitated. Something that was also very unlike her. She never had any qualms about saying exactly what she thought.
Elenya’s unease grew.
"I'm not sure how to tell you." Sam's voice broke. "Arlo, he… Remington brought him back. He got hurt. Badly."
The words left her reeling. Stunned, she stared into her friend's pale green eyes, which held a mixture of anger and fear.
Arlo was…?
Her brain couldn't process the words. She knew that Arlo had set off for Ingall's Mine with Remi that morning. The last time she had been there, she had found a new opening that hadn't been visible until then. The two of them wanted to explore this new area to decide whether it was safe enough for adventurers and could be opened up.
And now he was…?
Everything inside her froze. Her knees threatened to give way beneath her. She clung desperately to the doorframe with one hand, while everything inside her resisted the truth.
Arlo couldn’t be hurt. He was Arlo, captain of the Civil Corps. The strongest fighter in Portia.
Just this morning, before he left, he had kissed her. Had promised to take her out for breakfast tomorrow. They were going to get married in three days.
The winter air seeped through her thin clothes, but she didn't notice. The cold matched the numbness spreading through her.
A hand settled on her shoulder and gently steered her back into the house. Shortly after, Sam pressed her boots and winter coat into her hands. Mechanically, Elenya put them on.
No sooner had Elenya zipped up her jacket than Sam grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the house. The door clicked shut behind them, and the soft thud finally snapped Elenya out of her stupor.
Dazed, she stumbled after Sam, who led her purposefully towards the clinic. All the while, one desperate question after another raced through her mind.
How bad was Arlo hurt? Did he have a head injury? Would he recover?
There was just one question she was desperately trying to keep out of her mind.
Was he even still alive?
Every time, she immediately pushed the thought away. Otherwise, despair would have overwhelmed her.
They met Remington in front of the clinic. He was pacing back and forth anxiously, his green hair tousled and his jacket covered in dried blood.
Elenya felt sick at the sight.
Was that Arlo's blood?
"Remi! What happened? Why are you out here?", Sam asked as soon as they reached him.
Startled, Remi turned towards them, his brown eyes wide open. His gaze darted from Sam to her, lingering on her.
A mix of emotions swirled behind his eyes, but Elenya couldn’t make sense of them. She was far too caught up in her own feelings.
Remington swallowed hard. "Dr. Xu sent me out." His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't talked in a while — or as if he had cried. "He… he needs space to work."
"What happened?", Sam repeated, her voice low.
Remi opened his mouth, then closed it again. His gaze drifted briefly towards Elenya, almost as if he wasn't sure how much he wanted to tell her.
“He pushed me out of the way.” The words came slowly, with difficulty. “I was… momentarily distracted when the robot lunged at me. Arlo reacted before I even knew what was happening.”
Elenya somehow wasn't surprised. Saving someone's life without even thinking about it was Arlo's second nature.
What surprised her, however, was that Remi was distracted in the middle of the fight. That didn't sound like him at all. In desperate need of a distraction, her thoughts turned entirely to this fact.
Her eyes finally took in his entire appearance. Whilst she made a conscious effort to ignore the bloodstains on his clothes, she noticed his posture. Not only was he clearly leaning more heavily on his good knee, but he was also holding his right arm pressed unnaturally stiffly against his stomach.
But before she could voice her concern, Sam spoke up again.
"Remi, what's with your arm?" Her eyes were fixed intently on his arm.
"Oh, that…" A single glance from Sam was enough, and Remi seemed to reconsider his answer.
“The robot hit my elbow… I don’t think anything’s broken, but moving it hurts a bit.”
Sam lifted one eyebrow. "Did that happen by any chance just before Arlo shoved you out of the way?"
A slight nod, followed by a quiet "He saved my life," was his reply.
"Oh Remi…" Elenya whispered, and she crossed the few steps that separated her from her friend. Her concern for him momentarily overshadowed her fear for Arlo, and she was grateful to have something to do.
Searching his gaze, she added, "You’ve done everything you could. Please promise me you’ll get Dr. Xu to have a look at your elbow as soon as Arlo has been treated."
A brief hesitation, then a weary nod. “I promise.”
Silence followed his words.
Sam silently leaned against the clinic wall, her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on the floor. Beside her, Remi slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, resting his injured arm carefully on his knee.
Elenya thought about joining them, but her inner restlessness forced her to move. She started to pace; it was the only way she could keep herself from breaking down.
There was nothing they could do but wait.
~~~~~~
Elenya couldn't tell how long they waited in front of the clinic. But when the door finally opened, the sun had fully set and the moon was rising on the horizon.
Snapped out of their thoughts, they all turned towards the clinic, where an exhausted Dr. Xu was standing in the doorway. With a deep sigh, he beckoned them into the warm interior of the clinic, and without hesitation they followed him.
Elenya didn't know what to think. While they waited, she had been able to suppress her feelings, but now they came flooding back all at once.
The worry. The fear. The uncertainty.
What would be waiting for her?
Clearing his throat, Dr. Xu began to speak. "First things first: He is stable for now."
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the room.
“He has a laceration on his head and a deep wound on his left side. We’ve treated both and the bleeding has stopped.” Dr Xu paused briefly, as if weighing up his next words. “The next few hours will be crucial. He needs rest and to be monitored – but things are looking good at the moment.”
Elenya's knees threatened to give out on her.
Arlo was alive and he would recover.
Relieved, tears filled her eyes and she had to swallow before she could ask her question. "Can I… can we see him?"
"Of course. Phyllis should be done with cleaning up." With a welcoming gesture, Dr. Xu pointed towards the room divider that screened off the hospital bed at the back.
Carefully, Elenya took a step towards the room divider, suddenly unsure if she would be able to handle the sight of Arlo. What will he look like?
A soft push to her back made her take another step. Confused, she turned around to Sam, who smiled at her encouragingly. "Go on. We'll be right with you."
Gathering all her courage, Elenya took the last few remaining steps that separated her from Arlo. With a deep breath, she stepped around the room divider, where Phyllis was just tucking Arlo in.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Her brain had trouble connecting the Arlo she saw before her with the one she knew. Arlo had always been the very picture of strength – upright, alert, unshakeable. Seeing him so still and vulnerable felt… wrong.
His face was completely pale, almost as white as the pillow he rested on. Deep shadows lay beneath his eyes, whilst a white bandage wrapped around his head stood in stark contrast to his red hair.
His arms were draped over the blanket, allowing her to see the IV in the crook of his arm. A clear fluid was running through it. Finally, her gaze fell on the cables running from his chest to a monitoring device at his side. A faint beeping sound was coming from it.
Dr. Xu hadn’t had the device for long, but she knew what it was showing. Arlo’s heart was beating. He was alive.
Approaching hesitantly, she sank into the chair by his bed. Phyllis gave her an encouraging smile before stepping back, but Elenya barely noticed.
Gently, as if she might break him, she took his hand in hers — and froze. Instead of the usual warmth, she was met with coldness, and her heart clenched painfully. For the first time, the reality of what had happened truly hit her.
Arlo was hurt. He won't be there kissing her good night. Wouldn't greet her tomorrow morning with a soft smile. He didn't even know she was here.
A single tear ran over her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She didn't want to cry now. Not when everyone could see her.
She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there like that — warming his cold hand between hers, whilst she watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest. But at some point, a small hand settled on her shoulder and, taken by surprise, she looked up into Sam’s green eyes.
"Looks like our stubborn captain won't be taken down any time soon." Sam gave her an encouraging wink before saying goodbye. She wanted to find Gale and tell him what had happened.
Shortly after Sam had left, Remi joined her. He was wearing nothing but a T-shirt, his right arm resting in a sling. A thick bandage was wrapped around his elbow, and Elenya realised with a pang of guilt that she had momentarily forgotten about his injury.
But she was glad that he had kept his promise.
"Hey, how's your elbow?"
"Oh, thankfully nothing’s broken. According to Dr. Xu, it’s just a minor hairline fracture, which will hopefully heal quickly. How are you holding up?" Remi pulled up a second chair while she thought about his question.
How could she describe the emotional chaos she was feeling?
"I… I don't know." For a moment she stared at Arlo's hand before she turned her gaze back to Remi. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Well, actually, we didn’t come across anything out of the ordinary at first. Just tunnel worms and the odd mutant. The tunnel you found is quite long, but there aren’t any other branches. We’d been going for a while before we came across a larger cave…"
Remi fixed Arlo with a heavy gaze; once again, there was that mixture of emotions in his eyes that Elenya couldn’t quite make sense of.
"There was a Rock-On robot in the cave. Like the one we fought when the tunnel collapsed. You remember, don’t you?"
Elenya nodded. She didn’t even have to think about it. Even two years later, she could still remember the panic. When no one knew whether Arlo and the others were buried under all those stones.
Back then it had taken four of them to bring down the robot. And now only the two of them had been there to fight it?
"Actually, we wanted to fall back. Get reinforcements. We now know how to defeat the AI, but we didn’t want to take any risks. Unfortunately, it spotted us before we could…"
Remi’s expression told her that he was back there again. In the cave, with the robot.
"I don’t know how, but we were getting the better of it. We’d already exposed its energy core when it happened. A well-aimed blow to my elbow made me drop my hammer, and then suddenly he was there. Arlo…"
Devastated, Remi buried his face in his left hand, his next words reaching her in a muffled whisper. “I’m so sorry, Elenya. I should have been more careful. The robot’s claw hit him right in the side and I…”
A different kind of sadness washed over Elenya.
"Oh, Remi…" She took one hand away from Arlo and placed it comfortingly on Remi’s shoulder. "It’s not your fault. What were you supposed to do? You were injured. And you know what Arlo’s like."
Slowly, Remi lifted his head, his reddened eyes falling on her. Her heart sank. She had never seen the gentle man so distraught.
“I’m not angry with you. On the contrary. You brought Arlo back. He’s safe and will be back on his feet.” She spoke these words to comfort Remi, but also to herself.
Her heart wasn’t quite ready to believe it yet, but it seemed to help Remi. Some of the tension eased from his face and he looked back at Arlo thoughtfully.
“Thank you, Elenya. Your big heart never ceases to surprise me.”
Instead of replying, Elenya gave his shoulder a brief squeeze before gently taking Arlo’s hand in hers once more.
They sat there quietly side by side for a while, until Remi said goodbye with a wide yawn. It was already late, and he too needed all the rest he could get. Elenya remained alone at Arlo’s side, while Dr. Xu quietly tidied up the clinic in the background.
Shortly before midnight, he came back to the bedside to check on Arlo one last time. Satisfied with the results, he too retired to the small adjoining room that the two doctors could use to rest.
To her relief, he didn’t ask her to go home.
With a soft click, the door closed behind Dr. Xu and suddenly Elenya was all alone with Arlo. The clinic lay silent around her, only the monotonous beeping of the heart monitor filling the room. She had stopped consciously noticing it, but now, in the silence of the night, it was all she could hear.
It was proof that Arlo was still alive, yet at the same time the sound weighed heavily on her. He shouldn’t have to be hooked up to a machine like that.
The whole situation was closing in on her. Without a distraction, she could no longer hold back her tears, and with a quiet sob, she gave in to her despair.
She buried her face in her arms beside his hand and let her tears flow freely.
Time slipped by until she suddenly felt something tickling her left cheek. It took a moment for her to notice it, but the pressure grew stronger and stronger, and the tickling turned into a gentle caress.
Then a voice she hadn’t expected suddenly spoke up. “Hey, why are you crying?”
It was quiet and rough, but she would have recognised that voice anywhere. Her head shot up, a sharp throb of pain following the movement, and her gaze darted up to Arlo’s face.
Half-open, warm blue eyes met hers, and it took her brain a moment to process what she was seeing. Arlo had spoken. And he was looking at her. His eyes looked glassy, yet his gaze was gentle, and a small smile played on his lips.
"Arlo…" Her voice broke on that single word and, overcome by a fresh wave of emotion, she threw herself as gently as she could against his chest, while new sobs shook her shoulders.
Arlo’s right arm wrapped weakly around her back, holding her close as his gentle voice reached her ear. "Shh, it’s all right. I’m here."
But instead of calming her down, those words only made her cry even more. For what felt like an eternity, she had thought she might never hear that voice again.
Another broken "Arlo…" escaped her lips. Her tears soaked through his light hospital gown, while his thumb traced gentle circles on her back.
"I’m here, sweetheart. I’ve got you."
It took her a long time to get her emotions under control. But when her tears had finally dried up, she pulled away from his chest. The arm that had been resting gently on her back fell limply back onto the bed. Quickly, Elenya took Arlo’s hand in hers again and squeezed it gently.
Arlo returned the squeeze and smiled at her tiredly. With lips still trembling, she returned his smile.
"How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" Seeking more contact, she placed her right hand on his cheek and stroked gently beneath his eye. Closing his eyes, Arlo leaned into the touch while he thought about her question.
"Quite well, actually. I suppose Dr Xu gave me the good stuff." He tried to give her a crooked smile, but she could see how much energy it was costing him. Worried, she leaned over him and gave him a gentle kiss on his bandaged forehead.
"You should try to get some more sleep. You need to rest."
She could see the protest rising in his half-open eyes, so she added, "Please. For me."
As expected, the words had the desired effect. He sighed and his expression softened.
"I’ll try. But only if you go home and get some rest too. I’ll still be here tomorrow."
Blushing, she looked down at their clasped hands. She had actually intended to stay awake all night by his side, but as always, he knew her too well.
"I’ll give it a try." This time, a crooked smile played on her lips, and her reply was met with a faint chuckle. The familiar sound settled something inside her.
With a heavy heart, she said goodbye to Arlo and pulled her winter clothes back on. Just as she was about to leave, Arlo’s voice rang out once more.
“Remi… is he okay?” His eyes didn’t open, but the worry was etched on his face. Reassuringly, she stroked his hair and pressed a long kiss against his temple.
"Don’t worry. He’s fine. Sleep well, my love." With one last glance back, which told her that Arlo had already fallen asleep again, she left the clinic.
~~~~~~
Once outside, she took a deep breath. The crisp, cold winter air helped ease the headache brought on by her tears and calm her racing thoughts. Even so, she found it hard to walk away from the clinic — from Arlo.
Her gaze fell on the Civil Corps headquarters next to her. Suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion, an idea crept into her mind.
Maybe she could lie down in Arlo’s bed for the night? He certainly wouldn’t mind.
The longer she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. Having made up her mind, she walked purposefully towards the large orange door and opened it quietly. She didn’t want to wake Remi.
She tiptoed just as quietly to Arlo’s room. With a soft click, the door closed behind her and for a moment she leaned against it. In the dim moonlight, she could make out the room in front of her, along with the usual chaos that filled it.
Arlo was very tidy when it came to his work, but in the privacy of his room he wasn’t so strict. His clothes, in particular, had a tendency to end up strewn everywhere. With a gentle smile, she noticed the single sock hanging over the end of his bed and his trainers lying carelessly in one of the corners.
Then her gaze fell on the chair standing by the small table. Hanging over the backrest was a sweater that looked very familiar to her. Even in the dim light, she could make out its grey colour, and without realising it, she moved closer to the chair. Almost automatically, she reached for the garment and buried her fingers in the soft fabric.
It was indeed her favourite sweater, the one she liked to steal from him from time to time.
Without giving it much thought, she took it over to the bed. She shed all her uncomfortable clothes and slipped the sweater on. Instantly, she was enveloped in its warmth and Arlo’s soothing scent filled her senses. With a deep sigh, she buried her nose in the collar. The scent brought her comfort, yet at the same time filled her with heaviness.
More than anything, she wished Arlo were here with her.
Even so, she hoped that the familiarity would help her fall asleep. With a big yawn, she snuggled into Arlo’s bed, where she was enveloped even more by his scent. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep; she was simply too exhausted.
Unfortunately, sleep offered little comfort.
Images of Arlo filled her dreams. Arlo being knocked down. Hordes of robots overwhelming him. Arlo lying on the ground, covered in blood. All she could do was watch helplessly. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t help him.
When his heart stopped beating, she woke with a scream.
Breathing heavily, she sat up in bed, while outside the first rays of sunlight were just beginning to appear. Tears ran down her cheeks and, with a sob, she buried her face in her hands.
It was only a dream. Just a dream. Arlo was fine.
But she found it hard to calm down. She had to see him.
As quickly as she could, she pulled on her trousers and slipped into her winter jacket and boots. She kept Arlo’s sweater on. She couldn’t bear to part with it.
She left headquarters at a brisk pace and walked over to the clinic. Her heart was still racing, and her hands wouldn't stop trembling.
But when she entered the clinic, the relief she'd hoped for never came. Instead of finding Arlo sleeping peacefully, she was met with chaos.
Dr. Xu and Phyllis stood at his bedside, speaking in low, worried voices while Dr. Xu examined the wound in Arlo's side.
What had happened?
~~~~~~
Almost an hour passed before Elenya was finally able to sit down by Arlo’s side. Despite being carefully cleaned, his wound had become infected overnight and a high fever had taken hold of his body. Dr. Xu had struggled to bring Arlo’s temperature down, but at least he was no longer in a critical condition.
The next few days blurred into a single, long moment of uncertainty.
She spent every waking minute by his side. She cooled his hot forehead with a cold cloth, held his feverish hand and told him stories from her childhood. Sometimes his eyes opened, but the familiar blue of his eyes was clouded, and he never seemed to recognise what was happening around him. The fever held him captive.
These moments were the worst for Elenya. She had never seen Arlo like this before, and his glazed stare frightened her. What if he couldn’t overcome the fever?
The worry and stress weighed on her stomach like a stone. Sam and Remi regularly tried to get her to eat something, but she could barely keep anything down. Even water made her feel sick.
She knew her friends were worried about her. Every evening they forced her to leave Arlo’s side and get at least a few hours’ sleep.
But sleep... sleep was almost worse than being awake.
Every night she would lie down in Arlo’s room, grateful that Ack had offered to look after the workshop and the animals for the next few days. But even with Arlo’s comforting scent, the nightmares returned every night.
She could barely sleep more than a few hours a night before waking up screaming again. Only the feel of Arlo's hand in hers could chase the images away.
Three days had now passed since the fever had taken hold of Arlo. According to Dr. Xu, the infection had finally subsided and he was confident that the fever would soon break as well. Elenya hoped he was right.
She could feel the last few days catching up with her. Her eyes were burning, her hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and she no longer knew where the nausea was coming from.
It was midday when Remi arrived at the clinic and came to stand by her side. She knew why he was there. Over the last few days, he had been even more persistent than Sam about getting her to eat and rest. But try as she might, she just couldn’t manage it.
A large hand rested on her shoulder and wearily she looked up.
“Hey, how’s he doing today?” Remi’s gaze rested on Arlo with concern and, with a sigh, Elenya followed his gaze.
“Better. According to Dr. Xu, the infection has finally subsided. He suspects the fever should break soon too.”
“That’s good to hear.” A brief, heavy silence fell. “Can I perhaps persuade you to have lunch with me, then?” She felt his hopeful gaze upon her.
A struggle raged within her. The desire not to leave Arlo fought against every aching part of her that was begging for food and sleep.
For a moment, she let her gaze wander over Arlo. His face, which had been so pale over the last few days, had regained a little colour. His features were relaxed, and she had the impression that his breathing had deepened too.
He was getting better. Surely she could leave him alone for a moment?
She also couldn't help thinking about how disappointed he would be if he woke up and found out she hadn't been taking care of herself. She didn’t want to do that to him.
Having finally made up her mind, she said aloud: “Okay. I… I’ll come with you.”
The relief on Remi’s face was immediate. With one last gentle squeeze, Elenya released her hand from Arlo’s and rose from the chair. Remi made way for her so she could walk ahead of him.
But she didn’t get very far. After just two steps, the room began to spin. Her knees buckled before she even realised what was happening. A loud roaring filled her ears and dark spots crept into her vision.
She only vaguely felt an arm trying to catch her and someone calling her name in horror. Even before her head touched the floor, everything went black.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A faint beeping reached Arlo’s ears.
The rhythm sounded familiar to him.
Slowly, as if his brain had to relearn how to function, consciousness returned. With it came a dull throbbing in his side and a heavy ache in his limbs.
The clinic. He was in the clinic.
A memory surfaced in his mind. Elenya, sitting beside him, her head buried in the mattress, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. His heart clenched painfully at the image.
Something told him that this had been more than just a few hours ago.
With difficulty, he managed to open his heavy eyelids. He got blinded by bright light, but he resisted the urge to close his eyes again. He had to know what had happened.
As soon as he could finally make out anything, he was surprised to see Remi first, pacing restlessly at the foot of his bed. His green hair was completely tousled, and Arlo noticed with concern that his right arm was resting in a sling.
Another memory surfaced in Arlo’s mind. Remi dropping his hammer with a cry of pain after the robot struck his elbow. And himself, pushing Remi out of the way just as the robot swung in for a fatal blow.
What happened after that, he couldn’t say. The next memory was of Elenya. How much time had passed?
He was just about to try to say Remi’s name when the latter’s gaze wandered absently over him. For a brief moment, he kept walking, until he suddenly stopped and his head snapped back towards him.
With his eyes wide open, Remi stared at him for a moment, until a disbelieving "Arlo!" escaped his lips.
He quickly crossed the few steps to the bed, his eyes full of relief.
"You’re awake! How are you?"
Instead of an answer, only a hoarse croak escaped Arlo's lips. It quickly turned into a coughing fit, sending a sharp pain shooting through his left side.
With a groan, he instinctively tried to roll onto his side, but a hand on his shoulder held him back.
“Wait! Don’t move. Here, have a sip of water.” The hand slipped from his shoulder and, moments later, held a glass to his lips instead.
Gratefully, Arlo drank the wonderfully cold water and the coughing soon subsided. Breathing heavily, he lay still for a moment until the pain receded back into a dull throbbing. Gratefully, he turned to Remi, who was just placing the glass back on the side table.
"Thanks. What… what happened?" His voice was still completely hoarse and raspy, but at least he didn’t have to cough anymore.
“What do you remember?”
“We… we were in Ingall’s Mine?” Remi nodded at his questioning look. “There was one of those robots. It had spotted us before we could retreat. You were hit and I… I…” Arlo wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say.
He just reacted?
“You saved my life, Arlo, and put your own at risk in the process.” Remi’s gaze rested heavily and guiltily on Arlo’s left side.
Unconsciously, Arlo followed his gaze. Of course, he couldn’t see anything through the blanket, and the pain didn’t tell him how badly he’d actually been hit. Had it really been that close?
"What exactly happened? And how… how long was I out?" Unsure whether he even wanted to know the answer, he looked back up at Remi.
"The robot caught you in the side. Fortunately, no vital organs were damaged, but you lost a lot of blood. But… that very night your wound became infected and you developed a high fever. It’s now been almost four days."
It took Arlo’s sluggish mind a moment before he realised the full implications of Remi’s words.
Four days! He’d lost a whole four days!
Oh God, what was with Elenya? How worried must she have been? Where was she?
And then it hit him like a blow.
Their wedding! He’d missed their wedding!
A rush of adrenaline shot through his body and, startled, he sat up. “Elenya! Where is she? Our wedding! She…”
Breathing heavily, he looked around the clinic, but Remi was standing right in front of him, trying to gently but firmly push him back into bed. Arlo tried to resist, but even with the adrenaline, he didn’t have the strength to do so.
“Arlo, calm down. Please lie down. You’ll rip your stitches open!”
Desperately, Arlo looked up at Remi after he had fallen back onto the pillows, exhausted. “Remi, where’s Elenya? Is she all right?”
But instead of an answer, Remi’s gaze filled with a mixture of worry and guilt. “I’m so sorry, Arlo. I… I should have looked after her better. I tried, but she…”
Panic welled up inside Arlo. What had happened to Elenya? Was she hurt?
He tried to sit up again to look for her, but his body wouldn’t obey him. His trembling arms buckled under his weight, and this time a dull pain shot through his head.
“Remi, what's wrong with Elenya?” he asked, desperation creeping into his voice.
Remi didn’t answer. His expression darkened as he slowly folded up the room divider.
And then Arlo could finally see the rest of the clinic.
Dr. Xu stood by the second hospital bed, his gaze focused as he inserted an IV into the crook of a patient’s arm. With the bed positioned so that the headboard faced him, he couldn’t make out much, but he would recognize that black hair sticking out over the edge of the bed anywhere.
Elenya…
“I’m so sorry, Arlo. I really did try to get her to eat and drink. But she couldn’t keep anything down because she was so worried about you. She’s been sleeping in your room, and I could hear her waking up screaming every night…”
Remi ran a hand through his already messy hair in frustration. “Earlier, just before you woke up, she’d finally agreed to have lunch with me, but before we’d even reached the door, she suddenly collapsed right in front of me…”
For a long moment, Arlo said nothing at all. His gaze was fixed on Elenya as Remi’s words slowly sank in.
She hadn’t eaten. She hadn’t slept. She’d been so worried about him that at some point her own body simply couldn’t take it any more.
Because of him.
A familiar feeling welled up inside him – guilt, heavy and oppressive. He swallowed hard.
“How is she?” His voice came out quieter than he’d intended.
Instead of Remi’s voice, it was suddenly Dr. Xu who spoke, his focus shifting from Elenya to Arlo. “Her body is completely exhausted and dehydrated. But with plenty of rest and the fluids I’m administering intravenously, she should be back on her feet soon.”
With that, he finally turned away from Elenya and walked over to Arlo’s bedside.
“I’m glad you’re awake. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?” Dr. Xu’s dark eyes scanned Arlo with concern, but his thoughts were still fixed on Elenya.
His heart ached at the thought of what she must have been through over the last few days. She had been suffering, and he hadn’t been there — he had been the reason for it.
"Arlo?" Dr. Xu stepped into his line of sight, blocking his view of Elenya. That finally snapped him out of his thoughts, and tired, he looked up at the doctor.
It took him a moment before the questions returned. “No, I…” His voice failed him. A wave of exhaustion crashed over him, the excitement finally catching up to his weakened body.
Arlo tried to fight it, but his eyes closed on their own. His limbs felt heavy as lead, and moments later the world slipped back into darkness.
~~~~~~
The next time Arlo woke up, the soft beeping had stopped. Instead, the clinic lay in complete silence. He could only hear the faint rustling of paper, but it was muffled, as if coming from behind a door.
He opened his eyes with difficulty and was greeted by the dim light of the clinic. A glance outside told him that it was already dark.
He must have been asleep for a few more hours.
His gaze darted around the room and he was surprised to find that the second hospital bed had been moved so that Elenya was now lying next to him, not far away. At last he could see her fully.
She was lying on her back, a thick blanket spread over her. The IV in her left arm was gone; only a plaster still hinted that a needle had been there.
Her black hair was tied back in a loose plait, giving him a clear view of her face. And what he saw stabbed at his heart once more.
Deep shadows lay beneath her eyes; her cheeks were pale and looked sunken. Even her lips had lost their rosy hue. She looked terribly fragile, and he simply wanted to take her in his arms, protect her from everything bad.
But he couldn’t. A dull ache in his side warned him not to even try to sit up. It was going to be a frustrating few weeks.
He watched Elenya silently, calming his thoughts with the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. He didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly a soft murmur came from her direction.
Holding his breath, Arlo watched as first her fingers twitched slightly, before her eyelids began to flutter. He could see the confusion on her face as she looked up at the clinic ceiling, but he didn’t want to startle her by speaking.
Slowly, she freed herself from the grip of her exhausted sleep and her eyes scanned the room. Twice her eyes passed over him, not seeing that he was looking back.
It wasn’t until the third time that she suddenly paused, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Arlo!” she cried hoarsely, staring at him with her mouth agape.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Arlo smiled gently at her, his voice no less hoarse than hers.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she hurriedly tried to get out of bed. But her body was still exhausted. Before she was even fully upright, she sank back onto the mattress with a groan, and Arlo needed all his willpower not to get up and help her.
“Slowly, sweetheart. I’m here. Take your time.” He watched with concern as her eyes squeezed shut, her hands tightening in the blanket. She was probably dizzy.
To his relief, she listened to him, and on the second attempt she got up much more slowly. Taking cautious steps, she crossed the few steps between them and threw herself carefully into his arms.
Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her back as quiet sobs shook her shoulders.
“Shh, I’ve got you. I’m here. It’s going to be okay.” He gently stroked her head, tears welling up in his own eyes. It broke his heart to hear his beloved Elenya sobbing so desperately.
“Arlo… I… I was so scared.” Her voice broke with almost every word.
“I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. But everything will be alright.” As best he could, he tightened his grip around her, even though his muscles wouldn’t obey him. He never wanted to let her go again.
Elenya cried for a long time before she was finally able to calm down. Arlo didn’t let go of her for a moment, murmuring soothing words to her. When the last tear had finally dried, she slowly pulled away from him and sank down, exhausted, onto the chair beside the bed.
Trembling, she placed her hand in his, and Arlo was only too happy to take it. For a moment, they simply looked at each other, grateful that they still had the chance to do so.
She was the first to break the silence. “How are you? How long have you been awake? Are you in any pain?” She looked at him with concern, the soft green of her eyes highlighted by her reddened eyelids.
Arlo squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled gently at her. “I’m all right. I can’t feel much. But how are you? I was awake earlier, and a very shaken Remi told me what happened.”
Elenya’s gaze fell on their clasped hands and a faint blush rose to her pale cheeks. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“Hey.” He waited patiently until she looked at him. His gaze was gentle, but serious. “You don’t need to apologise. But you gave me — and especially Remi — quite a fright. I’m sorry you had to suffer so much because of me.”
The silence between them hung heavy as his feelings of guilt resurfaced. How on earth could he make up for everything? He’d missed their wedding!
“Oh, Arlo.” She gently squeezed his hand. “There’s nothing to apologise for. I know what you’re like, and I love you just the same. You saved Remi’s life. Of course I was worried — but I would never blame you for this.”
“I’m still so sorry.” He swallowed hard. “I… I even missed our wedding.”
She looked at him in confusion, which confused him too.
Had she forgotten about the wedding?
Suddenly, her eyes flew wide and she brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh God… the wedding… I didn’t even think about it…"
Instead of reassuring him, her words only deepened Arlo’s guilt. Was she so worried about him that she had even forgotten their wedding? It had been all she had thought about for weeks. He, too, had found it almost impossible to contain his anticipation over the last few weeks.
He didn’t know what his face showed; he was too exhausted to control his expression. But whatever Elenya saw made her stand up and lean over him.
Gently, she placed her small hand on his cheek and he instantly nestled into the warm touch. She looked down at him with love, and he was captivated by her gaze.
“Arlo. My love. I love you, okay? No missed wedding will change that. We can have it anytime. The only thing that matters is that we’re both here. Please don’t blame yourself.”
Her lips pressed warmly against his, and he was only too happy to return the gentle kiss. It took all his strength, but he managed to bury his right hand in her hair. Holding her close.
Their kiss deepened, full of all the emotions of the past hours and days. The fear, worry, despair and relief discharged themselves in that moment, until only love remained.
When they were out of breath, Elenya pulled back slightly, but didn’t move away. Instead, she gently rested her forehead against his, her eyes closed with exhaustion. He, too, could feel his body crying out for sleep.
Trembling, he moved his right hand from her hair to her cheek and gently stroked the deep circles under her eyes. “You’re exhausted.”
“I’m fine. I… I just need a moment.” Her words brushed softly and warmly against his lips as her body leaned more and more against him. She was definitely not fine.
“Come on, lie down with me. I think we both need a bit of sleep.”
As best he could, he slid over to one side, ignoring the pain in his left side. Without much protest, Elenya climbed onto the bed beside him. Her head found its usual place on his shoulder and her leg entwined with his.
With his last ounce of strength, he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her as close to him as he could. Something inside him found peace. His little builder was safe in his arms, and tonight he would finally be able to protect her from her nightmares.
“Sleep well, sweetheart. I love you.”
There was no reply; exhaustion had already carried her off to the land of dreams. Gently, he pressed a final kiss to her head and, burying his nose in her hair, he followed her into the restful darkness.