Memories || The Chronicles of Narnia

13: She'll look after them

"How is he?" Lucy asked quietly as she walked quietly over to sit on the end of Edmund's bed the next morning.

Susan sighed from where she was sat against the headboard, Edmund's head resting in her lap and her hand tangled in his damp hair. "Not good." She mumbled. "He had another nightmare last night."

Lucy sighed. "Bad?" She questioned, sounding unsure.

Susan nodded. "Really bad." She whispered. "He wouldn't stop screaming, I won't be surprised if he cant talk when he wakes up."

"You should've come to get me." Lucy mumbled. "I would've given him the coridal."

"I didn't want to leave him." Susan sighed. "And I was too distracted to call for the guards or something."

Lucy sighed but nodded in understanding. "Did he wake up in the end?" She asked.

Susa slowly shook her head. "No, he never woke up." She whispered, still fiddling with Edmund's hair. "But he calmed down, which I was glad about."

"The - The healer said that Ed's gonna wanna forget these dreams." Lucy mumbled. "How bad do you reckon they actually are?"

"I'd say bad." Susan choked. "Very, very, very bad." She paused for a moment. "Where's Aslan, I haven't seen him for a while."

"He's with the healers." Lucy mumbled. "Eveyone is trying to see if there is any way we can get Peter's memories back."

Susan nodded and swallowed hard. "That's good." She whispered.

Lucy sighed a little but glanced down at Edmund when he let out a quiet groan, his eyes flickering halfway open and a frown appearing on his face.

Susan swallowed hard. "Ed?" She whispered, brushing Edmund's hair from his eyes.

Edmund blinked and glanced up at her, taking a deep breath before opening his mouth. "Su-" But he stopped dead, wincing and squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's alright Ed, don't try and speak." Susan said gently. "I know your throat hurts, you were screaming a lot last night."

Edmund opened his eyes again and sighed, but nodded a little, placing a hand to his neck before laying his head back on pillows, relaxing slightly as he did.

Susan shifted a little around the bed to face him, reaching for a cloth on the bedside table. Wetting it slowly, she then pressed it to Edmund's forehead, earning a whimper from her brother as he turned his head away. "I know, I know." Susan soothed, placing a hand to the top of his head and turning it back, moping up the sweat on Edmund's forehead. "But I need to atleast try and bring your temperature down okay?"

Edmund stared at her for a short while, tears in his eyes before he eventually nodded, keeping his mouth shut though, and for that, Susan was grateful.

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"If this map is correct," Peter said slowly, walking along beside Philip, having decided to walk for a while. "The flower should be only half an hour from here."

Philip was silent for a moment before glancing at Peter. "Are you really ready for this?"

Peter sighed. "I have to be don't I." He mumbled. "Edmund's life depends on it."

"Have you always been this protective?" Philip asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Peter managed a small smirk. "I'm guessing my siblings would say yes." He breathed, kicking a stone underfoot. "And everyone I know would too. Yeah, I've always been protective of them, especially after Dad went to war, and then with the war, we were all in constant danger. Then when we got to Narnia, well, I think I have a right to be protective."

"Excuse me for saying so," Philip said hesitantly. "But who will protect them when you don't remember them?"

Peter swallowed hard, looking back down at the map again. "If I don't do this, I'll only have two of them to protect." He choked, blinking back his tears. "Besides, Susan promised me she'd take care of them, and I know it's a lot for her, but she has to, and she knows it. She'll look after them all, I know she will."

"Course she will." Philip said reassuringly.

The two fell silent after this, and continued walking for around half an hour, before Peter stopped walking.

Philip stopped beside him, glancing at him.

"Is that it?" Peter asked hesitantly, staring ahead of him, hands (which were still gripping the map) shaking slightly.

Philip followed Peter's gaze, and found himself staring at a small group of flowers at the foot of a tree.

The flowers were a dark blue, almost black colour, and really did fit their name.

There was around six of them altogether, but Peter knew they only needed one, and they did need it, for Edmund.

"It must be." Philip said slowly.

Steps slow and hesitant, Peter wandered over and knelt in front of the small cluster of flowers, placing the map on the ground beside him and just staring at them.

Philip walked over and stood beside him. "Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"Yes." Peter choked. "I'll admit I'm scared, but hey, I won't remember enough to be scared soon." He tried to make it a joke, but his voice came out choked and his attempted laugh sounded more like a sob than anything else.

Philip didn't say anything but glanced sympathetically at Peter, before turning back to the flowers.

"Come on Peter." Peter murmured to himself, his hands balling into fists. "Just pick it."

Peter blinked back his tears and tried his hardest to keep his hands from shaking, but it really wasn't going well.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and he found himself thinking of his siblings, remembering as many things as he could about them.

Susan's gentle touch

Edmund's sarcastic smirk

Lucy's happy giggle

He let out a quite sob at this, and whilst he knew he wouldn't forget them all immediately, he knew that by the time he reached Cair, he wouldn't even know who they are, and this caused his heart to break.

But his own fear and pain wasn't going to stop him, so taking a deep breath and forcing back the tears, he reached forward, hands still shaking, gripped the stem of one of the flowers, and picked it.

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