The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Forty-seven

"Say something, I'm giving up on you."
- A Great Big World.

**

Every part of him was cold.

There was no pleasant sense of feeling within him; only the numbing pain in his muscles – cramping, upon his skin – stinging, his insides – lurching.

The only organs within him he could feel were; his heart clobbering against the ringing in his ears in a steady slow pace, and his lungs constricting in a might to provide him the littlest air he needed to breathe.

It was excruciating.

With his belly flat against the snow, he could only writhe forward, and each movement heightened the pain, the torment. His insides twisted and seemingly shot up through his gullet. Thick blood along with other stomach contents sputtered from his mouth and coated his hands, as well as the snow.

His lungs were in overdrive, his brain spacing in and out.

The arrow in his thigh was lodged deep, and he’d realized its poison far too late.

His brain seemed to be registering something; a voice calling out to him.

“Kieran!”

The cry was desperate, and so were the other shouts, all calling his name.

He groaned and whimpered as the arrow was yanked from his thigh. Sharp pain shot up his sides as he was turned over, and his eyes spotted a mass of blond hair before they blurred.

The ringing in his ears was back, his heart beat slowing. He made out two other figures surrounding him aside from the blond, and whatever they were shouting was muffled out by the rotation his brain was making.

Focus.

The blond one took one of his hands and began rubbing furiously. The others followed his lead, trying to create friction wherever they could on him.

He felt nothing, and his brain commanded his eyes to close.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep!”

He’d recognize that bossy cocky voice anywhere – Lukas.

He willed his eyes to open and saw his best friend; gritting his teeth and barking orders amidst profanities. He seemed distressed, sad. Kieran could not help but feel he was the cause.

“…awake…don’t…leave me!” His brain only caught a few words in Lukas’ panic-filled string of orders.

He was the Crown Prince, so Kieran had to obey him.

Yet his body could not. Instead it spasmed and he shivered uncontrollably.

The last thing he felt was slight warmth of droplets upon his face, and the last thing he heard was a loud cry full of anguish, before he allowed his eyelids to droop and succumbed to total darkness – total detachment of all his senses.

“I’m sorry, Lukas.”

*****

Aira’s heart was in her throat as she half-walked, half-ran through the halls of the military base.

Part of her wished to reach her destination quicker, so she could prove that the news she’d received was untrue. The other part wanted to stall as much as possible, so she wouldn’t have to bear the brunt of the news turning out to be true.

In the end, she arrived at the private infirmary chamber quicker, and walked through the open door. The first person she saw was Joshua, leaning against the wall to her left, his eyes soulless as they stared at the floor. Next to him was Ray, sitting on the floor. His head was buried in his arms and knees.