The Heirs

Chapter 10- The Anglerfish

I give to thee, who knowest all my ways,
my crooked winding ways, wherein I live,

wherein I die, not live; for life is straight,
straight as a line, and ever tends to thee,

to thee, who art more far above deceit,
than deceit seems above simplicity.

give me simplicity, that I may live,
So live and like, that I may know thy ways,
-

"Sweetheart, wake up-"

"Already awake, Papa." Lysunna, or 'Lys', stretched like a cat, before throwing off her covers and sitting up. Blearily, she squinted at her father, who was chewing on his scarf. He only did that when he was seriously nervous, so she had to ask, "What's wrong?"

Tumnus temporarily stopped chewing, and stammered, as he threw in random things into a cloth-bag, "W- we need to go to- to Cair-"

"I just visited Dad last week!" She cried, pulling her covers back on again. She'd been in the middle of a very nice daydream, and she didn't intend to get out of her room until that daydream ended. "You go-"

"He's dying-"

Her voice hardened, "I know that."

"No, Lys," He came to sit at the foot of her bed, and there wasn't just anxiety in his eyes- it was pain. His mouth was trembling and his nose was redder than usual, snot falling from it. With a start, she realised he'd been crying. "He's dying. He hasn't woken up since yesterday- I just got the Raven. The doctors- they- they think he- that his- he hasn't got a lot of time left."

She was on her feet in a moment, and she was already close to tears.
"What?" She demanded, forcing a sob back down her throat. Dad had been fine just a few days ago- weak and hardly moving, of course, but he'd not seemed like he was in any danger. "What happened?"

"They think it's the infection spreading to the heart." Tumnus whispered, dropping his head into his hands. His hooves nervously tapped the wooden, ivy-carpeted floor. "They said that if they'd amputated his leg two years ago, none of this would've happened."

"You don't know that. Medicine isn't certain." She wiped at her eyes, before gently getting her father standing again. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't let him break down and nor could she break down herself. "Come on. We've to go. Dad needs us."

-

The Head Healer, who'd succeeded Doctor Asherii after her retirement, was a young man from Terabinthia, who had twitchy eyes and constantly moving hands. In his first days, everyone assumed his convulsive hands were from nerves and ineptitude- and indeed, he had been a cowering, nervous creature, who cringed at the slightest mention of gore. But Kaelus had been here for over two years now, and although his eye still twitched and his hands constantly fidgeted, it was more from an excess of energy and enthusiasm than from panic now.

"Mr. Tumnus." Doctor Kaelus jumped from his seat beside the unconscious Trinus- he'd been feeling for the pulse, which was present but faint. "I'm quite sorry to- "

"Have there been any changes?" Tumnus cut across him, going to kneel by his husband's bed and clasping his hand. It was so still- and Trinus was never so still. His heart shuddered, and he looked back at the Doctor, who shifted awkwardly. "Well? Will he get better?"