The Escaped Princess

Part 34

The next few minutes go by in a panicked blur as I follow Dav and Pepe to the dance hall which has been turned into a makeshift hospital. I can do nothing but stare at their limp forms. Blood is pouring down one of Kinken's legs while Luis is so deathly pale he almost blends into the white sheet covering the bed which they put him on. Dav is already attempting to tie a tourniquet around the top of Kinken's left thigh while Pepe shouts for help.

Sam says something but I don't hear it until he gives me a gentle shake and moves to stand in front of me, blocking my sight of Luis and Kinken. "Cara, where's Risa?"

"I, I, I don't know."

"Can you find her? She needs to be here."

Slowly I nod, then with a little nudge from Sam, I turn and quickly exit the room, glad to have some sort of purpose. Racing off around the city I try every place that I can think of where she might have gone, but with all the chaos, destroyed buildings and so many people on the streets I feel like I'm searching for a needle in a haystack. When I do finally set eyes on her I almost wish that I hadn't found her. I freeze to the spot, watching as she hands buckets of water to a line of men who are trying to put out a fire. What on earth do I say? Slowly, hesitantly I approach. She doesn't notice me at first, so absorbed is she with her task, but when she does her face lights up. Just for a second. Then she takes in my expression and I don't have to say anything. She knows. The only reassurance I can give her is that he was alive when I left. Holding hands we race back to the hospital. Luis still looks the same as before, the only movement being the slightest rising and falling of his chest, signalling that he is somehow still with us. As Risa bursts into tears and throws herself onto Luis, I finally let my own silent tears fall too. Without a word Sam wraps his arms around me from behind and I lean back into his touch.

Suddenly glancing around in panic I ask, "Where's Kinken?"

Sam hesitates but then squeezes me tighter as he answers, "They had to take him to the surgeon. They're gonna have to take his leg."

"His leg?"

"He won't survive otherwise. Dav and Pepe went with him."

"What did the doctors say about Luis?"

"Blow to the head. No other injuries they can see but they dunno how bad his head might be." He pauses but then continues in a whisper, "They don't know if he's gonna make it Cara. There's nothing they can do but wait n see."

For the next twelve hours I sit beside Luis, Risa and I each holding one of his hands with our other hands linked together across his chest. Sam tries to convince both of us to get some rest but Risa won't leave him and I won't leave her, so he settles for just keeping us supplied with food and water. At some point Lord Francis comes in to tell me the Karhaner army is in full retreat but I can't muster any sort of joy now. Queen Kella also visits. I seem to take her by surprise when I greet her by throwing my arms around her. I can't do anything but mumble the word 'Thank You' over and over again. Eventually she embraces me back, somewhat awkwardly at first, but then she seems to give in to the contact. Looking around her at our scene beside Luis, she does nothing more than give me an understanding smile and insists that we will talk later after my friend has recovered.

It is dawn again when Pepe and Dav return with Kinken between them on a stretcher. Glimpsing sight of a short stump where his left leg should be makes me want to vomit and I'm grateful when a blanket is placed over him and covers it. Guilt constantly eats away at me. None of the Gallavanties would be here if I hadn't asked them to be. First Dav and then Pepe walk over to hug Risa and then me before sitting down and joining us in our silent vigil.

Eventually exhaustion takes over and though I refuse to leave the hospital I do end up lying down on the floor with Sam. I'm woken up hours later by a commotion taking place above me and the sound of Risa calling Luis' name has me scrambling to my feet.