Pricked

28

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"Rowan is letting me stay at his shop while I'm here. He would come and visit you but he says he don't like palace folk. He misses you," there is a slight hesitation before the words I assume he will say expel from his mouth. "And the stuff you bring him." Mitch finishes with a laugh, "oh and his wife made the most amazing food! I forgot how amazing they were. She made this apple thing and it's so good. I brought one for you, in case the sweet smell of pastry woke you up." He holds the pastry under my nose and waves it. The sweet scent filling the tiny room, he waits. "Nothing, well damn. Then it's okay if I eat it right? Now, don't say anything, or move, or do anything, but lay there if I can have it." Another pause, "good," he says and takes a bite. "Well not good," he spurs crumbs out of his mouth and onto the bed. "Sorry," he says once he's swallowed and brushes the crumbs away from me. "I mean I want you here and awake and moving, and I would have totally given you this pastry." He takes another bite. "Okay maybe I wouldn't have, but I would defiantly go to Rowan and get you some more. Oh and Rowan's wife said that when you wake up she's gonna make you a whole pie any flavor you want." I want to wake up for you Mitch, I've never wanted something so badly until now. "I told Rowan you would want apricot or peach and that his wife can make some for me in the meantime to test. You know, to make sure they are up to your high standards." He laughs again and looks down at the half eaten pastry. As if he lost his appetite he puts the pastry down.

"Harriet..." His Adams apple bobs as he swallows down his fear, doubt and worries. "Harriet," he says once again, his voice filled with sorrow. "I'm leaving."

"What?" I ask softly looking him the eyes. "Leaving?" My eyes dart around the room and I start to panic. Leaving?

"Only for a little while Harriet, I promise I'll come back as soon as I can." Another swallow of sorrow. "Seraphina, my wife." He glances out to the window, "I left and haven't been back for a while. I don't really want to go back, but I feel like I have to... to talk to her." His cough covers the lump in his throat. "I will tell her what happened and she will tell me to come back. And if she says I can't come back... Well," he's got a mischievous look in his eyes. "I'll make a run for it in the middle of the night." His voice picks up speed and he tumbles around the room. "Jump out the window if I have to," he jumps off the small wooden chair in the corner, it crashes to the floor and he hits the ground as well, rolling in a summersault. "I will climb the trees and mountains. I will swim across the rivers and lakes." He moves his arms as if he were swimming. "And I will steal a horse, the fastest horse alive if I must, to get back here as soon as possible." Out of breath from his vigorous adventures of climbing the room, he comes back to my side and my outrageously loud laugh mutes down to a smile.

"But she will say I can come, without a doubt. No jumping or climbing necessary, but I would... for you." He looks at my body lying on the bed in my torn clothes, bruises and bumps cover my arms and legs from doctors torturing me and his smile softens. "Did I tell of you, that Seraphina, she loves her pendant! She wears it at every party." He's happy I think, but he would be even more happy, with me in his life too. "Harriet. I'm coming back. I'll stop by tomorrow right before I leave to say goodbye again." He gives my hand a squeeze and leaves, I don't follow him. I can't bear to see him leave and not know when he will be coming back.

********

Arren knocks on the open door seeing Mitch at my side, Mitch waves him in.

"Dr. Greyson?" Arren looks down at Mitch, they had become acquainted quite well over the past few days. I am glad to see Mitch has someone to talk to while I am stuck like this. But today seems different. His postured is slumped and pain coursed over his face, Arren must have seen it as well because he sat next to Mitch putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's hard see her in this state. It's putting me in a state of chronic pain and there is nothing I can do to help her. She is my best friend." Arren drops his hand back to his lap. "I wake up at dripping in sweat and can't fall back asleep for the fear of never waking up." I reach out for him, not having words to help. "My mood is all over the place, I'm tense and angry and then I'm fine and relaxed. This thing that's happening to Harriet, it's making me a mess. It's impossible, this thing that happening, is impossible. Why can't we do anything?" He is loud and terrified, I've never seen him act this way, all composure is out the window and there is nothing I, nor Arren can say that will make him feel any different. This does seem impossible.

"I try and hold back tears but that only makes my head hurt. It hurts so bad... it hurts, all this stress and worrying." A tear falls down his cheek. "Damnit," he screams wiping at his face. "I want to be strong, be brave for Harriet but doc I'm breaking."

Arren's lip quivers and his eyes well with tears. No one taught him how to deal with this, to deal with something like me. Arren is his own teacher, that is what I always thought. Because he is so young and seems to move and learn as he goes, but a mentor, a teacher, that seems more reasonable but what could they have taught him that made him so kind and compassionate towards others, towards me. He's never seen anything like this before, no one has. How is Arren expected to fix me when he's never fixed this before?

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Arren says, his eyes waver to me. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Please don't do this." I'm breaking watching them break. "Please don't destroy yourself over this, over me. I'm not worth all this pain and agony." Please, I don't know if I'm begging for a cure or begging for death or just begging. Mitch runs out the door and Arren follows soon after. I'm not worth it. But I'm selfish and want then to keep trying.