What Is Done

Chapter 23 - Things That Go Bump in the Night

Essaerae had explained to Kitto the situation. He was inside, working his magic on Sellion. Essaerae and I waited for him to finish. The first floor of Kitto Sperry's house was decorated like a hospital. Multiple beds separated by curtains and a small waiting area that wasn't even really a waiting area. Bookshelves of his herbal remedies contained in jars and books on magical hospital aid were near the stairs to the second floor. The second floor was entirely off limits to us.

Kitto could only do so much for Sellion. He soaked rags with his blood, to stop the bleeding. He then used his magic to cleanse the wounds before stitching him up. He wrapped a large bandage around Sellion's hand to keep him from using it. As stubborn as Sellion is, I figured he would immediately tear it off upon waking. Kitto used his spells to put an enchantment on Sellion's flesh that would leave no remnants of a scar when the wound was fully healed.

Essaerae stayed in the book section. She'd asked him if she could read his books on magic alchemy. They weren't in any particular order. She curled up in a chair next to the bookcase to flip through the pages.

When Kitto had gotten a good look at Sellion's face, he said, "Oh, I remember him from the Castle of Glass. He threw a brick at me."

"Did...he miss?" I was unsure what to think of what Kitto just said to us.

Kitto took a moment to think back. "I don't know...my memory of it is...fuzzy."

Essaerae blinked, "Why did he throw—Nevermind." 

She knew the answer; we all did.

After the surgery, Kitto cleaned his hands using a wash basin. Finishing a bloody surgery I doubt was pleasant. He had to knock Sellion out to get him to stop worming out of the bed. I came up to him as he peeled Sellion's dried blood off of his fingers. I looked back and stared at the curtain Kitto had pulled to keep sleeping Sellion private from everybody else. I could only see his feet. "How is he?"

"He'll live."

"Were his wounds that terrible?" I inquired.

Kitto gave me a vague nod. "Nothing I couldn't handle." Kitto joined me in gawking at the separating curtain. "Of course, he's not the worst case scenario I've seen."

I thought for a moment, curious about the answer to who had been. "Who was?"

"You," Kitto said in monotone. "I've never seen anything like that and be able to save someone with that much internal damage."

"May I ask you something?" I cornered Kitto. Kitto nodded slowly, his eyes watching me the entire time. "Why can I not remember anything from before that day?"

Kitto took me into another curtained off section. There was only a desk with a medicine cabinet and two stools. I looked at the area in confusion. "Strip."

"What? Why?"

"I want to make sure you're still okay. It has been five years, after all. I am a doctor, it's my job to make sure my patients are still alright, no matter how long ago this was," Kitto said, sitting down on one of the stools. He seemed genuine to me, so I did what he asked. "You can simply take off your shirt," Kitto spoke quietly. Essaerae couldn't even hear him from a few feet away. Either that or she simply didn't care.

I peeled off my mud covered jacket and top. I didn't necessarily enjoy exposure unless I was bathing or changing. Nor did I mind my personal servants seeing those kinds of things. I hung my clothes up on a nearby hook and sat on the other stool. Kitto poked and prodded me. He ran his fingers across my muscled forearms and biceps before getting to my chest.

"A part of me still cannot believe you were able to do this," I said, trying to ignore the hand pressing on my chest. I glanced off to the side, refusing to make eye contact.