commander

thermos

Torra

She died.

Three times, I think. Maybe four. It's bit difficult to rely when it's all the same, the counting and breathing and panic in my chest.

She had two concussions, a destroyed artery in her thigh, with torn ligaments on the femur, a dislocated shoulder even. She had a bad ankle sprain, major first degree burns, and lots of cuts in her lips. They had to have been made from a knife.

I'm glad that she killed those that did this to her. This is worse than I expected. She was out there for two days.

"Torra?" Andi took my arm. "We can see her now." I pulled Andi to wherever Nala was. She had her own private room, separate with actual walls instead of curtains like everyone else in the infirmary.

She was sleeping, bruises forming everywhere on her skin. Her arms were still tinted red with blood, her face covered in blue patches. Her chest was bandaged. She had cracked ribs, splinted with bandages. She was covered with a quilt, the furnace heating the room more than necessary. She was sweating.

I sat down next to her, taking her hand and holding it tight. Her ring. I rubbed the metal band, watching it gleam under the candlelight. Her eyes fluttered in her sleep. I wish I could talk to her, but she must be exhausted. She's in pain, too. I love her too much to care to talk. Instead, I wait. However long it might take for her to wake.

"Torra, it's time to go to bed. You can come back tomorrow morning." Andi rubbed my shoulder. I wasn't getting up.

"I'm staying."

"You can't. The hospital bars visitors overnight." Andi took my hand from Nala's. Not touching her was agony. I held onto her tighter. "Torra! Get up!"

"So help me God I will slit my wrists if that if what it takes to stay with her." I focused on Nala, blood splatters still dotting her body and face.

"I'll tell the overnight nurse." Andi sighed and left.

Nala had shallow breathes. Her chest struggled to rise and fall. It was everything to me to keep her alive.

I stayed awake as long as I could. My eyes dozed shut and I leaned on her mattress, my body aching with discomfort.

"Torra." Andi rubbed the side of my arm, forcing me awake. "We brought breakfast."

"What time is it?"

"Two in the afternoon." Andi set down her bag and pulled out muffins and hand cakes. I ate half a muffin, unable to stomach anything else. "The doctor was assessing her earlier."

Oh, God.

Andi took a bite of her food to keep from talking.

"Andi. Spit it out. What did the doctor say?" I gritted the words through my teeth. If I heard anything other than 'expected a smooth and speedy recovery', I would kill a lot of people.

"Nala lost a lot of blood, especially in her leg." Andi stalled.

"Goddamnit stop stalling!"

"She isn't expected to live." Andi rushed it out, and for the first time I've ever seen, she was crying. I hugged her, unsure of what to do. She held tight to my jacket, shaking hard.

We sat like this for a while. I don't know how long. Perhaps she was waiting out the rain. Maybe she just wanted to cry. Andi got up and leaned against the bed opposite Nala, chewing slowly on a muffin.

"What are the odds? For Nala." I focused on her hand, the soft skin marred with a slash in the center of her palm.

"The doctor said less than ten percent." Andi's hands shook.