Crackerjack II

Chpt. 11: The Aftermath

Kristen groaned. Her head ached. She lifted a hand to stop the stabbing. Why did her hand feel so heavy? She opened her eyes, but everything was blurred to the point that all she could see were swarms of color.

"–okay? Kristen?"

Kristen tried to find the source of the very loud voice, but she couldn't make anything out. She brought her hand an inch from her face and all she saw was white. 

Were those bandages? 

What was going on? 

Why couldn't she flex her hands?

"Kristen?"

Why was her mouth so dry? 

Where was she? 

What happened?

"It's William."

Kristen flailed with her wrapped hands. She bumped into something on her left. She tried to sit up but cried out and fell back.

Why did it feel like she'd just done three hundred sit-ups? 

Why couldn't she see? 

What was going on?!

"Kristen, it's Lorrie. I need you to stay calm and sit still."

Lorrie? Was she in the med tent? Why couldn't she see?!

Kristen ignored the warning and struggled to sit again with the same result. She felt two pairs of hands on her shoulders.

"She said to stay down, Kristen. Don't be stupid."

Kristen panted but allowed herself to be pushed down. She needed answers. Dumb dryness. She needed answers.

She opened her mouth, but her throat was so raw that she just ended up coughing. She startled when something slipped behind her neck and grimaced as she was brought up. Something touched her lips. After a moment of surprise, she gulped down the cool water.

"There you go. Just relax."

"I can't..."

Oh, but her throat hurt! Just those two words had acid racing down her tender insides. And she tasted smoke. She tasted smoke like it was in the room. 

"Kristen—"

She wanted to groan but was afraid of the pain. What was going on?

"Kristen, lie still."

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her, though it couldn't wash away her fear. Her eyes slowly closed of their own accord. She heard someone say something, but she was already drifting off.

~

"She's doing better, at least. Sleeping's good for her."

Was that Lorrie? Kristen cracked her eyes, but everything was still blurry. Her throat felt better. She couldn't taste smoke, anyway.

"What happened, though?"

William was here? Kristen tensed in preparation to sit up, but then stopped. The pain was one thing, but there was more than just that admittedly convincing deterrent. She closed her eyes. She wanted to hear this.

"We don't really know, yet. The dragon shot out of the building just as it collapsed. When they finally caught him, he was carrying her in his claws. She was already unconscious."

Kristen hoped they hadn't hurt her dragon. She cradled her heartstring, surprised at its size. She hadn't remembered it being so thick. Or requiring so much of her energy to maintain.