Warrior Nun: The aftermath

Chapter 23

Nervously, Camila waited for Jillian to nasser her call. The ringing of the phone almost drove her insane. For almost a week, Ava had been lying there without any sign of improvement. The past few days they had thought several times about waking her up, taking off the crown of thorns or even destroying is. But since the consequences could not be calculated, it is far too dangerous. But it wasn't exactly safer right now. Again and again, Ava had seizures or had ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrests. Camila was at her wit's end and desperately needed the results of the tests she had taken this morning and sent to Dr. Salvius. She tried in vain to reach them a sixth time. Again, just the mailbox. Frustrated, Camila threw the phone on her shared bed with Yasmine.

"What's the matter?" Yasmine asked, looking up from her book.

"Nothing."

"Has she still not answered?"

"No. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm completely powerless here."

Questioningly, Yasmine raised an eyebrow and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Ava's problem is on the other side and I can't do anything about it. Something is straining her mind so much that her body is suffering. The only thing I can do until she wakes up is to make sure she still has a living body in this world."

They both sigh, and Camila ran her fingers through her hair in despair.

"I can't imagine how Beatrice must feel about it."

Camila looked up at her. She had to think about that all week. Beatrice didn't leave Ava's side for a second. Just to go to the bathroom for a moment. She didn't sleep, didn't eat, and only drank as much as necessary to avoid becoming dehydrated.

"I mean, if you were lying there, I would have no idea how to get through this."

Yasmine spoke more quietly, but still understandable that Camilla understood every word. What did she mean by that? Was she implying that they were in a similar relationship like Ava and Beatrice?

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't stand by and watch helplessly if one of my sisters suffers and possibly dies in front of my eyes."

Why did she have to ask again? Now she has been demoted from a good friend, or more, to just a sister.

"Why, what did you think I meant?"

Yasmine looked at her curiously with her brown eyes, scratching her head in embarrassment.

"Nothing else."

She had been able to hold back her yawn long enough, but now a torrent of fatigue came over her. Camilla's eyes began to burn and water.

"It's not just Beatrice who hasn't slept much lately. You should really go to bed and rest."

Yasmine approached her from behind and gently massaged her shoulders. With a deep sigh, she surrendered to her and leaned back.

"Maybe you're right, but go a little further first."

Yasmine smiled. "Maybe? I'm always right."

They stayed that way for a while, until Yasmine patted her on the shoulders and leaned over Camila's ear. Her hair all stood up as she felt her breath on her neck.

"Are you coming to bed voluntarily now, or do I have to get you to do it with the tricks I learned from Lilith?"

As tempting as that sounded, Camila knew better. Sometimes she watched the two of them train and was very impressed. She spent more and more time in front of screens and was now a bit out of practice.

"I surrender."

Gently, Yasmine pulled her from her chair onto the bed. Suddenly, it seemed to get even warmer than it already was. She had never felt such a feeling with anyone before. Nevertheless, Camila found it difficult to interpret them. In the monastery it had been strictly forbidden to feel such feelings for anyone, let alone sexual attraction. Due to the new findings, everyone who was here didn't see it so tightly anymore, but did that also include Yasmine?

"You'd better stop, or I'll sleep on the floor."

Yasmine rolled her eyes. "We have this discussion every night. You don't sleep on the floor, you sleep in this bed, just like me."

The daily discussions were nowhere near as exhausting as the nights. Every night she had to rein herself in so as not to put her arm around Yasmine or snuggle up to her. In the long run it was exhausting and also the reason why she didn't even dare to close her eyes.

"I'll have to check on Ava again. I'll be right back."

She quickly got up from the bed, leaving Yasmine with a disappointed expression on her face. How long could she play the game of hide-and-seek before she loses the control of her emotions? With quick steps, she ran to her infirmary. Every meter she got away from Yasmine felt like relief and at the same time not very good. There was one big confusion in her head and heart.
Somewhat dejected, she entered the infirmary and found Beatrice in her usual place next to Ava.

"What are you doing here so late?" Beatrice asked in surprise.

Camila just sighed and dropped onto the stool.

"Can I ask you something?"

Beatrice just nodded.

"What was it like for you and Ava? I mean, I really like Yasmine, but I have no idea how she's doing, and this constant closeness just makes it harder for me."

Now it was Beatrice who sighed.

"It was never easy. I knew what I was feeling, but Ava... she was and is young and she lacked a lot of life experience due to her past. We hit it off pretty quickly and the tension was always there. Then, suddenly, we were together in the Alps around the clock. I had no idea how to behave. There were more and more casual touches and glances, but we never really talked about it, or about ourselves in general."

"But how did you manage to be so close and talk openly with each other?"

„It took a lot of time and braveness. The main point was Ava's sacrifice when we realized, how much we actually love each other."

"It's one thing to recognize that, but how can you be so open about it?"

"It wasn't always like this, Camila. But I've learned that Ava and I are worth it. I'm so tired of having to disguise and hide myself. Those days are over."

Wow. Camilla admired Beatrice more and more every day. Silently, she watched as she held and caressed Ava's motionless hand in hers. At some point, she hoped to really experience and live out such love, no matter what the world says about it. Just like these two. Who knows, maybe Camila had already found the right person.