Still Here

Worry

Soren paced around the high mage's office. He had ordered all the crownguard to leave. Well, all that he could, anywho. He didn't have any control over a fellow head crownguard. Rayla was still there. She was comforting Callum, who was eagerly apologizing to Soren and Terry. Terry forgave him many a time, yet Callum would not stop apologizing.  Soren was too busy thinking to listen to Callum's apologies. Would a doctor even help Claudia? I mean, she brought Viren back! Isn't that treason in its own?

Callum took slow, shaky breaths. He was very apologetic, and when he did something this bad, he was known to cry trying to apologize. Rayla led him in deep breaths. She inhaled, he inhaled. She exhaled, he exhaled. Terry smiled at the sight. Then his gaze returned to Claudia, and he frowned again, growing concerned. He placed a four-fingered hand on her brow. He tried the deep breaths himself, now.

Soren had been taking deep breaths for the past thirty minutes. For a single moment, everything in his little crownguard world slowed. He could catch up. He could think straight. He knew not where this sudden moment of calm came from, but he relished in it. He took it slow for a moment. Just for a second. He tried to line everything up. Claudia is unresponsive. We need a doctor. We don't know if a doctor will be willing to help now. Okay. Got it.

Everything returned to its usual speed, and Soren realized that little moment of calm did little to help. He just got his thought straightened out. He stopped pacing and looked around. Rayla silently stroked Callum's back. Terry quietly hummed a song. Claudia was still unconscious. Viren was still catatonic.

He sighed. Sitting down by Claudia, he closed his eyes to think. He couldn't. He could only fear the worst and hope the best. Something swirled in his mind. Claudia’s well-being was all that mattered to him in that very moment. A sudden light shone in the office. Terry stopped his humming. Callum looked up. Ezran stood in the doorway with a doctor. The homonculus chirped. Terry gave it a pat on the head, but he didn't take his eyes off Ezran.

Soren finally looked up, and a flicker of hope danced in his mind. A flicker to a flame. Hope burrowed it's way into his mind. Ezran, the king, had managed to get a doctor. The doctor strode in, carrying himself with great dignity. Callum could swear he recognized his shock of blonde hair. The way his mustache curved at the end seemed so familiar. Rayla looked at him with the same confusion. Callum realized first. He realized when he noticed a sunforge dagger at his waist. Tristan.

Ezran gestured to the doctor. "Look who I found! He is a successful doctor now!" Rayla still racked her mind for an answer. "Oh, yeah! It's the, "Well. Certainly hope that wasn't your biggest sword" guy!" he exclaimed. "Ohhhhh! Right! I remember you. You tried to attack us." "Times have changed," Tristan responded. "I, like all humans, thought elves were a threat. I see now, they are not. Not one bit."

Callum was enlightened by his little speech. Terry smiled. Tristan knelt by Claudia. "I assume this is the patient. Everyone else seems to be doing fine." He glanced at Viren. "Physically."