You Don't Belong Here

Chapter Ninety Nine

Dhadtoudi's eyes flickered open to reveal a darkened room with only a soft reddish orange glow in the corner. She tried to sit up but her abdomen ached and her head throbbed like she'd never known before so she remained prone. She looked down to see multiple layers of bandages beneath some sort of compression garment. She tried to push herself up once more but stopped once she heard a voice in the shadows between her position and the glowing light.

"They said you should not use your abdominal muscles. You will need assistance if you wish to sit or stand." Her eyes adjusted to the low lighting and she saw T'ahrou's form watching from his position against the wall.

"Who gave such instructions?"

"The healers of this facility."

Her eyes narrowed now. "What facility?"

"One that Naxa was able to convince to help you."

"I need no assistance from that filth."

"What has she done to earn such disrespect from you?" A low growl backed his words and Dhadtoudi nearly cringed at the sound. "At least tell me what brought on your rampage. Why were you senselessly killing those Oomans?"

A long pause lingered between them before Dhadtoudi finally spoke again. "I do not know what is real and what is not. I believed you to be dead. I saw your lifeless body, and then Zhan'tha..." She fought the sting of tears again.

"Dhadtoudi, I am going to ask you something and I do not want you to react with hostility. I simply want to understand...who is Zhan'tha?"

"He...he is our son. How could you ask such a question? Is this a joke?!"

"When was he born?"

"T'ahrou, enough of your games."

"It is no game. Tell me when he was born."

Dhadtoudi thought for a moment and then let out a shaky, angry breath. "He was born on the anniversary of Zaiyu's death."

T'ahrou was silent for several moments before he asked another question. "When we accompanied the youngbloods on their hunt to the Ooman world. He was captured and she...she said that he..."

"Walk me through that hunt. From start to finish, tell me what happened."

Dhadtoudi grew impatient with his constant questions, as if he had no recollection. "We arrived, split into groups, Zaiyu sent out a distress beacon so we went to help but he was captured and killed, we were observed and tested on, and that Ooman female betrayed us."

"Do you remember being in the trees when we split into groups?"

"Yes."

"Did you lose your footing at all?"

Dhadtoudi tight for another moment. "Yes but I didn't fall. You caught me." T'ahrou clicked nervously. "Why are you acting so dense?"

"Dhadtoudi, I wasn't able to catch you. You fell a long distance to the ground. You bleed severely from a head wound, and you and the youngling nearly died."