Hiraeth

Chapter Twenty Five

The faint sounds of battle had given way to an uneasy stillness, punctuated by the occasional groan of the injured. Sage stood at the entrance of the infirmary, her heart heavy with worry as she watched the healers bustle around Beckett. She could hardly breathe as she waited for news, her thoughts spiraling into a chaotic dance of fear and hope.

"Lady Sage?" A soft voice pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to find Lily standing behind her, her pale face drawn tight with worry. "I heard what happened. Is Beckett-?"

"He's in surgery," Sage interrupted, her voice trembling. "They're stitching him up now."

Lily's eyes widened, and she stepped closer, glancing nervously into the infirmary. "Will he be okay?"

Sage bit her lip, forcing herself to meet lily's gaze. "I don't know. He was hurt pretty badly, but he's strong." She wished she could believe her own words more fully. "We have to believe he'll pull through."

The two girls stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their circumstances heavy in the air. Sage could hear the distant cries of those injured in the attack, a reminder that this was far from over. But her mind was anchored to one thing: Beckett.

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary swung open, and one of the healers stepped out, a grim expression on his face. "Lady Sage?"

She rushed forward, her heart pounding. "How is he? Is he okay?"

The healer sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We managed to stop the bleeding, and he's stable for now. But he lost a lot of blood, and he'll need time to recover. You should prepare yourself; he might be in and out of consciousness for a while."

"Can I see him?" Sage asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course. But be gentle. He's going to be disoriented."

Sage nodded, swallowing hard. As she stepped inside, the sight of Beckett lying on the bed sent a fresh wave of fear crashing over her.

"Beckett," she breathed, moving closer. His eyes fluttered open, and he blinked against the harsh light of the room.

"Hey," he murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips, despite the evident pain etched on his features. "You came."

"Of course I did," she said softly, taking his hand in hers. His skin felt cold beneath her touch, and her heart ached at the sight of him so vulnerable. "I was worried sick."

"Worried? About me?" Beckett teased weakly, trying to push himself up, only to wince in pain and fall back against the pillows. "I was the one doing the saving, remember?"

Sage couldn't help but smile through her worry. "And look where that got you. You should've let me handle it."

"Not a chance," he said, his voice stronger now, though the weariness still lingered in his eyes. "You'd have charged in there with your fists swinging."

"Damn right I would have," she shot back, a teasing lilt in her voice. "I might be small, but I pack a punch."

"Small? You're a force of nature, Sage," he replied, his gaze softening as he studied her. "You saved me today."

"I think it was you who saved me," she countered, squeezing his hand tightly. "You jumped in front of that attacker without a second thought."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't let anything happen to you," he admitted, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "You're...important to me."

The confession hung in the air, and Sage's heart raced at his words. "You're important to me too, Beckett. More than you know."

A flicker of something passed across his face-gratitude, maybe? But before Sage could analyze it further, the healer stepped back into the room, interrupting their moment.