Fork in the Road (Altair/Assassins Creed)

Chapter 60

When Hana awoke, she groaned when she tried to move, gasping for breath when the action cause pain to burn down her side. Her mouth was incredibly dry, and the air that she had greedily sucked in caused her to begin coughing. Pain tore at her insides as her body shook with her coughing tremors, and a nurse rushed to her side and placed a hand upon her shoulder to ease her into a sitting position.

Hana drank greedily from the clay cup that was offered to her, becoming disappointment when it was taken away before she was finished with it.

"Slowly," The nurse scolded her, "Else you will be ill."

Hana felt her eyelids becoming heavy once more, and the nurse helped her lay back down. As her eyelids drooped shut, Hana was aware of a prodding at her side, flesh upon flesh, but she dropped back out of consciousness quickly.

Hazing in and out of reality and sleep, Hana was aware of many voices and people. Screams of the injured, shouts of pain, angered demands... they all disturbed her, left her with more nightmares as she was unsure of where she was or what danger she was in.

She finally  stirred when she recognized a smooth and deep voice murmuring her name, and her fears were diminished when she realized she was safe.

"Altaïr?" Her response was quieter than a breath, yet she felt flesh upon flesh as her hand was snatched up from the linens of the cot she was laying upon.

"Yes, Hana." He confirmed, his voice full of relief.  "Open your eyes."

She fluttered her lids as she attempted to do as she was told, until eventually, she was able to make out the high ceiling of the infirmary in Masyaf. A white hooded robe was in her peripheral vision, and when Hana weakly turned in his direction, she was met with those mesmerizing amber eyes that she had grown incredibly fond of.

Her lids fluttered again when he reached out a hand, brushing his thumb gently across her pale cheek. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but didn't. Instead, the hand that was caressing her cheek moved to her hair, tucking it behind her ear before he looked up as the nurse approached with a doctor by her side.

"She is awake?"

"She is."

Hana did not look away from the amber eyes of the man at her side as the doctor did his routine checks, and asked her questions.

"Do you know your name?"

"Hana."

"Do you know your age?"

"Twenty."

"Do you remember what happened?"

Hana thought back on her last assignment, how she had been about to return to Masyaf to report a need for assistance... how she had leapt from the roof and had to engage in battle. How she was wounded, how...

"My horse!" She shot up from her horizontal position, crying out from the agony of her wound and suddenly feeling incredibly light headed and dizzy.

Altaïr stopped her from getting up, and the doctor scolded her for her actions.

"Your horse is fine." The Master Assassin promised her, "He is wounded, however, he is enjoying the attention he is receiving... and the extra feed, of course."

Hana lay back down, covering her eyes with the heels of her hands to hide her tears of relief.

"You've been here for three weeks." The doctor informed her, "For the amount of blood you had lost, you are lucky to be alive. Alas, you have been healing well, I am greatly pleased with your progress." He placed a kind hand upon her shoulder, "Welcome back."

"Thank you." Altaïr told the doctor, before Hana had a chance to open her mouth to do so herself.

She turned her eyes to the Master Assassin, and waited until he looked back towards her before she spoke.

"You... you are... here?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I would be no where else." He reassured her, "I am glad to see you are finally awake. I have been waiting for you to do so."

"Are we... due to go somewhere?"

The corners of his mouth lifted, and he released a chuckle of disbelief, "Not until you're fighting fit."

She swallowed, tiredness returning to her. "Allow me... five minutes then." Her eyes began to close once again, and she felt Altaïr brushing her hair back from her face and lift her hand to bring it to his lips.