Desires of Men ~SEQUEL TO THE LIFE I LIVE~

I Still Hate You

*Two Days Later*

"Summer is still unconscious." Bepo repeated for perhaps the thousandth time that morning. The bear stood guard outside the infirmary with crossed arms and a stern expression. Penguin and Shachi and about eight other men slumped their shoulders in disappointment.

"But she's been unconscious for two whole days! When is she gonna wake up?" Shachi asked nervously, trying to see into the window on the door. Bepo stepped to block his view.

"Captain said no visitors and that he was not to be disturbed for anything." The bear, usually so sensitive and easily defeated, stated, and the crew knew that he wouldn't be swayed this time.

Muttering about the bear's sudden personality change, they begrudgingly slumped away, off to recover and do their duties. Bepo sighed, silently wishing that the blonde would just wake up already.

~~~

Law looked over the charts and beeping machines again, just to be sure. Nothing seemed to be abnormal, or even wrong, but he just had to make sure. Any mistake on his part could result in more serious damage or could even be fatal. She was severely underweight, almost 15 pounds below where someone of her size should be, malnourished, her skin was beginning to yellow from jaundice, and she had fallen into a comatose-like state.

Medically, he knew that this period of rest was normal for someone who'd gone through a traumatic or physically exhausting experience for long periods of time. But there was a tiny part of him that feared she'd never wake up. Which was why he checked once again, just to be sure.

Law had already tended to his own wounds, though he ignored the sharp bursts of pain if he moved his shoulder too far. He probably hadn't eaten in days, though he couldn't remember. Casper had tried coming into the infirmary to give him food, but he always turned it away, repeating the line that he had to put his entire focus onto Summer's recovery.

He'd already gotten two lectures from the older cook, which he conveniently ignored, much to Casper's annoyance.

~~~

It was like she was dreaming, and maybe she was, but her body was no longer in pain. It was warm, wherever she was. It felt as if she were floating, in midair without anything touching her. She smelled the forest, surrounding her, protecting her, and she felt safe.

But the images assaulted her.

One after the other, the Doctor's face, hovering above her own, about to lash out with another attack. The needles, the water dripping from above as blackness surrounded her, the nurses, the blood. Watching as everyone was dead around her with her own weapons their killer, no she didn't want to see it!

'No...' She whimpered, trying to get away from it all. The pain, the nightmares, they were everywhere...

And then they were gone, erased with a single cry. What replaced it, eased her fears.

She remembered the feeling of Bepo's fur, how soft and warm he was. The smell of the forest returned, washing over her like a cool wave, but it was warm and gentle. She smiled, relishing in the feeling, and she placed her hands close to her heart. They became warm, and she let herself become enveloped in that warmth.

~~~

She began shifting back and forth, brow furrowed in concern or pain, and he immediately checked over everything again. All was fine, but something was obviously causing her discomfort. When she whimpered, he came to her side. She tossed and turned, threatening to break open the stitches along the various cuts across her body. He tried holding her down, as gently as possible.