Raging Storm {book 2 in SOSfanfic series} [ON HOLD]

My Way

Reyna heaved up her stomachs contents in the brass pot as Koeyla stood behind her, inspecting her 'herbal tea' which had had the opposite effects on the girl.

"Are you sure you didn't poison it?" Reyna gasped through her body throwing a tantrum.

"Please. If I wanted to poison you, you would've been dead just by smelling it."

Reyna vomited again.

"I don't know why none of the potions are working on you. Now how do we make you better?" Koeyla mumbled to herself.

Reyna waned to write a detailed book explaining each and every reason why the potions she had built up an immunity to weren't working and throw it Koeyla's head but for now she would settle for normal breathing.

"Alright then," Koeyla sighed and chucked the bottle out the window.

Reyna heard a crash, a lot of yelling and donkeys baying but Koeyla was oblivious to it all.

"I suppose we should listen to what you have to propose." Koeyla turned to look at Reyna kneeling over the brass spittoon.

Reyna rolled her eyes before placing an order of all the things she would need to get rid of the infection.

-*-

"Rum?" Mr. Ambrose gritted out with mild disbelief in his tone.

Koeyla just looked at Karim for help who shrugged his massive shoulders.

"Come again, did you say she wants rum?'

Koeyla nodded. " Lots of it."

Mr. Ambrose clenched his jaw.
"What the hell is she thinking?"

If ice could burn, it would explain the look in his eyes.

Koeyla took a deep breath before saying, "Ms. Mertya says that we need to operate some of her infected wounds again to heal them properly."

Mr. Ambrose was seconds away from spitting fire. "But that will only postpone our schedule to leave. Are you sure no one of the medicines work?"

Koeyla nodded, "She said that she can recover on the journey than wait too long for infected wounds to heal."

Mr. Ambrose considered this for a moment. Then he gave in and as if in deep pain and burden announced, "Alright. Take her to the infernal hospital and-"

"Actually she prefers to do it here. She said it would be cheaper and would waste less time."

Mt. Ambrose wanted to glare at Koeyla for interrupting him but he was sold at 'cheaper'. He hesitated.
"Will it be safe for her here?"

Koeyla grimaced. "Well.... She said something along the lines of 'woman up and do it you bollywangers for I am the hand of God and I needeth rum to help this... Then she cursed a bit.... operation to work'. But I think she knows how to do this. She says she's done it before."

Karim look startled and Mr. Ambrose looked bored.
"Fine then. Get it over with."

He turned to discuss the caravan routes and news with Karim but Koeyla spoke up, "I can't do this alone. I need your help. Someone has to hold her down."

Mr. Ambrose nodded at Karim to go assist Koeyla.
"Hold her down?" He spoke with a hint of befuddlement.

Koeyla left the room before he could ask her to stay and answer him.

-*-

Mr. Ambrose paced the floor outside the locked door. His brow was furrowed. Koeyla seemed very mysterious about the methods Reyna had adopted to get rid of the infection. He could understand that the rum was for cleaning the wounds. But that does not require 'lots of it'. Almost as if Reyna had wanted to consume it and get drunk before it began. But why would she suggest such a thing in the first place? Moreover why was the door locked?

He was mulling his thoughts over when he heard muffled cries from behind the door. Koeyla was speaking something hurriedly.

Mr. Ambrose put his ear to the door. He heard a soft hiss, like hot metal. More muffled sobs and cries.It must be Reyna. But why was she-

Mr. Ambrose jerked back when a scream erupted from the other side of the room. It was a piercing sound of pure agony. It would haunt his dreams for ages to come and it hadn't even stopped yet.

"Hold her down!" Koeyla shouted.

"I am trying but the sweat makes her too slippery." He heard Karim grunt in response.

"Her gag!" Koeyla screeched again and he sound of the screaming became muffled again.

Mr. Ambrose stepped back. He stared at the door in horror. They were cauterizing her! It all made sense now. The rum for consumption and cleaning, the iron rod, the buckets of ice. Beads of sweat made their way down his forehead, then neck, then shirt. It was pure torture. And Reyna was the one who had...

Mr. Ambrose swiftly turned on his heel and walked out the house to the nearest bar.

He couldn't remember when was the last time he got drunk. But now was certainly the time.

-*-

Mr. Ambrose was seated at the sitting window, staring stonily at the world. No one dared to go near him. Karim was cleaning up the mess and Koeyla was tending to Reyna.

Night had fallen. The thin moon was hidden behind the clouds and the land was shrouded in darkness. The city looked like a swarm of fireflies but there was no horizon. It was utterly dark. The stink had subsided but the metallic tang of blood and sweat still hung in the air.
It was not a good day.

Karim had gone over the plans again and again but he could hardly rectify or improve them without Mr. Ambrose's permission or supervision. And since no one in their right mind would approach him today, Karim was just killing time.
He understood that his employer should've been informed about the methods of the procedure but Koeyla had requested him not to, explicitly because Reyna had warned her to. And he had agreed. If anyone was going to face his employers wrath sooner or later, it should be him.

Koeyla came out of the room after dousing all the lamps. Karim saw Mr. Ambrose's glare to flare up in anger as it zeroed on Koeyla retreating from Reyna's room.

And all the Kings men could do nought... Karim was reminded of the lines he had once read. For the best, Karim quickly abandoned his maps and went to Koeyla.

"How is she now?"

Koeyla nodded solemnly. She answered loud enough so that Mr. Ambrose could head but not so loud as to disturb Reyna.

"She has stabilized. She needs to drink a lot of water. I have put bandages covered with aloe Vera. It will improve her condition immensely and she should be awake tomorrow afternoon or the day after. I will change the bandages after every six hours."

"Very well," Karim nodded as he stepped back, letting her finish.
Low enough so Mr. Ambrose couldn't hear, he rumbled, "You have done well Koeyla. I thank you."

She did not reply as she walked away with her head stooped.

Karim waited for Mr. Ambrose to call her back and demand answers. Or to snap at him. Or, at least, to visit Reyna. But as the moments flew and nothing happened, Karim glanced at him to see him back to try to freeze and burn Egypt at the same time with his cold hard glare covering up what he truly felt inside.