Ranger's Apprentice - Race For Halt

Ch. 23

It was chaos.
The news of Will's amnesia sent them all into a frenzy. Halt was going mad with worry and blame. Gilan relapsed back into his actions the first time Will was hurt, claiming if he would've checked on Will long ago it wouldn't be this bad. Pauline woke up every day fighting a battle to keep herself composed in public, while all the time in private she would cry for Will and Halt. Jenny gave up. She simply gave up. Her restaurant was turned over to her best man. All that mattered to her now was keeping Gilan alive, because he wouldn't eat or sleep on his own.
It was chaos.
It was several weeks later now. Nothing had changed. They all had told Will about his life and their lives, but it was different from remembering. He beleived them, but his memories were theirs, not his.
Now, they all sat by his bed again. Will was sat upright his bed. His other injuries were healing fast. But his mind had not.
"Maddie sent a letter saying she was on her way back." Pauline said dully.
"Who's Maddie again?" Will asked.
It was heartbreaking, Halt thought. The love Will had for his former apprentice, but didn't know it.
"She was your apprentice. And your goddaughter." Halt answered.
"Oh," Will replied.
They sat in silence for another minute or two before Jenny announced that she and Gilan needed something to eat. Gilan protested, but Jenny won the battle and drug him away. Pauline took Gilan's seat.
"It's frustrating," Will said eventually. He was staring off in space.
"What is?" Halt asked.
"I want to remember. Who I am, who you are. I can tell that you're all important to me, but I don't know why."
Pauline took Will's hand and smiled sadly.
"Don't give up," she encouraged. "You'll break through this. I know you can."
"How?" Will asked exasperated.
"Because," Halt put it, reading his wife's thoughts. "You're Will Treaty. And Will Treaty doesn't give up. Ever."
Will lowered his gaze to the bed. With the silence and the comfort of having these people beside him, Will began to nod off.
"Will, get some rest." Halt said. Will didn't want to sleep, but he could at least pretend. To make Halt happy.
Will laid down on his back and draped an arm over his stomach. He smoothed his breath so he would appear to be asleep.
Somehow, this seemed natural to him.
"You too, Halt." He heard Pauline say. "You need rest as well."
"I'll rest when my son remembers me." Halt said flatly.
Son? Will thought. They didn't mention anything like that.
"Halt, you need rest more than he does." Pauline pled. "Without it, you could relapse back into your ill state again."
"I won't, Pauline." Halt promised. "I felt ill days before I had to be put in the infirmary. I just didn't mention it. Now, I will. If I begin to feel bad, I'll tell you."
The two fell silent for a while. Will's eyes were closed, but somehow he knew they were watching him.
"He'll remember, Halt. He'll come back." Will heard a chair scoot and gathered that Pauline was standing now. "He is Will Treaty. It's what he does."
Footsteps faded and Will was aware of a presence nearby. Halt hadn't left.
"Get better, Will." He murmured.
Will listened the tone of voice, letting it sooth him. It sounded strange, coming from Halt's mouth. Like he rarely used it.
What Will couldn't remember was that he'd only used it once before. In the exact same sentence, the night Will was sleeping in Skandia after finally being weened off Wamweed.
The tone was fatherly. It was compassion.
It was love.

After the last sentence:
"Let the floodgates open and the tears spill!"