The Elements Book One: Gilly

Chapter 4: The Plan

I woke up a couple hours later in an unfamiliar room. Panic took over for a second before I registered the presences of the others. They must have found me soon after I passed out and carried me to wherever we had been going in the first place. I blinked. Oh, no. That meant that Evret probably saved me, which was a humiliating thought.

I sat up quickly, intent on finding someone to tell me exactly what had transpired, but a wave of nausea followed by a massive headache discouraged such actions. Well, if I couldn't come to them, I'd have to approach this differently. With a slight amount of difficulty, I broadcast, I'm awake. Where are we and what happened?

To my irritation Dave's immediate reply was, Should you be awake yet? Your messages are fuzzier than usual.

I'm awake. I replied stubbornly. Deal with it. I just need to focus on something. Sensing that there was some hesitation in him, I secluded the connection so that it was just Dave and I in the conversation. So what happened?

Well, after getting worried and coming back to check on you, I found Evret finishing off some monster with Abraham basically cowering behind him. Naturally, being fantastically intelligent, I quickly deduced your fate and surely enough found you comatose in the creek. And, since I am your older brother, it was obviously my duty to rescue you from danger and certain death. Dave recounted grandiosely.

I couldn't keep a grin off my face. Well, while I am grateful, I think I may have just thrown up in my mouth a little. Growing serious again, I asked, So where's Abraham? Can't have been too good for him to see all that right after waking up from what we exposed him to the first time. Honestly, he handled it rather well.

See all what? I know what happened after I got worried about you all of a sudden but Evret wasn't too keen on divulging information.

Ugh. There's not too much to tell. We argued, Abraham woke up, he freaked out, we tried to keep him calm and explain the situation, and then whatever that thing was attacked while we were distracted. I don't really know what happened after I went over the edge.

So you do know why you went over? Evret wouldn't tell. Dave asked, sounding surprised.

I smirked. Dunno why he wouldn't, it's not like I was particularly heroic. It was more embarrassing than anything else - I was so distracted that I could just barely get Abraham out of the way before it rammed us. Well, me.

Okay, so you got bulldozed. You couldn't grab the edge or something? He asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes. Did you, perhaps, take note of my injuries when you found me?

Oh, you know, besides the fact that you passed out while still half in the water, there was the cracked ribs and...oh. Dislocated shoulder. That would explain things. Dave replied, sassiness fading as he answered his own question.

Yeeeeep. So. Back to the original question. Where's Abraham?

He's with Evret, actually.

Huh. Evret hasn't killed him yet?

No, actually I have to say that Evret's doing a surprisingly good job at keeping him calm. Dave replied, sounding almost amused.

Well as tempting as it would be to leave them, there are things I need to talk to him about. I sent before standing up with a small groan.

You doing okay there?

Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It always takes me a bit, you know that.

I still don't understand why you didn't bother getting all the way out of the water. Dave sent, irritation evident. He worries a little too much sometimes.