Crusade ~ World from Ashes {Complete}

3

Someone was moving beside me. It was late and I was groggy as I was stirred from my deep slumber by soft voices. I kept still, eyes closed and breathing easy. I listened, straining a little to catch the words that were so soft they were almost inaudible. It took a moment, but I finally recognized Ryker's voice and a feminine one.

"...too much of the drugs in his body. It's going to be some time before he's feeling like himself."

"What kind of drugs?" Ryker's question was growled softly, the anger very clear in his tone.

The woman sighed heavily, "Too many. Most of it was sedation to keep him under control. I don't know what they call it but it's used to make you hallucinate. Which may explain his fear and being so timid."

"He's afraid for a good reason and seeing anyone in a lab coat is going to set that off, Kilia."

"I know, I put it away. It's not like I need the stupid thing anyway, just habit from being a doctor for so long."

"What else?"

"Remnants of drugs that induce pain and discomfort, and one that I don't recognize at all. It's got strands of Holy Grail in it, but it's not Holy Grail. It's something different."

"He'll probably know."

"You seriously want to ask him about it? Ryker you're an idiot."

"I didn't say I was going to ask him," Ryker snapped back, the threatening tone in his voice unfortunately made me wince.

They both fell silent for a bit and I moved, unable to keep still any longer. I drew up the covers over my head and curled in a ball. Old memories were starting to come back, flooding my mind and making me curl even tighter. I didn't want to think about the men in white coats, the long painful needles, the burning agony that flooded my body after every injection and the inability to move when they sedated me.

"Well, now that you've woken him," Kilia's voice hissed at him angrily.

"The hell? How is it my fault?!" he snapped back, though he tried to keep his voice low.

Chairs moved and I assumed that they were standing, "Yes it's your fault. I'll come tomorrow. Get him to eat something."

"Jace's cooking is horrid. He won't eat it."

"Then you do it, for crying out loud, Ryker. Make the boy eat! He needs it. He's sick already and with the drugs starting to wear off things are going to get very hard for him very quickly. Are you sure you can do this?"

Silence met her words for a moment and I wondered what it was she meant by them, "I'll do it... Killian would have."

There was a soft sigh from the woman named Kilia, "You've changed, Ryker. He would be very proud of you."

There was a sharp intake of air then silence fell right after. The door closed as she left, but otherwise I wasn't alerted to any movements. Kilia was right, I was sick and I wasn't feeling any better. Headaches plagued me throughout the day, dizziness and wanting to throw up most times. It was all I could do to move a little on the bed I was confined in.

As my body started to grow heavy a little and my eyes drifting closed, I felt a hand move the blankets back a little to uncover my head. Fresh, cool air filled my nose. I peeled an eye open to look up at him in the gloom. He wasn't paying too much attention. Instead he just shifted the blankets to accommodate me better. The pillows were moved too as I'd slipped off of them. Ryker was surprisingly gentle as he shifted my body.

I was instantly comfortable after he finished. Right before I fell asleep again, his hand wrapped around my arm loosely. He stayed like that for a while and, though I wasn't sure, it felt like he was shaking.