Rescued: A Nyssara Story

Chapter 3

SARA: I awaken on a large bed, which in itself, has become an unfamiliarity since living on the island provided nothing but the dirty ground for me to sleep or the small cot that Ivo provided me. This bed is large with a dark red canopy draped above with matching satin covers in which I was neatly tucked into.

I sit up and I notice that I'm dressed in a white silk nightgown. I look around and see that I'm in a large room lit with beautiful antique lanterns hanging from the ceiling and candles on the tables. The decor is none that I've ever seen before and the furniture looks ancient. 

Far across on the other side of the room, I notice a large door. I can't help but to want to run to it and to escape this strange place. Just as I remove my covers to walk to the door, it opens. I quickly cover myself back up with the blanket. In through the door comes a tall black-haired woman wearing strange dark-colored garb carrying a tray of food.

"Oh, you're awake. I have impeccable timing," she says as she closes the door and strides towards me with the tray. "I've fetched some breakfast for you."

Oh right. It's all coming back to me now. This is the woman who saved me...And carried me in her arms for an entire mile? That can't be right...no no. It is. She fed me an orange on a boat and rubbed weird stuff on my cut. I touch my side as I remember. I can feel the bandage through the nightgown. Who is this woman? I can't seem to remember her name...

"Thank you," I tell her politely as she sets the wooden tray on the table next to the bed. 

"Did you sleep well?" She asks standing at the bedside. 

"Yeah. How long was I out?"

"You were unconscious for about 15 hours."

I look back down to the nightgown. "What is this?"

The woman smiles a bit. "That is one of my gowns. You were filthy so I bathed you and provided you with clean clothing."

I widen my eyes a bit in surprise. "Y-you bathed me? While I was unconscious?"

She keeps a straight face. "Yes," is all she replies with. 

My heart starts racing. "So, you saw me naked?" I asked angrily.

The woman chuckles softly. "You act as if I've done something completely deranged. I've seen naked women before, Sara. In fact, I see one every day when I get dressed," she says with no sign of sarcasm.

I scoff at her. "And you touched me and rubbed me with soap and who knows what else..."

The woman just stared at me trying to figure out what I meant.

Then her expression changes as she realizes what I was saying. "I am not a pervert, Sara. You Americans are so strange always over-sexualizing everything. Yes, I unclothed you. Yes, I carried your unconscious body into a tub of water and I cleansed your skin and hair. Then I took you out, dried you, cared to your wounds, clothed you with my own clothing, and then I tucked you into my own bed," she says sternly. 

Wow. I guess that was actually really nice of her. Maybe I am overreacting. She did save my life. She was only trying to nurse me back to health. 

"I'm sorry," I say to her looking down.

"There is no need to apologize. I am sorry if I've done anything you do not approve of, but you must eat now. Or do I have to feed you as well?" she says I think jokingly now. 

"No, but thank you," I say smiling slightly as I reach for a slice of bread. 

I take a bite thinking of the odd situation I'm in. I chew while the woman stares at me. I try to break the silence. "So, if this is your bed, where did you sleep?"

"It matters not where I rested. You are my guest," she says blankly. 

I chew more. "Did you sleep on the floor?" I ask jokingly suspicious. 

"You are my guest," she restates. 

"You didn't have to sleep on the floor. Isn't there a spare bed?"

"There are, but that would mean I'd have to leave you alone. As my guest, an injured one at that, leaving you alone would be irresponsible and inhospitable of me."

"You could have rested next to me. This bed is huge."

She stares at me with a strange expression that I can't quite pinpoint. "That would be inappropriate of me."

I half laugh and half scoff at her. "So you're okay with stripping me down naked and bathing me but you draw the line at sharing a bed with me to sleep?"

"A bed is to be shared with lovers or beloveds, not your guests."

"And seeing your guests naked is something you do with your guests? Isn't that for lovers' eyes, too?"

"Sara, I bathed you because you couldn't do it yourself," she says angrily.

Just then, there is a knock at the door and then a man speaking. "Nyssa," and then the rest was in a foreign language. 

Nyssa. That's right! I remember her name now. It's Nyssa. 

The man speaks as Nyssa listens and then she tenses up. 

Nyssa turns to me. "I'll be right back," she says as she turns to the door. 

"Right after you say that leaving me alone would be rude? You just leave me?" I ask a little annoyed with the woman. 

"It will only be a few minutes. I have business to attend to. Do not die in my absence," she says sharply as she opens the door and leaves with the man.

"No promises," I say mostly to myself as I lay back in the bed.