Keeva and the Sword-In Progress, Minimal Editing

Part 5

This is a shorter part, I am nearing Mid-terms and have very limited time to write.

In the twilight realm, Keeva's days took on a sense of monotony. She and Galbatrax would travel from just after dawn until noon, rest and eat, and then travel until shortly before sunset. While they traveled, Galbatrax would teach her all manner of things. From the birds in the trees to the history of the Realm, to ways to improve her speech. Sometimes he would invite one of the local creatures to join them for a bit so that Keeva could practice understanding the various dialects of the speech. One afternoon they reached a small cottage just off the path, "Here is where we will be until Aléthés comes to meet up with us once more. You my dear have some things that you must do back in your world now." Once she had dismounted and set up her pallet he came over, lipped her hair, and told her "Shoo" as she fell fast asleep.

After a week, Dr. Hollowell was able to take Keeva off of the ventilator and reduce the medications down to the lightest of muscle relaxers. Keeva still had muscle tremors, but the seizures were gone. Her initial injuries had healed, and though there had been some nerve damage caused by the fall, she would walk again. Dr. Hollowell smiled as Keeva, growing bored in her covelecence, asked if she could have her school books back, just to have something to do besides sleep and stare at the walls. "I wondered when you would get bored, you must be feeling better to want to do school work. Tell you what, lets get you set up on the patio, and I will let you work until lunch."

"Thank you!"

"But after lunch, you rest, as therapy starts today." Keeva was so glad to finally be allowed to do something, that when Dr. Hollowell bent over to check the iv, she hugged him. He paused, and then returned the hug. As he left the room, he had to contain his joy and surprise at Keeva's spontaneous actions, he had been certain that it would take at least another two months for her to relax and feel at home here.

When Nurse Taylor set Keeva up on the patio with the requested books, Keeva stopped her just before she left. "Coloring Books, Really?"

"Yes, they are good for retraining muscles that haven't been used for some time, and do not lead to tortuous headaches as regular school work would. Lady Sorenson sent them."

"Lady Sorenson?"

"Did Dr. Hollowell not tell you, Lady Sorenson is to be your tutor. I believe that she is also in charge of your therapy sessions as well."

With that Nurse Taylor left Keeva to pondering and coloring. Within a half hour, Keeva was already more than frustrated. After only a few minutes her hand would start shaking and she was forced to stop. Now she understood why Lady Sorenson had set her up with simple things such as this. Just so that she would not feel as if she was ruining good school supplies!

Lady Sorenson arrived a bit before lunch. "Nurse Taylor, what did Keeva think of my first assignment?"

"She was slightly appalled that she had been given such simple appearing things to do, although I suspect you will find that her attitude has already changed."

"Good, I am going to set up for her lessons, and then I'll go check on her. Thank you, and have a good afternoon!" Lady Sorenson then briskly strode down the hall to Keeva's room, where she returned the medallion to its original hiding place, and left a stack of books and other school supplies on a long table in the corner. She grinned as she walked back to the patio, stopping at the window to observe Keeva's reactions.

Keeva was reaching the end of her strength, her arms ached and her hands shook, however she was determined to finish the last page. Lady Sorenson stepped out just as she laid down the pencil in exhausted triumph. "Alright, let's see how you did, shall we?" Lady Sorenson slowly examined each page, noting the patterns as Keeva had progressed from fresh to tired, and the changes between breaks. "You're doing well, for your first day. Now enough books for a time, I'm taking you for a tour of the garden." Keeva looked up and beamed, she had missed her daily travels through the woods where she had once found such peace.

Lady Sorenson smiled as she slowly pushed the wheelchair along the cedar plank paths. She stopped next to a koi pond where the stream burbled along the rocky bed. For a while the two just sat and enjoyed the serenity of the garden. "Keeva, you perplex me. You have been through so much, fought with so little, and yet you still are willing to try. What drives you, so?"

"At first, I worked hard in honor of my mom. It wasn't so hard when I was younger. My grandparents instilled a strong work ethic in me as they weren't able to buy everything I wanted, so I had to work to earn extras. After they passed and I moved in with Uncle Rodrick, I had to work hard to stay at the school. I knew that if I could not keep my scholarship then I would be stuck in the entry level positions like mom was. She wanted better for me. Now I have other people to work for, you and the doctors especially."

"Why?"

"Because if I am not going to work to improve and get better, why should they and you waste time and money on me, if others were willing to do what it takes. I know this will sound cliché but I look for the good in people, that is what I am working towards, because some day I hope to be able to inspire people who are struggling, and if they can see that a girl like me can face her challenges, then perhaps they can as well, if only someone will take the time to believe in them as you and the doctors believe in ."

Lady Sorenson sat there, stunned by the reasoning behind Keeva's motivations. She knew right then, that whatever it took, she would see that Keeva would succeed. As she sat lost in thought, Lady Sorenson heard the chiming of the dinner bell.

"Alright dear lunch time. And as for later, Do you know how to swim?"

Keeva's afternoon passed by in a blur, first a boisterous lunch with the twins, a nap and then the most grueling three hours she could remember in the pool for water therapy. Keeva felt free in the water, able to move better than she had in quite a while, and the exhaustion afterwards was compensated for by a massage and the feeling of triumph that something was finally going right.

This set the pattern for her days, eat, school, eat, nap, physical therapy, eat, and finally bed. One evening, as Keeva sat in bed reading, Dr. Hollowell stopped by her room.

"Keeva, tomorrow is your check-up to see how your back is healing. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, sir, not about my back. I can tell that it is healing slowly, as I have more control in the pool now than two weeks ago."

"Good, good. Now what is your non-medical question, Keeva? I can see it in your eyes." Dr. Hollowell grinned as Keeva flushed.

"Well sir,... um... Why? Why did you and why are you still caring for me? It makes no sense, you're not getting paid much if at all by the state, there's no recognition or acclaim in it for you, I just don't understand!" Keeva looked up, and was startled to see the amusement plainly on his face.

"I was wondering when you would have the courage to ask. The short answer is Love, Joy and Kindness. The long answer will have to wait until tomorrow so that Lady Sorenson and Dr. Hansen can fill in their parts of the story." He leaned over and hugged Keeva, "May Aléthés guard your Dreams ."

So for a while at least, I will be posting shorter parts, mostly because of it being my final semester of college. I am also distracted by my other brand new story Shattered Rules. I will try not to post an update of less than 500 words with a goal of no less than 2000 with words.

Till next time,  please vote, comment, follow or any combination thereof if you like this story or my writing style at all. Thanks!