Healed

Chapter 6

"So how do you like volunteering in the kitchen?" Starfish asked casually.

Flame thought about the question for a moment. It had been a week since he started helping out by making the meals. He had been given total creative freedom and he had used it to his advantage, making delicious foods that everyone complimented him on. And honestly, he was enjoying it a lot.

"It's OK," he answered and looked around Starfish's office in an uninterested manner. Starfish beamed at him.

"I am so glad to hear that! So would you like to keep doing it?"

Flame shrugged. "Sure. I have nothing better to do."

Starfish gave Flame an annoying grin and jotted something down on his paper. Flame tried not to get riled up. After forcing the SeaWing to show him everything he wrote down for the past week during their sessions Flame now knew that it was nothing offensive.

It was still fucking annoying though.

Starfish noticed his irritation and stopped writing. He cleared his throat apologetically and changed the subject. "So, I am glad to see you making friends."

Flame blinked in confusion. "What friends?"

"That nice MudWing, Umber," Starfish supplied and Flame snorted.

Umber. That annoying little MudWing who had insisted on helping Flame cook the meals. He would stumble around the kitchen wearing that stupid grin on his face, constantly snacking on the foods even before they were finished. What a little shit!

"He's not my friend! He's a nuisance," Flame snapped and folded his arms across his chest. Starfish gave him a troubled frown.

"Oh, I didn't realize you felt that way about him. Would you prefer not having him help you? I could speak with him if you'd like," the Healer offered and Flame paused.

He had meant what he said. Umber was not a friend. But he didn't necessarily hate the guy...at least not anymore. And even though he was annoying it was helpful to have another set of talons in the kitchen.

Flame tugged at a loose thread on the cushion he was sitting on, refusing to look the SeaWing in the eyes. "No, it's fine," he grumbled and left it at that. Starfish gave Flame a confused look but didn't push any further.

"Well as long as you're happy then that's all that matters," Starfish said with a tight smile.

Flame narrowed his eyes. What's his problem? Usually his grin's so large it takes up half of his stupid head.

Silently, the SeaWing got up and went over to his desk where he pulled out a file from the shelf. When he turned around he had a somber look on his face. Flame's stomach turned. Oh shit. Now what?

The Healer sat back down on his own cushion and spoke gently. "Now Flame, I know you probably won't want to talk about this, but both Queen Ruby and your mother wanted me to discuss this with you."

Flame perked and his heart began to pound. His mother? What did she want? Did she want him to come home yet? She hadn't replied to any of his letters yet but he assumed she was just busy. What could she possibly want Flame to talk to his Healer about?

But the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach gave him a good indication.

"It's about what you tried to do to Stonemover..."

A wave on nausea crashed over Flame and he felt his scales burn hot. His throat felt tight and dry as the guilt crawled its way up from his stomach and into his skull. It threatened to draw tears from his eyes and turn him a pathetic heap of regret. The sudden burst of guilt nearly made him choke. Ever since the Stonemover incident it had been getting worse and worse but this was the strongest reaction so far.