Terror of the Shadow

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Laban awoke feeling heavy and very, very weak. More than anything, he just felt tired. But the comforting embrace of sleep and already fled. He was awake now.
He drew a breath. The air was thick and stale. It made him cough, which only made his tired lungs hurt even more.
Laban heard something stir. He wasn't alone. He pried open his eyelids, biting through the pain that shot through his skull. He looked around. He was lying on an old padded cot, tucked away in the cramped medical bay of the Kannebore. Kol was there with him, keeping watch as he muched at a piece of fruit.
"Laban?" said Kol, suddenly at his side.
"W-wha..." his voice squeaked. His throat was too raw to produce much more than a single note.
    "Take it easy, brother," Kol said. "It's been a rough few days for you."
    "I need—" Laban tried to muster out a few words. "To go... back..."
He held on desperately to those images of his mother. It had all felt so real then. Dreams always do until you wake up, Laban said to himself. Already they had begun to fade. Surely it could have been nothing more than a dream.
    "Don't try to speak, brother," Kol said. "You've been unconscious for two days. That's not something you recover from very quickly, brother. Lie down. Stay put. I'll go get some help."
    Kol quickly ducked out of the small room. Laban laid his head back down on the pillow and shut his eyes. The light was feeble, but to him it was blinding.
Two days? How could he have been asleep for so long? Yet the gnawing of his empty stomach told him it must be true. His muscles were stiff, aching from their lack of use. Laban felt the stump of his left wrist.
Kol soon returned, but with a companion dressed in a long, white tunic that skirted the floor and hugged closely to her curves. Laban recognized this nurse from his time in the sick tent at Ura-chan.
"You're awake," the nurse said. Laban nodded.
"Take this," the nurse. She handed Laban a small canister of water. "Just don't drink too much too quickly."
Laban opened the cap and sipped the cool liquid. It quenched the burning his throat, but somehow only sharpened his hunger. The nurse quietly used small instrument to measure his pulse and blood pressure.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Hungry," Laban said, finally finding the strength to speak.
The nurse smiled. "Yes, I'm sure you are."
She continued to examine his body, shining a light down his throat and in his eyes. She even pressed her ear against his back to listen to the sound of his breathing.
"I'll be back with some fruit for you to eat," she said once she had finished with her exam. "Just try to relax. Kol will look after you."
    "Thank you," Laban said. The nurse turned and disappeared again out the door.
    "How are you doing, brother?" Kol asked. He pulled up a chair next to Laban's cot.
    "Fine," Laban replied. "Just hungry."
    He had answered honestly, which surprised even himself. In truth, he really felt alright.
    "I'm glad to hear it," said Kol. "We were worried about you."
    "Was I really out for two days?" Laban asked between gulps of water.
    Kol nodded. "The nurses said you were as close to death as you could be without actually dying."
    "I can't remember... what happened to me?"
    Kol shrugged. "We were getting ready to bring our Silver Nightwatchers back to camp when you fell right over into the sand. We carried you back and laid you down right where you're sitting."
    "So, how has the hunting been going?" Laban asked.
    "Oh, not bad. Of course, it could be better. At this rate, we may have to wait until the end of the week before we can return to Ura-chan."
    "I'm sorry I couldn't help."
    Kol waved his hand. "Don't worry, Laban. You have nothing to be sorry for."
    The nurse stepped through the door, holding a small pouch in her hand.
    "We'll, Laban. I must say you're looking better already," she said, handing him the pouch. "Your breakfast. Enjoy. I may be back soon to check on you."
    She smiled softly and left the two alone again. Laban opened the pouch and threw a handful of berries into his mouth.
    "Well, I'd best be heading out, brother," Kol said, standing up. "Will you be alright on your own?"
    "What time is it?" Laban asked.
    "Early morning. Everyone's just getting ready to leave for the day's hunt."
    "Can I come?"
    "I'm not sure you're—"
    Laban shot to his feet. He tottered a bit on his heels as the blood suddenly drained from his head.
    "I'm fine," he stated, trying to stand as tall as he could.
    Kol sighed. "Alright," he said, although not too confidently. "If anything, some air and exercise will do you some good."