Life After Death

Juliet: medical hammock

                   

{Juliet}

Corryn had a body again, as he seemed to get during crises. But I could watch his magic bleed out as he carefully applied burn salve. He had to know that he had minutes left. Dagonet was brewing something that smelled terrible while glancing worriedly at his brother.

I had no idea what to do.

Fortunately for me, Parsifal came back to inform us that a room with a hammock was waiting for Lionel; his wings could heal without being pressed against a bed. Gently, Corryn picked up Lionel's unconscious frame, even though he looked too frail himself.

"Parsifal, stay with Dagonet," I ordered. "You two bring that potion, when it's ready."

I shouldered my own bag and picked up the pot of salve and followed Corryn down the hall.

"So that weird nausea, that's Parsifal?" I asked. "That's anti-healing?"

"You have control over your emotions." Corryn explained.

He tried to shift Lionel to get the door, but I opened it instead. A green padded hammock had been set up along with several chairs and a table with a pitcher of water. Apparently, Nick knew we would be here a while.

"Anti-healing happens if a healer gets intensely emotional," Corryn continued, gently resting Lionel down. The boy's wings draped over each side. "Nausea mainly, but it can get so bad that it will actually make the healer vomit. Which is impressive. How is Lionel's back?"

"Not good," I replied, kneeling to look.

Impossibly, Quinn's ring was still balanced on Lionel's pale bare chest.

"We still can't do anything," Corryn grumbled, and watched as his hands began to fade. "And now I really can't do anything." With a grunt, he shifted his form to just hands, the rest of him fading back to ghost.

Dagonet and Parsifal peeked around the doorframe before stepping inside. Dagonet had a vial, which he handed to Corryn.

"It's the strongest I know of," he said. "At least without additional spells."

"Thank you," Corryn said and uncorked it.

I moved to cradle Lionel's head, and very carefully, the silver liquid poured down Lionel's throat. Corryn stepped back; even his hands fading as he passed the vial to Dagonet.

"Now we wait." Corryn took one chair and gestured for me to do the same. "Boys, I would go eat, get some sleep, take a shower, relax. I know you don't want to, but if we need something, you'll want to be rested. Both of you, thank you."

They both looked like they wanted to protest, but I shooed them out the door and closed it. Corryn sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"I heard you were hit with it too," I said.

"All it did was send me back to Hell. No harm done as far as I've noticed," he replied. "Gawain was panicked that I would die. He forgets that I'm already dead."

After a knock on the door, a young woman stepped in. She glanced towards Lionel before she walked over to us. It was Porphia, I realized.

"Hello," she said hesitantly.

"Hello Porphia," I smiled, trying to not look confused. "Why are you here?"

"A lot of futures converge here," she explained. "And in the ones that Lionel lives, I marry him."

She glanced at him worriedly and then sat down with us. In some ways, Porphia was lucky. If Lionel died, she could find a future that he lived, and just stay there. We were stuck in the time we were in.