Medice Ceres

Chapter 54

All eyes still open turned toward Ceres as she reentered the clinic. Muffled sounds of pain and fear rose in the tense silence. Trembling, she pulled closer to her father and dipped her gaze. Waithe knew she would take the blame on herself for the carnage, reasoning that her actions and presence caused it to occur.

He whispered to her. "Do not for a second believe this be your fault, Ceres."

She nodded, but from her downcast eyes, he was not sure she fully believed him.

Ceres wiped the tears from her cheek and sat down next to the same old man she had cured earlier. In the wrong place at the wrong time, he suffered a knife wound to the chest.

She lifted her arms and whispered, "Phy, Anu, Myr, Dal, Life Spirits all. Please come to me. We have work to do." Four lights appeared above her. She addressed the green one. "Phy, you were right. Please forgive me, my dear friend."

The Magic did its work on the old man, restoring him once again. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry, sir. They were after me."

He brushed aside her apology with a grin and a motion of his hand. "Nah. You showed 'em good."

One by one, Ceres applied the magical healing while the Life Spirits hovered overhead, spilling out the shimmering magic by her direction. Waithe assisted with clearing debris and moving the injured to more comfortable locations but stayed close to Ceres. White sheets covering the dead littered the floor. The abundance of these tore at his gut.

Waithe and Ceres came to the doctor's office to find another white sheet on the floor. She pulled it back to reveal Galen's ashen face, his eyes open and blank. With two fingers she closed his eyes then kissed him gently on the forehead. A tear fell from her cheek to his. She whispered, "I beg your forgiveness, doctor. Be at peace now."

A desperate shout came from the front reception area. "Clavis! Where be you?"

Ceres and Waithe dashed to the front to see Alina lifting the white sheets, one by one, her face clenched in desperate hope. At the next, she collapsed to her knees with her hands over her face. "No, no..." Deep sobs took away any further words. She lifted her brother's lifeless torso to her lap, rocking back and forth as she wailed.

Ceres stood stone-faced, holding on to her father's arm. Alina's and Ceres' eyes met. Alina's wet face swirled with strong emotion: anguish, anger, and despair all at once. Ceres' knees gave way as tears gushed from her eyes. Waithe caught her in his arms.

He said, "There be no more we can do here. Let us leave before more soldiers arrive."

They walked in silence back to the cottage. As they entered, Waithe said, "Pack your things, we can no longer stay here."

Ceres sat down on a bed, her head turned down in her hands. "I lectured Graham about war and then I waged it myself. A hypocrite am I."

He sat down next to her. "You defended those in the clinic and yourself. No one would fault you for that."

"But the rage... The Darkness nearly took me."

"Yet in the most trying circumstance, it did not. You still have a great advantage, the love in your heart."

She shook her head. "Will it be enough? I must end this, but I do not know if I am strong enough."

Ceres lifted her head as a gently shining green light appeared before her. "Phy?"

She gazed at the Spirit. The edges of her mouth slowly turned up and a tear traced her cheek, one of joy rather than despair.

Wiping the tear away, she turned to Waithe. "Father, it is Eira! She sends me a vision. In her thoughts she speaks to me..." Ceres gasped.  "She said she loves me. And Alden be with her!"