The King of Saminu

Chapter 28

 "How's he doing today?" One of the healers asked as he entered my room. I shook my head. Ellsk normally said hello when the healing shifts changed. Today, he did not. The silence was answer enough.
"You're not looking good either, Rensker. You need to eat something and go to bed," Gamm pulled my shoulder, trying to get me to leave my youngest brother's side. I shook my head, keeping my slowly dimming hands available to heal him.

"Rensker," Gamm warned, another healer grabbing my arm. "You can't heal him if you're not healthy," They both pulled me away, someone else's hands replacing my own. I had no energy to fight, and when I was placed on Gamm's bed, my eyes closed without me wanting to. I forced them back open, watching as Gamm and two healers carried an unconscious Ellsk out of the room.

He was getting worse every hour. Today, his eyes remained closed, too weak to be able to wake up. I hadn't heard my younger brother's voice in a week, his throat hoarse from a cough when he had been able to wake up for even an hour. He was deteriorating in my arms every day, and I could do nothing but keep him alive. The thought crossed my mind too often - Ellsk had a very real possibility of dying.

It grew loud outside, loud enough to wake me from the deep slumber I had been in. Just as I angrily peeled my eyes open, the door slamming against the crumbling wall. It felt like a dream. A tall body stood in the doorway, casting a familiar shadow against the dirt floor of the room.
"Hey," Brann smiled, breaking the silence we sat in. I blinked, rubbing my eyes. It had to be a dream, a cruel one. But as Brann grew closer and his face came into view, he became real.

I couldn't get out of the bed fast enough. Brann met me halfway, my arms wrapping around his neck. He noticed the change immediately, pulling away from my hug and placing his hands against my heavily swollen stomach.
"I missed seeing him grow," Brann whispered. His voice sounded deeper. The expression on his face was unfamiliar. Harsh and cold, as opposed to the bright and bubbly Brann he had left as. War changed people, I knew. But I never expected Brann to change.

"I missed you," Tears were easy to fall, my head disappearing once more into the folds of Brann's military uniform. He was left soft.
"I missed you too," Brann sighed, picking me up without warning and laying down with me on the bed I had previously laid in. "I missed laying in a bed," Brann practically moaned. I sat, my hands on Brann's chest, his eyes staring up at me.

I wanted to memorize the color of his eyes, the way that the dull lighting changed the color. Time had changed the memory of them, and reality made him that much more beautiful. His hair was short. There was a faint scar on his right cheekbone. I brushed my thumb across it. Brann seemed to notice what I was referencing.
"Damn Slifnian got me. Took an hour to heal," Brann cursed, then his eyes grew wide. I shook my head, a chuckle forced out.
"The baby won't remember your words, Brann," Brann's brows furrowed.

"The baby doesn't know my voice besides what I've said today," The reality hit Brann, whether it be today or sometime while he was fighting the war. Three months we had been apart. We had four months, approximately, before the baby was going to arrive. I had known the consequence of time before Brann had even thought of it. Time had lessened my sadness and increased my anger. But seeing my husband, holding my hands against him, I couldn't voice that.

"What happened out there?" I asked, and Brann sighed.
"We didn't get very far. They're good. We match each other. At one point, we had gained another mile, a city. But they sent back even more men. They won it back. I watched as our numbers dwindled each day," Brann's voice grew strained, the sound of someone who didn't want to cry coming out. "I missed you more than I could ever vocalize, but I'm glad you weren't there. I never want you to witness that. I never want them to witness that," Brann rested his hands on my stomach. I sighed, getting up and dragging the extra bed over to where I had my own space to lay down next to him.

"You can move that?" He sounded surprised. I nodded, a smile finding its way onto my face.
"I've been training. I can do a couple push-ups... well, before the baby got too big. Kipt kicked my ass more times than I can count. She's a scary woman, but she's helpful," I lay down on my side, and Brann pressed a kiss to my forehead. I smiled.

"Were you sleeping earlier? Are you tired?" Brann questioned, and I nodded. My smile disappeared as I remembered my mindset from hours ago.
"I sleep during the day now. Ellsk came here a couple of weeks ago, and he's... he's really sick. We have a healer with him every hour,"
"You heal him by yourself during the night hours? Rensker, that's twelve hours, on your feet, exerting yourself," Brann didn't say it, but he implied it. I shook my head, my throat tightening.

"If he doesn't have a healer, he worsens. Brann, he can't even wake up right now. I haven't... I haven't heard his voice, I can't... he's not getting better. We're slowing down his decline, but right now... that's all I can do," Brann grew quiet. A heavy silence engulfed the room, infecting every corner and putting a heavy weight on my chest.
"He'll get better. He... he has to. He's young," Even my husband seemed choked up on the idea of Ellsk's future. I yawned, and Brann quieted down, rubbing comforting circles on my back. The familiarity of him lulled me to sleep.

I awoke not long into my nap to a warm plate of food. Brann smiled at me and motioned for me to sit up. For a few moments, I felt as if I were in a dream. The bubble popped, and a smile crept onto my face.
"I missed seeing your smile. I missed seeing everyone smile," Brann sighed, rolling his head back and stretching his shoulders before he brought me my bowl of military prepared soup.
"You missed everyone, Brann? I thought I was special," I pouted and Brann laughed. It was whimsical, but there was that underlying sadness to it. He wanted to laugh, but he felt guilty for it.

"Now, you tell me what all you did while I was away. I want to hear all of it. The good, the bad, everything. Has the baby kicked yet?"
"I cried for a bit. Moped around a lot, but Gamm pressured me to get out every day. He forced me to go to the mess hall for each of my meals, and then it was announced that all of us would begin training a week after you left. I went with, and every day, I would come back sore and would barely be able to move. But look! I have a little bit of muscle now! And I'm stronger!" I flexed the barely visible muscle in my right arm and Brann clapped his hands.

"Ellsk came a couple of weeks ago. It was the middle of the night, after I had a dream that... the dream doesn't matter. Ellsk came a little sick, and he's gotten worse as the days go on. I don't really have time to train anymore. Gamm still does. In fact, any moment now, I'll need to head down to the infirmary and pick Ellsk up,"
"I'll go with you. I want to see him and talk to the doctors. Maybe they aren't taking their jobs seriously," Brann grumbled, and I shook my head.

"We're all doing the best we can. Two healers are with Ellsk during the day, and I'm working double time with him at night. Sometimes... sometimes it just takes a bit more time for someone to heal," I tried convincing myself. Brann nodded, but he still seemed cautious.
"The sun is going to start to set soon. Finish up your soup and we can go pick him up," Brann pointed, and I hurriedly slurped the rest of the broth.

Brann held my hand as we walked to pick up my baby brother for what could be the last time.