Part 10 (1/2)

Relief began to trickle through her and she welcomed it. As she picked up the spoon and sat to eat, her tiredness changed from struggling to give her best to a patient to the satisfied triumph of seeing a sickness beaten.

Furrabeast stew wasnat her favorite, but the smell tantalized and the big chunks of vegetables in it made her mouth water. Her fingers wanted to dip the spoon into the bowl faster and faster, taste the rich broth, so she controlled them. As she ate, she let the familiar sounds of Healers around her, the robe, and the simple meal rea.s.sure her down to her quietly pumping heart that she was safe, that shead done well, and all would be well in the future. Her current trial was done.

And Lark Holly was pampering her. Lovely. Artemisia wanted to hope her job was secure, but couldnat forget the chill in Healer Ura Heatheras eyes.

TaHeatheras gaze was on Garrett as he ate his clucker soup. Garrett was full but hadnat given up because head eaten only a tiny amount. Odd how having nutrients transferred into his blood directly made a manas stomach shrink. He wouldnat be eating a large and thick steak for a while and that was perturbing. He liked his meat.

The kitten had eaten as much as he. Right next to him on his bed. Didnat look like head be getting rid of the thing anytime soon.

It was good spending time with a guy, listening to the older Healer. Garrett had figured head like TaHeather if he got to know the man.

aSo,a TaHeather said casually, atell me why you wanted SecondLevel Healer Artemisia Mugwort out of the room.a Garrett choked. On broth.

Thirteen.

Garrett coughed until the Healer put a large hand on his chest and tweaked his insides and Garrett breathed easily again. aNice trick,a he gasped out.

The man shrugged heavy shoulders. aSimple.a TaHeatheras shrewd gaze seemed to look inside Garrettas head. He wasnat used to talking with older FirstFamily Lords with such great Flair. Then TaHeather raised a hand. aI know why you avoid Healer Mugwort. You are very attracted to her and donat want to be.a She is kind, said the kitten.

Grunting, Garrett picked up a small hunk of bread, sopped up the last of the clucker soup, and stuffed it in his mouth. When he was done chewing, he said, aThanks for coming by.a The GrandLordas face was serious as he responded. aYouare clear, son. You have done all of Celta a great service.a I know, said the kitten.

Garrett felt himself flusha”with embarra.s.sment this time, not fever, thank the Lord and Lady. aAnyone would have done the same.a aMaybe, maybe not. The FirstFamilies wonat be forgetting this, I a.s.sure you.a aGood to know.a Lark Holly strolled in from the sitting room. aNor will history. I am sure that with all the information this project provided us with, as well as your blood samples, we will be able to control the Iasc sickness.a She curtseyed deeply to Garrett. aThank you.a aWelcome,a he said.

WELCOME, said his Fam.

She turned to TaHeather. aWith your permission, I would like to return home.a aGo,a the lord said.

A nod to Garrett, then she walked back through the decontamination spells.h.i.+eld and forcefield, and when TQ declared she was clean of any Iasc cells, she teleported away.

Before Artemisia could return, Garrett flung off the thin sheet and held out a hand to TaHeather. aHelp me into that d.a.m.n waterfall, will you?a The Healer eyed him professionally. aLooks like you dropped some weight, still a good figure of a man, shouldnat worry about scaring the ladies.a The lord yanked him up smoothly and set his thick arm under Garrettas. aExcept for your face, of course. Grim, son, grim.a Garrett snorted.

TaHeather grinned. aIall wait in the dressing room while you cleanse.a Me, too, said the little cat, trotting after them. The lord deftly kept them from tripping on the Fam.

Garrett scowled. aI donat need anyone.a TaHeather laughed. aOh, son, you are so wrong.a aI donat need you, either.a Garrett glared at the kitten.

The tiny spotted cat lifted his nose. I am Rusby. I named Myself with a Primrose name. My friend TQ listed Me names and I liked Rusby best.

aIam a distant offshoot of the Primrose Family. I go by Primross,a Garrett said.

The cat sniffed.

He stared into little yellow eyes. aI donat need a Fam.a The small white and spotted muzzle lifted. I want a FamMan and you will do.

TaHeather coughed. aIave found that young cats can be stubborn.a Yes, Rusby said.

Garrett had found that all cats could be stubborn and they all wanted their own way. Sometimes you could negotiate, sometimes bargain, sometimes cajole, often blackmail. Didnat make living with them any easier.

aGet in the waterfall and wash some sense into your hard head,a TaHeather said.

Smoothing her new robe, Artemisia stepped into the bedroom. Already it looked less of a sickroom. She moved quickly through the dressing rooma”overfull with Garrett in the waterfall, TaHeather examining her medical setup, and the cat on one of the cabinets.

TQ had new linens for her bedsponge and she dumped the old ones in one of his canisters.

While Garrett luxuriated under a strong and pulsing waterfall, she remade both beds. Soon everything in the rooms would be asha”a pity about the furniture, but Artemisia was glad shead had the expensive bed. It had been so much better than a cot.

She and Garrett were exhausted, but TQ would watch them this last day and night, then they would leave at noon. Since the man was back to politely avoiding her, she didnat think she would see him again. Stupid to miss someone shead known only a couple of days, and not much of that when head been healthy.

She hoped his nightmare memories had finally burned out. That his reliving the loss of his lover was a final ending to his grief. Oddly enough, Artemisia thought shead sensed some of those dreams, they had been so intense . . . and she had been the only other person in the House, and caring for him.

Or would the experience have stirred the loss up for him again?

She didnat know. There had been grief in her life, but death had never claimed someone shead loved. Shead been lucky in that. Her whole Family had. A blessing she hadnat realized.

Looking inside herself, she believed shead changed, too, grown a little tougher. In the depths of the night, when she was weary and fearful, shead had only herself to rely on. TQ was there, if shead wanted to talk, but he had respected her aloneness. Not loneliness, exactly, but aloneness.

Shead been alone for the first time in her life. Her previous lovers had lived in a building with others, or in their Family homes. Being alone had been an odd feeling, but satisfying. She had come through the pressures of the experiment. And if those pressures hadnat been too difficult, they were still more than shead ever faced. She would have to thank her Family for the blessing ritual again.

She heard the waterfall turn off and male voices. Before she could hurry to help, GrandLord TaHeather filled the doorway, thick finger pointing at her. aYou,a he said.

She squeezed her abused pillow tight. aYes?a aGood job, Mugwort. Leave the boy alone for now and go to sleep. Thatas an order.a She blinked, shrugged, glanced at her tempting bedsponge. aItas the middle of the day.a TaHeather chuckled. aIave been on round-the-clock jobs; surprised you know the time. You need sleep, girl; take some. Youall be busy enough once you get back to Primary HealingHall.a A little b.u.mp of the heart, of hope. aYes, GrandLord.a He nodded, stepped back, and closed her door.

Garrett surfaced to clogged-hearing silence. Yawning, his ears popped and night bird tweets trilled.

Yes, too quiet. The quiet of no one in his room. His HeartMate was gone. He was alone in the dark. He uncurled from a fetal curl, groaned, and struggled to an elbow.

aYou are awake again,a said the smooth voice of the Turquoise House.

aYeah. Light?a He coughed.

aSay when,a TQ said as a glow began around the ceiling, banis.h.i.+ng the night to dimness.

aWhen!a Garrett blinked stinging eyes. A little more than when.

The lights faded.

aDonata”a aYou were blinking. For many sicknesses it is appropriate to press recovery, but not the Iasc, and not when youave fought the sickness every second of three days.a Garrett tried to sit up, couldnat, couldnat even get his elbow propped back under himself, and flopped back into the softness of the bedsponge. Head thought head be stronger the second time he came around.

But the bedsponge was dry.

He sniffed. He didnat smell too bad. And he didnat recall any dreams. The fever must really be gone, and he hadnat sweated. Probably still had a grim face.

Though his nose might be as plugged as his ears had been.

aThree days . . . that makes this?a His mind was too sluggish; he should be sharper.