90 Finally Out of Bed (1/2)
Three more days slowly passed for Jack as his only visitors were Maura for meals, Daliea trying to have their second date, and Bowzer returning each night after spending the day with Slivia. Anxious to finally get out and move around, Jack jumped out of bed the moment his body allowed him.
A tumult of emotions and thoughts fought inside of Jack.
Maura seemed closed off and never bothered to chat with him. The sassy, fun-loving Maura that he had met weeks ago was long gone. In her place was a straight-faced brunette that appeared at each meal like clockwork and forced too much food down his throat to let him speak in her presence. And the few things Jack was able to mention or ask were entirely ignored as if she hadn't heard him.
Daliea was far more persistent than Jack had imagined. It took over an hour for him to explain that her visiting him in bed wasn't a date, but he never could change her mind that their first ”date” was invalid. She would come each night to see if he could stand and go for a quick walk, always leaving in disappointment.
Jack wasn't sure how he should handle her situation. She always said it was her duty, but she was far warmer than Maura and genuinely expressed care for him. He wanted to keep stalling and eventually reject her when he had a chance, however, there was a small part of him that felt that he shouldn't turn her away.
One thing that didn't help at all was how Slivia never came to visit him since the night he woke up. Jack was completely lost about how she felt for him. Previously he had guessed that she liked him and thought the kiss on the cheek was proof. Now, he hadn't seen her in days and she never bothered to check in on him, leaving him to combat Daliea's pursuits and Maura's strange change in personality.
'Jack better?' asked Bowzer, who was woken up as he rolled off Jack's chest.
'Yup, I'm feeling a lot better!' shouted Jack. He raised his arms in excitement and got a whiff of his pits, causing him to cough and almost gag. 'Wow… I need a bath… Come on Bowzer, let's go take a bath.'
'Bowzer want sleep, bath with Sliv yesterday.' The fox curled up under the sheets and vanished without another word.
Jack felt a little jealous of Bowzer, who bragged unintentionally. He then remembered the time he had almost found Slivia bathing in the woods. The picture was etched into his memory. Her loose, slightly damp shirt hugged her, and her wet golden hair hung low to dry naturally. It was a view that he'd love to see again.
Not wanting to dwell in his daydreams for too long, Jack walked towards the bathes inside the association building. It may appear rundown, but the bathes were well-maintained and always in perfect order.
He rinsed himself in no time and sunk himself into the calming hot water. Jack could feel the energy he lacked during his long time in bed seeping back into him with each passing minute.
”Uhhhh…” Jack sighed and let himself drift in the blissful waters.
”Ya finally feeling better?”
”Oh… Yeah…” Jack answered Maynard casually, already aware of his presence. ”It's been too long since I've had a nice, relaxing bath.”
”I hear ya. It's one of the best ways to clear your head after an arduous mission.” Maynard turned around and shouted, ”Brunar, hurry up before I'm boiled over.”
”Yes, Master!” replied Brunar, barreling out of the changing room and into the warm pool. ”Hey Jack, how are you feeling?”
”I'm feeling great; much better now that I can move again. And there's no better way to re-energize and clear your head than a hot bath,” stated Jack. ”What have you been up to lately? Anything exciting?”
”I've just been running a few errands for Master and chief Zariff. Now and again someone will stop me in the streets if they recognize me, but I love hearing their thanks and expressing my gratitude for their support. Things won't get busy till tomorrow.”
”Ya ready for your trial with the king?” asked Maynard, paying close attention to Jack's reply.
”I guess, it's not like I have any choice. If I had my way, then that king wouldn't be a king in the first place,” berated Jack.
”Aren't ya exaggerating a little? From what I've seen, King Leodoro has been far more successful than his father and deserves some praise,” reasoned Maynard.
”Why's that? Would a great king just summon a stranger, declare him as a hero, and then demand he sign away his life in servitude of a kingdom that the stranger doesn't know or understand?” said Jack.
”True, that logic seems a bit forced. However, should a stranger ask for total trust, support, and wealth from a king before proving himself? I think there are issues on both sides of the argument,” sighed Maynard, closing his eyes and returning to concentration to meditating.
Jack rolled his eyes, unsure of how he should answer such a statement.