She made a grossed-out expression.
The doctor chuckled. “Yes, you do seem to be much improved. But we don’t want to risk a relapse if it can be avoided.”
Renny nodded seriously.
The doctor considered her for another moment, and then said, “I believe we can dispense with the tonic for tonight. The company seems to be having a more beneficial effect.”
Renny beamed at Perian, and he smiled back, delighted to get confirmation that he was helping Renny. It was certainly what he was trying to do, and hearing it from the doctor herself made Perian even more certain that he was doing the right thing.
Smiling, the doctor said, “I think if you continue to show this improvement, you can move to the sitting room the day after tomorrow. I’d like one more day of rest to ensure that you’re recovering as much strength as possible before you begin to expend it again. I’ll still come by daily, and we will assess on a day-to-day basis.”
Renny nodded, and then she yawned. “Thank you, Doctor.”
Lips tipping up, the doctor said, “You still need your rest. It always takes energy for our bodies to mend themselves when they’re ill.”
Renny’s expression drooped a little. “I’m not sure there’s enough rest or energy to mend my illness.”
The doctor patted Renny’s free hand. “Perhaps not. But then, we never know what the future will bring, do we? I wouldn’t have predicted that you would be so well this spring and summer, and yet, look at how you’ve flourished.”
Renny smiled, some of the despair falling away from her. “That’s true. This has been a wonderful few months!”
“And so we’ll work hard to regain it—and sometimes that means resting.”
Renny nodded. “Yes, all right.”
She yawned again.
Perian gave her hand a final squeeze and released it as he said, “I think you really do need to rest.”
She gave her best wide-eyed pout. “Don’t go, not yet.”
“Let me at least pack up the picnic,” Perian suggested. “And I think we should get you back under the covers.”
Renny huffed but allowed this transfer to take place.
“Will you read to me a little more?” she asked.
“You know what I’m going to read, don’t you?”
She made a face. “Not the Old Tongue book.”
“Yes, the water magic book in the Old Tongue. No funny voices inthatbook.”
“I’m not sure even funny voices would help,” she complained. “I don’t think I understood half of it, but I’m not sure that was a loss.”
Perian couldn’t really disagree. “But it’s guaranteed to put you to sleep, and you know you need rest.”
She made another dissatisfied sound but didn’t try to argue with him.
The doctor took her leave, and Perian retrieved the most boring book ever written about water magic. Within ten minutes, Renny was snoring slightly. Perian kept reading for a few more minutes, both for Kee and to make sure that Renny was properly asleep.
In the Old Tongue, he said, “I’m going to keep looking out for her. I promise.”
He carefully climbed off the bed, returned the book to the shelf—he’d marked the page he was reading with the ribbon bookmark, though he scarcely knew why, as opening it to any page and starting to read would make as much sense as what he’d gone through so far—and then grabbed up the blankets and the picnic basket and slipped out of the room.
Chapter Four
It looked like the shifts had changed, because in the sitting room instead of Delana, there was a Mage Warrior Perian recognized only by sight and a Warrior whose name he thought was Mitor. He inclined his head at both of them and let them know that Renny was sleeping peacefully.
