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My face falls, thinking this would have changed his heart. We’ve been working toward this for so long; why isn’t he excited? What could have gotten into him that would have changed him so terribly?
I follow him up the hill, and a thought makes my heart sink and my stomach turn.He’s going to leave now. He has no more reason to stay here.
Going our separate ways would be the most efficient way to avoid more pain, but I don’t want to avoid him. I want things to go back to how they were when I would look into his eyes and see kindness and caring instead of stoicism and apathy.
The realization makes this return more bitter than sweet as I use my energy to climb the rest of the hill. Eventually, Ur becomes more visible, and we reach the top of the hill. I look down at the forest, grateful I’ll never have to walk among those trees again.
“Dana!” Ur says enthusiastically. “Bonnie has been worried sick about you. Hurian,” he says as he turns to him, shaking his hand. “So glad you two are alright. We were about to abandon our search for you two.”
“Glad you didn’t,” I chuckle, looking at Hurian, who still remains silent.
I clear my throat and look away from him. Just as I do, Hurian starts walking away from us. I scoff and roll my eyes; how can he have this much nerve? The fury I have is too much to contain again.
“Hurian!” I call after him, but he keeps walking. My eyes well with tears, and Ur looks at me with concern. He tries to place his hand on my shoulder, but I keep looking at Hurian. “Hurian!” I call again, my voice cracking through my tears.
I try to walk toward him, but Ur grabs my arms. I break inside and begin sobbing as Ur stands in front of me, looking at me concernedly.
“Dana, are you alright? You look flushed.”
He’s right; I feel lightheaded. I begin to see black and purple specks in my vision and weight behind my eyes as I fall into Ur’s arms. I’m still barely conscious when he catches me before I hit the ground. The last thing I hear before I black out is Hurian calling my name in a panic and his footsteps rushing back to me.
23
HURIAN
When Dana collapses, all thoughts of leaving are put on hold.
No, that’s not true.
Part of me wants to race into the woods and sprint away. If she’s dying, I’m not sure I’ll recover. Flora was hard enough. If I lose Dana…
Numbly, I follow the rest of the search team into the base. The guards wave us in and call for a doctor. Ur carries Dana. Her head is limp against his shoulder.
Dana’s not waking up.
Fuck, fuck, fuck…
Bonnie, the human doctor, runs towards us. Something silver flashes in her hands, and she’s using the mechanical thing that lets her listen to the inside of Dana’s body somehow. I don’t know much about human medical practices outside of the herbs Dana spoke about for healing poultices. All I know is that they’re more suited to this planet than our own ancient healing practices.
“Vitals are normal.” A shaman sets a white blanket on the floor, and the orcs in the search party help lay Dana in it before lifting her. I grab a section of blanket by her feet along with Ur, and we rush ahead, taking a sharp left turn towards a row of small buildings that Bonnie directs us toward.
Merchants and civilians stumble out of the way as we march forward, but a look from Bonnie manages to clear our path without the need to throw any orcish elbows. Soon a pair of human nurses and a shaman take over, lifting Dana into the stone building.
I crane my neck as she’s shuffled into the hospital. Her color looks fine, perhaps a touch too pink. She’s still breathing.
So why isn’t she awake?
I can’t leave until I know for sure, even if my pack is ready to go on my back.
Even if I’m about to find out something I don’t want to know.
Ur says something to Bonnie. I’m not paying attention, too busy squinting at Dana’s form as she’s carted past another doorway.
“Well?” Bonnie holds a door open for me. “Are you coming?”
I nod, following her inside.
No matter how many times I see this hospital, I can’t get over my shock. There are still primitive tents in front of the hospital wing, remnants from previous generations. The Burning Sun shamans use them for rituals, and if there’s a large-scale attack, the tents are used for triaging the injured.
