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"...and, anyway, I was thinking maybe Uncle Jon and I could go exploring tomorrow, if its all right, that is?" Unsure from whom he needed permission, Alex's gaze flickered between Zaynab and his mother. Evy glanced at the Abadi, as well. Receiving a slight nod from Zaynab, she nodded at her son.
Nearly springing into the air with excitement, Alex grinned and turned toward his uncle. His expression fell as he realized Jonathan had become distracted. Following his uncle's gaze, he glanced down into the open eyes of Ardeth Bey.
"Ardeth! You're awake!"
The Medjai responded with a sleepy blink.
"How are you feeling?" Evy asked, softly. Her first urge had been to chastise him for what he'd done, but realizing he might mistake it for real anger, she resisted the temptation. Evy reminded herself that there would be plenty of time to 'discuss' it with him later - when he was more coherent.
Again, Ardeth blinked sleepily, but managed a reassuring smile.
"Oh, don't bother asking him that, mum. You know he'll just say he's fine," Alex quipped, earning an amused smile from the Medjai. Evy and Jonathan grinned, as well.
"Najat will be pleased; I must inform her," Zaynab announced, before anyone could ask him anything else. Bowing toward the bed, she backed away and quickly departed. Evy, Jonathan and Alex remained focused on Ardeth.
Jonathan simply grinned, giddily; seeing Ardeth's eyes open brought an intense wave of relief washing through the Englishman. He wasn't going to be responsible for helping the warrior kill himself, after all.
Also relieved, Evy smiled, but kept the giddiness out of her expression. She didn't want to alarm Ardeth by appearing too surprised to see him awake. Nonchalantly taking Zaynab's vacated position, she snatched the damp towel from his forehead, rewetted it with cool water, and gently bathed his face and arms. The soft caress lulled Ardeth's eyes closed again, and he flinched when Evy abruptly spoke.
"You gave us a bit of a scare, there," she stated, softly. Biting back an apology for startling him, Evy continued in a soothing tone. "But you're doing fine, so don't you worry. Your fever's still a little high, but you're breathing much better."
Ardeth smiled, patiently. His thoughts focused on escaping back into sleep, the warrior hadn't really been wondering, but was able to appreciate that she thought he might.
"We saw your soul! It was neat, well, really scary, but really neat, too!" Alex babbled, excitedly. Ardeth sleepily shifted his gaze to the child and smiled. "Did you know we saw your soul?! Could you see us, too?!"
Ardeth nodded, weakly, and let his heavy eyelids close. It pleased him that they were all so excited to see him awake, but he still didn't want to be there. He wanted to be in Paradise with his family. He'd sacrificed that for them, but Ardeth would settle for the realm of dreams, if they would just let him fall back into it. The feel of a soft hand pressing gently against his cheek brought Ardeth's eyes open again. Glancing up, he found Najat gazing down with a patient smile upon her face.
"You're fever has diminished somewhat," she commented. The expression on her face as she spoke made Ardeth suspect it was more for the benefit of the small group hovering around him, than because she expected that he cared to know.
"Drink."
Glancing down, Ardeth discovered a cup in her hand. As she brought it to his lips, he obediently drank. The medicine tasted different, and he wrinkled his face at it.
"It is better than coughing, is it not?" Najat quipped, chuckling at the face. Ardeth tossed her a half-smile.
"Will you try to eat a little?" She asked, maternally.
Instead of answering, Ardeth blinked, sleepily, and nearly forgot to open his eyes again. When he did, he saw a slight frown on the Abadi's face and nodded, in hopes of banishing it. Najat smiled and turned to fetch the tray of food she'd brought with her.
"Food has been prepared for you, as well," Zaynab announced, glancing from Jonathan to Evy to Alex.
"Tsk, do not argue, young one," she added, when Alex appeared about to protest. "The sun is setting and you have eaten nothing since mid-morning."
Evy raised a startled eyebrow, then, blushed. She hadn't realized she'd dallied so long with Rick. Unseen beneath her burqa, Zaynab smirked, knowingly, and continued.
"Joining your family for the meal will provide you an opportunity to tell your father all the tales you have heard."
The comment reminded Alex that he had adventures to plan for the next day. Grinning, he hopped from the bed and started toward the door. He froze mid-step, as it occurred to him that he'd likely be sent off to bed after dinner. Pivoting around, Alex smiled at Ardeth.
"I'm glad you feeling a little better. I'll see you tomorrow and tell all about the stuff we find, okay?"
Ardeth nodded, slightly, and returned the smile.
"Sleep well, child," Najat offered, as she set the food tray on the bed beside Ardeth. "Good evening, Jonathan, Evelyn."
The tone of Najat's voice indicated that they weren't to return after eating. Evy glanced over, prepared to protest; she'd barely spent any time with Ardeth. However, Najat returned a glance that stopped the words in Evy's throat.
"Good evening," was all she managed to get out, before obediently following Zaynab out the door.
"Shall we start with the broth first?" Najat asked, not bothering to watch her guests depart. Ardeth glanced down at the tray of assorted fruits and breads surrounding a large bowl of broth. None of it looked particularly appealing, so he simply nodded. Pleased, Najat grinned and took a seat facing him.
"Badi'a will be here in the morning," she informed the Medjai, as she brought the spoon to his lips. Ardeth wrinkled his face disapprovingly, before dutifully accepting the broth. As the spoon returned with more broth, Ardeth rolled his eyes toward the door.
"There is nothing to be done," Najat replied, briefly following his gaze. "Badi'a would not be refused, and I cannot see the O'Connells agreeing to depart while your fever continues."
Ardeth sighed and closed his eyes, wishing, even more fervently, to escape back into sleep. The meeting of Badi'a and the O'Connells would be an ugly affair, one that he had no desire to witness.
"Tsk, do not let it concern you," Najat soothed, bringing his eyes open. He found a waiting spoon and accepted it, less than half-heartedly. "Badi'a will be here as my guest, as are the outsiders. She will behave accordingly, this I can assure you."
Ardeth replied with a lopsided grin. He had never witnessed a clash of wills between Najat and his sister. That, he decided, might indeed be a sight worth seeing.
~*~*~*~*~
"...and it just sitting out there! Nobody's bothered to excavate it or anything! Can we check it out, Dad, please?!"
Rick chuckled at his son and quickly shoved another bite of food into his mouth to stall for time. Chewing slowly, he glanced at Evy, who shrugged.
"Can we, Dad?! Please! Can we?!" Alex pleaded, sitting on the proverbial edge of his seat.
"Well, I'm not sure about that particular site; I think we'd better find out more about it first. How about we explore the caves around here tomorrow?" Rick offered. Alex frowned, disappointedly, but then, decided that he'd better take what he could get before they decided not to let him explore anything.
"Thanks, Dad," he replied, with a broad grin. Shoveling the rest of his dinner, Alex daydreamed about what they might find.
Rick nearly laughed at the look on his son's face. It reminded him so much of Evy, it almost made his heart burst with happiness. He couldn't remember how he'd survived without Evy and Alex in his life. Yet, if Ardeth hadn't taken her place, he might have lost her.
Rick abruptly realized that he still didn't know why. Evy'd never gotten around to explaining what had happened. All he knew was that she'd tried to kill Ardeth, and Ardeth blamed himself for provoking her. That had been enough for him to nearly kill the Medjai back in their guest room, but it was such a little bit of information...too little. Sooner or later, Rick knew he'd have to face Ardeth again and convince the warrior that he hadn't dishonored himself; how could he do that with so little knowledge of what had really happened? The need for the truth gnawing at his Rick's gut, his appetite suddenly vanished. Pushing his plate aside, he sat back and impatiently waited for Evy to finish eating.
~*~*~*~*~
Ardeth twisted his head to the side as the spoon returned, yet again; he'd remained in the realm of real voices long enough. Vaguely catching the movement of Najat's hand pulling away, the warrior glanced toward her. He found a frown on her face and, for a moment, considered trying to eat more, but couldn't quite force his mouth to cooperate.
Najat placed the spoon back into the half-empty bowl and glanced up to find Ardeth's eyes fixed upon her. His apologetic gaze told her that he wasn't intending to be difficult, but simply hadn't any more energy to spare for the effort. Managing a tolerant smile, she lightly caressed his cheek.
"It is all right. We will try again after you have rested," she whispered, soothingly. Ardeth almost managed to return the smile, but his heavy eyelids slid down too quickly.
Sighing glumly, Najat moved the tray from the bed and sat it in the floor. Turning back, she snatched up a wet cloth and placed it across his forehead, then, paused to watch him sleep. His expression, although still strained, seemed almost content, in contrast to the desolation she'd seen in his eyes while he ate. A shiver of worry tickled down her spine, as she found herself wondering if Ardeth had returned to them out of desire or, merely, duty. Shaking the thought away, Najat began to hum and distractedly reached for another cloth to swirl across his feverish skin.
~*~*~*~*~
Standing in the doorway, staring out into the darkness, Rick took a deep breath. Alex had opted to sleep in Jonathan quarters, leaving him alone with Evy. He knew he couldn't waste the opportunity. The longer he avoided Ardeth, the harder it would be to finally face him. Still, Rick found himself reluctant to broach the subject. The small part of his brain that kept searching for an innocent explanation for what had happened, and kept failing to find it, warned him that he didn't really want to know. But the rest of his brain reminded him that he had to know. Taking one more deep breath, Rick turned to face his wife.
"Evy, we need to talk."
Evy winched at the seriousness of Rick's tone. The abrupt shift in his mood during dinner had warned her something was coming, but she found herself unprepared, all the same.
"I need to know what happened, Evy, all of it," Rick pressed, when Evy continued to silently study the ground.
"Rick, I...I...don't really know h...how...wh...where..." she stammered, but the gave up and fell silent.
"Shh," he soothed, taking a seat next her. "We have all night, so you can just start at the beginning and take it as slow as you need to, okay."
Evy found herself smiling, despite the seriousness of the moment, as she remembered Ardeth saying similar words to her regarding the same topic. For two men that were so different, her husband and the Medjai were occasionally very alike. The thought reminded her that she had faced Ardeth, and Evy realized it certainly couldn't be any worse telling Rick.
"Yes, all right, the beginning..." she began, then, paused for a deep breath before continuing. "Well, you see, you, Alex, and Jonathan were out, so it seemed like a good opportunity to sort through that crate, you know, the one of my parents...."
She glanced up, and Rick nodded, supportively.
"Well, I saw the sword and pulled it out to have a better look. Of course, that jostled everything about, and that's when I saw the dagger. I was going to have a closer look at it, I guess that was why it was still in my hand when I went upstairs to have a peek at the journal...."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rick interrupted. "What journal?"
"The journal I found in the crate, of course," Evy replied, distractedly, not registering that she'd skipped over that detail. Realizing he'd better just let her talk and clarify later, Rick didn't comment further.
"Of course, I know I shouldn't have just opened up someone's journal and started reading, but I thought, perhaps, it belonged to one of my parents...and I'd been missing them terribly since that crate arrived. So, well, obviously, I did read it...well, part of it...a few sentences...." Evy hesitated, signaling Rick that whatever she'd read was the key to the whole mess.
"A those sentences said?" he gently prodded.
"Th....they said, well, I thought they said that the Medjai had killed my parents," she admitted, with only the slightest hint of a quiver in her voice. Rick raised an eyebrow. He knew from asking Jonathan that the Carnahans had died in car accident and wondered what the Medjai had to do with that.
"You thought it said?" Rick quizzed.
"Oh, Rick! I didn't read far enough!"
'Well, there's a first!' Rick thought, sarcastically, but remained silent.
"And Ardeth arrived just then and I stabbed him...I mean I didn't intend to stab him, or maybe I did. I don't know, I was just so angry," Evy finished, with a calmness that warned Rick she was teetering on the edge of control.
Rick simply nodded in response. That was where he'd come in, so he knew what happened next...with Ardeth, anyway. Thinking back, Rick remembered when Evy'd peeked in to check on them while the Doc was there; she'd seemed no less upset, but it had been different. The reason suddenly dawned on him.
"You read more, while the Doc was stitching Ardeth up?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Evy nodded, tears tickling at the corners of her eyes. "And it said...?"
"Oh, Rick! It said that they saved them...found them abandoned in the desert dying of fever and took them back to their camp," she blurted in a single breath.
Rick shook his head, disbelievingly, at the simplicity of the explanation. Evy'd gone off half-cocked - never a good thing, but hardly astonishing - and had unleashed a curse. Ardeth blamed himself because he'd been there to retrieve the weapons before they were used, and had failed. It was all the same old, same old...yet Rick had the feeling it was more complicated than it sounded.
"Is that all?" he asked, hesitantly. The tears that immediately welled in Evy's eyes confirmed his suspicion.
"The f...fever spread, Rick, throughout the Medjai camp. A..Ardeth's family became ill," she explained, too calmly. He nodded, finally understanding why she'd grown so upset when Ardeth's temperature had first risen. Rick almost stopped her from saying more; he could guess what was coming next. "They died, Rick....his mother and brother and two of his sisters...and Ardeth...he nearly died and his father treated him so horribly because he blamed himself for allowing my parents to be brought into the camp..."
Evy's words fell away, and she gazed, unseeingly, at the wall. Rick didn't push. He knew she'd stopped because any more would send her over the edge. Besides, she'd said enough for him to fill in the blanks. The only thing he still didn't understand was why Ardeth had done what he did. After all that had happened to his family and his people, either directly or indirectly, because Evy and/or various members of her family, it didn't make sense to Rick that Ardeth would risk his life to save her.
"You can't blame yourself for what happened to Ardeth's family, Evy. I wasn't your fault; it wasn't even really your parents' fault," he distractedly soothed, realizing that blaming herself was what she'd been doing for the past few days. Evy nodded.
"I know, but, Rick...!" she couldn't finish. Reason told her he was right, but her heart couldn't get past all the Medjai had suffered. Turning toward her husband, Evy snuggled into his chest. As his strong wrapped around her, she closed her eyes and cried softly.
~*~*~*~*~
Standing in the doorway, Alex intently peered into the darkness. He didn't see anyone and grinned. Briefly glancing over his shoulder, he checked to be certain Jonathan was still asleep, then, dashed out into the night.
"Umph!"
Alex nearly cursed aloud as he slammed into someone. Glancing up, his jaw dropped at the sight of a woman. Uncovered, even more than Najat, her hair hung in a long braid down her back, except for several renegade strands that danced gracefully in the wind. She gazed down at him with enormous brown eyes that seemed to see right through him, and her full lips seemed to twitch with amusement, and a slight hint of annoyance.
"Alex," she greeted, after a moment. The twitch of her lips turned into a full-fledged smile that Alex couldn't help but return.
"Z...Zaynab?" he stammered in reply. The Abadi simply chuckled. "Y...y...you're uncovered?!"
"Indeed," she responded.
"B..b..but...aren't you going to get in trouble or something?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "I...I mean you're totally uncovered!"
Zaynab laughed aloud at the observation.
"You make it sound as though I were naked, young one," she quipped, making Alex blush.
"I mean, it's just that, well...," Alex tried again. Zaynab cut him off with her hand.
"Yes, Alex, I understood your meaning," she informed him, patiently. Placing a guiding hand behind the child's head, she started again toward Ardeth's dwelling, before explaining. "As I believe Najat informed you, we only fully cover ourselves when amongst outsiders..."
"But..." Alex attempted to interrupt, but was, himself, interrupted.
"...you are an outsider?" Zaynab finished for him. Alex nodded. "However, you had retired for the evening."
Alex grinned, sheepishly.
"And within our village, amongst our own people, we are not required to cover our heads."
"Sorry," Alex offered, as she finished, wondering if she would get into trouble because he'd seen her. He remembered the displeased stir of the other Abadi when Najat removed her burqa in London.
"Do not concern yourself, young one," Zaynab replied, nonchalantly. Reaching the doorway, she guided Alex inside in front of her.
"Alex," Najat greeted, her tone pleasant, yet disapproving. Noticing the reproachful glance fired over his head at Zaynab, Alex squirmed, remorsefully, certain that he had gotten the Abadi into trouble.
"It wasn't her fault," he blurted out, after an awkward second of silence. "She didn't know I was going to see her. I'm supposed to be in bed."
"Indeed you are," Najat responded, raising an eyebrow at the child's emphatic defense of her fellow Abadi. In truth, it was his presence, not the breach in etiquette, which displeased her. "But do not concern yourself, child. Zaynab will not be punished."
Busy breathing a sigh of relief, Alex didn't notice the amused shrug Najat returned in reply to the entertained grin Zaynab tossed her.
"Come," Najat instructed, waving Alex over and patting the bed beside Ardeth. She'd hoped to keep all the O'Connells out of Badi'a's immediate path when she arrived in the morning, but that had only been delaying the inevitable, anyway, so there's seemed little point in wrestling with the child. "It is very late. That you are here, instead of where you are supposed to be, is hardly a suitable reason for you to remain awake."
Alex sighed and shuffled over to the bed. Climbing up carefully, he curled up, comfortably, and sleepily watched the two Abadi trade places. He wrinkled his face into a pout, as Najat whispered something to Zaynab too softly for him to hear. It made Zaynab chuckle, which tickled Alex's curiosity even more, but he resisted the urge to ask about it. He didn't want Najat deciding to send him back to his own bed, after all.
"Do not forget that you are to sleep, not pester Zaynab for more stories," Najat quipped, noting his close observation. Alex grinned, wondering how she'd read his mind.
"Tisbah alakheyr, Najat," he bade, realizing she intended to leave. ("Good night, Najat")
"Good night, child. Sleep well."
Propping his head up on his hand, Alex watched her stroll, sleepily, out the door. Next to him, Zaynab began to him, pulling his attention back to her. Alex casually watched her bath Ardeth's chest with more medicine.
"Zaynab?" He asked, haltingly, the question forming itself in his mind as he spoke. "How come none of you are married?"
The Abadi chuckled, before replying, "What makes you so certain we are not?"
Alex browed furrowed with thought, but no answered immediately came to mind. It just didn't seem like they were married.
"I don't know," he admitted, with a shrug. Zaynab smiled, amused, but it faded as she tilted her head, contemplatively.
"What you have seen during your brief stay is but a miniscule portion of our lives," she stated, after a minute. Mulling over the intriguing comment, Alex studied her.
"So you're saying that you could have a husband and dozen kids hiding somewhere, I just haven't seen them?"
"Yes, young one," Zaynab replied, laughing.
Alex nodded. Pondering the situation further, he realized that he'd really seen very little of the Abadi or their village. With the exception of Najat, Zaynab, and the warriors guarding Al 'Asima's tomb, the Abadi had made themselves extraordinarily scarce.
"How come?" He asked, thinking aloud.
"'How come' what, young one?" Zaynab replied, as she placed a fresh cloth across Ardeth's forehead.
"How come everyone's hiding from us?"
Zaynab chuckled.
"They do not hide, but simply remain where you do not see," she answered, enigmatically. Alex frowned, pondering the difference between hiding and staying out of sight. Unable to figure it out, he shrugged and decided to play along.
"So, how come everyone remains where we do not see them?"
"The less you see of us, the less potential there is for harm," she finally stated, matter-of-factly.
"Why would we want to do you harm?" Alex replied, innocently.
"I do not imply that you would," Zaynab assured. "But harm is often done without intend."
"What do you mean?"
Zaynab sighed and briefly studied Alex, trying to finds words that would make her meaning clear to the child.
"As you did when you left your bed without permission, people sometimes act without considering what may come of their actions."
"You mean like when mum read that journal, or when I put on the Bracelet of Anubis?" Alex asked. Abruptly catching on to her meaning, he realized, with dismay, that he'd probably harmed Ardeth even more than his mum.
Zaynab nodded, sighing softly.
"A lot of Medjai died, didn't they?" Alex asked, softly, his voice wavering with tears.
"Shh," Zaynab whispered, reaching over and tenderly cupping his cheek. "Do not trouble yourself. You did not intend harm, young one."
The Abadi's avoidance of his question, confirmed the answer for Alex. He chin beginning to quiver, he shifted his gaze to Ardeth.
"That doesn't really make it all right, does it?" he commented, rhetorically. Zaynab sighed, again, as he abruptly pulled away, refusing any more comfort.
Studying the strained expression on the sleeping Medjai's face, Alex wondered how many friends Ardeth had lost to Anubis's army. The thought sent the tears welling in his eyes trickling onto his cheeks, and he snuggled closer to the warrior. Carefully wrapping himself around Ardeth's arm, Alex cried himself to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~
Widad smiled and stood, as Najat and Zaynab approached Ardeth's bed.
"He is much the same," she whispered, shuffling out of the way so that Najat could take her place at the bedside.
Najat nodded and gently pressed her fingers against Ardeth's cheek. The heat still radiating from the Medjai brought a frown to her lips. It had lessened, but only slightly; she had hoped for more improvement, and worried, again, about the desolation she'd seen in his eyes. Biting back a sigh, Najat reflexively snatched up the still damp cloth from his forehead and replaced it with a fresh one. About to reach for another with which to bath him, she caught a yawn out of the corner of her eyes and turned, sheepishly, toward Widad.
"Thank you, Widad. You have tended him well, now tend to yourself, before you fall asleep standing there," she quipped, offering her fellow Abadi an apologetic smile. Widad smiled, appreciatively, and turned to leave.
"Jonathan is up and about already," Zaynab whispered, nonchalantly, as she shuffled around to the other side of the bed.
Widad changed direction mid-step, a slight, chagrined blush touching her cheeks as she turned. She knew she should have realized the outsiders were awake; Zaynab had worn her burqa. Grabbing the one she'd nearly forgotten, Widad offered Zaynab an appreciative smile, quickly tossed it over her head, and sleepily shuffled out the door.
"Alex, it is time to wake," Zaynab whispered into the child's ear, as Widad vanished from sight. Alex mumbled, incoherently, and rolled onto his other side.
Smiling at his peaceful expression, Zaynab found it tempting to let him sleep. However, she knew Badi'a would arrive soon and agreed with Najat that it would be better for Alex not to be immediately in the Medjai path. Reaching down, she softly caressed his cheek and tried again.
"Young one, you must wake," she insisted, in a louder whisper. Alex flinched and opened his eyes.
"Zaynab?" he asked, blearily staring up at her burqa-clad form. Zaynab smiled, unseen, at the hint of disappointment in his voice. "You're all covered again."
"Of course," she responded, a touch of amusement in her voice. "The sun has risen, and your family with it. You must hurry and refresh yourself; your breakfast will soon be ready."
Alex nodded, stretched the lingering sleep from his muscles, and hopped off the bed. Despite the feel of a gentle, guiding hand on the back of his head, he paused to study Ardeth.
"How's he doing?"
"He is much the same," Najat replied, noncommittally. Alex sighed with disappointment.
"Do not fret, young one," Zaynab soothed. "He was not likely to recover over night."
Alex nodded, glumly.
"He has not greatly improved, but he is no longer worsening, and that is a very good thing," she continued. "Do you not agree?"
Alex nodded, again, and cheered up a little, realizing that she was right. If Ardeth were no longer getting worse, then he HAD to be getting better.
"I'll come back later and tell him all about our adventures today, okay," he offered, before leaning forward to whisper into the Medjai's ear. "Maybe you'll even be awake. That would be really nice, if you would try, okay."
Pausing an extra second to watch Ardeth sleep, Alex pushed himself back up and let Zaynab guide him toward the door.
"Ila liqaa', Najat!" (See ya, Najat!)
"Yes, child," she replied, laughingly. "I, also, will be looking forward to hearing about your adventures.
Alex smiled, and Najat returned it, as she watched the pair shuffle out the door.
~*~*~*~*~
Evy distractedly pulled her hair back as she snuck towards Ardeth's dwelling, hoping to spend a few minutes with him before breakfast. Colliding with someone a few feet from the entrance, she glanced up to apologize. Evy's words fell away unspoken, as her mind registered that the woman wasn't hidden beneath the usual burqa. Instead, she wore a loosely draped shawl, the fabric of which wasn't the silvery color of the Abadi, but the black of the Medjai. A nervous tickle forming in her stomach, Evy met the stranger's eyes. The grief and anger filling them forced a startled gasp from her lips. She's seen those eyes her nightmares; they belonged to Ardeth's sister. But it wasn't possible! How could she have dreamed of someone she'd never met? Shaking her head, slightly, Evy decided it that she simply recognized a resemblance to Ardeth.
"You?!" Badi'a exclaimed, in a low snarl, her hostile glare intensifying as she realized with whom she'd collided. "How dare you think to approach my brother's bed?! Is it not enough for you to fill our lives with misery, but then you must stay to revel in it?!"
"Revel in it?! I...you...how dare you!" Evy stammered, huffily. "Well, I never!"
"You never what? Think?!" Badi'a hissed. "You silly, stupid woman! You never think of anything beyond yourself, do you?!"
"Kifehya!" ("Enough!")
Both Evy and Badi'a turned to see Najat standing in the doorway. Evy distractedly registered that the Abadi looked better rested than when she's last seen her, but still seemed weary. She thought little more about it, however. Out of the corner of her eye, Evy saw Badi'a preparing to speak, and opened her mouth to preemptively defend herself.
"Uskut!" ("Be Silent!") Najat demanded, before either woman could get out a word. "Badi'a, 'ukht biteh'qalbee, this woman is my guest, as are you; she will be treated with proper respect."
Badi'a glared, challengingly, for a moment, but then relented. Bowing stiffly, she stormed away from Evy. Najat shifted slightly to allow her passage in to her brother. Returning her attention to the Englishwoman, the Abadi beckoned Evy forward and allowed her to peek inside the dwelling.
Glancing toward the bed, Evy saw Badi'a sit next to her soundly sleeping brother. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the Medjai woman, then, shifted to Ardeth. Too her relief, his breathing seemed less labored, but Evy could see the fine sheen of feverish sweat glistening on his skin in the low light.
"His fever lingers still, but it is a good sign that he has grown no worse," Najat stated, softly. Evy nodded, not feeling particular reassured. "Perhaps his fever will have diminished further by the time you return."
Evy smiled, appreciatively, at Najat's attempt to comfort her. It abruptly dropped into a frown, as she registered that the Abadi expected her to return much later than after breakfast, as Evy'd intended.
"I believe your family intends to spend the day exploring; it seems as though it would be a lovely distraction," Najat stated, sensing resistance
"Perhaps I'll join them another time," Evy replied, tensely, but softened her demeanor when she heard Najat utter an almost inaudible sigh.
"If it would not trouble you too terribly, I believe it would be better to allow tempers to cool before you visit Ardeth Bey again," the Abadi wearily recommended.
"Yes, I suppose that would be wise," Evy acquiesced, after a moment, realizing the situation was awkward enough for her host without testing Badi'a's restraint, or her own. Sighing, Evy took long glance at Ardeth, then, turned to join her family for breakfast.
~*~*~*~*~
"His wounds?" Badi'a asked, as the Najat stealthily moved from the doorway to stand beside her.
"They have been cleansed and stitched, and are not life threatening of themselves, but an infection of the wound to his abdomen causes him much difficulty."
Badi'a nodded, sadly.
"His fever is high, but diminishing," Najat continued. Badi'a remained focused on her brother's flushed face and reached up, lovingly, to peel away the curls sticking to his sweaty forehead.
"His lungs are inflamed," she observed aloud, sighing mournfully.
"Yes. It began two nights ago, but has steadily improved since," Najat revealed. Badi'a responded with an angry grumble that the Abadi couldn't quite hear. She could guess, however, to whom it had been directed.
"The errand was mine, my sister," she stated, with weary resignation. "If you must cast blame, cast it in my direction. The outsiders did not seek trouble."
"The outsiders never seek trouble, and yet it always finds them," Badi'a hissed. "And it is always the Medjai that are left to suffer in the wake of it."
Najat simply stared at her embittered friend, too weary to think of any wise words of reproach. After a moment, she closed his eyes and sighed with frustration and fatigue.
"More salve needs to be applied to the infected wound; it is there on the table, along with a fresh bandage," she informed Badi'a, reluctantly opening her eyes. The Medjai glanced over at the assorted medical supplies and nodded. "As you see, there is also medicine prepared for him to drink. You will need to wake him for that, soon, if he does not do so on his own. And, there is more medicine for his lungs in the nearest basin; the other is water. As I know you are capable, I shall leave you to tend him."
The Medjai nodded. Turning slightly, she offered a lopsided smile, appreciating the opportunity to be alone with her brother. Najat nodded, in acknowledgement of the unspoken 'thanks', and quietly left.
Turning back, Badi'a continued to study the taut lines of her brother's face for minute, then prodded herself into motion. The bandage dressing his shoulder drew her attention first. Najat had not included it amongst her instruction, but Badi'a couldn't resist seeing what lay beneath it. She'd been told little about her brother's condition by the Abadi messenger, only that he was injured and ill with fever. Taking a deep breath in preparation, Badi'a reached up to gently peel the bandage away.
Ardeth's eyes opened as her fingers brushed against his sensitive flesh. It took him a moment to orient himself, then, he focused on his sister, weakly squirming away from her touch. Frowning, Badi'a glanced down and fixed on his expressive eyes. Ardeth seized the opportunity to protest, shooting her an unmistakable expression of displeasure.
"Hush, you big baby. I am only going to have a look," Badi'a teased, immensely relieved to see him awake and aware. He replied with a lopsided frown, to which she simply "tsked", before continuing with her ministrations. Recognizing the futility of further protests, Ardeth rolled his eyes closed and tried, vainly, to ignore her.
Getting her first glimpse of the shoulder wound, a little of the tension in Badi'a's shoulders melted away. Her imagination had envisioned far worse than the neatly stitched, straight, four-inch gash before her. Although some of the stitches had obviously been torn and redone, she saw that the wound wasn't inflamed and seemed to be on the mend. Replacing the bandage, Badi'a unconsciously slid her hand behind Ardeth's shoulder, as she pondered the depth of the gash. She frowned, disapprovingly, when her fingers encountered the edge of a bandage.
Feeling Badi'a's hand slip around to his back, Ardeth inwardly sighed. Even without opening his eyes, he could see the disapproving expression gracing his sister's face. It tempted him not to cooperate and allow her to see the injury. Unfortunately, he knew he hadn't the strength, at the moment, to win a battle of wills with Badi'a. She'd discovered the wound, now she would see it - whether he liked it or not. Biting his lip, he allowed her to guide him forward enough to peel back the bandage.
Getting an eyeful of the second wound, Badi'a mentally cursed the O'Connells, certain they were somehow responsible. She unconsciously scowled, as she examined the gash. More of its stitches had been torn and replaced, but otherwise, it was identical to the other. Shaking her head, she replaced bandage, and gently guided her brother back against the pillows propping him up. He hadn't opened his eyes, but Badi'a knew he was paying attention, all the same.
"The warriors in England must be formidable indeed to be skilled enough to run you through, little brother," she taunted, placing her hands on her hips. The fear of what might have been tickled her stomach and made her voice harsher than she'd intended it.
Ardeth sighed, knowing nothing could be said to soothe his sister. Desperately wishing to fall back to sleep and escape her, he kept his eyes closed and tried not to listen as Badi'a spoke again.
"'It is not as though I'm riding into battle, sister. I will be fine,'" Badi'a mockingly quoted. "Tsk! The O'Connells will be the death of you, little brother! You mark my words!"
Ardeth finally opened his eyes and glared his sister a warning. He had neither the desire nor strength to argue with her, but would rather attempt it than continue listening to her speak against his friends.
Badi'a sighed, bitterly, and fell silent. She doubted her brother truly had the strength to reproach her, but didn't want him wasting what little he had on the attempt. Skirting his glare, she shifted her gaze down to the wound she'd been asked to tend. Badi'a felt Ardeth flinch, as her fingers brushed against his skin to peel away the bandage. Glancing up, she frowned, finding her brother's eyes scrunched tightly, seemingly in expectation of enormous pain. The expression made her stomach clench; the wound had to be very serious for Ardeth to react so openly.
Badi'a's fingers hesitated, trembling slightly. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, forcing away the sudden temptation to not look. The wound had to be tended properly, which it could not be without removing the bandage. Reminding herself of Najat's assurance that the wound was not life-threatening, Badi'a took another deep breath, opened her eyes, and forced her fingers into motion.
She frowned at the sight she slowly uncovered. Although no greater in length than shoulder wound, the jaggedness of it gave evidence to its more serious nature - and made Badi'a curse softly under her breath. Her experienced eye did not miss that the blade had been twisted with deadly intent. Nor did it fail to catch the tattered edges telling her of harshly torn stitches, since replaced with impressive neatness, especially considering the shape of the flesh in which they were sewn. The inflammation reminded her of the salve she was to place on it. Turning to fetch it, Badi'a discovered Ardeth staring down at the injury with a look of bewilderment upon his face. It made her grin, despite the seriousness of her mood.
"You look as though the wound magically appeared this very moment," Badi'a quipped. Weakly collapsing back against the pillows, Ardeth grinned, sheepishly.
"I suspect that he does not marvel at the wound itself, but at the state of it," Najat commented, startling both Medjai. Pleased to see Ardeth awake and Badi'a grinning, she smiled, warmly, at the siblings. Noticing the tray of food in the Abadi's hands, Ardeth sighed, heavily. Badi'a, simultaneously, frowned at the sigh and raised an eyebrow in response to Najat.
"It appears much different than when he last saw it, as it was debrided and stitched while he slept," the Abadi explained, with a patient smile. Badi'a nodded and glanced back toward her brother. She found him staring, dejectedly, at the approaching food tray.
"Your body cannot heal without nourishment," Najat scolded. In reply, Ardeth's face wrinkled, repugnantly, and he closed his eyes. "Tsk, we will not vanish simply because you no longer see us."
Ardeth opened his eyes and shot an annoyed glance at Najat. The expression alerted Badi'a that the Abadi had accurately guessed his thoughts, and she laughed, to her brother's astonishment; he hadn't heard her laugh in a long time. Distracted by it, his expression softened, as he watched the two women situate the tray on the bed next to him.
"There is food enough for both of you, as you are no doubt hungry from your journey," Najat commented, glancing up at Badi'a. The Medjai smiled, appreciatively. She'd eaten little since Ardeth's departure for England, and, as the aroma of the broth wafted through the air, suddenly found herself starving.
"Please, sit, eat," Najat requested, patting an empty place on the bed. "It will take me but a moment to finished with the wound, then I will leave you to convince your brother to eat, as well."
Najat gazed, pointedly, at Ardeth, as she finished. He wrinkled his face at them in reply, earning chuckles from both women. Frowning, disgustedly, at their amusement, he closed eyes to rest before the ordeal of eating began.
~*~*~*~*~
"Ardeth! Must I do as we do with the children and make the spoon fly like a bird to get you to eat more?" Badi'a teased, in frustration, as her brother twisted his head in avoidance of the spoon in her hand.
Ardeth glared at his sister. He found it humiliating enough to be fed like a helpless infant; he wouldn't be teased into continuing beyond his fill. He'd eaten more than two-thirds of the broth in the large bowl, and adamantly believed his sister should be satisfied with that effort. Weakly lifting his hand, Ardeth pushed Badi'a's away.
"How do expect to regain your strength if you do not eat?" Badi'a questioned, seeing his hand drop, limply, back onto the bed. Ardeth just closed his eyes, determined to escape back into sleep.
"You must drink the medicine, at least," his sister insisted. Sullenly, dropping the spoon back into the tray, she turned and snatched up the prepared cup of herbs left by Najat. Feigning sleep, Ardeth ignored Badi'a.
"Najat will wake you to drink it, if you have not when she returns," Badi'a warned. Ardeth reluctantly opened his eyes and scowled at the triumphant smile his sister shot him. He closed his eyes, again, as she brought the cup to his lips. Obediently, although reluctantly, drinking all of it, Ardeth drifted, happily, back to sleep, as she set the emptied cup back on the table.
Badi'a's gaze moving back to her brother's face, she reached out, tempted to caress it. Stopping short, she sighed and traced in the air the weary lines marring Ardeth's handsome features. She knew they were exaggerated by his thinness.
"He is asleep; you may as well keep me company, my sister," She sighed, without bothering to glanced at the figure just arrived in the doorway. "He has grown so thin since Ahm Shere..."
Najat didn't respond to the resigned observation; the Medjai's tone hadn't indicated a desire for one. Lifting the tray from the bed, the Abadi nodded, appreciatively, at the amount of broth Badi'a'd gotten into her reluctant brother. Najat set the remaining food aside, and reached for several damp cloths. Laying one across Ardeth's forehead, she handed another damp cloth to Badi'a. The Medjai smiled, gratefully accepting the opportunity to caress her brother's face, without her fingers feeling the thinness of it. Najat returned the smile and snatched up a medicine-soaked cloth. Sitting on the bed opposite Badi'a, she soothingly bathed Ardeth chest.
"You must tell me all the gossip," she requested, hoping to distract Badi'a for a while. "It has been ages since you've visited."
Badi'a glanced over and smiled. It had been ages since she'd sought the sanctuary of the Abadi. Each time her mind had thought to travel to the village in the past months, the increasing bitterness consuming her heart had turned her away from the place of peace.
"There is much to tell...."
Najat smiled. Setting aside the medicine-soaked cloth, she absently caressed Ardeth's arms and shoulder with a water-dampened cloth, and listened as Badi'a eagerly shared her gossip.
~*~*~*~*~
Interrupted by a soft tap at the entrance, Badi'a glanced up to discover the afternoon had faded into evening...and Widad standing in the doorway with supper.
"Pardon my intrusion," she bade, before approaching the bed.
"Widad, my sister! You do not intrude; please join us," Badi'a greeted, glancing discreetly toward Najat to make sure she didn't mind.
"Please do," Najat insisted, with a grin. Her temperament leaned more toward listening, than sharing gossip of her own, but Widad always had good stories to tell. Widad smiled, placed the tray carefully on the bed, and sat down near Badi'a.
"You are not covered?" the Medjai abruptly registered, as Widad gave her a sisterly hug.
"Ah, yes, that is part of my reason for intruding," she replied, glancing toward Najat. "Zaynab sends word that the outsiders have been persuaded to make camp, instead of returning to the village. She does not expect they shall return before dusk tomorrow."
Najat nodded, smiling despite herself. She'd hoped Zaynab could distract the outsiders enough to keep them from the village for the day, but had not dared imagine her fellow Abadi would manage to keep them away two full days.
"Ardeth," she whispered, turning toward the warrior. When he failed to stir, Najat lightly caressed his cheek and tried again. "Ardeth!"
Ardeth stirred awake, but refused to open his eyes. Najat only woke him when it was time to eat, and he wasn't hungry.
"Tsk! Feigning sleep will do you no good, little brother," Badi'a scolded. "You must eat."
Ardeth sighed, inwardly, a reluctantly opened his eyes. He frowned at the sight of three amused females hovering over him.
"Widad has brought more broth," Najat softly informed him, and Ardeth shifted his gaze to meet hers. "Will you eat?"
Ardeth shook his head. He'd suffered enough humiliation; he wouldn't be spoon fed with an audience.
Najat frowned at the unexpected refusal. Then, she saw his eyes discreetly roaming from one female to another and grasped the problem. Attempting not to smile, she glanced toward Badi'a.
"You have been sitting at this bed since your arrival; I am certain that your legs are in need of stretching."
Meeting Najat's gaze, Badi'a raised a perplexed eyebrow. Najat rolled her eyes toward Ardeth and shrugged, lightly. Catching on, Badi'a chuckled.
"All right, brother, if it is what is required for you to eat, Widad and I will gossip elsewhere."
Ardeth simply glared at his sister, earning another chuckle from her.
"Now will you eat?" Najat asked, as Badi'a and Widad vanished out the door. Ardeth frowned at her; even without an audience, he'd had enough of feeling like a helpless infant. Najat sighed. "It is good to see that your will returns, but it would be better spent recovering, than being difficult."
Ardeth glared at her, and Najat sighed in resignation.
"You do not wish to be fed, is that the problem?" Najat guessed, wishing his voice had returned with his will. Ardeth nodded, very slightly. Studying him, Najat decided arguing with him was pointless.
"You will feed yourself then," she finally stated, matter-of-factly. Picking up the tray, she carefully settled it on his lap, before sitting down close enough to assist him, should he need it.
Ardeth smiled, pleased to have gotten his way, and reached for the spoon. Lifting it to place in into the bowl, he reconsidered. His energy would run out long before he could spoon enough to satisfy Najat. Placing the spoon back onto the tray, Ardeth placed both hands securely around the bowl. Shakily, lifting it to his lips, he downed the broth quickly. The effort drained his energy. His weary arms slamming the bowl back onto the tray harder than intended, Ardeth sheepishly glanced toward Najat.
"It matters little," she replied, patiently. Setting the tray aside, she shuffled over to quickly mix more medicine, then, turned back toward the Medjai. "May I assist you this time?"
Ardeth nodded and closed his eyes, too weary to continue in his rebellion. Pleased, Najat smiled and brought the cup to his lips. Ardeth downed the medicine more slowly that he had the broth, falling asleep as he drank. Slipping into a dream, he didn't notice as Najat pulled the emptied cup away.
~*~*~*~*~
Pausing in the doorway, Najat listened to Widad and Badi'a sleepily conversing. Prodding herself back into motion, she shook her head, torn between amusement and disapproval.
"The intent in sending Widad to tend Ardeth was to allow you sleep," she chastised, mildly, as she set Ardeth's breakfast on the bed beside him. "Not to provide the two of you the further opportunity to gossip."
Badi'a sheepishly glanced at the floor, earning a chuckle from Najat.
"I apologize for not having brought food for you, as well. I did not expect you to be awake," Najat continued.
"You would be very welcome at my family's table," Widad eagerly invited, aware that her Medjai friend harbored a particular fondness for her elder brother. He, likewise, had held Badi'a in high regard since childhood and, in Widad's opinion, was long overdue in finding a wife. Marriages between the matriarchal Abadi and the patriarchal Medjai were rare. However, they were not unheard of, and Widad held firmly to the opinion that her friend and her brother were an excellent match.
"I would be honored," Badi'a graciously replied, missing the mischievous twinkle in her friend's eyes. Not missing it, Najat stifled a chuckle as she bowed farewell to the pair.
Turning her attention to Ardeth, Najat noted, with a frown, that although his fever had diminished considerably since the previous day, his breathing hadn't significantly improved. She pondered if it were soul's way of protesting its return. Brushing the thought aside with a sigh, Najat refocused on her task.
"Ardeth," she prodded, reaching out to caress his cheek. Rousing reluctantly, Ardeth slowly opened his eyes. Najat smiled, patiently, as his gaze landed on her. He frowned, in reply, earning a chuckle.
"The sooner you eat, the sooner you may return to your dreams," Najat quipped, provoking a sigh of resignation from the Medjai. Amused, the Abadi smiled, again, as she gently settled the tray on his lap and sat back.
It took Ardeth a minute to notice that she made no move to feed him. As it registered, he smiled, very slightly, and reached for the bowl of broth. The expression shifted to a frown as his hands trembled more than he'd expected.
"Your strength will return, but you must allow it time," Najat soothed, noticing his displeasure.
Ardeth continued to frown, dejectedly, as he let one hand drop limply. Reaching for the spoon with the other, he yielded it to Najat. Startled, she simply accepted it, wordlessly, and dipped it into the bowl. She fought away a frown as she lifted the spoon to his waiting lips, but could do nothing about the anxious tickle in her stomach.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~