Unbreakable
Cynthia
I can’t help but keep my eyes focused on Arti as the rest of the guys pile out of the room. The Auror of both Selene and Ryan dominating the atmosphere both of them angry and upset having been told to leave.
Once they have left I take a seat on the end of Arti’s bed, I flash to her monitors checking her vitals and fluid levels.
” You know if you just came to check my vitals the others could have stayed in the room ?”
“I’m sorry Arti, you know what I’m like I can’t help it.”
I smile at her and take her frail hand in mine. She looks better than the day we found her lying on that bed, she has a little more colour to her skin. The dull grey seems to have faded.
She still doesn’t look like herself, she’s just so frail right now. I’m not a fighter but I even think I could take her right now.
” Cynth. Are you okay ?”
Her eyes momentarily flash with that purple glow before they return to the dull brown.
“Artemis I’m fine, I just wanted to check you are okay?”
” Again Cynth I’m pretty certain that if that’s all you wanted you would have asked everyone to leave. Besides I know that look on your face, I’ve seen it many times so why not just tell me what’s wrong so we can work out what to do next?”
She smiles at me and squeezes my hand, I didn’t realise just how much I have missed her until now. Of course, I missed her presents but the simple things like her honesty and her openness.
“I never could lie to you “
” Damn right, I’m not your big sister for nothing. Now come here and tell me what’s wrong”
I scoot closer to her, she takes my other hand and holds them in hers.
“Well, it’s your recovery Arti. I think … well, you see I’m not certain but ..”
” You think whatever they gave to me has removed Aria permanently ?”
I feel my face burn red, I don’t say anything for a second just nod. For someone who's just found out their wolf might be dead, she is taking it pretty well.
“Well yes. I couldn’t feel her when we found you, I thought it was because you were out cold. But then your vitals started going up, I’m still not 100% sure what they were injecting you with. I know it had wolfsbane in it but there was something else, we have tried everything to work out what it might be but it seems to have had some long term effects. I can't feel Aria anymore, and well... You don’t smell like a wolf”
I await her response with bated breath, avoiding her gaze.
“Cynthia look at me”
I do but I can already feel my eyes filling with tears, damn me and my sensitivity.
” I knew this might happen”
“What do you mean you knew?”
” About two weeks or so after the injections, Sekreta came to the room more frequently and she would inject me three sometimes four times a day. I was always on the verge of reality. Caught in the middle of sleep and the real world, when I did eventually drift off Aria was always there when I entered my mind”
She shifts in her seat, pulling herself up and grabbing a glass of water sipping it slowly as if every gulp is painful before placing it back down to continue.
” Then one day after the third injection, she was gone. I called for her, I could feel her, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. Every day after that the feeling of her grew just as weak as I did, It was like she couldn’t be with me to help me with pain. She was dealing with her own, so I too had to deal with it alone”
“Artemis I’m so sorry “
” There is no need for you to be sorry Cynthia. Although I couldn’t feel her then I’m confident that as I get better so will she”
“Arti I don’t think, I mean I’m just not sure that she will”
” Cynthia I know you are looking at this from a medical point of view, and I trust that you are doing everything to make this better, but you have to trust me on this too. I know she wouldn’t have left me alone, and so long as I’m fighting this every day so will she, we will reconnect I’m sure of it.”
She has such determination in her voice, it matches her current physical condition poorly however I am not willing to argue with her right now. If this hope is what she needs then I will give it to her but I know I’m right. Aria has gone.
“Okay Artemis, I trust you. If you are sure she’s going to come back then I’ll put all my energy into finding out what else they poisoned you with, Maybe if I can fix that she will come back “
Her face lights up like a child on Christmas morning, part of me feels guilty for lying to her but I also cannot break her any more than she already is.
*” So what exactly are all these medicines you are giving me ?”
She motions towards the bags drip-feeding into the IV’s.
“Well it's mostly a mixture of Antibiotics, your body is so weak and from what we can tell they were giving you dirty water and food that wasn’t of the best quality”
I stand up walking to the bags.
“This yellow one here, however, is the antidote to the wolfsbane. Whoever made that had a lot of knowledge they used the yellow flower and it's pretty rare, thankfully not unheard of though. Give it a few more days and you’ll be feeling a lot better”
I sit back down and she seems happy enough with the explanation.
“Have you had a chance to eat? I could get you something.”
” I’ve eaten, not much but enough to feel full. I think getting used to food might take a little while longer”
“Even if Selene brings you your favourites every day?”
” Even then. She has a heart of pure gold but she is terrible of cooking food outside of her favourites”
“Well, you're not wrong I guess. Is there anything else you’d like ?”
” Food-wise No. But I would like to meet my nephew “
“I was waiting for this I’ll get Sigi to bring him”
A few moments later Sigi is at the door, he’s cradling Frode in his arms like he is made of glass. Something about the way he is with him makes me fall head over heels again every time.
“How do you want to do this Arti, you’re still very weak I don’t want him to hurt your arms “
” How about like this, pass me those pillows”
She lifts her legs and places a pillow under her knees to hold them up then places another one across the top of her thighs.
” If we do it like this then I’m not really holding him and my legs can take it with the support”
“Okay but if he gets too much let me know and I’ll take him, I don’t want this to hurt you”
” Okay fine now will you just give me him I’ve waited too long to meet him already”
I carefully take Frode from Sigi, cooing at him and smiling before handing him over, gently laying him on the pillow. Taking a seat close by I watch the interaction.
Artemis eyes glaze over as she studies him, taking in every inch of him.
” Cynthia, Sigi. He’s amazing”
The tears fall slowly from one of her eyes, she smiles at him and coos before facing us again.
” I am so sorry I missed his birth, I wanted to be there Cynth you have no idea how much and I’m sorry I took you away from him for so long”
Her words make me burst into tears, remembering hearing she was gone on that day.
“Arti, you have nothing to apologise for. You didn’t miss it because you were late, you missed it because you were in hell. But what matters is that you are here right now”
I place a kiss on her forehead before sitting back down. She carries on smiling at Frode convincing herself that he’s smiling back but knowing him it's probably wind.
I notice that she hasn’t brought her hands up to touch him yet, I’m not sure why but they have remained by her side.
“You can touch him, he has quite a grip”
” I just didn’t want to hurt him or get any germs on him”
“Its fine Arti, he can handle it he might be a baby but he’s tougher than he looks”
Sigi lets out a chuckle behind me, I know full well he’s gonna call me up on that as he has been saying the same thing to me since I got back. Truth be told my time with him has been just as limited but our connection is strong.
She raises one of her hands and gently taps him on the nose.
” I’m your auntie Artemis yes I am. I am gonna spoil you so bad when I get out of this hospital”
She uses her best baby-talking voice.
” I’m gonna take you on so many adventures. You’d like that wouldn’t you, yes you would you gorgeous boy”
She carries on showering him with compliments and promises that he can’t yet understand however I’m sure one day he will.
He begins to respond to the sound of her voice, lifting up his arms and staring intently at her as she talks. She holds out her finger and he grips it tightly the second he does her eyes light up brighter than I have ever seen.
They stay fixated on one another Frode no longer moving around but his own eyes have glazed over white. I want to break them apart desperate to keep Frode safe but Sigi grips my shoulders.
” Wait. Look”
I stare at Artemis, watching more colour return to her body the once frailness seemingly returning to normal.
It lasts a few seconds more before Frode breaks his grip and begins to wave his arms about once more as if nothing had happened.
Artemis’s head falls back onto her pillow and the monitors start beeping loudly. Sigi moves to the other side of the bed and takes Frode from Artemis lap. I grab a flashlight and open her lids checking her eyes, they respond to light as normal but she isn’t responsive.
I check the rest of her vitals, she seems fine her heart is beating and she is breathing. The other pile back in the room.
Each of them gasps when they see her, she looks as though she has been in this hospital bed months. Her body almost looks normal.
Selene rushes towards her picking up her hand.
” Cynth what’s wrong with her ?”
Her voice is panicked and fast.
“She’s asleep. I don’t know what happened…”
” I don’t understand, What happened ??”
“Frode. It was Frode... He held her finger and then her eyes lit up and then she started to look like this. It all happened so fast Selene”
”What do you mean Frode, how could he have done this he’s a baby Cynthia I don’t get it “
“There isn’t much to get from Sel if I had more information I'd give it to you but I don’t. When she and Frode touched she seemed to heal and then she just passed out”
I turn my attention to Sigi, now seated on the sofa cradling him.
“How is he ?”
” He is fine Cynth, in fact, he’s more energetic than usual. It’s like he has had a burst of energy”
We all stand in silence, Calder, Ryan and Selene glancing between both Artemis and Frode repeatedly.
I take Artemis' hand in my own watching her sleep, the injuries she sustained still present. Her Auror seems brighter than ever, her spirit is fighting back.
Eventually, we all sit, not really knowing what to do but I can’t help but wonder to myself.
What in all of the Moon Goddess creations just happened.