Chapter 31
I almost lost you
Hannah
“Hey. How are you doing?” I look up as Charlie comes in to the ward to check on me.
I have refused to leave Tumva’s side during the last week and I’ve set up camp beside his bed.
Well, it’s hardly a bed. It’s more like a heated mat that he’s curled up on.
He’s sleeping in a lose coil of glossy black scales.
He has a silvery set of scars on his back that look like a large X.
For the most part they kept him sedated whilst the the antibiotics got to work.
It was hit and miss with the fever he had for the first few days, but Charlie tells me he is well on the mend and could wake up any day now.
A good job too. After Dalahan caught me and I screeched at him to get me the hell back up to the top platform and I saw Tumva out cold like this?
I nearly lost my mind. I also nearly tasered myself a medic for not getting out of Charlie’s way too.
Thankfully…no one noticed… “Thelia to Hannah?” Charlie chuckled, always thinking he’s so charming and funny.
Git. He totally is. It was nice to run into him again, despite the circumstances.
He also made a point of coming over from his clinic to check on Tumva.
I expressed my worries that the on call staff here might not treat Tumva very well because he’s a Death Striker.
That was enough to get Charlie’s proverbial battle horn blown, and he happily bossed his way onto Tumva’s case file. A weight of my shoulders.
“I’m tired of this place.” I wave my hand at the clinical white walls and pout up at Charlie. “When can I take the big guy home?”
“When he wakes up and he is discharged.” He laughs at me and I grumble. Yeah that makes sense, but I’d feel better if he gave me a specific date to go on.
I can’t really complain at Charlie. He’s already done more than a enough for me.
Dalahan caught me when I fell over the platform and saved me from breaking my neck.
He carried me and Charlie up to the Royal platform to find the right was over and Tumva was out cold.
Some sort of medic was doing a bodge-job on Tumva and wouldn’t back off and let Charlie take over until I barked at him.
Dalahan helped to transport Tumva to the nearest hospital, and we’ve been here ever since. “Comfy?”
“Yes.” I smirk and I’m unapologetic for the fact that I am on the heated mattress with Tumva. I’m so used to sleeping next to him that it felt natural to get on the cot with him. Besides, feeling his warm body reassured me he was still alive.
I still see it when I close my eyes. His body bleeding heavily from his back and his breathing so laboured.
I cried and shook him at the time. Demanding that he wake his ass up.
Dalahan had to wrap me in his big green tail and drag me back so Charlie could get to work.
I have not come so far, and become so close to opening up to another person, to lose him so gruesomely like this.
I told Charlie as much as he sterilised and stitched my big guy back together.
When we arrived at the hospital Ezid told me I was on leave for as long as my partner was, since he was my sponsor.
He then told me I was welcome to stay with him or any other registered Ucfeni resident whilst Tumva was in hospital.
I didn’t even have to answer him. One look and he put his hands up and understood I would not be leaving Tumva’s side.
That’s why I’ve camped out in his hospital room all week.
I want to be here when he wakes up. I want to scream at him for getting so banged up!
He’s a Death Striker! He took out over half the invading Ucfeni that tried to usurp the Royal family, one bite at a time!
Tumva is badass, and he doesnt get to leave me from a fucking infection. No way in hell.
My plan to violently make my displeasure known flew out of the window when those big, beautiful black eyes cracked open.
I gasped and my brown eyes filled to the brim with tears.
“Tumva.” I exhale his name and my hands are shaking as they come up to cup his face.
I’m laid in his lovely tangled tail and parallel to his torso.
His left arm is draped heavily between us and his fingers twitch against the mattress.
He’s becoming more conscious by the second and I’m full on ugly crying by the time his scaly lips part to rasp at me.
“Hannah?” I cry and laugh and lift his left arm to snuggle closer. He winces as he pulls his tail in around us and his arm weakly holds me. “You’re okay.” Tumva sighs with relief.
“Of course I’m okay.” I absently know Charlie’s in the hospital room with us checking Tumva’s chart, but I don’t give a damn.
I smile and sob, kissing his lips. I just can’t wait any longer.
I thought he was dead when I first clambered back up to the Royal platform.
I don’t care that Charlie can see me lip locked with Tumva.
I don’t care that we’re being less than professional with each other.
If word of this got back to the 21st pit gossip would fly and we might get a disciplinary.
Quite frankly, Ezid can kiss my ass. All I care about right now is Tumva.
I lean back and stroke his face, surprised to find tears there.
“I saw you fall.” He swallowed thickly and I could tell it was hurting him to move as he shifted onto his side to get a better look at me.
Tumva dragged me closer, despite my protests that he needs to rest. He ignores me, and I don’t especially resist, as he brings me to his chest. “I’m sorry Hannah. I tried to get to you. Were you hurt?”
“A bit bruised but I’ve recovered well. Besides, you should know by now I’m too scrappy to put down for long.” I smile and sniffle, staring into those gorgeous fathomless eyes and glad they aren’t glazed over anymore. His scales were so dull, but now they’re glossy again. “I got four, by the way.”
“Four?” He hummed curiously. Charlie quietly checks on Tumva’s wounds at his back and I notice the big guy glance over his shoulder before the doc can even reach for him. Even now he’s so guarded and aware of his surroundings.
“Four bad guys.” I stroke his cheek and bring his attention back to me. “Did you see the one I tasered in the pouch?” Charlie winces behind us and Tumva chuckles deeply.
“I saw you. You were magnificent.” He speaks softly in that deep gravelly voice of his and before I know it, I’m kissing him again.
“H-annah.” His throat scales darken in that way that makes me grin and I giggle as he glances over his shoulder at Charlie again. Awww. He’s shy. “When can I be discharged doctor?” He asks Charlie who is smirking his ass off as he comes around to my side of the mattress.
I shuffle onto my back and look over at him.
It occurs to me how comfortable I am in the thick muscular tale of my reptilian partner.
Charlie doesn’t bat an eye, also completely used to Ucfeni by this point.
“Yes, when can I take him home Charlie? I have urgent things I need to discuss with Tumva. He needs a thorough debrief.” Tumva splutters on nothing and I chew my lips as I grin my smug ass off.
Charlie has no idea what I’m referring to, but Tumva does.
I clear my throat and bring my hands to my face to wipe away my tears, but Tumva blocks my wrists with his left one.
I flash him a confused expression when I see his tongue flick out towards me.
Oh yeah, the licking away the tears thing he likes to do.
I better hang fire. “Charlie?” I prompt and lower my hands to interlock and rest on my abdomen. “When can I take Tumva home?”
“Now you see, I’m not so sure you should take him home.” Charlie dared to lean over to smirk at me with a devilish grin. “Tumva could be discharged right now, but he needs rest, and I don’t think your debrief will allow that.”
“I’ll be gentle.” I deadpan Charlie and Tumva turns his head to hide it down by my left shoulder. Poor Death Striker. He’s survived a massive coop on the palace, and now he’s going to die of embarrassment.
“I suggest you are very gentle with this ‘debrief’.” He rolled his eyes at me and dramatically waved a paper bag at me before putting it on the bedside table.
“I have signed the discharge papers. If he follows the recovery regimen, he’ll make a full recovery.
Tumva?” He waits for my partner to turn his dark gaze to look at Charlie.
“Take the antibiotics 3 times a day for the next week. You’ll need to keep the wound clean and cover with the iodine ointment inside the bag.
Boil water, let it cool a little bit and clean the wound.
Apply fresh Iodine, and bandage. If it isn’t weeping and healing nicely, air it with iodine on it.
Oh?” He smirked. “And I’m told you should expect to shuck soon because of the damage to your scales.
Again, keep the wound clear, be very careful when you discard the scales around it, and soak the area.
Iodine. Lots of Iodine.” Tumva groaned with frustration and wore a grimace as he looked at me.
“Shucking is not a pleasant experience when wounded.”
“Can I help?” I ask and Charlie walks out to leave us alone.
“Yes. But first?” Tumva looks over my shoulder to check we are alone and I see the tongue coming before he even parts his lips.
Thankfully I close my eyes this time and patiently let him flick his forked tongue around my face to clear away my tears.
My cheeks are still rosy and sore from crying, but my heart is light.
Tumva is going to be fine. “How is your sister?” I feel fresh tears well up in my eyes, touched that he would think of Billie so soon after coming too, and shut my eyes so he can tenderly lick my tears away.