54

I awoke to feeling a pressure working its way around my hand. When I could get my eyes to focus, I could see Kent wrapping my left hand in gauze. The right had been wrapped to the elbow and I could fuzzily make out the same on the hand Kent was wrapping. “Hey, welcome back to the Great White North kiddo.” Kevin said cheerily. “Next time you want to do something like that, please let us kick your butt around the block first? I do not like thinking about what Fawn would do to us if you were to die on us.”
He looked over at Kent, who was putting the first bit of tape on to hold the bandage in place. “What part of cop siberia would she put us in you think?” Kent looked at Kevin and gave a slight smile. “Parking meters.” He said. “That or cleaning the K-9 kennels.” Kevin thought about the choices and theatrically shuddered, and said “Oh my god I forgot about the kennels, a fate worse than eternal traffic tickets.” I managed a woozy pained smile. “Gee your thought to my safety has me so underwhelmed, I just don't know what to s... ow!” I yelped as Kent stabbed me with a dull needle and gave me a shot of Darvon to ease the pain.
The world went pleasantly fuzzy for the next few hours as we went back to the local clinic, and the doctor on duty was the same one that worked on Kevin the night before. He saw us, I'm sure, and I wish I could have made out what he said, as I heard both Kent and Kevin laugh, but I was too muzzy from the Darvon to do anything but nod and smile along. Better living through chemistry.
Kent said I was five hours in the emergency surgery and magickal healing due to the massive nerve damage to my hands from Cobb stabbing me and the backlash from the ley line. But I woke back at the Northumberland Inn, laying on a bed with Kent and Kevin playing whist at the small table in the room. “Hey Kent, look, it lives.” Kevin said with a smile on his face and in his voice. They had spent all their time here making sure I was all right. “How are you feeling now?” Kent asked me as I slowly tried to sit up. “Lousy,” I told him and my head throbbed. “No talky, or I get mean,” I whispered to them.
They looked over at me and both stood up, and gave me a thumbs up, and left the room quietly. They knew how to make an exit, and I passed blissfully out and slept until eight the next morning. I awoke to the door rattling as Kevin knocked energetically on it. “Fern, wake up, time to get food and head out!” he said loudly through the door. “All right, I hear you! Stop the noise and I'll be right out after a shower!” “Okay, Kent and I'll head out then, what should we bring you back?” “Sausage and toast, and some coffee,” I shouted through the door. “Got it, see you when we get back.”
I unwrapped my arms and saw the loose skin peeling off. The skin had been regrown overnight by the doctor, and now the blistered and burned skin was being sloughed off. I scrubbed vigorously in the shower and got most of it to loosen and drop away. I'd finished and just gotten dressed when Kevin was pounding on the door again. “Here's breakfast.” He said. I opened the door and took the food over to the postage stamp sized table and tucked in while Kent and Kevin grabbed my pack and gear and put them in the trunk.
Kent drove us back out to the site, and as before, Cobb was on site waiting for us to show. He stalked over to the car as we started to get out. “You three, I have words for you!” he said loudly as he approached the car. I stood my ground, and saw Kent and Kevin ease to the sides and unobtrusively ready themselves for trouble. Cobb sounded agitated and I really didn't want to fight with him. I looked him in the eye as he approached and he slowed to a stop about ten feet from us.
“Good morning to you to Cobb, now what's the problem?” I said acerbically. “The bridge up in the wrong place?” He watched us for a moment and relaxed slightly. “No, I finished the concealment after you three left for Pictou, and stayed on watch here through the night to see if Anolyn would show. He has not, and that worries me.” He looked at the three of us again, and then said in a faltering voice loaded with emotion. “I....also wanted...to thank you for your work in this. In truth I had not....expected that Fern could have done this. So I apologize for my ill manners and the trials I have put you through to date.”
“Well, a late apology is better than none,” Kent said, “but we're not done yet I do believe. I seem to remember that we must cross to the island and re-cross back to here to finish the service?” Cobb quirked a smile. “Yes, that is part of the terms of the service. But I do recommend caution. I would have preferred Anolyn to show rather than not. At least them we would know that he had sensed and decided to investigate. His not showing makes me think that a trap is being set.” Cobb sounded strained from being up and alert all night, but I kind of felt that way too. i think most of us prefer to see and know the enemy, rather than not see him and scare ourselves half-witless with possibilities.