Hearts on Fire

[Allyson Locke]

Allyson listened to the doctor knowing that she would have to force herself to spit something up. The thought of it all made her groan. The coughing was painful and it felt like someone was ripping her insides out of her stomach. Allyson shifted to prepare herself to cough up the mess the doctor needed. She wondered if the doctor would be able to give a diagnosis right here right now, but she highly doubted it – it probably required a lab and other tests to be conducted. Frustration rose in her, she wanted this to be over with, she wanted to return to a life somewhat close to normal and she wanted to stop being a burden to Kaili most of all.

“I can do that, but again Doctor you avoided my request for your wor--- Kaili?!” Allyson felt the tender kisses against her neck and the secure grasp around her waist. The act felt so familiar as if Kaili had done this to her for her whole life. Allyson paused and caught her breath, Kaili knew what to do to derail the conversation and all Allyson could think about was what she was going to do once the doctor took her leave. Inhaling deeply, Allyson shifted her weight and leaned into the whispers and gentleness of the Borleian girl. It was over just as quick as it started and Allyson felt her face and the tips of her ears bright red. She felt short of breath and then looked towards the doctor slightly embarrassed then towards Kaili.

“You fell…you were exhausted. You haven’t been sleeping, right?” All of the Corellian’s concern was now focused on the blonde beside her. She reached out as she felt the chill of the room’s air once Kaili had unwrapped herself from her. Concerned eyes started at Kaili as she held her hand giving it a tight squeeze. “I’m okay. There’s nothing wrong with me beyond doing a bit too much after the hospital.” Smiling, she looked towards the doctor. “Right Doctor? She should be able to clean you up Kaili and make your cheek feel better.” Standing from the bed, Allyson kept the smile spread across her face. “I’m going to get you the sample Dr. Zanteres.”

Allyson quickly disappeared into her bathroom and stared at the mirror. She needed to collect herself and force herself to cough and wheeze to get whatever phlegm was in her throat. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror she wondered why it took her so long to recognize Kaili, what had prevented her from figuring it out. She remembered most things once she was given a name, but Kaili – Kaili didn’t register for some reason. The urge to punch the mirror rose, but Allyson fought it. Leaning over the sink, she turned on the water and splashed water on her face. Despite her slight uncomfortable feeling when she was too close to Kaili for too long, she knew that this was right and that she needed to get over it.

Tonight, she would move herself back into the room with Kaili…

Still it bothered her that she didn’t quickly recognize Kaili after the first few days, hours even. Shaking her head, Allyson felt a cough rising. She grabbed a tissue and hacked up what felt like her entire lung into the tissue. Groaning she felt as if the episode would never end and because of it being so bloody, she had to wrap it in several tissues. Frowning, she walked out and held her hand with the sample for the most part. “I was going to wait for you to give me something, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”


[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

Hazel raised an eyebrow as she watched what was unfolding before her. The Hapan had been in the midst of discussing things with Allyson, both too preoccupied to notice when Kaili had started moving again.

It wasn't until the bed shifted, that either one finally realized.

She was admittedly wondering how far it was going to go, until she saw Kaili seemingly return to reality fully and stared straight at her. Despite the situation, Hazel couldn't help but smile slightly, mostly out of amusement.

The pair quickly broke off, Allyson's cheeks growing in embarrassment as she looked over at the Hapan. Hazel let the Corellian explain what had happened, and from the sounds of things it was something that had happened to Kaili a number of times. At least that's what she gleamed from how Allyson spoke.

Eventually the two blondes were left alone, both looked at one another and there was no denying a measure of tension that immediately fell in the room. After all, the last time the Borleian was damn near to punching her in the face. Hazel bit back a sigh, instead sliding off the bed and grabbed her satchel from the nearby table. No words were really spoken at first, and the Hapan simply went about tending to Kaili's cut cheek.

"She tends to make things appear less than they are, doesn't she?" The Hapan was referring to Allyson, specifically her earlier mention of their being 'nothing wrong beyond doing too much''. She knew the Corellian was doing it to not worry Kaili too much, but Hazel suspected the blonde wasn't exactly that blind to what Allyson was hiding. "Her lungs appear to be a bit more damaged than initially discovered, at the moment it could be something as simple as an infection, but until I can run some tests I won't know if it's that or something more serious."

Besides, Hazel wasn't always going to be around and as such it was imperative that someone who would be; such as Kaili, would know everything that was needed.

She had just about wrapped up helping Kaili, when Allyson had finally returned from the bathroom. Hazel gave her a grateful nod as she walked up to her and carefully took the sample.

"Thank you, Allyson." The Hapan knew it hadn't been easy, especially trying to force yourself to cough up.

[member="Kaili Talith"] | [member="Allyson Locke"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"] // [member="Hazel Zanteres"]

Kaili’s lips shut tight, her lips thinning to the point where they threatened to disappear as her cheeks burned and her entire face began to turn red in embarrassment. It wasn’t like her to be in this state, at least not these days, but something inside of her must have snapped. Perhaps a temporary setback, perhaps not, it didn’t really matter. Her head shook at Allyson’s question. If collapsing in a pool of spilled wine counted as getting sleep then she had certainly gotten her share of it. At least she was aware that she had fallen now. Physically, not metaphysical. It would explain the bruise on her cheek.

Allyson stepped out, Kaili shuffled over to the edge of the bed and let the doctor pat at her wound. Eyes set on the floor, not really making eye contact yet she was quite clearly there again. Eyes twitched, teeth gritted to be exposed with sharp inhales as the doctor cleaned up the bruise. A few minutes ago she would have told her to shove it, but now…

Now she just wasn’t really sure what to think.

Who was the woman she had seen before passing out? The woman from the cave, but who was she truly? An alternate reality of herself, but where had it gone so wrong? It didn’t matter, perhaps. Kaili was brought out of her daydream by the doctor.

“She didn’t want to come here at first.” The girl sighed. “Wanted to die. This plays into that somehow, I just know it. Doesn’t help that she covers up the truth when she thinks I can’t handle it or that it will hurt me.”

Allyson coughed in the bathroom and Kaili looked over in instantaneous worry for the other woman’s well-being. They weren’t quite done, but they had already done what really needed to be done. Hazel stood, Kaili remained seated on the bed feeling as broken as ever.

Eyes slowly blinking to push it all away.

“How are you feeling, Allyson?”

“How do you really feel?”