Tin Man fic: Redemption & Reconstruction (9/?) (DG/Cain UST) (PG-13)
Title: Redemption & Reconstruction (9/?)
Author: caroly_214
Characters/Pairings: Pretty much everybody, DG/Cain UST (eventual overt DG/Cain)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,739
Disclaimer: I may share the same name as someone on the show, but that still doesn’t mean I own anything (shame, that).
Spoilers: Set immediately after the end of the miniseries
Summary: Ahamo emerges sans muttonchops, DG helps her mother and then goes to pay Az a visit.
Comments: I told you I'd be slow updating. Sorry. The good news is I've started the next chapter; the bad news is I'm going out of town again. But I hope to have the next chapter up in the next week or 2. As always, many, many thanks to my brilliant betas, thekatebeyond, daisycm83, and jennukes.
Cross-posted to my journal, tinman_fic, and dg_cain
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
The Queen smiled. “Our next step is to send messages to the other Resistance leaders, the nobles, and other leaders throughout the OZ. We need to inform them of what has happened, just as we did with the Resistance forces here.”
Her mother’s words confirmed what DG had been thinking since the day before: she was going to have to show her memories to all of the people of the OZ. DG raised her head and met her mother’s eyes, seeing that Lavender, too, understood the implications. Before she could vocalize their shared realization, however, Ahamo emerged from the washroom, sans muttonchops. He looked so much better.
With a mock-bow, Ahamo gave Cain’s razor back to him, saying, “I’m much obliged to you, Lord Wyatt.” The hint of a smirk on her father’s face showed that the Consort knew exactly what he was doing by using the title Cain had made no secret of hating.
But Cain merely cocked an eyebrow. “Any time, Your Highness,” he replied coolly.
Smiling, Ahamo moved to stand before his wife and daughter, as if presenting himself for inspection. Although her father appeared relaxed, DG saw - or maybe felt - some uncertainty and tension in him. It puzzled her a moment (after all, he knew they approved of him shaving off the muttonchops), but then she had a flash of insight. She had known since the balloon ride with Ahamo that her parents had not seen one another for fifteen years. Her parents were obviously madly in love with each other - and, unlike her, they actually remembered each other - but, given the amount of time they were forced to spend apart, there was bound to be at least some awkwardness between them. And, DG realized, it would only get worse as the relief and jubilation of victory and being reunited started to wear off. It had been less than a day, but it was already starting. Nor would it be limited to the relationship between her parents, either; they were all going to have to face uncertainty and awkwardness with each other.
Suddenly sad, DG stood, gave Ahamo a quick hug of reassurance, and then plopped herself back down on the couch between Cain and Glitch once again, needing to be surrounded by friends. Cain looked at her curiously, but she just smiled and squeezed his arm briefly.
Across the way, Lavender smiled at her husband while reaching for his hand. Ahamo settled next to her on the couch, his free arm wrapping securely around his wife’s shoulders.
Lavender turned to her husband with a satisfied smirk. “Much better,” she said.
“I’m so glad you approve,” he replied.
“Well, as your queen, my approval is all that matters.” Lavender’s eyes twinkled before narrowing to regard her husband thoughtfully. After a moment, she leaned up and whispered something in his ear; DG couldn’t hear what her mother said, but she could tell that Ahamo relaxed a little at Lavender’s words. Maybe they’d all get through this without too much pain.
The Queen then turned to face her daughter. “DG, I know it’s not in your nature to be idle, but I think it might be best for you to take it easy for the rest of the day. I don’t even know all you’ve endured over the past week, but I know the past two days have not been restful.” DG opened her mouth to protest, but her mother raised her hand and DG decided she’d give her mother the benefit of the doubt and kept quiet - for the moment. “That does not mean there is not work you can do. To help convince the other leaders in the OZ of our return and the defeat of the witch, I would like to handwrite our messages to each of them; I am hopeful many will recognize my handwriting and the royal seal, which the sorceress was never able to obtain. But I cannot write all the messages myself and I would appreciate your help. It will also be a good way to announce to the OZ that you are alive.”
DG frowned. Writing messages for the rest of the day didn’t sound like fun. And she was a much better typist than a hand-writer, so any messages she might write might not be legible. But her mother had a point; she was tired and could use a rest. If the OZ needed her to handwrite messages, then that’s what she’d do. Summoning up as much enthusiasm as she could, she nodded.
After a quick and sparse lunch, Cain went off to check with the Resistance (it was actually an excuse to go see his son, but everyone pretended he volunteered for the assignment for purely professional reasons), while Ahamo and Glitch went to arrange couriers. For the next few hours, DG and the Queen wrote messages to the various leaders throughout the OZ. As they did so, Lavender told DG about the people they were writing to and their positions in the OZ - not in too much depth, of course; DG’s mind was still reeling from the events of the past week, and thankfully, her mother realized that. By making light conversation instead of lecturing, Lavender helped DG relax and made the time pass quickly, all while giving her daughter some useful information.
When the paper was nearly gone and DG’s hand hurt too much to continue writing, she leaned back from the table and wrung out her aching hand. Across from her, the Queen merely smiled tolerantly as she continued writing.
“Mother,” she began hesitantly a moment later, “can I go see Az?” She flushed for a moment when she realized she sounded like a little kid asking for her mother’s permission to go play. She was an adult; she didn’t need permission. “I mean, is there anything I can do to make sure I don’t hurt her again?”
Her mother smiled sympathetically. “Of course, DG. In fact, we can have our first magic lesson now. I’ll show you how to suppress your magic.”
DG blinked. She’d spent most of the past week trying to actually use her magic, it seemed odd to try to suppress it. But if it meant she could go see Az, she’d do it. “Okay. What do I need to do?”
Rising gracefully from the table, Lavender took DG’s hand and led her over to the couch, where they sat side-by-side.
“Magic is often controlled through visualization,” the Queen began. “Imagine what you want to happen and it will. So, to suppress your magic, you’ll need to imagine locking it away. Do you understand?”
DG nodded uncertainly. It sounded easy enough, but if it really were that simple, she wouldn’t need all this training.
Her mother smiled encouragingly. “I’ll talk you through it. First, close your eyes and try to feel the edges of your magic.”
Following her mother’s instructions, DG closed her eyes and tried to “feel” the “edges” of her magic. It didn’t work. She tried for several more moments, but finally gave up, opening her eyes to find her mother watching her closely. “I couldn’t feel it,” she complained.
“That’s because you were trying too hard. Magic shares an important quality with you.” DG raised a skeptical eyebrow at this, but her mother took no notice. “I learned when you were very young that if I asked you to do something, you would immediately comply, but that if I ordered you instead, you dug in your heels and wouldn’t budge. The more I tried to force you, the more stubborn you became. So it is with your magic: the more you try to force it, the harder it will be to control. Your magic is part of you. Don’t fight it; relax into it.”
Well, DG had to give her mother credit; Lavender definitely knew her personality rather well. So she’d give her mother the benefit of the doubt (for the second time today) and try this method. She closed her eyes and tried relaxing, but it wasn’t easy considering the week she’d had. “Relaxing” wasn’t the word she’d have chosen to describe it. But she needed to learn how to do this now, for Az’s sake. DG remembered a few breathing techniques she’d learned at the yoga class one of her friends had dragged her to a couple of years ago and decided it was worth a shot. Focusing on her breathing, she let her mind drift.
And then, there it was. It was like she just found another hand, or another sense, like vision, or all of that combined into one. She wasn’t sure how she hadn’t noticed it before. Remembering her mother’s instructions, DG reached out for the edges of her magic. Finding them, she opened her eyes to tell her mother, but Lavender anticipated her.
“Excellent, DG. Now visualize a secure box in which you can contain your magic.”
DG started to imagine an appropriate box - she was thinking a safe - when an image popped into her mind, seemingly out of nowhere. It was a box, but not one she could remember seeing before. It looked delicate, almost like a music box. It was made of a medium wood, almost cherry in color, but the top was inlaid with both a lighter wood and some sort of rich blue stone in the swirl-like pattern she’d had on her hand. It was gorgeous and perfect for storing her magic.
“I have it,” she said.
“Good. Now take your magic and secure it in the box.”
Gathering up her magic, DG opened the box and stuffed her magic inside. For a moment, her magic resisted and her first impulse was to force it in, but she remembered her mother’s words and instead coaxed and asked it to hide away for a little while. Compliant, her magic went into the box and DG firmly shut the lid and latched it - only to find she felt like she’d just cut off her hand or suddenly gone blind. She opened her eyes, but so many things seemed to lack the depth they’d had before; it was even true of her mother. Apparently, she’d been using her magic more than she’d realized. Now that she was without it, she felt bereft.
The Queen must have seen her distress, because she squeezed DG’s hand comfortingly. “It feels odd, doesn’t it? But not to worry; you can unlock the box at any time. Why don’t you try it now?”
Closing her eyes yet again, DG mentally unlatched the box and let her magic out. It was like someone just turned on the light. When she opened her eyes, everything looked so fresh and vibrant and…alive. She met her mother’s eyes and they shared a smile, full of pride at DG’s accomplishment.
“There you are, my darling. Now, put it back in the box and go spend some time with your sister. Just remember, no matter how much we may wish otherwise, sometimes it is beyond our power to fix things, or even to speed up the healing process. Do not be discouraged if there is no change apparent in Az during your visit.”
Still smiling, DG locked her magic away again, then leaned forward to grab her mother in an exuberant hug. Lavender returned the hug just as enthusiastically before DG brushed her mother’s cheek with a kiss and whispered, “Thanks, Mother.” DG pulled back with a grin, winked, and bounded out the door to see her sister.
Waving to Peter, who was once again standing guard outside the room, DG walked down the hall to the room where Az and Tutor had holed up. Knocking firmly on the door, she waited impatiently until Tutor opened it up.
“DG,” he exclaimed with a smile.
“Hi, Tutor,” she replied, leaning in for a quick hug. He was, after all, family, and she was in a huggy mood (though, truth be told, she was pretty much always in a huggy mood).
She pulled back to see a surprised look on Tutor’s face. Grinning cheekily, she said, “I’m here to see Az.”
Tutor looked at her appraisingly. “And I see you’ve taken steps to not cause her any distress. Excellent. Did your mother show you?” DG nodded, and Tutor continued, “Then come in.” The big man moved aside, giving DG her first view of her sister that day.
Az was lying on her side on a cot, eyes unfocused and unblinking. She looked much as she had the night before.
“You might not want to get too close at first, DG. See how she reacts before moving closer.”
DG nodded and tentatively walked toward her sister. “Az?” she asked, hoping for - but not expecting - a reaction. She didn’t get one. Frowning, she turned to Tutor. “On the Other Side, they say people in comas can hear what goes on around them, so it’s good to talk to them. I know Az isn’t in a coma, but do you think it would help if I talked to her?”
Tutor smiled. “I don’t know if it will help her, but I don’t think it would hurt.”
She sat on the floor, several feet from her sister. “You’ve missed a lot since yesterday, Az. We had a big family and friend meeting. Glitch is back to being Chief Advisor, and Cain is now my advisor - which makes him Lord Wyatt. He’s not very happy about that. My friend Raw was made an advisor, too. Oh, and Dad shaved off the muttonchops. He looks much better now.” DG continued chatting away, about the events of the past week, the memories of their childhood she was slowly recovering, and her life on the Other Side.
After a while, she paused. Even though DG knew her sister probably wouldn’t remember anything she said, she needed to get something off her chest. Fiddling with her shoelaces, she began, “You know, Az, I was an only child on the Other Side. A lot of my friends had brothers and sisters, but I never wanted brothers, and I also didn’t want a little sister. Instead, I wanted an older sister. When I was little - probably right after I got to the Other Side - I used to imagine I had an older sister. She was tall and smart and brave and took care of me while we played. I guess she was a lot like you.” She choked back tears before continuing, “I guess I missed you even though I didn’t remember you. And I still miss you. I know it will take a while before you’re better, but you need to get better, Az, because I need you.”
Forcing a laugh to lighten the mood after the serious path the conversation had taken, she said, “But do I have stories to tell you of all the trouble I got into because you weren’t looking after me. Like the time I started a food fight because Tommy Milton said I threw like a girl. He never criticized my throwing ability again.” DG continued chatting for several more minutes, but the one-sided conversation with no hint of reaction from Az started to dampen DG’s spirits. She knew nothing she could do would result in an immediate change, but it was still hard to face and not get discouraged.
Finally, she ran out of things to say. Az looked just as she had when DG came in. She chose to believe that her talking had helped Az, but that it would just take a long time to see the results. Problem was, DG had never been a very patient person.
Wearily standing, she said, “That’s it for now, Az. I’ll come back soon and talk to you some more.” She wanted to give Az a hug, but didn’t dare; she remembered the reaction her sister had had when she took Az’s hand last night, and she didn’t want a repeat of that.
Waving at Tutor, she let herself out of the room, but paused outside the door, unsure of where to go. Her mother was probably still back in the room, and who knew where Cain, Ahamo, Glitch, and Raw were. But she didn’t feel like facing any of them right now. Nodding decisively, she walked away from the room where her mother was, looking for an empty room. She needed some alone time.
TBC
Author: caroly_214
Characters/Pairings: Pretty much everybody, DG/Cain UST (eventual overt DG/Cain)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,739
Disclaimer: I may share the same name as someone on the show, but that still doesn’t mean I own anything (shame, that).
Spoilers: Set immediately after the end of the miniseries
Summary: Ahamo emerges sans muttonchops, DG helps her mother and then goes to pay Az a visit.
Comments: I told you I'd be slow updating. Sorry. The good news is I've started the next chapter; the bad news is I'm going out of town again. But I hope to have the next chapter up in the next week or 2. As always, many, many thanks to my brilliant betas, thekatebeyond, daisycm83, and jennukes.
Cross-posted to my journal, tinman_fic, and dg_cain
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
The Queen smiled. “Our next step is to send messages to the other Resistance leaders, the nobles, and other leaders throughout the OZ. We need to inform them of what has happened, just as we did with the Resistance forces here.”
Her mother’s words confirmed what DG had been thinking since the day before: she was going to have to show her memories to all of the people of the OZ. DG raised her head and met her mother’s eyes, seeing that Lavender, too, understood the implications. Before she could vocalize their shared realization, however, Ahamo emerged from the washroom, sans muttonchops. He looked so much better.
With a mock-bow, Ahamo gave Cain’s razor back to him, saying, “I’m much obliged to you, Lord Wyatt.” The hint of a smirk on her father’s face showed that the Consort knew exactly what he was doing by using the title Cain had made no secret of hating.
But Cain merely cocked an eyebrow. “Any time, Your Highness,” he replied coolly.
Smiling, Ahamo moved to stand before his wife and daughter, as if presenting himself for inspection. Although her father appeared relaxed, DG saw - or maybe felt - some uncertainty and tension in him. It puzzled her a moment (after all, he knew they approved of him shaving off the muttonchops), but then she had a flash of insight. She had known since the balloon ride with Ahamo that her parents had not seen one another for fifteen years. Her parents were obviously madly in love with each other - and, unlike her, they actually remembered each other - but, given the amount of time they were forced to spend apart, there was bound to be at least some awkwardness between them. And, DG realized, it would only get worse as the relief and jubilation of victory and being reunited started to wear off. It had been less than a day, but it was already starting. Nor would it be limited to the relationship between her parents, either; they were all going to have to face uncertainty and awkwardness with each other.
Suddenly sad, DG stood, gave Ahamo a quick hug of reassurance, and then plopped herself back down on the couch between Cain and Glitch once again, needing to be surrounded by friends. Cain looked at her curiously, but she just smiled and squeezed his arm briefly.
Across the way, Lavender smiled at her husband while reaching for his hand. Ahamo settled next to her on the couch, his free arm wrapping securely around his wife’s shoulders.
Lavender turned to her husband with a satisfied smirk. “Much better,” she said.
“I’m so glad you approve,” he replied.
“Well, as your queen, my approval is all that matters.” Lavender’s eyes twinkled before narrowing to regard her husband thoughtfully. After a moment, she leaned up and whispered something in his ear; DG couldn’t hear what her mother said, but she could tell that Ahamo relaxed a little at Lavender’s words. Maybe they’d all get through this without too much pain.
The Queen then turned to face her daughter. “DG, I know it’s not in your nature to be idle, but I think it might be best for you to take it easy for the rest of the day. I don’t even know all you’ve endured over the past week, but I know the past two days have not been restful.” DG opened her mouth to protest, but her mother raised her hand and DG decided she’d give her mother the benefit of the doubt and kept quiet - for the moment. “That does not mean there is not work you can do. To help convince the other leaders in the OZ of our return and the defeat of the witch, I would like to handwrite our messages to each of them; I am hopeful many will recognize my handwriting and the royal seal, which the sorceress was never able to obtain. But I cannot write all the messages myself and I would appreciate your help. It will also be a good way to announce to the OZ that you are alive.”
DG frowned. Writing messages for the rest of the day didn’t sound like fun. And she was a much better typist than a hand-writer, so any messages she might write might not be legible. But her mother had a point; she was tired and could use a rest. If the OZ needed her to handwrite messages, then that’s what she’d do. Summoning up as much enthusiasm as she could, she nodded.
After a quick and sparse lunch, Cain went off to check with the Resistance (it was actually an excuse to go see his son, but everyone pretended he volunteered for the assignment for purely professional reasons), while Ahamo and Glitch went to arrange couriers. For the next few hours, DG and the Queen wrote messages to the various leaders throughout the OZ. As they did so, Lavender told DG about the people they were writing to and their positions in the OZ - not in too much depth, of course; DG’s mind was still reeling from the events of the past week, and thankfully, her mother realized that. By making light conversation instead of lecturing, Lavender helped DG relax and made the time pass quickly, all while giving her daughter some useful information.
When the paper was nearly gone and DG’s hand hurt too much to continue writing, she leaned back from the table and wrung out her aching hand. Across from her, the Queen merely smiled tolerantly as she continued writing.
“Mother,” she began hesitantly a moment later, “can I go see Az?” She flushed for a moment when she realized she sounded like a little kid asking for her mother’s permission to go play. She was an adult; she didn’t need permission. “I mean, is there anything I can do to make sure I don’t hurt her again?”
Her mother smiled sympathetically. “Of course, DG. In fact, we can have our first magic lesson now. I’ll show you how to suppress your magic.”
DG blinked. She’d spent most of the past week trying to actually use her magic, it seemed odd to try to suppress it. But if it meant she could go see Az, she’d do it. “Okay. What do I need to do?”
Rising gracefully from the table, Lavender took DG’s hand and led her over to the couch, where they sat side-by-side.
“Magic is often controlled through visualization,” the Queen began. “Imagine what you want to happen and it will. So, to suppress your magic, you’ll need to imagine locking it away. Do you understand?”
DG nodded uncertainly. It sounded easy enough, but if it really were that simple, she wouldn’t need all this training.
Her mother smiled encouragingly. “I’ll talk you through it. First, close your eyes and try to feel the edges of your magic.”
Following her mother’s instructions, DG closed her eyes and tried to “feel” the “edges” of her magic. It didn’t work. She tried for several more moments, but finally gave up, opening her eyes to find her mother watching her closely. “I couldn’t feel it,” she complained.
“That’s because you were trying too hard. Magic shares an important quality with you.” DG raised a skeptical eyebrow at this, but her mother took no notice. “I learned when you were very young that if I asked you to do something, you would immediately comply, but that if I ordered you instead, you dug in your heels and wouldn’t budge. The more I tried to force you, the more stubborn you became. So it is with your magic: the more you try to force it, the harder it will be to control. Your magic is part of you. Don’t fight it; relax into it.”
Well, DG had to give her mother credit; Lavender definitely knew her personality rather well. So she’d give her mother the benefit of the doubt (for the second time today) and try this method. She closed her eyes and tried relaxing, but it wasn’t easy considering the week she’d had. “Relaxing” wasn’t the word she’d have chosen to describe it. But she needed to learn how to do this now, for Az’s sake. DG remembered a few breathing techniques she’d learned at the yoga class one of her friends had dragged her to a couple of years ago and decided it was worth a shot. Focusing on her breathing, she let her mind drift.
And then, there it was. It was like she just found another hand, or another sense, like vision, or all of that combined into one. She wasn’t sure how she hadn’t noticed it before. Remembering her mother’s instructions, DG reached out for the edges of her magic. Finding them, she opened her eyes to tell her mother, but Lavender anticipated her.
“Excellent, DG. Now visualize a secure box in which you can contain your magic.”
DG started to imagine an appropriate box - she was thinking a safe - when an image popped into her mind, seemingly out of nowhere. It was a box, but not one she could remember seeing before. It looked delicate, almost like a music box. It was made of a medium wood, almost cherry in color, but the top was inlaid with both a lighter wood and some sort of rich blue stone in the swirl-like pattern she’d had on her hand. It was gorgeous and perfect for storing her magic.
“I have it,” she said.
“Good. Now take your magic and secure it in the box.”
Gathering up her magic, DG opened the box and stuffed her magic inside. For a moment, her magic resisted and her first impulse was to force it in, but she remembered her mother’s words and instead coaxed and asked it to hide away for a little while. Compliant, her magic went into the box and DG firmly shut the lid and latched it - only to find she felt like she’d just cut off her hand or suddenly gone blind. She opened her eyes, but so many things seemed to lack the depth they’d had before; it was even true of her mother. Apparently, she’d been using her magic more than she’d realized. Now that she was without it, she felt bereft.
The Queen must have seen her distress, because she squeezed DG’s hand comfortingly. “It feels odd, doesn’t it? But not to worry; you can unlock the box at any time. Why don’t you try it now?”
Closing her eyes yet again, DG mentally unlatched the box and let her magic out. It was like someone just turned on the light. When she opened her eyes, everything looked so fresh and vibrant and…alive. She met her mother’s eyes and they shared a smile, full of pride at DG’s accomplishment.
“There you are, my darling. Now, put it back in the box and go spend some time with your sister. Just remember, no matter how much we may wish otherwise, sometimes it is beyond our power to fix things, or even to speed up the healing process. Do not be discouraged if there is no change apparent in Az during your visit.”
Still smiling, DG locked her magic away again, then leaned forward to grab her mother in an exuberant hug. Lavender returned the hug just as enthusiastically before DG brushed her mother’s cheek with a kiss and whispered, “Thanks, Mother.” DG pulled back with a grin, winked, and bounded out the door to see her sister.
Waving to Peter, who was once again standing guard outside the room, DG walked down the hall to the room where Az and Tutor had holed up. Knocking firmly on the door, she waited impatiently until Tutor opened it up.
“DG,” he exclaimed with a smile.
“Hi, Tutor,” she replied, leaning in for a quick hug. He was, after all, family, and she was in a huggy mood (though, truth be told, she was pretty much always in a huggy mood).
She pulled back to see a surprised look on Tutor’s face. Grinning cheekily, she said, “I’m here to see Az.”
Tutor looked at her appraisingly. “And I see you’ve taken steps to not cause her any distress. Excellent. Did your mother show you?” DG nodded, and Tutor continued, “Then come in.” The big man moved aside, giving DG her first view of her sister that day.
Az was lying on her side on a cot, eyes unfocused and unblinking. She looked much as she had the night before.
“You might not want to get too close at first, DG. See how she reacts before moving closer.”
DG nodded and tentatively walked toward her sister. “Az?” she asked, hoping for - but not expecting - a reaction. She didn’t get one. Frowning, she turned to Tutor. “On the Other Side, they say people in comas can hear what goes on around them, so it’s good to talk to them. I know Az isn’t in a coma, but do you think it would help if I talked to her?”
Tutor smiled. “I don’t know if it will help her, but I don’t think it would hurt.”
She sat on the floor, several feet from her sister. “You’ve missed a lot since yesterday, Az. We had a big family and friend meeting. Glitch is back to being Chief Advisor, and Cain is now my advisor - which makes him Lord Wyatt. He’s not very happy about that. My friend Raw was made an advisor, too. Oh, and Dad shaved off the muttonchops. He looks much better now.” DG continued chatting away, about the events of the past week, the memories of their childhood she was slowly recovering, and her life on the Other Side.
After a while, she paused. Even though DG knew her sister probably wouldn’t remember anything she said, she needed to get something off her chest. Fiddling with her shoelaces, she began, “You know, Az, I was an only child on the Other Side. A lot of my friends had brothers and sisters, but I never wanted brothers, and I also didn’t want a little sister. Instead, I wanted an older sister. When I was little - probably right after I got to the Other Side - I used to imagine I had an older sister. She was tall and smart and brave and took care of me while we played. I guess she was a lot like you.” She choked back tears before continuing, “I guess I missed you even though I didn’t remember you. And I still miss you. I know it will take a while before you’re better, but you need to get better, Az, because I need you.”
Forcing a laugh to lighten the mood after the serious path the conversation had taken, she said, “But do I have stories to tell you of all the trouble I got into because you weren’t looking after me. Like the time I started a food fight because Tommy Milton said I threw like a girl. He never criticized my throwing ability again.” DG continued chatting for several more minutes, but the one-sided conversation with no hint of reaction from Az started to dampen DG’s spirits. She knew nothing she could do would result in an immediate change, but it was still hard to face and not get discouraged.
Finally, she ran out of things to say. Az looked just as she had when DG came in. She chose to believe that her talking had helped Az, but that it would just take a long time to see the results. Problem was, DG had never been a very patient person.
Wearily standing, she said, “That’s it for now, Az. I’ll come back soon and talk to you some more.” She wanted to give Az a hug, but didn’t dare; she remembered the reaction her sister had had when she took Az’s hand last night, and she didn’t want a repeat of that.
Waving at Tutor, she let herself out of the room, but paused outside the door, unsure of where to go. Her mother was probably still back in the room, and who knew where Cain, Ahamo, Glitch, and Raw were. But she didn’t feel like facing any of them right now. Nodding decisively, she walked away from the room where her mother was, looking for an empty room. She needed some alone time.
TBC