Nancytribe
After Willow’s phone call I had headed out to the Council’s garage. David stresses how much less extravagant the Council is these days; looking at the row of gleaming cars, I had to wonder what it was like before.
I was going to meet Willow at the airport. Willow, who I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. And on Christmas Eve of all days. It was… mind boggling. To think that only a couple of days ago I’d been talking to Dawn and telling her I didn’t think Willow would come back. A horrible thought struck me. Maybe Willow was only coming over here to tell me it was over. Well, at least she would say it to my face. It would be terrible, but it would be better than just never hearing from her again.
There was no point wondering about this; I’d see her soon enough and the waiting would be over. I picked out one of the smaller cars. I’d never really driven much, and certainly not in London. Perhaps I should find the chauffeur. Then I remembered he probably had the day off because it was Christmas Eve. It would be wrong to disturb him.
I headed out of the driveway, driving carefully. A little further up the road I heard a screech of tyres, and a moment later a car sped past me, driving down the wrong side of the road. Maybe it was an American who hadn’t remembered the British drive on the left. Anyway, it was very dangerous and it was lucky I had room to move out of the way, or we would have crashed. Goddess, what an idiot. I hope he didn’t -
My thoughts were cut off when I noticed something lying in the road. Something that looked a lot like a person. I parked the car, not even bothering to switch off my engine, and raced down the road.
Oh Goddess.
Oh Goddess, it was David.
David, crumpled in the road, blood pooled around him.
“Oh no oh no oh no,” I murmured, kneeling beside him. His neck was twisted at a terrible angle. His eyes stared upwards. I put my fingers to his throat. No pulse. “Don’t be dead, David, don’t, please,” I hissed. I felt sick. His injuries looked terrible, probably fatal. Unless…
I could fix him. I could. I had helped save Triffy. Surely I could fix a few bones?
Taking a deep, shuddering sigh I placed one hand on his chest and another on his head. I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers into his skin. I could feel blood coating them. This was good, in a way.
“My life, be your life.” I concentrated, feeling small cuts open in my hands. I winced at the pain. I invoked the healing gods, asking them to use my energy to save David. It was a little risky - I might give too much - but it was all I could think of. I felt my blood pulse out of my hands, pooling onto David, the spiritual energy contained therein feeding into his own blood, reviving his system. I was trembling. My hands were getting hotter and hotter, and I felt that I would faint. I couldn’t. I had to stay focused. I tried to keep chanting, but the pain in my hands was terrible.
There was a click as his neck bones shifted back together. I could sense them fusing into place. As I did that, his heart gave one great, loud thump. The blood between us vibrated. And then I could hold on no longer.
I stood up dizzily. David was still very badly injured, I could see that, but I had fixed the worst of it. That was something.
“Ambulance, need an ambulance,” I murmured, my legs shaking. I headed back down the road to the Council, my whole body feeling like I was moving through water. The world swam, the shape of things blurring.
I pushed open the door. The floor tipped beneath me and I had to steady myself against the wall. After far too long I managed to find my way into the library. There were always people there.
“David,” I said. People looked up, wide-eyed. I supposed I was covered in blood. “David. Accident. He’s… Oh Goddess, he’s still in the road!” My eyes widened. “You have to…” But I couldn’t speak. The room was spinning. I felt my legs go from under me.
I was going to meet Willow at the airport. Willow, who I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. And on Christmas Eve of all days. It was… mind boggling. To think that only a couple of days ago I’d been talking to Dawn and telling her I didn’t think Willow would come back. A horrible thought struck me. Maybe Willow was only coming over here to tell me it was over. Well, at least she would say it to my face. It would be terrible, but it would be better than just never hearing from her again.
There was no point wondering about this; I’d see her soon enough and the waiting would be over. I picked out one of the smaller cars. I’d never really driven much, and certainly not in London. Perhaps I should find the chauffeur. Then I remembered he probably had the day off because it was Christmas Eve. It would be wrong to disturb him.
I headed out of the driveway, driving carefully. A little further up the road I heard a screech of tyres, and a moment later a car sped past me, driving down the wrong side of the road. Maybe it was an American who hadn’t remembered the British drive on the left. Anyway, it was very dangerous and it was lucky I had room to move out of the way, or we would have crashed. Goddess, what an idiot. I hope he didn’t -
My thoughts were cut off when I noticed something lying in the road. Something that looked a lot like a person. I parked the car, not even bothering to switch off my engine, and raced down the road.
Oh Goddess.
Oh Goddess, it was David.
David, crumpled in the road, blood pooled around him.
“Oh no oh no oh no,” I murmured, kneeling beside him. His neck was twisted at a terrible angle. His eyes stared upwards. I put my fingers to his throat. No pulse. “Don’t be dead, David, don’t, please,” I hissed. I felt sick. His injuries looked terrible, probably fatal. Unless…
I could fix him. I could. I had helped save Triffy. Surely I could fix a few bones?
Taking a deep, shuddering sigh I placed one hand on his chest and another on his head. I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers into his skin. I could feel blood coating them. This was good, in a way.
“My life, be your life.” I concentrated, feeling small cuts open in my hands. I winced at the pain. I invoked the healing gods, asking them to use my energy to save David. It was a little risky - I might give too much - but it was all I could think of. I felt my blood pulse out of my hands, pooling onto David, the spiritual energy contained therein feeding into his own blood, reviving his system. I was trembling. My hands were getting hotter and hotter, and I felt that I would faint. I couldn’t. I had to stay focused. I tried to keep chanting, but the pain in my hands was terrible.
There was a click as his neck bones shifted back together. I could sense them fusing into place. As I did that, his heart gave one great, loud thump. The blood between us vibrated. And then I could hold on no longer.
I stood up dizzily. David was still very badly injured, I could see that, but I had fixed the worst of it. That was something.
“Ambulance, need an ambulance,” I murmured, my legs shaking. I headed back down the road to the Council, my whole body feeling like I was moving through water. The world swam, the shape of things blurring.
I pushed open the door. The floor tipped beneath me and I had to steady myself against the wall. After far too long I managed to find my way into the library. There were always people there.
“David,” I said. People looked up, wide-eyed. I supposed I was covered in blood. “David. Accident. He’s… Oh Goddess, he’s still in the road!” My eyes widened. “You have to…” But I couldn’t speak. The room was spinning. I felt my legs go from under me.