Fic: Hope for Healing - Chapter 12
Title: Hope for Healing - Chapter 12
Author: wastingyourgum
Characters/Pairings: Matilda, Guy, Marian, Sarah
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Words: 1093
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own anything you find familiar.
Notes: Slightly shorter chapter this time - sorry. Thanks as usual to jagnikjen and robinfanatic for all their help.
Summary: Matilda discovers why Marian's fever has not yet broken...
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Previous Chapter
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CHAPTER 12
Matilda couldn't understand it. Marian's skin had a much healthier colour to it but she was still burning hot. She should have broken the fever by now and if she hadn't, she should be looking a lot worse.
"Give me some water," she snapped, temporarily forgetting who she was addressing. She held her breath and waited for the snarl.
Instead of reacting to being ordered about, Gisborne instantly rushed to comply and Matilda let herself enjoy what she considered a small victory. If only Vaizey had a weak spot she could exploit so easily...
Gisborne tipped the jug up, then upended it and growled in frustration. "There's none left - I'll get the maid to fetch some more." He strode over to the door, wrenched it open and stepped out into the corridor, pulling the door semi-closed behind him.
Matilda gasped as she felt a pinch on her arm and she looked down to see Marian smiling weakly back at her.
Marian winked and gestured with her eyes towards the door. As it opened and Gisborne came back into the room, she quickly closed her eyes again.
Matilda suppressed a smile. You cunning little vixen... "Lady Marian's colour is a lot better. I think she's nearly over the fever. I have an ointment here which should help her break free of it completely."
"So what are you waiting for?" Gisborne snapped.
"I have to apply it to her back. You'll have to leave the room," Matilda stated as matter-of-factly as possible.
Gisborne hesitated but only very briefly. "I'll wait outside. Knock on the door when you're done. If she looks like she may wake then you'll have to stop. I'll send the maid in with the water when she gets back - be sure to cover your face."
Matilda nodded to show she understood and Gisborne left the room.
As soon as the door closed behind him Marian opened her eyes again. "It is you," she whispered to Matilda with a large smile. "I had half convinced myself it was some dream brought on by my fever."
"If I was in your vision then surely it would be a nightmare and not a dream!" Matilda chuckled quietly. "How are you feeling?" She looked more closely at Marian's eyes.
"Quite tired... and hungry."
"I'm not surprised - you've had practically nothing but water for nearly three days."
"Three days!" Marian exclaimed. "I thought it was only two. I've missed a whole day somewhere."
"Mm - it was a nasty one, that's for sure..." Matilda said. She laid her hand on Marian's forehead. "And I can't understand why you're still so hot."
Marian smiled mischievously. "Because last time she went for water, I had Sarah sneak into the kitchen and fetch me a hot stone." She threw the covers back to reveal a flat blanket-wrapped bundle lying on her stomach.
Matilda laughed and hastily clamped her hand over her mouth in case Gisborne heard her. "Oh, if ever there was a match for young Master Locksley, you are it, my girl!" she whispered appreciatively.
Marian moved the hot stone to one side. "I wanted to make certain you had not been a dream. From what Sarah was able to tell me of you I thought it must be true, but I had to be sure. Keeping my ‘fever' seemed like the only way to make Guy bring you to me again." She looked up hopefully at Matilda. "Please tell me this means that what I thought you told me is also true - Little John is not dead? Guy did not kill him?"
Matilda nodded but with a frown. "Not yet anyway. Vaizey is determined to make him give up the location of Robin's camp. They've been torturing him almost non-stop since they caught him."
"Poor John. We have to get him out," Marian said with determination.
"Did you manage to speak to Robin at all?" Matilda asked.
"I... I'm not sure," Marian grudgingly replied. "I know he was here - Sarah told me - and I tried to tell him, or at least I think I did, but I don't think he understood."
"Do you have any way of reaching him?"
Marian shook her head disconsolately. "No. I would ask Sarah to try and spot him in the town but today is one of the days he usually visits the villages, not Nottingham, and Sarah would find it hard to get away for that long. He may be here tomorrow."
Matilda sighed. "I don't think John has that long. He's in a pretty bad way."
There was a knock at the door and Marian quickly pulled the covers back over herself and closed her eyes.
Matilda wrapped her cloak around her head and went to open the door. She took the water from Sarah with a brief nod and, when she was sure Gisborne wasn't looking, a small wink.
Sarah flashed her a brief smile before she closed the door again.
Matilda poured two cups of water and handed one to Marian. "Drink it slow."
They both sat in thought for a few moments before Matilda had another idea. "What about Allan? I've seen him here a few times. Is he spying for Robin?"
Marian scowled. "No, he's not. He is working for Guy. Actually, I think it would be fairer to say he is working for Allan."
"Oh... Hmm..." Matilda frowned. "And he wouldn't help? Not even to save John?"
Marian considered this for a moment. There was certainly no love lost between John and Allan but while she could not believe Allan would actively wish the other man's death, neither did she think he would risk his own on John's behalf. "I don't think so... He might, but I'm not certain and we couldn't risk it. No, I'll have to do it myself," she said firmly.
"What? Don't be ridiculous!" Matilda snorted. "You're not getting out of that bed until tomorrow at least, young lady. You're in no shape to go gallivanting off into the woods looking for Robin."
"No. I don't mean I should go fetch Robin - I mean it'll have to be me, well... us, that gets John out. You said yourself he doesn't have much time."
"Now I know the fever's scrambled your wits," Matilda said incredulously. "You're suggesting you and I just stroll down to the dungeon, drag John out of there, walk him out the front gate and nobody will so much as bat an eyelid?"
Marian smiled. "That's almost exactly what I'm suggesting - and here's how we'll do it..."
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Next Chapter
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Author: wastingyourgum
Characters/Pairings: Matilda, Guy, Marian, Sarah
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Words: 1093
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own anything you find familiar.
Notes: Slightly shorter chapter this time - sorry. Thanks as usual to jagnikjen and robinfanatic for all their help.
Summary: Matilda discovers why Marian's fever has not yet broken...
>>>------------------------------>
Previous Chapter
>>>------------------------------>
CHAPTER 12
Matilda couldn't understand it. Marian's skin had a much healthier colour to it but she was still burning hot. She should have broken the fever by now and if she hadn't, she should be looking a lot worse.
"Give me some water," she snapped, temporarily forgetting who she was addressing. She held her breath and waited for the snarl.
Instead of reacting to being ordered about, Gisborne instantly rushed to comply and Matilda let herself enjoy what she considered a small victory. If only Vaizey had a weak spot she could exploit so easily...
Gisborne tipped the jug up, then upended it and growled in frustration. "There's none left - I'll get the maid to fetch some more." He strode over to the door, wrenched it open and stepped out into the corridor, pulling the door semi-closed behind him.
Matilda gasped as she felt a pinch on her arm and she looked down to see Marian smiling weakly back at her.
Marian winked and gestured with her eyes towards the door. As it opened and Gisborne came back into the room, she quickly closed her eyes again.
Matilda suppressed a smile. You cunning little vixen... "Lady Marian's colour is a lot better. I think she's nearly over the fever. I have an ointment here which should help her break free of it completely."
"So what are you waiting for?" Gisborne snapped.
"I have to apply it to her back. You'll have to leave the room," Matilda stated as matter-of-factly as possible.
Gisborne hesitated but only very briefly. "I'll wait outside. Knock on the door when you're done. If she looks like she may wake then you'll have to stop. I'll send the maid in with the water when she gets back - be sure to cover your face."
Matilda nodded to show she understood and Gisborne left the room.
As soon as the door closed behind him Marian opened her eyes again. "It is you," she whispered to Matilda with a large smile. "I had half convinced myself it was some dream brought on by my fever."
"If I was in your vision then surely it would be a nightmare and not a dream!" Matilda chuckled quietly. "How are you feeling?" She looked more closely at Marian's eyes.
"Quite tired... and hungry."
"I'm not surprised - you've had practically nothing but water for nearly three days."
"Three days!" Marian exclaimed. "I thought it was only two. I've missed a whole day somewhere."
"Mm - it was a nasty one, that's for sure..." Matilda said. She laid her hand on Marian's forehead. "And I can't understand why you're still so hot."
Marian smiled mischievously. "Because last time she went for water, I had Sarah sneak into the kitchen and fetch me a hot stone." She threw the covers back to reveal a flat blanket-wrapped bundle lying on her stomach.
Matilda laughed and hastily clamped her hand over her mouth in case Gisborne heard her. "Oh, if ever there was a match for young Master Locksley, you are it, my girl!" she whispered appreciatively.
Marian moved the hot stone to one side. "I wanted to make certain you had not been a dream. From what Sarah was able to tell me of you I thought it must be true, but I had to be sure. Keeping my ‘fever' seemed like the only way to make Guy bring you to me again." She looked up hopefully at Matilda. "Please tell me this means that what I thought you told me is also true - Little John is not dead? Guy did not kill him?"
Matilda nodded but with a frown. "Not yet anyway. Vaizey is determined to make him give up the location of Robin's camp. They've been torturing him almost non-stop since they caught him."
"Poor John. We have to get him out," Marian said with determination.
"Did you manage to speak to Robin at all?" Matilda asked.
"I... I'm not sure," Marian grudgingly replied. "I know he was here - Sarah told me - and I tried to tell him, or at least I think I did, but I don't think he understood."
"Do you have any way of reaching him?"
Marian shook her head disconsolately. "No. I would ask Sarah to try and spot him in the town but today is one of the days he usually visits the villages, not Nottingham, and Sarah would find it hard to get away for that long. He may be here tomorrow."
Matilda sighed. "I don't think John has that long. He's in a pretty bad way."
There was a knock at the door and Marian quickly pulled the covers back over herself and closed her eyes.
Matilda wrapped her cloak around her head and went to open the door. She took the water from Sarah with a brief nod and, when she was sure Gisborne wasn't looking, a small wink.
Sarah flashed her a brief smile before she closed the door again.
Matilda poured two cups of water and handed one to Marian. "Drink it slow."
They both sat in thought for a few moments before Matilda had another idea. "What about Allan? I've seen him here a few times. Is he spying for Robin?"
Marian scowled. "No, he's not. He is working for Guy. Actually, I think it would be fairer to say he is working for Allan."
"Oh... Hmm..." Matilda frowned. "And he wouldn't help? Not even to save John?"
Marian considered this for a moment. There was certainly no love lost between John and Allan but while she could not believe Allan would actively wish the other man's death, neither did she think he would risk his own on John's behalf. "I don't think so... He might, but I'm not certain and we couldn't risk it. No, I'll have to do it myself," she said firmly.
"What? Don't be ridiculous!" Matilda snorted. "You're not getting out of that bed until tomorrow at least, young lady. You're in no shape to go gallivanting off into the woods looking for Robin."
"No. I don't mean I should go fetch Robin - I mean it'll have to be me, well... us, that gets John out. You said yourself he doesn't have much time."
"Now I know the fever's scrambled your wits," Matilda said incredulously. "You're suggesting you and I just stroll down to the dungeon, drag John out of there, walk him out the front gate and nobody will so much as bat an eyelid?"
Marian smiled. "That's almost exactly what I'm suggesting - and here's how we'll do it..."
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Next Chapter
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