KOTLC The Final Chapter

Chapter Eleven Indecisive

Welcome back, everyone! Hope you had a good Halloween I'm currently taking a five-hour train home, so I thought I would finally update. First I just want to shout out Corrie_Likes_Words they're pretty great so I hope if you're reading this that you would please follow them. Second, Rejected Moolark's chapter is coming out soon promise. Third, no one entered my last contest.😅 I know the topic isn't the most ideal but I wanted to publish Shadow Experiment's epilogue with the top three so I'll switch it up a bit but it still is going to have a close concept. Alright. Enough of my babbling enjoy the chapter.

I woke up groggily the next morning. The annoying noise of people moving around upstairs and downstairs had kept me awake most of the night, but that was to be expected when you have someone in urgent care under your roof. Keefe had gone back home a couple of days ago. I was a little disappointed but he said he was still a little guilty, and hearing Tam scream every so often when Elwin had to clean his wounds was defiantly not helping.
I dragged myself out of bed and quickly got dressed curiously to see what the commotion was about downstairs as it had been especially loud this morning.

Downstairs councillor Alaina, Emery and Oralie were in the living room, with Mr.Forkle and Elwin sitting across from them. Councillors Alina and Emery were glaring daggers at Mr.Forkle while Oralie was just sitting there awkwardly. Mr.Forkle was staring right back at them, while Elwin was constantly looking back at the stairway I had just come down from, clearly not like being away from his patient.
Oralie was the first to notice me and immediately looked down at her hands. Mr. Forkle gave me a weary smile and signalled me to stay where I was.

"Councilor Alina you can't expect us to let you interrogate Tam in the state he is in. If we put him under any more pressure it could not only set back his recovery, even more, his mind could be shattered. He was clearly under intense stress back at Corporis and bringing up any bad memories can be catastrophic." Elwin said clearly not willing to budge on the topic that was being presented.

"We understand that Elwin, but we can not waste any more time, we've already given him a week and we need information." Alina retorted.
"A week isn't enough for the boy Councilor Alina you have to understand that! It's a miracle he has even woken up with the concussion he has."
"His injuries are irrelevant Elwin."
"I highly doubt almost bleeding to death is irrelevant"
Councilor Alina sighed, clearly frustrated.
"Can he be woken up Elwin?"
"Yes, but I would like to have him sedated for a couple more days to ensure he is-"
"Does his concussion affect his speech?" 
"Not he can talk but that doesn't mean-"
"If he can talk and isn't in
life-threatening danger then I don't see what the problem is."
"That's the problem HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER IF HE ISN'T TREATED PROPERLY," Elwin said slamming his hands on the coffee table and making everyone except councillor Alina jump a bit.
"You aren't the only medic in the lost cities Elwin we can have Tam removed from your care and placed under council surveillance." Emery chimed in, finally joining the conversation.
"Councilor Emery you can't move the boy and place him under another medic," Mr.Forkle said.
"We have all the means to do so Mr. Forkle. Going against us will be considered a sign of hostility."

The room went quiet after that and I had had enough.
"You can't expect to walk in on Tam's treatment threaten to take him out of Elwin's care and then tell us we are hostile when we try to resist!" I said walking further into the living room. Causing all eyes to turn to me.
"Ah, so the great Moonlark joins the conversation." Councilor Alina said with an eye roll.
"Ms. Foster I'm afraid you have no business here," Councilor Emery said.
"Tam is my friend recovering in my house and I don't have a say in his well-being?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.
"I've had enough of this either you let us see the boy Elwin or we take him from your care," Alina said.
" I can't let-"
"We have to Elwin." Mr. Forkle interrupted him. 
"I'm sure they will only stay for a few minutes and we can be there while they talk to him."
"It would be better if we could talk to Tam in private Mr. Forkle." Councilor Emery said.
"That is our offer Councilor Emery. It will also bring the least amount of resilience from our side."
"Fine."
Elwin begrudgingly led the councillors upstairs to the guest room, me and Mr.Forkle bringing up the rear.
When we entered the lights were off and Elwin dimly turned them on so we could see Tam.
Elwin wasn't lying when he said that Tam was heavily sedated. He was lying on his back his non-broken arm by his side, impaled with an IV, shocking most in the room by the quiet gasps that resounded. Normally IVs wouldn't be that big of a deal but in the Lost Cities, they didn't use needles so it was alarming that Tam would have one.
Elwin must have seen the looks on our faces as he quietly readjusted the bag hanging over Tam's bed.
"Under normal circumstances, I would never use IVs but the healing room was destroyed in the attack on Foxfire and I was greatly short on my medicines. Tam is also not doing well on swallowing so I was forced to take these measures.
Everyone suddenly became awkward except for Elwin who was preparing the proper elixir to wake Tam up from his enforced unconsciousness.
Besides the IV shock, Tam was paler than when I last saw him and a disturbing flush had made itself known on his cheeks. A now dry cloth had been placed on his forehead and I gently dipped it in the water bowl on Tam's bedside before placing it back on his forehead.