A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 20: My ongoing headache. (Part 3)

Eventually I fell into a forced slumber. Marley did try ease my headache but none of her magic worked. Even the few concoctions I had prepared did nothing. In the end I asked Ronalt to knock me out. He was a little too happy to comply than I would have liked. He was still serious as usual but there was an underlying 'want' to help that I couldn't quite tell if it was good or bad. Still when he choked me to sleep the pain did ebb away.

The problem was my dreams although painless didn't alter too much from reality. Flashes of Lara's world kept bursting into my mind. Each one I'd spend a few seconds in before they faded away to darkness. It was like I was being transported again and again to places I didn't quite know. Sometimes Lara was there, others I was alone, and occasionally people I had never met appeared. Their mouths would move silently, no words coming from them but then a single name, Jane. Each time I heard the name I couldn't help but frown. It was one thing to look like a girl but to also have a girl's name... I felt bad for whoever I was seeing.

By the time I woke up I was feeling dead and groggy. A glass of water sat next to my bed and I drunk it eagerly. It looked like they had taken me into the carriage instead of the room, the beds were more comfortable but the crew members didn't like us hanging around in the cargo hold. I stood up and shuffled dizzily to the kitchen area. From the window I could see outside this ship. It was night.

The water was helping and I was no longer getting spastic imagery flashed through my brain. I was a little hungry and decided to cook something small. There were plenty of supplies still in the carriage preserved by the enchantments Ardent had placed and not long after I had taken them out, the smell of fish sizzling immersed into the carriage. While I cooked I sipped at a glass of rice wine that was given to us as a gift in Reese. It was an interesting drink with a strong after taste. The rich alcoholic bite snapped my mind awake.

"You shouldn't drink while cooking," Lara's voice spooked me.

I turned towards her eyes wide, "What are- sorry I didn't know you were here." She had half her body hidden by the doorway into her room. I was so immersed in my task I lost track of my surroundings again.

"We decided it best to have one of us stay to look after you," she smiled and sat at the table. "Ardent wanted to but was rejected. Earnest and Marley just wanted to sleep and Ronalt was busy. It ended up between me and Taylor and I won."

"You 'won'?" I wasn't sure looking after me should be considered a prize.

"Well it was mostly for the bed," she chuckled.

I continued to lightly fry the fish and began to add other vegetables and spices, "It's a bit late but you want some?"

"Sure," she nodded keenly. "I won't ever refuse something from you."

"And you shouldn't, because I'm a damn good cook," I let the food simmer and prepared some plates. When it was done I sat opposite of Lara and began to eat.

She spooned the food into her mouth and immediately her eyes expanded in surprise, "This flavour...."

"It's your favourite right?" I said with a knowing smile.

"How did you know?" she looked at me and then her food, switching between us in pleasant confusion.

"I've cooked for you long enough to know." I held my spoon pointing towards her, "Just make sure to eat your carrots. They're good for you and I know you don't like them but they should taste pretty nice like this."