The 100 sacrifices

~chapter 16

                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                             DARKNESS RULES
                               OVER HER SOUL
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                              16

In the medical tent, Abby's hand hold a needle as she slowly ran it over Raven's right foot.
Small tickles from the needle made Raven's toes curl up, feeling the bumps while Finn sat on the chair besides the bed.

"You felt that?" Abby asked, immediately looking at Raven. Her tone was one of hope as she was smiling, feeling relieved.

"Yes, I felt that." Raven answered in a tired and hoarse tone. Her head was resting against the pillow as her breaths were heavy and gruffly.

"Good." Abby said with a relieved tone and a smile.

"Now the left." ,she added, moving to stand in front of Raven's left foot, running the needle over it, rapidly.

The relief on Abby's face quickly disappeared after she saw Raven's foot having no reaction to the needle. Raven stared down at her foot, no emotion showing on her face while the exhaustion was clear. She had dark bag under her eyes and her face was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"Anything?" Finn asked, turning to look at Raven, his expression one of hope.

Raven glanced at him, no answer as Finn and Abby thought of the worse.

"Try it again." Finn said as he kept looking at Raven, noticing the fear and sadness in her eyes.

Abby looked at him as she stayed still before Finn turned to look at her, raising his voice as he repeated himself.

"Try it again!"

Abby slightly flinched, but did not tried it again as Finn pushed slightly into the table, standing up as irritation was written all over his face. Raven looked at Finn as she let out a sigh.

"Finn.." She said hoarsely and lowly before looking at Abby.

"Raven, I want you to tell me when you feel something, okay?" Abby said with a hopeful smile as she began to rang the needle slowly over her foreleg after Raven nodded in approval.

The needle pinched her skin as Raven felt nothing at all until it pinched her lower thigh.

"There." Raven said with a small wince, making both Finn and Abby glance at her immediately.

Abby put down the needle as she licked her lips, gathering her thoughts, trying to figure out how to say it more gently.

"Raven, it appears you have significant damage in the nerves of your left leg." Raven's eyes flickered between Abby and her leg.

"Will it get better?" She asked in the same hoarse and tired voice.

"For now you'll need crutches." Abby said trailing off as she thought about something to say to make her feel better.

"But you're alive." She said as tears got in Raven's eyes.

"And you're not in pain anymore." Abby added while Raven sniffed as tears streamed down her face.

"But I am still crippled." Taking a huge inhale then exhaled, Raven said, her voice cracking as she looked away, trying to hold back the tears that kept falling.

Abby felt an immense amount of pity for Raven as she let out a small sigh.

"I am gonna give you two some time." she said before walking out of the tent.

Finn slowly sat back down on the chair besides the table, grabbing Raven's hand as she inhaled her tears.

"We always talk about you.." He said, looking at Raven, breaking the silence in an attempt to cheer her up.