Page 17 of Dark Awakening: New World

"It's honey. It's sweet."

He reached for the spoon and dipped it into the oatmeal, lifting it to his lips with a deliberate slowness. He tasted it, paused, and then took another spoonful.

Jasmine was relieved that he was eating. "I see that you like that."

When he nodded and took another spoonful, she decided to stop nagging him about every morsel he put in his mouth and leaned back in her chair. When Ell-rom had fallen asleep last night, she had fallen asleep with him, and she hadn't gone up to the penthouse to talk to Margo as she had promised.

It had been strange to wake up on the narrow hospital bed, wrapped up in Ell-rom's arms. Good, but strange.

Bridget hadn't commented on it, so maybe she hadn't known. Gertrude had been in charge of the night shift, and she had known for sure, but she might have decided not to tell the doctor, though Jasmine doubted that. The more likely scenario was that Bridget had pretended not to know so she wouldn't have to admonish her for compromising Ell-rom's comfort.

"We fell asleep before we had a chance to do a card reading last night," she said. "After the physical therapy, I'll get them, and we will do a reading." She smiled. "It will be your reward for all the hard work you are going to put in."

He put the spoon down and wiped his mouth with the napkin. "I was hoping for a different kind of reward." The glint in his eyes didn't leave room for interpretation.

"Then you can look forward to a double reward. A reading and a kiss." Jasmine grinned. "It's going to be a wonderful day."

Ell-rom lifted three fingers. "I need to ask for one more reward."

"Name it."

"I want to see my sister and sit by her side for a bit. Maybe she is not waking up because she has no one talking and singing to her. The sound of your voice pulled me out of the abyss, and it might do the same for her."

Jasmine swallowed the lump in her throat. "We will sit at your sister's side for as long as you want, and I will sing and talk until my voice gives out."

"Thank you, but I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I won't." She put the coffee cup on the side table and rose to her feet. "It was just an expression. I am a trained actress, and I can go for hours without my throat giving out."

Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about the prince misconstruing her words and turning them into sexual innuendo. Sometimes, it was good that things got lost in translation.

She leaned over Ell-rom and brushed a kiss on his forehead. "I'll go see if Bridget got the walker."

He caught her hand. "Can you eat the eggs for me? I don't think I can stomach them, and I don't want Bridget to put the tube in me again."

Jasmine laughed. "She won't. I was just teasing. Tell her that the eggs make you nauseous, and she will get you something else next time."

Ell-rom sighed in relief. "Thank the Mother of All Life. The smell alone upsets my stomach."

10

ELL-ROM

Ell-rom watched Bridget enter the room with a strange contraption and followed her movements as she set the device near the foot of his bed. It was a metallic structure with four legs, each ending in a cap that was made from some sort of rubbery material.

Jasmine followed, but she stayed by the door to give the medic room.

Bridget eyed his half-eaten meal and frowned. "I see that your appetite is still diminished."

"I have an aversion to eggs," he admitted. "The smell is nauseating to me."

Bridget's eyes widened for a moment. "Right. You have an aversion to animal products. Since the gods don't have that problem, I thought that it was a conscientious choice that your body somehow remembered, but it seems that your aversion is very deeply rooted."

He knew what eggs were, but he didn't remember whether he had ever eaten fowl or their eggs.

"I liked the oatmeal and the banana slices with the sweet liquid over them."

"Good. I'll get you more fruit for your next meal." Bridget positioned the device next to the bed. "So, this is the walking assistance device I told you about. It's called a walker, and it will help support your weight and provide stability as you walk while you build up your strength."